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hogwartsfirebolt · 3 years

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Hello everyone! I’m back for my (omg time flies) third yearly drarry rec list, in which I share with you my 30 favorite drarry fics I read in the year, divided in three parts. What a year 2020 was. It was challenging, scary and confusing, and it was also an amazing reading year for me, I read so, so much more than I ever had before, and I’m really excited to share these masterpieces with you! The banner art is by @dragontamerdame who is one of my favorite artists and was kind enough to let me use this beautiful piece, which you can (and totally should) reblog right here. Now, with nothing else to add and in no particular order, here’s my

FAVORITE FICS I READ IN 2020 PART ONE

1. Who we are in the shadows - @quicksilvermaid - 100k - E - What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

THIS FIC!!! It was the first one I read in 2020, and it immediately became my favorite fic of the entire year, and one of my favorites of all time. I have since read it two more times, the entire 100k of it. There are absolutely no words to describe how amazing it is, how much it floored me to read their characterizations, their jobs and the roads life took them on to end up where they end up, the connection between them in a time when they don’t even know how to relate to anyone, their sorrow and struggles which, despite being so rooted in the magical world, are painfully human, just... wow. It’s a masterpiece. It changed the way I view their characters, forever, and I suspect I will read it many, many more times in the years to come. It’s that kind of story. If for whatever reason you haven’t read it, this is your sign to take that chance and embark on this amazing journey.

2. Every Kingdom - @thistle-verse - 7k - E - Every kingdom needs a prince. Every prince needs a good and useful knight. Draco and Harry play their parts and renegotiate some borders while they’re at it.

So, so lovely. Even though I don’t read them very often, alternate universes fascinate me so much, and I am in awe of the author for being able to pack so, so much story, so neatly into 7k words. This features a princely, lonesome Draco, a charming, golden Harry, and a blossoming love that could change everything. It’s beautiful, and I recommend it deeply.

3. The Bucket List - GallaPlacidia - 32k - Draco will die in six months if he can't get Harry Potter to fall in love with him. Since that's not going to happen, he might as well spend his last days working through his Bucket List. Tap-dancing lessons? Rock climbing? Poetry-writing? Threesomes? Cocaine? Getting to know his adorable cousin, Teddy Lupin? Draco will try them all! Feat. Cheerily pessimistic Draco, devoted bitch queen Pansy Parkinson, and a Harry who can't help but notice that something seems DIFFERENT about Draco, these days.

I’m positive that many, many of us got acquainted with GallaPlacidia’s writing this year, and I, too, fell in love with it. This story aches in the most beautiful of ways, the humor happens to be somehow light in such a difficult circumstance that it ends up hurting when you laugh, it hurts when everything is right because it’s also wrong, it aches when it’s supposed to be a happy moment and feels tender and sweet when it’s not. I can’t even imagine the challenge of writing this kind of story, and they pulled it off beautifully. It��s a lovely story, one you will take with you long after you finish it, and, personally, I think it’s a great introduction to the author’s writing.

4. halcyon days - @the-starryknight - 1.3k - T - Sleepy mornings caught while the sun rises are reserved for silly word games and soft touches and feelings.

Oh my god, the amount of tenderness in such a low wordcount made me weak in the knees. I almost couldn’t take it. Being able to convey such a deep emotional connection in a short story seems like such a daunting task, and the author makes it seem almost effortless. I guarantee that this will make you bring your hands to your chest and sigh with how lovely it is. Reading it will be the best ten minutes of your day.

5. Clouds That Veil the Midnight Moon - @drarrytrash - 37k - E - According to Harry’s personal narrative regarding the incident, he’d hooked up with Draco Malfoy for purely self-destructive reasons, or out of convenience, or by some unlucky accident. Looking at him, sprawled in the moonlight, Harry is devastated to recall that he’d hooked up with Draco Malfoy because he’s hot. Draco is a secret werewolf and Harry is doing his best and they've got criminals to catch, darn it.

Reading this, I found myself laughing out loud, nodding profusely with how freaking spot on the characterizations are. The dialogue is amazing, so hilarious and real and Harry’s inner monologue is so, so him. I love everything about this story. I have a soft spot for werewolf fic, and this one hit everything I love about it, the case is interesting and engaging, the incidental characters, the OCs, Ron and Hermione, everyone and everything is absolutely perfect and I had an absolute blast reading it. You HAVE to read this and see for yourself what I’m talking about.

6. Sex Ed for Aurors - curiouslyfic - 8k - M - Some things, you need to learn on the job.

Oh my god this is so freaking good. The premise is, basically, that Harry is accidentally doused with a lust potion while in the vicinity of Draco, and suddenly wants him more than anything. I loved this take on that trope, we’re in Harry’s head, and it’s absolutely hilarious and endearing to experience the near childish glee he feels whenever Draco looks his way, when he smiles, when he feels he’s made him happy, meanwhile Draco and Ron are horrified and doing whatever they can to correct it. This is so funny and such a good time, I can’t recommend it enough! While you’re at it, you should definitely read megyal’s remix of this, which is also a blast.

7. plasticine porters with looking-glass ties - @bonesliketambourines - 15K - E - Lately, Harry thinks things don’t seem the same between him and Draco. His head is in the clouds when he thinks about what their relationship is now, and where it might be headed—he’s happy with their friendship, but he wants something else. A potions accident over a lunchtime visit to Draco’s lab (what does he get up to in there, anyway?) changes things, though, and accelerates their relationship faster than either of them had ever expected. How are they going to get through this new development together?

Atmospheric, beautifully-written and delicious. Their relationship is tender, just on the edge of something more, when they’re forced to quarantine together and face the effects of a potion that makes them see and feel things differently, which makes for the most intense, visual, gorgeous sex scene I think I’ve ever read. It’s just absolutely phenomenal.

8. i wake up falling - warmfoothills - 9k - M - Draco’s always leaving, one way or another. Harry’s usually 240 thousand miles too late.

In trying to come up with a way to summarize this story, I’m feeling the overwhelming urge to cry again, just like I did when I read it. It’s just so, so, beautiful, every single word of it aches in the best way, the longing feels deeply authentic and just, the setting and the jobs and everything is so unique and gorgeous. Every single work by this author is beyond beautiful, but especially this one is incredibly close to my heart and I think everyone should read it. It’s a gem.

9. In Every Universe - @skeptiquewrites - 27k - M - They sent Professor Harry Potter to search for Unspeakable Draco Malfoy. Draco has stolen a Firebird, an experimental magical device from the Department of Mysteries that lets you enter parallel universes as yourself. As Harry traverses from universe to universe, he begins to think Draco might be the one searching for him. A story about whether knowing what's possible makes it possible.

Stories where the characters find themselves somehow hopping from one reality to another are always so, so fascinating to me, and this one is incredibly creative and well-written, so entertaining all around. The mystery of it kept me on my toes, and every single reality was a joy to read. 10/10

10. Life goes not backward - @shealwaysreads - 8k - T - Harry still isn’t used to gifts, but this one is different. A story of coming home, finding safe ground, and the wild courage of putting down roots. Leaving one life behind isn’t always a sacrifice, and sometimes the greatest good comes from embracing the people you love.

My god, there are not enough words to describe how much this story means to me, how beautiful it is, how every single time I’ve read it, I’ve cried. Bella has undoubtedly become one of my absolute favorite writers in fandom. She has such a way with words, there is not one of her stories that hasn’t touched me, that doesn’t feel like an actual, full-length novel no matter the word count. I read so many of them this year, so many of the masterpieces she’s gifted us, but this one especially is so tender, so dear, that I ended up choosing it as my favorite of hers this year. Harry’s charactertization, the unbelievable warmth of their relationship, absolutely everything about this is gorgeous. Go read it, right now, and then binge all her other works!! You won’t regret it.

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Each of these fics is incredibly close to my heart and I enjoyed them immensely. In the midst of everything changing, I really found comfort and solace in the amazing works of the people of this fandom. I hope they give you the same amount of warmth and comfort they gave me, and I’m ALWAYS here to gush about any of them ❤️ Happy New Year!

#drarry #drarry fic #drarry fanfic #drarry fic rec #2020rec #ficrec #draco malfoy #harry potter #drarry rec list

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hanaasbananas · 3 years

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Fanfic Year in Review 2020

thanks for the tag @2manyfandoms2count! This took me a while to get to but here we are!

Ok I feel like this is just gonna end up being a post where I just gush about Phantoms in the Dark but like...c'mon

This is gonna get long so i've put it under the cut:

1) List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished:

Most of my stories are one shots of varying lengths, but I did actually finish quite a few so we have:

A Chance Encounter and So it Goes- both zenmaster fics for That 70s Show

Touch the Rain: I honestly forget I wrote this last year, it feels like I wrote it years ago but it's just a standard identity reveal in the heat of an argument type thing.

Ladybug Luck? What's That? The fic that really started my spiral into writing for the ML fandom, and the birth of the Bollywood Playlist series.

Post reveal, where they didn't know each other irl, Marinette sees Adrien at a Gabriel party, realises who he is, and does some property damage in the process.

our eyes speak (but on our lips is silence) At a wedding where Adrien is best man and Marinette is a guest they immediately recognise the other as their partner. Pure fluff and giddiness ensue

The Seduction of Marinette Dupain-Cheng Post reveal-Chat bets Ladybug that he can woo her as a civilian, employing good old fashioned tactics like flowers and poetry

Pink Snapshots of an Adrinette relationship. I just wanted to see if I could write an entire fic with no dialogue whatsoever, and this one got a huge surge in popularity recently so...guess I can!

Exposed Another fic where they don't know each other as civilians. When their identities are revealed in the worst possible way, Ladybug and Chat Noir hide out in a hotel room as they try to process the situation.

This Red Love My first enemies au! In which Adrien joins Hawkmoth from the beginning, but still goes to school and ends up dating Marinette. When he realises who she is, he has to re-examine everything he thought he ever wanted.

i have found someone (like a nomad finds a home) In the last one, Adrien willingly sided with Gabriel, but in this one, he is forced to after Stoneheart. Years later, he meets Marinette, who makes him feel like he isn't a monster.

Memory Chat Blanc in the aftermath when there is nothing left.

Phantoms in the Dark My biggest accomplishment last year! And the longest story I've ever written at 30k words. A historical marichat story based off my favourite poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. I'm currently working on the sequel.

I only bow down to worship (but I come to a stop when I see you) In which Adrien knows Marinette is Ladybug, and she knows he knows. However, he hasn't told her he's Chat Noir. This is just cute relationship stuff in the same vein as Pink

Collect your Courage, Loyalty, I'll never be the thief (to bring in hot scattered hell) Thought I'd branch out to other fandoms and landed on ATLA. This is a series (eventual zutara) where Zuko realises almost immediately post banishment that he can't follow in his father's footsteps and rebels.

Dancing Lessons Chat Noir and Ladybug decided to reveal their identities at age 20, and now Chat has chosen the venue as well. The only problem is he needs to teach Ladybug how to dance first.

Wish Ok I hurt a lot of people with this one but it's one where in the final fight, Adrien is mortally wounded and Marinette uses the miraculous to save his life, forfeiting her life in the process.Flashes back and forth between her death and how Adrien is coping in the aftermath.

2) Number of words written: 79663. I actually wanted to hit 100k by the end of the year but as those in the guild know, I spent most of December doing kitchen renovations and being pissed about my lack of free time lmao

3) Your most popular fic: Phantoms in the Dark. it has yet to surpass my all time most popular fic it's all a game of chance (they say in wonderland), but it's catching up

4) Your personal fav: Dancing Lessons I wrote this way back in July last year but only posted it in December and I just, it's so sweet I really like it with the flirty banter and just the two of them being SO CUTE

5) Your fav scene: The scene at the end of ch6 of Phantoms where Marinette and Chat talk after their kiss and realise they both are very much into each other.

6) A fic or scene that challenged you:

I am really bad at action sequences, and even though in Phantoms Adrien was out fighting people on the regular, I just sort of...glossed over them. Except for in chapter 8, where I wrote a proper duel between Chat and someone he was robbing.

What I struggled with was describing the movements, not wanting to make it too complicated whilst not having it be 'he feinted and stabbed' or something really simplistic. There was a lot of pen acting involved, but I think the end result is quite good, if I do say so myself.

7) A line of writing you’re proud of: From Phantoms (of course)

In every lifetime, in every land, we shall find each other.

8) A comment that touched you:

I love every single comment that I get, but someone left this on my musketeers fic Going Through the Motions (posted as a series on ao3 to motivate me to finish the fic but when it was done I compiled all the parts and posted it on ffnet as a oneshot lol and one of my absolute fave fics I've written-no surprise that it's historical 😅) on ffnet, which was a HUGE compliment:

"I like the way you wove dialogue from the series with your fiction. Your story gives us a more complete picture of Bonacieux and explains why Constance rejected D'Artagnan, which we did not get from the series. Your version is better. Well done!"

9) Something that inspired your writing:

I mean...I have an entire series on ao3 that is just fics inspired by bollywood songs/scenes-and those were my main inspiration for so many things. (I actually realised the other day that a scene from the movie Kalank is what inspired me to write Wonderland lmao)

10) Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):

Honestly, just writing consistently! I graduated in 2019 and in the past, I've started and abandoned so many projects and ideas, and even the first fic I posted on ao3-it took me a year to get the second chapter up and then I only finished it because I wanted to post other stuff but didn't feel like I could until I finished that one lol.

So yeah, that, and of course, actually writing and finishing Phantoms instead of abandoning it like so many of my other ambitious projects. I'm really proud of the 30k I wrote for that story because it's the most I've ever written for a single thing

11) Do you have any writing goals for the next year?

I want to finish Forgotten Promises, and the third story in the series. I have the vague plot for that one, and know what's going in the epilogue to end the series but I just need to get there.

Oh! and see 100 ways to say I love you to the end.

This was fun! I tag @theanxiouscupcake @an-elysian-tree @quarantined-fics and anyone else who wants to have a go!

#will i ever shut up about phantoms in the dark?#no. the answer is no.#lol but honestly this was fun i didn't even realise how many fics i wrote last year #my posts #ask game #writing #fanfiction #miraculous ladybug #atla #marichat #adrinette #ladynoir #2020 year in review

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allisonilluminated · 6 years

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The Seven Sins of Fanfiction

Hey all,

This blog is primarily focused on helping newer writers (and maybe some older ones) improve their fanfiction and increase their views. Since that’s the case, it’s important to understand exactly what not to do when you’re writing.

These are the worst things you can do while you’re writing. I can guarantee everyone reading this post has done at least three of them, and probably all in some shape of form. This is the sort of thing that makes you want to click away immediately, that you cringe at when it’s in the first paragraph or laugh at how bad it is. These things that make you stop reading other stories, just think about it for a moment. What if fewer people are reading your own work because you’re making the same mistakes?

Yeah. If you want to improve, you gotta know what you’re doing wrong. Number Seven is the least worst, then the list descends to Number One, the worst thing you can do in fanfiction.

Note: This is a subjective list. There are people who disagree with some of these points (especially the non-grammar ones), so it’s important to remember that these are the things I find most degrading to the quality of the story being written. As a writer, you have the creative liberty to write whatever you want.

#7 – Bad Romance

“Wo-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o, o-o-ah, caught in a bad romance fanfiction but it’s the only 100k fic for my OTP so I’m like contractually obligated to read it.” - Lady Gaga, mostly

We’ve all been here. You know that moment when two characters meet, then suddenly decide to kiss, and the next thing you know they’re screwing on the patio with some kinky ass BDSM shit. What about those cringe fics where suddenly Harry is spouting some creepy possessive stuff like “my only” or “softest light of my life” to twelve year old Ginny. You know what I’m talking about.

Good romance is an art. It’s about flawed characters (later) coming together in a beautifully intimate way (later) to make something even more beautiful. There is so much bad romance on FFN and AO3 that it just blows my mind.

Giving tips would take an entire post, so here’s a good article on the absolute basics you need to write a good romance: https://www.nownovel.com/blog/romance-writing-mistakes/

#6 – Bad Dialogue Tags

“No!” he howled.

“Yes,” she growled angrily.

She retorted snarkily, “Well, screw you.”

“Fuck you too,” he scowled sadly, before gratingly mumbling “I still love you though.”

Alternatively:

“No!” “Yes.” “Well, screw you.” “Fuck you too. I still love you though.”

There’s a glorious word in this social construct we call English, and it’s “said.” Use it.

You don’t need a fancy word for every tag. You don’t need a fancy word for almost all tags. Eighty percent of your tags should be said, exclaimed, and asked, and more of said than the others. Maybe a whispered or a yelled for some flavor.

Adverbs are your enemies. I struggle with this, but you should use them extremely sparingly.

On the flipside, if your reader doesn’t know who’s talking, your dialogue is meaningless to them. Also, use line breaks every time there is a new speaker.

The trick is finding some happy medium between the two examples. A handful of fancy tags, a lot of said, and if there are two people talking back and forth you don’t even need to tag every sentence.

#5 – Bad Messaging

I don’t want to put down an example for this one, because I think writers feel liberated to write some really awful shit in fanfiction because it’s “not a serious medium” or “it’s the internet, I have free speech.” Let me say this right now:

Stories that make rape a positive thing are not okay. Stories that portray suicide in a glorified light are not okay. Stories that show slavery, or torture, or all of the other horrendous things human beings do to each other in a romanticized or glorified manner are not okay.

I don’t care if it’s your fetish. I don’t care, it’s just not okay to write about these things in a positive light. The only reason this is so high on this list is because these stories aren’t as common as the rest, and are mostly marked M/Explicit so you can avoid them.

#4 – Overdescription

Hi my name is Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way and I have long ebony black hair (that’s how I got my name) with purple streaks and red tips that reaches my mid-back and icy blue eyes like limpid tears and a lot of people tell me I look like Amy Lee (AN: if u don’t know who she is get da hell out of here!). [[I’m not related to Gerard Way but I wish I was because he’s a major fucking hottie. I’m a vampire but my teeth are straight and white. I have pale white skin. I’m also a witch, and I go to a magic school called Hogwarts in England where I’m in the seventh year (I’m seventeen). I’m a goth (in case you couldn’t tell) and I wear mostly black. I love Hot Topic and I buy all my clothes from there. For example today I was wearing a black corset with matching lace around it and a black leather miniskirt, pink fishnets and black combat boots. I was wearing black lipstick, white foundation, black eyeliner and red eye shadow – My Immortal

Oh boy.

Writers, let me introduce you to this wonderful thing called your profile. Assuming you aren’t drowning in copypastas, this is the perfect place for your character descriptions. Alternatively, have you heard of Tumblr? Literally, stick them anywhere except the middle of your story, and I can guarantee you the readers that actually care will find them if you mention them in your A/N.

Show, don’t tell is one of the fundamental principles of writing. When you’re describing a character, you probably don’t need more than three adjectives and a one sentence description of their outfit. Yes, that applies even if your character has a special non canon outfit. If we must know, work the details into the story. Info-dumping description is telling, and is one of the worst world building and characterization mistakes you can make. Period.

#3 – Epithets

The blond girl walked to the door, and started as a burly man opened it. “May I help you?”

“Yes, I’m here to get a consultation,” the graying businessman said as he ran a hand through his oily hair.

The youthful therapist nodded as she shut the door behind him. Rummaging on her desk, she asked, “Why are you here?”

“Well,” said the jaded economist to the buxom woman. “This author thinks they’re being clever by not giving out names, but they’re ruining this story.”

The best way to get someone to leave your story is epithets.

Epithets do not create mystery. Epithets are not a good substitute for proper nouns. Epithets will not make a clever opening, or add variety to your dialogue.

Epithets will ruin your story, and should not be used.

They come in varying degrees of horror.

The noun. You might be able to get away with saying just “the woman” or “the child” under certain circumstances. This is almost an excusable offence.

The noun with one adjective. This is already unacceptable. If you though you were going to solve Sin #4 by doing this, you’re digging yourself an even deeper hole.

The noun with one modified adjective. Because they can’t just be sexy, they have to be shockingly sexy.

The noun with multiple adjectives. This is automatically overdescription on top of being a horrible thing to subject another person to.

The noun followed by a relative clause. Because there’s always a way to make it worse. “The girl who was now holding his hand” is absolutely disgusting, and so is “The girl that was sitting across from her” or especially “the girl she knew had a chocolate bar somewhere in her pocket.

The noun followed by a relative clause with adjectives. Put it together and what have you got?

Compound Epithets. Oh. My. God. This deserves its own sin. Even if your character has blue hair, you should never ever ever call them a bluenette. Ever. Ever ever ever. AAAAAAAAH!

The author has made her point.

#2 – Bad Grammar

I find bad grammar extremely agitating, mostly because there are a lot of great tools and easy fixes to solve the problems. Most word processors have a built in spell checker, and a lot of them check for grammar as well. If you need an alternative, grammarly.com has a good free version that’ll catch a lot of mistakes. Of course, proofreading your work before posting is always a great idea. Here’s a quick list of some of the most common grammar issues you should be on the lookout for:

A new paragraph for a new idea.

A new paragraph for a new speaker.

Dialogue formatting

Periods

Commas

Run on sentences

Using line breaks

Spelling

Capitalizing starts of sentences

Capitalizing proper nouns

Choosing CONSISTENT capitalization for canon terms (Pokemon vs pokemon, for example)

Repeated words.

Sentence fragments

Tense

#1 – Bad Characterization

“What?” you’re probably asking yourself right now. “How is bad characterization possibly worse than poor grammar? Than epithets?”

Allow me to explain.

When an author writes a story, a good story, they are creating characters who act like people. They have wants, needs, hates, motives, and a concept of who they are, even if they’re only fictional. The author gives them life, spirit, a spark that keeps you reading and wanting to learn more about them.

That sense of identity is what makes them real to us. Why you binge a show on Netflix, or read a novel in one night. Reading is a connection with these characters on a deeper level than you might realize, and this connection brings them to life.

Take that away, and your story is dead.

Your gray OOC Gary Stu overpowered Ravenclaw Harry who grew up with Snape and has a goblin half brother AU is not a story about Harry Potter. It’s a story about an OC named Harry Potter, and Harry loses any integrity he had as a character in Rowling’s books.

That’s why there are fics with horrible grammar and massive following, alongside fics with incredible grammar and sentence construction but no followings. Unless you maintain a basic level of your character’s identity, the essence of what makes them empathetic, you’re not writing about that character. This is the worst sin, because even with all of the others in play, if there is good characterization you can still create an incredible story.

Just by fixing these seven problems, your fic can instantly jump from bad/meh to incredible in the way people perceive it. Hopefully this list can help you determine things to either go back and revise or work on for future chapters. When have you committed one of the seven sins? What other sins do people make all the time in their writings?

Thank you to all of the amazing people who have followed, Allie

Support Me: Fanfiction.net - Archives of our Own

#fanfic #fanfiction #seven sins #writing

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emilyplaysotome · 7 years

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Away and Back

After seeing @hotcocosharing‘s story prompted by @hifftn‘s story challenge I wanted to participate and this is what I came up with! I did this for fun which means it was a quick write with no revisions and probably a ton of errors...hope you enjoy it.

Like most nights without him, I’d reverted back to my “gross self” as I liked to call it - wearing stained sweatpants that had been diligently broken in after a decade of hardcore lounging. My hair was tied back, my makeup was off, and I was wearing the free glasses I’d gotten a few years back thanks to a promotion at Costco.

It was fair to say that the nicest part of my outfit was an oversized t-shirt of his that I’d swiped from his apartment, but it did little to help my slovenly appearance.

I’d taken the shirt home after the first night we spent together, insisting that I’d return it after washing it when in actuality I’d hoped to keep a memento. At the time I’d been uncertain as to whether or not we’d ever see each other again but as we continued to go out and it soon became obvious that I wasn’t simply a one night stand, the shirt quickly lost its souvenir status.

Instead, it served as a reminder of the man I loved during the long stretches we were apart - something that was a common occurrence for us.

On nights like tonight when he wasn’t around, I relished my solitude while simultaneously surrounding myself with the person I missed.

With my laptop open, I watched tv as I allowed myself to go down rabbit hole after rabbit hole to a soundtrack of variety shows and comedy programs.

The cheap beer I drank on nights like tonight always made me gassy, and unconcerned with appearances I embraced it, belching loudly and allowing the noise to reverberate off the walls in my small, one bedroom apartment.

I think it’s fair to say that most girls would whine about the fact that their boyfriend spent most days on the road, but to be honest, I really liked what we had.

Our relationship had provided me with the freedom to indulge my true self - a girl who enjoyed fried food, farting, and belching without worry that those around her would judge her. On nights like this I could be totally disgusting, and thanks to his schedule, he would have no idea.

We’d met through my work, and upon first glance he thought of me what everyone did. I knew that I came across competent, charming, and professional which was more than I could say for the others on my team.

Yes, I wanted a picture as did they, but the difference was that it was my job to photograph him and his friends.

That day the stylist, beauticians, and even my assistant had taken turns swooning as they meekly asked for fan photos, all the while batting their eyelashes as they fantasized about something more. When the guys had asked me if I wanted one too I’d shaken my head and noted that I didn’t take fan photos on a job, and proceeded to ask them to disrobe so I could capture what it was we’d all been tasked with getting.

Photographing five chiseled men wearing nothing but underwear and the occasional over-shirt probably seems like a dream to most, but I promise it’s nothing but a pain.

The studio is always too cold, the talent is always uncomfortable, and on top of all that nothing is more awkward than having to objectify a group of people as you attempt to give your direction in the hopes of capturing that one, perfect salacious photo that will move magazines and further your career.

Over time I’ve learned that substituting words like “handsome” for “sexy” or “hot” allows for a more professional dialogue, and I remembered snapping away that day, saying things like, “That’s great. Three more oh-so-handsome photos and we’ll be done.”

After the shoot he’d come over to thank me for the day, like everyone always did, and I was polite in return.

He asked if I had an Instagram account and I told him that I had a professional one in order to showcase my work. To that, he immediately took out his phone and followed me, telling me to tag him in the BTS photo his manager asked me to post and I agreed, figuring our exchange was purely business.

When I shared it out an hour later, he immediately “liked it” and as a result my modest following of 10k jumped to 100k practically overnight.

I figured like most of the people I photographed I’d never speak him again, but as the months went on he’d message me over the app in response to my stories, or another shoot I’d done. I was always taken aback to see a message from someone like him, but never did I think he had any ulterior motives until the day that he messaged me in response to a BTS Instagram Story of my shoot with a popular young idol:

Kyohei Rikudoh - Beautiful! Can’t wait to see the final shot.

Me - Haha yeah it was a fun shoot.

I expected that to be it, but that night he sent more.

Kyohei Rikudoh - More fun than mine?

Me - Never ;)

I didn’t think twice about sending a playful answer seeing as how the pop idol world was full of social landmines that I’d learned were best laughed off.

I figured he was like any other pop star and craved reassurance, certain my non-response would be enough to put our conversation to bed, however he persisted.

Kyohei Rikudoh - If you think I’m fun on set, you should see me on a date...want to go out sometime?

He had to be joking, or even worse, one of those pop stars who used women for fun after working with them. Seeing as how I had no desire to be added to his roster, I laughed his message off once more.

Me - Ha. Very funny Mr. Pop star. Night.

Kyohei Rikudoh - I’m not kidding. Have dinner with me...please?

Me - Not trying to be in a tabloid and I’m more of a relationship girl...so thanks for the invitation but I’d rather not waste either of our time.

Kyohei Rikudoh - It’s not a waste if I’m with you...and there won’t be a scandal. I like you.

I’d initially rolled my eyes at the response, not believing him for a second and chose to ignore the message. I went to sleep and awoke the next morning to several new messages from him in which he made a strong case for joining him for dinner.

Ultimately I relented, joining him for dinner, then sex, and much to my surprise we’ve been together ever since.

He’d be returning in a few days, and I’d shed my “gross” self for the one better suited for a pop star’s girlfriend.

Upon reuniting I figured we’d do what we always did - catching up in each others arms after having sex, followed by a few days of living together, until he once again disappeared from my life for weeks, giving me the opportunity to revert into the person I’d never let anyone see but relished being.

The beer was making me sleepy, and I let out an unbecoming belch as I settled into the couch, too lazy to attempt to make it to my bed.

My television continued to drone on in the background and with my week free of photoshoots I had no need to worry. If I overslept, I overslept. I didn’t need to be anywhere this week and it was a great feeling.

With no obligations, I snuggled into the nest I’d created on my couch - surrounded by empty beer bottles, takeout, blankets, and pillows.

It was something you’d expect from a frat boy, not a professional woman but it was so comfortable...so freeing...so...

“Hana?”

Hearing his voice made me feel as if I’d been doused with a bucket of ice water, and I quickly shot up only to verify that my boyfriend had indeed returned and had caught...me being me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to hide my panic.

He’d seen it all (other than the burping and farting thank god), and he looked at me both surprised and amused, cocking his head to the side as he crossed his arms and shot me a teasing grin.

“They say there’s no place like home and I’d have to agree...”

“You’re such a cheeky bastard,” I said, throwing a pillow in an attempt to distract him from how mortified I was. “You know this isn’t your home, right?”

“Might as well be...you gave me a key and all.”

“With the understanding that you’d give me a heads up before coming over...”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“Oh, believe me, I’m surprised.”

“Same.”

He laughed again and I threw another pillow at him.

“So this is what you do when I’m away,” he said, nimbly dodging it as he quickly pinned me down on the coach. “I had all these ideas that you went out, met guys...but really...”

“See! This is exactly why I never wanted to date a pop star in the first place! You wouldn’t understand...”

“Oh no...I totally understand,” he said before giving me a kiss. “May I join you?”

I could feel my face flush from being in such close proximity to the man I loved, and nodded, relieved that my appearance hadn’t scared him off.

Flashing me another naughty smirk, he left my side and headed to my bathroom where I watched as he removed his jewelry and hopped in the shower, returning to my living room wearing nothing other than his boxers.

It was that that I realized for the first time my perfect pop star boyfriend was without his usual embellishments and I realized that even when we hung out at home, just as I’d done, he’d always made the effort to style his hair and maintain a certain appearance in my presence.

This version of Kyohei Rikudoh was free of his usual pop prince aura, and there was something almost boy-next-door about him as he approached me with wet hair, two open beer bottles, and a playful grin.

“Cheers.”

I took a sip, and much to my surprise, for the first time since meeting, we didn’t reunite with sex. In that moment it struck me that drinking cheap beer from the convenience store as we looked our worst, somehow managed to feel more intimate than anything we’d done to date and I felt myself relax next to him.

For a few minutes we enjoyed a comfortable silence before he reached over and grabbed the remote, flipping aimlessly through channels before finally settling on a soccer match that had been played earlier in the day.

He put his arm around me, and pulled me close before taking another swig and finding myself the happiest I’d ever been in a relationship, I snuggled close to him.

“Hey Kyohei?”

“Yeah?”

“Welcome home.”

He looked at me with a smirk, and then, belched in response.

I laughed, and for the first time wondered if I’d found my perfect man.

I hope you enjoyed my little take on your challenge. I keep saying I need to focus on my IRL projects (which I do!) but I couldn’t help but take a stab at this.

As always, if you found this story and liked it...I hope you’ll consider sharing it and if you’re feeling really generous I hope you’ll consider buying me a coffee!

Thanks for reading!

#kyohei rikudoh #Scandal in the Spotlight #scandal in the spotlight fanfic #scandal in the spotlight fan fiction #voltage fanfic #Voltage fan fiction

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kendall2009 · 4 years

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Author Author E. H. James participated in the group interviews but wanted to share is in a writing form so here it is: VANESSA BUSH INTERVIEW 1.) When did you realize you wanted to become a writer? I wouldn’t say there was any defining moment, when the realization came to me. I recall writing weekly stories, in elementary school. The teacher would assign us a topic, and the class would write a short story. Almost every week, the teacher would read my story aloud to the class. I had no idea why she chose my stories, but I began to get a sense she saw something in me. It was a few years later, in grade seven, that we were required to write a poem about spring. The teacher read it aloud to the class, and I found out later he’d read it to all the teachers in the staff room. He came to me and said I should try to get it published. This surprised me. That anyone would consider what I write to be worth publishing. I had no desire to write, back then. I did it because I was told I had to. It was when my teachers praised me that I started to feel a sense of accomplishment and pleasure from it. I’m not sure if that was what sparked this love of writing, but I found myself in a moment when inspiration would strike, and I just had to get it down. I would write poems and, at first, had a couple published in local poetry books. I then submitted them to contests and had several published in anthologies in the U.S., Holland, and the U.K., under Lauren Hunter. I started writing short stories, as the ideas came to me, and then I had an idea for a novel. I worked on it on and off and finally finished it, but it wasn’t until I wrote a few more novels, and tried to find a publisher, that I truly considered being a writer. It was when my stories were accepted and published that I really began to see myself as a writer. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you have to be published, to consider yourself a writer. I’m saying I didn’t think of myself as a writer, until that happened. I don’t need to be published, to be a writer, but knowing others are reading my stories, and getting some sort of pleasure from the experience, gives it meaning for me. It adds a depth to the process, knowing it will be read. That it will reach into the hearts and minds of people who will laugh, or cry, or feel moved by my words. Over the years, from time to time, we may doubt ourselves, and question ourselves, but the desire remains, and the ideas continue to flow, whether they’re published or not. 2.) How long does it usually takes you to write a book? I’ve written a 120,000 word novel in four weeks, an 85,000 word novel in nineteen days, 50,000 words in twelve days…If I’m doing nothing else but writing all day, every day, I can get a lot done. It’s when I get into a zone that I can’t wait to write, the moment I awake—and when I’m too exhausted to focus, at the end of the day, that I regrettably realize I must stop. I usually write around 5,000 words in a day, but I have written 8 to 9,000 words in a day. So, depending on how long any given short story is, I can write them in one day. 3.) What would you say your writing style and techniques are? I know dialogue pushes my stories forward and immediately pulls the reader into the action, so I tend to focus on that. I’ll use narrative to help set mood, create tension, and to build the world around my characters—but not so much that it takes away from the momentum. 4.) What is the most important thing for you to communicate with your readers? I want them to relate to my characters, no matter if they are good or bad. I want them to become part of the story, as if there, in the midst of the joy or despair…for them to feel what the characters are feeling. I want them to know the characters, as if they are alive, and to cry at their loss, or rage at the injustice. I want them to come away from the story having experienced something that touched them on some level. Perhaps, left them with a thought, a feeling…a memory. 5.) How do you find your inspirations? Now that is a really hard question for me. So many times ideas will literally come to me out of thin air. They just pop into my head, and I find myself excited about the story unfolding before me, and I need to get it down. There have been times, when watching a particular movie based on a book, that I find myself moved to write. Their creation inspires me to create, as if through the images I sense their desire, their process, their drive and excitement. It reminds me of that passion, that need to express, that thrill of living within the world of my characters, as if one of them, as if I know them…as if they’re real. 6.) What do you enjoy the most when you create a story? When I start a story, I may have the plot worked out in my head, as to where I want the story to go and what it’s about. It tends to be a fairly general idea. I then start to write it, and as I am writing it, the characters and the story take on a life of their own. I don’t know what my characters are going to do or say, until the moment they say it. Yes, I have an idea what I want them to do and where I want them to go, but as to exactly what they will say or do to accomplish that…is a mystery to me. It’s a lot like reading someone else’s story, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. The things that will pop out of my characters’ mouths will make me gasp or laugh out loud. The words come into my head, in that moment, as they’re speaking, as though overhearing a conversation. There have been times when I started to write one story and it became something else entirely. It goes off in a direction I never planned, and I go along for the ride, wondering where it’s taking me. For me, it’s an exciting and mysterious process. * * * Author Bio and Links Bio: E. H. James has always been fascinated by the unexplained. Wanting to delve deeper into the unknown, James has read and researched in the areas of parapsychology and metaphysics, for the past 40 years. Taking those first hand experiences, involving the unexplained, James has woven the real and imaginary together into stories of the strange and bizarre. James’ stories range from the paranormal and horror, to fantasy and science fiction, from short stories and novellas, to 100K+ novels. Author Links: Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/E.-H.-James/e/B006XFI2LK/ Website: http://ehjames1.wixsite.com/ehjames1 Goodreads Author Page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5446146.E_H_James Twitter https://twitter.com/EHJames1 @EHJames1 Facebook Profile https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEHJames Blogger https://ehjames.blogspot.ca/ Follow E. H. James and explore their bibliography from Amazon.com’s E. H. James Author Page.

AMAZON.COM E. H. James Follow E. H. James and explore their bibliography from Amazon.com’s E. H. James Author Page.

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Very first written interview with a member of my writer’s group!!! Author Author E. H. James participated in the group interviews but wanted to share is in a writing form so here it is: VANESSA BUSH INTERVIEW…

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