#and i still updated the outline many times while writing that

[coffeebanana]

i love how optimistic i am when outlining long fics it's like "oh wow if i just plan this all out and then Follow. The. Plan!! it will totally be SO EASY. i mean i can have it all done so quickly!"

...ignoring the fact that this has never once happened 😂

#kayla rambles #writing thingsss #the closest thing is the time i did ladynoir july because like...i did write 60k in around 50 days #but i was a lot less picky about my writing then ajsfbkdsjf #like i COULD NOT write that fic now. and also i would write it so differently now 😭 but not the point #and i still updated the outline many times while writing that #also is 60k even a long fic? to me that's just medium. though i know that depends on who you ask #and i suppose by my standards i've never actually finished a 'long fic' (yet...but i have 4 in progress oops) #RIP to the shera fic that i only have one chapter of left to write asjfbdksjd maybe one day #on the plus side i feel like i'm getting better at outlining!!! #and i'm having fun which is the important thing!! #plus who knows maybe the break from actual writing will help #(if i manage not to cave akjfdskjd it's only been 4 days and idk if i'm strong enough to resist much longer)

[floodkiss]

Say "NO" to Genocide - Call, email, mail your reps (Canada)

Me and my friend spent some time today writing letters to the House of Commons, plus we have been calling MPs daily. I haven't seen too many resources for this floating around on tumblr, so here's a lengthy guide on how to do this plus some sample scripts! Long post ahead since I think it will be most helpful to dump everything in one spot to reference. On desktop, use CTR F/CMD F to search for the topic -> Phone / Email / Letter Mail / Contacts / Demands / Scripts / Fax

Update 1 - Nov 23: Updated emails with "mailto" hyperlinks, edited demands, added fax section, added scotiabank pres fax number.

On the PHONE / General Tips

Introduce yourself and identify yourself as a constituent by providing your postal code or address.

Ask to speak to the MP directly, but do not be surprised if you must speak to the MP’s staff instead. Staff can help move your issue forward.

Give the reason for your call and explain your concern.

Focus on one or two main concerns per phone call. Do not unload on the MP or their staff with all of your political concerns at one time.

Ask clear and pointed questions that require some explanation.

Ask for a commitment to action.

KEEP IN MIND Tips for Calling MPs:

Tell the MP that this issue will matter to you in the next election.

Avoid revealing party affiliation or sympathies. If you show that your vote is already cast for a certain party, the MP may not have the incentive to respond to your requests.

Be as brief as possible while outlining concerns.  Show that you respect their time.

Remain calm and respectful in dialogue. Be willing to work with them.

Follow up: Find out what actions were taken as a result of your call, and respond appropriately.

(Source: CPJ.ca)

CJPME Call Tool - Fill in the form, there will be suggested talking point. The tool will call your phone and then patch you through to your MP. If voicemail, state your concerns in 30 seconds. No address input will default you to call Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.

EMAIL

Be sure you sign your email with your name and mailing address so they know you are a part of their riding.

You will most likely receive a PR-type response or no response at all, but please still send these. It disrupts operations, and it still contributes to pressuring your MP to act on behalf of your riding.

LETTER MAIL

Mail may be sent postage-free to any member of Parliament at the House of Commons address. You just need to use an MP's full title if they are Cabinet members. Cabinet mebers have "The Honourable" attached to their names.

Postcards are efficient in that they are small pieces of card stock and can be a short message plus demands, no need to get use envelopes.

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0A6

CONTACTS

Find your MP - ourcommons.ca - Contact the MP of your riding, any of the contacts below, as well as any cabinet members in your city or province.

Prime Minister [phone] / [email protected] *FAX: [phone] /*If faxes are closed at the House of Commons line, try their local offices! (See below under "FAX" for fax guide!)

Deputy Prime Minister - Chrystia Freeland [phone] / [email protected] FAX: [phone]

Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mélanie Joly [phone] / [email protected] FAX: [phone]

Minister of International Development - Ahmed Hussein [phone] / [email protected] FAX: [phone]

Minister of National Defence - Bill Blair [phone] / [email protected] FAX: [phone]

Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group (CAIL) Stéphane Bergeron (*he's not a chair or vice chair of this group, but i want to warn that stephane WILL argue with you, so call after hours if you are scared of confrontation 😭☠️) [phone] / [email protected] Anthony House-father (Chair) [phone] / [email protected] Randall Garrison (VC) [phone] / [email protected] Marty Morantz (VC) [phone] / [email protected] The Honourable Ya’ara Saks (VC) [phone] / [email protected]

Embassy of Israel [phone] / FAX: [phone]

DEMANDS

Summarized from resistance groups such as H/mas, H/zbollah, PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine), DFLP (Marxist Democratic Front got the Liberation of Palestine), CJPME (Canadians for justice and peace in the middle east), and other anti-war, anti-imperialist, IRL Palestinians.

Canada needs to...

Call an immediate PERMANENT ceasefire to end bloodshed

Send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Institute embargo on all military exports to Israel

Close the embassies, and sanction Israel diplomatically and economically.

SCRIPTS

Use these as scripts for calling, emailing, and mailing. I suggest adding some of your own sentences and changing the subject lines (for email) so they don't end up in spam.

Example from Canada: Stop Arming Israel - World BEYOND War 

As we mourn the thousands of people in Israel and Palestine who have been killed in the past few weeks we refuse to stand by and allow the only true winners in war — the weapons manufacturers — to continue to arm and profit off of it.

Canada exported over $21 million in military goods to Israel in 2022, including over $3 million in bombs, torpedoes, missiles, and other explosives. - 2022 Exports of Military Goods 

Weapons companies across Canada are making a fortune off of the carnage in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine.

This is a call to action. It's time to stop letting these weapons companies profit off of the massacre of thousands of Palestinians. Find a location near you, get friends and allies together, and interrupt their business as usual to demand they stop selling arms and military technology to Israel.

Send an urgent message to demand Canada stop arming Israel and push for an immediate ceasefire to your Member of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Defense.

Dear [recipient's full name goes here], We are witnessing genocidal violence playing out in Gaza right now. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed, nearly half of them children. With a blockade on water, electricity, fuel and food, a quarter of all buildings razed to the ground, and over a million people displaced, UN experts have denounced Israel's actions as crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, weapons companies across Canada are arming -- and making a fortune off of -- the carnage in Gaza and the massacre of thousands of Palestinians by selling weapons and military technology to Israel. I am calling on you to do two things: to take immediate action to institute an arms embargo on Israel and to ensure Canada pushes for de-escalation and a ceasefire in Gaza. Sincerely,

Script Sample 2 from Palestinian Youth Movement

^This will open up a pre-written email in your chosen email app or site. Fill in the recipient line with the emails of MPs you wish to contact.

Script Sample 3 from CJPME's Email Campaign

^Complete the form to send an email to Prime Minister Trudeau, your local MP, and the leaders of the NDP, Convervatives and Greens. Canada must OPPOSE A SECOND NAKBA and dispossession of the Palestinians in Gaza by pushing for a ceasefire.

Script Sample 3 for mail:

(a mix of mine and a friend's)

I am writing to ask you to take immediate action to stop the genocide Israel is committing against Palestinians in Gaza as well as the onslaught of those in West Bank.

There is blockade on food, water, electricity, fuel, and the use of internationally banned white phosphorus to exterminate Palestinians. Aid is not able to enter Gaza because of this blockade. UN experts have named Israel’s actions as genocide citing numerous war crimes they continually commit.

While over 10k civilians have been martyr’d (4.2k of which are children), Canada has not even been able to NAME such crimes as genocide or call for an official ceasefire. This is not enough.

Canada needs to:

Call an immediate ceasefire to end bloodshed

Send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Institute embargo on all military exports to Israel

Close the embassies, and sanction Israel diplomatically and economically.

FAX (NEW!)

Using faxzero.com is simple, just follow up the steps on the website. No fax machine required! Tell officials your demands and customize your letter by noting their complicity based on their role as a politician or gov official. Or keep it brief and simple, in large legible letters. 

Demands could include:

That you are a “Canadian” constituent That you are demanding an IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA; That you demand a total withdrawal of financial (taxpayer) and commercial support and arms for continued occupation in Israel’s 70+ year occupation in Palestine; That it is shameful that [X] is choosing not to speak up for the deaths of more than 11,000 Palestinians, half of whom are children and thousands of others displaced; That Palestinians like all people, deserve life, dignity and justice; That Israel is breaking multiple international laws daily and Canada MUST meet its international commitment to promote and defend human rights under the Geneva Convention; That not putting these actions in place will harm constituents and undo acts of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities in Canada by not protecting the Indigenous peoples of Palestine; That unless there is concrete and everlasting action taken place, that there will be no peace until Palestine is free, and subsequently that you will not be voting for them (if applicable) in the next election.

Sign off with your name, address and postal code (if applicable, furthering that you are a resident on the stolen Indigenous lands otherwise known as “Canada”) Extended fax list: Scott thomson (president of scotiabank) - 416-866-5929 joe biden / whitehouse - 202-456-2461

(source: @/harlo.gif on IG)

#canadian politics #palestine #canada #canada stop arming israel

[nanowrimo]

Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: How to Write a Novel in 30 Days

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, our NaNo Coaches are here to help guide you through November! Today, author Adiba Jaigirdar is here to share her advice on how to set yourself up for noveling success:

Welcome to the very first week of NaNoWriMo! I’ve done NaNoWriMo for (almost) every year since 2008. I’ve won some, I’ve lost some, but I’ve learned a lot along the way. In fact, I apply a lot of the tactics I learned in NaNoWriMo to all my writing. When I wrote my second book, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, I ended up with a first draft of 74,000 words written in 30 days. That wasn’t something I would have thought possible in 2008 when I was slogging through my very first 50,000-word novel. That’s why I’m here today to share with you a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up through my writing journey, in the hopes that they serve you and your novel this November: 

1. Accountability 

One of the most difficult parts of writing a novel is that it requires so much self-discipline. It’s not like a job you show up to where your boss is holding you accountable for how many words you’ve written. Only you are ultimately responsible for how much you get done—which is why it’s easy to get demotivated and give up. So, you need to figure out ways in which you can be accountable for your novel this month.

You’ll be glad to hear that you’ve already taken the first step in doing this: you’ve pledged to do NaNoWriMo. You’re here, ready to write. But you can go a step further: ask your friends and family to hold you accountable by checking in on your progress during the month. If you have friends who are doing NaNoWriMo that’s even better; you can hold each other accountable. If you’re on social media, you can share updates every day and be accountable to your followers. There are a lot of ways to do it; so figure out what kind of accountability works best for you! 

2. Planning 

Planning a novel is definitely not for everyone. This is coming from someone who has pantsed many books! Planning can look different for different people. If you are a true-blue plotter, you might have your entire novel planned from beginning to end, with comprehensive chapter outlines. But if you’re not someone who plots out your entire novel before you’ve written a single word, planning is still important.

This planning can look like a rough outline of your book or finishing your writing day and jotting down a few quick ideas of what to write when you come back to writing the next day, or it can be leaving yourself voice memos as ideas spark when you’re nowhere near your novel. Going into every new day of writing without any idea of what the blank page will hold is very, very daunting, which is why planning ahead can be just the motivation that you need to fulfill your word count goal for the day. 

3. Figure out what works for you 

I have published four books so far and I’ve written many more. The process of writing each of these books has been very different. I drafted one in three months, one in 30 days, one was completely plotted with a rigorous outline, while one was plotted with a flexible outline, and two were completely pantsed. What I’ve learned about myself is that to make a book work, sometimes I have to try something different.

The only thing NaNoWriMo requires of you is to write those 50,000 words. How you go about it depends on you. You don���t have to write every single day if that doesn’t work for you. You can write at the same time every day, or a different time every day depending on what sparks your creativity. You don’t have to participate in writing sprints if writing with a countdown doesn’t help you focus. The point is that now’s your time to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. You might be surprised by what methods you swear will never work for you but ends up helping you over that finish line. 

4. Have fun!

This is easier said than done, but try to enjoy writing your novel. Especially when it feels difficult. When I wrote 74,000 words in 30 days, it felt like a breeze because I was having a lot of fun with my book. Try to remember what makes you excited about your novel and go back to that when it’s tough. If writing is what you love, find the joy of it and nurture it throughout this month. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to keep writing.

Adiba Jaigirdar is the award-winning, critically-acclaimed and bestselling author of The Henna Wars, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, A Million to One, and The Dos and Donuts of Love. A Bangladeshi/Irish writer and former teacher, she has an MA in Postcolonial Studies and a BA in English and History. She is the winner of the YA book prize 2022, the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2021, and was a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary awards. When not writing, she is probably ranting about the ills of colonialism, playing video games, or expanding her overflowing lipstick collection.

#nanowrimo #nanowrimo 2023 #writing #writing advice #writing tips #writblr #by nano coach #adiba jaigirdar

[nevertheless-moving]

STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE AU MASTERLIST

List will be updated with links if/when AUs develop For my Star Wars AU Masterlist: Please See Here As always, people are more than welcome to play with any of these ideas! just please link back to me so I can see! Seriously if you want to write stuff in any form with ideas from any of these aus I will love you forever! 1 to 20: Words of Radiance AUS 21 to 30: Non Words of Radiance AUs (note: these might also be WOR AUs) 31 to 40: Post Winds and Truth Wild Speculation (that may or may not also be a WOR AU)

1 to 20 Words of Radiance AUS

[EDIT, Previous #1 Now #28]

2. High oath Hesina willshaper aus. This is actually many many AUs because the "Mom??" Reveal is great in all contexts. Concept, WOK Era Outline

3. Renarin asks Kaladin for help with radiant stuff during WOR. Secret training. Everyone thinks they're fucking. Chapter 1 and Outline/Meta

4. Elhokar drunk orders kaladin to bedchambers, begs for help keeping away nighmare creatures. Kaladin nearly kills him before scary spren realization, then goes into serious radiant mode when syl gets ambiguously concerned. Everyone thinks they're fucking.[Note: I might be too easily entertained by this trope]. Kaladin is deeply pained by this but also has  people saving thing and really doesnt want to reveal the radiant thing to the whole camp. Earlier third oath. Eventual fucking optional, see above au, except with a bit more pity than vibeing for option a.

5. Crack. AUs 3, 4, and 9 at same time so people just think Kaladin is the Kholin Rhysadium. Bridge 4 offers government overthrow if he's being pressured. kaladin assures them that's not it. Now people keep trying to high five him. Kaladin with head in hands while Moash snarks over his shoulder "you know when i said fuck the lighteyed i didn't -" Kaladin definitely asexual in this one.

6. Hessenia and lirin come to shattered planes, shocked/thrilled/emotional to find kaladin. Bridge 4 desperately trying to get approval of [bugs bunny meme our] parents. Lirin reluctantly adopting renarin who wants to learn about healing now for some reason. Blackthorn surgeon mutual loathing/ jealousy son swap hilarity. Lirin is having a time. 

7. Kaladin wasn’t on guard duty the night of szeth arrival. Still warned by syl about assassin, but has to dead sprint while glowing to get across camp fast enough, soft reveal to anyone outside. Only barely figures out wall running on the way over to crash in window just in time. Szeth freaks out and runs away after very short, mildly anticlimatic interaction. And now Kaladin has to deal with Everyone.

8. Kaladin further along in powers during initial szeth fight. Battle of champions degrading to slap fight when they run out of stormlight and get stuck on the plains. Concept/ Ask, Funny Severed Leg

9. Manufactured rumors about adolin/ kaladin. Effective political mudslinging for most of WOR. Shallan plays up things about her relationship with Jasnah to be a more appealing beard. [Previous #9 Is Now #33]

10. Kaladin has a meltdown in prison, breaks out of his cell. Just a little bit more stormlight...Shouts of alarm. Aaah glowing Assassin in white! Kaladin panics more. Adolin handles the situation like a champ. Kaladin maybe briefly kidnaps him.

11. Nale goes after kaladin instead of lift. Ohhh so many thoughts for parallels.

12. Syl immediately dive bombs pattern when kaladin and shallan meet. Really early radiant reveal but just to each other. Kaladin does not trust her but doesn't want to reveal his own status so just watches her super intensely...since she's also constantly watching him too, yes, this gets misinterpreted. See au 3 through 5 but more discreet. Veil is the one draggng him from the barracks for late night 'training sessions' [these are actually training sessions but veil flirts outrageously with kaladin when anyones in earshot. So.] that distracts things a bit.

13. Adolin, suspicious after the Assassin in White fight, was secretly following kaladin at night. Sees him step off a ledge into a chasm (I just reread the section and was like?! You glanced over your shoulder once?!). Adolin spends the whole night stewing in regret, anger, grief, guilt (I was there. I could have yelled. Should have done something. I didn't realize...I didn't know. I didn't know anything). Next morning Kaladin is on guard duty and adolin flips his shit, suddenly remembering that the whole reason he was suspicious of this guy was because he inexplicably survived a several hundred foot drop.

14. Kaladin barely manages to hold it together just long enough to out himself as radiant right after prison. Part One, Part two

15. Kaladin does NOT hold it together after getting arrested.

16. Kaladin swears third oath early. Next few weeks involve a lot of hiding glowing bridgeman squire antics and gaslighting people about kaladin's intermittently light eyes.

17. In the initial confrontation with Szeth, Kaladin pushes a bit harder about the radiants being back, Szeth spirals a bit more, crashing realization that he isn't truthless...

17a.  Earlier radiant reveal: szeth surrenders the honor blade and then immediately collapses into the ground. Kaladin drags him and the blade upstairs. Has to reveal himself now because 1) kaladin what the fuck how and 2) the assassin is mumbling about radiants. 17b ANGST: szeth surrenders the honor blade and immediately kills himself with kaladin's weapons. Kaladin takes honorblade, collapses on way back because it's draining his stormlight, maybe messing with sylbond. When he wakes up hes injured, surrounded by lighteyes and a handful of his men...handles it badly because Very Specific Shardblade Winning Trauma. Crazy two nickles moment. Downside: cries a lot in front of people he'd rather not have cried in front of. Upside: dalinar believes him about amaram now. Public windrunner powers, but obscured Radiant reveal because glowing assassin sword is very clearly granting magic powers. Weird interactions of honorblade bond and nahel bond. Lot of interesting fallout from Dalinar having his very own Mystical Assassin now.

18. Kaladin sends Syl to spy on the 'horneater princess', one sided radiant discovery. When she sends pattern to spy on bridgeboy, he somehow notices. Shallan does not handle it well. 

19. Something something people put together all the impossible stuff Kaladin's done with all the impossible stuff the Blackthorn did as a youth, combined with one of bridge four drunkenly talking about their best theories for the Captains 'mysterious backstory,' combined with Dalinar literally calling Kaladin son and seemingly overnight the warcamps are convinced that Kaladin is Dalinar's bastard child.

20. (COLLABORATIVE with @gnecrognomicon) Instead of being thrown in prison, Elhokar orders Kaladin be strung up for the Stormfather's judgement. Part One, Part Two

21 to 30 Non Words of Radiance AUs

22. Way of kings au where the beggars of alethkar are rounded up for the war effort. Jezrian, of course, ends up on bridge four.

23. Kaladin time travel au to way of kings only the transition is a bit like a spren going through the cognitive to material realm transfer. Not all there. Heartwarming bridge four bonding slightly to the left - sure the mans crazy but he just looks so...disappointed when we dont help with the injured, and he shares his food like an idiot. How does someone seven foot tall and stronger than a chull make axehound pup eyes. We're not following him though. He's not our lead - holy heralds balls is he glowing??  Bit more of a symbol than a friend, but a symbol that you take turns holding at night because he has such bad nightmares and also hes clingy. 

24. COLLABORATIVE / stone soup with @sweetteaanddragons : adolin and kaladin time travel to way of kings. Kaldin brooding about how to escape AND save all his men AND the world until adolin barges in and buys everyone. 

'Thank the almighty,' Kaladin thought with almost painful relief, watching Adolin argue haughtily with a growing swarm of Thadeus's lighteyes. 'I never thought I'd actually appreciate having a rich friend.' He would, of course, rather die than admit this. "I had it handled," he growled, when the two finally managed to speak inconspicuously, each weaving amongst a thousand confused former bridgeman, speaking quietly with several, until they were able to meet in the middle with reasonable subtlety, all things considered. "That's great, Kal," Adolin said cheerfully, clearly not buying a word. "Say, how would you feel about doing some, you know..." He waved a hand, earning a raised eyebrow from Kaladin. "Glowy stuff for my Father," his voice dropped from a subtle hush to a slightly conspicuous whisper. "So he doesn't disinherit me. I did not have permission for this."  Both pairs of eyes flicked to the side, the Blackthorn's towering figure approaching like a Stormwall. "Uh. Sooner rather than later perhaps."

26. Oathbringer/row au. Adolin doesn’t kill sadeus. Mostly just excuse to dunk on Sadeus for trading one (1) shardblade for mythical warrior who can make his own shardblade. oh look more of your former slaves are glowing now. and THEY make shardblades too!

27. Elhokar and Kaladin time travel from Elhokar's death in oathbringer to way of kings. Part one, Part Two

27B. Elhokar solo time travels back from Oathbringer death to Way of Kings

28. Moash tells kaladin about beef with elokhar early. This derails the entire plot of the series. [EDIT, This au was previously #1, before I abruptly realized it was WOK, Not WOR]

31 to 40 Post Winds and Truth Wild Speculation

31. Szeth kaladin pity fuck time travel au words of radiance. Bridge four roasts the shit out of kaladin. Kaladin is doing everything in his power to avoid implying "knowledge of future" which makes the timeline of their relationship deeply confusing.

32. Szeth kaladin time travel au post book 5, they get their memories back in the high storm right before canon first meeting. Szeth sort of stumbles in, halfheartedly attempting a confused assassination.

33. [EDIT: Previously AU Number 9] Kaladin time travel back to wor, book 5 gone wrong. Deeply terrifying from outsider pov. Captain of the Kholin guard, bridgefour leader, is suddenly Full fourth oath windrunner talking about how humans are the voidbringers, they actually need to support the parshendi in bringing one last controlled desolation, and then kill the heralds and also god. Don't worry not our god. Different god. Our god is already dead. If someone else travels back with him then it swings around to a lil bit funny.

34. Post winds and truth, pre sunlit man, crossover with the twilight of mistborn era 2 (i think the cosmere timeline could make sense but if not, oh well). Kaladin gets a boon from his god(s). Requests to learn more about mental health. Has to go to another planet to do so, because mental health research on Roshar sucks. Scadrial's god seems (relatively) friendly and their planet has developed antidepressants AND wellness seminars. Shenanigans with Very Old Wax and the gang.

35. Jasnah, Dalinar, and Renarin (surviving Kholin Radiants) travel from End of World to right after Gavilar's death. Crack. Outline

All of the above (plus other fandoms if you keep scrolling back) will be tagged with 'my au' The above, plus my canon stormlight and other cosmere meta, technically canon compliant fanfic drabbles, or other things that i've written but don't fit in an au will be tagged 'nevertheless cosmere'

#Stormlight archive #My au #Kaladin stormblessed #Stormlight fanfic #words of radiance #Nevertheless writing #stormlight au #way of kings #oathbringer #rhythm of war #cosmere #nevertheless cosmere

[mister-qi]

Mr. Qi Friendship and Romance Mod: 4/19 Progress Update

It's a working title, I'm trying to come up with something less wordy that still will pop up in Nexus searches.

I wanted to be able to track my progress, mainly for myself, but if you're curious, this is the state of the mod right now:

Writing:

Heart Events - the 2 heart event is fully written (with blocking directions), and the 6, 8, and 10 heart events are outlined. The 4 heart cutscene currently has me a bit stumped; I have ideas, but nothing concrete yet. I definitely now understand why Sam's 4 heart cutscene is him dropping an egg. 14 hearts is on the back-burner as a little treat to myself once I get further into things.

Generic Daily Dialogues - about 1/3 done, probably the highest priority for writing. I'm leaving his vanilla casino dialogue as the two heart dialogue, and the vanilla Walnut Room dialogue as his four heart dialogue, with a few small changes. And, since it's me, I have more marriage dialogue written than anything else...

Day-Specific Dialogues - very few written, lower priority. Hoping to have a lot of these made eventually, and I have plenty of ideas, but they aren't necessary for the core of the mod so they're on the back-burner for now.

Gift Dialogues - all 5 generic gift response dialogues are written, with an additional 22 dialogue lines for specific items/groups of items. I'm also up to around item 530 in figuring out what item corresponds to which dialogue/whether or not he likes it. Certain item groups, like cooked food, still need more lines, however. This is definitely something that should be low priority, but also something I'm really enjoying working on. Some personal favorites so far are-

[if given a fish (hated)]: "Eugh, it's all slimy..."

[if given a legendary fish (disliked)]: "If you must give me one of the rarest fish in the valley, can you at least wrap it so I don't have to touch it with my bare hands?"

And I think that's pretty funny.

Art

Portraits - 3 new portraits finished: "deep frown" "glint" and "glasses-less". I'll probably be messing with "glasses-less" for a looong while; it's first shown at a dramatic moment so it needs to look good. Blushing portraits are next on the docket.

Here's "glint" btw, with a background thrown on so I can have a custom icon. You know I gotta make him do the anime glasses thing a few times.

Sprites - no progress yet. Walk cycle is up next after I finish the blushing portraits. Did you know he doesn't have a walk cycle at all? [1.6 spoilers] in the cheated Summit cutscene where he attacks(?) you, he literally just slides at you very fast. Anyways, I may also change his map sprite a bit as well, since it was drawn to match his old portrait and doesn't actually have the same color scheme as his sprites. Note to self: is it possible to make the sparkles on his outfit prismatic?

Maps - no progress yet. The 6 heart and 10 heart cutscenes both require custom maps, with the 6 heart one being a fully custom asset. 10 heart recycles some existing assets but will still need some custom stuff done as well.

Misc Sprites - in my head, there's a dream version of the 8 heart cutscene that has so, so many unique sprites. Like an incredible amount of stuff. I think it'll kick ass, but also that sequence could be done with a few lines of text. So, for now, it's low priority. But maybe in a few months I'll put out a request for help.

Implementation

Not totally sure how to split this into sections yet, as I'm very much still in the preliminary stages so far. To say that I'm feeling overwhelmed is an understatement; documentation on the wiki swings wildly between "an asset is a file in a video game" and "this is an advanced tutorial. Read these 4 other pages first before continuing."

I've started using Ms. Coriel's NPC Creator which has been good for setting up the basic file structure, but ultimately doesn't cover some of the more complex stuff I want to do. EDIT: Turns out it's completely outdated for 1.6! Had to throw out a bit of work, but I still learned from it so it's fiiine.

I think setting up his "schedule" will be a challenge, in that I don't actually want him to have a real schedule like most NPCs. Not to pull back the curtain too much here, but I want him to "exist" in both the Casino and the Walnut Room simultaneously, which is to say, he does not exist in two places at once in the narrative, just in the code. This will change after marriage, however.

My next goal is to set up placeholder cutscenes for each of the heart events, and then to implement the generic daily dialogues once those are finished.

Final Notes

God, this will be a work in progress for a while, but I'm enjoying it! Definitely enjoying the writing more than anything else, but hey, that's how it be. I've got around 70 lines of dialogue written, a bit of art done, and I've started learning how to actually get stuff in game. I've always been more of a designer than a coder, but it's getting there!

ADDITIONALLY I've decided that if I abandon this project for more than 8 months, anyone is welcome to request my work so far and use it for their own mod. If this blog hasn't posted in a long while, feel free to send me an ask or message! I may say no, however.

Ultimately, I want this mod to exist in some fashion. While there is an existing one, I have a pretty different take on the character and I want to share it with you all! Every line of dialogue, every heart event, every little detail needs to share something interesting about a character and their world. Yet, Mr. Qi is a mysterious guy, and I think some things should be left up to player interpretation. And I think it's crucial to be able to match his tone and voice to the vanilla game, while also expanding on his characterization. It's a fun challenge to write, and I hope the finished product, uh, well I hope it gets finished mostly, but I think it'll be pretty good.

Thanks for reading all this. This is largely just a stream of consciousness for myself, but I hope it's...interesting, or something?

#MQFAR #sure we'll say thats an acronym #mister qi #mr qi #sdv modding #rambles

[j-nightingalesb1tch]

EXCITING NEWS GUYS

i have started development on my first ever renpy game. i'm so excited since this is something i've wanted to do for a while now, but renpy always kinda scared me. but i've finally put it into action and i'm really looking forward to the journey ahead.

the game is still in extremely early development, but i have planned an outline of the plot, written some scripts, and have come up with so many ideas i want to share with you all.

as you can see, it is a dai fan game. if anyone knows if i can get sued for this, please let me know lmao

i don't want to give too much away but here are some features i'm planning to include:

you can choose from 17 different characters to play as (12 will be available straight off the bat, and 5 will be secret routes that are unlocked via other routes). these are all characters from inquisition.

you get to decide who your character ends up with, or even stay single if you want to be.

you can end up in a polyamorous relationship with (almost) free reign as to which characters that relationship includes.

no two routes are the same. each route will have the same plot but you can make it your own through your choices. remember; just because picking option b worked for your dorian playthrough, doesn't mean it'll work when you're playing as cullen.

there are a LOT of choices that genuinely impact the direction of the story.

each character has a bunch of different endings and they're all carefully tailored to your decisions.

as the game is still in early development, with only a faint outline holding it together, plans can change. however, as far as i know, this is how many endings each character can have:

the dorian route has 8 endings and 7 secret endings.

the iron bull route has 11 endings and 6 secret endings.

the varric route has 10 endings and 6 secret endings.

the cullen route has 10 endings and 5 secret endings.

the sera route has 6 endings and 5 secret endings.

the leliana route has 11 endings and 7 secret endings.

the cole route as 3 endings and 4 secret endings.

the josephine route has 11 endings and 5 secret endings.

the blackwall route has 10 endings and 3 secret endings.

the cassandra route has 9 endings and 6 secret endings.

the solas route has 10 endings and 3 secret endings.

the vivienne route has 3 endings and no secret endings.

i have tried to provide as much freedom as possible when it comes to pairings, but there are a few exceptions:

dorian and sera are still gay/lesbian and can only be romanced by characters of the same gender - so naturally they will have less endings as their options are restricted.

cole doesn't have a lot of romantic endings as there were only one or two characters i felt comfortable writing him with (so far only dorian has a cole romance ending, and cole has three secret romantic endings). this could change in the future but definitely not for characters such as varric and solas who cole shares a very parental relationship with., or for vivienne due to the power difference between them that would make me extremely uncomfortable to write.

vivienne also doesn't have a lot of romantic endings but that's more to do with the fact i struggle to write her in romantic scenes. again, this could change.

the rest are all free to romance whoever they want. cullen can romance a man (or two or three). cassandra can romance a woman (or two or three). basically there's no such thing as straight in this game. go nuts.

i will keep you all updated as i progress. the game will take a long while to create and i would appreciate any advice/help/suggestions etc to make it enjoyable for everyone. i would also appreciate the support from you guys as i dive into my first game making experience.

but just remember i am a single 19 year old girl who's doing this in her free time. i don't have a huge team behind me so the game is going to take a lot of time and effort to become something playable.

follow the tag ' #the dai kissing game ' if you want to keep updated on the game's progress.

thank you guys!!

#the dai kissing game #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #dai #dorian pavus #solas dragon age #the iron bull #cassandra pentagast #vivienne de fer #sera dragon age #cole dragon age #varric tethras #warden blackwall #thom rainier #leliana dragon age #josephine montilyet #cullen rutherford #dragon age fan game #dai game #dai fan game #dragon age inquisition fan game

[flymetosnarryland]

GTFO.

Did anyone miss Muggle London like I did? 🙃

This series as a part of "Infraction" has grown incredibly. It helped me understand a lot about things I want to write and made me think about "Infraction" as... well, my first real baby, lol. I wrote one Snarry, "Oblivion" already, but I take that story as testing the waters. I tried to know Harry and Severus, placing them in situation close to, eh, something that happened to me in a way. It means a lot to me and I'm proud of myself that I managed to write a fic from the start to the end.

"Infraction" on the other hand... this one is going to be really FAT piece of work and I'm excited over the moon about it. First chapter and the first part of second already landed on Ao3, but when am I going to finish the next part of it? (If anyone is interested at all, because I personally don't touch unfinished pieces, knowing how it works 🤣)

Well, to be honest, I decided to not rush it. Not because I don't know what to write. The main outline of the story has 40k+ words. It appeared that planning a series of murders is not so easy 😂 especially when the politics are part of it (I mean, Merlin... that's the last thing I thought I will EVER write, lol) and on top of that I have some complicated relationships (or, I suppose, a cherry on molten chocolate cake 🤤). Which makes me shiver and scream, that much I want to jump into writing it again. But the more I am thinking about the plot and fitting everything I need into it (of course writing it down), the more I'm surprised that I am able to figure out something that seems damn complex to me and my three brain cells 😂 I want to be proud of this story. I want it to be... maybe not perfect, but as good as I can see, it can be. And I enjoy the idea of growing as hobby writer. It makes me really happy. Also it's my first serious CRIME story. I know I said before that I always wanted to write crime. I always thought though it's out of my range, you know, I'm too dumb to bring something interesting that other people could possibly like as I do. But with this story I'm trying new things (like bringing Marauders to life), I'm thinking in advance, I'm on both sides: the detective and the serial killer and... GOSH. I really think it will have sense and be worth to waste some time on reading it, lol!

Also there is Snarry AUctoberfest on the way and, you know, I decided I'll try to write something for the fest for the first time! (It's my year of many first times and I really like it!) Funny thing, it appears that my fic for the fest will be a little test to what I want to do with "Infraction." When it occured to me (don't ask how it happen, but the idea I've had in mind turned 180 degree and I couldn't help it! Had to just go for it 😂) I was stunned. But in the same way it's a great opportunity to try new things, see how it will go and how it will work before I'll jump back to my baby.

If anyone checked "Infraction", please don't be mad or sad or... disappointed or angry (?), that I'm not updating it yet. This fic is absolutely my main focus and I'm tinkering and working on it. As for everything, I need time (and probably cut some other projects while I will write it; so less drawing going to be main part of the writing process 🙃 I suppose in the last quarter of the year; except if I'll have my holiday from work!)

Ah, dang. I wrote a lot here, I suppose? Less shite than messy personal stuff, but still something I guess, I wanted to share? Even if I think it's pointless and worthless, because who cares, lol. I'm learning, trying to share, I think. I should, as I wasn't doing it at all and it suppose to help me to... leave the shell of person that other people think I am. Because I grew to be someone irl that I'm really tired of being. Of pretending to be. How stupid it all sounds it's beyond me and I still deny to admit it.

#snarry #Severus Snape #Harry Potter #Muggle London #and some personal nonsense

[meowzfordayz]

when you’re going through an episode — mitsuri, shinobu, kyojuro, sanemi, giyuu

Author’s Note: it’s difficult to accurately capture the scope of bipolar disorder in a comfort fanfic, so just know that these preferences barely graze the surface of what it means to have bipolar, and that it’s more complicated and nuanced than fixing a bad day w/ a hug. 🖤 Update: was just informed that BPD stands for Borderline Personality Disorder. 😅 Apologies for my misunderstanding/mistake, but hope this still provides comfort! 🫶🏽

when you’re going through an episode — mitsuri, shinobu, kyojuro, sanemi, giyuu

Kanroji Mitsuri x Reader, Kocho Shinobu x Reader, Rengoku Kyojuro x Reader, Shinazugawa Sanemi x Reader, Tomioka Giyuu x Reader

Word Count: ~1,000

CW: bipolar disorder

Emergency Request Fulfilled: I’ve been so depressed, stuck in the bpd episode for like a week. I can barely will myself to leave my bed

Could you maybe do some female demon slayer characters (Mitsuri, shinobu, lady tamayo, female muzan, etc) taking care of a reader also going through a bad depressive episode?

Emergency Request Fulfilled: hello, i am requesting for an emergency request of maybe the hashiras (esp rengoku) comforting their bpd lover while theyre currently going thru a bpd episode

my bpd has been really bad as of late and my episodes r exhausting me, i just want to be comforted. feel free to write whenever, i adore your writing sm!! thank you

~faqs~

When you’re going through an episode…

… Mitsuri’s talked with you previously to ensure she’s as educated and prepared for your episodes as she can be, but having an outline of how to support you is never quite the same as actually executing it. It’s difficult for her to not take your disorder personally, because she prides herself on being joyful, enthusiastic, and positive; she can only handle gentle rejection so many times before she needs space. That being said, she feels safe enough to communicate her own fears and disappointments, so ~space generally entails you shooing her out of the house for ~an hour to treat herself to bubble tea and sunshine before rejoining you back in the pillow fort (which she always makes because she knows it helps you feel just a little lighter; if it means guests can’t use the living room for an extended period, then oh well). Sometimes she’s successful in coaxing you along with her, fingers interlaced loosely with yours, her smile wide as ever; other times she’s sure to return with your go-to order, plus a few photos of pretty flowers that reminded her of you.

… Shinobu does her best to listen. Whether you’re waking her up at 2am Shinobu, I had a nightmare, calling her on her lunch break I haven’t gotten out of bed yet, or showering while she sits on the toilet lid I’m so tired, thank you for waiting for me; it’s a simple gesture that goes a long way. She knows she doesn’t have to have profound replies, just as she knows how important and special it is that you feel safe enough to let her into your head, especially when she knows how low you’re feeling. It also helps her—gently—interrupt you when you start catastrophizing or spiraling, counter your self-directed negative perceptions, and gauge your overall mood. She rarely offers advice—she knows she’s your partner, not your therapist—but she’s grateful she gets to bring a calm, logical presence to your weighted, preoccupied thoughts. When you smile faintly, eyes almost shining, couch cushion sinking as you scoot yourself closer to her warmth; that’s when she knows she’s on the right track. “I appreciate you,” you murmur, words sweet and apologetic on her skin. “And I appreciate you,” she chuckles quietly, body shifting to accommodate you curling into her, “You make me happy too.”

… Kyojuro does everything with an extra hint of softness. He understands maintaining a sense of normalcy can be helpful, but his chest aches at the exhaustion in your eyes, the halfhearted grip of your hand in his, how you laugh for his sake when he tries to make you smile — not because he actually succeeded. From washing your hair to feeding you bites of lunch, he goes out of his way to ease the process of simply being; to spark joy in the state of living. He knows satisfying basic needs are vital to getting through your episodes, just as he knows eating, bathing, going for a walk can be some of the hardest to do. Tough love isn’t his preferred method, so he opts for: making airplanes sounds while directing a spoonful of dinner toward your mouth, insisting he can’t reach his back to wash it, so, “Please join me in the shower! I need you!”, and claiming his hand feels lonely, “Could you hold it during my walk? I fear holding my own hand does not nearly suffice.” He doesn’t mean to belittle or baby you, but he’ll try anything to see you smile or even roll your eyes — to get to say I love you too.

… Sanemi doubts his ability to care for you. Make no mistake: he loves you, and doesn’t resent you in the slightest. He does, however, feel completely out of his depth. He understands in theory that loving someone isn’t all ease and sunshine, but in practice? He’d do anything to feel your smile on his lips, to have you snuggle further into his chest as he holds you, to hear you chat about your day, your favorite color, how you almost got caught in a downpour — anything, to know you’re ~okay. It takes a while for him to accept that ~okay comes in waves, and that silence on your end is not inherently rejection of his affection and effort. Telling him, “Even if I can’t express it in the moment, knowing you’re here beside me always makes me happy,” definitely helps reassure him that he can do something for you—by simply being him—and caressing his cheek when you think he’s asleep, murmuring, “Thank you for being patient with me, I love you,” reminds him all over again that I love you.

… it’s difficult for Giyuu to support you without feeling low himself. He feels so strongly for you, and is almost too close to provide the steady, neutral responses that seem to help you most. He can always hold you, can always kiss your forehead, touch your knuckles to his cheek, but he can’t always listen — he can’t always bend without breaking completely and utterly for you. Which isn’t to say you’re over reliant on or demanding of him; it’s just hard for him to know how much you’re hurting without taking that hurt into his heart and making it his own. He wants to be there for you, but navigating his boundaries and your needs definitely takes time, practice, tears, and forgiveness. “I want you to be yourself around me,” he murmurs, body spooning protective and cool behind you, “But I’m not the best when it comes to certain parts of you.” Nodding slightly, you clutch his hand to your chest, eyes closed as you reply, “And that’s okay. You can’t be good with all of me, and I’m not great with all of you either. But we both try, don’t we?” “Of course.” “That’s enough for me.” It’s enough for me too he thinks as he kisses the back of your head, grateful for the feeling of your smile grazing his fingertips.

#preferences #modern au #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #kanroji mitsuri #mitsuri x reader #kocho shinobu #shinobu x reader #rengoku kyojuro #kyojuro x reader #shinazugawa sanemi #sanemi x reader #tomioka giyuu #giyuu x reader

[breannasfluff]

Quick question, how do you write so much? I fight the words for an hour and have maybe 2 paragraphs of garbage but you pump out really nice work almost every day??? I have so many ideas but I can’t write them for love nor money

I write almost every day, or I take a break and switch it out for drawing. I generally can write a chapter in one go, so usually stock up some backlog to cover days I’m busy. Having multiple stories now means I don’t have that backlog of some, so updates are a bit slower.

As for writing tips:

1. Remove distractions. Shut discord, exit out of tumblr, mute your phone. When you are stuck, don’t go scroll social media. When writing, the only thing I touch the internet for is if I need to check a story item, like a character name, item history, etc. I cannot overstate how important this is. If you are talking to your friends, you won’t have a writing flow.

2. Do not edit as you write. Writing and editing are two different tasks. You switch between creative and critical thinking and it breaks flow. This is a scientific process and you can read more about it here.

Research electroencephalogram (EEG) suggests both heightened electrical brain wave activity and elevated dopamine levels during flow. In other words, your brain experiences both electrical and chemical changes when you’re “in the zone.”

But once you switch to self-editing mode, you move to the critical thinking side of your brain. You halt all of freewriting’s creative electrical impulses and pleasure-sensing dopamine levels. Your mind flips off one switch and turns on another.

3. Set a time, then be done. Give yourself 20 minutes and write as much as you can. Doesn’t matter if it’s garbage. You can edit garbage into something useful or you can chuck it in a bin. Just try to write, then take a break. Staring at a blank document for two hours isn’t going to make words appear and it just stressed out your brain.

4. Have an outline. Sometimes a magical idea just flows when you sit down to write, but generally not. Have an outline of what you want to have happen in your story or chapter. It doesn’t need to be in depth; for most of my oneshots I literally have a sentence or two at the top of the page. The story needs to have a goal. For example: Wild tries to teach Hyrule cooking. It doesn’t go well. Bouncing ideas off friends can be a big help! It’s why you’ve probably seen me post about prompts and suggestions, and sometimes stories are gifted to people. Talking through plot ideas can help you get a better outline or idea of action.

Misc notes:

Hate to say, but some of it is just practice. I’ve been actively writing for a little over a year with some breaks on and off. Making it a habit is a big thing for making it easy. It’s harder to restart after a break.

When I first started writing I tried to pick one aspect to improve for each story. Filter words, pacing, varying sentence starters, story arcs, etc. Fixing multiple things at once was too much work, but one item at a time was doable.

Filter words make such a huge difference in writing; I encourage you to look them up. It’s a PAIN to remove them in post, but it also taught me to cut them out. Now it’s unconscious and while some still show up, I tend to write them out automatically.

You can learn to write quickly, but if you don’t also work on quality you’ll just…write a lot. That said, it’s fanfic. Sometimes it’s just for fun and quality doesn’t matter. I’ve got plenty of stories that will never be posted because they are just for fun.

Some of it could be writing speed, too? I use a bot a lot of times for timing and tracking and generally average 30-35 words/min. Harder story topics are slower to write, like angst and emotional scenes.

I’m actually writing less this year than last, but I don’t put as much time into it. It also keeps it sustainable as a hobby, although I definitely hit periods of frustration. It can get overwhelming.

If you search my blog for the tag #writing advice or #writing tips, you should fine some other things as well.

This was rather frank, but hopefully helpful! Feel free to drop further questions and I’ll do my best to answer 💜

#asks #writing advice #writing tips #writing #creative writing #fanfic writing

[dotieeee]

The Dream That Got Away

Chapter 1

Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x You (no Y/N!)

This is a multi-chapter fic — updates will be erratic, but I’ve outlined almost everything in this fic, so you have my word I’ll complete this

*******************************************************************************************

Link to the Masterlist

Overall Warnings!! Take heed:

Morpheus is DARK – in canon, he changes for the better (or at least, tries to – but we don’t do canon lol, so he goes even more batshit crazy) cue obsession, manipulation, possessiveness, powerplay

18+ ONLY – explicit scenes will be present, some explicit language

DUB-CON and NON-CON scenes

Character death (sort of)

Creator vs Creation drama

And other dark stuff that may be added in the future

This chapter’s warnings:

mild voyeurism

intense stares lol

reader hearing voices

You have been warned!! Proceed with caution!!!

*******************************************************************************************

Chapter 1: The Firsts of Many

Link to the Next Chapter

It's your creator’s eyes that you first see when you open yours – eyes that seemingly contain the entire universe in them, so blue, so warm, so tender. They look at you with so much adoration, you couldn’t help but smile and lean to the warmth of his palm caressing your cheek. He returns your smile with equal fervor. The first time you hear his voice, so deep and velvety and hypnotic, he gives you a name, ‘Mera.’

“My little dream, you’re beautiful. You’re perfect.” You watch his lips move as he utters his praise to his own creation.

You bask is his touch, noting how you had no right to be called ‘perfect,’ when he stands, regal in his own beauty, breathtaking and ethereal. He gives you a function which you take by heart – you are to inspire mortals to put passion in what they do and help them find what they’re truly looking for in their lives while they sleep and roam in his realm, your home, which he calls the Dreaming.

“For I am Dream of the Endless, the King of Dreams and Ruler of the Nightmare Realm.”

Your first words are of utter reverence and gratitude. “My Lord and my King, I owe you my life. Do as you will with it.”

You watch as Dream’s eyes light up with an emotion you have yet to learn the meaning of. Unbothered, you place your hand on the one still cupping your face gently, as you quietly declare your devotion to the purpose he gave you for his realm and his dreamers. You decide to pointedly ignore that faint ringing in your ears, that voice at the back of your mind, quietly telling you that something was amiss and cautioning you to tread lightly in his presence.

***

You grow accustomed to your tasks in the Dreaming in no time. Like you’ve been doing it for millennia, Merv snidely remarks. You’ve gotten to know him, Lucienne, the royal librarian, and the other residents of the realm. When you weren’t attending to the humans in their dreams, you spent most of your time in the Royal Library, ardently absorbing every book you could get your hands on. Who wouldn’t, when every book that humanity has ever written and continue to write is there, waiting to be plucked from the tall, expansive shelves and perused by eager, hungry eyes? You have grown to love the humans, so in your wish to serve them better and inspire them even more in their dreams, you bury your nose in their creations, imagining yourself present in their victories and defeats, their lives, and their deaths.

This is how your master finds you one night in his library: lounging comfortably on one of the high-backed leather sofas, your back resting on one of the armrests and your legs dangling over the other, so engrossed in the novel you were reading you don’t register his presence. His eyes linger a little longer on the way your dress had hiked up to your thighs while you were so cosily reading – he hesitates, not wanting to disturb you from your book. He diverts his gaze away from your exposed flesh to your face, scrunched up in concentration. He notices the way your eyelashes flutter as you blink slowly, the way you lick your lips and rub your eyes, to him a subtle sign that you were trying to stave off sleep in favour of the tome. He needs to remedy this; he does not want you overworking yourself.

“You should be resting, my little dream.”

Startled, the book slips from your hand as you sit upright and adjust your dress – damn if he sees you in such a state, you can’t have a member of the Dreaming staff behave so uncouthly, and right in front of the Creator, no less!

“My lord! My apologies, I didn’t notice you enter.”

Picking up the book you dropped, you belatedly realize that you hadn’t even bookmarked the book! You couldn’t help the huff of annoyance that escapes your lips as you set the book down on the coffee table right in front of the sofa. You look to Dream’s face, expecting a reprimanding scowl to greet you, only to see mild amusement glinting in his eyes.

“You need not apologise. I did not mean to take you by surprise and tear you away from your reading.”

He takes a few steps closer to the other couch across where you’re perched, the ghost of a smile lingering on the corners of his mouth. “May I?” he asks, gesturing to the sofa.

You flash your own tired smile at him. “Of course. It’s your couch, My Lord.”

You watch him as he sits on the leather couch and lean back comfortably with the grace of a true monarch. He picks up one of the books piled high on the coffee table, ones you’ve already finished, observing the cover before setting it back down.

“It gives me great pleasure to see you’re living up to your name, my Mera.”

You shoot him a questioning look, but his eyes just twinkle with fondness and pride before he gently amends, “Lucienne has told me how you have been ardently immersing yourself in the dreams and works of the dreamers in your desire to improve your craft. I expect no less from my own creation.”

At this praise you beam shyly, fidgeting at one of the sofa’s armrests.

“However, I should also like my little dream to take sufficient rest and look after her well-being.”

You are touched at his tender reprimand – despite his often-intimidating nature, you know that deep-down, he genuinely cares for his subjects. You, however, can’t find it in you to give in to his request just yet – you had only a few more pages left of the chapter you were reading! So you muster up the courage to ask, “Please, my Lord, can I finish the last pages of the chapter, at least?”

“Just a few more pages?” He replies with a tiny smirk, raising an eyebrow.

You give him a tiny nod, your own smile growing, already knowing that he’d relent at your small behest.

Morpheus knows all too well that he will never be able to resist granting you whatever you wished for. How could he when you’ve been so gracious to his precious little dreamers? When you were pleading him in this demure way he finds so endearing? A few more pages were nothing compared the burden he has given you and will be giving you in the near future.

“Very well. Just a few more pages.”

He sees the way your eyes light up in pure joy as he gave you the permission to continue with your book. He would give anything within his power if it meant that light would grace him for eternity.

“Thank you, Lord Morpheus. And thank you for your concern for my well-being, I shall try not to overwork myself too often.”

The last part of your sentence barely registers to the Endless, as he relishes the feeling of his name on your lips, fighting the sudden urge to kiss them until they were numb and raw. He thanks the Fates you were once again lost in your book, for he’s sure the look on his face would have surely betrayed the whirlwind of emotions he’s feeling at that very moment. Feigning interest on the book he picked up earlier, he props it open on his lap, lifting the pages every now and then, pretending to read – all the while observing you, listening to your breathing, taking you in, revelling in the comforting silence that now permeated the library.

It isn’t long after he notices that your breathing has gone deeper and more relaxed. He rises to his feet and walks over to your form hunched on the sofa, removing the book now covering your face. He smiles to himself when he sees you, fast asleep, noting how exhaustion finally took over your determination to finish whatever was left of the chapter you were on. He remembers to mark the page with the bookmark attached to the book’s spine, then sets it on the coffee table. He stares at your sleeping form for what seems like ages, debating whether or not it’d be acceptable at this stage to pick you up and transport you to his chambers where you’d rest under the warmth of his own bedcovers. Deciding it was far too early and far too bold a move, he conjures a soft, woolen blanket out of thin air and drapes it over you, making sure it warmed your entire form. Longingly, he traces your lips ever-so-gently with his fingers, then your cheeks, before placing a soft, chaste kiss on your forehead.

“Sleep well, little dream of mine.”

With that soft farewell, he leaves the library quietly so as to not rouse you from your dreamless slumber. One day soon, he pledges to himself, you will fall asleep in his arms under the endless expanse of stars that littered the universe.

 ***

Your day was just as eventful as any day in the Dreaming. You had finished attending to your duties, conjuring inspiring thoughts in the dreamers you graced your presence with. You take a walk in one of the many gardens within your King’s palace, finally deciding to pause and take a breather by sitting on one of the benches overlooking the breathtaking sunset now gracing the entire realm.

Out of the many gardens within the palace grounds, this is your absolute favorite. Not many residents of the Dreaming frequent this garden, with the exception of Merv occasionally tending to the flower beds; it offers one of the best views of that orange-purple sunset under which you love basking in the glow – it makes for the perfect place where you can reflect on the dreams you have helped the humans form in their sleeping hours. You allow your thoughts to drift from the beauty of the garden to the memory of the first dream, the first human you helped inspire.

The Dream Lord had just created you then. After showing you around his realm, he walked with you to the ocean of dreams, where all his little dreamers dreamed their little dreams. Your breathing quickened at the sight of the vast waters, not wanting to find out what would happen if you got lost in them. Lord Morpheus, sensing your apprehension, took your hand in his.

“Fear not the waters, my little dream. I am the master of this realm, and you, my beloved creation. No harm shall befall you in my own kingdom.”

You remember looking to your lord’s face, soft and reassuring. You didn’t want to disappoint him on your first day, so you steeled your resolve. You gave him a firm and determined nod, and with that, hands still interlocked, you dove headfirst.

The moment you were fully submerged in the cold, dark sea, you were hit with a violent wave of emotions and vivid visions – the dreams, you reminded yourself. You were in the dreams of hundreds of millions of sleeping beings of all sorts. You could hear them, feel what they were all feeling, see what they were seeing in their sleep – flashes of love and hate, of rage and joy, bitterness and jealousy; glimpses of their pasts, present, and imagined future. In a daze you saw thousands upon thousands of unfamiliar faces of the people in their lives: enemies, friends, lovers, family – all passing you by at a speed you could barely comprehend. You felt as if your body was being intensely pulled in all directions. You found the entire universe’s collective unconscious suffocating you, swallowing you whole, so you close your eyes and let it take you.

Until you felt a pair of strong arms gather you close their body and their lips whisper in your ear.

“Careful not to let them consume you, my little dream, and concentrate. Now, let your intuition guide you and draw you to your first dreamer.”

Clinging unto him like a lifeline, you took a deep breath and looked to the seemingly unending streak of ideas, sounds, events, sensations, faces - of everything humanity has to offer – and hone in on the quiet bubbling of a pot over a crackling fire. The moment you willed yourself to the sound, you felt a tug in your belly button, and you fall, fast. The fall was dizzying, endless – but so was the hand holding yours, you reminded yourself. Just when there seemed to be no end to the fall, your felt your feet touch solid ground. You would’ve fallen unceremoniously to it, too, had your creator not anchored you on the waist with his hands and held you still. Mind still fuzzy at your journey which seemed to last for mere seconds and eons at the same time, you looked up to him, marvelling at how he seemed unmoving, unfazed, unbothered with all that you’ve just witnessed.

Is this how he feels all the time, cradling the entire Dreaming in his wake? It was then that it dawned on you the burden he bears, which he bears alone, until the universe passes and is no more. It was then that you understood how his responsibility was infinitely greater than the mere purpose he has given you.

“You did well, my Mera.” His eyes bore into yours, twinkling with great pride.

Not knowing what to say – you’ve just peeked into all of humanity’s dreams for the first time in your existence, no big deal – you manage a small “thank you,” still feeling hazy from…whatever that was you just experienced.

Mentally shaking your head to clear your thoughts, you looked around the place, the dream, you just brought yourselves to. You were in the corner of a large kitchen, facing a long table that was filled with an assortment of fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat, waiting to be cooked. A huge chopping block with neatly cut beetroots laid at the far corner of the table, a sign that someone was just there cutting away and had left momentarily. Your eyes found the pot that drew you to this dream, hanging from a metal beam in the large cooking hearth to your side, its contents happily bubbling away. The kitchen was bright, homely and inviting. It also seemed like it should have been teeming with life, full of people bustling about, trying to get their own cooking done and getting errands out the way. Oddly enough, it was empty, save for a little girl quietly ogling at the sizable collection of dried spices and herbs in tiny glass jars arranged tidily in a cabinet twice her size.

“I see you’ve brought us to the dreams of Lavinia Baxter.”

Dream of the Endless let go of his hold on you, keen to see you perform for the first time. With his hand, he motioned to the little girl, about 10 years of age, who seemed oblivious to your presence.

You walk leisurely around the kitchen, taking in every detail of the little girl’s vivid imagination. Without making a sound, you both watch Lavinia as she opened the spice cabinet. She took one little spice jar out at a time, opening them and taking in each of the smells, seemingly trying to take her pick. She finally decided with two of them, clutching them in her small hands and walking to the pot of stew on the hearth. With practiced dexterity, she placed some of the herbs in her palms, rubbing them together before they fell in the pot. She then stirred the pot with a wooden ladle and, looking around her like she was making sure no one else was there, put the ladle to her lips to taste the stew. The door to the kitchen suddenly bursts open, and out came a short, plump woman in her late 40s, who, upon laying her eyes on the little girl who looked guilty at getting caught, burst into a jovial laughter, and strode over to where little Lavinia was.

“Well, well, caught red-handed! How does it taste, my sweet?” the woman asked her, hands on her hips.

Lavinia let out an adorable giggle and handed the ladle to her, urging her to have a taste. She accepted the ladle and tasted the sauce still coating it, while the little girl watched with anticipation. The woman’s expression changed quickly from curiosity to one of delight.

“Why, I see you have made some adjustments to this! It tastes absolutely fantastic,” she exclaimed, which made Lavinia smile so broadly it seemed to brighten up the kitchen even more.

“I added some of these,” she quips, showing the woman jars she took out from the spice cabinet.

The woman nods in approval, praising her, “You have a fine sense of smell, my lady. I think we oughtta add that to the recipe book, don’t ya? Where’s a quill when you need one…ah, right over there!” She pointed to the quill and the bottle of ink on a small desk by the window.

From her apron, she fished out a black, leather-bound book the size of her palm, while Lavinia retrieved the quill and handed it to her. She proceeded to tell the woman how much she added to the stew while the other wrote it down on the book.

This is a memory, you realize. Lavinia’s memory, unfolding right before you, moved you so deeply you almost forgot you were there to work. She seemed to have so much passion for cooking at a very early age, for you felt within your bones the sheer elation that never left her eyes as she interacted with the woman with the black book.

“Little Lavinia has fond childhood memories of Millie, her household’s head cook.” Dream mentioned, breaking his silence, and striding over to where you were. “She spent more time with her, more than she did her own mother.”

The woman called Millie leapt to her feet all of a sudden. “My dear God, look at the time. You better hurry, my sweet, your husband might be waiting for you.”

Lavinia, nodding with a put-out expression, took dainty steps toward a door on her right that wasn’t there before. You and your master followed her as she led you to the next room, where, as you gleaned, the next part of her dream was to take place.

“Husband?” You turned to Dream with a puzzled face, walking together to the room Lavinia just entered. As the door closes itself behind you, he gestures around the room.

“Observe.”

And you did. The room you were in now was rather dark, with the thick brocade curtains drawn over the windows to block the sunlight. It was a study, it seemed, filled wall-to-wall with books, not unlike the ones you can find in the Royal Library. The study itself was rather small and bare, with a desk in the middle and a singular lamp illuminating the entire place. The desk was almost empty, except for a single, framed photograph. Behind the desk sat Lavinia, staring blankly to the wall – except she was no longer the 10-year-old girl from the other room, but a young woman, face forlorn and tear-stained, far too weary-looking for someone of her age.

“In the waking world, Lavinia, barely twenty-three, lost her husband to a shipwreck not a mere three weeks ago. Misfortune has seemed to follow her since then, for not a week after, she finds out her husband’s estate has left her barely nothing to live by. She has not only found herself to be a widow, but one doomed to poverty.” Dream’s words echoed in the study hauntingly, adding to the melancholic atmosphere.

You glanced at the photograph of a finely dressed young man with kind, smiling eyes. Your heart hurt for Lavinia. You moved to reach for her hand to comfort her, but Dream shakes his head.

“You are meant to inspire, my dream, not provide solace to the mourning.” Dream gently reminded you.

“Where can I begin, then, My Lord?” your whisper. You wanted with all your heart to help Lavinia, but you to be honest, you were quite lost.

With a knowing sparkle in his eyes, he waved his once more around the study. “Begin here, where she has brought you. You need only trust yourself.”

You stifled the huff you were sorely tempted to let out. Your master obviously wasn’t willing to provide you anymore hints than the rather vague one he just gave you, so you wracked your brains for something, anything, that might help the grieving young woman before you.

Come on, Mera, think. What does Lavinia love so much, one that might prove enough to at least bring back happiness to her life and help her get her shit together?

You knew the answer even before you finish the question in your head. With a steely look on your face, you strode over to the walls lined with books, caressing their spines, eyes scanning the shelves until you found just what you were looking for: Millie’s little black book. The leather was peeling off in small patches at the corners, the pages were browned, and it needed some dusting, but it looked like it was rummaged through many times and handled with so much love and care.

With deliberate force, you threw the book across the room, hitting her squarely in the face. You hadn’t meant for it to land there, but before you could say something to apologize (forgetting you hadn’t appeared to her yet), Lavinia, cursing with surprising ease, takes one look at the book and lets out a light chuckle which comes out hoarse, a sign that she hadn’t let one out since the news of her husband's passing.

Before you could celebrate your success at making her laugh, your expression turned to mild horror as she broke down into tears, hugging the book close to her heart.

“L-looks like you caught me red-handed again, M-Mi..Millie,” she choked between her sobs.

You looked to your Lord, who was taking in the scene before him with mild mirth. “I made it worse!”

“You think?” vaguely he gestured once more to the weeping widow. “Look at her again.”

This time, you paid closer attention to her face. She was crying, that’s true, but now a wide smile graced the corners of her mouth, and in your relief, there was a tiny hint of that twinkle in her eyes you saw light up the kitchen in Millie’s presence. It was a small spark, but you knew with every fiber of your being that that was the spark she needed to get her life back together.

You looked at your master directly in the eyes, wanting validation. Dream, his smile now as wide as yours, stares back with pride at your first successful dream, and with the same intense emotion he looked at you with when you first declared your life was his. He drew closer (how is he this fast) to you, never breaking eye contact. Face mere inches away from yours, he spoke with all the authority only an Endless can possess.

“You did well today, my Mera. You make a fine addition to my Realm.” His fingers ghosting over your cheek, he asks you, “Can I count on you to continue fulfilling the purpose I gave you for the Dreaming, and for me?”

Savouring your master’s praise of your first handiwork, you responded without hesitation: “Yes, my King.”

Dream of the Endless seemed to relish your words. His gaze grew more intense and you felt engulfed in it. Without warning, that voice at the back of your head let out a resounding screech, so loud in your brain you flinched, breaking your eye contact with your Lord.

Morpheus seemed to recognize this momentary slip. In a split-second, he waves his hand and declares, “This dream is over.”

With no time to ruminate on your subconscious’ reaction, you felt that all-too-familiar tug in your bellybutton, signaling your return from the ocean of dreams.

***

“Hey, kid! Are you gonna be there for longer? I got work to do there!”

Merv’s voice is enough to shake you from your musings. Finding the sunset’s glow a little too bright to look to see his form, you turn to your left you where his voice came from, squinting.

“Are those new flowers, Merv?” You call to him.

“Yeah, boss said this garden needed new ones.”

You get up to leave Merv with his gardening, but not before something black moving out of the corner of your eye catches your attention.

It’s him, that voice in your head whispers. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you get this strange feeling that you’re being watched.

Heart pounding, you inspect the area where the flash of black should’ve been, but you find nothing there. The voice is making you unnecessarily paranoid. You really shouldn’t be entertaining this.

Wanting to soothe yourself from that mentally induced little fright, you walk back into the palace, your feet automatically going for the Royal Library.

The library is quiet today, as any day. You wave ‘hello’ to Lucienne, who greets you with a grin and a nod in your general direction. You originally wanted to make a conversation with her about anything just to get your mind off your frazzled nerves, but she seemed too busy with sorting what seemed like new books that appeared in the Realm. You decide to spare her from listening to your pointless ramblings, and instead go to the L section. You pull up Lavinia Baxter’s books from the shelf and make a beeline for your favourite reading spot. Curling into a ball on the leather couch and setting the other book down, you flip through the pages of the one you’ve read probably a dozen times.

You may be biased, but your favorite dreams of Lavinia’s were the ones after your unconventional visit. Since then, she has renewed her passion for making sumptuous dishes, spending her almost all of her waking hours experimenting with new ingredients and coming up with recipes of her own. Her dreams have since reflected this wonderful turnabout, prompting you to visit her again multiple times to help her with desserts, something you noticed she struggled with. It wasn’t long before the other book you grabbed from the shelf materialized in the realm, with bold letters on the cover that read “Lavinia Baxter’s 19th Century Guide to Household Cookery.” Your heart sang with delight at its appearance, knowing you inspired her well enough to publish her own cookbook, without even showing her your true form.

Setting aside Lavinia’s book of dreams, you pick up the cookbook and flip it to the dedication page.

 To my dearest Millie,

Thank you for visiting me in my dreams and smacking me in the face with your little recipe book. You have no idea how that saved me.

 You trace the words on the page lovingly. Suddenly –

Watch out. The voice is back.

Shut up! You hiss back at it.

Great. There it is again, that sensation of being watched. Cursing mentally, you close Lavinia’s recipe book and hold it close, hugging it like it could help that uneasy feeling disappear. Closing your eyes, you will yourself to succumb to your fatigue and fall into a blissful, dreamless slumber.

Yet those normally blue eyes, almost silver now with the barely restrained need to take, never leave your sleeping figure.

*******************************************************************************************

Link to the Next Chapter Author’s note:

I know this chapter was exceedingly long and I can’t guarantee that the next ones will be as long as this, but I can assure you I will do my very best to make it as engaging as I can. As a first-time fic writer, now I know how other fic writers feel when a fic consumes their entire soul and refuses to leave your thoughts until it gets written lmaooo

This chapter is just trying to establish how Mera’s life is like after being created by Dream. More Dark!Morpheus to come as he shows his true intentions to you!

Please comment, reblog and engage!! I’d love to hear your feedback, predictions, violent reactions lol

Special shoutout to @queenshelby @endlessdreamqueen2 encouraging me to finally pen this, as well as to other Dark!Morpheus fic writers whose fics I’ve had the pleasure of reading (and rereading!)

Thank you!

Post date:10/23/22

Edited: 10/23/22

#the sandman #the sandman fanfic #dream x reader #no y/n #dream of the endless x reader #the sandman netflix #the sandman x reader #dark!morpheus #dark!morpheus x reader #morpheus goes batshit crazy #lord morpheus #lord morpheus x reader #morpheus x reader #oneiros #dream of the endless #king of dreams #ruler of the nightmare realm #18+ONLY #tom sturridge as dream #tom sturridge character #sandman #the dream that got away #the sandman fanfiction

[split-spectrum]

Water and Rock Update

Please look at this pretty gif of a pretty man and think only of that. Don't think about the actual words I'm saying. See how pretty? 💜

**Spoilers Below**

☆☆☆

First, the good news: Chapter 13 will be up very soon. Just doing final checks and formatting.

Now the possible bad news:

***If you don't want to spoil the ending, hit that back button babes***

I established up top with chapter 1 that there would be very little canon divergence. In finalizing the rough outline of the story, I've really kissed canon goodbye. This was tagged from the start with angst, hurt/no comfort, main character death, etc. I never gave any indication it would be a happy ending. But I'm making it clear now: the next couple of chapters are where you can still get off the ride while it's fun.

I'm extremely grateful for the amazing readership and lovely engagement everyone has given me, and the last thing I want to do is take that kindness and repay it with disappointment. But at the end of the day, I'm writing this for my own pleasure and this is the ending that's always been planned. I just didn't have a clear path how to get there until now.

The tags will be changed on AO3 starting with this upcoming chapter. I struggled for a long time to decide whether to spoil the ending or leave it in suspense, but ultimately I don't want to pull the rug out from under anyone, so to make things explicitly clear, new tags include main character death, unhappy ending, and canon divergence. I hope not to lose too many of you, but if you choose not to continue, I completely understand and appreciate all the support you've given! I also hope you enjoy the next two chapters as a treat for sticking with me so far. 😏😈

I honestly expected to have maybe 5-10 readers so to all of you, my deepest and most sincere thanks. 💕

#obi wan x reader #star wars #obi wan kenobi #star wars fanfiction #fanfic #water and rock #spoilers

[aidanchaser]

WIP Tag/Reblog Game

Thank you @rosie-b for the tag! I love hearing about your works~

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

WIP TITLES

(I picked the 5 that I have open currently - there are so many more than 5 rattling around at all times, and i try not to start publishing any that aren't already outlined beginning to end)

Boulangerella - a fairy tale/cinderella story full of love square shenanigans, blood sacrifices, and scheming villains

Butterfly Effect - Adrien as Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth AU; Marinette and Chloe hold the ladybug and cat miraculous - songfic with butterfly effect by FJØRA

Expectations - Kwami Swap AU where Adrien is Mister Bug from the beginning; he's dealing with the anxiety of his role (and the knowledge that he handed his earrings over to hawk moth in another timeline and has no idea why)

After the War (place holder title) - a 1920s post-WWI AU, where Marinette runs her parents' bakery by day and a club by night; the club is a cover to take down war-profiteer Gabriel Agreste through vigilante action; Adrien has just returned to Paris from his time abroad in London, and Marinette has to wrestle with her childhood crush on him and her now grown-up hatred for his family

Time Lady of Creation (place holder title) - A Time Lord AU - I will say little else about it because it's still in the outline stages with only a few scraps of scenes drafted

UPCOMING SECTIONS

The next chapter is full of A LOT of confrontations and hard conversations - Marinette & Luka (the original conversation has been written but it needs to be redrafted to a new context); Felix and Lila (again, a lot of their stuff is written but needs to be redrafted); and Marinette & Chat Noir (not drafted yet - fragments abound in notes but need to be tied together)

Adrien has to figure out how to get his hands on the Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses so that he can save Marinette from a terrible fate

Marinette needs to help Adrien face Miracle Queen - I'm excited about the Cat/Dragon and Bug/Snake renditions of their powers for this AU, but this fic just kept getting comments that were like "it's not even that different from canon" and so I no longer care too much about this fic - I'm just irritated because I wrote the ending already and i LOVE the ending but I can't post the ending without writing the middle

The next scene I need to write is a confrontation between Ladybug and Adrien Agreste, where he doesn't realize how much she hates him and she has no idea how much he's madly in love with her

Right now it's mostly an outline, so I need to write the beginning, where Ladybug saves Adrien from a wax museum come to life then asks him to run away with her through time and space!

So - which WIP are you most excited to see update?

I know I'm supposed to tag 10 but I know about half of the writers I am mutuals with have already been tagged, so if I accidentally tag you a second time, I apologize! @astargatelover (if you have 5 wips?), @asukiess (if you haven't been tagged yet), @kay-elle-cee, @uncertainwallflower, @ninadove (I would love to hear about your projects and get to know you more) [I'm so sorry i fully reblogged and commented your own WIP list and did not even process the connection - absolutely embarrassing], @chaos-has-theories, @sunshinemarauder, @wield-the-mighty-pen, @miabrown007 (I don't think you've been tagged yet??? unclear), and last but certainly not least @dammithawke (bc i haven't heard about your role reversal au in a while and would love to hear about it again)

#writing #wip game #ml au

[mannatea]

Fanfiction writing and posting culture has shifted so much over the last 20 years. Every time I read anything on r/fanfiction, not only do I lose brain cells, but I feel like a huge, huge part of fanfiction culture has moved toward reading only completed works and avoiding engagement at all cost, but particularly until a work is finished. There was a post yesterday by someone celebrating the fact that a fic they had on alert updated because it had "been so long" since the last update: it was a wait of one and a half months.

That isn't that long for a writer with a spouse and/or children and/or a busy career and/or someone busting ass at school and/or a life outside and off the internet.

While a lot of comments did chastise this person for their perceived idea of a long wait for an update, there were also a few comments from readers proclaiming that this was why they never read incomplete works.

Heck, there were one or two (upvoted!) comments about how writers should simply pre-write everything if they wanted feedback.

Don't get me started on the posts by people that read hundreds of fics a week and yet never comment. "Gosh, I wish I there were more fics for xyz." As if there's not something they can do about that by simply commenting on the works that do exist to show the authors the content they made has an audience!

As a fanfic writer specifically, I find this weird attitude toward the creative work of other people more than a bit discouraging (and sometimes deeply uncomfortable). Fanfiction, like fanart, is a social experience. I create a thing and then others engage with it to encourage me to do more of the thing. I am not a machine and I do not exist for your entertainment or pleasure, but the way fandom leans these days would lead you to believe authors and artists exist for the purpose of consumption.

I am a whole person and doing this costs me my time. For a long story, many many hours of time.

I don't think it's asking too much for people who took the time to read a story (and in particular those who enjoy it) to engage with it.

This doesn't even touch the weird "I only read completed fics" mindset and how it feels to see that sentiment echoed as an author.

"Just write it all in advance before posting it then." Do you even know how long it takes to write a story—to write a longform fic with a plot to completion?

Break Open the Sky was 102,000 words long (and this is short compared to a lot of longfics, so keep that in mind). Even if you assume a writing speed of 1,000 words an hour (generous, because some difficult passages will be much slower to write), that is a whopping 102 hours. That doesn't include the time I had to spend to go back and re-read to continue the story. That doesn't include outlining. That doesn't include note-taking. That doesn't including mapping out locations and distance for travel. That doesn't include editing or formatting to post, either, which took hours per chapter.

I have to sacrifice something else to be able to write. No video games, no movies, no books, no television, no nap, no goofing off online.

Comments become a big motivation, especially on a WIP. It doesn't feel like a waste of time then, to get a little less sleep or take a little less time for yourself; it gives the writer something to look forward to: interaction and socialization with fellow fans. And I don't think the cost is that high for a reader compared to the hundreds of hours it might have cost me to be able to show it to them in the first place.

But nope, r/fanfiction is really out there complaining that fics don't update (even though they didn't bother to comment) and that longfics aren't finished before they start being posted (even though they still don't comment as the story is being posted) and then complaining that there aren't enough fics for [ship]/[trope] even though they are really out there refusing to engage in fandom in a meaningful way that might encourage authors whose work they enjoy to continue to create.

TL;DR: creation costs time.

#if you wanna be real technical fanfic has never been free #when the comments stop oftentimes so do the writers #artists are the same way though. #imagine spending 20 hours on a piece of art and nobody ever says anything about it #and you can't tell if they ACTUALLY like it or if they're just looking at it

[tarabyte3]

Fic Updates

It's been a while soo....

I Want You to Show Me Weak — As I've stated before, there are only 2 chapters left in the entire fic. I'm going to be finishing both of them before I post chapter 26. Then I'll be posting chapter 27 the next day. Gonna end the fic with a bang 😏 I have everything outlined and thought out, I just have to finish writing it (I'm very excited about what I have planned/written for the final chapter, which includes the ending). Though I will admit, it's been difficult to write knowing I'll be saying goodbye to this story. I'll miss my boys SO much 😭, as well as this version of Kino x Reader, but I want to finish it for myself and for all of you! Besides, there's always the possibility of oneshots set in this universe in the future AND I'm not done writing for Kino. Not even close! I have no date estimate at the moment, but I'm trying to give this one my full attention so 🤞

The Devil Makes Us Sin — Once Show Me Weak is done, I'm going to give this one my full attention for a while. (Though, to be honest, even though I'm trying to focus on finishing Kino first, I still keep this document open and regularly pop in to write a paragraph or two. What can I say, David is VERY fun to write for 😏, I love him, and I must follow the serotonin). The next few chapters will be shorter so they should go quickly, and I already have around the next 4 of them half written (I actually have about ~25k of future stuff written last time I checked, including parts of chapters MUCH further down the road 😅).

Other Wips

While my focus has been on my ongoing stories, I do have a few other WIPs I have actual content written for! So here's an update on those as well. For fun.

Personal Trainer!Kino x Reader Modern AU — I have the beginning of this story and a few scenes written, and SO many notes for it. (My relationship with my trainer is fantastic. He's 50% big brother energy, 50% wingman energy, but he says THE most out of pocket shit so I immediately write it down after my sessions. Because him saying it does nothing for me, but imagining Kino saying it?? 😵‍💫🫠🥵) It will probably end up ~5 chapters total. Probably.

And Your Heart, Love, Has Such Darkness (David x Reader smutty Oneshot) — I started this one a year ago because I wrote something for TDMUS that didn't quite fit, but I liked it enough to keep it and make it its own thing. It's over half done right now, so it will likely be the next oneshot I post.

I Didn't Want to Hurt You, but You're Pretty When You Cry (Dark!David x Reader) — I think this one will end up about 3 chapters long and will contain a lot of content warnings. It's going to be more horror focused (with splashes of dark humor because I cannot help myself). I adore the opening chunk I've written. It gave me goosebumps.

Secret Andy Blorbo x Reader Oneshot — This one started as a joke on Discord about an Andy blorbo that is not only incredibly niche/unknown, but is actively not attractive (one of the very rare times Andy Serkis does nothing for me. In fact, when I see him, my vagina makes the windows shutdown noise). Except I made the mistake of saying, "I want to try to write for this character as a fun challenge just so I can sexually confuse everyone." And it, uh, spiraled from there and made me rethink my entire stance on this character (thank you for not only indulging me, Hannah, but encouraging me and giving me more ideas 💖 I loved [redacted] thirst day in TNBF)

Halsin x Tav — That's right, I'm writing for the sexy druid. It'll be 2 chapters, and it's about a third of the way finished. This Tav will be a human fighter, but is otherwise written more like a Reader Insert. (Side note: going back to 3rd person POV after writing a lot of 2nd person POV is harder than I imagined 🙃)

Paz Vizsla x Mando!Reader Oneshot — That's right, I'm also writing for the big Mandalorian. It's about a third of the way finished as well. (These last 2 are actually a little intimidating because the fandoms are MUCH larger, but I need to get them out sooo fuck it, it's happening.)

So as you can see, even though I haven't posted very much outside of Liam Black, I'm still writing a lot. Apparently I just have commitment issues and a lot of ✨thots✨ 😌💖

#fic update #my wips #wip wednesday #i want you to show me weak update #the devil makes us sin update #x reader

[artofapeach]

First | Previous | Next

We got two paired up! Six more to go!! 🥹👍🏽

That said uhhhhh I didn’t think I’d get this far into this comic, so quick update moving forward.

I DO want to keep this nightly update I’ve got going on (I think it’s a big reason why I’ve kept up with it), but I know it’ll eventually bite me in the ass, so in the future, I mayyyy move to a more task-based schedule, where I share one piece of fun art, then share one page of this, one fun art, one page, so on and so forth, however much time it may take in between. Task based schedules just work really well for me, so don’t be shocked if I switch to that!

Right now though, the hyperfixation is STRONG, so Imma keep going nightly for now until I pass out 👍🏽

Secondly, I do have a very loose outline of how I want the whole story to go, but most of it is likely gonna change moving forward. This fancomic is more me playing dolls with the characters than me actually trying to write a coherent story, so I imagine there’s going to be plot holes, weird pacing, and a LOT of inaccuracies (the wiki is a godsend, but it does not have everything 😔). I hope it’s still a fun read in any case! I also want to try to focus on what’s NEW with this comic (like, what I as a fan have changed) rather than actually retelling Termina. A lot of key moments in the game are going to be majorly skipped over UNLESS they have an impact on character and/or relationships (this is why I started with Abella in the tunnels instead of the dream). This also may make the pacing a touch janky, but ya know, it’s all for fun, we’re just havin fun here~

Thirdly, as you have probably noticed, we don’t have an 8 person party yet. They’re probably not going to all come together until day 2. Right now, they’re making separate alliances, but the main 8 WILL get together eventually! Not just that, we’ll also be touching heavily on the NPCs! It’s an everyone lives AU genuinely because I want to play with *everyone*. So while the main 8 will be the focus, each of the 14 will have their chance to shine :3c

Sorry for the ramble! I’m just really excited that I got this far; I legit thought I’d drop this after 3 pages 😭 and I’m also so happy so many others have been reading and liking this, scribbles and all! Hope we can keep playing in this lil hostile dollhouse until it’s completion <3

#fear and hunger #fear and hunger termina #art #fanart #comic #fancomic #everyone lives au #long post

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wip tag

thank you,@thenicestthingiveseen and @takearisk-ao3 for tagging me!

List the titles of your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

for the first time in a while, sans any inbox prompts, i have no fic wips. wild. anyway -

THE MIDWEST HORROR IDEA: a half-vampire collides with a figure from his past at college, creating new risks as they explore the Bridgewater Triangle with their friends. [Adult, supernatural/horror, M/M main romance, still has no outline and only vibes]

DARK ACADEMIA GHOST IDEA: a young girl returns to her boarding school after surviving a near-death incident, but learns that the place is haunted by vengeful ghosts who want to use her. [YA, mystery/occult, F/F main romance, has an outline]

SIR ORFEO RETELLING: a photojournalist is trapped inside a gothic manor with a cursed soldier and his very good dog as something old lurks beneath the land. [New Adult, romantasy/gothic, queer M/F main romance, somewhat outlined]

SPARROW SHORT STORY SEQUEL: the continuing adventures of a grumpy witch and her possessed crush in Brooklyn [New Adult, paranormal romance, queer M/F main romance, somewhat outlined]

LESBIAN TAM LIN: three girls are drawn into the mystery of their town that forces them into a dangerous reenactment [YA, urban fantasy, F/F main romance, first draft is around 50k words]

what i'm looking forward to -

anything, really. i've dabbled with horror, and as a fan of buffy the vampire slayer and supernatural, it's great to dive deep into the genre. it's one-part love letter and one-part exploration of monsters and trauma! i'm also craving more disabled queer romances!!!!!!!

other than waiting to see how many people realize that i borrowed heavily from amherst college for the setting, i want to show why i love the trope Came Back Wrong. it's a metaphor for mental health, a tool to explore characterization, a way to haunt yourself!

i love twisting tropes, especially when it comes to gender! the usual romantasy archetypes are turned around - the girl is dark-haired and tormented while the guy is young and naive

i'm excited to explore more of the magic because i've drawn a lot from diasporic practices. i have growing sources about plant use, exorcisms, and more! i love research!!!!!!!!!

i wrote this draft back in...2019. it was my first full story in ages, and a lot has changed since. i know if i look at it with clearer eyes, it would read like holly black fanfic...

tagging: open to all!

#orig