#merlin answers

[callumexists]

It's both, biscuit and scone ^-^

heheheh YAYYYY

but also it depends on the consistency if it's really crumbly i might consider it a biscuit

#merlin answers #:D

[merlinsbbeard]

1 and 11 please, Merlin 💗

Bellaaa ty for asking 🤍

What are you most proud of your writing right now?

Okay, I'm interpreting this question in two ways. Style-wise I'd say I'm proud of how my writing has evolved over the past 6 months. I think I've gotten in touch with my inner poet, and hope that that is apparent in my fics.

Secondly, I'm so proud that one of my fics (Forget-Me-Not) has reached 1000 hits on AO3! This is a first for me and I'm so thankful for all the support I've received both there and here on Tumblr.

11. How do you plan out your story-writing process? For chapters and/or the entire story?

I wasn't sure how to format this response, all I know is that I didn't want it to be one long paragraph! So here goes:

1) This one is new to my process but I've started writing summaries before writing the fic instead of after. I find that this helps me keep in mind how the fic will begin and how I want it to end when I'm writing. It is also nice to have when publishing on AO3, as in the past I've found that I struggle with coming up with good descriptions on the spot and doing it feels like a chore.

2) I might map out a rough (extremely rough) timeline before I begin writing but that's quite rare. Most times I'll write the timeline as I write chapters. I do this in Notion using a board layout, where each event is categorised under the chapter in which it occurs. I find this helps me if I'm looking for a particular scene but can't remember which chapter it's in, and also that it gives a general overview of the fic's tempo.

3) When it comes to planning chapters I'll dot point what I feel should happen in it. Sometimes this will be very vague (e.g. "go to beach" or "they KISS"), sometimes they'll be extremely detailed and include whole sentences that get included pretty much word-for-word in the chapter itself. This just depends on how clear of an idea I have of the scene at the time. Sometimes I'll jump between scenes because writing one thing will inspire me to write another. It's very unorthodox around here. So, I do this process for one chapter and then write it, then dot point the next and then write that. Perhaps I should start experimenting with dot-pointing a whole fic first before writing it out (😱).

That's all? I think? Tada.

More Writer Asks

#writer asks #ask merlin #merlin answers

[the-writing-merlin]

dear merlin,

fuck you and your angst. the boys deserved some happiness and if you wont give it to them i will.

- with no respect, your younger brother, friend, and beta reader.

P.S. : cant wait for chapter 10!

dear younger brother, friend and beta reader,

asdfghjkl i love this so much they are so cute i love them so much

and they will get happiness, or at least some, it'll just take some time

- with no respect because you give me none, your older sibling, friend, and writer of this story

P.S.: chapter 10 will be finished tomorrow, learn to be a bit more patient /t

#ask #merlin answers #lihb fanart #yeah i just made these tags up #anyway #i really love this so much #and i love you so much /pl for drawing these cuties for me

[shit-sorry-fuck-mybad]

Merlin and Arthur are one of the only boss/employee romances I’ll take and it’s honestly because Arthur thinks he’s the boss when in reality Merlin runs the show and I think that’s funny

#Arthur trying to be kinky: who’s the boss #Merlin: I don’t think you should ask me that question without being ready for the answer #Merlin: you’re not gonna like it #I don’t like boss/employee romances #good for you if you do #but Merlin and Arthur are a failed boss/employee #Merlin #merthur #Arthur pendragon #merlin emrys #Merlin bbc #bcc merlin

[chronicowboy]

we as a collective do Not talk about this line delivery nearly enough and for good fucking reason, i'll kill bradley james for this one line alone. he's just a little boy :'((

#sami rambles #like. he's still the same little kid who didn't really know what it was to be looked after/cared for/doted on #at the heart of him he's still just that lonely young boy who always had to earn people's attention #or just take whatever he got for the simple fact of being the king's son :/ #even after so long he's still not used to merlin's love. and now. now he can't see what he's ever done to deserve it #seeing everything all at once and he just. he needs answers before he goes. #he's just a little boy asking 'why' to prolong his bedtime a few moments more #oh fuck. just caused irreparable damage to myself with that last one ahaha #merlin #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #merthur #bradley james

[allthebestnamesweretaken]

I get Merthur, like really I get it. But hear me out…Merwaine👀

#the correct answer is both #I hope that’s their actual ship name #merthur #merwaine #bbc merlin #merlin #it’s all about the gays #plot twist everyone’s gay

[shanastoryteller]

Happy holidays! Dealers choice?

a continuation of 1

The young Lord de Bois returns with the same uptight lord as before and a young dark skinned man who’s grinning like this is the funniest thing he’s ever seen. They disappear into the blacksmith’s home along with several other men and Mrs. Cole, who’s husband’s been dead for thirty years and who apparently remembers a time two lords past when things were handled differently.

They don’t emerge for the rest of the day, candles bright in the cracks of the shutters to show that they’re working through the night. It’s almost noon the next morning when the village assembles to hear what’s been decided

Merlin still isn’t allowed to look, but he sneaks glances anyway. He wishes he could get a better look at Lord de Bois, but there are several people in his way, almost deliberately keeping him from view. He wonders what his mother promised them to get them to do that.

“My father,” Lord de Bois sighs, “has decided that if I’m old enough to complain about how things are handled then I’m old enough to handle them myself. Ealdor is now under my purview and authority, which means we’re going to have to turn a profit here if it kills me.”

Great. How does he expect to do that here? He might as well just execute people now if he’s planning on starving them slowly. He’d seemed to know better, before, but now that it’s his neck on the line he’s apparently a lot less sympathetic.

“And it might,” says a new voice, probably the dark skinned man Lord de Bois has brought along.

“Shut up, Elyan,” Lord de Bois says, just for a moment reminding Merlin that they’re nearly the same age. “We’ve worked up a new plan for mining for ore and replanting the fields – the soil’s exhausted and it’s all too far from the river. We’re going to have to set up an irrigation system as well.”

They know that. They’ve always known that. It’s just that there’s nothing to be done about when the time lost to start again would mean they lose out on a whole season of crops, since the ground is too cold to do much of anything in the winter and they don’t have the people do any of that and get food in and out of the ground.

There’s stirrings of discontent and it’s Will, of course, who shouts, “Who’s going to be doing all that? We need to eat ourselves, not waste time feeding you too!”

“You little,” hisses the lord from before and there’s again the sound of a sword being drawn.

“Enough, Gregory,” Lord se Bois snaps before addressing them. “Unfortunately, I am now required to put my money where my mouth is. I’ll be covering your taxes this year to the king and providing grain to make up for the lost food while we work out these changes. Your debt now is not to the king, but to me. I’ll be coming back frequently to check on your progress.”

Merlin pinches himself, sure he’s dreaming. Who does this? It’s crazy. It’s ridiculous.

It might actually work.

“You can’t just let them take and get nothing in return,” Gregory says angrily. “Don’t be stupid about this.”

“Too late for that,” Elyan says. “Why don’t you take someone to work at the castle? Their wages can be put to the town’s debt.”

Lord de Bois sighs. “Why would I take someone useful from here when I’m trying to get all this done?”

“Take someone useless, then,” Elyan suggests.

Oh no.

“Alright then. Who here is useless?” he calls out, clearly mocking.

Merlin’s ears burn as he feels the weight of far too many people’s gazes. It’s not his fault! His magic just makes things – complicated.

“Wow,” Lord de Bois says, laughter running through his voice. “Move aside then. Show me this useless person.”

His mother tenses at his side as people shift and then Merlin is staring down at a pair leather boots that are probably worth more than everything he’s ever touched combined.

“Who’re you, then?”

He’s not supposed to move or speak or look at anyone, but surely his mother can’t expect him to ignore a lord. “Merlin.”

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Merlin.” He snaps his head up and is immediately caught up in the brightest blue eyes he’s ever seen. “Are you useless?”

His face burns and he shrugs.

“He’s young, my lord,” his mother says carefully, and Merlin can’t help but feel guilty over the way her voice wavers.

Lord de Bois’s face softens. “You’re his mother, then?”

She dips into a curtsy. “Hunith, if it pleases my lord.”

“Hunith,” he says, “don’t worry. He’ll be fine at the castle. Being my servant isn’t that difficult.”

His what?

“Your servant?” Gregory sputters. “Every time your uncle assigns you one, you fire them for incompetence!”

“Well,” Lord de Bois says, “then he’ll at least be in good company.”

Elyan walks over and claps Merlin in the arm hard enough that he stumbles. “Good luck.”

Lord de Bois rolls his eyes and Merlin considers how his he should really be careful what he wishes for.

He’s going to get plenty of chances to look at Lord de Bois, apparently.

~

His mother lectures him over and over again about keeping his magic to himself, about how they’ll try and control him and abuse him and turn it into something terrible and dangerous if they know what he can do. He really can’t do much of anything, but he nods and agrees and lets her kiss his face.

They don’t have a horse to spare, so he rides with Elyan. Gregory takes the lead, angrily muttering to himself the whole time and Elyan leans over and whispers to Lord de Bois, “We could just make him walk back. He might run out of steam by then.”

“We’re not going to get that lucky,” he sighs.

The ride is shorter than Merlin had feared, which is good because he’s not used to riding. They enter the city just after nightfall and they pull the gates open as soon as they catch sigh of them. Several people brighten and wave when they see Elyan and Lord de Bois, although they duck away from Gregory.

There’s an actual castle. Merlin is being taken to a real castle. It feels fake and he’s walking inside one.

“ARTHUR!” a high pitched, childish voice yells out as the sound of small feet come running.

“Excuse me, my lord,” Gregory says, beating a hasty retreat.

“Is he running from a little girl?” Merlin asks, too surprised to keep silent like he’s supposed to.

“She doesn’t put up with him like we do,” Elyan answers.

What?

“Arthur! You’re back!” shouts a girl who can’t be older than six with brown eyes and curly brown hair.

Lord de Bois scoops her up in his arms. “I told you I would be.”

“You lie,” she says promptly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Merlin finds himself pinned by her narrowed eyes and understands Gregory a little better. “Who’s this?”

Lord de Bois – Arthur, apparently, since now there’s more than one Lord de Bois to keep track of – says, “This is Merlin. He’s going to be my servant. Merlin, this is my cousin, Amabel de Bois.”

Before Merlin can figure out how to greet a child lady, she says, “Hi Merlin. I’m a witch.”

Uh.

Arthur rolls his eyes. “Stop telling people that.” Merlin relaxes. “You’re going to be a sorceress, but only if you study very hard and listen to your mother. You don’t think she became a high priestess without listening to her tutors, do you?”

Merlin tries very hard to not make any sort of expression at all.

“Yes,” Amabel says promptly.

 Arthur makes a face. “Well, maybe, I wouldn’t put it past her, but you have to listen. You haven’t even stabbed any of them with a sword, I don’t know why you’re going through so many.”

“She lit the last one on fire,” Elyan says. “Honestly, between the two of you it’s a shock that any of them are willing to step foot in the castle.”

He shrugs. “Well, my aunt and uncle are very scary. Dad’s not, but that’s what he has them for.”

This is so much worse than he’d feared. Keeping his magic a secret among a bunch of nobles was going to be bad enough, but a high priestess? And a kid training to be a sorceress?

Merlin has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.

#prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #girl-reading2 #merlin

[whamber]

Sir Gwaine is a knight of Camelot second and the #1 Merlin fan boy first

#bbc merlin #merlin fanart #merlin #merwaine #gwaine #bbc gwaine #lap cat behavior #Gwaine will see Merlins lap and ask of anyone is gonna lay on that then not wait for an answer #my art

[has-merlinofficial-posted-today]

News from Merlin Official?

Year 1 Day 116

No

Yes ✅

They replied and liked

Of course he is.

We almost received them liking a suggestive poetry answer. We were this close to perfection.

Sigh... I'll take it

#bbc merlin #bbc merthur #camelotgate #merlin #merlin twitter #merthur #yes #likes #replies #reply #Answer #Poetry

[nextstopparis]

i really just need good like mid to long length fix recs please i’m begging

hey bestie, i didnt know if you had any specific type of fic in mind or just length and what u consider mid so here are a few fics with 25k+ word counts and thats basically all they have in common🫶 also these are all more or less merthur im so sorry. i hope u find something new here!!!

Arthur, Sincerely by MerlinLikeTheBird (47.8k) (THE FLUFF IN THIS MADE ME CRY also its canon era)

To Begin Anew (need ao3 acc) by ohHeyThereBigBadWolf (27.7k) (ive read this like five times. i think about it constantly. canon divergence)

that lightning-strike feel by TheLurkingContessa (32.5k) (cmon merthur training with weapons together??? also canon era)

An Illusion of Sorts by lordvoldemortsnipple (133.7k) (ive also read this like 3 times which is sorta insane bc its 100k+ words omfg… modern au w magic)

Annum Inanis (The Empty Year) (need ao3 acc) by anonymintea (43.2k) (i DIED. canon era)

Charting Stars On A Stained Glass Ceiling by mornmeril (80k) (my note on ao3 under this is just OHMYGOD a bunch of times so. future au with magic)

a thimble of light for an acre of sky by celaenos (36.2k) (THIS IS NOT MERTHUR well theres like a hint of merthur at the very end but mostly its pendragon siblings and morgwen. I DIED. canon divergence)

Chasing Spring (ok TECHNICALLY this is a series but overall its 58.7k words so) by Gimli_s_Pickaxe (god merlin au do i really need to say anything else. canon era)

Keep the Magic Secret (73.5k) (i feel like i cant say I DIED again or else it’ll start losing its meaning to you but really i did. canon era)

M-RYS by mornmeril (123.2k) (ive also read this three times and was actually just craving a reread yesterday so. hmm. future au with magic)

We Pull These Jobs To Make A Little Money (No One Gets Hurt If They Don’t Act Funny) by leashy_bebes (48.9k) (this fic left me speechless all i could muster in my ao3 notes was “oh my god” not even capitalized like it shook me to my core. modern au)

You’ve Got My Heart, I’ve Got Your Hand by FervidAsAFlame (29.3k) (ive read this about five times it makrs me cry its so sweet i Love Them. modern au)

The Tournament of All Magicks by Cori Lannam (corilannam) (41.3k) (CMONNNN merlin fighting in a TOURNAMENT??? cmon. ohh craving a reread for this one too now… canon era)

The Future Soon by lady_ragnell (30.2k) (i loved this fic so so much. like theres just something about the vibe of it that im obsessed with. could also be the enemies to lovers thing. modern au with magic)

Sweeter Dreams by Tierfal (35.3k) (FREED VIVIAN OF MEN! i mean what more could i want. canon divergence)

Truth Is a Whisper by seperis (25k) (im being so serious go read everything by seperis. everything. GO. FIRST TINTAGEL bc that is my fav fic of all time probably but its 20k words so i couldnt put it here. GO!! theyre my fav author it took EVERYTHING not to rec all their fics. canon divergence)

Accidental Memory in the Case of Death by derryere (74.9k) (theres just something so. So. I DONT KNOW. overwhelming about them in this. its reincarnation au which might be why. one line made me cry)

The Ivy Crown by dayari (derryday) (252.2k) (ive read this three times. look at the word count. i will probably read it again. green knight au thing. theyre just. ohmygod)

Dower the Stars by RurouniHime (40.6k) (LISTEN. actually idek what i can say about this. except for the fact that its the PERFECT FIC. literally. its perfect. im especially in love with arthur and gwens friendship in this but anyway. canon divergence.)

#i sorta just assumed u meant merlin fics omg #BUT IF YOU WANT I ALSO HAVE A FEW KANEJ FICS! #also these are just a few from my bookmarks i have more too #ok well. can u believe this is th e first proper ask ive answered in like a year omg #happy pride xoxoxoxo #bbc merlin #merthur #merthur fic rec #ask

[callumexists]

*appears in your ask as autism with pjo as special interest* hello talk to me about pjo (Percy Jackson) /nf/silly

-🧃

hello :3

i love talking about pjo :D

oke idk if you've seen the new show but Annabeth's characterisation... ANNABETH'S CHARACTERISATION!!!! 🤭🤩

She gives off immortal in a 12 yr old body !! and she's honestly a weird 12 year old girl /affectionate and i can relate so much and it's perfect

I find Calypso and Leo's dynamics so so like interesting - you can analysis it - like to me it feels like he's scared of not being loved and she's being unloved and alone for so long and they gravitate towards each other but the thing is they don't know how to love properly yet because they don't have parent figures to teach them.

And Nico... oh Nico... I can rant about his backstory for ages.

Just like ask about any part of the storyline or characters and i'll share my opinion :33

-Marlo and Odi

#percy jackson #merlin answers #:D

[merlinsbbeard]

Just gonna chill here, waiting patiently for you to post your fic... IM SO EXCITED IM GONNA DIE

THE TIME IS NIGH

Read Chapter 1 of Forget-Me-Not HERE.

#merlin answers #jily fanfiction

[poisonedfate]

bbc merlin - 03x03 Goblin's Gold

is it REALLY an episode of bbc merlin if merlin doesn't baffle arthur beyond belief at least once

#the answer is: no it's not #confusion IS a requirement #merlin rewatch #bbc merlin #03x03 #s3 #merlin #arthur #merthur

[mirayladraws]

Quick, Merlin is trending! I'm using it as an excuse to ask you to share a merlin doodle or old sketch or WIP :) anything as silly as you want to celebrate this random day :)

Oh yeah why not! I just had a funny little wip for that!

#my art #digital art #art #fanart #merlin #bbc merlin #merthur #merlin fanart #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #answered ask #ask #king arthur #merthur fanart

[theroundbartable]

What are your top 5 (or top 7) favorite moments from BBC Merlin?

Ooooohhh!!!! Good question!!!!!

1. Absolutely and definitely: the moment from the Disir episode

"Everything here is so... Full of life. Like everything is so much more than itself."

2. The moment just before Arthur is meant to marry Elena:

"I think you're mad. I think you're all mad! People should marry for love. And if Uther things an unhappy king makes for a better kingdom, then he is wrong."

3. The entire last Episode, I don't make the rules. It's tragic, it's everything. It's more than one scene but GOD it's everything I love and everything I hate all at once.

"I'm a sorcerer!"

4. badass Merlin all around

This is two scenes: "I don't need a sword" and Merlin invading Camelot on his own during Morgana taking over. They were close, so I included them both. I'd include the "I'm the last Dragonlord" ... But Merlin was laying on the ground saying that and I think that took it all away

5. A deleted scene:

The sigil one. Obviously.

Bonus: Merlin rediscovering his magic

There are so many to choose from. But these ones are very strong in my mind.

Thank you for your question anon^^

#bbc merlin #merlin #merthur #merlin bbc #faq #ask #answer

[cbk1000]

So what exactly is it about Merlin and Arthur that make them so ship-worthy, sparking million-word fanfics? Why does it remain one of the most popular fandoms? Why do you never seem to tire of them as a writer? (Not that I am complaining or anything. I just find the loyalty fascinating considering how much new stuff is coming out every day).

Bradley and Colin and their chemistry together as performers certainly is an important aspect of the popularity of that specific ship, but I think the endurance of the Merlin fandom as a whole is due primarily to two main things, which are: that tragic ending, and the unrealised potential of the show.

The primary consensus amongst Merlin fans if you ask them about a piece of media they're still obsessing over, twelve years after it ended, is, "BBC Merlin is terrible; it's so good." The premise and characters are interesting. There are some absolute banger lines. There are bits and pieces of it that are good. But as a whole, it's a muddled piece of trash (I still love you, BBC Merlin, don't worry). Uther is a tyrant who has committed literal genocide, and they make the main villain a woman who is a part of the oppressed class of people that he's indiscriminately murdering. Women in general get to be one of two things: love interest, or moustache-twirling villain. Arthur grows as a person only for the writing to immediately walk back that growth, usually for a cheap joke. The major narrative arcs, the most familiar, identifiable aspects of Arthurian legend in the cultural consciousness (Lancelot, the love triangle, the fall of Morgana, Mordred's betrayal, etc.) are either barely present (see: Lancelot's two seconds of screentime) or completely devoid of believable character motivation (see: Mordred suddenly turning on Arthur because he executes a woman who committed terrorism who it turns out was someone Mordred knew as a kid and completely forgot about till the moment he saw her in her jail cell).

When something is, in some ways, quite good, and in a lot of other ways, hot garbage, it leaves a wide-open sandbox for fans to play in. I think if the show were much more well-written, and consistently so, the fandom would have died out years ago. But instead, we never saw the Golden Age of Camelot. We never saw Albion united. We never saw Merlin and Arthur reunited. We were left, at the end, with one main character dead, and the other centuries later still waiting for a person the show literally describes as his other half to come back to him. People haven't moved on because they spent five seasons watching a silly, stupid family show to see its main character fail at what he was literally prophesied to achieve and hold his best friend while he died. We don't even know for sure in the end that Arthur came back to him. We see Merlin alone, in modern day, at the lake, still waiting for him, with no indication that Arthur is rising again. And for people watching the show as it aired, the BBC delivered this nut punch on Christmas Eve.

I think it's about what the show didn't do, and the space that creates for fans to come in and do it themselves, over and over again.

Also, personally, I'm trying to self-soothe.

#bbc merlin #nobody asked for an answer this long #but here it is