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seanhtaylor · 2 years

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Balancing Backlog: When the Well Overflows

Let's talk about balancing ideas and projects. I can't think of a single writer I know who doesn't have ideas that float around in their head to wake them up or keep them up at night -- and typically ideas not related to the current WIP. Oh, what's a poor writer to do?

Are you the type of writer who has a massive backlog of ideas to explore in your stories or the type who deals with one idea at a time and then turns on the idea machine afterward? How do store that backlog, whether digital or on paper?

Marian Allen: I have so many projects already in the pipeline, I don't have the brain capacity to do anything with new ones. EXCEPT! I do Story A Day May every year, and those flashes of ideas are great to prompt daily stories. I also have a big folder with story ideas in it, and, in the rare times when I need something to write, I dig into that. I've used it for many stories.

Jay Requard: Massive backlog. It is currently all in notebooks but I'm transcribing one part to digital after the baby got a hold of it. Elizabeth Donald: Ideas are fleeting little butterflies that need to be captured in jars before they get away. I keep a folder on my computer titled “Marinade” where I put the stray ideas. They have to sit there and think about what they’ve done, and when I need help I go for a walk through the folder. My first novel is in there, in all its drafts going back to the utterly dreadful high school novella, and there are reasons why it’s never seen the light of day. The next oldest file in there is from 2002 and may not actually be translatable now, but why would I let it get away? If I’m not near my computer when an idea strikes, I will use voice-to-text to stick it in my phone until I can translate it to my Marinade file. If I tried to keep it on paper, I would inevitably lose it, and there goes my Pulitzer.

Bobby Nash: Depends on your idea of massive. There are many ideas tucked away for future use. Some I will never get to, I suspect as new ideas keep working their way into my brain. One of the best things about having these ideas sitting in writer limbo is that sometimes, I realize that two of them are part of the same story and blend them together.

Nikki Nelson-Hicks: I have a backlog of ideas. All of them swarming around in my brain. I keep them in journals or post-it notes that I have stuck all around my desktop. What percentage actually gets done? I don't know, man. if I start keeping score, I'll just get constipated and never do another damn thing. I just keep trucking. If the idea is good enough, it'll last until it's time to get inked.

B. Clay Moore: I have a huge backlog of ideas, and now and then one pops back into my head to either inform a new idea or as the impetus to rework it in a new direction.

John French: I have a legal pad on my desk, with separate pages for each "project". On these pages, I write notes, story and character ideas, etc. Right now I'm about 10-15K away from finishing one with five more warming up in the bullpen waiting to get the call.

Ef Deal: When I started writing, I had a character arc that consumed me, and I'm not through with her yet after 35 years. In those pre-computer days, I filled blank books and spiral notebooks and steno pads. I just kept writing. I couldn't stop. She's a rich mine of stories. I've written a lot of flash pieces and other short stories in the meantime, but I keep coming back to her and that universe. I really hope she sees print one day because she's a fantastic badass. When I started this new series The Twins of Bellesfées, I found myself picturing the twins in so many steampunk / paranormal crossover situations I couldn't stop writing. The more I researched the more ideas for novels I got.

Michael Dean Jackson: Oh, hells, yeah! I have a Word document listing a dream schedule of almost 20 projects, only half a dozen of which have been completed. I have worked on a few of them off and on, and I have sketched thumbnails of potential book covers. They're all there in my mind floating around. Every once in a while. I grab one and wrestle it to completion (but not as often as I'd like! The Dream Schedule is seeming more and more like a dream the longer it takes to actually get them to completion.)

My unwritten ideas sometimes seem more attractive than the one I'm working on, but they usually behave.

HC Playa: I feel like maybe I'm weird 😂. I hyperfocus on a WIP…maybe. I literally avoid going into that musing headspace of new ideas until I have a rough draft down for whatever I am working on. I don't mind at all doing edits on one while creating another.

Ernest Russell: In my story ideas folder there are 35-40 ideas, from a couple of sentences to a pitch to an outline because I really want to recall where I was going with it. The journal I carry with me has story ideas, notes on current projects, notes from panels and lectures, turn of phrase I heard/saw that I liked. No sketches though, my stick people look sick and trees look more like cotton swabs.

Read the full article: https://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2022/06/balancing-backlog-when-well-overflows.html

#amwriting #fiction #writing #storytelling #writers #authors #WritersLift #WritingCommunity #fictionwriting #blog #blogging #indipenned

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1000generations · 3 years

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OC Questionnaire

I sat down to work on my fanfic wip, then ended up reading writing advice where this questionnaire was passed around. I filled it out then took a nap. lol No progress on the wip.

But I thought it'd be fun to pass around these questions. And I'd love to read everyone's answers for their ocs.

I tag @melisusthewee @yukichouji @webbsiee @elenthi @occorner @redinkofshame @blueheaded @darethshirl @emerald-amidst-gold @enasallavellan @iridescentmemoria @for-the-ninth @notebooks-and-laptops @oxygenforthewicked @dreadfutures @rosella-writes @little-lightning-lavellan @the-dreadful-canine and@wickedwitchofthewilds. No pressure of course! You all have probably filled this sort of thing out before.

THE BASICS:

Character’s name: Fen’Asha

Role in story: The Inquisitor (post-trespasser)

Physical description: Blond, slightly curled hair, fit physique, has claw scars on her back, has a prosthetic right arm.

Age: early to mid thirties

MBTI/Enneagram Personality Type: INFJ-A (I didn't realise we have the same personality type. Write what you know right?... but I am an INFJ-T so we aren't exactly alike. lol)

INTERNAL LIFE:

What is their greatest fear? Life having no meaning

Inner motivation: To protect those she loves

Kryptonite: Rejection

What is their misbelief about the world? That she is more responsible for what happens to others then is true / Prone to taking blame onto herself

Lesson they need to learn: She must ultimately accept herself, not have herself worth live and die in accordance to other's opinions or what she can do for them

What is the best thing in their life? Faith

What is the worst thing in their life? Pre-Inquisition - Being directly responsible for her Father’s death, the person she was closest to prior Inquisition. He taught her to question myth and legend. Was teaching her more of Fen’Harel at a ruin when she accidentally killed him. Post Inquisition - Discovering her ex-boyfriend is the ancient mage/god figure she projected her hopes and dreams on.

What do they most often look down on people for? Thoughtlessness

What makes his/her/their heart feel alive? Discoveries of truth concerning history/reality

What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way? Quality time – Most likely Sera her best friend.

Top three things they value most in life? Freedom, Knowledge, Passion

EXTERNAL LIFE:

Is there an object they can’t bear to part with and why? The Raven Necklace, Fen’Asha has always kept necklaces as symbols of her faith/life’s purpose. Originally the wolf necklace, symbolising her role in clan Lavellan, then Fen’Harel’s prayer stone necklace symbolising her devotion to the dread wolf, now the raven necklace which helped transport her to another world.

Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom. In the modern world - Keeps her hair in a ponytail, t-shirt and a jacket or cardigan depending on the weather. Jeans or shorts with boots

What names or nicknames has they been called throughout their life? Fennie, Inquisitits (Sera), FenFen (although I don't think I wrote that in anywhere, but it's what I call her)

What is their method of manipulation? Will attempt seduction.

Describe their daily routine. Get up, dress, eat, brush teeth, do hair, research/errands/work, lunch, research/errands/work, supper, visit with friends, shower, relax, sleep

Their go-to cure for a bad day? Have a drink, spend time alone

GOALS:

How are they dissatisfied with their life? In the story I'm working on - She is guarding her ex, Solas. She has a lot of resentment and distrust of him but also respects him, still feels a pull and hates that she does. It's a mad web of emotion, a lot of love/hate. But she can't get space cause she has to make sure he doesn't return to Thedas.

What would bring them true happiness or contentment? Death lol …More likely a new found family and Solas uncharacteristically dropping his mission to destroy Thedas as she knows it.

What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? She can open up to others, be vulnerable and find new loved ones.

How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? She is used to keeping her inner most thoughts to herself, she doubts others could really relate to her. As the first of clan Lavellan she was taught to hold herself apart to some degree in order remain objective.

How does they feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of? Share interests and passions, bond over a good drink and stories. She has a history of not sharing her spirituality for fear of judgement (especially when following her idea of Fen'Harel throughout Inquisition). Thus she avoids rejection since she rarely gives people the opportunity to reject her inner most world.

#oc questionnaire #fen'asha lavellan #dragon age #1000generations posts

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ljandersen · 3 years

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More 100 Days of Writing! Yay! I love that I get a hundred days of seeing everyone's writing process on my dash. I’m not strictly following the questions in order or posting every day, but it’s fun to still play along. Thanks, @the-wip-project !

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Question from Day 2 (I know it’s not day two, but I’m erratically cheating, remember?) For your current WIP: Do you have many WIPs? What motivates you to write this specific story? What makes this story special for you? Is there a special twist/trope/setting you wanted to explore? What got you started on this particular story?

My current WIP is “Sideways,” a 5-part fShenko post-war long fic. I’m posting it like a box set, essentially all the parts (books) in one big post on AO3. I have the first draft written for all five parts and am currently posting part 3.

What motivated me to write this story was a string of “what if” questions that haunted me after finishing my 300k fShenko post-war long fic, “Burning Barriers.” My mind kept spinning on questions about human-asari relationships. What would it be like to be with someone who would live a thousand years? You’re just a blip on their radar, while they’re you’re whole life.

What would it be like to have a child who’s another species? Asari have unique abilities like mindmelding, strong biotics, long lifespan, monogendered, not to mention unique culture. Would the child feel less “yours” for being so . . . well, alien (pun intended)? How would it feel knowing your partner and child would live on long after you?

That’s when I started thinking, what if the asari parent died? Whoa. Then my mind was blown by the complexity. Your child would be another species, bound to live a thousand years, and the parent meant to take care of them is gone. Since your partner was going to live hundreds of more years, the human partner probably never even considered the possibility of losing them. Now the human parent is all this alien child has. It had so many implications, my mind kept going.

I wanted to explore these ideas in a story, but I didn’t want to write an AU of my own fanfiction. I didn’t want to write a story that wasn’t fShenko. FemShep and Kaidan are my favorite characters, and it’s their relationship I find compelling.

That’s when I thought, what would Shepard think of this alternate storyline? It’s interesting enough to think of her outside perspective, but what if it was further removed than even that. What if she saw it like I did having this other canon story ending in mind? What if the Shepard who finished my story in “Burning Barriers” and who ended up with Kaidan went to this other AU reality?

I could follow an idea from “Burning Barriers” that wasn’t realized but intrigued me. Kaidan’s asari wife is dead. He has an asari child now. How much better if he and Shepard are even enemies? Maybe Shepard has been a bad person in this timeline. After all, Mass Effect is all about the Paragon and Renegade timelines. Add in this story being told from the POV of the Shepard who’s been happily married to him in the “real” timeline, then the complexity and nuances expanded. How would she reconcile his identity to her, being both the person she knows and loves the best, but also the person she knows the least and who is also an adversary?

Then, I thought . . . What is Bad Shepard took my canon Shepard’s place? I ended “Burning Barriers” with Shepard being human Councilor. She lives on the Pacific with Kaidan and their daughter. That was already there in my post-10 year epilogue. What if this switch went both ways? It’s always a fascinating trope taking someone who’s a maverick loner and dropping them into a family situation. Do they become a better person?

False identities always interest me, and both stories lines would play so well to that interest. How would this imposter function? Both Shepards would be taken as the their altero ego, at least, initially if not longer.

So I started writing “Sideways.” I needed to tell the backstories to fill in the ten years of lost time for both timelines. But how to do it? Just through present-day revelations? A bit boring. Flashbacks are often considered unnecessary and needlessly complicate a story.

What if the flashbacks had more meaning beyond just revealing the past though? What if they provided a ticking clock. I needed a ticking clock, after all, and this was the perfect way to hit two birds with one stone. The present day revelations about the past could provide tantalizing clues and hint toward scenes that aren’t revealed yet. There would be gradual progression of stories from the past connecting to the present storyline. Perfect.

I actually wrote several chapters of “Sideways” and then discarded it. I didn’t want to pour myself into more fanfiction. It was time to move on. Do something original. Who would read a long fShenko fic that jumped off my 300k story? “Burning Barriers” wasn’t read. I think a year after posting, it had 25 kudos, under a thousand hits, and was pretty stagnant with the hit count even moving. I had a few wonderful people who made the process worthwhile through their generous comments and friendship. It would go on to get a lot of great feedback that would change my feelings about it, but at the time, the story’s reception was disappointing. It seemed unwise to take an already abysmal turnout for 300k words and cut the readership even further for a new story +100k story. So I tossed my first few chapters of “Sideways” aside.

I came across the chapters again a while later. I still had these ideas in my head for it that I was trying to squelch while I focused on ideas for an original sci fi series. When I was flipping through a notebook, I came across the story I had abandoned, and I started to read it. By the end, I was left thinking, “But then what happened? This is actually pretty good.” At that point, I decided I had to write it. I had too much passion in the project, and I had to see it through.

I decided for it to be successful (or at least, not catastrophically unsuccessful), it had to stand on its own. Hardly anyone had read the preceding 300 k story, which I had made the mistake of posting all at once. I needed this to be its own story. It had to be less words than “Burning Barriers,” which at 300 k was already too much of an investment.

Then I started writing my new story . . . 800 k words later (or so I estimate), I obviously didn’t meet my goal. But I loved writing every word, and I love how the story progresses and develops. It had a good pace, and I’m proud of it. It lent itself naturally to being divided into a series, since it had mini-arcs with mini-villains and achievements being reached. By editing each part separately, I was able to start posting, which after two years of writing the story was beginning to feel like would never happen.

Now, here I am posting part 3. I have amazing people who support me and have made the experience rewarding by sharing their enthusiasm and thoughts in comments and tags. “Sideways” surpassed “Burning Barriers” initially low turn out and has managed to stand on its own as I hoped. For a story that took so long to make it to this point, it’s been fulfilling to have so many fandom friends who cheer me on. I appreciate everyone who supports “Sideway” and just me in general as part of the fandom community.

And that’s how my supersized story came into being.

#100daysofwriting #not doing my questions in order I know #I feel like day 1 and day 2 were the most important general questions #Which is why I'm doing them now #on writing #my writing #on fanfiction #on mass effect fanfiction

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marvel-girl-13 · 3 years

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Fic writer interview

Tagged by the ever amazing @mamashitty

Name: Libby (although those who know me from my younger writing days can still call me Livvy)

Fandoms: The MCU and Harry Potter. Most of my Harry Potter fan stuff is mostly with OCs, involving the wonderful world that is Harry Potter’s. In a way, it just really involves that tiny aspect of the world. Sometimes I write some extra stuff for those characters (which can be found on my other page @roleplaycharacter1shots). Never been brave enough to write anything about the original characters, but who knows.

My main love (and a majority of my fanfic writing) involves the MCU. I first started with X-Men years and years ago, although most of that involves major OCs and it is all handwritten still. I took a break when I started college, mostly working on the HP OCs. But once TFATWS came out, I really got back into things with Bucky and an OC I had had stewing for quite some time. I also did some RP with Loki a while back. But right now, Bucky really occupies my mind.

Other Fandoms: I read lots of actor-related writing lately, mostly of MCU actors. I don’t think I’d even write anything with them personally, but reading them is a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t really branch outside of the MCU/HP other than that, so not too many other fandoms.

Two-shot: I did not know this was a thing until I was tagged in this, haha. And apparently that is basically the two projects I have currently been working on are (although they are more multiple-shots, since they’re each over 25-ish pages each…).

Most Popular Multi-Chapter: I haven’t released them to the public yet, but I hope the two I’m currently bouncing between get at least a few views!

Actual Worst Part of Writing: Dialogue. My brain essentially plays everything out like a film, but I really do suck at witty comebacks and conversations. I can describe the hell out of most things because I want people to see what I see (I used to be really into this, like describing full outfits and such in my younger years). In a way, my descriptive nature is also not that great, since it tends to lead to a lot of run-on sentences sometimes. I am getting better at this though! It makes me wonder if in my other life I could have been a director or something, haha.

How You Choose Your Titles: I suck at titles. I have to really be inspired by something to use it, usually from a song. I also work too hard at being original and then come up with nothing. My current WIPs are currently without titles and probably will be when they’re finished.

Do You Outline: Not at all. I did once to start something, had great ideas… and then never actually wrote anything for it. It basically just starts out with writing down the details of a daydream and then seeing how the next scenes fit together. My X-Men stuff is just a bunch of composition notebooks filled with one-shots in random orders. I don’t have the time to outline or else I lose interest.

Ideas I Probably Won’t Get Around to But Wouldn’t It Be Nice: Loki stuff again, maybe? Right now I’m really on a roll and actually writing all my Bucky stuff down. Although I am wondering if I should get into Steve Rogers/Captain America a little as well…

Callouts @ Me: Just do it. Write the thing. You might actually like how it turns out, you might not. Oh well. Someone else out there likes how you write, so at least spit it out for them.

Best Writing Traits: So I already mentioned descriptive stuff. It makes it great to look back on pieces and be like, “That’s exactly how I remember picturing it, sweet.”

Spicy Tangential Opinion: There’s always going to be someone who hates what you wrote. It’s inevitable, it’s how the world works. Hell, that person could even be you and that’s okay! If you love writing, keep doing it. No one is ever perfect on their first draft and things can be revised. If something doesn’t fit where you originally put it, that doesn’t mean you have to erase it forever. Save it somewhere else, and who knows, maybe it’ll have a new place in that same fic or another one. Not everything is trash.

And also: all characters in the world are up for interpretation. Indeed, there are some traits you can’t just remove or ignore; but if you vividly see that person doing XYZ, then that’s what you see them doing.

Tagging: @bibbitybobbitybooyah, @stormwind13

#fanfic writer interview #fanfic meme

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bluecolouredlou · 3 years

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Planner : What is your favourite plotting method and why?

Pantser : Tell me about a time you wrote something for your WIP on a whim.

Plantser : What is the first thing you do when you start working on a new WIP?

Up with the sun : What is the earliest you’ve ever woken up to write before?

Night owl : Have you ever stayed up til the wee hours of the morning just to keep writing?

Character questionnaire : What is the most important question to answer about your characters?

Not even a last name : What is one thing you’ve never planned for your character?

Gardener : Quick, on the top of your head, give me a first sentence for a (genre,) novel.

Architect : Name the three most important things for you to plan

Aesthetics : Look for three images which best showcase the overall aesthetic for your WIP

Song bird : If you could pick three songs to capture the feel of your WIP, what would they be and why?

Sprint : What is the longest writing session/ most amount of words, you’ve ever written in one day?

Marathon : What are three things you have to have during a writing session?

Overwriter : What is the easiest thing for you to write/ what are your strengths?

Underwriter : What is one area you feel you should focus more on with your writing?

Chronological : Have you ever gotten stuck with a scene? If you have, how do you power through and finish?

Whatever suits your fancy : Beginning, middle or end? Which is your favourite part to write and why?

Typing : What software do you write with?

Handwriting : How many notebooks do you own and which is your favourite?

Location, location : What are your top three (or,) least three favourite places to write and why?

you said you had nothing to do so,,,, im sorry njdghkdk if you dont feel up for it just answer your top 3

nothing to do = I have nothing to do that is really important and that anybody cares about it, so I am just letting it be and am doing other things instead

Anygays...

Planner: Plotting is mostly something where I just do what feels right so literally every time I sit down to plot something it looks different and sometimes I may not even plot anything out... even though that is not so wise

Pantser: In my first zouis fic (for the @zouisfest) I am pantsing it so literally everything is on a whim, which is now also getting me into a bit of trouble. But the one thing that I am thinking about is that I might throw two of the side characters into a relationship, dunno though. Ohhhh and what was definitely on a whim was doing a threesome with Zayn, Gigi and Liam in Sweet Heart, but I've been liking the thought of those three enough to be thinking about a separate fic for them...

Plantser: I just brain dumb everything that I know into a document or something of the sort.

Up with the sun: 5am, no comment

Night Owl: I tried it at least once but it really isn't my thing but I generally don't write much after dinner

Character questionnaire: You guys answer questions about your characters?!?!

Not even a last name: Somebody explain to me what this questions even mean skadkjfska

Gardener: Rae, you never even gave me a a genre but one senence that I really like is: The skies were so grey that the cats started catching mice again

Architect: 1. POV Character 2. detailed plan of how the locations they are at look like (floor plan), bc my head doesn't work without knowing how the layout is 3. Chapter length

Aesthetic: (both are for the @zouisfest ksjdks)

1. Zouis fic (on the Bake Off, just me writing this):

2. Zouis fic (writing with @quelsentiment 👀):

Song Bird: I hate picking songs, but I'm gonna do it for you (you better appreciate this)

1. Zouis fic:

The Great British Bake Off - Tom Howe

The One That Got Away - Katy Perry

Green Feelings - Lorde (mostly just me listening to it while writing)

2. Zouis fic:

Moments - Mindland

Insomnia - Zayn

Renegades - X Ambassadors

Sprint: I think I once made it to 5k which is CRAZY

Marathon: My Laptop, a notebook and some pens

Overwriter: I answered in this asks

Underwriter: Dialouge feels like the one thing I should focus one more

Chronological: Waiting it out for a day or so or just skipping it and filling it in later, which I do a lot of the time

Whatever suits your fancy: The beginning since most of the time this is where I have the most clear vision on what I want to do and I just absolutely HATE endings, I really can't with them

Typing: I am jumping around a bit from time to time and from story to story but mostly just google docs

Handwriting: I have two in use and there are many more I own, I don't even want to count. My two favs are the notebook that I currently plan my days in and a new one that I just bought because the second notebook I am using is about to be full

Location, location: In the summer it's nice to write outside and you would be surprised how comfy it is to write in a Hammock, other than that at my desk and occasionally even in my bed

Here is the place where I would link to all the other questions but since rae already ask everything I don't have anything for you (go and read all my stories that I have on ao3 right now)

#rae you crazy bitch #the editor on my laptop gsve up after the pictures and i had to do the rest on my phone #😭😭😭#answered

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thisisthehardestthing · 4 years

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This Is The Hardest Thing

CHAPTER 1

Synopsis: A exchange student from the US in enrolled into UA when her father has to move to help with the increased crime rates in Japan. The final year of high school is a lot to handle, adding on top the class of 3-A and the trouble they get into will make for a wild ride.

Authors note: It’s been six years since I last wrote avidly. SO I am taking the plunge and posting chapter 1 (of idek) of this BNHA fic. @lookslikeleese convinced me to just POST it and keep on practicing after I sent her an anon message, so this is basically what I am doing here. Quite nerve-wracking but, let’s just see where it goes? This is my first time writing it ‘x reader’ POV so I have a lot to learn :)

The title is still a WIP. I have named it as the above because it truly is the hardest thing to do lol

Pairing: I have a feeling this might turn into a Bakugo x Reader fic, but I am quite a slut and can’t make my mind up so who knows, maybe she’ll go through a few of the boys. They are all aged up to 18/19 and in their final year.

Triggers: ??? Not sure. This chapter is SFW. Let me know what I should tag here if anything.

Word count: 3.4k - felt like stopping it there. I have quite a few chapters already typed but I’ll drag it out.

link to chapter 2

This Is The Hardest Thing

Chapter 1

The gates of UA shined ahead of you as the car pulled up front, tires crunching over the gravel. The blue octagonal shape with bright gold letters were backlit by the early morning sun. A pink and orange sky reflected against the tall, glass buildings. It gave the world a sepia filter, one you wished to be true. The dark tinted windows cast a shadow in the car, shielding your face from the outside but did little to hide the nerves inside your stomach. Between your fingers, the dark green uniform skirt was bunched up and you took a deep breath, smoothing it out, trying to relax.

New school, new year.

Two figures were standing underneath the looming gates, hands clasped behind their backs and chatting to each other as they waited patiently for your arrival. One was extremely small, covered in white fur, and you squinted against the sun as you studied the figure. It was the Principal himself coming to greet you, along with a taller person that had messy black hair that partially covered his face, a thick scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.

The car stopped and you stepped out, a small black backpack in your hands that contained only a notebook, a few pencils and some other necessities. The Principal smiled and walked over to greet you hand raised in a wave, his short legs moving deftly.

“Welcome to UA!” He greeted, his voice was commanding and yet friendly. “I am Principal Nezu and this is your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta.” Aizawa lifted his hand slowly. He had a look on his face as though he had just woken up.

“Please to meet you.” You greeted and bowed slightly, your loose hair tumbled past your shoulders, the ends of your curls swaying in the cool morning breeze.

You hoped that the greeting was satisfactory. You had never lived in Japan before, being a transfer student from abroad. Your father, a top Hero in New York, was offered a job post back here in Japan and had seized the opportunity. He’d always wanted to bring you back to his home, where he’d grown up. It was your final year in a hero course and so it was frustrating to leave everything behind to move to an entirely new country. Being a Hero that helped everyone meant everything to him and you want to show your support. Besides, UA was one of the best schools in the world and you would never give up the opportunity to train with the kids that have been making waves all across the world.

The crime in Japan had increased exponentially over the past years, and any Hero worth his salt would jump at the chance to help. The request had come from the Number 1 Hero’s agency. Your family was in no way friends, but your father grew up in the same classes as Enji Todoroki, even graduating U.A. together all those years ago before taking the first job offer to move oversees. To be clear, Endeavor did not request your father himself. He was much too prideful to acknowledge he needed hep, but it was agreed by the city governors that a few more Hero’s were needed and so the simple letter came in the mail that changed everything.

“We hope you will enjoy your time here at U.A.” The Principal continued and you straightened back up. “It’s difficult to change schools in the final year, but we have no doubt that you will adjust quickly and be one of the top students.” You smiled at the remark.

“That sounds like it will be quite a challenge,” you replied, a small smile on your lips. “The class of 3-A has quite the reputation, even internationally, and I look forward to learning from them as well as the top-rated teachers here.” You bowed your head slightly again. This time it was overkill but you could never be too polite.

Aizawa’s eyes were trained on you, analyzing your words and the way you presented yourself. There was a shyness about you that confused him. He had read your file, knew who your father was, and yet you were being extremely modest. The Principal laughed, the scar on his right eye crinkling up.

“Yes, well, it’s true your classmates are a lively bunch. Let’s get you settled with signing the final paperwork. I have heard you did not bring much with you to move into the dorms, but that can be sorted out when the day is done.” They started walking away, and you slung the backpack that was in your hands over your shoulder as you followed, making polite small talk with the Principal all the way.

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

You had your class schedule in your hands as you made your way through the empty halls of the new school. The first bell of the day had already rung and your footsteps echoed against the tall ceilings. The glass windows let in the sunlight and it danced across the linoleum flooring. You were sure that every class was full of students and chatter, and yet you couldn’t hear a single thing.

The door of 3-A loomed above you, bright red, and you prepared yourself for the classmates on the other side of the door. They were infamous in your old school, first popping up two years ago during their sports festival when the boy called Izuku Midoriya went about breaking his bones while fighting the son of your fathers old school friend, and you let out a shaky exhale as your knuckles knocked. The door slid open and Aizawa stood there.

“Ah yes, right,” He mumbled, as if forgetting he was introduced to you just an hour earlier, walking back to the front of the class while you followed behind him. The class was lively, people all talking to each other, but as you stood in the front of the podium, they hushed down and wide eyes stared at you, taking you in.

“Everyone, we have a new student joining us today.” He gestured to you. “She has just transferred here from an academy in New York City, USA, and will be with us for your final year.”

You bowed for the third time today and introduced yourself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” you knew you sounded robotic. Meeting new people and opening up was not a strength of yours, but you pushed through it, straightening back up and smiling.

You heard a scoff in the back and a boy with spiky blond hair leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. The consensus around the room was to ignore him and everyone started talking out loud again, welcoming you with smiles and enthusiasm.

“Yes, yes, welcome to UA and 3-A. You can continue this at lunch.” Aizawa shouted over the chatter. Everyone quieted down. “The first lesson of the day is general training to get your bodies moving after the summer holidays. Although, all of you had work and internships, so this should be a piece of cake.” He turned to face you. “There is an empty desk in front of Bakugo you can take later. Now everyone, get ready for your lesson and I’ll see you outside on the sports field.”

Aizawa handed you a metal briefcase with your gym kit in it. Your new classmates stood up and started filing out the door, whoops of excitement in the air. A pink-skinned girl with even pinker hair and thin horns came up to you and gave you a big hug. It took you by surprise, but you hugged back with one arm as your other held the briefcase.

“It’s so nice to meet you! Trust me when I say we are all happy to have another girl in the class.” She beamed, “My name is Mina Ashido!” Her eyes were filled in with black, and yet they shone with happiness.

“Hi, Ashido, I’m looking forward to studying with you,” you smiled back. She laughed in response and linked her elbow with yours to drag you out of the class.

“So formal. Let’s become friends, call me Mina.” With that, she dragged you out the door, following the crowd outside and into another building that house the gym and the changing rooms.

You dressed quickly, surprised that the suit was your size, and wondered what today’s class was going to be like. The girls in your class were all talking loudly, sharing stories of what happened to them during the holidays, and although they weren’t necessarily talking to you, you didn’t feel ignored. There was a large part of you that was hoping today was just regular sparring. You didn’t really want anyone to know what your quirk was right off the bat. It was something that you tried to down-play, instead focusing on hand-to-hand combat and honing your physical skills. The reflection of yourself in the tight suit made you smile. Your muscular thighs and arms were well-defined. Your hair tied up high in a pony-tail.

“You’re not wearing any shoes.” The statement came from Tsuyu Asui. She held up a long finger with rounded edge, placing it on her lips thoughtfully. As she looked down at your bare feet. You curled your toes under before flattening them back down again. You laughed, embarrassed, and rubbed the back of your neck.

“Yeah, I don’t like wearing them when exercising. I prefer to feel the ground.” It was also useful for your quirk as you could intensely feel the vibrations of everything through the soles of your feet and your hands if you needed to. Bare feet was something all your old classmates were already used to and it was just second nature to you. You had forgotten that people usually wore sneakers.

She gave a small nod and smiled.

“I can understand that, let’s go outside.” And you followed her onto the grassy field for the first class of the day, stretching your arms above your head.

Even though winter was around the corner, the sun was hot and there was no clouds in the sky. The cool breeze of this morning seemed to have died down, letting the sun warm everything up. Everyone was excitedly waiting for class to start. Basic training classes were always your favorite and it seemed like everyone was eager to show what they practiced during the summer.

“We will just start with some simple sparring, no quirks allowed, to get your bodies back into the swing of things. Everyone pair up.” Aizawa gestured to the field where white chalk was sprinkled in neat squares to mark the sparring boundaries.

“Hey, new girl. Let’s fight!” The boy called Bakugo shouted, he was frowning and his red eyes were glinting mischievously. His hair was seemed to be alive as he walked to one of the squares, not bothering to see if you had agreed. He was trouble and you knew that from when he won first placing the competition two years ago. You had snickered with your old friends when that picture circulated around the campus, whispering how crazy he looked. You shrugged and followed him, ready to move your body and see if he really was as good a fighter as he seemed to be.

Bakugo had his eye on you the second you walked into the class. He hated the fact that there was yet another person to beat out at the end of the year, even though he was not worried, just annoyed. He challenged you to make a point, show you that just because you were new, he would not take it easy on you.

Facing each other, you got into your fighting stances and for the first time in a long while, you were caught off guard. There wasn’t enough time to dodge and instead you blocked the high kick to your head with your forearms, grunting as your feet slid wide and digging into the grass with your heels to keep your self planted firmly. He smirked and jumped back.

“Welcome to U.A.” He stated, rolling his shoulders and jumping lightly on his toes as he got ready to attack again. You heard the murmurs from your new classmates about how Bakugo just ‘could not wait to start a fight’. You were ready the next time and both of you began to dance around each other. He sent a right hook, which you blocked, following with your own punch, which he dodged. It was a flurry of punches and kicks. He was getting angrier as it turned into a minute where he had yet to land a punch on you, and you could tell your new classmates were not used to this.

They had all stopped to watch. This caught your attention and you dropped your guard, not wanting to let everyone think you were a show off on your first day, and Bakugo sent his palm into your chest, making you fall back onto the ground. The wind was knocked out of you, but you quickly recovered and rolled away, missing the fist that had come towards your face by a second.

“Bakugo!” Iida shouted out, “Please be careful! It’s rude to attack our new classmate with such vigor.”

Katsuki ignored him though, straightening up and punching his fist into his palm.

“I just need to make sure this,” he gestured to your body that was now standing, breathing hard, “extra has what it takes to be in our class.” He was cocky, more so than you expected, and it irritated the shit out of you. You huffed and squared up. He wants to see what you have to offer? You’ll show it to him.

He rushed toward you again, throwing his infamous right hook, and you sidestepped, grabbing his muscular forearm and hurled him onto the ground over your shoulder. Jiu-Jitsu was one of your favorite martial arts and you followed him down, quickly mounting yourself onto his chest, still holding his arm. You were about to fall into an arm bar but he rolled to the same side you were about to lean back to. His sheer strength overcoming your legs that would’ve kept him pinned down. He ripped his arm away from your grip and had now flipped you so that his knee was on top of your chest, in the same place where his palm hit you previously, pressing down so that it was difficult to breath.

He had a wild look in his eyes, taken aback at the sudden improvement of your fighting and had his arm pulled back, smoke starting to leak out of his palm. Before he could bring it down, thick white ribbon wrapped itself around his wrist and pulled him back and off you, the grey whisps disappearing and the smell of burnt sugar lingered in the air. He thrashed against the fabric.

“Enough, Bakugo.” Aizawa boomed, his voice loud and commanding, “Go get a sip of water and calm down.”

You could see he was holding in insults, snarling out swear words under his breath as he tugged at the bandage tied tightly around his wrist. He had grown since his first year, calmed down a little, but his manners had not changed and it took a lot in him to hold back. Aizawa’s pinched the bridge of his nose as the scarf let him go and Bakugo gave one last glare in your direction before turning sharply on his heel and walking to the water dispenser against the wall.

It was for your safety that Aizawa had stopped the fight then, and you bit your tongue to keep in a retort that you could’ve handled it. A hand reached down to help you up. It was Uraraka. Her round face had a slight blush and her eyes closed as she smiled.

“Sorry about him, he gets defensive when there’s any kind of changes.” She explained, waving toward the figure that was now kicking the water dispenser, water flying everywhere. You took the hand, letting her pull you up.

“It’s okay. I kind of expected it.” Shrugging as you rubbed your chest with your palm, feeling a bruise forming where Bakugo’s knee had been pressing. There was dirt and leaves in your hair that you tried to pry out. During the sparring session your ponytail had come loose and your eyes dropped to the grass to look for the small hair-tie that you have no doubt lost to the grass God’s. You sighed and gave up working the grass out of your hair, instead tucking the messy locks behind your ears. The only thing that would help now was a shower.

You and Uraraka teamed up on the next round, playfully sparring and testing each other. You were surprised at just how good this girl could fight, which she explained was due to the internship in her first year. She was shorter than you, but that just made her quick. Soon, your five minutes were up and you switched partners. Within the two hour class, you were able to meet and get a feel of almost everyone.

The class was finished and you all headed back to the changing rooms to shower and get ready for the lunch break. Mina’s arms were slung across your shoulders as she asked where you studied before coming to U.A.

“I studied in NYC,” you started, opening the locker that had your school uniform hanging inside.

“Oh, then how come you speak Japanese?” Mina asked. She was already undressing.

“My father is Japanese, my mom is American.” You stripped the sweaty jumpsuit off and grabbed for the towel folded neatly. Mina and the girls all walked into the showers, and she continued her questioning over the roar of the water.

“That is so cool! Why did you move here?”

The warm water felt good against your aching muscles. The flight to Japan was long and you had only landed yesterday evening, barely giving you any time to see your father since he was already working late. He’d arrived a week before you. Lathering the soap between your hands, you scrubbed at the dirt on your arms, looking down at the purple bruise on your sternum with a frown.

“My dad got offered a spot at Endeavor’s agency to help weed out the rest of the League of Villains.” You replied. The water that ran into the drain was a light brown and you scrubbed the bottom of your feet before starting to tackle your hair once more. You winced when pulling out some more grass.

You heard a collective gasp in the shower room and the shower curtain next to you pulled back, the rings scraping against the metal. Mina’s head poked around, her pink head floating against the white curtain, and you screamed, turning towards the wall away and from her gaze. You weren’t normally shy but you couldn’t help your reaction.

“Your dad is Soil?” She asked. You winced. You hated his Hero name as it made you think of soiled underwear. But it was to-the-point seeing as he could manipulate the terrain and your father was a very straight-forward man. You nodded and she smiled wide, pulling her head back behind the curtain and you heard her go back into her own cubicle.

“Wow you’re so lucky. That man is HOT.” She exclaimed, there was a collective agreement echoing in the tiled room. You finished rinsing out your hair and turned the shower off before grabbing for your towel. As you stepped back into the main dressing area, you crossed your hands over your chest, a look of disgust on your face.

“Ew, that’s my dad you’re talking about.” Your mouth turned down and faked a gag. Mina rolled her eyes. You knew your dad was handsome. You had gotten your own good-looks, height and body stature from him. But you could not stand other people discussing it. Your mother had left him after enduring years of adultery and mental abuse of the way he jumped from women to women. If he wanted something, he went for it. She lifted her hands up as if in surrender and chuckled.

“Sorry, but it’s true.” You shook your head, getting dressed in your uniform.

“Lunch time!” Yaoyoruzu called out as the bell rang and you were glad you did not have to talk about it any longer.

--------------

a/n AGH so there it is. Hope you enjoyed it lol

I’m going to log off and sleep now as it’s 1 am and I have work in the morning

Night everyone x

#bnha #mine #boku no hero x reader #boku no hero fanfic #fanfiction #bakugo #aizawa #OC fanfic #OC bnha #scared of posting my first fic but oh well #lets do this #chapter 1 #this is the hardest thing #TITHT

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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years

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100 Days of Writing: Day Forty

I’m getting really lazy about this lol. Today’s entry: the answers to a few random questions that have spoken to me, from days I skipped.

Project courtesy of @the-wip-project. Tagging fellow participants @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold, @thelittlefanpire, @hopskipaway, @easilydistractedbyfanfic, @dylanobrienisbatman @fontainebleau22.

This got VERY verbose, sorry....!

Day 34: Do you prefer to write fluff or angst?

Funny story. I once had a fic nominated in the Best Angst Category in a fandom fic awards event. The nomination was, of course, flattering, but also really confusing, because I didn’t think the fic was particularly angsty. It wasn’t super fluffy either. It...just was? It was a basic strangers-to-lovers modern AU somewhere in the 7k range, and the main ship was endgame. There was a period where half of the main ship was dating someone else, but that was mostly mentioned in passing during a time skip; most of the actual content was the endgame couple talking/flirting/pining, and, again, they did get together in the end.

The nomination made me reconsider what I think ‘fluff’ and ‘angst’ are and what my relationships are to the genres. I feel like a lot of my work is neither.

Some types of stories are obviously one or the other. MCD and/or illness is angst. Hurt/comfort is angst. Romantic stories where the characters don’t end up together are, generally, angst. Romantic stories where the characters DO end up together but only after considerable obstacles can be angst, also--which might have been the rationale behind nominating the above fic in ‘angst’ although, again, it was only 7k. It’s one thing to have a 300k+ story where the main characters pine for each other, wallow in their feelings, fight, feel jealousy, etc, and the finally kiss in the final chapter--I’ve done that, too. A shorter story is a different beast.

Fluff, to me, is a genre of stories without (significant) conflict. The point is you feel good reading them. Romantic stories with established couples, or first date stories, are fluff. Slice of life or ‘curtain’ fic is fluff. Holiday fic with a found family feel is fluff.

I’ve written some stories that clearly fall into one of these two genres, sometimes because the challenge I’m doing or request I’m fulfilling calls for it, and sometimes because I need a palette cleanser after writing the opposite type of fic.

Another place I’ve thought about genre is with Troped, but I don’t always feel confident in the stories I’ve written there, in terms of theme. The very, very first round had a Fluff theme but I wasn’t sure if my story was fluffy (I’m still not). It had a happy ending and the final scene was decidedly cute, but the characters came from angsty backgrounds, and some of the early scenes had, imo, a melancholy feel. Then one of the 2020 Madness rounds had an Angst theme. I tried to fit my entry into that genre by giving it a general feeling of helplessness and an ambiguous, dreary ending. I think it was angsty, but it wasn’t as... hardcore angsty? as some of the other entries. I also picked the theme “angst” for one of my Choice fics and that one was decidedly angsty, both in the specific-trope sense--it dealt with the aftermath of a major character death--and in the more general ‘mood’ sense. The main relationship wasn’t repaired at the end, and the ending was ambiguous.

I feel like for every fic I’ve written that’s decidedly fluffy or decidedly angsty, and I could give examples of both, I’ve written one or more that isn’t really either. Again, most of the time, unless I have a specific reason to think ‘time to write angst’ or ‘time to write fluff,’ I don’t go into an idea thinking it should be one or the other. I usually have a mood I want, but it might not be simple to categorize.

ALL that said... I think if I had to pick one, it would be angst. I don’t like truly unhappy endings, but I’ve done a decent number of ambiguous endings. It’s also easier for me to think of stories I’ve written that I think are fairly categorized as angst than stories that are clearly fluff. Third, I love writing about pining, and longing, and missing, and needing, and these are not ‘fluffy’ feelings. But most importantly, like I said, I think ‘fluff’ is a type of story that has minimal-to-zero conflict in it and I actually find those VERY hard to write. Maybe We Will is probably the fluffiest thing I’ve written (4k of a first date at a carnival) and my biggest challenge was figuring out: what are these people going to DO?

This isn’t an insult to fluff at all. Fluff writers have a real talent for creating a pleasant narrative, and I like reading outright fluff more than reading outright angst. But for me, there is a lot more flexibility outside of fluff, whether or not the resulting narrative is truly “angsty” or not. It might not have the primary goal of making you feel sad, but it probably doesn’t have the primary goal of making you feel happy either.

Day 37: Post your favorite line of dialogue that you’ve written recently.

Skimmed the Sleeping Beauty AU for this one. As soon as I’m asked to think about dialogue I like, I wonder if I’ve ever written good dialogue in my life! Lol. You think about it too much and it all sounds fake. Here’s an exchange I think is pretty good (perhaps just in comparison to a lot of the Really Rough Writing that surrounds it...).

"That sounded like it went pretty well," she says, as she balances awkwardly against the wall, pulling on her boots. "From what I could hear."

Bellamy shrugs. He's scanning the crowd, glancing over at her impatiently when she stumbles, trying to tie her laces without bothering to kneel. "Roma doesn't ask a lot of questions."

Clarke snorts. "Yes, she does. What you really mean is, she asks a lot of questions, then gets distracted whenever you turn on the charm."

"Yeah, sure. My well-known charm."

Clarke lets her foot fall heavily to the ground again, straightens up and pushes her hair back from her face. "If you weren't flirting and being charming, what were you doing?"

Bellamy hesitates, a light, embarrassed pink spreading across his cheeks, and Clarke rises up on her toes triumphantly, trying to lean into his space. "I should have gotten more ration points," he says, barely more than a grumble, and Clarke laughs and pulls her hat down over her head. Then she picks up the jacket, slips it on, and steps purposefully in front of him.

"How do I look?"

Day 38: What comes first, plot or characters?

Well, I write fanfiction, so I feel like this is a tricky question to define. My current fandom does have a lot of characters though, so it is possible to have a general idea of a plot but not know who to put in it. That’s happened to me on a few occasions I think, but generally speaking... I think the two come simultaneously?

When I’m writing for Troped, it’s easier to start with the plot because certain elements of the challenge suggest (or require) a plot but never the characters to go in it. So sometimes I do work from plot --> characters there. It’s usually pretty seamless in that the plot-idea usually comes with at least some idea of the characters, but sometimes there’s ambiguity--for example, deciding to include Bellamy in Mad Women when he wasn’t initially supposed to be in it, which ended up changing/defining the story quite a bit. Another example is Mountain Lion Mean, where I knew right away what the general plot would be but waffled a bit about precisely which characters would be in it and to what degree.

Other challenges often define the characters first and so then by definition that’s where I start. For example, a Bellarke challenge obviously requires you to write about Bellarke, but depending on the other rules, the plot may come entirely from each individual writer without any additional prompting.

If it’s a wholly original/spontaneous idea.... it either is necessarily about plot and characters at once (ex: AU where X character is in Y place or examination of Z ship in a modern AU) or it comes as nothing but Mood. That mood might have elements of plot and bits of character but the best way I can describe it is that I develop both at once. For example, my Southern Gothic AU came to me as certain elements--a character who does X, a relationship with Y feel, Z ship--and I’m working on combining all of those into a narrative. Or, as another example, I currently have a vague desire to write something with a Slow Summer Vibe but I have no idea what it will be about or who will be in it.

But again, it’s often “I want to write an angsty Jonty AU” or “hmm what about a Bravenlarke fic particularly about being in a poly relationship” or “this song makes me picture Bellarke at the beach; let’s write that”--ideas that essentially capture both character and plot at once.

I don’t know if I’m doing a good job of describing this but I write so much for challenges and events that I don’t have a huge pool of data for ‘spontaneous ideas’ to analyze.

Day 40: How do you start a new story?

I feel like I kind of already answered this in the last question. The very first step is an Idea, obviously. That would either come, in part, from the challenge or event I’m participating in or the request I’m filling, or it arrives by itself from some bit of inspiration: a song, a thought about a certain character or relationship, a mood I’m feeling and want to capture, etc.

But I feel like this question is about what happens with the idea.

Most (though not all) of the time, I start with a process of brainstorming and outlining. I’ve talked about this elsewhere, but I start by just sitting down with a notebook and writing down my thoughts, in a conversational style--basically like these posts. I write down any images I have, any plot points that have already come to me, etc. Everything I know. Then I brainstorm some more elements, filling in all the stuff I don’t know. Then I distill the plot down to discrete plot points: an outline of the whole fic in order. What needs to happen and in what order? The outline is generally organized by scene, though it’s flexible: sometimes scenes can be combined; sometimes they need to be split. Sometimes I need to re-evaluate the outline later, but most stories are simple enough that this initial outline works for the whole writing process.

I always write in order. I cannot write out of order. I need to immerse myself in the narrative and that means that events follow logically from each other. Also, sometimes what I come up with in the moment in scene 1 can change what I want to happen in scene 5--not so drastically that I’m re-writing the outline, but drastically enough that I would have to rewrite scene 5 if it were already done. That’s too complicated for me. I think there are probably advantages, in terms of amount of fun to be had, as well as in capturing ideas before they disappear from your brain, in writing scenes as the spirit moves you rather than in order, but I just can’t do it. That’s not how my mind works.

In order to start a fic, or even a new scene, I need to know HOW it starts and some idea of how I will describe that opening image/event/whatever. I often practice this for days before I actually write. For example, I’m going to write another Sleeping Beauty scene soon and I know it starts with Clarke hearing conversation behind her, so I’ve been practicing what that dialogue might be and how I might describe her listening while looking at something else. When I have a strong sense of the opening and a decent sense of the rest--what needs to happen to move along the plot--I just start writing. I do most of my writing as sprints.

Sometimes I write without an outline, and it’s basically the same process as the last paragraph, except I only have the opening and a vague sense of what’s to come. I don’t do that often anymore. But I started a couple outline-less fics last summer when I was just desperate to break my block and didn’t really feel like planning and stuff. I just wanted to get words on a page. Thus I have a couple WIPs that are about 1,200 words long and then just abruptly reach a cliff’s edge and stop!! I don’t know if I’ll outline or not before I return to them but right now I’m thinking not.

#100 days of writing #100daysofwriting #my 100 days of writing #wowow this was long #i got so verbose #i slept too much and now i'm wired lol #hope to actually write tomorrow but who even knows............

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pacoc-a · 5 years

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Time in waiting [wip]

Rating: G

Pairing: Five\Vanya

tags; bed sharing, fluff, childhood crush, missed chances, angst

Vanya and Five and their years apart.

Vanya had never been one for fighting so it’s odd that she’s the one with the bruise on her forehead now.

It really started with Luther and Diego.

They were fighting, again, and all she wanted was for them to just stop before they hurt themselves so she moves between them and then she’s not really sure where the punch came from but the next moment she’s on her back and there’s the blood trickling between her eyelashes, shiny and sticky and wet.

Luther at least, had the decency to look ashamed.

Five comes sometime after Pogo has chased them off. She remembers the tick on his jaw, and the stern way he took the bandages off her hands and held her still beside him. Vanya almost felt the need to apologise.

The bruise did look bad. It’s purple and blotchy and it stings.

She wants to cry.

It doesn’t quite register.

Her pills do this, makes everything lag a minute behind so that she's left with the afterthought of a feeling instead of the real thing.

It's a little like seeing the world through a wall of cotton.

It’s for anxiety, she tells herself. She’s been numbed by the pills for so long, the thought of stopping and letting the cloud in her head clear is terrifying. It’s good for her. She’s honestly not sure what that means but Dad says it’s important and that counts for something at least,

She rubs the corner of her eye and it forces a tear out of her.

‘You okay?’ He frowns.

‘Yeah. It just hurts that's all.’

‘Consider it a lesson learned. Getting between those two knuckleheads automatically makes you an even worse version of stupid. Those two are morons and can’t help themselves. You should know better.’ But he puts the bandage on a little carefully this time.

Maybe she’s just a creature of habit. Vanya has been living with only half a feeling all her life and she’s just fine. No problems here. If given the choice, she’d go back to the pills every time.

It’s hard to miss what you can't remember.

Five finishes fixing her up.

‘Well, good news.’ He sits back, ‘You’ll live. You might have a bump on your head for a couple of days but I don’t see how that’s anyone’s fault but yours.’

‘Gee… thanks Five.’

He can be a real jerk sometimes.

Five grins. He brushes the hair out of her eyes. He probably already knows she’d do it again.

The Hargreeves are stupid like that.

There’s a comfortable silence that settles between them. It’s a different sort from the stifling air when she slots herself between the rest of her siblings like a mismatched jigsaw puzzle, awkwardly positioned in all the ways that lets her know she doesn’t belong. Theirs is the kind that is warm and soft, wrapping around their shoulders like a fuzzy blanket.

It’s nice.

He rubs the strands of her hair between his fingers. ‘Your hair’s getting long’, he says.

‘Yeah, I was gonna ask Mom to cut it but maybe not, you know, now that I’ve got this big bump on my head.’

‘Knucklehead.’ He grins. She laughs, calls him weird and swats him away.

Something in her gut stirs. Something sweet like honey, and Vanya isn’t old enough to put a name to it yet so she tells herself that it’s probably the bruise making her head swim like this and leaves it alone.

—

Five has always been a little different from the rest of her siblings. He’s always stood out in the spaces where Vanya has blended in.

Maybe it’s just a part of who he is. Number Five is too brilliant to simply waste his days blending and hiding. He’s brash and arrogant and he’s not the least bit sorry for it.

She’s a little in awe of him.

It’s not just because she’s shy. Reginald has always made it a point to keep her out of the spotlight with her family. She’s not allowed in the common room when the team is meeting. She doesn’t understand their jokes at the dinner table because how could she? When the press comes to gather at the entrance of the mansion, she’s at the other end studying geography. When she finally hits those runs she’s been hacking away for weeks, the others are on the other side of the planet saving the world.

Sometimes, she wonders if she’d have half the confidence if she’d been the least bit special.

It’s a desperate thing to want.

Five never seems to mind though.

He jumps to her side because he wants to, even though he’s all bloody and Mom is right there. He eats the crusts off her sandwiches because she asks.

He dabs the blood off her forehead because she’s hurt.

Five is brash and arrogant but he’s also kind.

Late at night, she creeps past the dark, dimly lit hallways of the Academy and slips his favourite sandwich under his door. The foil is loud when it crumples under the doorway and for a moment she goes still, afraid that someone would come and find her. There’s no one though, and eventually, she makes her way safely back inside her room.

Tomorrow, she can thank him properly. For now, she’s hoping he’d enjoy an early breakfast and the extra marshmallow she added on his sandwich.

—

She goes to his room one afternoon with a tray of food.

Five is jumping from one end of the room to the other, muttering shit shit shit under his breath as he shuffles through his notes with a frantic energy that could rival a lightning bolt. He's almost certainly not in a good mood. He doesn't stop working, not even after Vanya knocks on the door and lets herself in.

'What's up?' Vanya asks.

'Problem solving.'

She takes in the piles of notebooks stacked on his desk and the tiny pieces of paper sprawled across his bedroom floor like confetti.

'Looks like a hurricane went through here.' She picks up a piece of paper on the ground.

'Don't touch anything!' He snaps.

She stops, then places it down. Five huffs and goes back to his notes.

'Can I help? I can sort out your notes if you want.'

'It's fine. I'm just stuck. These numbers aren't working out.'

'Well why not?'

‘Because..' his voice is dripping with frustration, ‘it just isn't. These two things don’t fit. I can’t make it.'

'I thought I could use my old formula to back it up in case the numbers go wrong but it looks like I'll have to go back to square one.' He laughs mirthlessly, 'Shit, I should have gone over this before. I should have…'

‘Didn't you tell me your old formula could be unreliable? Why not just use the numbers you did before, the one you did on my book?'

He opens his mouth like he’s going to argue, stops, then shuffles away to thumb over the rest of his notes.

He gets like this with his work, forgets to eat or take care of himself. It’s an obsession. His nose is stuck on numbers the moment he’s out of training and everything else is secondary.

Honestly, it’s worrying.

She hopes he knows that there's people here who cares about him.

‘I brought you lunch, by the way. Mom said she came by to get you food but you sent her away so I thought I’d come over.’

He doesn’t even turn to look at her. ‘If I didn’t want food then, what makes you think I’d want food now. I’m busy unravelling time and space itself, I’d rather not be disturbed.’

‘When’s the last time you ate?'’

‘What does it matter.’

There’s a couple of minutes of silence where Vanya just doesn’t know what to do. The room is filled with the sound of Five’s pencil scribbling away at his notes and it’s making her painfully aware of the fact that she is very much unwanted here, standing on his space, taking up his time. He's always been stubborn, and Five in this mood is almost impossible to talk to.

She looks down at the tray. The food is getting cold.

‘I’ll leave this here then.’ She places it on the empty space on his desk, ‘It’s soup. I snuck in some bread for you too if you want some.'

It's probably best to leave.

‘Wait.’

Vanya is halfway out the door when Five finally calls out to her. She stops and turns back. From here, she can see him gritting his jaw the way he does when he's frustrated and he doesn't know how to say it.

'Stay. I'll eat. '

She smiles, 'Okay.'

He takes the tray and puts the bowl on his lap. He still wants to work though, so he holds the spoon over his mouth with one hand, nearly dribbling it all over himself while he's halfway through turning a page on the other. He looks so silly like this, with his arm bent and his bowl wobbling precariously on his hip. She laughs, 'Here. Let me.'

Vanya takes the spoon from his hand and he mutters a 'thanks' absentmindedly as he turns a page and opens his mouth for her at the same time.

They're close.

His focus is everywhere, charted across the steady lines of his skin like a diagram. She watches the hard shape of his brow, the stern crease on his forehead, and the way his eyes flicker back and forth across the page like a pendulum and even under the pills she feels an irrepressible sort of fondness for him. Her smart, stubborn Number Five.

She blows on another serving of soup and feeds it to him. Some of it sticks to the corner of his mouth but he doesn't seem to notice.

'You've got a little…' She reaches over and wipes it off with her sleeve.

His gaze flickers towards her for a split second and she misses the way his throat bobs, stuck on something thicker than soup, as she raises another serving for him.

—

The silence in her room is thick like black ink and there's nights when Vanya is sure it's presence is a living, breathing thing. She could feel it plugging up her lungs with its weight, feel her throat constricting like a snake, wringing the life out of her and Vanya gasps, can't even breath in here.

It's why she's grateful for those quiet evenings when the space inside her room warps to Five's footsteps, when his presence appears out of thin air like a dream. And when the bed finally sinks under his weight, it's like the night is a little kinder to her, a little warmer too.

'Klaus snuck off at Griddy's by himself again.' Five shuffles underneath the covers and Vanya shifts to make room for him. He moves until she is sandwiched between the warm pressure of his arm and the cold surface of the wall beside her.

'Can't imagine it was for the donuts though. He's got that look again. Bloodshot eyes. Sweats like he's run a marathon. Snuck back 'round the window in the back and nobody said a word.'

'I can't believe Dad didn't find out.' Vanya says.

'Yeah well, the old man never did give two shits about us as long as we do what he wants. Can't imagine why he'd start now.'

The silence is tense.

Vanya rolls to her side. Five is staring at the ceiling. She could feel herself drifting to sleep, listening to the soft, steady rhythm of his breathing. Her next words are soft. 'Where would you go? If you did time travel I mean, where'd you wanna end up?'

'I will time travel.' He scoffs, 'Besides, the past, the future, what does it matter. Anywhere is better than this shitshow of a house.'

Vanya watches him. She memorises the sharp outline of his nose in the dark, and the way he works his jaw, anger and bitterness molded to the tense shape of his mandible.

'I'll miss you.' Vanya says.

'No you won't. You'd be too busy making a life for yourself away from this place to even remember me.'

'I won't forget.' She says earnestly. 'I'll miss you every day.'

He doesn't look at her.

She can't quite make out the look on his face when it's dark like this but Vanya wants to think that he believes her.

She, at least, wouldn't want to live in a world where there's no Five.

She thinks Five has fallen asleep. She's surprised when his fingers searches for her in the dark. They wrap around the spaces in between, and he holds her tight, like something to keep.

They stay like that, fingers entwined on her tiny twin bed, like two captives floating across a dark sea.

—

The day comes at the dinner table and it starts with a knife on the table and a question.

Five, for all his genius and ambition, is still just a child. He demands attention like it too because he's ready goddammit and he throws a fit, trembling down to his fingertips, right there in the middle of the family dining room.

Reginald would never give it to him. And maybe it's really Vanya, shaking her head firmly 'No' that hardens his resolve, she would never be sure, but it is then that Five turns on his heel and makes a decision.

She remembers the sound of his footsteps as he flings the big, wide doors of the Academy and rushes out into the world beyond.

She remembers her two, stubborn feet planted firmly on the wooden floor as he leaves.

He doesn’t come back.

—

Vanya waits for him for a long time

Her Saturdays are quieter without him. There’s a spot in the lounge where she likes to practice and sometimes she imagines Five sitting on the couch beside her, poring over his books or going over his equations with his Einstein sort of manic, frantic energy until she’s worried he’ll wear down his pencil to dust.

She imagines him perched on her desk while she tells him about Klaus and Diego and the ants, his legs dangling slightly above the floor and that playful gleam in his eye as he proceeds to tell her what they're going to do about it.

It's odd how a person can be everywhere and nowhere at once.

Every morning she wakes up to a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich sitting in the middle of the hallway, cold and untouched. And every night she gets up and makes him another one.

WIP

#Fiveya #five x vanya #fanfic #wip #i wrote a lot more but its mostly just vanya living heir life #and im not sure if people would be interested so im just uploading the fiveya bit #my writing

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sortofanobsession · 5 years

Text

Full Masterlist

+AU fics **ABO AU fics. ^Coda fics

Our Flag Means Death:

Fics:

Death is in the details (WIP) Part 1, Part 2

9-1-1:

Bathena:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills:

Of Mixed Emotions and Loving Families (Ao3)

Madney:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills:

No one should ever mess with Maddie (Ao3)

Bobby as Buck’s Pseudo-Father:

Oneshots/Fics:

The Nature of Pain (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2

A rescue of a different kind (Ao3) (Buddie Sequel: Play Ball)

Buddie:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills:

**I’m Begging you to be my Escape (Ao3) Story Masterlist

+Some lawyers just don’t follow the law (Ao3)

+Breath in, Wheeze out (Ao3)

Buck’s Ducks (Ao3)

+Fear in the Shadows (Ao3)

^Eddie’s Epiphany (3x10 Coda) (Ao3)

+Saving and Losing (Ao3)

The Nature of Pain (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2

Music to his ears (Ao3)

+Trauma shakes the soul and marks the skin (Ao3) Soulmate AU

**Flames fueling the fight (Ao3)

A truly terrible lesson to learn (Ao3)

**Life on one’s own (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3

+Never going down without a fight (Ao3)

**A Bit Emotionally FUBAR (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3

+Uninvited Guests (Ao3)

+A Doggone Terrible Birthday (Ao3)

+Jet Lag and Second Chances (Ao3)

+Demons in the Dark (Ao3)

^Long Drive Home 911 Crossover Coda (Ao3) Ch 1, Ch 2

^Safe Place and Safer People 4x04 Coda (Ao3)

^Best Visitors, Worst Visitors 4x04 Coda (Ao3) Part 1, Part 2

Mother’s Day Flowers (Ao3)

+Reality Deep Down (Long overdue Eddie Begins AU) (Ao3)

Arguing with Passion (Ao3)

^Problems and Pancakes 5x13 Coda

^ You can't return unless you leave first 5x16 May Day Coda

In a Flash or Two Pre-6b Speculative Fic (Ao3), Ch 1 (Eddie POV), Ch 2 (Bobby’s POV), Ch 3 (Buck’s POV)

^Terror and Time 6x10 In a Flash Coda #1

^I’m afraid of what you’ll see, right now 6x10 In a Flash Coda #2 Prompt fill

Series:

No one should ever mess with the Buckley Siblings (Ao3 Series)

No one should ever mess with Maddie

No one should ever mess with Buck

Buck and Eddie can’t catch a break (Ao3 Series)

Now when do I start to feel again?- Part 1, Part 2

Charles Darwin nodded and smiled a knowing smile Part 1

**New Life of Omega Buck- (Ao3 Series)

Part 1: Pain given and pain received

Part 2: Out of the haze

Part 3: Nothing heals the soul more than family

Part 4: Nothing can hurt you more than family Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3

The Boys:

+There Goes the Neighborhood (Ao3) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Star Wars (Sequel Trilogy):

FinnPoe/Stormpilot:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills:

Fluidity of Time (Ao3)

FinnPoeRey/Jedistormpilot:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills:

Feeling the Force (Ao3)

Far from Fearless (Ao3)

Shovel Talks Should be for the Experienced Only (Ao3)

Building a new, New Republic (Ao3)

Chaos at the Market (Ao3)

Law & Order SVU:

Oneshot/Prompt Fills

Barisi:

+No Pity & No Party (Ao3)

Barisi/Reader (Soulmates):

+A Case of Expectations ( Ao3)

Mike Dodds/Reader (Soulmates):

+Unbelievable (Ao3)

Ao3/Non-Tumblr Works:

MCU:

Darcy Ship Oneshots/Songfics:

Put the Playlist on Shuffle and let it fly

Chapter/Ship List:

Hear Me by Imagine Dragons (Darcy/Bucky)

100 Suns by 30 Seconds to Mars (Darcy & Everyone, Hint of Darcy/Bucky)

Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons (Darcy/Steve)

Wild Ones (Feat. Sia) by Flo Rida (Darcy/Clint)

Unforgettable by Nat Kind Cole (Darcy/Steve)

Tonight by Hanson (Darcy/Bruce)

Love is Greed by Passion Pit (Darcy & Natasha)

Already Home bye Hanson (Darcy/Bucky)

Saturday Nights Alright by Elton John (Darcy & Everyone)

Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon (Darcy/Sam)

Facing the Inevitable Series WIP:

+Fight, Flight, or What you Deserve

+Missed Opportunities and Major Regrets

MCU

Moon Knight/Eternals (Crossover)

Reader Insert

+To Cry for the Moon (Marc/Steven/Khonshu x Female Eternal!Reader) Series part 1, part 2, part 3

AUs/Gifsets:

April Fools

Clintasha Baby Chronicles

X-Men FC on FF.net:

The Dreams of Heroes WIP

A/N: This work was first ever, I lost the notebook and files for a very long time, I do intend to finish it.

#Masterlist

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writingdotcoffee · 5 years

Text

#94: Writers and Jobs

We all recognise the fantasy. One of these days, you’ll finish your WIP. You bang out a query letter, synopsis and send submissions out to agents. Months later, the responses come in. It’s a bunch of rejections. Not to worry, you think, everybody gets rejected. It’s part of the game. But then, maybe the 12th email comes back with a request for the full manuscript. You send that in and then don’t sleep for a week until you hear back from the agent. She’s delighted and offers you representation.

While you sort out the paperwork, your agent is already warming up editors at the big five to your manuscript. Things remain quiet for a spell until the first offer arrives.

‘Hachette wants to publish my book?’ you’re melting down on the phone to your agent. ‘Where do I sign?’

She tells you to settle down and works her magic for a few more days. Suddenly, all the big publishers want your book. Further editorial meetings ensue. There will be an auction which culminates with a press release in The Bookseller in which Penguin Random House is delighted to announce to have signed on a promising debut author in a multi-six-figure deal. The article will feature a photo of you taken from your abandoned Facebook page in which you’re about 12.

Fast forward to a year later, your book comes out to universal acclaim, dethroning Neil Gaiman’s latest novel from the top of the NY Times bestsellers list. It stays there for many weeks despite Stephen King, James Patterson and Sally Rooney publishing their new books at the same time. You start selling off foreign rights and film options. You’re thinking about what you’ll say in your upcoming interview on Ellen and live happily ever after.

While this has happened in the past, you see how many rather unlikely things have to align to make a writer go from complete obscurity to superstardom in a single novel. For most of us, this isn’t going to be the case.

Most writers that support themselves through fiction alone have a back catalogue of dozens of titles which they’ve built up over many years. And until then, they had a job.

Building a professional career while working on your books is hard. Writing at 5AM before catching a train to the office has none of the perceived glamour of the literary life. It feels like abandoning your dreams, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

J. K. Rowling worked for Amnesty International. Stephen King was an English teacher. James Patterson worked in advertising. T. S. Eliot was a banker. Ernest Hemingway was a journalist. The list could go on and on. Even for the highest earners in the industry, writing fiction was a side-hustle for years. Some traditionally published writers even choose to keep their day jobs to protect themselves from the uncertainties of publishing books.

A monthly paycheck gives you the stability and freedom you need to focus on your creative projects. It gives you the ability to bounce back in case the first or the second book tank. It will help you stay in the game in case Neil Gaiman’s next novel comes out on the same day as yours and takes its place on the best sellers lists.

It’s hard writing novels while working a 9-5. But it’s a great deal harder when you’re on benefits, drowning in debt and getting your meals from the food bank every day, struggling to stay afloat.

Having a job—whatever it may be—while writing enables you to take your time to learn your craft and build an audience. It’s not a cop-out or a plan B. It’s the plan—an integral part of building a successful career as a writer of fiction.

First published on: radek.co

What I Am Reading

I’m still on Walter Isaacson’s biography of Leonardo da Vinci which I’m enjoying very much. It’s a hefty book which makes it impractical to take with me to read on the tube. Sometimes, I wonder whether I shouldn’t use my Kindle more. The convenience of e-readers is undeniable. You can read almost any book you want anywhere, and if you highlight something, Amazon will save that to a notebook. I love that, but I love paper books way too much to abandon them for a sequence of bytes somewhere in computer memory which, according to Amazon’s terms and conditions, are just lent to me.

I love seeing my shelves filled with books that I’ve read, building my personal library. It isn’t practical at all, but it’s one of those things.

Short Stories

I read the following short stories this week:

A Folklore for My Generation: A Prehistory of Late-Stage Capitalism by Haruki Murakami

Hunting Knife by Haruki Murakami

A Perfect Day for Kangaroos by Haruki Murakami

Dabchick by Haruki Murakami

Man-Eating Cats by Haruki Murakami

Guts by Chuck Palahniuk

A ‘Poor Aunt’ Story by Haruki Murakami

Past Editions

#93: Time Tracking for Writers, June 2019

#92: Decisive Moments, May 2019

#91: Writing and Life, May 2019

#90: Favourites, May 2019

#89: Libraries, May 2019

Want More?

My email subscribers receive a notification when I publish these posts along with a few things I found interesting or helpful on the literary internet every week. Click the link below to join the club.

(I won’t spam you or pass your email to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time.)

#writing #writers #write #writing tips #writing advice #amwriting #writing life #writeblr #writing update #update #me #personal #writingcoffee #writingdotcoffee

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startofamoment · 5 years

Text

to all the WIPs i’ve loved before

rules: post your favorite parts of 3-5 fics that have been sitting abandoned in your drafts for ages. (for extra shame, throw in when you last worked on each thing.) tag 5 other writers to reflect on their life choices.

a pen pals au of sorts in which jake and amy share a desk and communicate via post-it notes (last edited: december 2017)

Amy is going to murder her deskmate.

The literal trash heap that greeted her last Monday was one thing, the sticky orange soda stain from last month was another thing, but this – this blatant disregard of property and boundaries and the sanctity of office supplies – is the Last Straw.

Spread out across her entire desk is a good fourth of the Post-it notes from the brand new assorted set she got from her brother Tony. They’re all arranged to look like various Star Wars icons, and a few of them are filled in with marker for apparent color correction. It’s horrifying.

Grumbling, she begins taking apart Post-It Yoda, keeping the salvageable pieces in a stack and throwing out the rest. When she’s cleared her entire table, she grabs her favorite pen and a fresh sheet then writes:

Hi, Please refrain from wasting my Post-its in the future. Thank you. - Det. Amy Santiago

She stares at it for a moment and decides, since this is probably the only passive aggressive note she’s going to write her deskmate, she might as well add:

PS: I would appreciate it if you would leave our desk clean at the end of your weekend shifts.

After checking it over once more, she places it in the center of her desk, ready to be read the following Saturday.

a dianetti cake shop au in which rosa owns and runs a store called arlo’s (last edited: june 2017)

Gina takes a moment to look over some of the cakes on display before clearing her throat and leaning over the counter. “’Scuse me, can you help me get a custom cake order started?”

“Sure.” The baker wipes her hands on a dish towel before grabbing a small notebook and pen from one of her pockets. “What’s the occasion?”

“Some old geezer’s leaving our precinct to enjoy retired life, or something like that.”

“Retirement party? Cool. Tell me about this guy.”

“Oh, sweetie, I don’t know or care about him. I’m just here cause my boss told me to order a cake.”

A smirk forms on the baker’s lips. “Ha. Do you wanna just do a standard cake order then? I usually do the custom cakes for more personalized, special events.”

“That’s probably smart. Which one of your standard cakes say: ‘Congrats on being old and rich enough to never work another day in your life, but sorry you’re almost dead’?”

She snickers. “I don’t know about that first part, but how ‘bout an angel food cake as a ‘hope you go to heaven when you die’ sort of thing?”

Gina grins and fishes through her purse for her wallet. “Oh, you should know my expectations on this cake are out of this world high. I’m only here because Yelp told me you’re the Beyonce of baking.” (Actually, she’s here because at least three reviews claimed the baker-slash-owner was “terrifying” and “gorgeous.” – They were right, on both accounts.)

a sequel to i could listen to you all day // the “after ever after” story in which jake and amy navigate their first year together as soulmates (last edited: march 2017)

Jake’s phone buzzed on his desk, breaking him out of his happy daydream. He picked it up and opened a new message from Gina.

“god, quit making heart eyes at the new girl!! your conscience would be v disappointed, kiddo.”

Gina, who had been watching him like a hawk from her desk, expected him to get all flustered and to text or yell back something overly defensive. She raised a single eyebrow when his face instead broke into a goofy grin and he straight up giggled.

Across from him, Amy looked up from her case files. “What’s so funny?”

He shook his head and mumbled something about memes and the internet.

She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. After he redirected his attention to his computer screen, her expression morphed into the same openly adoring look he had on his face the entire morning.

And then it all clicked.

If Gina had stopped to think about it, she would have recognized the new disappointment she felt in both herself (for taking this long to put two and two together) and her childhood best friend (for not keeping her in the loop). As she had not stopped to process anything, she instead yelled across the bullpen: “OH MY GOD. JAKE AND AMY ARE SOULMATES!”

All work stopped, and everyone fell silent. For a good minute, all that could be heard was the faint snoring from Captain McGintley’s office.

“Gina,” Rosa half-snarled, half-whispered. “You can’t just say that.”

“Oops, my b. Y’all know I have no conscience now so…” She giggled, winked at the leather-clad detective, and went back to her game of Kwazy Cupcakes.

Jake let out an awkward laugh. “Well, uh, that was -”

Out of nowhere, Charles appeared right in front of their desks. “Is it true, Jakey? Was Amy the voice in your head all this time?”

“I -” He glanced at Amy for help.

She bit her lip and shrugged.

This wasn’t at all how he envisioned making the announcement, but there was no use denying it. Still looking straight at her, his face softened into a smile. “Yeah… We’re soulmates.”

Charles squealed loudly. “You said the S word! Does that mean it’s official?” He gasped. “Have you said ‘I love you’? Have you met each other’s parents? When’s the wedding? What are you naming your first child?”

pretty much a crack fic inspired by the media’s post-olympics obsession with tessa and scott // my spin on a vm au bc i still refuse to write jake and amy as ice dancers (last edited: may 2018)

Like many of the other bizarre situations he’s found himself in, this all started with Gina. Over the last year or so, she’d been posting random photos and videos of all of them at the precinct. (“I’m devoting my energy to my new project, Ginazon,” she’d declared to the entire bullpen. “It’s a one-stop online portal for my legions of followers. I’m just giving the people what they want!”) Given that this was Gina of all people, Jake wasn’t at all surprised to find out that each post garnered hundreds of likes, but he’d never bothered to venture into the comments section. He’d never known about the apparent niche following that had formed, the group of fans – for lack of a better word – waiting with bated breath for him and Amy to get together.

Charles had only spurred them on, what with all the various Easter eggs on his culinary blog. (“This place has everything,” he’d written once. “My co-workers Jake and Amy even gave it their stamp of approval after they’d shared a quick lunch there before a long stakeout. Make sure to ask for the winter salsa; it’s wonderful!”) He’d sworn that none of it was intentional and that he would never do anything to sell them out, but everything he’d written had still been catalogued and analyzed by the pseudo-experts of the fandom. At this point, Jake’s main regret is not reading Charles’ weekly email blasts.

Their downfall – or rise to viral glory – came when someone from the so-called G-Hive happened to be in just the right place at just the right time, catching their (second) completely-platonic, spur-of-the-moment, done-in-the-name-of-justice kiss on camera. By the next morning, “Undercover Cops Lock Lips Before Locking Up Wanted Criminal” had been viewed on YouTube over a million times.

With everything about the entire situation already being so weird, they’d decided to just ignore their newfound fame in the same way they’d pretended the kisses never happened. (“We’re a great team. We work great together. Nothing should mess that up,” he’d said, repeating nearly his exact words from the night before.)

Evidently, there was no escaping this though. A formal press conference was set up, which wasn’t too out of the ordinary for cases that caught the general public’s attention, except they’d ended up having to say more about their dating lives than the investigation or arrest. He can still feel his heart lurching in his chest at the first relationship-related question, still hear Amy loudly stammering out some vague answer about being “very professional.”

a smutty soulmate au in which jake and amy unknowingly share dreams every now and then (last edited: november 2017)

At this moment in time, Amy Santiago is undeniably, incomparably, drop dead gorgeous.

More specifically: she’s in the hot red dress Kylie convinced her to buy on their last post-trivia night celebratory shopping spree; she’s wearing a matching killer shade of lipstick picked out by her fashion-forward, shockingly sexual 13-year-old niece; and she’s got her hair swept into that one elegant yet fun side ponytail that caught her eye in a magazine a few weeks back.

Normally, she’d be proud of herself for managing to pull off such a look, except–

It’s been a good several hours since she tossed her dress into the hamper, wiped the makeup off her face, and tugged the elastic tie from her hair. She’d buried her head into her pillow and wheeze-cried herself to sleep shortly after changing into her pajamas, so overwhelmed with shame and disappointment over the night’s party-gone-wrong.

The thick haze shrouding her current surroundings tells her she’s in another one of her soulmate’s dreams, which helps a tiny bit in explaining her current appearance but really opens up more questions than answers.

tagging: @santiagoswagger @three-drink-amy @do-me-decimalsystem @arnie-santiago @sergeant-santiago

for the record, this was inspired by @disruptedvice and @elsaclack’s responses [x,x] to the writing meme!! i thought it was super clever of them to feature little snippets from various works and felt this would be a good way to give unfinished/abandoned fics some love!

#writing meme #wip meme #tag game #b99 au #i'm honestly shookt at the last edit dates on these #why am i like this #ngl i just wanted an excuse to post some of these bc i'm fairly certain they won't ever be finished RIP #if anyone else wants to do this pls feel free!!!#my stuff

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zerendiipity · 5 years

Text

Ling Chao - filled with you and i

i’m sorry that it’s been a long time since i posted something !! first i had midterms, then i had a big writers block. i’ve been trying to write different things to get out of my writers block so i have a few wips. i hope i can finish them as well as i did with this one!! tbh, i thought i wouldn’t like it as much but i think i do !! i hope you enjoy it too!!

word count: +1.8k (1.843)

—”I’m still hungry so I’m gonna go get something else, I’ll be right back!” —Ling Chao said as he got up from his seat to go buy something to eat, but you stopped him before he could leave.

—”Wait! Buy something for me too? Maybe something sweet.” —He nodded and you handed him some money. Then, he left towards the cafeteria.

You two had a little more than an hour free before your next class, so on days like this both of you would sit under one of the big trees decorating your campus, resting your backs on the trunk of one of the biggest ones that faced the big garden that some of the botany biology majors and others took care of. Spring was already around the corner so the different plants growing and the flowers blossoming were great inspirations but also could be great models for art majors like you two.

After finishing the quick sketch you had been doing, you smiled proudly at the result. Definitely, practice had its rewards and you were definitely seeing them on the realism of the flowers you had drawn and the person you drew holding them. Suddenly curiosity took the best of you and you glanced over at the sketchbook Ling Chao had left behind before he went to the cafeteria with the silent promise that you’d take care of it while he was away, although he’d only take around five minutes if there wasn’t a lot of people there.

He had closed it before leaving, so although you were really curious, you debated over if you should take a sneak peek at what’s inside. Most artists didn’t like people looking through their sketchbooks without permission. Some didn’t like people looking at them while they used them. Both you and Ling Chao fit into both categories, but even nowadays, as close as you two were, you never looked at what each other was drawing.

And for that same reason, maybe he would get a little mad if you looked at it, right? You decided that you wouldn’t even look through everything, but instead go to the page he had been using. It would only take a second, so he probably wouldn’t even know. Once he returned and went back to what he was doing, you could simply compensate the guilt of seeing his art without his permission with looking over his drawing and, trying your best to sound like you totally hadn’t seen it before, say ‘oh! that looks really nice!’ and that’s it. Nothing wrong about that.

You opened the sketchbook around the last few pages instead of the first ones, because as you had planned you weren’t going to look at any of his finished works or sketches without permission, you would try to find the last page he had been using right away.

And when you did… You were shocked, to say the least.

Instead of the same flowers you had been drawing, or any of the plants filling the beautiful garden in front of you, what you found were a few sketches of someone who for some reason looked a little bit like you. Okay, maybe you were pretty sure it was you, especially thanks to the unfinished sketch of a girl who casually wore your same clothes and had the same hairstyle and was seen drawing on a notebook from a side profile view.

There was nothing wrong with him drawing you. Probably, to other people it could be pretty creepy to have someone staring at you, although a little bit less awkward when you know it’s because they’re trying to draw you, and even less when you know the person doing so. You didn’t exactly feel that awkwardness. He had been doing the same thing as you; looking at something in real life to try and portray it in a drawing and learn from it.

But you felt… Perhaps something similar to embarrassment. No matter how close the two of you had grown to be, you felt a little bit shy, and also a little self-conscious.

‘I didn’t really put much care into my hair this morning. I didn’t wear make-up. And we just ate- If I had something on my face, he would have told me, right?’ You kept asking yourself useless questions like that while putting the sketchbook closer to your face, looking for anything bad on you that he could have seen and then replicated on the drawing. But there was nothing. There was nothing bad about it. Realizing that made you feel a little bit shier.

Your phone vibrated and you put the notebook away from your face, grabbing your phone and reading the notification displayed on the screen.

“(1) new message from didi 🌻: “i’m sorry i took so long, there was a lot of people !! i’m going back now”

As soon as you finished that, you quickly but carefully closed his sketchbook and left it where it was. You even spent an extra 5 seconds making sure it was placed in the exact same position it was when he left. And then, you used the remaining time to go back to your previous pose and stare at your drawing like you had never stopped doing so, adding some finishing touches to it. About two minutes later, he came back.

He gave you your food and you two went back to what you were doing before. Or did you? You were actually just wondering if Ling Chao was still drawing you, and if he would ever show you what he did. If he kept it as a secret, since you had found out, you wondered if you would feel a little anxious wondering why wouldn’t he tell you about it. When Ling Chao was done with his drawing, you stopped drawing too and closed your sketchbook to talk for a while. Your break felt short spending time with him and soon you were going back to your classes. The next one you had now was art history.

Although you didn’t hate the class, you were feeling pretty bored and felt like doing something more practical. You felt tempted to stop using your notebook to take notes of whatever the teacher was saying, which you weren’t even paying attention to as much as you tried to stay in focus, and just take out your sketchbook. You looked to your right where a few seats away, Ling Chao was sitting and submerged in whatever he was drawing in his notebook. You two probably felt the same way at that moment.

You repeated that thought in your head. Does he really feel the same way as you did?

Hoping that he did and that his feelings would be hidden behind his drawings of you, you looked at him for a few more seconds before you looked down to your notebook and started sketching that picture of him.

You kept raising your head every few seconds to take a look at him, at the pose he was in. His upper body slightly leaning forward to see what he was drawing better and from a closer perspective. You took a look at his face, trying to portray the focused expression he had. His eyes never left the piece he was working on, and his lips were tightly pressed together.

Every once in a while you’d have a hard time. Overall, the drawing was going well, but you’d stress over trying to get some parts to look as similar to reality as possible. You didn’t really care about it being completely realistic, you just wanted it to resemble him. If anyone saw it, they should be able to know who the person in the drawing was. And although you probably would feel embarrassed and wouldn’t want anyone to find out you drew Ling Chao, your heart’s beating sped up a little, shaken over the sudden feeling of wanting him to see it and to be able to also see the feelings behind the illustration.

So focused on your work, the last time you were going to raise your head to compare the sketch to the real-life version of it, you realized Ling Chao wasn’t sitting there anymore. In fact, most people weren’t sitting anymore and some had even left the classroom already. You looked back at his now empty desk. He had even had time to pick up his stuff, so exactly how long ago had the class ended?

Then, something inside you made you look over your shoulder, and when instead of the profile view of him you had been staring at while drawing you found your eyes meeting directly with his, everything around you seemed to stop. Time stopped, every single movement stopped, every sound or noise stopped, probably your breathing or your heart beating stopped. God, it even felt like the rotation of the Earth itself stopped.

Even without looking away from you, you knew he had seen it. Even before answering the last question he threw and letting him have his way, you knew he had most likely already seen enough to figure out everything about those sentiments you had tried so hard to put onto the paper.

—”(Y/N)... Can I see your sketchbook?” —

But it made you feel powerless to still not be able to tell what his feelings were. It felt like your vision was slightly blinded, like there were things that you couldn’t see, and he had an advantage over you because now he would be able to see everything. That kind of thing… You didn’t want that.

You released the breath that you had been holding in, and then took another deep breath.

—”Only if you’d let me see yours too.” —

You got up from your seat, taking your sketchbook in your hands and closing it, waiting for him to take out his from his backpack before both of you exchanged them. You shared a final look before finally opening the first page.

Spending almost the same amount of time looking at each page, you turned the first page. After stopping to look at the next one, both of you turned one more page. It went on until you got to the last page he had filled. It was the same one you had seen previously, but a new sketch had been added.

This time, you didn’t even think about it twice. The person he had portrayed… You naturally acknowledged that it was you.

After turning that page and finding that the following ones were blank, you closed the sketchbook. Soon enough, he did the same thing with yours. You two looked up again and although your eyes met the same way as before, the vision was different.

It was like you could see even better than before. It was like you could see anything, including the feelings the both of you held.

The feelings behind the sketchbook filled with drawings of him, and the feelings of the one filled with drawings of you.

#idol producer #oner #idol producer scenarios #oner scenarios #ling chao #didi #idol producer imagines #oner imagines

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bakudekuficlibrary · 5 years

Text

BakuDeku: No Quirks AU Part IV

Click here for Part I, Part II, and Part III!

3 Series. 56 Works.

The Dragon Mark by multi_bnha ( M | 2,737+ | 2/? )

“Momma?” “Yes dear?” Inko asked. “Why do I have this mark?” Confused, Inko looked at her son. What is this little boy talking about? She checked all over his body and didn’t see any kind of mark on him. “What mark are you talking about sweetie? I don’t see anything on you.” “This one right here,” he says while lightly tracing above his elbow. Looking over his body again, she didn’t see anything different on him. “Are you sure there’s a mark on you Izuku?” Inko questioned one more time. “Yes momma, don’t you believe me?” Izuku said as tears started to form around his eyes. ‘Oh no, I didn’t mean to make him upset,’ Inko thought to herself. Pulling him in a hug she said,"Of course I believe you, don’t ever think that.” Sniffling he looked up at her, “Then how come you can’t see it? Is something wrong with me?” Feeling more guilty over what she said before she tried to reassure him that he’s normal and nothing seems to be wrong with him, even if she can’t visibly see it. As she’s comforting him, his tears slowly started to fall, but he made no sound and stayed in his mother’s embrace until he fell asleep.

you said you'd keep me honest (but i won't call you on it) by arifail ( T | 10,738 | 1/1 )

Deku wasn't Katsuki's problem so there really wasn't any good reason for him to be standing outside the nerd's door, hollering loud enough to wake the dead.

Or for Deku to be opening the door looking like the dead Katsuki had woken up.

Bakugou & His Plus One by wishingcomet ( T | 1,802+ | 1/? )

"So how did you guys get together?" "Spite." "Kacchan! That's not true!" Izuku sputters out. "What the hell do you mean, 'not true'? That's literally what happened!" Bakugou scowls at him. "No... It's not like that... Hmm, yeah ok." Izuku shrugs helplessly and nods in agreement, "It was spite."

------

After a couple of busy months, the Bakusquad decide to meet up again. Kirishima and Mina are about to have their wedding soon, and Bakugou hasn't filled out the wedding RSVP. The rest of the Bakusquad have already assumed that he doesn't have a plus one (which is correct), but Bakugou disputes their statements claiming that he has a date and a boyfriend. Now, he has to go find someone to convince them to play the part.

Hold by Eggs_in_a_cloud ( T | 2,202+ | 1/3 )

“Hi, how are you doing today?”

The blond’s look falters for a moment and he stares at Izuku for a second, warily, before he eventually grits his teeth and answers.

“Fuckin’ peachy. I want to take out these books.”

Tumblr Prompt:

‘I’m a librarian and i see you have a bunch of books about depression and suicide in your hand, hey buddy, want to talk to someone? I’m here if you need me’ AU

i've given up on you (and my skin and my bones) by MsFluorescent ( T | 2,028 | 1/1 )

katsuki is the lead singer of pop punk band scarlet knife ㅡ handsome and popular, with an ego to match.

but bakugou katsuki is a lonely man with a penchant for cigarettes and a heart that won't ever mend.

[Major Character Death]

Sweater Weather - KatsuDeku by EngelDreamer ( T | 608 | 1/1 )

Resta immobile, Katsuki, trattiene appena il fiato e fa vagare gli occhi alla ricerca dei familiari tratti del suo ragazzo, ma trema un poco, però, quando non lo vede, temendo che la notizia del suo ritorno fosse solo un’amara menzogna. Poi davanti a lui compaiono un viso paffuto pieno di lentiggini, riccioli scuri coperti da un cappello di lana, occhi acquosi ed un sorriso luminoso e Katsuki torna a respirare.

Series Part 3 of Sweater Weather

Pocket Watches and Dragon Kings by dazeful ( T | 3,977+ | 2/? )

Midoriya Izuku is tired of being treated like a child, but also hating the strain of adult responsibilities. When his temper finally explodes, the boy calls out to the Dragon King to take his little sister away. Now he will do anything to get her back.

Didn't Really Ask For This by ErrorTryAgain ( Not Rated | 35,272+ | 9/? )

Izuku Iida was a normal college student until he found out that his kind, strong, and honest brother, Tenya Iida is going out with a married woman, and not just any woman, it's Ochako Uraraka, one of Asia's most popular young actress. The problem is, as I said she's married, to Katsuki Bakugou, the young CEO of one of the largest and still growing trading company in Asia. Izuku felt bad for his brother, he couldn't bring himself to scold him nor tear them apart, this is his first time falling in love after all, so he decided to keep an eye on the husband so that they wouldn't get caught. He just didn't expect the consequences in doing that.

Greco - Roman by Eerei ( Not Rated | 6,712+ | 3/? )

After the attack on Corinthus by the ruthless Roman army, Greek Izuku Midoriya is forced away from everything he has ever known. Left wondering whether his mother is safe in Athenae or not, Izuku is suddenly caught up in the life of an Alpha General whose skills and features seem nearly god-like.

Say, why does the statue of Mars look so familiar? - Katsuki has found the one the Parcae have prophesized about. So, disguised as a Roman General, the alpha will drag the useless omega to the Mons Capitolinus before Jupiter to put an end to the possible destruction of the Olympians. However, there seems to be just one problem.

Why can't he hurt this greenhaired freckled nerd?

Izuku's Notebook by velvetcoke ( M | 2,242+ | 1/? )

It was almost like a dream.

Izuku Midoriya -- another twenty-two year old man with an impossible dream, big heart and low budget is granted with the shock of his life. After many attempts of trying to fulfill his dream as a successful fashion designer, his resume is finally accepted by a fashion company. And not just any company. Eraserhead; one of the world’s widest known brands. He is flown to interstate to begin his work. His first task is unexpected. To deliver a gown to a woman in the famous Hīrōparesu. Things begin to get complicated once he is insisted that he must replace the woman’s attendance at a prestigious ball.

There he meets a prince. He is everything he expected a prince not to be. Little did he know that he would soon become closer to him than he had ever thought…

[Series] Tickets Straight To Hell by Tokiji ( E | 30,378+ | 2 Works | WIP )

System of Love by themasterchef ( E | 4,493 | 1/1 )

Based off the Black Mirror episode "Hang the DJ". Midoriya and Bakugo live in a world where a system determines all your relationships to help find you your true love. After being paired up for 12 hours, Midoriya and Bakugo must go their separate ways, but will they really be able to let each other go? What happens when they are reunited? And the most important question of all; what lengths will they go to for love?

Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off by oyasumi_yue ( M | 2,728+ | 2/? )

Katsuki finds solace through an enigmatic stranger at a quaint bookstore his feet lead him to. Bewitched by their encounter, Katsuki desires more of the lovely stranger he met.

Roommates by KyliePaghan ( M | 11,139+ | 4/? )

Izuku is a journalist, and student, who managed to get a stalker because of his journalism. After his roommate abruptly moved out, he posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate just to keep the stalker at bay.

Izuku is now a journalist, and student, with a roommate that claims to be a demon. Really, he shouldn't have thought a Craigslist ad would be a good idea.

Idea taken from Reddit/nosleep with permission. All credit for the idea goes to the original poster. Edit to author's note! If my link still doesn't work, the link for the story is in the comments!

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Stalking]

The Lion and Rabbit by GreyDayMoon ( E | 4,149+ | 2/? )

The slave gladiator Bakugou Katsuki was fearsome in the pits for his brutality and efficiency. His skill draws the eyes of a certain green eyed noble and Katsuki finds himself being pushed into a new life as the protector of the freckled man who will be caught in the middle of a war between kingdoms.

Series Part 5 of AU's I'm Thinking of Expanding On Later

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Let's Not Make It Complicated by thegaylogic ( T | 7,590 | 1/1 )

labels are so overrated, let's not make it complicated.

why don't we just go get naked, let's not make it complicated.

Series Part 1 of 'Cause This Is All We Know

The Larkspur Strip Mall by Snows_Symphony ( T | 2,349+ | 2/? )

Katsuki and his BakuSquad™ run Porto's Pizza Place, a sweet little restaurant in a run-down strip mall. All is well and dandy until one day, their crappy landlord puts a Domino's right next to them. But can it be all bad? Because the cute green-haired manager of the new store seems pretty good to Katsuki

~~~

Or, Let's shove my ships into events based off of my life (no joke)

Not Another High School AU by MellowWrites ( T | 24,932+ | 3/? )

Izuku has been in love with the same guy for years, and no amount of bullying or warnings from friends will get him over this near obsession. Meanwhile, his best friend has been crushing on the girl of his dreams since middle school, and unluckily for Eijirou, she's dating an asshole.

The same asshole who Izuku is pining after.

[Underage | Homophobia]

whispers of love and scarring words by presageflower ( T | 9,923+ | 3/? )

Katsuki is Izuku's childhood friend and number one bully. Katsuki is able to sway everyone with his explosive force, while Izuku is weak, small and trips over his words more often than he would like to. He is, in many ways, the perfect target for Katsuki.

But Katsuki's actions have consequences and he is forced to face his own flaws, while Izuku constantly battles with his own.

[Bullying]

Mind Games by BlueFlameSakura ( M | 7,626+ | 3/? )

Bakugou Katsuki had been questioning the safety of the little town he lived in for a while now. How will he react now that he finds out first hand what forces are actually at play?

Especially when he has accidentally caught the eye of someone that spells a lot of trouble. Someone with a selfish desire to keep Katsuki to himself.

Green Roses and Smoke Tattoos by aekths ( M | 12,629+ | 8/20 )

bakugou katsuki is a tattoo artist. midoriya izuku is a florist that works just a couple buildings down. when bakugou starts ordering flowers for his shops, he starts to get closer to the midoriya family, izuku especially. izuku isn't exactly sure how to handle his fiery and unpredictable new customer.

What Am I? by FadedNobody ( T | 6,959+ | 1/? )

After crawling onto land over five years ago Katsuki discovered that life as a human could be pretty damn great. So when he finds himself training some nerdy green eyed loser at the surf shop why does his world suddenly stand still? +++ Izuku's stuck in life and as door after door of opportunity closes before him he turns to the only thing he has left. Surfing the blue waves of his home town. So where did this blonde asshole come from and why does he insist he's a local?

Hand Speak by pissunicorn ( E | 30,350+ | 12/12 )

“You think you’re some hotshot, huh? You’re not going to even apologize, aren’t you?” Bakugou folded his arms, waiting for him to get on his knees with grief, but he turned around and picked something up from the counter inside. “Hey! Hey are you serious? I’m talking to you!” Bakugou had no qualms about barging into his house uninvited. “I said I’m talking to you! Are you Deaf-”

He's not here (At least not yet) by Pheonixtan707 ( Not Rated | 2,228 | 1/1 )

Prequel to my first fic, 'He's right here'. Going back to the past, what happened to Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku? Captured by human scientists, experimented on and later separated, how will they cope with it? And how will they escape

Headline: CEO Izuku Midoriya In Hot Water After Falling for One of His Employees by Matsumoto223 ( Not Rated | 2,989+ | 2/? )

AU where everyone is Quirkless. Fem Bakugo works for Izuku, the CEO of a large Japanese company.

Izuku's worked his whole life to be CEO and is just missing one thing....someone to love! Bakugo and Izuku's first encounter is less than stellar, but Izuku knows he has feelings for her. Can he find a way to make it work or does he risk his career in the process?

What Makes the World Go Around by NightshadeDawn ( Not Rated | 735 | 1/1 )

"Merry Christmas Little Shits 2018 - Day 1"

Bakugou's flight get cancelled. Well, it'll be a shitty Christmas- or... not?

Series Part 48 of That happened... Part 7 of Merry Christmas Little Shits

Porn to be a Star by SecretKiwi ( E | 12,653+ | 2/? )

Izuku needs a job, and maybe he finds more than a steady flow of income along the way.

Or,

Follow Izuku's journey through the pornography industry where he makes some cash, makes some friends and makes himself really fucking uncomfortable every day.

[Series] where does the good go by ivegotacaseofyou ( G/M | 5,236+ | 2 Works | WIP )

Playing Cards by honeyfever ( T | 1,534+ | 1/? )

Crazy Rich Asians AU where Katsuki is both Crazy and Rich, and Izuku doesn’t know how to deal with slightly overbearing parents, being thrust headfirst into Japan’s high life, and people who are rich rich.

[Series] Life at Age 30 by Infuzion ( T/E | 24,147+ | 4 Works | WIP )

[ Attempted Rape/Non-Con | Homophobia | Bullying]

[Abandoned] breathe ( E | 2,336 | 1/3 )

For most, the zombie apocalypse was something they had started out with. For others, they were born in it. Izuku Midoriya was the unlucky one out of many to be born inside of one.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con]

Kacchan's in the kitchen! by Hiimtyler ( Not Rated | 352 | 1/1 )

Why are making pancakes so fucking hard!?

My heart on fire by ChestnutPatronus14 ( T | 1,310 | 1/1 )

After a devastating season, Izuku is beginning to question if his injury wasn't actually a sign for him to stop ice skating all together. Bakugo convinces him otherwise.

Part of the BKDK Secret Santa 2018

Brand New Colony by ScientificallySinful (VampireGaaraCheesepuffs) ( M | 9,263+ | 2/? )

200 years ago the first child with animal characteristics was born. Now, over 20% of earth’s population is accounted for by “hybrids,” or humans with varying degrees of animal characteristics.

Midoriya knows what life’s like for a hybrid. He’s grown up with the stares, the comments, the weight of proving everyone wrong. At least, he thinks he knows hybrids. Until he meets a mysterious Alpha wolf under less than desirable circumstances. Suddenly Izuku is drawn into Katsuki Bakugo’s gravity and he doesn’t want to leave.

Unfortunately, Izuku needs to to make a choice. Does Izuku choose his human side, his animal side...or Katsuki?

Series Part 4 of A/B/Ohhh ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

dream a little dream of me by dekustyle ( T | 3,764+ | 1/? )

It’s there again — the blinking light.

Little by little, Katsuki notices the light getting bigger and bigger until he can finally catch a glimpse of a bouncing green curly hair from the other side of the light.

Is that shit like a portal or something?

—

or an au in which whenever people dream, they are transported to a parallel universe called 'chimera'. katsuki calls bullshit, but he's proven wrong when the usual thick black canvas of his dream is gradually broken down by a blinking light

A trois, bon ménage ? by Nafarik ( M | 8,561+ | 3/? )

Cela faisait déjà quelques années qu'Ochako avait recueilli Izuku chez elle et le petit lapin nain hybride avait fini par devenir sa petite oasis de paix, toujours là pour lui faire des câlins après une journée difficile. Pourtant son quotidien allait changer après sa rencontre avec ce loup blond secouru lui aussi d'une organisation illégale. Bien ou non le changement ? Elle allait bientôt le découvrir.

Realism Gives Itself Away by WhenJoshIsJoseph ( T | 6,826 | 1/1 )

Katsuki's mentor, All Might, is retiring, and he wants a piece of art commissioned - a crucial gift. He finally finds the right artist...but the person is anonymous. Izuku gets commissioned by some lawyer he doesn't know, and he doesn't usually take commissions, but the offer is just too tempting... Neither knows it's the other. ___ MERRY CHRISTMAS, SO HOE, I'M SO SORRY IF THIS AIN'T GREAT BUT I ADORE YOUUUU Also, VGC, you're a legend, thanks for organising this <3

Drive Thru Please by tokyo10 ( G | 1,117 | 1/1 )

it all started with Katsuki cutting Izuku off

Hotter than Hell by artistic18 ( T | 2,409 | 1/? )

Katsuki hasn't seen his childhood friend in over 10 years. They've kept in contact, but it's nothing like seeing each other face to face.

So if Katsuki seems flustered upon seeing him again, that's only because the airport needs to work on the shitty cooling system.

So Numb by Dnote147 ( M | 10,622+ | 4/? )

Just have to get through today.

That's what crosses my mind on a daily basis; almost like a mantra.

Just get through today.

Sometimes, it would almost sound like a melody, playing on a constant loop. If it weren't for the underlying motive for this internal repetition, I would almost find it hilarious.

Keyword: Almost.

Happy New Years, Nerd by BelleM ( E | 3,869 | 1/1 )

Katsuki is dragged to a New Years party, spots Izuku and wants to fuck him.

Series Part 1 of My Lucky New Year

Flower Boy by devilmanz ( E | 3,821+ | 4/? )

Izuku Midoriya is a YouTuber with over ten million subscribers.

Katsuki Bakugou is a song writer and YouTuber with twenty million subscribers.

Lets just say rumors spread.

[Past Addiction]

At the Mountain's Edge by Anzul ( M | 12,642+ | 2/? )

Muromachi Japan, 1465. Soulmates - once nothing but a flightful fancy among the Heian nobility - have become the political currency of the century. Blessed with telepathic communication and the ability to sense each other regardless of their geographical distance once a bond has been established, they are an invaluable commodity to any warrior hoping to amass power in the wake of the Ashikaga's weakening rule.

Bakugou Katsuki is no exception. But no matter what matchmaking house his family visits, they all tell him the same thing: that at the end of his red string, there waits no one. Katsuki is destined to walk his path alone.

Now forced to become a candidate for political marriage, Katsuki must learn the traditional arts and proper courtship etiquette to attract more suitors. Izuku, the adopted protégé and matchmaking master of the Midoriya House, is hired to be his tutor. Izuku himself is not only without a soulmate, but Bondless - someone without a red string at all, but capable of seeing everyone else's.

-----

[Or: An alternate soulmate x historical AU where everybody has soulmates except Katsuki and Izuku.]

Play The Field by lalazee ( E | 10,246 | 1/1 )

Baseball and feelings, feelings and baseball. Turns out, Bakugou and Deku are both good and bad at the same things. They try to work on it.

Desert Prince by ghoulz ( E | 6,534+ | 2/? )

Bakugou Katsuki is an Alpha. Midoriya Izuku is an Omega. Don't act like you don't know where this is going. Oh yeah and Bakugou's a prince in some dystopian land or something.

Becoming a dog-sitter to date a cutie by Heartbeat_in_japanese ( G | 1,133 | 1/1 )

{This fic doesn’t have a description! -Jay}

Can't Sleep Love by Fuyuzashi ( M | 5,841+ | 1/? )

Katsuki fell head over heels over a certain green eyed, freckle covered, honey skinned stranger in a night club. Later he found himself acting like a main character of a Netflix's cheesy romance series. He never knew he could do such dumb things just because of a tingly feeling in his chest caused by the hot stranger.

[ based on Can't sleep Love, a song by Pentatonix ]

Fine again by scarlettx9000 ( M | 3,063+ | 1/? )

Izuku and Katsuki become estranged after Izuku and his mother pack up and move cities without a word back in middle school only to be reunited in an 'and they were roomates' self indulgant fic

A Burrow for You and I by GreyLiliy ( E | 4,400+ | 2/? )

Katsuki and Izuku grew up together as neighbors, a human and a hybrid that most would call the best of friends. But after an unexpected step forward in their relationship, Izuku backed away and put distance between them—too much distance.

When Izuku arrives back home after a year of absence, he makes sure Katsuki is the first to see the fruits of his labor.

Series Part 2 of Hybrids x My Hero Academia

Cross-dressing and Relationships want to suffocate Izuku Midoriya by ErrorTryAgain ( Not Rated | 4,699+ | 2/? )

Let's make this short. Denki wanted to get Kyouka back from Katsuki, and in order to do so, he got his cousin, Izuku, to cross-dress and pretend as his girlfriend, then seduce Katsuki.

That itself is hard, so just imagine how much more difficult it is to seduce a guy who's trying (forcing) you to admit that you're another guy, and that you're... Deku?

give me love by gray98 ( T | 3,301+ | 1/33 )

midoriya izuku was looking for a new start, a way out from his old life of nightmares and haunted memories. he was sick of the stares, and he needed an escape. who knew that escape would come from a new cityscape and a brash blond with anger issues.

[Suicide Attempt]

i want to scream but i can't by lordyuuri ( T | 1,504 | 1/1 )

Reunions aren't always happy nor always welcomed.

59 notes · View notes

ljandersen · 4 years

Note

Hi! I was wondering if you’d be willing to share a little (or a lot! I’m not picky) about your process for writing Burning Barriers? Things you researched, things that gave you inspiration, any of it. I’m having a blast reading it and I’m so curious about what all went into writing it! (And it’s totally okay if you don’t want to! I just had to let you know how much I’m enjoying it!)

Wow! I’m incredibly flattered by this ask. I think it’s the first time I’ve gotten an ask about my writing that wasn’t part of a game. I was ecstatic to see it in my inbox. Thank you for taking the time and interest to send it. “Burning Barriers” is my favorite posted story. I love talking about it. I’m humbled when anyone actually wants to know something about it. Anyway, seriously, I appreciate getting this ask. It made my day!

On to the actual question though: The inspiration for writing the book had a lot to do with what lead into me writing fanfiction. “Burning Barriers” was the first piece of fanfiction I wrote and the first novel-length story I finished. In a lot of ways, it was a turning point in my writing. I’d written my whole life, but for the most part, I’d gradually given it up during grad school and internship rotations. It turns out, though, corporate healthcare can be quite dehumanizing and impersonal. My career wasn’t what I thought. I decided I needed to return to what I loved doing, which was writing.

Initially, I decided it was time to write that masterpiece of literary fiction I’d always planned on writing. I made detailed outlines and character sheets. I had each beat perfectly aligned for a four-act story structure. I had the character arcs. Subplots were variations on the theme and parallel to the main story, just like the writing books recommended. Everything was set to finally write The Masterpiece. And . . .

I stalled out.

I was too overwhelmed to write this overblown piece of art. I knew I couldn’t live up to my own expectations. I’d decided to return to writing, but nothing as happening.

I loved writing, but I also always loved video games. I’d played all the Dragon Age games as each came out. I had no idea Mass Effect existed. In 2018, my sister came across it. After playing the ME trilogy, she recommended it to me. I loved it. With the three games tying together and having the same protagonist, who spoke and had a name, I became enthralled. Then came the ending with Shepard dying on the Crucible.

The credits rolled. Moon boy had just asked about “The Shepard,” and this was it. Was Shepard alive or dead? What about her love interest, in this case, Kaidan? What about their story? What about Shepard’s story as a person? It just ended. Cut off.

While I appreciate the bittersweet nature of the ending, I didn’t have any closure. I kept thinking, “How would I have ended it?” There were a few elements in particular that I thought would be interesting to explore more: fraternization and biotics. It’s always interested me when a super hero loses her power. What if Shepard couldn’t use her biotics? As for fraternization, I understood it being dismissed in ME-3, but what about after? They want to be together but rules are falling back into place. It’s always interesting when two people are forbidden to be together by external forces. There were so many interesting way to play out these different ideas.

I kept thinking about this hypothetical ending for my game. Finally, I decided I should just write it. It was going to be a short story for myself. I just needed it out of my system. Maybe it would be a good warm up to finally writing The Masterpiece. I started writing my ending for ME.

I had a very vague plot in mind. As I started writing, the plot became more than just a vehicle for finding closure with Shepard and Kaidan’s love story. I had only planned on writing Shepard’s POV, but as I drew closer to a section in the story that I knew Shepard couldn’t tell, I realized I needed someone else to take over the story. Skipping forward in time as I initially planned wouldn’t be satisfying. I decided to make the story three parts, and Kaidan would tell part two. I would return back to Shepard’s POV for the last part.

I was nervous switching POV and thought a lot about how Shepard and Kaidan would tell their story differently. Shepard is fast, goal-oriented, no-nonsense, and avoids uncomfortable, emotional rumination. Kaidan, however, is more self-aware and honest with his feelings. He’s reflective, cautious, and has a deeper internal life. The idea of contrasting the POV while keeping a consistent narrative voice was a interesting challenge. In the end, switching POV didn’t turn out to be as difficult as I thought, and I really enjoyed writing a part of the story from Kaidan’s eyes.

As I approached part three, where Kaidan’s POV would end, I realized dropping his side would feel disappointing in a way. The story had become as much Kaidan’s story as it was Shepard’s. They needed to tell the ending together. The decision to alternate POV in part three even gave the story cohesion: 1. Shepard 2. Kaidan 3. Shepard and Kaidan. It felt right. I was surprised I hadn’t thought of that from the beginning.

The story was starting to become big. Somewhere into writing part 1, I realized this was a more serious endeavor than a throw-away short story. So I got serious. I knew my ending for the story, and I decided to dissect apart what would make the ending truly satisfying. What were the barriers to it feeling the best it could feel?

Once I identified those elements, it influenced the story quite a bit. I had to include new pieces to the story, like Kaidan’s family, and I had to emphasize character arcs in some of the secondary characters. I also realized the thing keeping Shepard and Kaidan apart had to be more than fraternization regs. I had to be something internal in addition to external to feel believable.

As I wrote, there was one big development I hadn’t planned but that felt organic. It worked for the character arc I was creating, and I let it play out. While there was one big surprise, a lot of the story’s details sprang up and were little surprises while I was writing. I knew the points I wanted to connect, but I discovered the details as I wrote it. It was like I had this skeleton, but the discovery process as I wrote gave it the flesh and beauty of being something worthwhile.

The story’s ending was everything I hoped, which was a huge feat for me. I took a long time reflecting on how all the elements could come together at once in a way that felt right. I needed to incorporate a lot of external elements into one moment: the Mass Effect shard, the Scorpion terrorist leader, an object they’re looking for in part 3, and all the secondary characters (Council, Alliance, Shepard’s companions). I needed it to bring Shepard and Kaidan’s internal conflict keeping them apart to a moment of clarity, which would be easy if it was just about realizing they loved each other. They already knew that. Shepard needed to confront her fears and realize her false reasoning wasn’t just wrong, but that actually the opposite was real truth. It was a lot to achieve in one ending, but as far as I’m concerned, I felt like I was successful in bringing everything together into one moment. I was able to resolve many questions, external and internal, with one answer.

Honestly, I have compared Burning Barrier’s ending to my current big WIP and felt like I can’t live up to my own benchmark of satisfaction in an ending. Granted, all of that’s really talking up my own ending, and readers may or may not feel like the ending brought everything together in a satisfying way. But for me, I was pleased with the ending to a story I was telling myself. Since I had never finished a novel-sized story, it was huge moment.

I wrote "Burning Barriers” in notebooks over the course of four months. I had no idea of the word count when I finished. It all come together so naturally and simply, I actually thought my story would fall short of being novel-sized. All three parts together I expected to fall into the novella range. I was wrong. I started typing it up and watched the word count climb. This story that felt so simple and quick to me turned out not only to be novel-sized, but each part was novel-sized. I was thunderstruck. I realized: not only had I finished my first novel, I finished three of them! It was huge for me.

Writing fanfiction and not trying to live up to this inflated, self-imposed ideal of creating “Art” had finally set me free. I could finally write and finish a novel. I even did it with a method I never expected to work for me. Being an organized and kind of methodical person, I always assumed outlining was the best way for me. It was the responsible, better approach. It turns out, knowing my direction but finding my way as I go was what worked best. It gave me joy in discovering, and knowing I could edit it later, freed me from every word being perfection in the first draft.

“Burning Barriers” had three major drafts. After writing the story in notebooks, I knew what I needed to emphasize and cut away as I typed it into a second draft. I could foreshadow and set up the ending. I could fill in missing scenes. It was a major overhaul. I then read through the whole story a third time focusing more on the writing-level, sentences and wording choice. Then it was done.

Now I needed to do something with it. After a certain point of writing this story, maybe halfway, I realized I was putting enough effort into it, I actually wanted someone to read it. My sister, who had recommended Mass Effect to me, was also a writer. As I wrote and finished editing my story, I had her in mind as the one person who would read my story. Unfortunately, fanfiction is stigmatized and on a much lower level than if I wrote The Masterpiece. After I was finished with this story, by sister felt embarrassed for me writing fanfiction. The idea of reading fanfiction was demeaning for a serious writer and it wasn’t her thing. It’s fair to feel that way, I suppose, but I was disappointed.

My other sister who isn’t a gamer but was aware of fanfiction as a thing suggested I post online. The game had been out for so long, I doubted Mass Effect fans were still reading fanfic, but I decided to try. I had written 300 K words that no one would ever read but me if I let it lay forgotten on the hard drive.

I went ahead and posted it on FFN. I made each part it’s own book, and I posted all three books and all the chapters all at once. Then I sat back and waited. And waited. And waited. Nothing. It was deflating. I had a few favorites or follows scattered here and there, but it felt pretty silent. I could see stats that some people probably had read the whole way through, but that was it for spending months writing this 300 K fic. I actually felt worse than before I’d posted it online, because this felt more like a rejection. My fear, my story actually being awful, could actually be true.

At the time, I didn’t know anything about fanfiction culture. I didn’t know people posted before they finished a story or that it was common practice to post chapter by chapter to gain readership. I had no idea my posting method could be playing a role in why the stories were lost to the void.

My sister who had suggested posting online recommended looking for Facebook groups to information on other places to post. I joined some FB groups and asked for recommendations where else to post. I heard about AO3. Now, I still didn’t know about this whole posting chapter-by-chapter thing, so I posted my story on AO3 the same way as before. Unlike FFN, I decided this time to keep all the parts together, since so much of the story relied on in-jokes and references from earlier parts. Plus, the story and plot arc were made to connect over the whole story. Other than that, I posted “Burning Barriers” as one giant chunk of 124 chapters, like I had on FFN, and sat back again. This time there was one difference: someone commented.

I got a comment from someone who read the first chapter, liked it, and said she would put it on her reading list. That one comment changed my whole experience. I replied to the comment, and I through a back and forth via email met my now very good friend @ripley95things . She introduced me to another wonderful friend @rpgwarrior4824 . Their comments on “Burning Barriers” made all the difference. I went from feeling kind of devastated and being embarrassed about my story to being glad I wrote it. It was a complete 180 just by having two people who cared. It made all the difference.

They welcomed me into the fandom. I learned so much about the fanfic culture and started reading other Shenko fanfics. I haven’t stopped since. With all the encouragement I got from talking with them, I decided to write more Shenko fanfiction myself even. I hadn’t planned to write anything more than “Burning Barriers,” but suddenly I had a new plot-heavy story I was writing (am still writing *sigh*). I wrote a one-shot and some lighter, shorter multichapter fics. I eventually joined Tumblr. But it all started with “Burning Barriers.”

That’s a lot of extra information on “Burning Barriers” than just my inspiration and approach to writing, but haha, I guess, I got on a roll. The story has a lot of meaning to me, and the history surround it feels integrated into its DNA. If you read this far, I really appreciate you reading not only a very long book with “Burning Barriers,” but also a very long monologue about the very long book. Haha. Thank you!

Anyway, I’ll end here. Thank you for your wonderful question. It was fun to reflect back on this story that has so much meaning to me. I appreciate your interest in “Burning Barriers.” It means more than I can say that you read my story, and even more, to know you’re interested enough to ask a question about it (thought you probably didn’t expect how much you’d get! Lol! :D) Thanks again!

#my writing #mass effect fanfiction #writing ask #Burning Barriers #Thank you so much for the ask!

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