#when I read it. it made me want to write dinluke so I could do it differently

[scimitar-and-longsword]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Tagged by @cactusdragon517 almost a month ago lol, I'm slow to get these done.

How many works do you have on ao3? 21

What's your total ao3 word count? 202,835

What fandoms do you write for? Currently? Call of Duty and I'm still hanging around the TOG fandom. But I've hardly posted anything in years lol. Someday when my toddler is a little older I'll get back into posting more.

Top five fics by kudos:

Share Your Address - Fencer!Joe/TA!Nicky College AU - Insta-love. So much texting. Everybody wants to punch Keane.

It Feels Like Flying - Joe/Pilot!Nicky AU - This is porn. Enjoy.

Brothers Fight - Joe & Booker working through their issues post movie.

Everything I Did to Get to You - Sequel to Share Your Address (my top fic by Kudos) - AU - A few years later Joe and Nicky spend the holidays with friends and family.

Collapsing Walls - Book of Nile!!!!! - Established Booker/Nile - Booker and Nile get caught in a building while trying to assist during an earthquake.

Do you respond to comments? Yes!! I try to respond to all comments for at least a few days after I post something.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I don't write a lot of angsty ENDINGS. I'll Never Love Another (Prince!Joe/Knight!Nicky) has a fuck ton of angst in it, and I know some people thought the ending was bitter sweet bordering on sad.... but idk (spoilers?) no one died and they're together sooooo that's a happy ending in my book lol.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Gees, idk lol Share Your Address?? It's so sweet you'll get cavities.

Do you get hate on fics? I never have. *knock on wood*

Do you write smut? Hardly ever. I mean I HAVE, and actually the most recent thing I posted was like straight up porn lol. But mostly if there is sex it is only hinted at/fade to black. Or buried in a 60k fic so you have to work for it!

Craziest crossover: Probably Book of Nile + Princess Bride (it's a WIP that I haven't touched in like 3 years *sweats nervously* I swear I will finish all my WIPs EVENTUALLY)

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of???

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes!! A one shot I did was translated onto a Japanese website that I forget the name of lol. I've also had a podfic made of one of my one shots if that counts.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Ashley and I tried at one point lol it was a modern AU DinLuke fic.... it kind of fizzled out eventually. @ashleyrguillory we should look at that again someday lol

All time favorite ship? Obligatory "Just one??!!" ok but idk Charlie/Claire (LOST), Korra/Asami (Legend of Korra) and Derek/Stiles (Teen Wolf) are the most important to me??? I read the most fic for Ghost/Soap, [redacted controversial ship that you could not pay me to reveal #1], and [redacted controversial ship that you could not pay me to reveal #2] lol

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I refuse to give up on any of my WIPS!!! I have 4, and all of them are planned/outlined to the end... I even have multiple completed chapters for two of them. I'm not a quitter... I do take my time though lol

What are your writing strengths? Oh gees... idk someone else who has read my stuff needs to tell me this... I think I've gotten a lot of comments complimenting me on keeping characters true to canon?? idk guys! someone else answer this!

What are your writing weaknesses? I really struggle with action and sex scenes. Where are they? I, the person writing this fic, certainly don't know. (come to think of it this might be part of the reason that I don't write a lot of smut)

Thoughts on dialogue in another language? Whatever floats the author's boat.

But I personally have done it a few ways. My favorite to both write and read is just to write what they say and then identify what language is being used if the POV character can understand the language. something like: "Oh no," he shouted in Italian.

OR if the POV character doesn't understand the language I would write something like: Nicky shouted something in what Joe thought was Italian. OR Nicky said something in a language Joe couldn't quite place.

First fandom you wrote in? Supernatural lol

Favorite fic you've written? One????? You're getting 2!

I'll Never Love Another - Prince!Joe/Knight!Nicky AU - SO MUCH LETTER WRITING - This was my Big Bang in 2021, and I love the FUCK out of it. It's my favorite fic I've ever written and I reread it kind of often because of how much I enjoy it lol

Impelled by the Persuasion of Love - Canon verse Joe/Nicky and Andy/Quynh - Takes place in France during the 100 years war. I have an obsession with courtly love/chivalry and figured I should shove it onto our favorite immortals <3 - I wrote this for a TOG zine that came out in early 2021

=== Truly, IDK if I've got 20 people to tag but I'll give it a go!!

@innerslumber, @alloutofgoddesses, @ashleyrguillory, @stevethehairington, @sindirimba, @disregardandfelicity and anybody else who wants to do this, consider this your tag!!!

#tag games #my stuff #my fics #lolo writes #If you take one thing away from this it's that you should read I'll Never Love Another #you know.... if you feel like it....

[lilredghost]

Tagged by @ragnarlothcat (hey I hope you feel better soon! I am making you soup and lending you my favourite blanket!!) and @wibzenadarksiderwithasoftheart

1.) How many works do you have on ao3?

Technically 9 but it's really 8. I don't exactly count all tied up in knots as mine (more on this later)

2.) What's your ao3 word count?

82,315, excluding the fic above. I don't think I'll make it to 100k before the year is out, but it would be cool if I did

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

Just Star Wars, actually. I thought about writing fic in my last big fandom (The Witcher), but I didn't really feel motivated to write until SW. My first fic was actually DinLuke, but then I fell in love with the Prequels!

4.) What are your top five fics by kudos?

Tank Top - This is the DinLuke one! I guess it's in the lead cause it's got a 1-year headstart on everything else, maybe

Their fragrance came from you - Sir, that's my emotional support fic! I love this one to death, seriously. I know I kinda made my brand on kinky sex fics and this is very much not that, but...

Blindfold me (I'm the only witness) - I do feel like this one kinda embodies Obikin's insanity tbh. Weird boundary-crossing sex for sure

Lace Me Up, Hold Me Tight - Subby Obi-Wan in a healthy relationship my beloved <3

You can call me baby (You can call me love) - My first Obikin fic. Near and dear to my heart. Stands the test of time, I think. It's mostly just very sweet

5.) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, absolutely! I didn't used to, but now I try to reply to all of them, even if it's just with a few heart emojis.

A lot of the times when I read fic, I like to browse the comments to see speculation from other readers and what the author has to say about it.

Sooo I guess I reply to comments to spark conversation! I think it makes it a bit easier to ask questions / engage with the material as a reader, because they know I'll try to answer as best I can (and I do!!)

6.) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

None of them!!! I don't believe in unhappy endings. Life is hard enough as it is

7.) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I mean, they all have happy endings. But maybe Take Care of Me, Please? The idea of being loved and taken care of unconditionally is very appealing to me. I guess that's not surprising

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

Not directly on the fics themselves, but I have gotten, at this point, several anons criticising my writing and my fics here on tumblr. It's kind of exhausting because I feel like the obikin community itself seems so nice but SOMEONE is sending me these anons and it could really be anyone. It kind of makes me jump at shadows a little bit?

It's probably someone I don't know, rather than someone playing nice to my face and then sending me shit behind my back, but... What if it isn't? :(

9.) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yep yep yep. Like I said, that's where I started. I'm sure people who subscribed to me were disappointed when I started Their fragrance came from you and Obikin didn't have sex for like... 40k words

I've done a little bit of a lot of different kinks, I think. Lingerie, somno, humiliation, boot worship, lactation, daddy kink... There are a couple I really wanna do still (pet play, body swap, etc), but at the same time I kind of want to do more of the ones I've already done? So idk, we'll see where it goes

10.) Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Noooope. I'm very interested in AUs, but I'm just not interested in crossovers

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nah, I think that mostly happens to bigger authors, and I'm pretty new. I haven't noticed anything of mine anywhere else, but I also don't spend a lot of time on other fansites these days

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also no! It's a dream of mine, a little bit, but at the same time I see why no one would be particularly interested in translating anything I've written so far. No biggie

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Okay this one is mixed. I have participated in round robins in an obikin server (that's what all tied up in knots is), but there was never any real commitment to writing those things. It was just based on whoever was free and had inspiration. I've actually been thinking I'll take my name off all tied up in knots, cause I don't particularly see that going anywhere, and I feel weird taking credit for it

HOWEVER. I would love to write a collab with someone I know. I'm not sure if I'd be any good at it, but I'd try!

14.) What's your all time favorite ship?

I do feel like it has to be Obikin. I'm honestly a multishipper when it comes to Obi-Wan, but I got tired of all the anti-Jedi sentiment in some of the popular pairings (which is the same problem I had with DinLuke), so now I stick mostly to Jangobi/Kenfetti and Obikin.

15.) What's a WIP you'd like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Disregarding the whole round robin fic, I really do hope to finish all of them. Keeping this section optimistically blank!

16.) What are your writing strengths?

Hm... this question took me longest to come up with an answer. I guess it's worldbuilding and smut (which are sort of on opposite ends of the spectrum, lol)

Worldbuilding obviously is more of a thing in longer fics, but I feel like even in smaller ones I'm able to incorporate background details that I'm dangerously fond of. For example, the super soft blanket Obi-Wan is very territorial over in You can call me baby (You can call me love) is a gift from Ahsoka. And in Your Body, Superimpose It On Me, Anakin's Padawan braid is in an ornate glass box on Obi-Wan's nightstand, and Obi-Wan takes a moment to, like, caress the designs on the box every day.

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

Well... I can only really write according to the mood I'm in. This was not a problem for a year or two there as I wrote shorter fics, but then I started writing Their fragrance came from you... At first, I was super depressed and so was Obi-Wan. And then the tone got lighter as I started feeling better. But then, you know, I have several chapters where the characters are supposed to be happy and light-hearted and suddenly I'm depressed again and I can't write the next chapters of my fic and then I get more upset about it because it's really important to me and it just becomes kind of a vicious cycle of feeling bad and not writing.

Maybe I need a separate sort of vent fic for when I'm upset? But again, I don't like unhappy endings. And if it has to get better at some point, then I'll have a hard time writing that unless I'm actually feeling better. If that makes sense.

18.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Sooo I do definitely borrow words from other languages, but I always explain them first, and they're usually more like... concepts or objects that are specific to that culture. Of course the character is thinking/speaking those words in that language; there is no translation!

I've never had a reason to have whole sentences of dialogue be in different languages, but I guess if there was a fic which needed that, I wouldn't necessarily mind doing it? But the default is writing everything in english, because, yknow, the fic is in english

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

Okay I WAS gonna say that I already answered this with the dinluke thing. But I do remember writing fanfiction for Dinosaur King which (thankfully) never saw the light of day...

20.) Favorite fic you've ever written?

I feel like, as my only longfic, that's gotta be Their fragrance came from you. I know a lot of people write it off immediately because it's a/b/o (or even because it's supposed to be alpha Obi-Wan), but to me it's got everything. Enemies to lovers. Fun side characters. Pining. Battles. Betrayal. Romance. Sex. Even anti-heteronormativity!

To me it feels very much like I set out to (overambitiously) write an epic, and somehow I'm succeeding. I'm not saying it's the best fic that's ever been written, but it's far exceeded any expectations I had for it when I started.

Bonus: What fic would you want to rewrite one day?

Not necessarily rewrite, but I do wanna do edits to Lace me up, because the first few chapters are just not up to a comfortable standard of writing for me. And I'd be okay with leaving it that way if it was a standalone, but I really like its sequel. Plus I have some ideas for other fics in that series, so it would kind of put all that up to scrutiny again if/when I post a third installment

Tagging

Some of my friends already did this one and I'm not EXACTLY sure who has/hasn't been tagged yet, but (if you want): @anakinsthot @demon----dean @fishnamedsushi @secretsolarsystem

#whew this was a long one #PS to ragnarlothcat babe your dialogue is sooo good and witty never doubt yourself #PS to wibz sith spells sound super cool and atmospheric!! #tag game

[liathejedi]

Hello sorry to bother you but I noticed your Dinluke Tangled fic has been deleted on AO3 and was wondering if you were aware of this or if it was accidental? I really loved that fic (and I know heaps of others do too) and I’m saddened to see it go but I will respect your decision if you did remove it intentionally. I just wish I could’ve saved/downloaded it sooner 😭

So, I've actually been meaning to make a post about this (sorry Vanilla, I know this ask has been sitting in my inbox for a long time!) This post will ramble on a bit, but moral of the story is, I am in the process of editing and making tweaks to the fic to reupload it onto AO3 as an orphaned work. Further explanations will be below the cut but feel free to move on, they’re not that important, lol!

When I deleted my fic last year, it was at a time where the dinluke fandom, somewhere I had found so much joy and solace in for over a year, had become a place that just started to make me uncomfortable. I avoided the tags, I downloaded a few of my favourite fics from my favourite authors (who are still some of my beloved mutuals <3) and moved on.

The fic in question, a tangled AU I had written back in 2021, was probably the most prevalent work I had created for the fandom. I wrote it in a time where I needed something light-hearted and warm and fun to write, and writing this fic really did bring me so much joy. Even more so was the response that it received while I was publishing it. I could tell that there were readers who enjoyed reading it for the exact same reasons that I enjoyed writing it, and hearing everyone’s thoughts and feedback every week is part of what made writing this fic so special. Every fic author understands how wonderful it is to share your work with an audience and be able to talk about it with them.

But then the dinluke discourse became more prevalent, and I started noticing more comments on the fic that interpreted the ship and the ‘roles’ of the characters in a way that ... didn’t really make me comfortable. Yes, I had Din as the ‘Flynn Rider’ character and Luke as the ‘Rapunzel’ character, but I felt that that best represented their characters in canon - with Din as the seemingly rough on the outside but warm on the inside one often brushing against the law, and Luke as the driven, optimistic, and sometimes reckless one who is endlessly hopeful. But there were some people in the comments who just wanted to see luke as a typical damsel-in-distress disney princesss, which isn’t what I wanted, or wrote, at all.

And so, having removed myself from the fandom, I removed the fic, too. Looking back, even though I don’t regret what motivated this decision, I do regret removing it from AO3 so quickly and without warning. I know there were people who loved it - I did too - and if I had known more about the option to simply orphan a fic and leave it up on AO3, just not associated with your account, then I think I would have done that instead. But at that point in time, the fic just served as a reminder of how hostile some parts of the fandom had grown, and how I didn’t fully feel comfortable being in a fandom I loved anymore. I didn’t even think I’d ever come back.

But now I am, lol. I’ve reached a point now where I’m comfortable existing in my own corner of the fandom, discussing the ship with my mutuals and sharing content with them, and that’s brought back a lot of the joy that I’d missed. I’d even started to go back to my google doc with the tangled AU fic’s original draft, going through and editing and tweaking it just to remember that joy of writing it. And so, I decided that I want to put it back up onto AO3. I’ll republish the chapters once I’ve finished editing them (the first few are already done) and once it’s all back up, I’ll orphan the fic. That way it’ll be there for all of those who had originally joined me in the journey of writing it, who made me smile every week with their wonderful comments. The fic has always been for them.

Anyways, that got a little melodramatic, lol. I’ll probably start publishing the first couple chapters later today. Other than this post, I probably won’t be mentioning it much more on this account, and simply moving on with the dinluke (and now jedi fallen order oops) brainrot 😂. Stay well everyone! xx

#dinluke

[aphroditestummyrolls]

most beloved, please, my crops!! 🤲

DinLuke Canon Divergence for the wip game? 🫶

My dearest darlingest friend ❤️

You got it!

There wasn’t a single thing under the twin suns of Tatooine that Peli didn’t have an opinion on. If it was a scrap, circuit, or mechanism of the N1, she had ideas about it. And if it had anything to do with Din’s “mysterious life of adventure”, dank farrik, she had thoughts about it.

That was… less annoying than it might have been, if she were anyone else. No matter what she was saying, she rarely expected a reply. She wasn’t looking for a defense or an argument— it was just Peli, talking.

Din was as close to content as he could get, splitting his brain between the endless stretch of gears and circuits, and the equally neverending stream of consciousness filling the hangar.

“Mando, are you listening to me?”

If he had a credit for every time she asked him that, he’d be rich enough to reconstruct his own Razor Crest from its ashes on Tython.

“You were saying something?” He joked dryly, and barely had time to dodge the thermocouplar that whizzed just by his helmet. He chuckled.

Peli had her lips pursed.

“You still got a brain under all that metal?” She went back to organizing their latest delivery from the jawas, letting out a great, put upon huff as she repeated herself. “I was saying that what I don’t get is why you’re always in such a rush to jet off somewhere.” She handed him the part he was about to need before he even thought to ask for it. “Y’know I’ve never even been off world? Look how good I got it— I’m a local girl, nothin’ wrong with that. What about you? You never thought about settlin’ down in some quiet star system?”

“No.”

It was true, he hadn’t. She wasn’t the first person to bring it up— Cara had mentioned it. It felt like years ago, while sitting side by side on the porch of a krill farm. He watched Grogu play with the other village children— they were still so new to each other back then— and for a moment he’d pictured a different life. A life to raise a child. He saw Omera smile in his direction from the other side of the pond. Her eyes were so warm, so perceptive. She could read his silences so well, he could swear she saw right through his helmet to his blushing face.

It was the closest he’d come to ever considering it. But, he didn’t dwell on it long.

It wasn’t an option. It wasn’t then, or ever before. And definitely not now.

He didn’t give Peli any more than that, but it was no surprise when she didn’t take that as an answer enough.

“Are all mandalorians as—“

It was probably for the best that she didn’t get to finish whatever she was about to say. Din wouldn’t have replied even if she had, but nevertheless, the tight, digging sensation of his helmet made airlock eased when a newcomer darkened the hangar door.

If you want more of the story, to chat about any of the WIPs, feeling free to keep playing ❤️ thanks for contributing! You’re helping me get some serious writing done, and dusting off old projects, too!

#dinluke #here’s five dollars— go see a star war #the mandolarian #ask games #thanks for playing!

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

#10 and #13 for the storm, the suns, the stars (either as a whole series or individually) also i hope youre having a nice day/night!!

Aw nonnie, thanks for asking! Could've had a less technologically challenging night but that's why you make a little buffer for yourself when starting NaNo - gotta make sure you have enough words to cover your ass for when Life happens or the grind gets you down.

10: Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

Oh this is definitely a "whole series" kind of response. You ever experience the kind of restlessness where you're just BURSTING at the seams to do SOMETHING but you can't figure out what any of it is? So you're just stewing in this storm (lol) of energy with nowhere to go and you think you might know why but you're not sure you want to go down that road again but maybe just maybe this could be the start of something new. Anyway I tell everyone that after I finally came down from the absolutely insane high of the Mando Show Season 2 finale, my first coherent thought was, "So Grogu has two dads now?"

I read a few of the early dinluke fics (somehow avoided all of the Early Big Fics because I just wanted a nibble, I wanted to see if I Liked liked this ship and wanted to stick around instead of like... breezing in and out like I did with OFMD) and figured out that oh, I want to write this, I want to write them, they crossed paths because of Grogu and he is the axis of it all, but there is something to a member of the Mandalorian diaspora meeting (one of) the last of the Jedi. Their cultures and heritages are hanging by threads after what the Empire did to them, they are survivors, this is so interesting there is some good fucking Potential here what the fuck.

But The Storm came to me as a real ass Shower Thought. Start where Din gets left off - dude with no ship, no baby, and a laser Excalibur who is desperate for a ship and to get the fuck away from Destiny and also Bo-Katan. Send him back to his old stomping grounds to get a new ride by working with/for Greef and is given a job to bring back a bounty hunter. When Din finally catches up with the bounty hunter, they're on Some Planet with Ruins and Luke is also there minding his own business but collided with Din's business collecting a bounty and the bounty hunter's business doing his own bounty hunting. It was a real straightforward premise and a way for me to kinda dip my toes into dinluke, The Mandalorian, and the much MUCH bigger and older and scarier Star Wars fandom.

This particular ship had potential and I concocted a particular story to test drive the ship, and then I started writing it. This really was supposed to be a kind of a one-off, a "let's see what happens" kind of thing. Same attitude as with the FFXIV fic I was writing at the time. But. You know how people say they never wrote or drew what they've been writing or drawing with dinluke? (Like, the way people started churning out absolutely INSANE quality OFMD art, like a sheer avalanche of joy that seized fandom spaces for a month) I know what they mean. Because this particular ship and this particular story/series was supposed tobe a one-off but now it has my whole soul.

I was always intrigued, enamored with Din Djarin but writing The Storm made me realize I really fucking love this character. The Storm gave me this quiet yet incredibly intense and emotionally charged space to explore Din's mindset after losing his ship, giving up Grogu, and gaining the Darksaber. And here was a Jedi, one of only two Din knows, who helps Din deal with all these fractures in his life and who's struggling on his own to recover and restore everything the Empire destroyed. This was so much more than I bargained for, and when the story was over I wanted more. I wanted them to reunite and for Din to reunite with a Grogu. I wanted to see how Din and Luke's relationship progresses because I never read enough stories that continued a relationship, and I wanted the setting to be the opposite of being trapped inside an ancient temple ruin on a planet with finicky storm systems. So Tatooine it was, where we got to see familiar faces and Din learned more about who Luke is under the Jedi and Rebel hero exterior.

I wanted to tell the same story for Din, for Din to reveal more about himself to Luke, which was how I started writing The Stars. I also wanted to write about his inevitable collision with Bo Katan and other Mandalorians, and the future of their people. I wanted to really get into the idea of "the personal is political", about Din's feelings about the creed and his obligations to his people no matter how much he Does Not Want This, and if he'll ever have a softer landing and ending. I don't know if I can pull it off but good fucking lord, dinluke really made me want to map out and tell this story because they're just so. good. at telling this kind of story. It's insane. I don't get it.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

For the longest time I watched AhnoldT101's Star Wars Galaxy Of Heroes streams and he started playing this song in the background. Everyone noticed because it was so good? It was so catchy? It was the kind of music I craved ever since I watched Tron Legacy? And he finally told everyone what that song was. The song was "Dangerous Dreams" by Lebrock.

And now you know where the name of the series came from.

I listened to this song and a lot of rain/thunderstorm ASMRs while writing The Storm to put myself in the mood. Actually, I listened to "Dangerous Dreams" in a nonstop loop for days, it was so bad.

The playlist I posted for The Suns is the playlist I listened to while writing that fic. When I was done, I arranged the songs in order because I'm Pretentious AF.

I have a writing mix for The Stars that is a lot of synthwave/retrowave, trailer music, and some genres of music that I don't know the name for but have a very epic fantasy feel to them. I'm sure most of the songs will be reused for the official ficmix when I get around to it.

JFC I did not mean to write so much but I sure do appreciate the opportunity to exercise my brain for the inevitable mad NaNo writing sprints.

Play ask games, win ask prizes!

#shirozora awkwardly responds to asks #dinluke #series: dangerous dreams #story: the storm #story: the suns #story: the stars #I JUST ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF WORDS ABOUT THIS SHIP OKAY I'M SORRY I AM ALWAYS READY TO BARF WORDS #I LOVE THIS SHIP SO MUCH IT'S SO BAD I HAVE IT SO BAD FOR THEM JFC

[thewriterowl]

Owl, are you planning any more dinluke fics where Luke is more canon? I want to say right away that I like your work, I read everything, and as a creator you have the right to do everything with your character. I'm just curious.)

I would love to see the real Luke and how would you describe Din's emotions. Do not think, for me Luke is also a sunny boy, but I think he's like that, probably with his family, and with a person whom he knows little, he will behave like a true Jedi and perhaps even closed, so that Din's knees tremble a little from the fact that how dangerous and unpredictable this person can be.

If this message offended or upset you, then you can not answer. 💋💋💋💓

No offense or upset at all! I always want to hear what's on a person's mind :) so thank you for reaching out!

And the answer is...maybe!

Honestly, besides one-shots (and maybe the Learning to Shatter and my time-travel fic Sunburts) my multi-chapter fics aren't really planned out too long in advanced...like Blooms was thanks to a certain someone (cough @feralsunspotandtincan cough) who said something and my brain instantly made the whole story in my head and I had to write it. I actually have another (yes, yet another) arranged marriage dinluke multi-chap idea in my head that was going to happen before Blooms with Luke far more "in character"...but I had a mighty need for Blooms.

So, when the inspiration just strikes me down? You bet. I am not against it! But Luke is also super interesting because of how easily different he can be read as a character. So it's like...this sunshine little god who is filled with kindness and self hate who is one moment super composed and cool...and the next probably walking into a wall...who may be a virign or may be a slut...who may understand emotions but also gets like super overwhelmed and confused...who is a bit scared and floundering about trying to figure things out while making mistakes and making people love him...like his persona is so OPEN and all can really feel very much on brand for him. BUT if you mean maybe not as much of the character but more of the power and the "hot damn he could crush me with his thighs and mind" then yes for sure, that Luke will be back without a doubt lol

#owl inbox #luke skywalker

[themirokai]

Hey so at least one or two of you followed me for Lonely Two-Legged Creatures, right?

It’s the DinLuke hurt/comfort fic I started writing when DinLuke could be “post-canon” but now thanks to Book of Boba Fett is firmly “canon divergent.”

Well, I re-read the three chapters I have posted and remembered that… I really like this story? And then I went and read what I’ve written of the last chapter and … I really like that too?

The problem is getting to the end. I know what happens but the writing of it has bedeviled me for *looks at the posting date on ao3* shit, a year now.

And sometimes when I’m bedeviled, posting something helps. So I’m going to put what I have of chapter 4 below the cut.

If you haven’t read the chapters I’ve posted, or if you haven’t read them in the year since I posted them the fic is here.

Chapter 4

Leia Organa looked entirely too comfortable at his council table. All of the council members, even those who usually went barefaced, had arrived for this meeting with helmets on. While it could be seen as standing in solidarity with Din and his beliefs, it was much more likely a show of opposition to the outsider.

But if Leia was bothered by the lack of facial expressions from her audience, she showed no signs of it. Half an hour in to her meeting with the Council of Mandalore, Din - who could read his councilors’ body language down to the smallest tic - could see them warming to her.

The body language from her companion was not nearly so positive. Luke stood near the door, arms stiff at his sides, mouth tight. The image of red, angry scars flashed before Don’s eyes and before he knew it he was muttering an apology and getting to his feet. A few of the councilors glanced up as he left but Leia quickly recaptured their attention.

“You’re moving stiffly,” Din murmured once he was standing beside Luke. He had noticed as soon as Luke and Leia had walked down the ramp of their ship.

“Formal attire isn’t really my thing.”

Din glanced at the Jedi’s clothes. They looked like the same black tunic, pants, and boots that Luke often wore, but Din was far from an expert. “That’s not what I’m talking about,” he said, keeping his voice low. “You’re in pain.”

“You’re not listening to my sister.”

Din noted that Luke didn’t try to deny it. “I’m the one who invited her here. I don’t need to be convinced.”

They both watched Leia for a minute as she completely controlled the room.

“I’d say she has it well in hand. Come with me.” Din turned towards the door.

“Din!” Luke hissed, “you can’t leave.”

“Yes I can. I walk out of council meetings all the time. They’re used to it.”

Luke followed him into the corridor. “Where are we going?” he asked.

“My quarters,” Din answered.

“What?” Luke stopped walking.

“They’re closer than the guest house and you won’t be spied on there.” Din stopped and turned to him, then moved closer and offered his arm. “Do you need a hand?”

Luke made a gesture with two fingers and Din was pushed back by several feet. “No,” Luke growled. “I do not need a hand.”

Din shrugged and kept walking, though he kept his pace slow.

“They wanted me to take some big apartment,” Din said as they entered his small, utilitarian bedroom, “but I didn’t know what to do with it.”

“I grew up on a Tatooine moisture farm and belong to a sect that eschews material belongings,” Luke said with a rueful smile. “You don’t have to explain to me.”

Din gestured to the large bed. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Luke eased himself down onto the bed, grimacing as he did.

Din knelt in front of him.

“What are you doing?” Luke asked, his voice tight with pain.

Din cupped Luke’s heel with one hand and gave a tug. “Helping you with your boots, so you don’t have to bend down.”

Luke made a frustrated noise but let him remove the boots. He unclipped the lightsaber from his belt and lay it by the pillow. Luke lay down, exhaling in relief. “Leia’s going to worry,” he muttered.

“I’ll talk to her. You rest. Meditate. I’ll be back later.”

Din turned towards the door but stopped when Luke said his name.

“Thank you.”

Din gave a curt nod and left the room.

The official meeting had ended and the councilors were standing around the room in clusters when Din returned. Within moments Leia had politely excused herself from the conversation she was in and crossed to him. “Mand’alor,” she said quietly. “Where is my brother?”

“He’s resting,” Din informed her in the same low tone. “The scars were bothering him.”

She sighed with a grimace. “It started on the flight here. He was a mess, but I thought he pulled it together and was hiding it fairly well.”

“From people who don’t know him he was.”

“But you know him,” she said without a hint of question in her voice.

Din shrugged. “Well enough to recognize when he’s hurting.”

“You know,” Leia said, her expression softening, I came here without a guard on the understanding that my brother was my security.”

“No,” Din corrected, “you came here without a guard because you trust me, as you should. And Luke only let his guard down and let himself relax because he trusts me, as he should.”

“It’s more than just trust between you.” Those brown eyes seemed to pierce his helmet and he was glad when Bo-Katan approached them.

#mirokai writes #dinluke #the mandalorian #lonely two-legged creatures #work in progress

[sluttysuperheroes]

.

#I’m glad that day of reckoning has come for sep ways and for din/reader fic in general #from reading snippets of boba/reader fic in discord servers. I’d say these problems are huge there as well #anyway sepways was not a good fic to become the dinluke template and it’s always been surprising to me that ppl view at as the dl bible #when I read it. it made me want to write dinluke so I could do it differently #idk I’m just rambling but I’m glad we’re talking about this now

[kanskje-kaffe]

since you've stepped off the dinluke ride lately i feel like i can say this.

Seeing all the renewed hubbub in the dinluke tag, people mourning what feels like the “death” of the ship has me absolutely rolling my eyes.

Why are people leaving? It’s cause the fic is bad. The fic is bad! The dark!Din, fetishy pablum served up by shyowl et al is unreadable, nevermind the fact that those who write it should own up to the fact that they’re just producing this content for their own and others’ titillation.

But the folks complaining about it the loudest, het up over the fact that their stuff isn’t getting the engagement they want? Their fic is also bad! It’s stilted, out of character, hard to read, unimaginative, and self-important. And, critically, a lot of it still deals in many of the same stereotypes and misrepresentation of queer life as the kinds of stories they're railing against. The problem with the pairing isn't that there are a handful of bad apples. The problem is almost no one is getting it right.

Folks could have just enjoyed themselves with a fun little crack ship while it lasted, written some good stories, and bounced. But the Titanic has sunk, and everyone left is fighting over the same few scraps of flotsam. Get it together.

Hey anon, thank you for messaging me. I’m happy you thought of me and felt able to send me your thoughts, I appreciate it. I agree with a lot of what you’ve said. I recognize your frustration. (Also thank you SO much for introducing 'pablum' into my active vocabulary, what an absolutely perfect word for this situation!!!! omg)

I’ve read very little actual fanfiction for Dinluke. I’m in fandom to make friends, socialise, swap meta and headcanons, talk with other artists and writers about our work. If I want a reading list I can go to the library or check my bookshelf. I’ve prioritized reading the work and the recommendations of my husband and my extremely talented personal friends, and their contributions have all been nothing short of excellent. I’ve never read any of Shyowl’s fanfic; the premises haven't appealed. I do remember that when all the anti-Luke/anti-Armorer stuff was happening during BOBF, Shyowl posted some really good meta takes which I appreciated. My complaints are based on my interpersonal encounters with the fandom at large via Discord, AO3 comments, and Tumblr, almost every day for more than a year.

I think it’s totally appropriate for fiction to be kinky, self-gratifying, unorthodox, countercultural, or even disgusting. It’s appropriate for fiction to explore unsavory ideas in their own right without having to present a conclusive judgement on that exploration. It’s appropriate for fiction to portray the id, not the superego. Authors like Ballard or Palahniuk have written things that made my stomach turn (holy shit, Crash), and they’re no less deserving of being in print for having done that. This goes x10000 for fanfiction which is both written and read for free, with no element of general social elevation being afforded to the author for having done so. Kink is and will always be fringe content. The women who contributed their sexual fantasies to Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden weren’t immoral, wicked people who were admitting to these fantasies in a published work in order to hurt children and cause the downfall of society. Or whatever.

The problem I have with Dinluke is this, as you said:

“a lot of [vanilla fic] still deals in many of the same stereotypes and misrepresentation of queer life as the kinds of stories they're railing against. The problem with the pairing isn't that there are a handful of bad apples.”

Some of the most popular kink fic is openly written in homage to the vanilla fic - not the other way around. When I was in the old Dinluke server, the kink authors and the vanilla authors were all fans of the exact same small handful of popular fics and artists. They shared appreciation of the same tropes, the same dynamics, the same jokes. The fact that some of them were then inspired to write pornography while others were inspired to write romance is not the issue here.

The homophobic stereotypes, the bland recycling of nuclear family dynamics enforced at the expense of both Luke and Din’s religions/philosophies and even their most basic character traits, the endless and harrowing forced feminisation of Luke Skywalker - this all originates with vanilla Dinluke, and remains consistently present in vanilla Dinluke. Luke the preschool teacher. Luke wearing dresses and lingerie. Luke the theater kid. Luke blushing and stuttering. Luke who can’t hold his drink. Luke who delays before going to save a child’s life to borrow tight pants from his sister and put on designer boots so he can seduce the kid’s caretaker. Luke who always bottoms. (I’ve heard that the Korean Dinluke fandom doesn’t have Luke as a Designated Bottom and I hope they’re all having a great day today.) Poor old Din just has to be A Single Dad, or at best a saccharine pre-Raphaelite fantasy knight-king complete with Reddit-grade chivalry (m’Luke), because none of his actual character traits or beliefs match the comphet, anemic-Dante Gabriel Rosetti-flavored model of this pairing that the fandom seems so utterly reluctant to deviate from.

The dynamic between Kay Adams and Michael Corleone in The Godfather series was abusive, disrespectful, and repellent - without being kinky or pornographic in any way. It’s also more or less exactly the standard dynamic between Din and Luke, except that Luke is typically able to do what Kay wanted to and could not: to soften Din with love. I pray it’s clear that this is not the missing piece making Kay and Michael’s relationship toxic.

I’ve been in fandom for a good 20 years at this point. I fully believe that people should write whatever the hell they want to. If they do, they’ll do doubt find other people who enjoy it too, no matter what it is. Yaoi and Shounen-ai tropes - which are essentially the same tropes as in Dinluke - have always been at their most acceptable (which isn't much, but still) as a kinky fantasy, and at their least acceptable as stomachable romance. The fact that yaoi/BL has enjoyed so much popularity over the years shows that there is obviously a huge market for it. It’s not exactly news to me that people want to see homosexual male romance portrayed like this. But other parts of Star Wars fandom have variety; avoiding a trope or a genre doesn't mean avoiding a character or a ship entirely in every part of Star Wars I enjoy except Dinluke, which mostly seems to be a machine for writing The Same Story. The tropes are just as present in vanilla Dinluke as they are in kinky or dark Dinluke, and it’s the tropes, not the pornography, that are demeaning and unwelcoming. As a result, interacting with anyone beyond the minuscule group of friends I’ve managed to curate feels like enduring a kind of social hazing, and therefore, I’m out.

#long post #discourse #anon #anon ask

[ace-din-djarin]

Dinluke Fic Recs

I wanted to rec some amazing fics that may not be as well known as some others, and deserve more recognition! This isn’t to say that those that don’t make this list aren’t worthy as well, it’s more that my brain is Swiss cheese and I may miss one or two. Let me know if these are helpful, and I’ll do a series!

1) It’s Just A Dream I Had in Mind by @xxxvioletskyxxx

Rating: Mature

Summary:

For so long, Din fought the reality of giving the child up, giving him to the jetii and moving on. He had prepared for it, packed a bag and left it all behind, so his son could have the life he deserved.

All until he didn't have to.

Or the one where Luke rescues Grogu on Tython, and Din rescues Luke in return.

- 150k and counting, 31 chapters so far, absolutely gorgeous and romantic storytelling. You want an epic tale of falling in love, battling the empire, and parenting a tiny green gremlin? This story is for you. Features force bonds and force sensitive Din!!

2) Clan of Four by @a-aristippus and @withercrown

Rating: Teen and Up

Summary:

The Jedi Order, much like the Mandalorian people, had been lost long before it fell. Now the Empire that struck them down has fallen too. The last sparks of these forgotten cultures are ready to be extinguished forever. But could they be rekindled instead?

Rey is a child with no past and no future. To leave Jakku with the Mandalorian, a man who has lost everything, is the easiest choice she’s ever made. There is no way for her to know that her chance meeting with her new protector could lead her to the heart of the Force, the long-forgotten heritage of the Mandalorians, and a very special inheritance.

And no one knows better than Rey that something thought to be lost for good can always be found again.

- 29k and counting, 7 chapters so far, beautiful found family fic featuring both Luke and Din adopting their children and loving them so so much. Features beautiful artwork by Aristippus and writing by Withercrown, follows Luke and Din after the rescue on Gideon’s cruiser. Features baby Rey (who is so freaking adorable) and Luke training Grogu on Dagobah! So so good.

3) The Stars Across the Sky Like the Scars Across Your Skin by @elrhiarhodan

Rating: Explicit

Summary: To say that Din Djarin is nervous about letting his little boy start kindergarten is quite an understatement. Grogu is small and he doesn't speak, and Corvus Elementary School isn't exactly a top-notch educational establishment. And all his fears prove well-founded when he gets a text, on the very first day, to pick Grogu up at the principal's office.

Once upon a time, Luke Skywalker had been a hot-shot Air Force pilot, flying high all over the world. Now, he's settled into a quiet life in Taos, New Mexico, as a social worker, dealing with kids and families in need. One afternoon, his boss hands him a file - a little boy with selective mutism is being kept out of school by his parent. Luke needs to investigate and report.

— 71k and counting, 19 chapters so far. You want a modern AU with sweetheart Luke Skywalker who’s also dealing with PTSD in a realistic way and who meets dad Din Djarin while helping him advocate for his son? This is the one for you. We’ve got romance, drama, so much family goodness (featuring Ben Kenobi and Bail and Breha Organa because they’re awesome!) and fluff. But did I mention the drama? There’s a dark backstory brewing that will draw you in. Absolutely excellent fic, one I drop everything to read as soon as each update hits my inbox.

4) Beroya and Jetii by @purplesauris

Mixed ratings: 1 and 3 are Gen, 2 is explicit

- 23k words and counting. This one is a series, so each fic has its own summary. You’ll have to take my scrambled together summary here, for what it’s worth.

Din. With. Foundlings. Din keeps finding force-sensitive kids who need help and brings them to Luke to train. Number 3 is my personal favorite and features a Zabrak girl named Pavru who has my whole heart. Din is so so so soft and loving with these kids, it’ll make your heart explode. And then, in number 2, we get to see Din protecting his family and just… *chefs kiss* it’s perfection. Absolutely a must if you love found family and Luke and Din raising kids together. There’s plenty of Dinluke fluff and romance too!!! An absolutely beautiful series.

#dinluke fic recs #I know this isn’t a lot #I will probably do a part two #dinluke #ao3 #fanfiction #dinluke fanfiction #skydalorian #skydalorian fanfiction #skydalorian fic recs #fic recs #din djarin #luke skywaker #grogu djarin #grogu #the mandalorian #Star Wars #seriously read all of these they are phenomenal

[captainkappa]

Fanfic:: Souls & Tails Entwined

Luke was usually more in control of his body language, but he couldn’t help the way his tail stood on end and shook behind him, casting a jittery shadow in the setting sun.

He was allowed to be excited on his wedding day, after all.

AO3 Link

I’ll be honest I almost made this anon because it’s so self indulgent and absolutely not what I should be writing right now, but fuck it. One day I’ll finish those dinluke WIPs I’ve been writing since March, but for now, y’all are getting a catboy wedding!

-=-

Luke was usually more in control of his body language, but he couldn’t help the way his tail stood on end and shook behind him, casting a jittery shadow in the setting sun.

He was allowed to be excited on his wedding day, after all.

He didn’t know it was to be his wedding when he woke up, however. His day had started as normal, waking up to a keldabe kiss against the cold metal of Din’s helmet. That was the last moment of peace either of them got until they managed to corral the younglings out of bed and into the kitchen for breakfast. He and Din didn’t get the chance to have their own breakfast until the kids ran out to enjoy early morning playtime “supervised” by Artoo.

It was then, with Luke blindfolded so Din could enjoy the cup of caf that was brewing, that Din had taken his hand and asked him, as simple as he could be.

“Luke? Will you marry me?”

And after a year of conversation, prying back their layers, meditation on the meaning of attachments, well, how else could Luke react?

“Yes!”

They had a few minutes to plan by themselves. They agreed to wait until that evening, when the kids would be too tired to get in the way and the Yavin sun bathed the Temple in gorgeous red-orange light.

It was only after spending the day half-paying attention to his surroundings had he realized the error of that plan. He hadn’t been able to focus on meditating and had focused on his student’s forms instead. Whenever he heard the telltale clink of beskar, his ears flicked erratically until he gave into the urge to look and see Din walking by. He felt like he was a farm boy on Tatooine again as he smiled, face flushing as Din nodded, sharp and jerky. The interaction was no different than every other day of running the school by Din’s side, but it felt different.

The kids had to say his name three times to get his attention back on the lesson.

But now, it was time. The kids were all sleepy after dinner, most reading or piling up on the count to watch a holo-documentary. Luke was just pacing back and forth in front of the Temple, waiting for Din to come back with Grogu. He wanted his son there for the ceremony and Luke was only happy to acquiesce.

Luke brushed off his robes, only then realizing he hadn’t changed. His pants were covered in dirt, the hem of his cloak gathering the worst of it.

He barely had time to comb his fingers through his hair to tame it before his ears flicked back. He turned to the sound of approaching footsteps to see Din returning with a squirming Grogu. He could see Din’s own sleek dark gray tail bumping under his cape. Grogu cooed loudly, and Luke looked up and smiled at the two of them.

Din stopped a step away from him. As impressive as he looked in his armor, Luke took a little solace in the holes at the bottom of his cape and the sticky handprint on the piece of armor strapped to his leg.

Neither of them needed to look their best for their wedding. All they needed was each other.

“So… do you want to do this in Mando’a?”

Din tilted his head. “Do you know Mando’a?”

Luke felt the tips of his ears warm up. “I… might’ve looked it up during lunch.”

Din gave a short laugh that made Luke’s heart pound a little harder.

“It’s okay. I only know the Resol’nare. We can say it in Basic.”

“Okay… how do we do this?”

Din shifted his hold on Grogu so he could take one of Luke’s hands.

“Just repeat after me. We are one when together.”

Luke nodded. “We are one when together.”

“We are one when parted.”

Luke could feel his breaths grow deep as emotion clogged his throat. “We are one when parted.”

“We will share all.”

“We will share all.”

Din squeezed his hand as he said the last vow. “We will raise warriors."

He had to whisper the last line. “We will raise warriors."

Everything seemed to settle as the silence fell between them, like the universe made right. Luke was going to linger on the feeling, savor it so he could meditate on it and never forget it, when Din let go of his hand to hold onto Grogu.

“Here, hold him for a moment.”

Luke took Grogu automatically, not realizing what Din was doing until he had both hands on his helmet.

“Wait!” Luke exclaimed, pausing Din in his movements. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I mean, I want to see your face, but only if you want to.”

Din lowered his arms just to gently hold the back of Luke’s head. “Can’t you read my mind with the Force?”

Luke huffed out a laugh. “You know I can’t do that.”

“But you can tell though, that I want to show you, right?”

He was right. The Force radiated reassurance off of him. He wasn’t doing this for Luke, he wanted to do it.

Luke nodded, hitching Grogu up higher in his arms.

Din lifted his helmet and the breath caught in his throat.

Dark brown eyes, curly brown hair, and a mustache that made Luke smile.

“Maker, Din, I-”

He cut himself off as he caught slight movement in Din’s curls.

“You can touch,” Din said. “Just… they’re sensitive.”

Luke nodded before bringing a hand up to Din’s head. He found the extra soft fur surrounding the ears. They were dark gray like his tail, but folded over so the tips touched his skull. He gently stroked the base of one and saw Din’s shoulder’s twitch in a shiver.

“Oh, you poor thing. Are they uncomfortable in the helmet?”

“No, they grew in like that. It’s cramped but doesn’t hurt.”

Luke nodded absentmindedly, still feeling around the top of his head. Din leaned into his touch, eyes closed.

“Is this okay?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, just… sensitive.”

“If you want to touch mine, you can.”

“But I already have.”

“Well, then you can again.”

Din rolled his eyes – and Luke could see that now – but his gloved hand still found its way to Luke’s ears. He let out a slight purr as Din touched them. He was gentler than most, but he didn’t treat them like he was made of glass. Luke was just used to the ruffling and scratching of Han and Chewie and Leia tugging on them to get his attention. Din gently folded his ears in his hand when giving Luke’s ears attention.

He felt Grogu shift in his arms as he climbed up on his shoulder, pulling at his cloak to reach Luke’s other ear. He winced a little at the tiny claws, but the children were all getting better at handling his ears.

Din cracked open his eyes, shining with quiet joy, and was about to say something when they both heard Artoo’s screeching from the Temple. They both turned and saw Artoo covered in younglings who wanted a ride.

Grogu saw as well and started wiggling to escape and join them. Luke put him down and watched as he toddled away.

They turned to each other, a small smile on both of their faces.

“Pick this up tonight?” Din asked.

“Whatever you say, husband.”

Artoo screeched again and Luke shook his head fondly. He walked back to the Temple before stopping in his tracks.

“Oh, I nearly forgot!” He said, jogging back.

Din was halfway to putting his helmet back on, but his wide brown eyes met Luke’s in an instant - and oh, he was utterly charmed by them.

“What?”

Luke pressed a gentle kiss to Din’s cheek. He turned to move but was held in place by Din’s arm.

“I think we can do better on our wedding.”

Luke grinned before they both moved in close for a kiss. He cupped his hands over Din’s cheeks, letting his thumbs stroke over Din’s beard. Din’s arms wrapped around his waist, landing just above Luke’s tail, which stood straight up.

Din’s sharp teeth as he bit into Luke’s lip. It lit a fire in his gut and he pulled Din closer, cupping the back of his head. The purred in tandem, deep vibrations coming from their chests that just made them clutch at each other tighter.

Artoo let out another screech, more persistent this time. They pulled back as Luke started laughing. Din kept his mirth to himself, but Luke could see in those expressive eyes that he found the droid amusing.

“Tonight?” Luke asked, a touch out of breath.

“Tonight,” Din said, voice deeper than normal.

Luke pressed one more kiss to Din’s lips before taking his hand and walking back to the Temple with him. Din slipped his helmet back on.

Not a wedding he had anticipated by any means, but one long worth waiting for.

#dinluke #skydalorian #din/luke #luke skywalker x din djarin #luke/din #tooka luke skywalker #catboy din djarin #this is just fluff because thats what i write we should know this by now #now if youll excuse me im gonna hope my IRL friend who follows me never brings this fic up ever #god bless her lack of interest in the mandalorian #kappa writes #my fanfic

[basimibnishaqs]

Luke Skywalker (for the send a character game specifically. But also just yes.)

Oh my gosh Anon, thank you for giving me the opportunity to gush about my favorite boy Luke. I probably made this way longer than it needed to be but I can’t help it— it’s Luke.

first impression: I first watched the original Star Wars movies a long time ago and honestly don’t remember much besides my dad liking it and being kind of underwhelmed. I grew up with the prequels so I definitely connected to those more (as a little girl growing up in the early 2000s I wanted to be padme so bad). I picked it up years later when I was bored and depressed one day and I watched Empire Strikes Back I think because I couldn’t find a new hope. I just fell in love with the story and especially Luke's character- he wasn’t a perfect hero and I really liked that.

impression now: Luke Skywalker is not only my favorite character in star wars, but in all of fiction pretty much. He makes the hero’s journey but inverts the message and meaning of it. For his time he is a revolutionary character; he’s a male hero that wins the day, not through killing the bad guy and extraordinary power, but through love. His dedication to choosing compassion over violence, even to a man we had been shown was terrifying and deadly. He believes in the good of his father despite being hurt by him before, and represents how love can inspire people to be their best. He represents the power of love and family and faith over power and violence and hatred. I will never get over what Luke Skywalker means as a character to me and to cinema in general.

favorite moment: Listen, the most moving, character-defining, and iconic scene in Star Wars is in rotj when Luke sees what his anger led him to do, and throws away his weapon, and says “I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” By throwing away his weapon it shows that he won’t risk hurting others even at the risk of hurting himself- he throws away even his defense and is ready to die as a Jedi and as his father’s son. His words show who he is and who he knows his father to be- a Jedi not in the traditional sense (as his masters told him killing Vader was the only way) but as a new kind of Jedi, the kind of Jedi Anakin was. The kind of Jedi who loves, and that love being their power. With the context of the prequels it makes it even better- seeing the kind of Jedi Anakin was and the kind Luke became. I could talk about this scene forever. A close second is binary sunset.

idea for a story: Oh boy, don’t even get me started. Luke as a character has so much more we could see of him past rotj. He’s rebuilding the Jedi Order nearly single-handedly. How he deals with that overwhelming weight, how he deals with his own power and balancing the dark and light within him, how he would balance trying to honor the old Jedi Order’s teachings while also honoring his own love for his family and students are all things I love to read and write about. Even if you consider other Jedi being alive post rotj; would Ahsoka Tano’s absence from Luke’s life be seen as abandonment? His lack of connection to the Jedi of the past, thousands and thousands of years of history lost or destroyed- how would he handle it? I could read a million fics about Luke post rotj and still not be satisfied.

unpopular opinion: Some people say they could never see Luke doing what he did in TFA- abandon the galaxy and his family to just die on an unknown planet. And I agree mostly- I could see Luke becoming disillusioned with the Jedi or leaving if he blamed himself for the death of his students, child, and spouse, etc. What I disagree with was the reason for his leaving. But I don’t see Luke just waiting to die on some planet (when he literally had a map to him left behind, he must have been doing SOMETHING, rian, i will fight you). I’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion but...here I’ll give you another one. I don’t care for Mara Jade and don’t want to see stuff with Luke and her.

favorite relationship: Luke and Leia’s relationship will never fail to make me emotional. So much was taken from them in the war: their families, their homes, their own sense of safety. But even more so, they were robbed of getting to grow up together, they were robbed of each other. Even if it was for their protection. They are as close as two people can be but still don’t know much about each other. They are strangers who are family. That divide must feel miles wide at times and then through the Force like nothing at all. Fun fact about me: play John William’s “Luke & Leia” and I WILL start crying. In terms of romantic relationships, dinluke is my favorite Luke ship. Their parallels and personalities are the perfect match for me.

favorite headcanon: Luke is very close with his students and considers them like surrogate children.. Also, he’s the most powerful Jedi there is or was. No, I will not accept criticism of this.

#ask #ask game

[mykingdomforasong]

I hate the dinluke tags "Cinnamon roll Luke Skywalker" and "Luke Skywalker needs a hug" and "Luke Skywalker is a sweetheart" more and more every day. These tags communicate next to nothing about the fic, unless you know already that these tags are usually associated with dark fic.

I could not imagine being a new dinluke fan trying to avoid personal triggers not knowing that these are code words for far darker themes.

To be clear, dark fic isn't the issue. Read or write what ever you want, I don't give a shit. I care about protecting myself from the psychological harm that happens when I'm accidentally exposed to my triggers, which is something far more likely to happen when we're tagging shit in code words.

Beyond that, I'm starting to see these tags used more and more for fics that otherwise don't have indicators that they're dark fics. There will be no archive warnings, no "possessive din" tag, and no "dead dove do not eat." But I can't click on the fic to find out if it is dark or not, because the author has used one of these dark fic code words. Have they under tagged a dark fic that will trigger me? Or did they just see these are popular dinluke tags and thought "yeah, Luke Skywalker does deserve a hug!"

It's turned the ao3 tag into a fucking mine field, and because there are so many of these coded tags, I can't even begin to effectively filter out tags for content that might be triggering. I want to take care of myself, I want to avoid my own triggers for my own sake without making it someone else's problem, but these fucking ridiculous tags have made that almost impossible.

#this evenings rant #im tired #theres a series i want to read by i writer i like that uses one of these tags #and the fic seems innocent enough #but i am afraid to read it #because there was one time i was reading a popular fic #and right in the middle there was suddenly extreme jealousy and possessiveness in a way i didn't expect #and way that caused me emotional harm #that the author did not warn about ahead of time #and now i don't trust like that

[transmascskywalker]

Reading about the dinluke situation (a fandom that I’m not from) and I’m suddenly gripped by the fear of the same thing possibly happening to gentlebeard. Racists and fetichists aren’t exclusive to a single fandom, sadly. So my take is that if anything is worth taking away from this, is that ppl aware of this happening that belong in other fandoms, could make sure this doesn’t happen in other fandoms/ships. Idk. I apologise if this doesn’t make any sense or if it’s unwelcome.

this makes perfect sense to me. unfortunately i’ve been feeling the same fear with gentlebeard. it’s definitely amplified in the dinluke crowd, something that’s been a real problem since the ship blew up last year.

if i had to guess it’s because the ship is entirely fandom made and started out as a rarepair/crackship, so people have to take more liberty when writing their interactions. unfortunately it seems like the racists and fetishists latched onto that part, since din and luke have never truly interacted with each other and likely never will, it gives the writer the freedom to mold their interactions however they want with no point of reference. they tend to start to ignore the characters themselves until they’ve stripped them down to the studs and replaced their personalities with fucked up BL or porn characters.

i’ve seen some of these same issues with gentlebeard and i agree with you that the takeaway is definitely to be aware. unfortunately bigotry doesn’t just vanish in fandom spaces, and most of the time people don’t want to confront their own biases, choosing instead to hide behind “live and let live” and “i don’t owe you jackshit” mentalities. there’s always gonna be some asshole who thinks a creative writing degree gives them the right to flaunt whatever unchecked biases they have and flat out ignore the groups of people they’re writing about (POC and MLM) when we tell them that their writing is harmful.

i do feel like i should say that i am white, so the conversations about fandom racism shouldn’t be based around me. i’ll support and amplify as much as i can but i won’t pretend like i’m an expert and i won’t pretend like my word should be taken as law.

what i do know is that by ignoring casual racism, fetishization, and toxicity in fandom spaces we are allowing it to continue. nobody wants conflict in a fanbase, we all want to get along and have fun, but that doesn’t mean minorities should get stepped on for the sake of others comfort. the only way to get past this is by confronting it head on. ​​being aware of and calling out issues like this as they happen is the only way to make fandoms safer places for people of color and queer fans.

#fandom stuff #can you tell i’m still clinging to the idea of a sociology degree #casper screams into the void

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

for the deep fic writer asks: 2, 10, 16 & 19

2. what’s a fic that took you to an emotional/dark/hard place?

Oh god. I'm gonna have to go back quite a few years but I wrote two fics that I have a hard time revisiting. I really need to edit one, though, because I made a creative decision that didn't work.

A Deafening Distance is a Supernatural fic where Dean said yes to Michael, and Sam and Cas are left to pick up the pieces. There is a mini cast of OCs and I thought it would be funny to name the OCs after the actors but some people found it disorienting. I keep meaning to change that but I haven't been able to visit this fic and I posted it in 2010.

Wishing Well was a Cap Kink Meme fill back when kink memes were a huge thing on LJ. It's a CATFA fic and the prompt was "kissing lessons" and it's from Howard Stark's POV and I kept the ending the same as the movie so it was... it's really sad? But it's a good kind of sad, if that makes sense.

P.S. The ficmix I made for this fic still wrecks me.

10. how has writing positively impacted your mental health or overall mood?

All I can say is, if I can't write I'll go fucking mad. My brain is always on its bullshit. I maybe spent late elementary through early middle school obsessing over 1 ginormous crossover fic that I wrote in my head; it had its own soundtrack and score and the character voices I swear were on point and it was all I could think about. I still remember it all these years later because I never wrote it down. It seared itself in my head. Being able to write is like venting a pressure cooker and keeps me sane and focused.

16. Do you re-read old fics? Is there a time in your writing you won’t go back to?

I will not touch anything I wrote and posted to FFN. I refuse. But I'll re-read old fics I posted to AO3. I spent hours tracking down all my old Transformers fics in my old external HDDs to read and feel sad over the stories I wanted to tell but couldn't. I'll revisit the massive Tronfic that imo changed my life forever and is still my personal standard that I am always reaching for with my newer fics. I'll also click the back button on some of my fics because those stories just don't cut it for me anymore. It's nice to look back on your older work to see what held up, what didn't, what trends you kept, and how much you changed since you posted those fics.

19. If you could write an ideal fic, what would it include?

My ideal fic would have a deliciously slow burn romance against a plotty backdrop steeped in political conflicts and sociopolitical change/revolution. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm still going so hard and heavy for dinluke; I get so insane just thinking about the parallels between Din and Luke and their respective cultures/heritages, the play on "enemies to lovers" but on a generational scale where Din heard stories, where Mandalorian armor and weapons are designed to fight the Jedi, and Luke? Knows not enough because he has nothing but the teachings of two Jedi ghosts, whatever he can scavenge and salvage of the Jedi Order, stories from people who still remember the Jedi. Din is of an endangered people and Luke is of a nearly extinct people, and while Din tripped and fell into being the wielder of the Darksaber, Luke chose to try to reclaim and rebuild the Order. And they only crossed paths because Din sacrificed his covert for a Jedi youngling and went through hell to reunite Grogu with his kind. It's insane. They're insane. They drive me insane.

I am also so endlessly fascinated by this post-war galaxy, the rippling consequences of the Empire's downfall, the generational conflict between people who grew up while the Empire was in power vs. people who remembered the last years of the Galactic Republic, the struggles of a New Republic building on the ashes of the Empire and memories of the Galatic Republic, all the cartels and crime syndicates/organizations rushing in to get theirs, the displaced peoples either trying to come home or make a place for themselves in a turbulent galaxy, etc, etc, etc.

Uh. Yeah. I'm that kind of fic writer/fandom person.

Fuck that was a really long answer, oops.

Play ask games, win ask prizes.

#shirozora awkwardly responds to asks #can i tag this dinluke #i'm gonna tag this #dinluke #because I will ramble forever and a half about why this ship just clicks for me #especially against this post-war backdrop like #i go fucking feral just thinking about it #which is why I'm writing a fucking trilogy working out my feels about all of this #keep it small by watching the galaxy from din's headspace but allow a glimpse into the greater galaxy's struggles #i fucking love this shit #this is why i fucking love Andor. that show just fucking does it for me #the way the first two seasons of The Mandalorian did it for me #sorry to TBOBF and Kenobi #Kenobi was fine but didn't do enough #meanwhile I have so much beef with TBOBF it almost rivals my fucking seething hatred for TLJ #ANYWAY #the other fics i mentioned exist on AO3 though I really need to sit down and edit that SPN fic #it really deserves a second pass

[thewriterowl]

Do you have a standard writing process? Particularly with long fics? I start out plotting everything to some degree and then start writing but then usually what happens is I get too excited to share it so I start posting before I finish and then my mental health just kinda goes "and we're not finishing that"

Hello! Well I try to sort of do the same--that’s how I did it with Stars. But yeah, getting all the details out can burn you out quicker than what’s fair :/

So what I’ve sort of learned to do (especially coming out from What the Stars Let in, since that thing was nearly 500 pages in like three months) was the following:

1) I had major focus points already confirmed in my head: I knew Din and Luke would have an arranged marriage, I knew I wanted Luke to share his story to the Mandalorians, I wanted Luke to fight Dark Troopers, I wanted Din to have a moment or two of jealousy, I wanted there to be a “betrayal’ from Din, I wanted Luke to sacrifice himself by stopping and moving a cruiser, i wanted them to be separated, I wanted Din to have a moment facing darkness, and then I want them together. Besides a bare skeletal structor of a story (din and luke fall in love in an arranged marriage) i focused on story-points I wanted to see happen and made it a goal to get to one....and then get to another and it made me more excited for the plot point coming next rather than trying to rush to that ending.

2) For the scenes I was really excited about I wrote a rough draft instantly. I pretty much had a draft of Luke stopping the cruiser and then “dying” since chapter two because I knew I wanted that to happen. Same with the Dark Trooper chapter. Of course a lot of details were added or changed as the story progressed but i was able to really plan things because not only did I know I wanted those scenes, I had them written out so I could figure out how to foreshadow things in regards to them easier.

3) Although I am influenced by my readers and I try to keep things “Realistic” in the story (aka, why I didn’t turn Din dark though it was a temptation) I write what I want to read. This, of course, can hinder the writing process cause you’re putting a lot of extra love into it because, being honest, i want it to inspire others to write things like it so I can read something next so if it is not well received then it can be a bad sucker-punch...but I was just like, i gotta get these moments out there regardless of the response.

4) This isn’t the best advice...but I wrote when i wanted to...basically I am mostly working from home and in a job I loathe who has drained me of most all my happiness for the past three years and has used me something bad, but I’m shackled to them cause money. Well...I write on their time now (not on my work computer lol) so I sort of had this momentum of MASSIVE writer’s spite. “Oh, you’re gonna call me in to work on my day off AGAIN????? well, ok then...tomorrow from 8 till 5, I’m writing this space-dad fic and only answering some emails”. Maybe not risk your job for a fic...but i would recommend see if you can find some sort of spite to influence you case man, that stuff works maaagiiiic. 

5) Push through the block but not necessarily in a way that burns you out. If you can’t write out the chapter you are currently on, then don’t. Skip five or more scenes ahead and just start there and then go back later and tie things in. You do not have to write your fic in chronological order, so don’t shackle yourself to it. You on a scene with Din and Luke talking about the Force, it’s needed and important, but eh, you’re not feeling it? Go on and write their love confession scene. Or their fight scene. Or something you actually DO wanna write. Go read fics, maybe go and talk to artists and writers about general things and chat. Talking to others about things, not necessarily in detail, can be huge.

6) Bringing in the things I’ve said before; this is not something you need to write chronological--so don’t. The writing can be a fun puzzle. Write the parts you want first (aka the corners as many start with as they do a puzzle) and then start connecting things. I found it a lot easier and a bit more fun to do that way.

7) If possible, and this can be hard, try to be a chapter a head of your updates. With a good chunk of Stars, I was like seven chapters ahead of myself. Not so much with this new one (and for sure not with Little Bird) but it sort of releases some worry and pressure off of you. If you have an idea for a fic, try to see if you can upload it once you have two or there chapters written (not edited, that can come as you get read to upload) and it makes you have a deadline but one that isn’t looming.

8) I also gave myself a deadline. I wanted to update at least once a week. This may not work for everyone, so it’s just about figuring out what works for you...but I think I would recommend you set up a realistic goal on how often you update.

9) Just focus on one chapter at a time as you upload. A multi-chap fic can be so easy to get lost in (I may not update some of my Avengers fic) and that’s fine. It’s disappointing and sad, for yourself, but it happens and it should not be a burden on you. You’re writing these things for fun and if it doesn’t work out, well sucks...but there was no harm or waste to it. Some free content just won’t get finished. Happens every day and it’s all good. You just take up the next wave of inspiration and try to get it finished.

10) Ensure you have fun and keep other fun projects available. That mental stuff loves to take away fun, passionate projects. it’s a miserable monster that just wants to suck you dry from it. Take yourself from the project on occasion and write a one shot (these things are miserably hard for me) and use it as an exercise. It challenges you in a different way, gets you to do something new, and can give you and your mental-monster some whiplash so that it can’t instantly take it away from you.

11) If you lose your hyper fixation/love for a pairing, don’t grip on to it for the sake of a fic. I love DinLuke now and I don’t see that changing anytime soon...but when/if it does, I’ll need to just step back and let it go and wait for it to hit in another wave later. Just enjoy the fandom as a fan and you should have a lot more joy and ease in taking part of projects that way.

Those are my little tidbits that’s helped me with stuff so far at least!