Author Archives: Sam

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You know you’ve been thinking about Rumbelle fanfic a bit too much when you start dreaming about it.

Last night I had this weird dream. It was half watching the fanfic idea unfold, and half knowing that I was plotting the fanfic and then going “well that’s a bit cliche, try doing something different?” and then turning it around and thinking of other possibilities. It was even complete with me mentally groaning that one idea would have been plenty, and now I had two and was that really necessary?

Although unfortunately (or fortunately depending on point of view) I can only remember bits and pieces. As is quite often with dreams the more I think about it, trying to remember, the more it fades away and becomes fuzzy.

Still I thought it was quite cool to dream about rumbelle fic 🙂

Under My Skin Belle: What sort of fiction do you write? Also, do you think a Scotsman might one day end up in one of your stories? :)

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Belle: My author hasn’t updated me in six months. I’ve been stuck on this car drive for forever.

(OOC: Sorry I know I’m not really amusing, I’m attempting to joke to mask my shame. Has it really been six months? Where has the time gone?)

Real answer…

Belle: I’m not picky on genre. I like exploring characters in all sorts of different environments, it depends on what speaks to me. I go through phases I suppose in which one setting inspires me more than others. Although I also confess the research can be a procrastination tactic. I rather enjoyed my Regency period, the amount of books I devoured … but I digress.

Could a certain scotsman end up in one of my books one day? Well they say art imitates life, or was it life imitates art? Either way it’s certainly possible some traits could appear especially in a romantic lead… *blushes* I mean, well there are some attractive *clears throat* I’m going to stop now.

Do you think we’ll see even more people (try to) steal the Dark One’s dagger in the new season?

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I hope not!

I do need to admit to a bias before I answer really. I have issues with the dagger. I mean actually that’s not true. I have issues with how casually it is treated on the show. People take it and use it against Rumple and seem to think it’s nothing. The dagger forces him to do as commanded, he loses all free will. Now you know what a big fan of Regina I am, and as a redeemed villain and fellow magic-user she’s the best example to use for comparison.

Nobody has ever tried to put some kind of control device on Regina. Even when she was at her worst, nobody tried to strip her of her free will. Whereas people treat the dagger so casually, I wonder sometimes if they’d use it on Rumple to get out of a parking fine or something else equally minor. I know I’m being ridiculous with that statement but the way using the dagger has been portrayed in the show, it’s been like using it has no consequences.

Anyway, I could rant about this for ages, so I’m going to shift gears slightly. Rumple didn’t lose the dagger for almost the entire time he was the Dark One. Then especially come season 5/season 6 it was like he was losing it practically every other episode (I know that’s an exaggeration but my point stands). Rumple knows what the dagger can do, he’s not a careless man by nature, so why has it been so easy for people to steal the dagger?

In my opinion the dagger has become something of a “get out of jail free card” for the writers. They need Rumple to do something, or to not get in someone’s way etc. and rather than think of a legitimate reason, they just have somebody take his dagger so that he does whatever is necessary.

So yeah I loathe the dagger for multiple reasons. I hate it for stripping away Rumple’s free will. I hate that there are never any consequences for that. I mean I know it probably contributed to Rumple’s mental state in season 6 as he was in a terrible place, but I’m not just talking about consequences for Rumple, but consequences for the people that use the dagger. If “all magic comes with a price” surely controlling the Dark One and using his magic should come with a price? Plus controlling another human being shouldn’t be something that is done so casually, it’s fundamentally wrong. Shouldn’t any of the main characters have at least some conscience pangs about it?

Sorry I’m going on again. Basically I would be happy if the dagger never came up again. Say Rumple has it locked up in a safe place if they must and then leave it at that. They don’t ever show consequences for using it, and I’m sick of them using it as a way to stop Rumple from getting in the way. My greatest wish for season seven is that they stop finding ways to bring Rumple down, if the villain is an evil like we’ve never seen, then let them be powerful enough that Rumple can go full power on them. Let’s see every inch of the power he commands, not just magically but tactically.

However while I hope the dagger won’t be a factor, I rather suspect that it will be. It’s far easier for them to hobble Rumple, and they like him to be on the villains side and as Rumple is redeemed and looking out for his family, how else are they going to get him to be all evil? They’ll have to have him commanded. That’s my pessimism talking though. *cross fingers* I’m wrong on this score and my hopes come true and the dagger is ignored.

WIP meme — water; hand(s); baby; magic.

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From untitled oneshot (to be posted next Tuesday if I can stop adding details)

Her eyes had widened, her heart beating furiously in her chest, as she watched the senseless tragedy unfold helpless to do anything … then the boy had been lifted into the air by invisible hands, before being gently lowered back down.

It had made him embrace the clerics and their beliefs in the evil of magic even more.

35 and 41?

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35. Do you like high school and college AUs?
I think there are very few AU’s that I would say I dislike on principle. I know that high school/college AU’s have a bit of a bad name but I do try and not judge anything on it’s labels. If it’s well written and in character then that’s all that matters. A skilled writer can take any AU and make it spell-binding and interesting and keep me hanging on every word. So yeah, basically why not?

41. Favorite fluffy tropes?

I really should make a list of tropes to make answering these questions easier. I know I have knowledge of tropes so why can I never remember the names when I get questions like this? I just googled and wow somebody needs to make a list of fluffy prompts. That was an impromptu explanation of various kinks that I could have done without.

Basically I’m a sucker for communication. Pure fluff is impossible to write (for me at least) because without some kind of conflict I can’t move the story along. It can be very minor conflict but something has to happen. In a fluff story though the characters talk about it. They are sensitive to each others moods and there’s lots and lots of hugging and snuggles. I like reading/writing about just simple “being together” moments, like snuggling on the couch with one reading a book and the other watching TV, or one of them doing paperwork. They aren’t demanding each others attentions, they are just comfortable spending time with each other.

I quite like hurt/comfort I guess so long as whatever happened wasn’t really bad. I think the term for what I don’t like is whump? Though I don’t understand that term really. I’ve just seen it applied to when the character is put through something awful just so they suffer. I don’t like that. But if one character has a cold and then the other brings them food and drink and tucks them up with a blanket that’s sweet. Lots of hugs and gooey nonsense heh.

Did I mention the hugs? Yeah being tactile and loving is a very important part of fluff and I guess all of this that I’ve talked about is established relationship. They are either already romantically involved or friends, but then best friends to lovers is one of my favorites so /shrug I guess I’m just predictable 🙂

TMI Tuesday

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Ask me about the show. Ask me anything about my fics, ask my characters anything. You can send me a word and if it’s in my WIP doc then I’ll post a teaser snippet. I accept prompts for any of my existing verses.

This week I posted:
Nothing because I world build too much but word is open and I definitely will have posted at least one thing before next Tuesday. I’m aiming for two things but one is a definite. So there’s that 🙂 Please ask me things!

Ask Box

Masterlist

You could also ask me a question off any of these lists.

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Well this oneshot I’m supposed to post tomorrow just exploded *sigh* I always do too much world building. Did I really need to go into that much detail?

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I really don’t want to fail my plan straight away because that’s just too pathetic for words. So can we maybe pretend like a little bit that as I only made the plan yesterday, that I didn’t mean this Tuesday? *whistles* I mean that would be reasonable right? *guilt* *guilt* Speaking of guilt, I got a review on Painting Layers of Love today. *dies of shame* soon I promise!

Fic Status Update

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I haven’t done one of these in a while because I hit a real writing slump. It was embarrassing only listing one fic in a month so I stopped. Doing it mid-month seems a bit odd but I really admire @worryinglyinnocent for their schedule and how organized and dedicated they are (hope you don’t mind the tag, you are brilliant!). I used to be a little bit like that and now my real life is starting to settle again, I’m hoping to regain my oomph and get back to at least writing semi-regularly. Therefore mid-month or not I’m not waiting until a more auspicious date 🙂

Under the cut is a list of what I’ve posted since the last time I did one of these. However first I’m going to talk about my plans. I know that probably means they’ll fall apart in an instant (plans are like that) but having some kind of path to follow, is much easier than being all at sea.

If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s lists. I have:
– 3 WIP’s
– 5 non-posted WIP’s
– 5 started fics
– 8 continuation ideas
– 17 new ideas
Total = 38

I was all at sea. It’s been so long not even my WIP’s seemed particularly pressing. I really needed a deadline or some kind of schedule. I talked with a friend who said to ease back into it with a oneshot. I looked through my list and … *drum roll* I only had 1 idea out of 38 that didn’t look like a multi-chapter. Is that ooops or good? Who knows.

Anyway THE PLAN is to write that oneshot and post it on Tuesday (yay for posting something heh). Then the Tuesday after post a chapter of a WIP (*falls over* I know right?), then the Tuesday after that a chapter of another WIP. So all I’m demanding is a chapter a week to begin with. Once I’ve got started it might well ramp up to more but I’m trying to be reasonable.

PLUS I’ve got so unfocused even with reading. There’s authors I absolutely adore who have posted fics I haven’t read. I’ve got behind on everything (psst I’m even behind on gifsets) it’s getting a bit silly. I mean I know my focus is bad when I can’t even sit and read a fic without my mind wandering. It used to be more like I’d be trying to write and my mind would wander to read a fic.

So yes now it’s in black and white, so I kinda have to do it or face eternal shame. You hear that self? Go word!

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Fanfiction asks! 6, 10, 42, 45

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Thanks for the ask! 🙂 🙂 Wow these questions are hard! *puts on thinking cap*

6. Favorite fic (or one of them)?
*cries* how can I possibly choose? Shall I do “eeny meeny miny mo”? Pick a random number? I mean this fandom is so damn talented! So definitely, definitely only one of the many, many fics that I love. Please no mistake about that! I think I have to go with Friendships and Fandoms by @worryinglyinnocent purely because it gave us Star Force!

I think Worry is a magician or something because she’s made me a huge fan of a show that technically doesn’t exist. I want at least 10 seasons of it. It would definitely rank up among my favorite shows ever. Can we get this made somehow? I mean seriously, it should be real!

10. Favorite trope/element/scenario in fic?
Hmm I find this really hard to answer. It’s like the second I read this question my mind goes blank and I can’t think of any. I should make a list of all the possibilities to help my brain at times like this. Anyway I think I’m going to go with best friends to lovers. I just adore mutual support and friendship and communication and working together. I love established relationship fic. I mean bizarrely given how much I read/write “getting together” fics my definite favorite is when an established couple faces a problem and tackles it as a team.

42. Least favorite fluffy tropes?
Erm oh crumbs I don’t know. Like I said my brains gone blank. Probably when everything is fluffy when I know it can’t be really. I like things to be justified, and to make sense, and for there to be reasons behind things. I suppose it’s a bit like on the actual show when instant-forgiveness happens. These things take time and problems can’t be solved with one conversation. People might know in their heads something, but their hearts take a while to process. I’m not sure I’m explaining this right. I guess I like the fluff to be quasi-realistic. If it’s perfect then how do they know they are happy?

45. Favorite fluff fic?
Same trouble as no. 6 how to choose??? However … I admit a certain fic did pop into my head the second I read the question. I remember fangirling exceptionally hard in the comments. It just hit all the buttons for brilliance. I was smiling so hard and waving my hands in the air. I just couldn’t stop gushing. So yeah the Passing Inspection verse by well you @mariequitecontrarie 🙂

Ask Me? Fanfiction Asks

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aerynfrellingsun:

The Tok’ra of SG1

↳ Requested by @nonpossumplurascribere

The Tok’ra really were as arrogant as the Goa’uld in many respects. I found them fascinating, and actually calling them arrogant is probably arrogant in itself because I can see it from their point of view. I think it would have been interesting if they had done an episode or even a mini-series from the point of view of a race like the Tok’ra. We are always the heroes in our own stories but what do the other aliens think of the Tau’ri?

I really liked Jacob/Selmak and cheered everytime he was on screen. The other Tok’ra not so much, I wasn’t fond of Martouf but I did actually have respect for Malek. They are extremely interesting regardless and their outfits definitely improved in later seasons.