fic asks for the new year: 1 & 8

Wheee thank you so much for the ask!

I just answered #1 here šŸ™‚ so I’m going to replace it with #6 because that’s the only other question on the list I haven’t answered.

6. Which yet-to-be-started fic is first on your list?
*pulls up ideas list* Urk … ok I’m going to takeĀ ā€œyet to be startedā€ literally which helps me out as I can *whistles* ignore ones I technically should do first because they are part-started/promised.

Yikes I still can’t choose. The more I read through the list, the more unsure I become. I like my ideas – this is a problem. Erm well I can’t do the one with all the feels until I’ve finished PLL as I can only take one mammoth feel fic at a time. So either of the two Swanfire/Rumbelle Enchanted Forest AU’s or the ConArtist!Belle, Mark!Gold fic.

Really though I could practically generate a random number to pick. I want to write all the things!

8. Is there a story idea in your mental vault that you’ve never been brave enough to try writing? Is 2018 the year?
To be honest no I don’t think there is. Either I want to write it and it’s on my list, or I don’t want to and it’s not. There’s nothing I want to write but don’t feel brave enough. There’s plenty I’m not in the mood for. I think I wrote way too much smut in April and it’s completely killed my desire to write anymore. So all my fics which included smut either have to be changed to be T-rated or are permanently on hold.

Whoop this was fun! Thanks for asking me all the questions šŸ™‚

Fanfic asks for the New Year! 1 2 3 4!

*hugs you* you are the best! Thank you so much šŸ™‚

1. Do you have a word-count goal for 2018?
For fanfic? No but … I really want to finish Painting Layers of Love so I’m thinking maybe 100k minimum.

2. Will you participate in any fandom exchanges or fic challenges, etc?
I decided during RCIJ that would be my last exchange. I felt a pang when sign-ups for RSS went up but I just can’t do it anymore. I have far too many of my own projects and I don’t have time and I can’t cope with the stress.

Please don’t get me wrong I love the community aspect and I would never have met @little-inkstone without RSS 2016. I talk with her most days and I’m so glad we became friends. Exchanges just are too much pressure for me these days.

Now fic challenges? That’s a whole other kettle of fish. That’s like Monthly Rumbelling, no stress, just do it if you can and don’t worry if you can’t. I like those! BUT I do still have to prioritise my own projects so as much as I might like to participate I don’t know if I can/will.

3. Do you anticipate writing for a new fandom in 2018? Which one?
I really shouldn’t, especially not until I’ve finished my WIPs. I mean starting something new before you’ve finished is … I can’t think of the word. It seems like a bad thing to do, like I’d be letting people down.

That being said I would love to write Agents of Shield. There isn’t a bad ship there (Yo-Yo/Mack, May/Coulson and Fitzsimmons of course heh), and while I would have once said I didn’t like Daisy she’s improved. It’s just all round an incredible show. I’m also utterly in love with Killjoys (bounty hunters in space!!!!) and then there’s always the marvel movies.

I want to write what happened to Lady Sif because she wasn’t around in Thor: Ragnarok, and I want to do a Maria Hill-centric story. I did write one little ficlet from Tony Stark’s POV last year and I wouldn’t mind doing that again, he’s an awesome character. Plus there’s always the Star Wars movies. I find Anakin quite fascinating and I went into the Last Jedi with my fingers crossed goingĀ ā€œplease don’t make me fic itā€ because if Finn had been short-changed… I kinda want to write a Finn story to be honest. I love Finn šŸ™‚

Basically I want to write all the things! Don’t worry, I almost certainly won’t.

4. Do you think you’ll stop writing for a fandom in 2018? Which one?
I currently only write for one fandom – Rumbelle, and I’m not stopping that anytime soon. Rumbelle are inspiration itself, I have enough ideas on the list to keep me writing fic for years to come. So nope, can’t stop, won’t stop šŸ™‚

7. Will you change anything about the way you interact with other writers?

Hmm … yes and no.

I don’t think I do anything particularly wrong in how I interact with other writers BUT I do feel that I need to make more of an effort. I think it might have been last year I made a resolution to read and review older fics, but I haven’t even been able to keep up with current ones.

#SupportFellowWriters sounds like a sound-bite but I really do believe it’s important. Writing can be lonely, it can feel like screaming into the void. I very much hope that I’m seen as someone who is approachable and friendly. I would willingly help any writer I could. Not that I’m saying I would be able to help but I can cheer and *wave pom-poms* at least šŸ™‚

So basically I want to keep being me but I want to try harder. The comment fairy needs to go visiting a lot more often.

Ask Me? New Year fic meme

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

Thanks so much for the ask!! šŸ™‚ *hugs*

Well … I can’t post a snippet as I don’t have anything written on any WIPs. I’m kinda terrible that way. Once I start a chapter I usually finish it in reasonably short order and then I post it. Waiting is hard, I just like to post things when I have them. Although I’m more terrible for it having been 11 months on one and 9 months on another without me working on them. Where has the time gone?

Anyway I know you want me to say Painting Layers of Love. I WANT to say Painting Layers of Love. It’s just that fic is nowhere near done. It’s going to be double or triple the length at least I would think. So from a personal point of view it makes more sense to me to finish the shorter WIP so I have less to worry about.

I am trying super hard this year. I know it’s only the 2nd and so I have tons of time to screw up but I’m hopeful? I’ve organised myself to the nth degree, my alarm is going off at 5:50 so I can be at my desk for 6am for a guaranteed writing hour every day of the year. I know, I know, I said I was going to do that before and then got tired and didn’t manage it. I’m not promising that won’t happen again but I have two weeks to get used to the schedule before uni starts again.

I really, really, really want to do better. I want to write more, I want to finish stories, I want to get stuff done. I don’t want to look back at 2018, the way I look back at 2017, and feel like I totally let myself/the world down.

TLDR: Under My Skin will be finished first because that shouldn’t be more than five chapters and then I can cross it off the list.

Ask Me? New Year fic meme

For the writer meme – 9 & 10

Yay I haven’t done asks in ages. I forgot how fun it is šŸ™‚ Thank you so much!

9. Short term goals… what do you hope to complete this week or in January?
This week? I’m aiming to write everyday but my focus is on art. I’m doing a 12 panel comic/art thing on creativity for my universities comic book and it’s due on the 7th. Writing will always be my main thing but I’d like to get better at art. Signing up for my (probably rubbish) drawings to be published is probably a bit dumb but hey at least it’s making me stick to a creative deadline for the first time in six months.

In January? I really want to finish my novel. I know that’s not the answer I should give on tumblr because it should be my fic WIP’s. It’s just I started this damn book October 2016 and I’m still only just halfway through. I want to be done with it. I also want to go through some feedback I got on another novel and maybe do the edits. To be honest as much as I hate to say it I don’t think I’ll get to fanfic this month *hides*

10. Will you keep a record of all the fics you write and/or post this year?
Always hehe šŸ™‚ I am the Emperor of tracking. MyĀ ā€œfanfic year in reviewā€ wasn’t very accurate on word count because I was lazy – not because I couldn’t have totalled it to the last word because I totally could have.

Forget entire fics I can look back and tell you how much I wrote on a specific day – on a specific story. When I focus write I keep note of how much I write in the set time frame, so I can see how my speed/focus is doing. I love tracking because it shows me what I’ve done, and helps me formulate goals to do better because I’m never satisfied.

Actually forget writing I just track everything which is probably why I’m so in love with my new Apple Watch. Steps, stairs, distance, heartrate, sleep – I’m in stats heaven. Plus I installed this new app on my phone called HabitBull to remind me to drink enough water, hoover the house, read books etc. It timestamps when I do it and how many times if applicable. Same with words done everyday or hours spent drawing etc.

TLDR – Yup tracking is my thing šŸ™‚

Ask Me? New Year fic meme

Book Meme

@bookwormchocaholic thanks for the tag! šŸ™‚

1. Favourite book of all time?
Can I pick a series? I know it’s not exactly high literature but the Diagnosis Murder books by Lee Goldberg are such a joy to read. I’ve never enjoyed a set of books more and I think that should count for something.

2. What are you currently reading?
A lot of fanfic is on my TBR pile! However, I do have this Anthony Horowitz book that is begging to be read so both?

3. Have you ever considered writing a book?
More than considered. I’ve typed ā€˜The End’ on several novels thanks to NaNoWriMo šŸ™‚

4. Favourite series?
Erm I kinda already answered this *hides*

5. Book you’d like to read?
Kinda already did this one too – The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz.

6. What’s on your TBR pile?
Honestly it’s mostly fanfic because a) you guys are all so damn talented and b) I’m ashamed to say it’s free. I walk around the bookstore and wish I was a millionaire because there are so many awesome books. This morning I input a dozen titles of books I saw into the library and got a big fat zilch. I guess maybe I should try again in a year or two when they aren’t so new.

7. Favourite fictional character(s)?
Impossible to say. Characters and their stories are so intertwined and while I can see common elements in many of my favourite characters that’s not what this is asking. Characters are compelling for various reasons and I love far too many.

8. Favourite ship of all time?
Not book related but it kinda has to be Rumbelle really doesn’t it? Strangely not Beauty and the Beast though. I find Rumbelle so much better because there’s no ulterior motive. In BatB the Beast wants Belle to fall in love with him because he needs her to break his curse. Rumbelle is more romantic for me because it’s accidental love. Belle and Rumple didn’t want to fall for one another, they didn’t need the love for anything, there was nothing selfish about it, it just happened.

9. Pick up the book closest to you, open page one and write down the first paragraph.

ā€˜Like a wolf on the fold.’ In recounting the Syrian attack on the Israeli-held Golan Heights at 1400 local time on Saturday, October 6th 1973, most commentators automatically recalled Lord Byron’s famous line. There is also little doubt that that is precisely what the more literary (<– hehe found a typo in the book) inclined Syrian commanders had in mind when they placed the final touches on the operations plans that would hurl more tanks and guns at the Israelis than any of Hitler’s vaunted panzer generals had ever dreamed of having.
– Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy

10. What’s the 1st fandom you were in?
The Royal/Heartbeat – I was eleven.

Tagging: @rumple-belle, @mariequitecontrarie, @sarashouldbestudying and @little-inkstone. If you don’t want to/already done it then no worries šŸ™‚ and sorry for the bother.

Holiday Tag Thing

Thanks @mariequitecontrarie I hope you have an amazing christmas! *hugs*

Name/Nickname: Samantha/Sam
Gender: Female
Favorite Cold Weather Drink: Coffee I guess
White or Colored Holiday lights: Either but they have to be fairy lights, not LED or they give me a migraine. LED are too bright.

Favorite Winter Sport: N/A
# of Blankets I Sleep With: Depends how cold I am. I always have a duvet and sometimes I have a second duvet, and I have been known to have 2 blankets on top of that.

Preferred Holiday Confection: Fake chocolate cake
What I’m Currently Wearing: Blue slacks, purple/crimson t-shirt with a crown that says ā€œEvil isn’t born it’s madeā€ and a red christmas sweater which has a white dog wearing headphones on it.

Preferred Snowy Weather Activity: Staying inside all day, Britain is not equipped, driving is not safe. Honestly we barely ever have enough snow to do anything. If we did then I’d attempt to make a snow creature of some description.

Last Thing You Baked: A birthday cake for my mum … five years ago? I’m not much of a baker.

Homemade Gifts or Store Bought Gifts: I love to give people anything that is humanly possible for me, so long as it brings a smile to their face that’s what matters. So either is good, it’s just whatever they want šŸ™‚

Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: I really don’t like christmas movies. My mum is mad for them and starts watching them in October or whenever TrueChristmas starts airing on Freeview. Does Iron Man 3 count? That’s set at christmas and Tony gets Pepper a big bunny and blows up all his suits.

Open Presents Eve or Morning: Christmas morning after breakfast.

Favorite Holiday Song: ā€œA Winter’s Taleā€ – The Magnets. I need to fic this.

Tagging: @sarashouldbestudying, @rumple-belle, @theoneandonlylittlebird, @bookwormchocaholic – I hope you guys are having a relaxing and enjoyable day!

6 Movies I’ll Always Watch

@theoneandonlylittlebird thanks for the tag! šŸ™‚

Ordinarily I would do gifs but I’m on the iPad and that isn’t very tumblr friendly.

1) The Princess Diaries – my ultimate feelgood movie, no clue why I love it so much but I’ve watched it so many times I can practically quote the whole thing. It’s just made of happy things.

2) Fools Gold – I just love the visuals, the yacht and the ocean and it’s a fun caper movie and again it’s like a feelgood thing. I just flat out enjoy it.

3) Sister Act – some movies age well and this is one of the timeless ones. The wardrobe and hair styles might date it but Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith are just so watchable that I’m drawn in every time.

4) Marvel Movies – yeah, yeah I know it’s a series and not a particular movie but to be honest pick any one and I would always be willing to sit and watch it. They are enjoyable and especially as a series there is always something that appeals. It’s like they are allĀ ā€˜superhero’ movies but they cover genres as well and plus they have that kind of banter comedy I love where they don’t take themselves that seriously.

5) Sherlock Holmes – I watched both of these twice in a week recently and wasn’t bothered at all. Robert Downey Jr. is just incredible and they are such stylistic movies. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the third one will eventually come out of development hell because *grabby hands*

6) Star Trek Reboot Movies – unpopular opinion this one but I just love Karl Urban as Bones, and Simon Pegg as Scotty, and the Spock/Uhura romance. I loved how they made the reboot work within universe as an alternate timeline and had Leonard Nimoy appear. I know this has a lot of critics but I enjoy it.

J – Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

Wow erm lots of things I guess. I mean you’re saying fandom but outside of gifsets it’s more awareness of the show/movie etc. I might have vaguely heard of it but obviously seeing it live and in colour makes more of an impression.

I know that’s a bit of a non-answer so I’m going back to two things I think I’ve mentioned before.

1) Farscape – I had heard of this pre-tumblr and I’d watched the first episode to try it. I decided I didn’t like it and dismissed it. Post-tumblr and all the amazing gifsets and I bought the complete boxset. I have four episodes left + the miniseries before I’ve seen everything. I never would have given it another try and discovered how entertaining it is if not for tumblr.

2) Agents of Shield – this is for fandom awareness. I loved the show pre-tumblr and tumblr couldn’t make me love it anymore because that’s simply not possible. Although saying that every time I watch it I swear I love it more – it just keeps getting better and better, but I digress. Tumblr gave me an outlet to show my love but I have just stuck to reblogging gifsets. I’ve gradually learned more about the AoS fandom and I’d love to participate but I kinda made my choice. I only have time for one fandom and I’ve made too many friends, and got too many projects, for Rumbelle to even consider walking away. Rumbelle is it for me in the fandom stakes, so I just watch AoS from afar šŸ™‚

buttercup: do you prefer to write requests or come up with your own things? (Let me know if this has been asked, and I’ll send in another question)

It hasn’t been asked šŸ™‚ Thank you! *hugs*

This is a tricky one because I’m not sure. On one hand I like requests a) because they are basically prompts and they get my mind spinning and coming up with ideas is fun, b) because I like making people happy. Plus I’m a shallow creature and hopefully with a request at least one person will then say something nice.

On the other hand with all the prompts and requests I do I don’t get the time to write many of my own ideas. I try and get round this sometimes by making the prompts fit my existing ideas but that often doesn’t work. I came up with the ideas because I loved them and it’s a bit like they are taunting me. I want to write ALL THE THINGS but life gets in the way. Mostly I’m just too tired and of course everything takes time.

So yeah I’m not sure. I guess I should pick rather than just say I like both because unfortunately – time – means I do have to choose what to write. Ugh I don’t know!! Pros and cons to both. I guess ultimately probably I like my own ideas best but you see requests become my own ideas too, so it’s all stuff I love to write – impossible question.