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Ficlet: Untitled

So apparently my brain’s solution to ‘I have two sets of fic I should be working on and I don’t know which one to work on first,’ is 'start a new universe in my head.’ So. Er. Here, have a (fantasy, though that’s not explicitly delved into in this) AU, with F!France/England, F!France<-F!Canada->England. F!Canada is Madeline, and F!France is Marianne. I just randomly snagged vaguely relevant placenames out of history. …This would be a whole lot less angsty if it wasn’t from Madeline’s point of view. ;;;

It takes three weeks after her arrival from Gallia for The Lady Madeline Williams, the sole child and only remaining family of the Duke of Vesperia, Lord Matthew Williams, to realise she is totally, hopelessly and irrevocably in love with the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Wessex, His Royal Highness, Prince Arthur.

It is not lust – or, at the very least, not lust alone; Arthur is handsome, Madeline knows none will honestly deny that, but it is in an almost peculiar way. He has his family’s fairness and green eyes – and with them he had inherited a dark set of formidable eyebrows, half-hidden under a forever-mussed fringe, and a tendency to burn rather than tan under the summer sun. He is slim – but set next to other men it seems almost to the point of skinny – and though he is a mage, and people whisper he is fae-touched, his hands are not as lily-soft as the old tales say they should be. No, Arthur’s hands are calloused from both sword and bow, the man apparently being more skilled with the latter, though Madeline has not seen the prince display his talents for either. The flex of his thighs and arse is beautifully distracting when he is upon a horse – but he flares a violent red when he notices himself being watched, suddenly self-conscious, sharp-tongued and curling up into defensiveness.

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I think it’s important to realize you can miss something, but not want it back.

Paulo Coelho (via wordsthat-speak)

Writing Prompts to Get to Know Your Characters Better

I’ve created a list of 48 different scene prompts to get more familiar with your characters and their relationships, that are more fun (in my opinion) than lists of deep questions to ask yourself about them. Feel free to do as many (or as few) if you want. If you answer any, please tag me!

Individual Characters

Write a description of them from the point of view of their best friend or a person who has a crush on them.

Write a description of them from the point of view of a person who absolutely hates them.

Write their earliest or favorite memory.

Design what their Instagram page would look like. (Yes, even if they’re from a time when they don’t have Instagram.)

Write their death scene, even if you’re not planning on killing them within the piece.

Alternatively, write them a eulogy or obituary.

Your character is in high school, and has become valedictorian and has to give a speech at graduation. Write it.

Write a letter of recommendation for this character. For what? I don’t care. Write it.

Your character has a YouTube channel. Write the script for their most watched video.

Write the notes written on the doctor or therapist’s clipboard after a meeting with the character.

Your character has been arrested. Write the news posting.

What song did your character make an embarrassing dancing video to as a child?

Your character has become a celebrity and is on a talk show, telling the story of a traumatic childhood memory…

One-On-One Friendships

First meeting scene has been done so many times. Write the first fight instead.

Write a series of text conversations between the two.

How would they behave at an elementary school sleepover?

One friend has been detained–arrested, grounded, detention, you choose–and the other is trying to convince the detainer to let them out.

The two decide to enter the school talent show, solely for the $50 Cheesecake Factory gift card prize.

For whatever reason, they must pretend to be siblings. Bonus points if they are different races or just look nothing alike.

One friend got evicted, and has to live with the other for a week.

They’ve been working on a joint bucket list since they became close. Write the list.

One is extremely drunk and the other must stop them, as they have decided that now is the time when they just have to…

Your characters reunite in a nursing home in their 90s after not having seen each other for at least a decade.

A creep hits on one of them, and as friends do, they pretend they’re dating to ward off said creep. Only problem? Said creep keeps showing up.

The maid of honor/best man speech.

Friend Groups

They’ve been in a car together for 6 hours on a road trip, and someone tries the dreaded “Are we there yet?”.

A group picture goes horribly wrong. Write the scene– or draw the picture if you’re a visual artist.

It’s middle school. There’s a snow day. Everyone goes sledding. And then…

Compile the memes that are most commonly sent in the group chat.

They discover one of them has never seen Star Wars. Write the following discourse and movie marathon.

Look up “Most likely to” challenges on YouTube, write down the best questions, and use them with the group. Even better, write a scene where the group is using them with each other.

Write your characters as overly passionate PTA members planning the next school fundraiser.

One of them goes out of town, and the group has to watch their house/plants/pet/kid while they’re gone.

A member of the group was minorly wronged. Everyone decides to enact petty revenge.

The wedding was going so well, until the rest of the friends decided to make the reception a little more interesting.

One friend works at a restaurant. The rest decide to eat there while the friend is working. Describe how the group gets the friend fired in one night.

For whatever reason, nobody can go home for Thanksgiving. They decide to have Thanksgiving together instead.

Romantic Relationships

Write a breakup scene. Doesn’t matter if they’re not going to break up in your piece.

Write the moments when they each knew.

One’s meeting the other’s parents for the first time, and accidentally lets slip that…

The siblings/friends scheming together about how to get the two to date without being creepy.

Write the stupidest argument they’ve ever had.

What text message conversation is framed in their apartment/house?

Somehow kill one of them, and let the other react.

It’s Valentine’s Day. The couple goes out to eat, when both of their exes walk in… with each other.

The Mario Kart match neither of them is allowed to talk about.

They’re not speaking. Write the development of the fight only through conversations with the buffer friend.

Write a proposal scene, even if you’re not planning on them getting married in your piece.

They return to the place where they first met/kissed/dated. Somehow, the place has been changed, and not for the better.

Kiss your own fingertips, and hug your own curves. You are made of waves and honey and spicy pepper when it’s necessary. You ARE a goddess, I hope you haven’t forgotten.

Emery Allen (via love-empowerment)

Link / Link

- Stephen Hawking

canon: they died

fanfic: fUCK YOU

The Fic Writer’s Beatitudes

Blessed are the readers, for theirs is the archive.

Blessed are the betas: for they help us write the stories we see in our hearts. Blessed are they that kudo, for they reassure us that someone likes what we’ve done. Blessed are the rebloggers and reccers, for they help the readers find our work. Blessed are they which leave comments on a WIP that say something other than “write more please”: for they comfort us when we feel taken for granted. Blessed are the commenters; for their words bring us joy. Blessed are the loyal fans, for they keep the fandom alive. Blessed are the fan artists, for they bring our worlds to life before our eyes. Blessed are they which read an entire long fic and comment each chapter, for the string of comment notifications fills the writer’s heart with delight. Blessed are ye, who rec our fics in public and tag us, for seeing that we made somebody squee is the light in our days. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in fandom.

when you’re stressed: 

this is temporary, this will pass.

i will not let stress overcome me.

i am living for the present, where i am calm and focused.

my stress will not be my downfall. 

when you’re about to hand up an assignment: 

i have no doubts in my ability to succeed. 

this represents my sound ability to learn, develop and succeed. 

i am intelligent and capable of successfully completing this assignment. 

when you need a little motivation:

i will accomplish all of my goals. 

i will stay attentive to all my work today. 

i am worthy of success.

i have an abundance of knowledge that must be used to my advantage. 

when you’re preparing for a test:

i am competent.

i am working to the absolute best of my ability.

i am a successful student.