Tag: memes

11, 20, 23 for the writers’ ask meme? :D

11.

what aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

Dialogue. I’ve gotten so much better at writing dialogue that doesn’t sound over the top or stilted, or at least I think I have. I’ve learned to let characters interrupt each other and misunderstand each other and finish each other’s thoughts the way that people actually do in real conversations.

20. 

do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts? It varies. If I’m really working hard on getting something done, I write in long sessions, but the best scenes get written in short spurts because I’ve just pictured what’s happening in my head and have to get it down quickly.

23. 

any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing? If you’ve seen some of my other posts you probably know that I did not have the best childhood. We were poor as fuck. My parents didn’t quite hate each other but they lived in separate parts of the house and sort of high-key resented each other, and that meant that I spent a lot of time trying to balance between the two of them and didn’t always manage it. I also spent most of my childhood being bullied mercilessly by my classmates, which is to say that home was a battlefield of sorts and school was no better. The end result is that I would say I’m kind of an expert on people reading, which has helped my writing immensely. I had no choice but to become extremely sensitive to people’s moods and know how to read faces, and I think it’s really helped with understanding what’s going through characters’ heads at any given moment. Honestly it’s probably why I can relate to both Silver and Thomas a lot.  

rules – copy this post into a new text post, remove my answers and put in your own. when you are done tag up to 10 people and also tag the person that tagged you….most importantly, have fun!

i was tagged by @whatifimacrowdeddesert. thanks!

a / age – 28
b / biggest fear – I’ll go between emotional and too personal and standard and say Starz fucking me up forever and killing Flint in season 4
c / current time – 8:30-ish (it’s now after 10 I stopped doing this to watch 4×02)
d / drink you had last – chamomile tea
e / everyday starts with – coffee, or someone’s getting hurt
f / favourite song – oh gods I can’t pick. I love music too much
g / ghosts are real? – probably even if only in a stored energy/universe replaying an echo for its own amusement kind of way. Why wouldn’t emotional energy leave a residue?
h / hometown – is the reason that I answered the way I did to the above. it’s haunted as fuck, at least supposedly.
i / in love with – silence
j / jealous of – anybody that gets to go through life taking risks and not understanding how terribly fragile they are, which is to say people who had real childhoods
k / killed someone – I’m told some of my fics are murderous, but no one seems to have actually died yet, so no
l / last time you cried – a week ago and some change. I don’t normally cry easily.
m / middle name – leigh
n / number of siblings – 1 
o / one wish – for chapter 16 to write itself
p / person you last called/texted – no idea. I never text and I don’t call people unless I absolutely have to
q / questions you’re always asked –  oh that is a long list. I work in customer service.
r / reasons to smile – um…. kittens are a thing. I mean, not at my house, just in general, although I do have adorable kitties. I get to spend the day alone to write and I don’t have a pounding headache this time. I totally called a line of dialogue in Black Sails which proves that I understand a certain character better than I thought I did. Also, @whatifimacrowdeddesert – you should totally post pictures of your crochet niffler when it’s done!
s / song last sang – I have no idea, I sing a lot really. 
t / time you woke up – a bit after 8
u / underwear color – black
v / vacation destination – somewhere warm. 
w / worst habit – Um… multitasking and forgetting one of the tasks part way through and then having to come back and remember what step I was on. 
x / xrays you have had – dental and nothing else really. I’ve never broken anything to need them done.
y / your favourite food – spaghetti and barbeque chicken wings
z / zodiac sign – Virgo

Tagging @iwtv2007​, @shirogiku, @reluming, @flintstille, and anyone else that wants!

I was tagged by the lovely Cynthia (@reluming). Thanks!

Rules: complete the survey and say who tagged you in the beginning. when you’re finished, tag people to do this survey. have fun and enjoy!

1: Are you named after someone? No – that was one of my dad’s biggest things when they were naming me, actually. He didn’t want me named after Great Aunt so-and-so or living up the legacy of Blah-Blah. He wanted my name to be a. mine and b. nothing anyone could ever turn into an insult.

2: When was the last time you cried? Last night. Yesterday was…. not good.

3: Do you like your handwriting? Yes, actually. It’s kind of old-fashioned (by which I mean it looks like it crawled out of the eighteenth century or so).

4: What is your favourite lunch meat? honestly if I had to choose one barbequed chicken. I’m not really a ham fan unless there’s swiss cheese and mustard involved, and turkey’s way too dry. Roast beef is ok.

5: Do you have kids? Nope. Do not want. 

6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you? I mean – what kind of other person am I? Am I just me? Because I don’t make friends easily, I really don’t. I’m terrible at keeping in touch, I’m absolute pants at emotional support in any meaningful way, and generally just so much better at writing than I am at talking. On the other hand, I’m smart, I have a good sense of humor, and I consider myself to have at least one cool hobby, so…. I guess?

7: Do you use sarcasm? I snark, therefore I am.

8: Do you still have your tonsils? Yep.

9: Would you bungee jump? Oh hell no. 

10: What is your favourite kind of cereal? Cocoa Crispies or honey nut Cheerios. Don’t judge me.

11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? I usually don’t wear shoes that have laces, but no, not if I can help it.

12: Do you think you’re a strong person? Emotionally? I literally wouldn’t be here if I weren’t. Physically? Lol no. I used to be but that’s been years ago.

13: What is your favourite ice cream? Oh man. Tough question. Um…. I guess it’s going to have to be this one kind of peanut butter/peanut butter cup ice cream they serve at Friendly’s. It’s freaking amazing. 

14: What is the first thing you notice about people? I guess hair and face shape? 

15: What is the least favourite physical thing you like about yourself? Where do I start? You know what? How about I don’t, at all. I’m trying to learn to love myself this year.

16: What colour pants and shoes are you wearing now? Black shoes and black pants.

17: What are you listening to right now? The chatter of the people across the hall wrapping up a luncheon.

18: If you were a crayon, what color would you be? I’d say silver but those were always crappy crayons that didn’t work and didn’t make anything silver, so blue. Something nice and royal blue.

19: Favourite smell? The paper and glue smell inside a book store or a library, or the mud and green things smell you get stepping outside in late April or early May.

20: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? Oh gods. I talk to so many people on the phone at work. I think the last one was someone I knew when I was a student who now works in a different office.

21: Favorite sport to watch? Not a sports fan at all. Equestrian competitions can be kind of cool. Ice skating is nice, but I don’t watch either of those regularly.

22: Hair color? Dark brown.

23: Eye color? Also really dark brown.

24: Do you wear contacts? No, just glasses.

25: Favourite food to eat? Spaghetti. No contest. I love it. 

26: Scary movies or comedy? Comedy, unless the scary movie is really, really well done. Like… Woman in Black level of good. I’m really picky about my horror movies (yes @meshqwert, I know. I can hear you rolling your eyes from here).

27: Last movie you watched? Um… Rogue One? I think? Unless we’re talking just regular movies I’ve watched at home, in which case – The Recruit with Colin Farrell. 

28: What color of shirt are you wearing? Grey shirt with little blue flowers on it

29: Summer or winter? Summer. Winter can go away and stay away.

30: Hugs or kisses? Hugs. Kisses are something I prefer people not to do – just keep your lips away from me unless we’re on a date and I’ve invited that kind of contact, please and thank you.

31: What book are you currently reading? I’ve got so many books to read right now. I just finished the first Rivers of London novel and I’m planning on starting Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss if I ever get a lunch break ever again.

32: Who do you miss right now? I… don’t know that I miss anyone, really. I regret that I never got the chance to really know certain people that died way too young and while I was still a child. I have a few friends that have moved out of state but I don’t know that I miss them – we’d grown apart a bit before they moved so it wasn’t exactly a blow and we still keep in touch at least a little. I miss certain states of being more than I miss specific people. I miss the days when I had a family and a stable life and was too young to understand how lucky I was.

33: What is on your mouse pad? The only one I use is my work mouse pad and it’s blue. Just blue.

34: What is the last TV program you watched? Medici

35: What is the best sound? Silence is lovely. I adore silence when I can get it.

36: Rolling Stones or The Beatles? Don’t like either.

37: What is the furthest you have ever travelled? London, back in 2008.

38: Do you have a special talent? Special? Writing, I guess? Other than that… idk, I’m fairly ordinary? I can learn new languages better and faster than most people I know? 

39: Where were you born? United States. I was literally born on a battlefield, and that’s all the closer I’m getting to naming a town.

tagging @iwtv2007, @whatifimacrowdeddesert, @gedsparrowhawk, @flintstille, @flinthamilton, and anyone else that wants to do it!

10 Kickass Lady Characters from 10 Fandoms

So, I wasn’t tagged, but I’m always down for talking about female characters that are awesome, so here’s my version of this meme:

1. Madi Scott – Black Sails

2. Contessina di Bardi – Medici

3. Galadriel – Tolkien

4. Minerva McGonagall – Harry Potter

5. Peggy Carter – Marvel

6. Martha Costello – Silk

7. Meg Riley – Whitechapel

8. Billy Lurk – Dishonored

9. Isabella – Dragon Age

10. Sloane – Indexing Series by Seanan McGuire

Tagging anyone who wants to do it! 

3 5 6 7 9 for the fic ask meme :)

flintsredhair:

Thanks! Questions 5,6, and 7 I’ve answered elsewhere but 7 I’m going to answer again because I have a few other things I love to share.

7. Favorite description or bit of narration: 

The sight took his breath away. James Flint was laughing – really, truly laughing, and it took years off his face, smoothed out lines and created others around his eyes in a truly fascinating way. Mr. De Groot was standing, looking puzzled, and Flint bent at the waist, resting his hands on the tops of his thighs to keep himself from falling over at whatever had been said. He was – Jesus, he was happy, in a way that Silver had never seen since he had come on board the Walrus for the first time. – Cure for Sorrow, Chapter 3

He looks at her, and she cannot speak, only gather him to her, his head resting against her shoulder as his shoulders shake and he lets out a small sob. This cannot last more than a few months. Please, dear God, it cannot, because she cannot let him keep doing this to himself for any longer than that – cannot keep asking him to sacrifice heart and soul in the name of the man they both love. – Four for a Boy, Chapter 1

He leaned against the wall, and felt Miranda place one hand on his arm, drawing him closer until finally he pulled her into an embrace, hands shaking, and she allowed it, her head resting against his shoulder and hands gently clutching at his shirt, nails lightly scratching against his skin beneath it. They stood, silently holding onto one another for a long moment, and then he drew away, giving her a tired smile. – They That Sow the Wind, Chapter 9

For a moment, she appeared nonplussed. The expression was gone almost as quickly as it had come, but it had been there – a moment of surprise, followed by pleasure at being consulted. She had not been expecting the question, he realized – too used to being overlooked. Miranda had more than once complained of the same, enough that he recognized the moment for what it was. – They That Sow the Wind Chapter 10

It was, he knew, one of the man’s regular haunts, although in past years it had not been so much accustomed to his presence when he elected to spend the night talking with one of his officers while not at sea. Now, though, Hennessey’s table had a rather… lived-in look that suggested that he had been sitting there for some time. His hat sat at the table next to him, and there was an empty bottle sitting nestled in a corner, while its twin, still largely full, sat by the Admiral’s elbow. He was sitting, staring into the distance, and Isaac winced when he realized that no glass accompanied either bottle, the Admiral apparently having reverted to his less gentlemanly roots to drink straight from the bottle. – Chapter 11, They That Sow the Wind

He sits up in bed, gasping for air, and realizes that he knows his name. Thomas Nathaniel Hamilton. His name is Thomas Hamilton, son of Alfred and Lucille Hamilton. He is their eldest son – Alfred’s heir. He remembers it, and weeps from the relief of having that simple piece of himself back, his shoulders shaking, tears streaming from his eyes, hands reaching for the pillows to muffle his sobs. He has a name. He remembers, after forgetting for so long, and it comes as a blessed relief after so long wondering, hoping that something of his own identity will eventually come back to him. He leaves his room with an added spring in his step the next morning, and the servants watch with silent approval and something resembling relief as he starts to perambulate around the house with much greater confidence. He is recovering – slowly but surely coming back to himself. He rediscovers his favorite color, and the day that he requests a dish at supper, he thinks the cook might actually cry from happiness. – Through Hardships Unnumbered

As the guns go off, she watches, unmoving, her eyes fixed on the town as it burns. She can’t go back in time and give Thomas a proper burial but this, she thinks, might just be tribute enough to convince God to let him into Heaven if He truly does make a practice of damning suicides and not, as she suspects, welcoming them with open arms. She watches for a while, and then she turns without a word, going to James’ cabin, where she stands, numb, watching the men as they scrub the blood out of the floorboards and off the desk and then clear away, leaving her alone. – Hell Hath No Fury

She moves her hands upward from his chest to his shoulders, and he leans downward, bringing his mouth to hers. His hands shift positions until one is at her waist and the other is cupping her face, and they do not move for several moments, kissing one another slowly, carefully, taking the time to be tender and loving. They haven’t kissed like this in years, but now, finally united as one in purpose and understanding, there is no hurry and no tension, and when Miranda finally pulls away, they are both breathless. James shuts his eyes, breathing deeply, visibly relaxing, and when he looks at her again, there’s something infinitely gentle in his eyes. – Hell Hath No Fury

9. If you could change one thing about a fic you wrote this year, what would it be? Honestly, I don’t think I’d change a thing. My fics are what they are and I don’t regret a single thing about any of them, happily!

Just realized that I neglected to answer number 3 in this ask! 

3. Which fic is most different from what you normally write? I suppose if I had to pick one, it would be Green Eyed Fools Named James because A. Thomas is very firmly dead in it, B. it’s a crossover with Pirates of the Caribbean and C. it’s as close to comedy as I ever come and semi-canon compliant to boot. Honestly, I still like it a lot, simply because it was my first Black Sails fic and it still feels true to the characters even now when I understand Flint so much better.

tagged by @jadedbirch. Thanks!

rules: tag 9 people you would like to get to know better

relationship status: Lady of Shalott

favorite color: blue

pets: five cats, technically, although one of them very arguably belongs to himself

last song i listened to: Nightfall by Blind Guardian

favorite tv show: Black Sails, followed by Whitechapel

first fandom:  Harry Potter. I’ll always be a nerd about magic.

hobbies: writing, reading fanfic, being the family historian, playing “what’s going to go wrong with my body this year?”, collecting books

books i’m currently reading: Guards, Guards! I’m about three quarters of the way through. I’m also part of the way through Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard. I’ve had a bad case of split attention lately.

tagging @gedsparrowhawk and anyone else that wants to do it!

Tag (Black Sails)

I was tagged by @char7. Thanks!

1. Your Favorite Character: Oh gods this is too hard. I love Flint, but then there’s Thomas and I’ve now written… ten fics the point of which is basically that he’s not dead, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. And then there’s Miranda. And Max. Can I have four? Four faves? 

2. Which Character Do You Not Like? Alfred. No contest, hands down, I loathe him with a very special kind of loathing that I reserve for characters that are truly irredeemable. Haaaaaaaate.  

3. Flint vs. Silver: Flint. Hands down, no questions asked, Flint. Silver can take care of himself whereas Flint needs a blanket, a cup of hot tea, and someone to take over for a while and handle things. 

4. Anne Bonny vs. Eleanor: This is like asking me to choose a favorite child. Anne is Anne, and Anne is precious and perfect (if also, you know, a tad stabby), but Eleanor has gone through so much, and she’s trying so hard to keep everyone on her island safe, and someone needs to have her back for once, but then Anne needs the same. Both? Both is good. 

5. Eleanor vs. Max: Again – gah, how the hell do I choose? Max is perfect. Max’s wardrobe is perfect. Max is so intelligent it takes my breath away sometimes, and she’s been through so much and she still cares so hard about people. Max. It has to be. Eleanor can look after herself, which is not to say she should have to.

6. Anne Bonny vs. Max: Anne, because if it were a choice between her and Anne, Max would say the same.

7. Favorite TV show? How long did you watch? Why?: Black Sails, which I’ve just found this past year, but which I love with every bit of my soul, because it’s so incredibly well written. The characters are so complicated and flawed and just so realistic

including the female characters which I never ever get outside this show, and the plot is so intricate and lovingly written and the sets are amazing and the wardrobe is A+++, and dear gods the symbolism of everything…. I could gush for years but I’ve already got like 100+ pages of gushing on my blog so…. yeah. Black Sails all the way. Nothing else measures up.

8. What is your favorite ship? Why do you like them? Flint/Hamiltons, no contest. They were so happy together and so good for each other, and they deserved so much better. I mean – it’s only the foundation of the whole show, and I want to write about a bajillion fics where Miranda and Thomas both survive and get to be with James again. Jack/Anne/Max is a close second, though, for similar reasons. They’re just so good together! 

Tagging @gedsparrowhawk, @reluming, @shirogiku, @whatifimacrowdeddesert, and @flintstille. Oh, and @flinthamilton. 

hmm, four for a boy, #2, #5, and #11? :D

Ooh, good questions! 

2. You’ll never believe this, but this one the first scene I wrote down was literally the first scene of chapter 1. I wrote this one pretty much from start to finish without pausing for breath, or at least that’s what it felt like at the time. 

5. I think the hardest thing about this one was trying to get Flint’s voice right, and I’m still not convinced I managed it. I was still figuring out how to write him at the time, and I think I probably spent more time editing his POV sections than any of the rest of it, since Thomas and Miranda’s voices both come altogether more naturally for me. 

11. What I like best about this fic… hmm. That’s a tough one. I think it’s probably the fact that it’s Miranda essentially taking the bull by the horns and rescuing Thomas with James’ help rather than the other way ‘round. I like giving her that kind of leeway and agency in fics. And, of course, the fact that it is a rescue fic is an added bonus!