u/EngineerRare42

As title! If you could give your younger self one piece of fanfiction-related advice, what would it be? Tell us about it!

There's always that one character who didn't have a happy ending in canon — they died, or were injured, or just were dropped out of the canon completely. That's why we love fix-it fics! How have you fixed the canon and given your characters a happy ending? Tell us about it!

Imagine a scenario where characters from completely different universes meet—maybe your favorite hero runs into a villain from another fandom, or two unlikely characters are forced to have a conversation. Who do you think would have the most entertaining, awkward, or downright disastrous interaction, and why? Tell us about it!

Let’s have some fun with character fashion! Imagine your favorite character dropped into our world today, how would their style adapt? Would they rock the latest trends, stick to their classic look, or end up looking completely out of place? Tell us about it!

Now, don't get me wrong, the new covers for the OT and PT are beautiful, and they look amazing in my collection. But aren't they Legends? I'm wondering why they were reprinted without any mention of Legends on the cover, especially when books like Labyrinth of Evil are being reprinted with covers that say they're Legends.

As title, I'm so stressed about school right now. I have to take four APs this year, and I feel confident/semi-decent about all of them except the math AP; I'm looking at the coursework for it right now and it looks completely foreign, even though i've already taken through algebra 2 honors. I have to get at least a 4 on all these APs. I also have to enter this super competitive essay writing/research competition, and do at least three different community service work/extracurriculars. And also, if I don't do great on any of this, my (strict) mother is going to be mad and disappointed.

I logically know that I'll probably be fine, but I'm just so anxious and nervous, about failing, or if I'll have time for myself or have to study in every free moment of my time. I could really use some kind words, please.

As title! I rewatched s1e5 last night, and Hayden sounded like he had more of a canadian accent than in the prequels. Particularly noticeable when he says "is that what this is about" and I think something else, but I can't remember, lol. Did anyone else notice this?

Hi, as title! I love fantasy set in modern-day urban and/or rural settings, but not the kind with dragons, Chosen Ones, etc. More like little, day-to-day magic, creatures that aren't quite human, etc. Obviously, I don't mind some sort of danger/call to action, but nothing quite so drastic as saving the world. I'm not a fan of murder mysteries or anything that has the MC in a romantic relationship (which is a challenge, I know).

I've read the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series (as well as The Time Hop Coffeeshop), and I liked the idea, but the writing of both books felt a little stiff. I've also finished No Gods, No Monsters, and liked the idea, but it was a little too gritty.

I do like A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, and Legends and Lattes. Ideally, I'd love something that's adult and not YA.

Thanks for any recs, can't wait! :)

So, I love reading whump. Comfort? No comfort? Emotional whump? Physical whump? Whatever the whump, I love it (all this to say, I'm not at all uncomfortable with the idea of it).

With whumptober coming up, I'd like to try writing something whumpy. The problem: I think my whump writing is way worse than my other works. I don't think my writing is Shakespeare level by any means, but the whump I write? It comes out so stiff, like I'm just writing a boring paper or something. Even if I include all the tropes/injuries that would be considered quite whumpy, it seems so wooden; not at all like something where you'd actually be nervous about the characters.

I know lots of whump authors with amazing works, and I've tried to take notes from them, but no matter what I include, mine never turns out good. I write injuries by showing not telling (i.e., character reactions rather than a laundry list of injuries), there's a reason for the whump, etc.

Curiously, I'm decent at emotional whump, but physical? Hard no. I published a one-shot a few months ago that mainly deals with the emotional aftermath of the whump, and I'm proud of it. Conversely, I dug up a whumpy longfic from my drafts, and it is the stiffest writing ever, even when it has tropes that make other fics good. It's not so much a question of uninformed writing or not enjoying the pain, more so I just don't enjoy my own writing style.

So, my question is, how can I write whump better, make it hurt more, more impactful, etc? Thanks for any insight!

(I'm trying to get better at book reviews, so bear with me (: spoilers ahead!)

I've been on-and-off with Star Wars books up until a few months ago, but this was the first one I read this year just because I love Anakin and wanted to read him.

The book opens with an attack on Cato Neimoidia, with the Republic being blamed, and so Obi-Wan is sent to the planet to defuse the situation. This is a Very Serious Diplomatic Mission, right? Well, you can say that twice to Anakin, because he's … babysitting a youngling.

Speaking of the youngling, we're introduced to two prominent original characters in this book. The first is Jedi Initiate Mill Alibeth, a Zabrak child whose character seems to serve as a kind of mirror to Anakin's, which I found interesting. She feels too much through the Force — death, pain, anger — and so she wants to shut herself off from it; there's a really sweet scene Anakin talks to her about this and tries to help. For reference, this book is set before Ahsoka becomes Anakin's padawan, so it's nice to see his other interactions with younglings before he murders them all.

Ruug Quarnom is the second original character in Brotherhood. While Mill mainly interacts with Anakin, Ruug mainly interacts with Obi-Wan. A Neimoidian soldier, Ruug doesn't seem to be in strong favor of either the Separatists or the Republic. After Obi-Wan is framed for the attack on Cato Neimoidia, Ruug tries to clear his name simply because it is the right thing to do — all while trying to figure the role that the mysterious Asajj Ventress plays in all of this. I did find the chapters with Ruug to be a little less interesting than the rest of the book, but that is 100% a me thing (because she's not Obi-Wan or Anakin), and I did enjoy her more upon re-reads.

Looking beyond the plot, though, Brotherhood's writing is perhaps the best part. Now, I don't know how many of you have read Matthew Stover's superb novelization of Revenge of the Sith, but the recurring motif in there is that Anakin has a "sun-dragon heart" — he feels too much, too strongly. Despite the fact that that novelization is now Legends, Brotherhood references the sun-dragon many times, which, IMHO, is just amazing (I am not ashamed to admit that I started smiling immediately upon reading the first reference to this). There are also references/tie-ins to: Shatterpoint (Legends); Queen's Hope; Master & Apprentice; and Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade.

Of course, I can't talk about a book with Anakin without mentioning Anidala, which is also quite a prominent theme in Brotherhood. In the first half of the book, there's a whole chapter that's just dedicated to Anakin and Padmé, doing Normal Couple Things™️, like going for dinner and taking an illicit joyride on a speeder (no prizes for guessing that the latter is Anakin's idea). The dialogue and interactions between them feel much more natural and sweet than they do in the movies, although, to be fair, that's not isolated to just Brotherhood, and seems to be more of a thing with Star Wars books in general.

Overall Thoughts/Impressions:

I'd say Brotherhood is definitely a must-read if you're a fan of Obi-Wan, Anakin, or both — or even just the prequel era in general. If I had to give it a star rating, it would probably be around 4.5, with that half a point deducted just for little bits of bumpy writing in some places. Setting that aside, there were so many points in this book where I could almost hear the dialogue in Obi-Wan's and Anakin's voices — and when that happens, you know it's a good book.

I'd definitely say I enjoyed it! I'm going to re-read Rise of the Red Blade and Dark Disciple next.

(link to my review on Tumblr if you'd prefer to read there)

We've all read/written that beautifully angsty (or maybe not angsty?) fic that we couldn't help shedding a few tears over. If this is you, what's it about and why was it so gut-wrenching? Tell us about it!

Please remember, don’t share links to works or mention usernames. This is so you don’t end up sharing a work without the author’s consent. Thanks!

As title! Are you a person who has anything from heavy metal to lo-fi on in the background while you write, or do you function better in utter silence? Something else? Tell us about it!

As title! The fic can be either something you've wrote or something you've read. Please remember, don’t share links to works or mention usernames. This is so you don’t end up sharing a work without the author’s consent. Thanks!

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I think we've all been up at 1 A.M. reading that one out-of-this-world fic(s). What about a fanfic makes it utterly amazing for you? Tell us about it!

Hi! My friend is driving me to the airport and back tomorrow (a couple hours each way), and as a thank-you, I want to get them some goodies from Trader Joe's. However, I need help picking things out!

Ideally, nothing frozen/refrigerated would be good. I'm thinking just snacky items; I'm definitely going to get the Lemon Wafers, Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks, and Trail Mix Crackers. My budget is around $20-30.

The giftee doesn't like really colorful flavors, if that makes sense; as in, items that are super strong and have a lot of different flavors. They also like stuff that isn't too sweet, so sweet items can't be tooth-achingly sweet. They hate peanut butter and ranch, if that's relevant, too (I know, so boring! (; )

Whatever you're working on at the moment, we'd love to read it! Share an extract and the fandom — or let people guess!

Hi, as title! It's my first time going to a con, and I'm wondering if giving/receiving small goodies is a thing.

It's July, and — for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, at least — that means summer! How are your characters spending summer? Are they going to the beach, hiking, something else? Write a quick snippet (up to ~350 words) about what your characters are doing!

Alternatively, if it's not summer for you and/or your characters, write about they're doing in July (maybe sledding and drinking hot cocoa, just one example) regardless of the climate!