silentauror's Blog, page 140
May 24, 2020
This is everything I needed tonight
This is everything I needed tonight
Self-repost series time! I kind of forgot about this, ha! For...
Self-repost series time! I kind of forgot about this, ha! For tonight’s story, I’m bringing back The Yellow Poppies! This is a series 3 fix-it fic I wrote in response to the multiple requests I got at the time begging me to write something on the topic of the deleted scene of Magnussen’s hospital visit, which had just come out. The scene repulsed me, and as I watched it over and over again, thinking about what I wanted to write about it, it occurred to me that Magnussen’s “visit” was really an assault. Sherlock was highly medicated and incapacitated, and this man touched him non-consensually and threatened him. And then it occurred to me that it wasn’t even the first time that Sherlock had been threatened while in the hospital, highly medicated and unable to defend himself.
In a fun, yet wholly unrelated bit of trivia, this story is also one of my ongoing theme of (unrelated) stories that draw from Victorian flower meanings. Others in this non-series include The Green Carnations, The White Lotuses, The Red Roses, Rosa Felicia, and The Wisteria Tree. It might almost be time for another one at some point. :) Anyway! If you haven’t read this one and you feel like giving it a try, I hope you like it! If you’ve read it before and feel like reading it again, I hope you like it again (if you did the first time!). :P
Title: The Yellow Poppies
Author: SilentAuror
Pairing/genre: Sherlock/John (POV: Sherlock), hurt/comfort, romance, fix-it
Length: 35,000 words (yes, exactly!!)
Summary: Sherlock is threatened and assaulted in the hospital immediately after having been shot in the heart, first by Mary, then by Magnussen. As he recovers at Baker Street with John and plans the attack on Appledore with Mycroft, he fights to work through the trauma caused by these two visits. Set during His Last Vow.
Warnings: Possible triggers for assault/trauma survivors.
May 23, 2020
The fic is at 25,500 words! I’m very, very loosely estimating that it should be postable in about a...
The fic is at 25,500 words! I’m very, very loosely estimating that it should be postable in about a week, maybe???
4 and 18 from the writers asks if it's not too much at once
For sure!
4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?
Apart from time of day (late evening), no, not really! I like silence, I don’t typically eat or drink anything while I’m writing (even a cup of tea is either going to be a distraction or just get forgotten about). Yeah: sit down and write. Super boring, lol.
18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?
This may be controversial, but I don’t personally believe in rewrites. It’s easier to go in with a plan in the first place and write the thing you intended to write than it is to try to fix something after the fact. I’m not talking about new rewording choices or fixing errors, obviously, but full-scale rewrites are generally not something I recommend - for my own process, at least! One of my hard-and-fast rules for myself is that you can’t write new material before you’ve edited the most recent section of writing. I find that helps with continuity a whole lot, helps put you back into the headspace you were in wherever you left off, etc. For me the editing process is typically more about fleshing things out or finding ways of adding depth rather than cutting things out (though I also cut things now and then). My stories are inevitably longer after edits than they are pre-edit! But yeah, that’s basically it: sit down to write, start by going back and re-reading the newest section, editing as you go, then writing some more new material, repeat. Full-scale edit once it’s done. Do I always catch every single typo, missing word, wrong ending to a word, etc? No. Do I still feel better about doing it this way than any other? Yes. 1000%. I take full responsibility for any errors that are still in my final versions, but editing as a general process is a more in-depth process than simply checking for errors. I would also say that leaving questions of character development, solidity of storyline, pacing, etc, for the editing process is way too late. That stuff needs to be determined before you’ve written down a single word. Everyone’s process is unique, but for my money, going in with a plan is where it’s at. Not every single detail, but you should know what the story is before you try to create one out of thin air. You should have lain awake watching scenes from it play out in your head like a movie. You should have a solid idea of what’s going to happen, in what order, and how it all ends. That said, there should also be enough openness in the plan for the story to direct itself here and there, too! It’s a fine balance. :)
4 and 18 from the writers asks if it's not too much at once
For sure!
4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?
Apart from time of day (late evening), no, not really! I like silence, I don’t typically eat or drink anything while I’m writing (even a cup of tea is either going to be a distraction or just get forgotten about). Yeah: sit down and write. Super boring, lol.
18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?
This may be controversial, but I don’t personally believe in rewrites. It’s easier to go in with a plan in the first place and write the thing you intended to write than it is to try to fix something after the fact. I’m not talking about new rewording choices or fixing errors, obviously, but full-scale rewrites are generally not something I recommend - for my own process, at least! One of my hard-and-fast rules for myself is that you can’t write new material before you’ve edited the most recent section of writing. I find that helps with continuity a whole lot, helps put you back into the headspace you were in wherever you left off, etc. For me the editing process is typically more about fleshing things out or finding ways of adding depth rather than cutting things out (though I also cut things now and then). My stories are inevitably longer after edits than they are pre-edit! But yeah, that’s basically it: sit down to write, start by going back and re-reading the newest section, editing as you go, then writing some more new material, repeat. Full-scale edit once it’s done. Do I always catch every single typo, missing word, wrong ending to a word, etc? No. Do I still feel better about doing it this way than any other? Yes. 1000%. I take full responsibility for any errors that are still in my final versions, but editing as a general process is a more in-depth process than simply checking for errors. I would also say that leaving questions of character development, solidity of storyline, pacing, etc, for the editing process is way too late. That stuff needs to be determined before you’ve written down a single word. Everyone’s process is unique, but for my money, going in with a plan is where it’s at. Not every single detail, but you should know what the story is before you try to create one out of thin air. You should have lain awake watching scenes from it play out in your head like a movie. You should have a solid idea of what’s going to happen, in what order, and how it all ends. That said, there should also be enough openness in the plan for the story to direct itself here and there, too! It’s a fine balance. :)
4 and 18 from the writers asks if it's not too much at once
For sure!
4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?
Apart from time of day (late evening), no, not really! I like silence, I don’t typically eat or drink anything while I’m writing (even a cup of tea is either going to be a distraction or just get forgotten about). Yeah: sit down and write. Super boring, lol.
18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?
This may be controversial, but I don’t personally believe in rewrites. It’s easier to go in with a plan in the first place and write the thing you intended to write than it is to try to fix something after the fact. I’m not talking about new rewording choices or fixing errors, obviously, but full-scale rewrites are generally not something I recommend - for my own process, at least! One of my hard-and-fast rules for myself is that you can’t write new material before you’ve edited the most recent section of writing. I find that helps with continuity a whole lot, helps put you back into the headspace you were in wherever you left off, etc. For me the editing process is typically more about fleshing things out or finding ways of adding depth rather than cutting things out (though I also cut things now and then). My stories are inevitably longer after edits than they are pre-edit! But yeah, that’s basically it: sit down to write, start by going back and re-reading the newest section, editing as you go, then writing some more new material, repeat. Full-scale edit once it’s done. Do I always catch every single typo, missing word, wrong ending to a word, etc? No. Do I still feel better about doing it this way than any other? Yes. 1000%. I take full responsibility for any errors that are still in my final versions, but editing as a general process is a more in-depth process than simply checking for errors. I would also say that leaving questions of character development, solidity of storyline, pacing, etc, for the editing process is way too late. That stuff needs to be determined before you’ve written down a single word. Everyone’s process is unique, but for my money, going in with a plan is where it’s at. Not every single detail, but you should know what the story is before you try to create one out of thin air. You should have lain awake watching scenes from it play out in your head like a movie. You should have a solid idea of what’s going to happen, in what order, and how it all ends. That said, there should also be enough openness in the plan for the story to direct itself here and there, too! It’s a fine balance. :)
For that writer ask I posted earlier, @swissmissing asked: What is your favorite place to write? And...
For that writer ask I posted earlier, @swissmissing asked: What is your favorite place to write? And associated question: can you write anywhere or do you need specific parameters?
Interesting question! Out of sheer habit, I typically write at my desk. I’m a shorty (5′4) and my thighs just aren’t long enough to comfortably perch a laptop on them, plus my posture would definitely suffer. But I’ve had phases of going other places to write… about half of Against the Rest of the World was written at a café in Québec City (Brûlerie St-Jean, how I miss thee!). When I’ve been travelling a lot and in the thick of a fic, I’ve often found a plug and written in airport lounges. So I guess I *can* write other places, but I typically don’t! Also, you didn’t ask this, but time of day is also a big thing for me! I’m very much a late-at-night writer. There have been exceptions, but I almost never write any earlier in the day than 10pm. That’s just writing time. What can I say? :P So: typically around 11pm, sat at my desk. Pretty boring. :P
too-hot-to-hoot:Scenes from a lavender farm in Ukraine.
Scenes from a lavender farm in Ukraine.
New ask game for writers
1. Favorite place to write.
2. Favorite part of writing.
3. Least favorite part of writing.
4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?
5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most.
6. Favorite character you ever created.
7. Favorite author.
8. Favorite trope to write.
9. Least favorite trope to write.
10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.
11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish.
12. How do you deal with self-doubts?
13. How do you deal with writers block?
14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?
15. Where does your inspiration come from?
16. Where do you take your motivation from?
17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day?
18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?
19. First line of a WIP you’re working on.
20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.
21. Post the last sentence you wrote in one of your WIP’s.
22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you?
23. Single or multi POV, and why?
24. Poetry or prose, and why?
25. Linear or non-linear, and why?
26. Standalone or series, and why?
27. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 28. And who do you share them with?
29. Who do you write for?
30. Favorite line you’ve ever written.
31. Hardest character to write.
32. Easiest character to write.
33. Do you listen to music when you’re writing?
34. Handwritten notes or typed notes?
35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________.
36. A spoiler for story _________.
37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.
38. Have you shared your outline of your story ________ with someone? If so, what did they think of it?
39. Do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.
40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why?
41. How many stories do you work on at one time?
42. How do you figure out your characters looks, personality, etc.
43. Are you an avid reader?
44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.
45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.
46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie?
47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story?
48. Favorite genre to write in.
49. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end?
50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.
51. Describe the aesthetic of your story _______ in 5 sentences or words.
52. How did writing change you?
53. What does writing mean to you?
54. Any writing advice you want to share?
Ooo! Feel free to hit me with any of these, if you want!
silentauror's Blog
- silentauror's profile
- 9 followers
