Last Thing/current Thing Tag Game

Last thing/current thing tag game

Thanks for tagging me @moondraconis!! 💛💛💛

last song: Crucify cover performed by the Vitamin String Quartet (a Tori Amos song)

last movie: Space Jam! I love this movie, and I was tickled when HBO Max got it, so I could stream it.

currently watching: The Nanny with Fran Drescher. Don’t judge me. I watched it when I was younger, and the nostalgia makes me smile.

currently reading: I’m actually rereading one of my favorite Drarry fanfics at the moment, A Secondary Education by Thunderbird587.

currently craving: I want bacon so badly, omg..

Tagging: @avaeryn, @withgreatelan, @manixzen, @bronwenackeley, and anyone else who wants to play along!

Funny Seeing Yule Here

Author: Anonymous

For: @lastontheboat​

Pairings: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, background Luna Lovegood/Pansy Parkinson

Word Count: 5,956

Rating: Teen & up

Content: Yuletide, Chance Meetings, 5+1 Things, Christmas parties, Wizard fashion, Single Parent Harry Potter

Warnings: None

Summary:

Four times Harry “ran into” Draco Malfoy, and the one time Draco called him out on it.

Read it now on AO3!

⛄️ This work is part of H/D Mistletoe, a Gay Wizard Boys server gift exchange. Please help spread the love by sharing your favourite works and leaving kudos and comments. If you would like to join the GWB, you can do so with this link: here. 🌨

Banner image: here

I can’t stop staring at this. They’re so frigging cute. I feel a mighty need for an 8th year fic all of a sudden...

Valentine’s Day, 8th year 💖

To critique or not to critique (of the unsolicited kind)

Spoiler alert: I firmly belong to the not camp.

A post just crossed my dash that put the worst taste in my mouth. I don’t want to reblog it, but I do want to address the contents because I think the subject is super important.

The post basically boiled down to: fanfic writers are thin-skinned babies “these days” because no one can take constructive criticism. In “my day” we all sent page-long critiques like the dedicated heroes we were! It made us better writers! Moreover, if I didn’t like something, I told the writer all about it! It was my job!

Hold up, what?

I’ve been posting fanfic online since 1998. Twenty years. Pre-archives. And “in my day” we had betas if we wanted/needed/asked for them (whose critiques didn’t have an audience). We said “concrit welcome” if we actually wanted constructive criticism. We did not show up unannounced to point out a work’s flaws because that is rude. Look, I am an editor. People pay me real money to edit things for them. I would rather cut off my own fingers than burst into someone’s comments and start “critiquing” their work without being asked first.

Here’s something that needs to be addressed: fanfiction is real writing, yes, but it is, by its nature as something that isn’t monetized, a hobby. As in, a thing people do for fun. A thing that hopefully brings both authors and readers joy! The story an author posts is a gift; how dare anyone rip a gift apart in front of the gift-giver and all the other party attendees? How entitled and ungrateful can you be? Fandom is not a frigging battleground where authors learn to harden themselves for war. It’s a hobby. Done out of love and enthusiasm. 

Yes, some fanfiction writers (certainly not all!!) aspire to be original fiction writers. They may use fanfiction as a training ground. They may want or benefit from constructive criticism. Still, they have to ask. They have to start the conversation. I know (think?) it’s harder to find betas these days, but it’s always worth asking around if real critique is what you want. Put “concrit welcome and even begged for” in the author’s notes and hope someone takes you up on it. 

Some fanfiction writers with original fiction aspirations still don’t want criticism about their fic. Fic may be their fun-writing outlet. It may be about instant gratification (and there’s nothing wrong with that; we’re not in the business of denying ourselves pleasure out of some moral superiority here. It’s fandom). It may be the place where they post to get around their fears of showing things to others. It may be the place they take risks they wouldn’t in their original work because the stakes are lower. When you work on your original writing all day, every day—often putting that work through far more vigorous and exhausting paces than fanfic sees—the last thing you want is someone showing up during your time off to point out a frigging comma splice or shift in POV.

The point is unless someone asks for critique, you don’t know what’s going on with them. Maybe fic is the only fun thing they have in their lives. Maybe they’re writing in a different language. Maybe they are 14. Or 82. Maybe they’ve never written fiction of any kind before and this is their baby step forward. Maybe fic is just escapism. Maybe they are depressed or anxious as hell and criticism is going to push them over an edge. Fandom belongs to everyone. Not just people deemed “good” or “perfect” or “permitted” or “thick-skinned.” People don’t need to be saved from grammar mistakes or poor turns of phrase or even plotholes so wide a semi could drive through them. Authors sure as hell don’t need to be told when a reader just doesn’t like something. There is no fandom police force in charge of perfection. If critique is so important to you, advertise your willingness to beta. If you do not like a story or think it’s “bad” hit the freaking back button. 

Unsolicited criticism is not helpful. Maybe you just catch someone off-guard and startle them. At worst, you may totally shatter someone’s self-esteem while they are partaking in a hobby they 100% do for fun—and not in pursuit of some unattainable perfection.

Don’t ruin a stranger’s day or week or hobby because you “know better” and somehow think you need to prove it. You don’t.

Very Drarry Summer Vibes (2020) : Masterlist of complete DRARRY fics

@gwbexchange || official masterpost || AO3 || ∑ = 15 works The Mod(s) : @triggerlil + Banner © : @dr-aco

1. The Coffee House by @corinalannister [G, 1k]

Draco is a struggling Barista and Harry is struggling with his fame. They start to trust each other over time when Harry visits the coffee shop Draco works in.

2. Everything Old is New Again by @rinnwrites [E, 10k]

A year after the war, Draco leaves England with a simple plan: Find a place where no one knows him, get his potions mastery, start a new life. He didn’t count on an obviously exhausted and shockingly studious Harry Potter showing up in his very first class.

3. Forget-Me-Nots and Narcissus by @triggerlil [M, 14k]

in which Draco is overcome by grief, and Harry is there to keep him afloat.

4. Head Full of You by @maesmora [E, 10k]

Harry Potter has a secret, and, just like his first year at Hogwarts, naturally everybody knows. Well, everybody except Draco Malfoy. Enter a bunch of meddling friends, a beach vacation to celebrate graduating their eighth year at school, and being forced to room with the love of his life. […]

5. The morning left us (both defeated) by @jovialobservationanchor [M, 9k]

They’d had dreams, Harry and he. Harry was going to reform the DMLE from the inside. Draco was going to repay a spiritual debt. Now Harry woke up only to get through the day, Draco realized his debt would never be repaid, Harry never smiled anymore, and Draco found himself in the strange position of holding their partnership together.

6. Only Fools Fall (For You) by @welpslytherin [E, 6k]

It’s the summer of ‘98 and a certain blond Slytherin has amends to make and feelings to get over. Featuring skinny dipping, a bold Harry Potter, and a blushing Draco Malfoy.

7. Our Dreams, Our Pride by @ahhhnorealnamesallowed [M, 10k]

For six years, Harry has promised Draco a ‘big thing’ for their anniversary. This year is the year Harry is going to make it happen, even if he does so in a very Harry Potter way. Including last-minute vacation planning, some very sassy old people, a coach bus, and less anniversary sex than expected.

8. Out of the Ashes by Zedrobber [E, 5k]

Draco is self conscious about his Dark Mark and won’t believe that Harry doesn’t hate it - so Harry makes a suggestion that might help, with one condition.

9. Parades, Pansy, and fuck I’m too gay for this by @false-heteros16​ [G, 2k]

After the war, Draco, who had been staying at home like a fucking hermit till Pansy came along, finally finds out about the LGBTQ+ Community, he dives head first into research and is amazed at what he finds. […]

10. Teddy’s Favourite by @iravenish [T, 2k]

It didn’t come as a surprise when Teddy demanded to finally go to the beach. […]

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✔ other fests in 2020 ✔ fests in other years

Omg, @crazyconglasses thank you for the tag! I love merfolk, and this was so much fun! Of course it’s going to look nothing like me in actuality because where’s the fun in that when I could look like THIS:

I’m gonna tag @triggerlil, @sunnyeclipses, @welpslytherin, @withgreatelan, @moondraconis​, and anyone else who sees and wants to be a sea creature!

Live out your most fabulous mermaid dreams with this new picrew.

Tagging @slytherco @shealwaysreads @p1013 @eva-eleanore​ @tackytigerfic​ @caroll-in​ @sitp-recs​ @stavromulabetaaa​ @fw00shy​ @onbeinganangel​ @lqtraintracks​ @fangqueen​ and anyone else who wants to play!