The Liebster Award

So in_the_blue tagged me. First of all, awww, thank you! Now, I suppose I must answer the 11 questions and offer 11 random facts. Hmm...

1. What motivates you, deep down in your heart?

Hard to say. I love God and writing up there at the top, and while I love family as much, they motivate me after those two. What motivates me to write is questionable. I think it's how I work out my own thoughts and questions and feelings.

2. What are your three favorite books, and why?

Ingathering by Zenna Henderson, The Brother's Keeper by Tracy Groot, and Joseph by Terri L. Fivash.

Usually I look at the top five and I'm seriously tempted to go but Mister God, This is Anna by Fynn and the Anne of Green Gables series, especially Anne of the Island.

I think I love all of them for the same reasons. I love the characters and the questions and the ideas they hit. They don't stick to surface stuff; they really live their relationships with God and each other, they dig deeper, and they go outside the standard preconceived ideas and make me think, go outside the box. I love that they can actually dig into faith and worldbuilding and beautiful stories that engage me while also engaging seriously with the stuff going on inside.

I love it when I find this stuff in science fiction, and my favorite book list is a little longer than three, or I might actually be able to hit on some better variety here. Christian fiction is oddly enough not my favorite genre.

3. If money was no object and you could live anywhere in the world, where would you pick?

To live? Colorado. To visit, Hawaii.

4. Tea or coffee?

Tea. So much tea. I drink probably between two cups and a pot of tea every day. First thing I go hunting for after I brush my teeth is a cup of tea. I pack tea to take to work. First thing when I get home from work or after dinner, I'd like more tea. Then if I've got an at-home project, there goes another cup. And right before bed is the perfect time for a spot of mint chamomile lemon tea. Seriously, I love me some tea.

5. What’s your go-to soundtrack when you write?

None. I can write with or without music, but if I'm going to put music on, I put everything on random and start pulling out the songs that really inspire a particular story until I've built a playlist. Most fics aren't long enough to justify the effort.

6. You’re finally on the shuttle to Mars, but only get to watch one movie over and over until you get there. Which one do you want as your travel companion?

Esther maybe? I usually sit through that one whenever it's on. Or The Secret Garden. Yeah, The Secret Garden (1993). I'd watch that one over and over and tune it out when I wanted to think.

7. How many languages do you speak? What are they?

I speak English fluently. I started to learn Spanish, Hebrew, and American Sign Language, but without practice interacting in them, I wouldn't say I speak them.

8. Fill in the blank: In my perfect world, .

In my perfect world, I'd be able to write and not worry about making a living.

9. What’s your sun sign?

Uh... If you mean month, it's Cancer. I'm a July baby. And a sun baby for that matter, born in California and desperately wishing in winter, I never had to actually go outside when it's cold.

10. Do you have a favorite social media platform? What is it and why do you like it?

Twitter. It doesn't suck me in and drain me dry. I'm also not using it right now, except for auto-crossposting. I'm not into social media.

11. If you have siblings, where do you stand in the pecking order?

I'm the youngest. My sister is the one I'm still around and she's the middle, but she definitely has a concept of pulling rank, and I definitely have a concept of we're sisters and equals and not letting her.

And eleven random facts about me:

1. My left side is stronger than my right by far, but my right is more dexterous.
2. I have literally no preference between creative and analytical thinking.
3. I started writing when I was four years old. I didn't actually write anything good.
4. My friend when I was in eighth grade told me I was the only person she'd ever met who lived her life like she was in a musical. I still do.
5. I create my own languages for fun. I love creating languages.
6. My favorite comfort food is grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.
7. But I can't stand cheese slices, only block or shreds. They don't taste like plastic.
8. My ears look like fairy ears—naturally. But one side's more pointed than the other and if you don't look close, you might miss it, which is good in the long run.
9. The only major race/ethnicity I don't have in my blood is Asian. I got pretty much everything else.
10. I'm medically underweight and have never in my life weighed more than 93 pounds. I do not currently weigh 93 pounds.
11. I have flare ups of tendonitis and sciatica if I'm not careful. That means I go to the chiropractor and sometimes don't get a lot of work/writing done.

So, since I haven't the faintest idea how many followers anyone has, I'm going to just say, snag the questions if you want them:

1. What got you into writing fiction (or fanfic), and what kind do you like to write?
2. Do you prefer to read a good book you know you love, read something you haven't read before, or watch a TV show?
3. Mornings or evenings?
4. What's your favorite beverage and why?
5. Do you enjoy preparing for a holiday with the family or prefer once all the fuss is over?
6. What is your favorite holiday?
7. Favorite music to relax to?
8. Favorite books or authors and why?
9. What is your favorite story you ever wrote and why?
10. What do you wish more people realized about you?
11. Introvert or extrovert?

Once Upon a Fic Letter

Dear Once Upon a Fic Writer,

First, let me say I love you for writing for me and I will love whatever you write, pretty much guaranteed. I grew up loving folktales, myths, and fairytales, especially Slavic Folklore, Greek myth, and the original Grimm's. I love crossovers, expansions, inspired by's, interrogating the original in fic, symbols, or fusions. I love figuring out the common thread between multiple mythologies.

That said, please don't write for me: embarrassment, rape, incest, dub-con, body-related humor, graphic violence or gore, or profanity. Also, please no witches.

Things I love: 5 times fic, soulmates/soulbonds/soulmarks, gen, romance, family, chosen family, deep friendships, actual fae, competent characters, worldbuilding, character studies, backstories, established relationships, slow build, etc.

For more about what I like to read, I'm on AO3 as scribblemyname with a lot of fic and bookmarks.

( The Fandoms )

Again, thank you so much for anything you write me! This letter is just to help give you something to work with.

Once Upon a Fic Exchange: Sign Ups Open!

AO3 | LJ | DW

Once Upon a Fic Exchange is a gift exchange focused on fairy-tales, tall tales, epics, myths, and legends! Every story must be available publicly and older than 100 years old.

Love fairy-tale retellings? Love asking 'so what happened next?' Or 'what happened first?' Look no further, because this is the exchange for you.

Nomination Period: January 25th, Sunday to February 8th, Sunday
Sign Ups: February 10th, Tuesday to February 17th, Tuesday
Assignments: February 20th, Friday
Deadline: May 10th, 11:59 pm, Sunday
Archive Goes Live: May 15th, Friday
Anon Period Ends: May 20th, Wednesday

Ruffling the Muse's Feathers (or else, it's ruffling mine)

So me and my muse aren't on what I'd call cooperative terms just now, but it did finally give me something for the poly fic. It's a start anyway. Considering I already had a sketch of this thing, it's kind of surprising how hard it's been fighting me.

Then again, I called Dowse and Bleed the story from inferno because even though I knew it inside and out, it fought me tooth and nail. That time the problem was the protagonist being so incredibly recalcitrant. This time, I think it's the subject matter. Or the fact that I tried to start from the beginning instead of the part actually pestering my brainspace. Hm.

And then I got a poem to open up trovia's fic. Funny that. I got a poem to open the Open (pun not intended) and this whole thing wasn't supposed to have poetry, but it does, so there's that.

I signed up for the Once Upon a Fic exchange and the plot bunnies are hopping just from reading the letters. Popcorn muse much?

Then I got a cute little opening to a Bobbi/Clint ficlet, coffeeshop AU. I'll play with it after the polyfic's off my plate.

Hope everyone else's writing is going well. :hugs to y'all: