User cotton-seed-oil posted to the FanFiction sub-reddit:

I studied for my exam with fanfiction, and I think it worked. This is so fucking funny. It is the best thing I have every done. I am a physics and astronomy student in college. I am taking cosmology this semester, and it is much harder than expected (we glossed over all of special and general relativity in two lectures, and our previous classes were not expected to teach us this). I spent days trying to study for this exam, and nothing worked-everything was going in one ear and out the other. Finally, two days before my exam, I decided to get creative. I wrote a fanfiction about four characters discussing the concepts, explaining them to one another. One issue I had faced when studying was getting very anxious while reviewing the material, making it hard to even think clearly. Writing this fanfic eliminated that-after all, it's fanfic. Therefore, no danger. It removed all the pressure. 48 hours later, I wrote over nine thousand words in Overleaf, at 30 pages long. It was fun, and it was complete. This afternoon, I took the exam-and while was difficult, I felt like I knew what I was doing. More than that, I actually think I understand the material now. When I reviewed my old homework questions, they were understandable, whereas I had been completely lost the first time around. I have a Quantum exam next week, and I am using the exact same technique, because holy shit, it works like magic (and is so much fun).

End description.

To get everyone in the writing mood, we’ll be interviewing a few of our authors about their fanfic writing process, posting one a week. To kick things off, we're asking one of our organizers, @sunsets12, author of the Hunger Games and Percy Jackson crossover The Shark in Your Water, various Perpollo fics, and about 10% of the fanfics in the no-mist AU tag, some questions about her writing process!

What’s your typical writing process look like? Daydream, daydream, daydream! I like to have a beginning and an end plotted in my head at the very least before I start to write anything down. I don’t always have a fully written outline for my fics, but I feel like my fics suffer when I don’t so I’m trying to change this. 

When I’m sitting down to write a chapter, I first think about what I want to accomplish in this chapter, and then I just write until I get to that point! If I feel up to it, I’ll go back and start editing right away, but if not I’ll save that for another day.

What is your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process? Favorite: The ability to write fics that I want to read :) Least favorite: Needing to write (and finish) the fics that I want to read :(

What’s an unusual hack you have to get over writer's block?  Unfortunately, starting a new fic. This has mixed results, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Do you help set a tone for your fic through music?  I love making playlists for my fics! I also frequently use lyrics in my fics, so it’s great for that. But in terms of actually writing, I write in silence at my apartment or at a coffee shop, usually.

Who are your favorite characters to write? Percy and Apollo of course! I like writing about the two of them because they have very different voices/motivations/personalities, so I can switch between the two POVs and it’s obvious they’re different people, which makes the narrative more fun, in my opinion. I think in general, I really like contrasting Percy with a god in the narrative, as it creates an interesting parallel, and you can highlight their similarities/differences as needed for the fic.

Do you do anything to tweak Apollo and Percy’s characterizations to fit each AU? I'm not sure if I’m the best person to ask this question because Apollo changes a lot based on what I need him to do in the fic (i.e., is he a pining love interest? Is he the antagonist? Does he hang over the other characters like a threat or is he someone they can reach out to for help?) so I don’t necessarily subscribe to the RR!characterization of him.  However, I try to keep Percy close to his canon characterization (specifically from the original series and somewhat from HoO), though I also think about how the AU is impacting him. I put him through a lot of tough situations, so I try to imagine how that might change his outlook vs. what his outlook is directly from the series. For example, I’m currently in the process of writing a fic where Sally died when he was fairly young (Even Baby Teeth Will Hurt You), and this affects the way he views both his family and his friends—and honestly, everyone around him!

And, finally, do you have any advice for other Big Bang fanfic authors at this stage in the writing process? We’re figuring this out together, lol. I would say it’s not too late to sign up if you’re interested. As far as actual advice, I guess I would recommend making sure everything is plotted out, and the 60% goal will be reached in no time!

Want to join in? You can sign up to write/make art/beta here!

Ref: Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle, chapter 20, pg 191

So previously in PJO Rachel successfully takes over the role of the Oracle of Delphi. Not because she necessarily has to, but because she has nothing to lose anyways. She finally becomes a member of Camp Half-Blood, though some campers avoid her out of fear. She learns to deal with them by pretending to be nonchalant about it, but the words and conspiracy affect her enough that when Piper faints in TLO, Rachel immediately begins to panic and thinks that she killed her. But despite the mishaps, she genuinely believed that Camp Half-Blood was her home.

Then the main events of HOO happened, and Rachel realised how dispensable she really is. People at camp start turning on her for losing her powers. On the outside, she pretends to be fine, but internally she freaks out, loses control, and throws a tantrum in her cave, destroying the paintings she drew of visions because they were a taunt of what she used to possess in the past. She destroys the painting of Apollo because at her most vulnerable moment, the god she trusted the most wasn’t there. She was truly alone, with no Percy or Annabeth, no Nico, and no gods to help her.

When she finally sees Apollo again he is banished into the mortal world and she‘s too tired to even be angry at him. She had just seen someone sacrifice themselves to save her, and she couldn’t bring herself to worry about Apollo. But then he mentions his oracles. Multiple of them. Once again she realises just how dispensable she is, and this is one of the rare occasions where we actually see Rachel being genuinely angry, though Rick passed it off as a comical scene.

Rachel opts to go with Apollo on his quest. She wants to take the risk despite knowing that she’d likely be kidnapped and used as bait. Apollo rejects her volunteer, and once again she is shunned by both the greek and mortal world. She spends the next few months in a constant state of restlessness, worrying about her fate if Python wins, anxious that he has already taken over her mind.

Six months. Rachel Elizabeth Dare spent six months leaning on the edge of her sanity, maniacally painting drawings so she wouldn’t lose her mind. And when asked about her trauma, 80% of the fandom would only say “She was hated by Annabeth because she liked Percy”.

I.. I can't even. This was probably Leo's idea but just for confirmation and my sanity- Did you guys actually do this???

Apollo being bound in servitude to Rachel Dare, his Oracle, a girl who pledged herself to his service, is so intrinsically tied to his power…that would be one crazy ride of an AU.

Apollo commented in the Hidden Oracle how some demigods were new and got brought at camp after the war (6 months is a lot of time after all–),while also pointing out that most of the old characters we know are away,trying to live their life,but come back periodically.

Now,image Clarisse teaching some fighting class in the arena to new demigods,and they are all a bit wary of her because they don't know her but some of her siblings do and they talked about her. And while the tension is high Clarisse isn't aware of it and start to shout,frustrated by their incapability of striking her down.

"Have you all gone soft?! At your ages I was battling a drakon with the blood of my enemies on my hands while trying to win a war! You need to do fucking better if you want to survive!" and everyone is just confused because they know a bit of the wars,but their acknowledge of them is only a surface type of level,so they have no idea of what the hell she is talking about and they are getting scared.

Some of them ask questions about them to the Stolls,only to find themselves more lost than never. "Ah,the war. Which one you talking about? The one where we tried to raid Manhattan's candy stores or the one where we put the mines on the wrong hill?" Wdym you guys tried to steal candies in the middle of a war to save the world? "Well,with all due respect,Percy was handling it quite well before the pig started flying".

Sometimes,when Will is in a good mood,he start talking about the one with the giants himself–usually Nico is always nearby and either nod at his words or clarifies some things. "You guys weren't there for that but basically the whole conflict was based on racism. You see,there was this anemic roman soldier guy that–" and while you are immersed in his story,you sometimes hear a quite voice that "I literally had to chase you to save you from people that were chasing you" and "Will,pretty sure I killed the guy,you don't need to act as if he is still alive" or "It was crazy–I never knew that the coach was actually a good flighter,especially after Albania".

When Drew complains about something during breakfast she tries to guilt-trip Chiron with "Remember when you left us to defend ourselves alone,before coming back at the last moment and helped us with your 'my little pony family'? Yeah,not so over that yet. This is way having the pavilion built in pink would be a better option than–" and you just stare in the fucking air because what the fuck???

When Rachel visit,and isn't locked in her cave trying to understand what's going on with her "oracle's powers",she mutters things about the wars that seems disconnected to everyone–expect people that were there at time. "Should have said to Annabeth to crash that stupid helicopter into my father's building" ; "Fuck being an Oracle,let me go back to my Ariadne roots in the Labyrinth" ; "I should have hit Kronos harder" ; "Should have hit Octavian when I still could if I knew this would have happened". Most of the time it's just frustration building up but every time she whisper something they collectively ignore it.

Nyssa will look at you dead in the eyes and– "My brother blew up" without fucking elaborating and walking away. And you are there horrified about it.

Percy and Annabeth don't really talk about the wars but they will gave you the details about the stupidest things ever. Wdym you jumped into the rivers,only to purify them from pollution,in the middle of a war? Wdym you spent half a day trying to wake up statues in all New York?? You went in Tartarus??

At Camp Half-Blood, you share a room specifically with your gaggle of half-siblings in an enforced family bonding. Your oldest and/or most experienced sibling is the one in charge of you, and usually most of what they're in charge of is making sure the cabin is clean and you get from the arts & crafts pavillion to dinner safely. Every night, you have campfire with all the other kids where you joke and sing, and Hestia is helping make everyone s'mores. Dionysus is just sitting on the porch playing cards, being the annoying drunk uncle who yells unhelpful advice when you don't bring him a drink, but 'reluctantly' lets you join his game and gives you advice when he knows you need it. And Chiron is the mix between your favorite teacher and a protective uncle, who gives fatherly advice between quests and when a younger camper gets hurt probably gives them a hug and lets them ride on his back to the infirmary. When they fight its in the wild and chaotic manner that siblings and cousins fight - where there are no rules except 'dont kill eachother and please keep serious injuries to a minimum' no matter how skilled of combatants they may be. Most of these kids are at camp because they were chased there by monsters trying to eat them even before they learned to fight, and there is nowhere else they can go that might be as safe or safer, and they probably will die before reaching adulthood if they leave, so they cling to eachother. And this is how it has always been, because there is no structure or support other than Chiron, and their parents aren't even allowed to help or protect them directly. The only ones they can rely on - the only people they have and thus have to rely on and support in turn - are their siblings and friends. Even in the most peaceful moments where they are just being silly kids at the canoe lake, there isn't anyone they can turn to other than Chiron or the other kids. There is a very real element of storge and philia, of filial and platonic love and bonding, at Camp Half-Blood despite - and probably increased/exaggerated by - the fact that they are child soldiers. Because yes, they train daily to fight, practice fighting against eachother in brutal ways, and when needed mobilize into an utterly terrifying force, but when they're actually in battle it ultimately boils down to them just fighting to protect themselves, their friends and family.

Whereas at Camp Jupiter, you live in literal army barracks with a completely random assortment of other child soldiers. There is an official and highly structured military that you are all a part of, with ranks and orders and terms of service. It doesn't matter if you're a toddler when you arrive at camp, or how traumatized you are from the journey there, until you have completed a minimum of 10y of leigon service you are literally a soldier in an army who is expected to eat, sleep, and train on a set schedule, and your arm is branded with your service record (Jason has TWELVE service stripes already at 15yo). Teenagers have offical military titles and ranks - ones not given to teenagers even in ancient times where the minimum age to join the Roman army was 16-18yo - and they are expected to not only lead their troops in battle but also navigate the politicical positions associated with such. There is a town of demigods and legacies where they can live and be normal people, but Camp Jupiter is separate, a legitimate Roman Leigon, a war camp outside the town. There is a safe space they can go to after 10y of service, and legacies born in the town don't seem to have compulsory military service, as only 'most of the residents are veterans of the leigon'. There are actual adults around. Yet their military with a 10y service minimum is comprised - including the highest leadership positions - almost entirely of teenagers. There should be adults at least in charge, and there are adults around who have over a decade of experience, but for some reason 15/16yos are even the Praetors, despite the position requiring a minimum age of 39yo in the Roman Republic and 30yo in the Roman Empire. By modern standards it is horrifying, but even in ancient Rome, Camp Jupiter would be would be illegal.

“Do I scare you? I hope not.”