TheNextWriteThing

After waiting for authors to claim on the discord server (and this month we can proudly present a fully-claimed list), we’ve compiled the results and are ready to share them with you.

A quick reminder list (with authors already included):

Pull of the Tide - JPeterson (AO3, FFN)

Water the soil - FishyCoffee (AO3, FFN, tumblr)

The Best of Luck Club - sappho-anaktoria  (AO3, FFN, Tumblr)

part of your world - SillyLilly (AO3, Tumblr)

There’s Water in Hell - shealwaysdies (AO3, FFN, Tumblr)

A World So Small - MntDewCodRed (AO3)

Golden Hour - djupcake (AO3, FFN, tumblr)

Old Rivalry - Jaslyn (AO3, FFN)

Three Things You Can Feel - gschelt (AO3)

The Queen’s Voyage - FrostfallSnowdrop (AO3)

Mid 20s Skateboarder - sappho-anaktoria  (AO3, FFN, Tumblr)

Fenced In With You - ElsAnnaSummers (AO3, FFN, Tumblr)

And the winning story is…

Words: ca. 4,500 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: n/a

1. 

Spring

Twenty minutes before the track meet was set to start, the gleaming metal bleachers rippled with three dozen or so fans—a turnout just low enough, at this point, to keep Elsa’s social anxiety wobbling in the green. She picked her way down the stairs, careful not to rush, fall, and crack her head open. When she arrived at the bottom-most railing, she scanned the track for the figure that made this all worth it.

Elsa easily spotted Anna rounding the south corner. Her sister’s hair shone like molten copper under the late-afternoon sun as she streaked along the track. Elsa crossed her arms and leaned on the partition, admiring Anna’s speed and natural athleticism. 

Elsa didn’t even have to call out. Anna spied her immediately; she veered off towards the finish line and slowed to a halt at the railing.

“What are you doing here?” Anna said, panting through the grin she tossed up at Elsa. “I thought you had your thing.” 

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: n/a

August

Anna watered the rose vines draping across the tall fence that separated her yards from her neighbor, Elsa’s. The sun was particularly bright, and the weather was unusually warm this afternoon. Anna had to take numerous short breaks to wipe the sweat from her brow and the nape of her neck. She tossed her messy red locks into a ponytail to help with the heat. She pulled her hose with an attached garden nozzle further down the yard and sprayed the soil underneath her hydrangea bushes. Although tending to her garden was one of her favorite past-times, having to water this much in the heat was exhausting. “Hopefully the drought lets up soon.”

“I hope so too.” A voice emerged between the vines of the fence to Anna’s left.

The response to Anna’s statement caused the girl to jump in the air, dropping the hose. Unfortunately for Anna, the hose landed on the handle of the nozzle, causing the water to spray straight up into the air and cover the girl. The shaking of metal and leaves rustling was heard as the other person scaled the fence and shut the hose off.

Words: ca. 4,000 Setting: Canon divergent Lemon: no Content: Mentions of seasickness, past character death, anxiety and depression

For the past four years, Elsa had vowed she would never set foot on a boat for as long as she lived. After her parents had died at sea when their ship went down on their way back from a diplomatic trip, she’d been worried that history could repeat itself. But this time, she had to put her kingdom’s needs before her own personal comfort.

Her ex-fiancee was due to stand trial in the Southern Isles for attempting to assassinate her the previous year and the Queens Of The Southern Isles themselves had asked Elsa to come personally to testify before the royal council. Elsa had offered to send one of her ambassadors instead, but the diplomats insisted she come herself.

To that end, Elsa now faced what was probably the most challenging task of her reign in recent months, surviving a four-day sea voyage without allowing herself to become an anxiety-ridden wreck by the time they reached their destination. Suffice it to say, she was not looking forward to it.

It's time to vote for your favorite stories this month. Dive into deep water with these 12 exciting submissions. This time around, we had one mandatory restriction (no depictions of drowning) and two extra restrictions (include 5 physical descriptors for Elsa and/or Anna for one or two points and keep your story at a neat 3,000 words) for up to 3 bonus points.

You will have until Sunday the 19th at midnight (Baker Island time, GMT-12) to vote for your favorite of the 11 eligible stories. Keep reading for the voting link and story list!

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: some violence

 The two high school swimmers couldn’t have been more different.

Elsa, with elegant movements gliding through the pool like an eel, and Anna - broad shoulders powering through the water like a shark after its prey. Despite Elsa’s perpetual triumphs in training, courtesy of long limbs and all the unwavering support from nurturing parents, she never finished without glancing behind her, ensuring she kept at least a foot ahead of Anna’s relentless pursuits. But when it came to competition, Anna’s grim determination consistently overcame Elsa’s genetic gifts, and they came down to the wire more than once.

“You’re teammates, not competitors,” the coach reminded them, as Anna stared Elsa down following a particularly heated race where she got the better of her. 

The sneer on Anna’s face faded as she sat on the concrete steps outside the venue. She watched Elsa give one last scowl at her, before her blonde ponytail disappeared into an awaiting Bentley. Medal-less. Anna looked at her medal, the gleaming gold suddenly feeling like a scrap of metal, before getting on her bicycle and cycling home. She ate canned spaghetti for dinner, knowing her mother wouldn’t be home until after midnight from her second job. Eventually, Anna fell asleep on the tattered couch watching NCAA replays, minutes before the heating died from unpaid bills. 

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: lime Content: a little angst, some intense making out near the end

A World So Small

Her entire life, it has been a place of her greatest comfort.

Just sitting there, looking out into the open wide distance, only disrupted by some light ripples, it made her forget all her worries while closing her eyes and just listening to the calming sound of crashing waves.

Breathing in the unique scent of the sea, feeling the breeze against her skin, vivid memories came up again, from countless times she already came to her place of comfort. But one memory specifically.

***

“Hey Anna!”

She knows the sound and pattern of the approaching footsteps by heart, already greeting her without turning or opening her eyes.

“You could at least look at me.” Comes in a flat tone, but not accusing at all.

Words: ca. 4,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: lime Content: Harassment, alcohol

***

The scalding Miami sun did not reach the ship terminal. Still, Elsa was already rubbing sunscreen onto Anna’s shoulders. It felt more like giving a massage as she applied pressure to her little sister’s vulnerable light skin. She was just doing her due diligence. Elsa’s stress kicked at her chest as weeks of preparation came to a head. She had their passports between her teeth and their boarding passes tucked under her armpit. As Elsa ran through a mental checklist, she eyed the line-up and shuffled her distracted sister forward.

Anna was enjoying the sensation of Elsa’s surprisingly powerful fingers. She reveled in it as much as watching Elsa’s freckled nose scrunch up as she applied pressure to the documents in her mouth. Her big sister was such an endearing ball of anxiety. Anna reached out and used her thumb and index finger to smooth out the frown lines between Elsa’s eyebrows. Elsa almost let go of the passports as Anna relaxed her.

The sun was nowhere but in a mere few minutes, they would be blasted by it out on the ocean. Their five-day-long cruise was about to begin. Anna was far too excited to notice, but Elsa was always paying extra special attention. As the lineups got bigger, she saw the disparity. There were far more men embarking than there were women. The crowd opened up as they were let into the grand foyer in the dead center of the ship. The handle of Anna’s suitcase rattled as her body bounced. She kept switching directions, trying to figure out what to look at and where to go first.

Words: ca. 4,000 Setting: Urban fantasy AU Lemon: lime Content: Birds and the bees discussion, mentions of homophobia

“How do you think they fucked?”

Elsa dropped her book. “What.” Did Anna seriously just… That girl will be the death of her.

“Our parents. How do you think they fucked?” Anna repeated her question, as if Elsa hadn’t heard her.

Regaining her composure, and picking the book from the ground, she responded, trying to sound nonchalantly. “Similar to us, I’d wager.” 

“Well, duh, but you don’t have a penis. Wait, does dad have one?” Anna seemed genuinely curious.

“Yes, Anna, our father, in fact, does have a penis. What kind of question is that?” Elsa tried really hard to not blush, knowing it’s a losing battle.

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: Alcohol consumption, cheating mention  

Note: this story is disqualified from voting due to not meeting the theme of the prompt. It can still be reviewed by the MRC.

xxxx

Anna stared down at the last text she’d sent. It needed a response. She hadn’t gotten one.

Hey, so my flight gets in at 2pm your time. I can’t wait to meet you! xx

Sure, she hadn’t expected anything really over the top. Not like those videos she’d seen, with people waiting with a full band and flowers and shit. But someone.

After all, she’d flown here for one specific purpose: to meet her boyfriend. Properly, in person. Take the relationship from the digital world and into the physical.

But there was no one waiting for her.

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: n/a

The grow room was bright and humid, but it was also quiet, save for the hum of the grow lights and fans. Elsa slid her backpack from her shoulders and placed it on one of the chairs surrounding the small working table in the middle of the room.

A few minutes later, after sanitizing and sliding on gloves and a mask, she seated herself at the table. A tray of young green plants lay before her — swaying slightly from the weight of the large seed pods. 

That was her task today, remove the seed pods and destroy the plants so the next batch could be planted. A cycle she would repeat in a few weeks. These little sprouts were genetically modified to grow and seed quickly so experiments could produce faster results. 

Elsa had just snipped off a seed pod when her phone buzzed. Thankfully she didn’t have to stop her work, Siri read out the texts in her AirPods without a pause. 

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: angst, Anna teasing Elsa about sex dreams

*****

Anna doesn’t slam the driver’s side door. Normally, she would – it’s been a long, hot day in an even hotter car with no AC – but she closes it as gently as she can, takes the few steps around to the passenger side door, opens it, and crouches.

“Elsa?” Her hand settles on her sister’s bare knee, and she smiles when those crystal clear, blue eyes flutter open and settle on her in sleepy recognition. “Hey.”

“Mh.” There’s a sluggishly hidden yawn, and Elsa takes a second to blink at their surroundings. “What time is—Anna.” A low, exhausted groan. “You were supposed to wake me hours ago!”

“You just said you don’t know what time it is.”

“But I do know the difference between sunlight and moonlight.” Two fingers come up to tweak Anna’s slightly sunburned nose, and Elsa sighs. “You’ve been driving since lunch.”

(if you always read complete works only)

Reading along while an author is actively posting their fic can be a great experience. Much like watching a show or series that airs weekly, reading a fic that posts a new chapter every few days or twice a month etc. can be a lot of fun. Here are some ideas of things you can do to enjoy the experience, if it's new to you:

get intrigued - where is the author going with this? How are they going to roll out the plot that they described in their summary/tags? what tone are they setting in their first chapter(s) and how do you think that will carry through the story? So much is possible, and you'll get to find out!

read the author's notes - are there hints of what's to come? are they looking for suggestions? maybe you get to know the author a little bit or connect with their social media.

read the comments - You'll often see some back and forth in the comments section between readers and the author, especially if they are friends. You might also see some speculation about what's upcoming in the fic or some references to fanon or canon that might interest you.

leave a comment - this can become an enthusiasm loop where you shout your enjoyment at the author and they shout their joy at your comment back at you. It might even lead to friendship - either with the author or with other commenters. Even if the author isn't the type of person to reply, your comment will likely encourage them to keep updating the story.

subscribe - at the top of the fic, you'll find a subscribe button (if you're a logged in user). If you hit that, AO3 will send you an email every time that fic updates. You'll be able to read the fic soon after it's posted or save it as a treat or to reward yourself later.

get a friend to read it too - then you'll have someone to theorize with and squee with when a new chapter is posted. Having someone to talk to about things always makes them more fun.

if the fic goes on hiatus - you still had all the fun of reading it while it was still posting, and now you get to imagine what might happen next. You can still reread (and even comment, if you'd like) as often as you like until that new chapter drops, and if you're subscribed, you'll find out about it - even if it takes years.

Reading works in progress isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I think it can be a lot of fun - especially if you know someone else who's reading it too.

Some of my favorite fics are WIPs, and I have gotten so much joy just re-reading them over and over to the point of memorization while waiting for updates. And even if they never see completion, I still find enjoyment in re-reading what was posted. So what if there's no ending? The storytelling was still top-notch and it was a lot of fun; in the end, that's all I'm here for.

Repeat post because if that ship tournament poll has taught us anything it's that there's still a lot of Elsanna shippers on tumblr.

If you enjoy talking about Elsanna and are looking for more people to do that with - in real time - join us on the Elsanna Shenanigans Discord server. We have over 870 users, regular daily activity with fun events and games, and the server is mostly focused on fanworks (but movie theories and general conversations are of course welcome.)

The server is limited to people 16 and older. Separate access to adult section available to people 18+ only.

All the stories are in and we’re now opening this voting period with 16 new shiny spooky Elsanna stories. This time around we had no mandatory restrictions and two extra restrictions (include a black cat and the quote ‘Don’t be afraid’) for bonus points.

You will have until Friday the 12th at midnight (Baker Island time) to vote for your favorite of the 16 stories. Keep reading for the voting link and story list!