#hrarby

Dear everyone,

Knock-knock—is someone there? I truly hope so because my mind has been wondering about this story for a while. So, first things first: Hi, this is Hera, the author of "For You."

Because yes: a new chapter is coming. It has been coming for the past ten months, but now I only have 5 mini-chapters left to write and a 30- page chapter to revise. Let me break it to you: 2024 has been... eventful. In a letter in April (I believe) I told you that I needed to focus on my original novel for a while because I aimed to finish it after summer, and I did. In the process of completing the novel, I celebrated becoming a 30-year-old, I had a future crisis, I decided to take a master's, I submitted a proposal for a children's book, opened a Substack, bought myself a car (and I'm indebted for the rest of my life, probably) and basically, life happened. Which is exhausting but also nice. Being offline became my priority: I deleted my personal Twitter account, and dumbified my phone. I have so many inputs in my life that I didn't need any more.

September came, the 5 mini chapters still left to write. I got my first "no" for my original novel, but I got a "yes" for the children's book submission—so, happy to say that I'm going to be a published author! (If all goes according to plan. I do not celebrate before I have the book printed in front of me.) I am also in the middle of my teacher's practicum but still juggling with my ordinary job, so I'm dealing with quite a lot. However, as I was telling you, this story hasn't left my mind. I know some of you have been wondering, giving me courage through the comments, and I appreciate this so much. Whenever I think about the relationship of Mikasa and Levi in this fic I grow worried that I'm not going to have enough time to explore all the nuances and pain that comes with motherhood and love—but I need to tell myself that this is fanfiction, that Mikasa and Levi aren't going anywhere, and that it is fine in just trying.

I also had worries that no one was here anymore. But I read a Zutara fanfiction in May in which the author did several hiatus. The writing spanned during five years or more and it made me think that fanfiction shouldn't be a timing burden. I think a lot about the relationship of my online and offline persona and how it doesn't differ that much—I'm still the same imaginative, self-pushing, perfectionist girl—and this fanfiction told me that it's alright: I have a story to tell. I hope it finds someone. And even though I take time, I hope for that someone to come back here when they want and find the story again.

I need to submit the children's book by the end of January, and my master thesis by April (although I will have a lot of work from my master before and after too). But now that the life work is lessening, I hope I can finally sit in front of the computer and finish Chapter 4. I am envisioning this story to have 9 chapters in total, but we will see.

So, this story is coming. My goal is for it to come on the end of December or beginning of January—but it will come. If you want to know when I upload a chapter, you can subscribe to the fanfiction and you will receive the notification on your inbox, which is a cool feature. In fact, I have begun finishing Chapter 4... but god, my English is rusty. I take long.

Anyways. Hope to see you soon. Thank you for your comments and encouragement—it has made the offline Hera very happy, too.

You asked for it, I delivered: "Instead, they said", one of my long EM fics, is up again on AO3!

After many months hidden (almost a year!), some things happened, and even though it's sitting like an OG story too in my desks, I don't think it's going anywhere any time soon. So for the time being, I decided to share it with you again.

If you're looking for a finished, summer read about growing up and apart (or close), about two people who fall in love and need to take decisions after thinking they had their lives solved, about friends who stay friends because friendship is precious, you can read this 115k fic!

my boyfriend kept on saying, don't do this, don't do this... but i did. i am back on twitter now: https://twitter.com/heraonwriting

with the knowledge that twitter fandom is hell, and that i am clear of what i'm searching when i go there, i trust myself in doing a responsible use of it and not fall into the pit of despair and fandom discourse that it is. i just hope it is easier for people to access my works, given that the curated space dedicated to sharing the fics can't not always stay on top of promoting them (understandable, there are so many.)

i am so thankful i have tumblr to promote my fics and get community in here, though. i am so incredible astonished of the good people that you are and i'm NOT leaving tumblr ANY TIME SOON. i am not willing to get my mental health decline again on twitter, that's why i will only be sharing updates on fics (all fics: even the rivamika ones. people can unfollow or block if they want to) and sharing the posts i write in here (hrabrycraft and wips tag).

i am happy with my decision, and with the clear mind that, if it doesn't work, i am not attached to an account anymore.

so i've been watching a bunch of vlogs on writing lately, and my head was spinning around the possibility of... blogging my own novel process.

i feel like maybe it would be nice or creative or helpful for other writers to see my own process? because to be honest, i have finished more than 4 og novels (two in the past 5 years) but i don't consider them to be good enough to send to publishers. bt with this one, i feel like it can be MY novel.

i was thinking of including some pictures or photographs too... but i don't know if i shall make a tumblr for it, or a tumblr series (or only post about this on this tumblr) or a substack. I think maybe I could do a weekly post on process and ruminations and my readings, too?

This is a snippet from a short story I'm writing on (roughly translated from my mother tongue). I am still on the first draft and there's so much (SO MUCH) editing to do, and I still need to capture the ominous feeling of their meeting, but!

At seventeen, Eren started talking about names from the past. It was only natural that he did—Mr. Ackerman was now his homeroom teacher, and Mikasa and Armin had been put in his class. Yet, when he did utter those names—scarcely—something in him boiled. He said, I hate her. He said, she’s making my life insufferable.

The new Rotten Judgement chapter is up and running! Meet the families from the characters, and hopefully understand where they come from.

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My new Eremika fic is up and running! Meet Eren and Mikasa in the 90s coincidentally being neighbours as they hate each other because of the past.

Thanks to @mirrorsswhisper for the amazing moodboard :')

Pairings: Eren Jaeger / Mikasa Ackerman, Minor Relationships Synopsis: Mikasa Ackerman reminds him of a past he doesn’t want to be reminded of —the fights, the cockiness, even Floch Foster’s smelly socks on his locker. And Eren Jaeger reminds her of everything she once swore to forget —the parentless childhood, revengeful kisses with their best friend, and a broken heart. So, when they accidentally end up being neighbors, their roommates can’t do anything but to accept it: Eren and Mikasa are bound to hate each other forever.

Read on AO3