8. if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you’d write one for…

Down in the heart! I loved writing that so much, at 170k i think I struggled with 10-15k at most, it was a dream to write. I want to write the road trip mentioned in the Christmas chapter, the proposal, getting a star, and the two of them living their cutest mentally well life lol

17. talk about your writing and editing process

for writing: i write on scrivener, and usually my set up looks something like this (sneak hwik snippet for chapter 7!) I do mood board and music to the side - i had an 'ambient lakeside hike' from youtube on low beside the mood board while i wrote their hike. I go in with a basic idea of what i want from the chapter something as simple as 'they talk about shapiro on a hike' and then i just write, if i get stuck i put [a brief description of the bit im stuck at] in brackets like that and go back to it later.

for editing: i cry and think why do i like doing this? why do i keep doing this? and then i change the font and text size and go through it a few times and then i read it paragraph by paragraph from the last one to the first looking for glaring issues and then i post and hope its not too bad lol.

There were many things that Sébastien le Livre had planned for the 200th anniversary of Napoléon Bonaparte’s death. He’s had a lot of time to think about it: a whole half a century, as a matter of fact.

Last time had been in 1971, when he’d taken an especially keen liking to forging celebratory stamps. For the French postal service had released some special stamps celebrating the 150 years since Napoléon had died, and if there’s anything that Booker knows, it’s that stamp collectors will pay big time in order to get their collection complete.

It had taken him about three days to figure out the process, and over the course of the next years, he’d made enough stamps (but not too many) to keep in a locked and temperature regulated drawer, so that he could throw some onto the market every few years. (It’s a lot easier now with eBay, but he still likes the thrills of auctions, it makes him feel important).

This year, however, technology is in an entirely different place than it was in the beginning of the 1970s. And one thing that exists in 2021 that didn’t exist in 1971 is a specific song released by a Swedish band for the 19th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

He’d known then and there, while watching the show with the rest of the immortals, when the song had begun with the lyrics “My my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender.”

This is why Booker had taken up a job as a janitor at the Hôtel des Invalides at the beginning of the year, in order to disrupt the celebrations planned by the French government: the French president Emmanuel Macron  will be present at the Hôtel to put down flowers by Napoléon’s tomb, accompanied by the Ministre des Armées Florence Parly, by the Chief of the Defence Staff François Lecointre and by none other than Jean-Christophe Napoléon Bonaparte, the current Imperial heir.

If, during the ceremony, a set of bluetooth speakers suddenly begin blasting the Abba song at 5:47 pm, it won’t be Booker’s fault at all. 

💖 what do you like most about your writing?

I think I probably like my dialogue best. I get bogged down in descriptions and have to check myself on over narration but I love sitting with characters and working to get the dialogue to something that feels true to them

🌝 who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

Quynh. I’ve written her into some of my fic but mostly just as a cameo. I have vague ideas for a persuasion type au for quynh and Andy that I absolutely want to actually plan and write eventually (the only reason I haven’t started that yet is that my goblin brain first came up with other ideas it was more committed to and then latched onto a new fandom in a big way that led to even more story ideas)

💭 what is a headcanon you have about your own work?

ok so the tramps like us series. I had a lot of head canons in that verse. Which is how I ended up turning one fic into a series. But one thing and this was based on my feeling/belief/headcanon/etc that while Booker was obvs devastated by outliving all of his family the rejection and death of his kids was what really did him in. So in let’s get lost I was working with the idea that Booker was devastated by the loss of his wife but he still had his kids. Booker strikes me as someone who that if he can he would do anything for his kids. Which includes living for them. I also headcanon within that verse that he’ll get into work home work home work kids home kids mode and not actually live so sometimes Andy and quynh or Joe will essentially say I’m taking your kids for the night. Go do something for yourself. Which is how he ended up in the same bar as nile at the beginning the fic that led to them having a ‘one night stand’ although I don’t think either of them really understood the assignment

hahaha, you and @sindirimba really do share a mind 💙

"Georgian moonlight metaphor" is my Big Bang, which I pitched like this:

'Who do you need to do to get a drink around here?'

The woman behind the bar winked at her. Quynh raised her eyebrows. 'Well?'

The woman laughed, and blew her dark fringe out of her eyes. In the dim light of the bar, Quynh couldn't make out their colour, but they were pale, and shone whenever a stray beam of light hit them. They made Quynh feel uneasy - or not uneasy. A little exposed, maybe. She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

'Alright, alright, I'll start you off easy. What do you want?;

It was only later, when Quynh had downed her second Whiskey Sour, that she realised she said 'who' not 'what.' English was a language from hell.

-

Andromaquynh rom-com: Quynh is an acclaimed writer of literary fiction who has never missed a deadline in her life. Andy is the woman of a thousand trades she meets on a research trip for her latest book. At the beginning, they barely speak the same language. At the beginning, they think it's just a bit of fun. At the beginning, Quynh couldn't have imagined what it might take to make her miss a deadline. (I'll give you a hint: It's lesbian sex.)

It's called "Georgian moonlight metaphor" because all I've got so far is an intro and the fact that it's going to be set in Georgia, because it's my modern AU hc that Andy is from there, but I'm super excited to get stuck in further!

Hi! I tried to put together a quick rec list for you here!

It's mostly shortfics, but absolutely angst-free - for longfics with only minor angst with happy endings or hurt/comfort, I suggest our Andromache Regains Immortality rec list, quite a lot of Andromaquynh fluff on there as well!

You Have the Right to Lose Control

Nile’s undercover doing corporate espionage to stop climate change, and she’s got to pack up her boss bitch suits and spike heels for the upcoming executive retreat — but she’s expected to bring a partner. Booker, who’s become her best friend since returning from exile, agrees to come with her. She’s glad at least one person who appreciates her leadership will be there.

Or! There’s Only One Bed in the Fake Relationship turns D/s Porn With Feelings with a Mission Fic cherry on top! - nevermindirah - 30k

It has been my pleasure to draw for @nevermindirah for their superb (and very kinky) Big Bang fic! Thanks for making this experience so enjoyable, it was wonderful to collab with you!