Whumptober 2025 prompts

Aug. 26th, 2025 11:23 pm
sholio: Halloween candles (Halloween-candles)
[personal profile] sholio
It's that time of year. :D

Whumptober 2025 prompts list on Tumblr and text list on Google docs.

Full prompt list and alternates )

Happy to hear any suggestions, requests, or ideas/inspiration! (Results not guaranteed.) I will probably be looking at writing Biggles, Murderbot, and Babylon 5 for this, and I already have specific thoughts on a few of the prompts, but I'm happy to hear any thoughts or suggestions that you have.

Exchanges/Challenges

Aug. 26th, 2025 11:02 pm
sholio: Chess queen looking horrified (Chess piece oh noes)
[personal profile] sholio
I won't sign up for more exchanges, she said, before being tempted by exchanges. Although this is more a broad smorgasbord of things I'm currently being tempted by.

I'm probably not signing up for Sex Pollen Exchange despite being very tempted. I love the trope, but I suspect signing up to write it for other people would be a great way for my brain to decide it had never seen a sex pollen in its life. (Signups close Aug. 31.)

I'm definitely not doing [community profile] ficinabox this year (signups 'til Aug. 31) because I'm definitely not up for 10K right now, but I wish the best to all who are throwing themselves on that pyre!

One thing I actually am seriously thinking about signing up for is Out of Order Exchange, a semi-flash exchange for non-linear fic. Currently taking nominations, and the signup window is tiny (Aug. 29-Sept. 1), then there's a 2-week writing period. I just think it sounds like a fun challenge (300 word minimum, 1 fandom minimum for requests/offers).

I also did sign up for [community profile] fandomgiftbasket, which is taking signups until Sept. 5. This one has no requirement to create anything; you can simply leave prompts (3 fandom minimum) and receive gifts. They do have a tendency towards delays if they have trouble filling all the baskets.

And this year's Whumptober prompts are out! (There is also a Whumptember challenge, because of course there is.) This is like the WORST year to try to write all the Whumptober days, because I have a lot going on that month, but I am so tempted to at least give it a try.

Love Medley (Fairbanks)

Aug. 26th, 2025 10:15 pm
cahn: (Default)
[personal profile] cahn
I have been sitting on this for months but I can finally tell you that the book I have been doing a ton of beta-reading for is out! Love Medley, by Lyssa Fairbanks, is a romance novel. One of the two protagonists is Lucy, a third-gen Chinese-American fourth-year medical student. She's quite bright and often goes full speed ahead at a moment's notice, which can be both a good and a bad thing; as the book opens, she is just finding her way out of an abusive relationship. The other protagonist is Jake, a Midwestern ER nurse who moonlights as a dueling pianist. Jake is a musical people-person; as the book opens, he is finding his way free of his emotionally controlling family. Lucy enlists Jake's help as a fake boyfriend to get her toxic ex to leave her alone, but will this lead to more? (...I mean, it's a romance novel, that was a rhetorical question.)

It's part of a projected 4-book series involving a close friend-group of four, of whom Lucy is one, who are making their way through medical school. (And the second book will be F/F, I've read the rough draft and am excited about that one too!) Jake, not to be outdone, has his own friends as well! As usual, I adore the ensemble scenes more than the actual romance. ;) (A me thing, of course! The romance is also very nice!)

The book includes a content notes page that cites explicit sex scenes, emotional abuse (on-page), physical abuse (off-page), explicit language, emotionally abusive parents. It is also very clearly a romance book, and I know this is not everyone's favorite cup of tea, but if you like romances then I think it's a great contender in the genre!

I would like to give the kindle e-book to the first five people who tell me they'd like one (I'll update this post if/when that number is reached) -- please DM me with your email address :) I'm sure the author would very much appreciate it if you left an honest review on amazon, but don't feel compelled to -- this isn't an "exchange" for a review, this is just me doing this for fun :)

If you would like to support the author, the book is available on amazon here or signed copies are available from Left Bank Books here. It's also available on Kindle Unlimited.

(BTW, Lyssa Fairbanks is a pen name. If you know the author (which a couple of you do, or may be able to to figure out that you do), please do not talk publicly about their real name or how I know them, thank you!)

Some interesting items of note?

Aug. 26th, 2025 09:04 pm
shadowkat: (Default)
[personal profile] shadowkat
1. Hmmm, I've lived in NYC for over 25 years, and I didn't know this Book Store existed. It's on the upper east side near the MET.

"Tucked away inside the French Embassy’s Payne Whitney mansion on NYC’s Upper East Side, Albertine Books is one of New York City’s best-kept secrets—and now, it’s getting global recognition as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world by book-loving travel guide 1000 Libraries.

Walk through its grand doors and you’ll find yourself beneath a breathtaking zodiac-painted ceiling, surrounded by elegant dark wood, celestial murals, and more than 14,000 French and English titles. It’s the only bookstore in New York City dedicated entirely to French-language works and translations, making it a true cultural gem for literature lovers."

I foresee a trip to the Met, the bookstore, and a gluten free bakery with croissants in my future. All on the upper east side. Along with a foray into Central Park. It's been a long time since I've gone. I tend to spend most of my time in Brooklyn.

Note to non-New Yorkers? The City = Manhattan. Brooklyn is Brooklyn, Bronx is the Bronx, Queens is Queens, and Staten Island is Staten Island. Long Island is Long Island. Upstate - is basically everywhere NORTH of the City and the Bronx. But Manhattan to New Yorkers is referred to as simply - "the City", and everyone knows what you are talking about.

Gotta love a French Book store - I can actually read rudimentary French.

2. Saw a letter from Betrand Russell to Sir Oswald about fascism on Face Book, posted by Rahael. (It reminded me of why I liked Betrand Russel - who I read a lot of in the 1980s.)

Betrand Russell's artful letter refusing to debate British Fascist Leader Oswald Mosely

(A character based on Mosely was also featured (deservingly so) as a villain in the last season of Peaky Blinders.)

3. Apparently they are starting a Robot Taxi program in NYC this fall.
The Taxi and Limousin Commission is understandably upset about it.

" New Yorkers are about to meet a new kind of traffic jam companion: the robotaxi. Beginning in September, Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company, will put its self-driving cars on the streets of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.

Before you panic about an empty driver’s seat whizzing down Flatbush, rest assured: State law requires a trained specialist behind the wheel at all times. So yes, there will still be a human gripping the steering wheel while the car quietly does most of the thinking."

As someone who cannot drive - I find the news of self-driving vehicles kind of reassuring? On the other hand - I can already imagine the confusion of more than one person telling the car where they want to go. Not sure how that will work? Just that I'm very glad I rarely, if ever, take any sort of motorized vehicle in the city. I just do subways and walking, thank you very much.

4. Details on Depart Q S2 on Netflix.
shadowkat: (Default)
[personal profile] shadowkat
I'm flirting with seeing the "Chess" revival, which has a new book by Danny Strong (yes, that Danny Strong (aka Jonathan on Buffy), starring Lea Michele. But it is pricey! Previews are $135-$449 seats. The cheap ones are $135. Ugh. No. I'll have to either do Today's Tix or TDF to do it, assuming that will work. I love the musical Chess - I saw the original cast in it in London in the 1980s, when Anthony Stewart Head subbed for his brother, who had been playing one of the lead roles. I fell in love with Anthony Stewart Head in the role - this was in 1987-88, long before the coffee commercials or Buffy. Also it was a lot cheaper. London's West End tends to be a lot cheaper than Broadway, also more interesting. I miss London, I need to visit it again some day. One of my dreams is to do a rail trip across Europe. I want to retire and wander about by train. Trains are perhaps the only source of transportation that does not result in motion sickness, and I feel safe on. I adore trains.

Work and my attempts at having some semblance of a social life, including making new friends (not necessarily in tandem), are leaving me confused and frustrated. Also a touch depressed.Read more... )

Niece is running into issues with her thesis - she can't find an advisor to help her with it. Read more... )

I didn't sleep well last night - mainly because I forgot to take a shower earlier in the day, even though I had the day off. Read more... )

August Question a Day Memage (catching up again)

22. Do you have many lamps in your home, or do you rely on overhead lighting?

Yes, two - and they are kind of cheap craft lamps that don't have to have light bulbs replaced. I use them in case the overhead lighting goes out on me. I tend to rely on overhead lighting and natural light through my windows - I get a lot of indirect natural light, so can leave the lights off most of the time, particularly during the late spring and summer months. I have them off at 6:30 pm for example. I prefer natural light.

23. Do you own any clothing you only wear for a specific activity?

Yes, work clothes. Pajamas for sleep. And joggers or light sweats for laying about the house. Casual clothes for wandering about, not work related. I tend to compartmentalize my life.

24. Are you good at packing when you go away, or do you pack all the things ‘just in case’?

I was raised by a father who traveled constantly by airline, he was a road warrior. So I pack light and compact. With the view that I'm more than likely to bring the wrong things or forget something, but I'll survive.
I only bring a carry-on bag and a back pack, very little else. And I have a packing list.

25. If you ended up on a deserted desert island, what luxury would you want to have with you?

Hmmm...this is tough. I honestly don't know. Maybe some sort of wireless solar powered radio?

26. Do you have any tattoos?

No. The appeal is kind of lost on me?

jasmasson: (cookies)
[personal profile] jasmasson posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed
Pairings/Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian
Rating: Explicit
Length: 70,972 words
Creator Links: harriet_vane at AO3
Theme: Marriage of Convenience

Summary:

It’s a really unfortunate thing, developing a crush on your husband. Wei Ying had assumed this would be easy. Lan Zhan had been so icy and unpleasant to him, it had never occurred to him that he might end up spending the next however many years with this dumb, burning feeling in his chest whenever he looks at him.

“Okay,” says Wei Ying. “But tell me if I…if the pretending gets to be too hard, okay?”

“It will not,” says Lan Zhan, quietly certain.

Reccer’s Notes: Is it redundant to rec a fic that has 31,682 kudos (and counting)? And has already been recced on this community (although 5 years ago and for a different theme?) Probably. Am I going to do it anyway? Yes. Yes, I am.

Because it is fabulous.

It’s kidfic with Yaun at his most adorable, it’s a modern AU, it’s beautifully written and even if you’ve read it before I’m sure now is a great time for a reread.

Lan Zhan is his impeccable, smitten, useless at communicating self and Wei Wuxian is, as always, just doing his best in the circumstances he finds himself in.

An absolute classic. BTW, If you haven’t dipped a toe in MDZS canon or fanon, you could read this anyway due to its AU nature, and then perhaps be hooked… 31,682 AO3 users can’t be wrong, right?

Fanwork links: The Simplest Way Forward
profiterole_reads: (The Secret Circle - Diana Adam Cassie)
[personal profile] profiterole_reads
Herederas de Safo by ‪AM Irún was a lot of fun. Laura, a museum curator, and Irene, an insurance agent, must recover one of Sappho's amphoras. However, it turns out that they're exes.

This was a nice mix of adventure, humour and romance in Spain, with a few flashbacks from when the amphora was found in Greece a century ago.

There's major f/f, as well as minor f/f. Irene has a prosthetic leg.

----------

Netflix's Go k-movie The Match was excellent. It's a biopic about the champions Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho (Cho Hun-hyun's student). Perfect for fans of Hikaru no Go and The Queen's Gambit!

It stars Lee Byung-hun (the Front Man in Squid Game).

Thanks for the release info to [personal profile] halfcactus!

Hawaii five-O: hoʻokāne by Siria

Aug. 27th, 2025 01:08 am
mific: (Steve and Danno)
[personal profile] mific posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Hawaii five-O
Characters/Pairings: Danny Williams/Steve McGarrett, Grace, Kono, Chin
Rating: Explicit
Length: 13,614
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: Siria on AO3
Themes: Marriage of Convenience, First time, Fake marriage, Action/adventure, Family, AU: fork in the road

Summary: As active as Danny's imagination was, however, as strong as all his fears could be at the thoughts of his little girl being taken away from him again, he'd forgotten to factor in one very important element: Steve.

Reccer's Notes: This take on the marriage of convenience trope centres on Danny's devotion to his daughter, Grace. His ex moves to the US mainland with her husband and the only way Danny can get custody is if he's in a stable relationship - a marriage. Steve tells the judge they're about to marry and Danny stumbles through it, baffled at the way his team fully accept the situation and only berate him for keeping the affair a secret. The story takes us through the usual enjoyable dilemmas of a fake marriage like the need to share a bed, made more pressing with Grace in the house as she believes the marriage is genuine (which of course it is - Danny just doesn't know it yet). They're clearly married in the show and in this fic, but in Danny's case, massively oblivious (Steve not so much, having masterminded the marriage plan), and it all works out happily, as expected. Along the way there's lots of amusing snark and backchat, and it's wonderfully written, and a thoroughly good read.

Fanwork Links: hoʻokāne

ahhhhhdit.

Aug. 25th, 2025 06:56 pm
necrophilia: (pic#15314701)
[personal profile] necrophilia
First of all: having DW be permanently blocked on my work laptop has really done some heavy lifting in terms of discouraging me from making entries. There are things I want to write about, yes, but keep pushing them further and further back. Office time used to be entry time, because home time was video game time or TV time or exercise time or friend time or book time or— you get the idea. Hence the prolonged drop-off. I’m determined to get back into things, though!

This is something I’ve had in the back of my mind for the past year or so, which roughly coincides with my seventh year as a Redditor.

Why I might be done with Reddit!

justice for cbat )

tl;dr — Seriously, read The Left-Right Game if you haven't.

Fic in a Box Letter

Aug. 25th, 2025 12:14 pm
rachelmanija: (Default)
[personal profile] rachelmanija
Full letter to come!

Thank you for writing for me! If you have any questions, please check with the mods. I am a very easy recipient and will be delighted with whatever you write for me. I have no special requirements beyond what's specifically stated in my DNWs. I'm fine with all POVs (i.e., first, second, third), tenses, ratings, story lengths, etc.

My AO3 name is Edonohana. I am open to treats. Very open. I love them.

I like hurt-comfort, action/adventure, horror, domestic life, worldbuilding, evocative descriptions, camaraderie, loyalty, trauma recovery, difficult choices, survival situations, mysterious places and weird alien technology, food, plants, animals, landscape, X-Men type powers, learning to love again or trust again or enjoy life again, miniature things or beings, magic, strange rituals, unknowable things, epistolary fiction, found footage/art/creepy movies/etc, canon divergence AUs anf alternate versions of characters. And many other things, too, of course! That list is just in case something sparks an idea.

Opt-in Tags )

General DNWs )

Caught in Crystal - Patricia Wrede )

Dark Tower - Stephen King )

Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey  )

Marvel 616 )

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke )

The Stand - Stephen King )

Foundation 3x03-06

Aug. 25th, 2025 10:41 am
sholio: Made by <lj user=aesc> (Atlantis city)
[personal profile] sholio
This season continues to be definitely Something.

Spoilers )

Newbery Project Q&A

Aug. 25th, 2025 08:02 am
osprey_archer: (books)
[personal profile] osprey_archer
As the Newbery Project draws to a close, I’ve been preparing some posts about my reading, and I thought I’d start out by answering a few… well, I can’t exactly call them “frequently asked” questions, as the only one people have actually asked is the one about dead dogs. But, anyway, these are questions with important background information.

What is the Newbery Award, anyway?

Every year since 1922, a committee of librarians has selected “the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children” to receive the Newbery Award. The first prize winner gets the Newbery Medal, while the runner-ups have since the 1970s been called Newbery Honor books. It’s the most prestigious writing award for American children’s literature. (The counterpart award for illustration is the Caldecott.)

What’s the Newbery Project?

The Newbery Project started when I was about eleven and decided to read all the books that had won the Newbery Medal. (The Newbery is the highest award in American children’s literature. It was first awarded in 1922 and has been going strong ever since.) The project eventually fizzled out, as children’s projects do, but in my mid-twenties I resurrected it and completed it.

Then it occurred to me that I could extend the project to include all the Newbery Honor books, which is the name given to the books that are the runners-up to the big medal. A few years, there were no runners-up, and some years there were as many as eight. Most years there are three to five runners-up. I had read a pretty good number of them as a child, so I had about 240 Newbery Honors books left to read.

Two hundred and forty books! Who wants to read two hundred and forty books about dead dogs?

(For my non-American readers, the Newbery award is famous in America as the dead dog award, because there have been a few very famous winners featuring the tragic death of pets and/or best friends. Bridge to Terabithia may have been partially responsible for the fizzling of the first go-round of my Newbery project.)

Actually, the dead dogs are fairly recent. The first dead dog in a Newbery winner appeared in Fred Gipson’s Old Yeller in 1957, but that was an outlier. Until 1970, pretty much everyone lives, both dogs and relatives. After 1970 it’s open season on friendly animals and sickly grandparents until the 2000s, at which point the Newbery awards focused more intently on dead relatives.

Two hundred and forty books is still nuts. Why did you do this to yourself?

Because I love children’s books and history, and it turns out that reading the Newbery books are a fantastic way to explore both. The Newbery committee has consistently selected a lot of historical fiction and historical nonfiction (especially biographies) since the beginning, and of course the earlier books are fascinating historical artifacts in their own right at this point.

Are there any overarching themes among the Newbery books?

Beyond history in general, the Newbery awards are particularly interested in American history and more generally the construction of American identity. There’s also an ongoing interest in the history of liberty, the latter of which means, for instance, that two separate William Tell retellings have won Newbery Honors.

There’s also a strong and ongoing interest throughout the history of the award in tales of children from around the world. This reflects both children’s tastes (before children’s literature became its own category, travel narratives were a recognized favorite reading material for children), but also a reflection of the ideal of the “Republic of Childhood,” popularized in American literature by Mary Mapes Dodge in St. Nicholas Magazine, which argues that children in all times and all places are similar to and interested in each other, purely by virtue of their shared childhood.