For Any Relocated TikTok Users

Love this!! I'm more of a quiet, grumpy person myself, so this was great reading. ❤️❤️❤️

how it could grow

thank you for voting in this poll! here we have grumpy!reader and sunshine!rooster going to the farmer's market | fluff, 1.7k

It's early.

Bradley gets up early and probably will forever. You've always considered yourself able to get up in the morning, but he's so...cheery. So damn chipper.

Being up early on a Saturday means the local farmer's market. It's so early that it's not even close to crowded, so you and your boyfriend stroll down the rolls of stalls, checking your combined list as you to to make sure you hit the right vendors.

Bradley waves at many of them, dragging you over to get some pickles and compliment Carlota's hat, to the bee farm stand to ask Steve about new candle scents, to get some iced tea and to hear about Lu's new puppy.

"This is delicious, Lu," he says. "What do you think, babe?" He nudges your shoulder with his.

He's not teasing you, not really, but he is trying to make you talk. You're usually very content to let Bradley be the talker, the friendly face. He's like the sun and for a long time you had no idea what he was doing spending his time with you. You're quieter, rougher around the edges. But he's practically drilled it into you by this point: he loves you. So you let him prod you a little because you do like these people and they always have a smile and kind word for you, even if Bradley does all the chatting.

"It's lovely," you tell the vendor, and mean it. It's no surprise Bradley knows him and his dog's name and everything about the business. He beams at you.

"Thank you!" he says. "Bradley's told me you're particular about your tea. Here, you take some of this new blend to try and let me know next week what you think."

So ensues a small battle over paying that ends with Bradley convincing Lu to come to the Hard Deck for a free drink this weekend in exchange for your sample blend.

"That was nice of him," you mumble, tucking into Bradley's side. He holds the iced tea you're sharing between you so you can take sips from the straw, his other arm slung over your shoulder.

"You're his favorite customer," he says. You look at him. Yeah, right, you say with your eyebrows. Seriously, his say back. You roll your eyes.

"I think that's you."

He winks. "Alright, beautiful." You scowl but he ignores it. "I think it's time to divide and conquer. You take fruits, I'll take veggies? And then we can hit the bakery on the way home and eat on the porch."

"Okay," you tell him. He gives you the rest of the tea and you tilt your cheek up. Bradley recognizes what you're asking for immedietly, surging forward to press his lips to your cheek tenderly.

"I'll find you," he says, and heads to the farm stand, whistling as he goes.

You head to the fruit stand. Bradley asked for strawberries, so you'll get some of those. And some apples for snacking on and blackberries, if she has them. When you get there, there's a small child and her mother in front of you. The little girl looks at you and you crack a smile at her and wiggle your fingers in hello. She giggles before burying her face in her mother's leg.

Yeah, okay, so a few things can crack your exterior. Your cheery, handsome aviator boyfriend and cute kids. And dogs, obviously.

The mom and kid leave and it's your turn. "Hi, honey!" the vendor says.

"Hi, Thalia," you say. Bradley comes here almost every week and when you tag along you love to visit this woman especially and her colorful piles of fruit.

"What's it for you today?" she says. Before you can answer, she holds up her hand. "Wait, I forgot!" She bends down under her stall table and reemerges with the most perfect carton of raspberries you've ever seen. You gasp softly. This is the first time she's had them all summer.

"Those are gorgeous," you say. She grins.

"That tall boyfriend of yours came by last week and I didn't have any yet." She chuckles at the memory. "He looked downright heartbroken and asked me to save some for you special once I picked 'em. So here we are! First and only carton before we bring a full load next week."

You gently take the berries from her and find that words won't come. "Oh," you say softly, looking down at them in your hands. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, dear," Thalia says softly. "Anything else for you?" You snap out of it and smile at her, rattling off your list. She bags up your things into your tote after you pay and you carry them over your shoulder while cradling the carton in your hands like precious cargo. Because it is.

The market is a little more crowded as you scan the veg stalls for Bradley. He does things like this -- the berries -- all the time, really. He looks out for you, makes sure your water bottle has ice in it, buys you more shampoo when he notices you're low, resets the car seat when he knows you'll be driving. You know that he likes taking care of you, that it makes him feel useful and like he's loving you properly, but you wonder if maybe you don't show him the same courtesy.

You know you can be sullen, you can be quiet, you can be prickly. It's not proved too much for him thus far and you're sure it won't drive him away, but you worry that he just doesn't know that he deserves to be loved with the same care and concern that he loves you. He deserves someone who makes sure he has the very first carton of the season of his favorite fruit.

You spot him standing by the kombucha stand and admire him as you walk over, tossing out the empty iced tea cup as you go. Highlighted hair, golden skin, tote bag of veg over his broad shoulders. He's so beautiful and he's yours. You love him, you really do. Right before you call his name he looks up and finds you, almost as if he felt you coming. He breaks into a smile so genuine you can't help but return it.

"Hi, gorgeous," he says, loudly. Beautiful, gorgeous. Bradley is always calling you something that makes your cheeks heat and your stomach swoop. You duck your head and step close to him. "Oh, hell yeah, the raspberries! Are they alright?"

"They're perfect," you tell him. You're perfect. "Thank you."

"Good," he says, like you being pleased by some raspberries is the best thing he's heard today. "Ready for breakfast?" You nod and he grabs your free hand and you head out of the market and down the street.

"Bradley," you say quietly, once you're clear of the stands. It's your serious tone and he picks up on it right away, giving your hand a squeeze.

"You okay?"

You hum. You are, but you need to get this out. "It was really nice of you to ask Thalia for these," you say, looking at your raspberries. "And I...I feel like I don't do things for you like that. And I wanted to say I'm sorry and that I'm going to try to do more because --"

"Woah, woah, woah," Bradley says, tugging you to a stop and making sure you're facing each other. "What's all this?" His brows are creased in concern, the furrow between them annoyingly adorable.

You take a deep breath and keep your eyes on his, determined. You want to be sure he hears this because you mean it.

"I know that I'm...prickly. And you're like the sun, Bradley." He looks like he wants to say something but you keep going before he can interrupt. "And you do nice things for me all the time and I know it's because you love me but also because it's just how you love, and because you're good. And I just want to do more to make sure you know that I love you and that you deserve to be treated like you're...like you're the best person in the world because you are."

His eyes get wider and wider as you speak, his lips parting. Yeah, maybe this is a little intense for like, 8:30 in the morning, but you two are honest with each other. It's how you got this far.

"Sweetheart," he says. "Baby, god, I--" He cups your face with one hand, eyes darting back and forth between yours. "But you do."

It's your turn to furrow your brows. What does he mean?

"You iron my uniform and you make sure I get dinner with Maverick every few weeks and you put gas in the Bronco and you stay up late to call me when I'm halfway across the world and you never let me forget my watch and you tell me you love me and that I'm brave and..." Bradley trails off and his thumb gently strokes your cheek. He starts again, quieter this time. "You're quiet in the mornings but you don't mind when I whistle and you're grumpy when it's too hot but you go outside with me anyway and you let me do the talking because I can't shut up and you only smile when you mean it and you're you. You do love me like that. You do."

Good god, you're blinking away tears at his words. "Okay," you say. "I guess we...I guess we love each other alright." Maybe it's just hard to see yourself the way he sees you. Maybe he finds it hard to see himself the way you see him. Maybe this is just how it is -- you have to remind each other you're doing your best.

Bradley leans in and presses his lips to your forehead. "You fucking bet we do," he whispers.

"Don't crush my berries," you say, eyes fluttering closed. He shifts and you feel his breath on your lips.

"I'd never."

And then he kisses you on the empty boardwalk on another gorgeous morning in your lovely, wonderful life.

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, masterlist here! (also did anyone catch the easter egg in this fic :))

Unforeseen Events (Part 3)

Summary: You move into Stark Tower, and start working with Dr Banner more often, something you would enjoy if you didn't suddenly feel so weird around him.

Warnings/tags: Mentions of blood, mentions of injuries, mentions of stitches, mentions of anaesthetic, inaccurate medical drama, Bruce is a sweetheart, Tony is a bit mean in this one, mentions of chest compressions, Thor is clueless about Midgardian stuff

***************************************************

This is a dream.

That was what you thought the first time you looked around your living quarters. Even now, you sometimes still wonder if you're dreaming. This is absolutely crazy, you think. A whole floor on Stark Tower, as well as the hangout floor you share with the Avengers?

The other Avengers have more or less accepted you as one of the team, even though you're not actually an Avenger. They include you in pretty much everything they do, except for missions - although you know about the missions anyway, because Bruce has to be there for the meetings, and he lets you tag along.

On top of moving you to Stark Tower, paying all your bills, and so on, Tony (he insists that you call him that) also insisted on you resting until your injuries were all better.

"No working, at all," he said. "I can't have my best lab assistant not at their best."

You were about to protest, but thought better of it. After all, Bruce was resting too, so it's not like he'd have been stuck with another lab assistant.

It wasn't that you had anything against the other lab assistants, it was just because you didn't want to make Bruce have to get used to a stranger before he had to then get used to you again.

Or so you tell yourself.

It's definitely nothing to do with the fact that your heart jumps whenever he catches your eye. Or the fact that you feel a jolt every time he brushes against you. And it's definitely got nothing to do with Tony's smirking at you every time he sees you together.

Fortunately, Tony hasn't actually said anything to you after the lovebird incident, but you're pretty sure he's up to something. What, you have no idea, but you're pretty sure it's going to happen soon.

Unfortunately, you're starting to suspect that he might be right - at least about you liking Dr Banner. You didn't really want to admit it at first, and put it down to all manner of things: Tony making things awkward with that unfortunate 'lovebird' comment, Hulk making things awkward by beating you up, both of you being shy people…

But it's been several months since you first moved into Stark Tower, and if anything, you've grown even more awkward around Bruce than before. It's not an unpleasant awkward, exactly. You really do enjoy being around him.

Surely it's too early to admit you're in love with him, though? Yes, you like him, but could some of it just be because you're very socially awkward? That doesn't make you in love with him, right?

There's a knock on the door.

"Y/N?" It's Tony. "We need you in the lab!"

You jump up like you've been electrocuted. "Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry, I completely forgot! I'll be right down!"

***************************************************

You rush into the lab only a few minutes later.

Bruce looks up from his work, smiling when he sees you. "Hey, Y/N."

You manage a small smile. "Hi. Sorry I'm late."

"It's alright. I know it's kind of a weird time to be working."

You step over to take a look at what he's working on. "I kind of feel like I should be used to it by now."

"Are you criticising my routine?"

"I don't think waking up super early, grabbing a coffee, and then working non-stop in the lab until you fall asleep is exactly a routine."

He shrugs. "Technically, it is a routine."

"Technically."

Bruce just chuckles.

You both fall silent as you get to work. Tony's usually the one keeping the conversation going, but he's gone off to do - something, you're not quite sure what.

You've got a nasty feeling that he's trying to get you and Bruce together. Not that you're complaining. You just don't like the way he's trying to orchestrate it.

But you have no idea if Bruce even likes you. You've never been the best at reading social cues, and - well, you get the impression that Bruce isn't really the type to make his feelings obvious.

Crash!

You groan. The beaker that was sitting innocently on the bench just a moment ago is now smashed on the floor, helped along by your elbow.

Of all the-

"Y/N? You okay?"

You nod. "I'm fine. Just clumsy."

Bending down, you start picking up the pieces.

"It's okay, I can clean it up-"

You let out a yelp.

Bruce rushes around, full of concern. "Oh, no. You're bleeding. Here, let me-" He reaches out to take your hand.

Your heart jumps, and you yank your hand away. "No, it's - it's fine. I'll just - put a plaster on it."

Bruce looks a little hurt. "Can I at least take a look?"

The thought of him touching you makes your heart jump again. "It's fine. I need to clean this up."

"I can clean it up. Or Tony can."

"I can clean up what?"

You groan when you hear Tony's voice. Of course he has to come back now!

He comes to a stop when he sees you. "Ooh, you don't look so good, kid."

"Sweetie, I need to take a look at your hand," says Bruce softly. "There might be some glass stuck in there."

Your heart leaps into your throat at the pet name. "Okay," you mutter, feeling like it's probably better to be sensible right now, and just let him take a look at your hand.

"Yeah, you guys go do that," says Tony. "I'll take care of things back here."

"Thanks," says Bruce as he helps you up.

He must have guessed that you're feeling a little dizzy, because he's walking slower than usual, and is keeping a firm hold on one of your arms - not enough to hurt you, but enough so that he can keep you steady.

***************************************************

Once you're sat down on the examination table, Bruce goes into full doctor mode. You'd find it adorable if you weren't trying to calm your racing heart every time he does - well, anything. Even him typing something into your chart makes you blush.

Okay, maybe I do like him. Just a bit…

"Okay," he says, as he stands up. "It doesn't look like any glass got into the cut, but you are going to need stitches."

You nod. "Okay."

Fortunately, Bruce is pretty good at stitching, so it's over very quickly, although your face has now become a raging inferno. Why, you're not quite sure. He is just doing his job, after all.

"All done," he says softly, patting your arm. "I'll just bandage it up, and then we can finish up."

By the time he's done bandaging your arm, your face feels like the surface - no, the core of the Sun, and your heart feels like it's about to explode out of your chest.

"Thanks," you mumble.

Bruce smiles softly. "It's alright. You don't have to thank me." He reaches out to help you as you stand up. "Are you okay to walk?"

You nod. "I think I'll be fine."

***************************************************

As you walk back through the lab, you notice that most of the stuff's already been tidied and put away. That's usually your job, but Tony must have taken pity on you, seeing as you're injured.

The man himself is taking a look at something on the computer. He looks up, smiling when he sees you. "Oh, hey, kid. We were going to put on a movie after we've finished up here. You want to join us?"

You pause for a moment. You're pretty tired, but you don't want to be rude. But on the other hand, watching a movie doesn't really require much energy, so…

"Okay. I'll join you. Can I go and get some stuff first?"

"Sure."

Bruce pokes his head in. "Oh, hey - Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"I forgot to tell you - the anaesthetic will probably wear off in about four to six hours."

You nod. "Okay."

"Tell me if you're starting to feel uncomfortable. I don't want you to be in pain, alright?"

You nod again as you feel the heat starting to creep up into your cheeks again.

"Y/N's joining us for the movie tonight," says Tony.

Bruce smiles. "That's nice."

"Yeah - um - see you there!"

***************************************************

What on earth is wrong with me? you wonder as you look around your room for - something, you're not quite sure what. Why can't I even stand to be in the same room as Bruce now? What's going on?

And where are my nice pajamas?

What's wrong with you, Y/N? Are you seriously trying to impress Bruce with what pajamas you wear? What kind of-

"A-ha!" You hold up the pajamas triumphantly, even though there's nobody else in the room to see them.

There's a knock on your door. "Y/N?" It's Nat. "Movie's starting in five!"

"Yeah, I know, coming!"

After changing into your pajamas and grabbing your favourite blanket, you rush downstairs.

All the girls are squished up on one sofa, with absolutely no space to spare.

And there's no way you're sitting on the boys' couch. They'll squish you half to death.

So that only leaves one other sofa in the room.

Bruce's sofa.

It's not that the others don't like him sitting with them, or that they're scared he's going to Hulk out mid-movie. He just prefers his personal space.

He must have noticed you hesitating, because he smiles, and pats the spot next to him.

Blushing, you go over, and sit down, curling up as you wrap yourself in the blanket.

Bruce moves over to give you some more space while you get yourself comfortable.

"Comfy?" he asks softly.

You nod. "Yes, thanks."

You're pretty sure Tony's had something to do with this, judging by the smirk on his face, but you ignore him, and turn to face the TV.

The first movie's good, but you'd be enjoying it a lot more if you weren't so hyper-aware of what Bruce is doing. Every time he shifts, every time he gets up to get a snack or a drink, every time he eats or drinks anything…

"Well, that was rather nice," says Thor, when the movie's over.

He starts to get up, but Tony stops him. "Where are you going?"

Thor gives him a funny look. "The movie is over. We are supposed to go to bed now, are we not?"

The room erupts in laughter.

"Thor, do you seriously not know how a movie night works?" asks Jane, wiping tears from her eyes.

He looks confused. "We have watched the movie, so we now go to bed. Is that not how this works?"

"You can watch more than one movie during a movie night."

"Oh." Thor sits back down. "Well, I did wonder what we were going to do with all those snacks."

"What snacks?" says Tony. "You ate them all!"

This results in more laughter.

"We've gotta get you up to speed with this stuff, man!" laughs Clint.

Once you've all calmed down, Nat suggests watching a medical drama.

"It's got good reviews, and it's supposed to be pretty accurate," she says.

"I think we'll let our resident doctor decide on that," says Steve, with a look at Bruce.

He blushes. "I - okay."

The show's about twenty minutes in when you hear Bruce gasp.

"Are you okay?" you whisper.

He turns to you looking absolutely horrified. "That's not how you do chest compressions!"

"What do you mean?"

"Are they compressing the patient's stomach? And their hands are all wrong. You don't put your hands like that. You put them like this-" he shows you.

And that's pretty much how the rest of the movie goes, with Bruce explaining everything they're doing wrong medically.

Not that you mind. You're not finding the movie particularly interesting anyway, and it's nice to hear Bruce talking about something he's so passionate about.

When the movie's over, everyone looks expectantly at Bruce.

"Well?"

He sighs. "Not accurate, at all."

"Really?" The sarcastic inflection in Tony's voice makes you giggle. "I would never have guessed."

"Oh-" Bruce blushes. "Sorry - was I being too loud?"

Steve smiles, and shakes his head. "Don't listen to Tony. You weren't bothering anyone."

You sigh, and slump back, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I think I might turn in now."

Everyone groans.

"Just one more movie!" begs Tony. "Please? For me? For Bruce?"

Your face burns, and you stare at the floor.

"It's okay, Y/N," says Bruce. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

You breathe a sigh of relief. "In that case, I think I will turn in."

And then you're out of the room before anyone can reply.

***************************************************

As you get ready for bed, you can't stop thinking about what Tony said. He more or less told all the Avengers that you have a massive crush on Bruce.

Is it really that obvious? you wonder, as you climb into bed. Am I really that unsubtle?

There's a gentle knock on your bedroom door.

"Can I come in?" It's Bruce.

You nod, but then remember he can't see you from the other side of the door. "Yes."

He steps inside. "Are you okay? You left pretty quickly. Did Tony upset you?"

You shake your head. "It's fine. I was just tired."

"Same here. It's been a long day." He pauses for a moment. "You know, we don't have any upcoming projects, so we have some days off."

You nod, wondering where he's going with this. "That's good."

He blushes. "I - I just thought you should know. Goodnight."

You feel a bit disappointed that he didn't ask you out or anything, but he is an introvert, after all. He's going to need to recharge. Fun as he is, Tony Stark is pretty exhausting to be around, and you're feeling pretty drained yourself.

And it's not like he likes you back, right?

***************************************************

Part 4 coming soon

As always, I do not give permission for anyone to copy my work, repost it elsewhere, etc.

me, a writer, at 3am: WHAT? I CANT FIND THE SPECIFIC FANFIC THAT I MADE UP IN MY MIND WITH A WHOLE PLOT AND ORIGINAL CHARACTERS??? WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE??? DO THEY EXPECT ME TO WRITE THE STORY I THOUGHT UP OF???

reblog if you believe fanfics are as valid as books that were published and sold by authors who write as their main careers. I'm trying to prove a point

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

I love this so much! ❤❤❤

His Life (Pietro Maximoff x Reader)

Request: Hello love, how are you doing? May I request something with Pietro where the reader is returning from a mission that lasted a couple of months and he is eagerly anticipating for the reader to return. And the day the reader is returning he sets up a romantic date for them and it’s all cute and fluff and just adorable and a lot of hugs and cuddles please!

Requested By: Anonymous

Word Count: 2, 331

Warnings: Slight Swearing, Fluff

A/N: Wow. This is my longest imagine yet, I think. All of my Pietro ones are super long, has anyone else noticed that? I guess I just get swept up in the idea of Pietro. Why can’t I have a Pietro in my life? That would be amazing. Anyways, this one won the vote, so here it is! FYI, ‘printesa’ means ‘princess,’ ‘draga’ means ‘darling,’ and (Y/F/S) means ‘your favorite show. If you would like to be added to my Tag List for all future updates, just let me know! Well, I hope you enjoy!

Tag List: @mp938368 @gcneral-organa @thatgirlsar @jumperswellies @quicksoldier @kitkatgaming @marvelfandom-stuff @itsmaytimetosaygoodbye @agentraven007 @marvelgoateecollection

MASTERLIST

Pietro was nervous. Excited. Overjoyed. Practically bouncing off the walls with energy, more so than other days. He could feel his heart soaring. He felt like he had just won the lottery. Why, you may ask?

You were coming home.

You, his Printesa. His Draga. His Love. His Heart. His Life. And you were coming home.

Finally, you were coming home. Pietro had been waiting (somewhat patiently) for this day. The day where he can see you step off that quinjet. The day where he would run up to you, pick you up, and twirl you around as if you were lighter than a feather; because to Pietro, you were. The day where he could finally kiss you, after not being able to for the past four months. Those four, painstakingly agonizing months where he couldn’t feel your skin against his, couldn’t taste your lips, couldn’t smell your sweet scent. But today, today was the day where he could do all of it and more.

And he was beyond ready to have you in his arms once again, safe.

Unfortunately for Pietro, you wouldn’t be arriving until around dinner time. But since his nerves and excitement decided that he wasn’t going to get a good night’s sleep before you got home, they woke him up at six in the morning. A whole twelve hours before he could see you, his ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

Staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, Pietro’s mind was racing. This had to be the best welcome home anyone has ever received, that way you wouldn’t want to leave again. Shutting his eyes, Pietro tried to will his mind to shut off and let him get more sleep. Every time he was close to that blissful rest, he received a flash of your scent, or an image of your lips that he would soon be kissing in eleven hours and fifty-seven minutes; and he would start the vicious cycle all over again.

Sitting up, Pietro checked his phone to see if you had sent him any messages. Not a single one. She probably wants to make me wait, Pietro thought with a small smile. That little minx. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Pietro made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Grabbing the clothes that he set out the night before, (All your favorites, of course. Especially the tight gray and blue shirt that you loved. He had made sure that they were all washed the day before, courtesy of his wonderful sister, Wanda) Pietro quickly showered and changed. Slipping on his tennis shoes, Pietro sped off to the kitchen where the rest of his teammates sat.

“Whoa,” Tony shouted after nearly being ran over by Pietro. “What’s got you excited, Speedy Gonzales?”

Smiling brightly as he grabbed the cereal box, he placed a kiss on his sister’s forehead. “(Y/N)’s coming home today!”

“Really?” Natasha said, looking up from over her phone. “Hadn’t noticed.”

“Yeah, not like you’ve been telling us every single day for the past month,” Clint grumbled, taking a bite of his cereal. “‘Only twenty-six days until (Y/N) is back!’” Clint said in a horrible Sokovian accent, obviously trying to imitate Pietro.

Eyes turning into slits, Pietro glared at him. “I do not sound like Dracula, old man.” Scooping up a spoonful of cereal, he shoved it into his mouth. “Besides, what’s wrong with me wanting to see my Printesa?”

“Nothing at all,” Vision replied, phasing through the kitchen wall, scaring Scott. “It is perfectly normal for a human to miss their partner and want to be with them.” On the word ‘partner’ Vision had moved next to Wanda, causing her to blush slightly.

Eyes turning into slits once more, Pietro sent daggers towards Vision. “Get away from my baby sister, Android.”

Scoffing, Wanda pushed away from the table. “I’m not your baby sister! We are only twelve minutes apart. And besides, I don’t complain about your relationship with my best friend.”

“(Y/N) isn’t red like a tomato and came from a computer program and a rock!”

“That’s besides the point, and I’m done arguing,” Wanda said, putting her foot down. “Now, do you need help planning her welcome home party?”

“Yes, please,” Pietro said, kissing his sister’s hand.

“Great!” Vision shouted, clasping his hands together. “I’ll help.”

This is going to be a long day, Pietro thought to himself, groaning at the thought of spending the day with Vision.

Placing the last touch on your welcome home party, Pietro stepped back and looked proudly at his work. Wanda and Vision had helped him put together his masterpiece, to which he was beyond thankful.

“She’ll love it,” Wanda breathed out, looking at all the hard work they put in.

“Oh yes,” Vision added, surveying the room. “Knowing (Y/N), there is at least an 85% chance that she will enjoy what you have set up.”

Eyes rolling at Vision’s statistics, Pietro opens the door. “Lets go wait for her. Only one hour left until she is home.” Nodding at his words, they all exited to await your arrival. Some more than others.

“Calm down, will you? You’re driving me insane,” Wanda scolded, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. The quinjet was landing in five minutes, and Pietro was so nervous that he kept tapping his foot. Because of his enhancement, his foot tapping was accelerated so much that his foot was a blur.

“Sorry,” Pietro mumbled, brushing his hand through his silver hair. Eyes trained on the sky, Pietro anxiously looked for the familiar shape of the quinjet. The wind on the roof constantly kept blowing his hair in his face, along with his sister’s long brown hair. Swatting away his hair, Pietro almost screamed when he saw the familiar black shape along the horizon.

“SHE’S HERE!” Pietro yelled, running towards the edge of the roof. As the black mass moved over his head, Pietro ran back to his sister’s side to wait for you to finally step off the platform, reuniting the two of you.

Landing gear deploying, Pietro’s accelerated foot tapping started up once again as the doors opened.

Stepping out of the jet, your eyes adjusted to the light. Looking down, you saw your best friend, Wanda, waiting for you with a smile. Immediately next to her was Pietro, his face lighting up when he saw you.

“(Y/N)!” He shouted, speeding up to you. Smiling brightly, you laughed as he scooped you up into his strong arms and began spinning you around.

Setting you down, you were met with Pietro’s smiling face and bright blue eyes. Tears welling up in your eyes, you placed your hand against his stubbly face. Oh, how you missed that stubble.

“I missed you,” You croaked out, voice laden with tears.

“As did I,” Pietro whispered, pulling you even closer to him. “Four months was way too long.”

Chuckling slightly, you ran your fingers through his thick hair. “Yes. Yes it was.”

Forehead resting against yours, Pietro leaned in slightly, brushing his lips against yours gently, igniting a fire inside of you. Impatient, because dammit, you’ve waited too long, you pulled your boyfriend to you, crashing your lips against his.

Smiling at the contact, Pietro pulled you close to his body by your hips, resting his large hands on your lower back.

“Get a room!” Clint yelled over the dying engine of the quinjet, joining the welcoming group along with the others. Releasing one hand from Pietro’s hair, you flipped off the whistling group, causing laughter to erupt among them. Feeling only one hand on your waist, you opened your eye just a tad bit to find Pietro’s hand right next to yours, flipping them off as well.

Pulling back from lack of oxygen, you turned towards your group of friends, all of which you missed dearly. Hand intertwining with Pietro’s, you walked down the ramp to be swarmed by your friends, each giving you a hug.

“Missed you, kid,” Tony said affectionately, pulling back from the hug.

“Missed you too,” You responded as you felt a tug on your hand. Looking back over your shoulder, you see Pietro motioning towards inside with a smile.

“Sorry, everyone,” You said with a small smile as Pietro pulled you into his side. “I promised I would spend time with him.”

“Aw, can’t you share?” Steve joked. “We missed her too.”

“No. Mine.” Pietro replied as he swung you up into his arms. Knowing what happened next, you placed your arms around his neck.

“Bye,” You said quickly to your friends, knowing that you would catch up with them later. Pietro then speeded into the compound, turning everything into a blur. Stopping abruptly outside of his bedroom, you looked at him suspiciously.

“Why here?” You asked as he set you down. Shrugging, Pietro took your hand once more as he opened the door. Walking in, you laughed as you felt Pietro cover your eyes. “Pietro…”

“Shh,” Pietro whispered, guiding you into the room. “Okay, Draga,” he said, removing his hands. “Surprise!”

Opening your eyes, your breath became caught in your throat at the sight before you. Pietro’s room was covered in candles, casting everything in a warm and comforting glow. On the bedside table were all of your favorite foods, waiting to be eaten. Next to his TV were all of your favorite movies and shows, some of which you only watched with him. What really made your heart stop though was that the room was covered in rose petals, filling it with a sweet scent. Sure, it was cheesy, but it was perfect to you. Because Pietro did it all.

“Pietro…” You breathed out in awe. Arms wrapping around your waist, Pietro hugged you from behind.

“Just wanted to treat you. Welcome home,” Pietro whispered in your ear as he placed a kiss on your neck. Turning in his arms, you smiled up at him as you laced your fingers through his thick locks once again.

“It’s perfect,” You replied as you pecked his lips. Pulling away slightly, he pulled you back to his lips, not quite done kissing you yet. Giggling as he continued to kiss you, your giggles turned into laughter as he kissed all over your face. “Pietro!”

“C'mon,” He said, halting his attack. “Let’s eat.” Dragging you onto his bed, you ate almost all of the food set before you, with the help of Pietro and his fast metabolism. Kicking off your shoes, you laid back onto his bed, completely relaxed.

“What are you doing?” He asked, Sokovian accent prevalent.

“Resting,” You answered, eyes closed.

“Oh no,” He said with a grin, pulling you up by your arms. Laughing, you sat up. “You’re going to spend time with me. I haven’t seen you in four months.”

“Can’t we do that after a nap?” You pleaded, giving your boyfriend the puppy dog eyes.

Shockingly, he resisted. “No. We are going to cuddle while we catch up on (Y/F/S). I haven’t been able to watch it for four months!”

Shaking your head whilst laughing, you look at your boyfriend. “You could’ve watched it without me.”

“It is our show. I couldn’t watch it without you,”

“You’re too sweet,” You blushed, pecking his cheek. “Set it up. I’m going to get into comfy clothes.”

Nodding at your orders, you got up from the bed and grabbed some of Pietro’s sweatpants and one of his shirts. Quickly changing into them, you jumped back onto the bed, with Pietro following suit.

Cuddling up to your boyfriend, you sigh in bliss as the familiar theme song began. Wrapped up in his arms, you smile as you feel him kiss your forehead.

I am never leaving him again, you thought as you breathed in his welcoming scent.

After three episodes, Pietro looked down at you. You had fallen asleep halfway through the second episode, but Pietro didn’t have the heart to wake you up. You looked too cute. Smiling, Pietro turned off the TV. Brushing away a strand of hair that fell into your face, Pietro pulled you closer to him.

“You are never leaving me again, Printesa,” Pietro whispered knowing that you couldn’t hear him. “That was way too hard. Every morning, I found myself walking towards your room to wake you up, since I was your personal alarm clock. But you weren’t there. Every morning I had to go through the realization that you weren’t here, with me. And every morning my heart broke. Because all I wanted to do was wish you good morning, to kiss you. In those four months I not only lost my girlfriend temporarily, I lost my best friend. I missed just talking to you, seeing you smile. I don’t think you realize just how much of a hold you have on me, Printesa,” Pietro smiled. “You are my life, my whole life. You are my love, my heart, my world. Do you realize that, Draga? Because you are. Without you, I am nothing. I love you so much. More than you ever know.”

Kissing your forehead once more, you stirred in your sleep. Freezing, Pietro waited to see if you had heard any part of his confession.

“…Pietro?” You mumbled, blearily blinking away sleep.

“I’m here, Draga,” Pietro whispered, brushing away your hair.

“Good. I missed you,” You sleepily muttered, already drifting back to sleep.

“I missed you too, Printesa. Now, sleep. I’ll be right here,”

“Good,” You replied, burying your face into the crook of his neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my Life,” Pietro whispered, kissing your forehead one last time. Already feeling your breathing slowing down, Pietro smiled to himself as he too drifted off to sleep.

Those four months were hard, but you made it. The lives the two of you led were difficult, extremely difficult. But you could get through it, as long as you had the other. Because true love endured all.

Reblog this if you had to learn cursive writing as a child

If you were ever told or were made to learn cursive writing when you were in grade school. I wanna see how many of you suffered like I did.

So aí just read part 2 of let me help and I am SO HAPPY!!!I feel seen,thank you for that!!do you plan to write more parts?

Yes!! I am. Thank you so much for the feedback, it's really nice to know when people enjoy my writing.

WHY are titles so hard what the fuck man

If you see this on your dashboard, reblog this, NO MATTER WHAT and all your dreams and wishes will come true.