It's All In The Details

How's everyone's 2019 been so far?

For me, it's been.... interesting. For the most part, I'm upbeat. I'm wearing a warrior attitude and charging head-first into this new year. I'm DETERMINED to make it good. I'm not giving things weight if it's not crucial to my life in one way or another. I'm re-organizing my priorities. I'm loving life.

I've also tripped up twice already, falling into a daily funk of "Nope. Don't want to do anything but sit here in my PJs." So, three steps forward, one back? Still forward progress overall, so I'll take it.

Another snafu is that I SOMEHOW injured my left wrist on Friday. I have not an inkling of a clue as to what the HECK I did. I was kneeling at work to measure something, and then I braced myself on the edge of a piece of furniture as I stood back up, mostly because I'm too out of shape to stand up from a kneeling position without bracing myself....

Anyway, the surface I braced myself on was soft, and I got up straight without tripping or anything. It is a move I'm sure many have done throughout the course of humanity, and a move I KNOW I've done countless times without injury. And yet, SOMEHOW, this time I pressed too hard on my left arm or something? Because a pain shot up through to my shoulder.

Friday evening and all throughout Saturday, I kept my wrist wrapped in an ace bandage. Sadly, due to work injuries at previous employers, I've gotten pretty skilled at wrapping wrists and ankles. Sunday I switched over to wrapping my wrist - and my knee, which decided to join the party randomly - in sports tape. Yesterday the pain was almost unnoticeable, but my wrist is still stiff, and if I bend it at JUUUUUUUUST the right angle the pain flairs up briefly and shootingly. If home care of bandaging, icing, and heat don't get me back to normal by Friday I'm definitely getting it checked out, but right now it seems to be an inconvenience that's healing itself.

To be fair, I've been writing nearly non-stop since I injured myself, which both proves it can't be THAT bad, and that I'm an idiot who's clearly not letting myself fully rest in order to heal.

Whoops.

I've got stories to write, dang it! I can't stop because my off-hand decided it wanted to injure itself!

Speaking of, I actually managed TWO chapters of "Woven Heartstrings" this past week!

Woven Heartstrings

Summary: Chat Noir needs a Christmas gift for Ladybug. Marinette is a very crafty and creative person, so Chat Noir asks her for some help in making a gift for his lady. While hesitant in aiding Chat Noir’s attempts to woo her superhero self, Marinette reluctantly agrees. Although, after a week of working side-by-side with Marinette, Chat Noir’s not so sure he wants to gift the scarf he’s making to Ladybug after all.

Status: Chapter 3 of ? (I don't even know anymore... 7?)

Ships: MariChat with hints of LadyNoir and Adrienette

Rating: K / General Audiences

Universe: This story DOES NOT take place in the “It’s You” universe along with “Peeping Tomcat.”

Spoilers: This story is Season 2 compliant, and therefore has mentions of minor spoilers from Season 2 of Miraculous Ladybug

Yeah, that "I don't even know anymore"? As per usual for me, this story has taken on a life of its own and is taking longer to tell than originally planned. As of right now it seems I'm writing a new chapter for each day that passes in the story. The story started a week before Christmas - I think I figured out that it started on December 18th, but I'll get to that later - so we'll say seven or eight chapters now in total? We'll see where it takes itself.

In the meantime, have fun with the latest two chapters if you haven't read them yet!

"Chapter 2: Crafting"

On FanFiction            On ArchiveOfOurOwn            On DeviantArt

"Chapter 3: Connection"

On FanFiction            On ArchiveOfOurOwn            On DeviantArt

Yeah, sorry for the crappy title for chapter 2... I just.... I dunno, it was a weak chapter for me. It was a struggle to keep people in-character for some reason, the story wasn't going the way I wanted at first, it kept me WAY later than I wanted to write, edit, and post, and by the time I was done I had no further energy to spend another three days coming up with a good title.

In truth "The Request" isn't really gangbusters of a title either.

The only one I really like is "Connection" but I might go back at one point and have each chapter be a yarn, crafting, scarf, and/or crocheting reference.

As of right now though, that's too much effort. Sorry, Taurus Pixie.

Poor titling or no, it's wonderful to see how much love this impromptu story is getting! I'm actually in a little bit of shock at how many faves, follows, kudos, and reviews emails I get daily.

I didn't think to do my normal "24-hr stats" like I did for “Peeping Tomcat”, so these are stat totals thus far: posting of chapter 1 on 12/24 through this writing on 1/8.

FFN: 1,319 views, 36 faves, 53 followers, and 12 reviews
AO3: 1,046 hits, 105 kudos, 12 bookmarks, and 6 comments
DA: 28 views, 4 faves (2 people on 2 different chapters), but no comments

Total Results: 2,393 views, 145 faves, 65 followers, and 18 reviews

Tumblr Notes: 12 likes

A little clarification here. Two people - Seirenpoison and AndreaDragonheart - faved two chapters each on DeviantArt. Seirenpoison, whom you might remember as the lovely lady who drew me some "Peeping Tomcat" fanart, faved the first two chapters of "Woven Heartstrings", while AndreaDragonheart skipped over the first chapter and faved the second and third ones. So, technically there are four faves, but it was the same two people who would have only be able to fave once on any other platform.

I also don't want to take up the space to show the 18 reviews, but here are the main sentiments:

1. Awwwww!
2. This is so cute. I'm loving this story.
3. The emotions are so strong and subtle at the same time. I love the balance.
4. The characters are spot on!
5. Your details about crocheting are so amazing.
6. You're making me want to crochet!!!!

That last one is a surprise to me, but it's been included in like 4 or 5 different reviews. HAHA! Well, good to know my crocheting details are encouraging people to try it - or get back into it - themselves.

As for the Tumblr notes? Well, the announcement of the new story only got a reaction out of Pixie, who liked and reblogged. The announcement of the second chapter garnered seven more likes, but no reblogs. The announcement of the third chapter on Sunday has four more likes thus far, but no reblogs again.

So, I'm not entirely sure where all the views are coming from, but I'm loving it! Especially since I'm also starting to get faves and follows on "Peeping Tomcat" again as a result! Sadly, I wasn't expecting the resurgence, so I don't have the specific stats for the views that came after I posted "Woven Heartstrings." However, here were my stats a week after I posted the final chapter of PT:

FFN: 21,420 views, 138 faves, 212 followers, and 89 reviews
AO3: 6,821 views, 265 kudos, 38 bookmarks, and 30 comments
DA: 454 views, 37 faves, and Seirenpoison commenting on 3 chapters

Total Results: 28,695 views, 440 faves, 250 followers, and 122 reviews

And here are my stats now:

FFN: 29,427 views! 163 faves, 217 followers, and 96 reviews!
AO3: 8,339 views, 302 kudos, 47 bookmarks, and 31* comments
DA: 2,010 views! 39 faves, and Seirenpoison still is my only commenter

Total Results: 39,776 views! 504 faves, 264 followers, and 130 reviews

Can we talk about how the DeviantArt views QUADRUPLED since I finished my story!? Sadly, the 8th chapter Guilt remains the only chapter with no faves... Also, that asterisks after the AO3 comment count is to indicate that those are 31 initial comments. A few of them turned into comment threads between me replying and then getting a response. In total, there are 68 comments on PT.

Also, thanks to emails, I know that PT received at least 5 more kudos on AO3, one new fave on FFN, and 3 new FFN followers since "Woven Heartstrings" went live about 2 weeks ago. I also have a new author follow on FFN.

I guess people want fluffy MariChat stories. Who knew?

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by Birdman, Inc.

By the way, that was a joke. Just about everyone knows that Fluffy FanFiction wins the day....

Each chapter of "Woven Heartstrings" also falls between 3,000 and 3,600 words, so they're vastly shorter chapters this go. Another plus, since fanfic readers tend to consume content when they're filling short bursts of time, such as waiting for their next class, waiting for an appointment, riding on their commute, relaxing on their lunch break, as they have their breakfast and/or dinner, just before bed, etc. They don't want to be drawn into a long chapter they might not be able to finish before they have to do their next activity, or when they're trying to unwind to go to sleep.

I get it. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop writing my 11,000 word chapters if the story calls for it, but I get it. I'm sort of an acquired taste. People need to dedicate time to read most of my stuff, instead of my stuff helping them fill the awkward amount of time they already have.

So, it's nice that I have a few one-shots, and now this smaller story with shorter chapters. It's a way to showcase my writing and make people WANT to dedicate the amount of time they'll need to read through "Peeping Tomcat", and in turn "One and the Same" once I'm ready to post that.

Speaking of.... yeah.... I haven't worked on OatS in nearly a month. I've been focused on WH. And I mean FOCUSED. Yesterday I was nervous that I wrote myself into a corner. I knew where I wanted the story to go, but I feared that chapter 3 ended up meandering too far from my original plot. I ended up spending about three hours yesterday trying to figure out where my plot went, and if my original concept would still work.

It doesn't fit EXACTLY how I wanted it to go originally, but I still like the direction the story took me.

But, for reals, I took NOTES on what I'm doing so I won't write a dead-end by accident. Just.... don't look too close at the notes if you want to avoid spoilers.

My main concern was that Adrien was taking too darn long to crochet a blasted scarf! I needed him to have time to do other things for the plot I was working with, but if he spent three days making just a third of a scarf, and the story starts a week before Christmas, would he be done in time!?

Fear not. After going back through what I wrote, I realized my subconscious had it all sorted out for me.

Chapter - and day - one had him practicing how to crochet until he's "perfected" it enough to feel comfortable making his scarf. Chapter - and day - two had him actually starting the scarf, but he's only at Marinette's for a little over two hours, and that's with a few distractions and interruptions. In the end, I think I estimated he finished the evening with the equivalent of, at most, 90mins of work done. In chapter 3 I didn't specify how long he worked on the scarf, but I imagined about 20mins by the fireplace, and then another 2hrs or so at Marinette's.

After scouring the internet for the better part of a half-hour, I found that the average beginner using a half-double stitch and medium weight yarn - both of which are true of Adrien - could complete a scarf in about six hours, if not faster. Again, I was nervous that our little bean was taking WAY longer than that. Day one he spent more than an hour to crochet a 12cm square. Creating a scarf long enough for Ladybug would be roughly 165cm. Yes, a lot of those above notes were me figuring out the proper length of the scarf. I also tried to figure out, if Adrien kept his pace of 12cm per hour, how long would it take him to hit the full 165. It was NOT fast at all.

But I remembered that he was still learning and practicing those first 12cm. When he actually started his scarf on Day 2, he knew, more-or-less, what he was doing, and could therefore work at a faster pace. I figured about a cm - or roughly one row - every 130 seconds. Still a little slow, but he's still a beginner, and his claws could be an issue with the yarn, slowing him down further. I then figured he could move a bit faster - about one row every two minutes - when he was out of costume and didn't have his claws to contend with. He would also start working faster as he became more confident with his skills, as well as no longer being distracted by Marinette.

I slowed him down again as he figured out color switching, but he was mostly monitored by Marinette for that, so his pace didn't slow TOO far.

After probably an hour of doing calculations and mental adjustments to try to keep the crocheting pace "realistic" I was satisfied that I had done it correct all along. I just need to go back and tweak a word or two in chapter 3, but that was mostly because I caught an inconsistency when I went back through my story thus far.

So, uh, YAY, BRAIN! It's good to know I have it all realistically figured out even when I don't have it all realistically figured out.

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by Birdman, Inc

Also, yes, this is indeed the extreme attention to detail I put into all of my stories. Is it any wonder why it takes me so long to get a chapter up? Or that I'm STILL world building for two different story concepts YEARS later? I'm a stickler for realism, especially in my fantasy stories. If the author can't even figure out a realistic crocheting pace for a beginner, how can you trust them to create a realistic magic consistency?

Details, man. They're a killer.

And once again, I wonder how I can get a job as a script supervisor, because then maybe my attention to details could be useful....

...oddly enough, though, I'm terrible at paying attention to details in my everyday life. Like, if you dyed your hair without warning me that you were going to? If a business just opened on Main Street? If someone is wearing a new blouse or jewelry? If one of my friends GOT A NEW CAR without giving me a heads up? Nope. Not going to notice. At most I'll get an uneasy feeling that something is "off" but lord help me to figure out what....

I'm weird. Okay?

Point is, I have an almost hourly break-down of each day within the story, so I can keep track of what Adrien and Marinette are doing from December 18th through to about 10pm on Christmas. I know the pace Adrien is crocheting at now, and I can make sure he has the time needed for everything I want him to do.

Specifically, I figured out what her gifts to Chat Noir and Adrien are going to be. That's what the yellow sheet of paper has notes on.

My only remaining issues are Adrien's gift to Marinette, and a way to showcase certain things that I know to be canonically true to my story, but I haven't QUITE figured out how to present them in the story. I think I have time to sort those out though.... for the most part.

So it's back to working on chapter 4 I go, with hopes of being able to pick up the pace a bit faster as I progress: much like Adrien's crocheting.

As for OatS? Fear not, kiddies. I am NOT abandoning this story. I firmly believe working on WH is helping me with this larger project.

As stated above, having smaller, shorter stories like "Woven Heartstrings" is a good way to garner readers, and to prove my writing is worth the time spent reading it.

Trying to get "Woven Heartstrings" done before its too far past Christmas, especially now that I have about four more chapters to write instead of just one, means I'm learning how to write and edit faster, which are skills that can help me out when I get closer to my "End of March/Beginning of April" posting deadline for OatS.

Finally, OatS can quietly brew in the back of my mind while I focus on this story. Have it be a bit of a palette cleanser so I can start fresh and renewed once I'm done with WH. Seeing reviews for my existing stories definitely helps as a motivator as well.

Oh! This post is getting pretty long and I haven't talked about my resolutions again! Well, I guess I'm aiming to chat about them a bit next week, but I'll close out with at least listing them:

1. Try yet again to write at least 4 out of 7 days of the week. 
2. Post at least one new completed story per month.
3. Finish and post my fanfic sequel "One and the Same".
4. Win NaNoWriMo again this November.
5. Continue my weekly blog post routine.

What are your resolutions? Let me know in the comments.

Fear of Commitment

Last week was kind of chaotic. One of my co-workers went on vacation, so I ended up working nine days straight. I also realized, as I mentioned last week, that the chapter for Friday needed an almost complete rewrite. Actually, all of the closing chapters do. There's a lot more depth and complexity that needed to be added into this conclusion. Part of me likes it, because it adds more to the story overall. Another part of me wishes it just remained a simple “Do I like Marinette for who she is, or just because she's Ladybug?”

The chapters would be all set if it stayed that simple.

I still have to find a way to work in Adrien's feeling of inadequecy as both a friend and as a superhero. I think I've sort of worked out the “Marinette deserves to know” bits, but I probably need to lay more foundation. I have the added layer now of Plagg and Tikki's relationship. AND I have the “Why do I like Marinette” question to solve.

In three more chapters.

THREE MORE!

Guys, that means July 6th should be my last update of “Peeping Tomcat”! That will be it! I will have finally completed one of my multi-chapter stories; excluding the two-part “I Caught You A Star.”

This is so big for me. I've written a couple of stories that have gone on for multiple chapters. One of my first fanfics, “What Is Truly Meant To Be,” has multiple chapters. I posted the first couple chapters of “Please, Let Me Explain” in an attempt to push the project forward. I shared some of my failed NaNo attempts. I tried to convert X-Future into the multi-chapter story “X-Future: The Second Generation Begins.”

Each project, while I still have vague illusions of completing them, have been otherwise abandoned. PT though? I actually completed the first draft for it. I'm most of my way through my manuscript. I just have 3 weeks to go, and all the encouragement to complete it.

I'M GOING TO DO IT! I'm going to actually complete a multi-chapter project! Are you excited? Because I'm about to burst over here. I don't even know what will be going on that first week of July. It's going to be nuts!

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by Birdman, Inc

I'm going to have to work on edits for MY LAST CHAPTER that first week. I'll also have to start working on my Camp NaNo project of writing the first draft of “One and the Same.” AND there's Independence Day on the 4th, so I'll probably be doing some sort of hang-out. Then on July 6th there will be the bitter-sweetness of completing my first novel.

It will be weird to not have anything new to post – presumably – on July 13th. I might have to do another Cat Noir-centric one-shot for Friday the Thirteenth.

I dunno. I'm thinking way ahead of the game. I need to focus on the task at hand: editing THIS WEEK'S update. Go from there.

In the meantime, don't forget to read this past Friday's update for “Peeping Tomcat.”

FanFiction         ArchiveOfOurOwn         DeviantArt

I was still kind of nervous about the chapter. I had so many loose ends to start tying up, and while I knew that, it didn't quite register until I saw the reviewers commenting about them. I had to make sure those loose ends were in neat little bows by the end of this thing, or I fear my readers will feel cheated.

I also wasn't sure if I should have kept in Plagg's kitchen destruction. It felt like it derailed the chapter, but at the same time, I felt it showed a lot of character. There was a great deal of back and forth before I decided to keep it in, but even when I pushed “submit” on the websites I was nervous that I didn't make the right move. As I discussed with Jowy's Pixie this past week, there are so many directions this story could still go, and I'm trying my hardest to find the most satisfying path.

It's mildly terrifying. Especially with how much love I've been getting thus far. The last thing I'd want to do is disappoint my readers. I don't want to be one of those authors who had a fantastic first two acts, but trip during the third act; ruining the experience of the whole thing.

Kind of like one of Hubby's friends from high school. He was OBSESSED with the Matrix movies, but was so disappointed in the third installment he didn't even want to watch the first two anymore. When I was in middle school I was one of the few kids I knew who actually HATED the Goosebumps stories by R.L. Stein. For me, most of them seemed to have that World Reset button at the end. That “it was all just a dream” mentality where nothing that happens in the book ever has lasting significance. Everything goes back to the status quo. I felt so cheated after reading about five of those books and having them end like that.

Oddly enough, maybe because they were geared towards a more mature audience that could handle a more permanent world change, R.L. Stein's Fear Street series was my go-to. Much more Junior Stephen King feel.

While I know I'm not going to have that “World Reset”/Status Quo Remains Unchanged ending, I still don't want that kind of disappoint from my readers. I want them satisfied with how I conclude everything.

Maybe that's why I have never completed a story before. It's easy for me to come up with the inciting incident as my spark of inspiration, and from there I can throw tons of curveballs at a character to add drama. But cleaning up the mess? And trusting that I did it well enough to satisfy my readers? Meeeh?

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by Birdman, Inc

Maybe that's why I'm such trash at writing sex scenes. Same deal: I can write the inciting incident – where the characters connect physically – and I can write all the build-up and foreplay. Writing the “conclusion” however? Meeeeh?

Goes hand-in-hand with my inability to write in my dozens of fancier notebooks. They remain blank on my bookshelf; waiting for that story that NEEDS to be put in that specific notebook. I never seem to find THAT story though. It's a fear of commitment. Of permanence. Once I start writing in that notebook, that's it. No going back. I can't change my mind without crossing things out, or tearing pages out, or having two different stories in the same notebook. If I screw it up, I would have ruined the notebook. So nothing is written in them.

Ending my stories? Going “this is it; all other possibilities are now closed” is just as nerve wrecking to me.

Ironically, while this fear of commitment crosses over into just about all of my creatives - drawings, world building, scrapbooking, crochet projects, painting minis, even coloring in coloring books instead of photocopied pages, etc - I have absolutely no fear of it when it comes to relationships.... So, yay? Hence having the husband....

Luckily, I have been getting excellent encouragement throughout this story, and it really helps me stick to my guns on how I did conclude it, and how I want to tweak it for the official publication.

FFN: 780 views, 2 faves, 1 follower, and 4* reviews
AO3: 188 views, 4 kudos, 1 bookmark, and 3 reviews
DA: 14 views, 1 fave, but still not a single comment

Total Results: 982 views, 7 faves, 2 followers, and 7* reviews

(*There are 5 reviews listed on FFN, but one is actually a two-part by a guest reviewer who hit "submit" too soon)

Tumblr Notes: 5 likes

FFN reviews:
  1. Good read on Plagg's attitude towards reveals there. While Plagg did give the 'don't tell anyone' speech, he did seem almost encouraging of Chat sneaking a peek of detransforming Ladybug. So it does seem that he makes an exception for other Miraculous wielders - that, or he's sick of the love square and at least part of him wants a reveal so it's over and done with. (Bits about the Plagg/Tikki relationship cut for space.)
  2. Awwww plagg!!!!
  3. Plagg seemed to help a little, but Adrien does seem stubborn about himself. I wonder if Mari is going to confess being a stalker as well. Will hearing Chat Noir confess about how guilty he feels guilt her into feeling guilty about stalking Adrien, and that will help calm him down? Adrien feels he's the only creeper in the relationship, and maybe finding out Mari does it too will help. Or maybe Mari's romantic logic will kick in, and she'll feel flattered her crush fell for her twice...Mari can be unpredictable. (Abridged Version)
  4. "Why would she keep on a peeping tomcat as a partner?" whoo title drop :D
  5. I absolutely love the idea of Plagg and Tikki being siblings! And I feel so bad for Adrien's predicament. I can feel the anxiety that boy seems to radiate. I love it! (another of my periodic repeat reviewers: comics-give-me-life)
  6. Looking forward to the next chapter. Though I honestly think a part of Marinette has known about Chat Noir spying on her for a while... (Bits about the Plagg/Tikki relationship cut for space.)
  7. Long guest review (the one that was accidentally split in 2) listed below.

Look at that 24hr turn out! I'm now getting close to 1000 views within the first 24hrs after posting! It's going to be a shame that I'll have to disappear for a couple of months to write my next story, and possibly start from scratch, reader wise, once I do. I'd much rather ride the coattails of this story and have that high view count from the get-go, but I'll have to have faith that I'll get there again. That I'm now more well known in the fandom, and at least a large portion of them will come back once I post OatS.

Also, I'm not sure how to feel about the reviews. This is probably one of the largest 24hr responses I've received. The trick here, though, is that at the end of the chapter, in my Author's Notes, I asked my readers what they thought about my interpretation of Plagg and Tikki's relationship. Most of the “reviews” were readers answering my question. All of them agreed with how I set the kwamis' relationship up, so... yay.

As for that two-part review on FFN?

GUEST: I find it odd that a romantic relationship between the two kwami is assumed when it is always bought up that the wielders of those two miraculous aren't always lovers whenever this lore is used.
        It's the having it both ways situation. Like how Adrien loves Ladybug. He knows he loves her meaning he knows what those feelings are, can identity them, yet is constantly written not realizing he feels that way for Marinette. And while he technically does feel that way about her, it's only because he doesn't know she is Ladybug that he doesn't know he has feelings for her, not because he was homeschooled. No, really, **** off with that presumption about those who were homeschooled, guys. I'm offended for them with the characterization often given from these fics. To him, they are two different people so think of it as Marinette isn't Ladybug, and you will see how ridiculous it is. If he knows he loves one girl, that he knows if he has feelings for another girl as well. Making it otherwise is trying to have it both ways. Schrödinger's self awareness.
        For me, I don't think of it as the miraculous influencing any romantic feelings. I see it more as the two of them being chosen based on compatibility, and not compatibility being influenced by the miraculous. I doubt that in all of Paris, that only two children offered an old man help. I would say aura came into play and that they were the best fit that Master Fu found.
        Now, back to Schrödinger's awareness. I am aware you have Adrien "not aware of feelings" for Marinette to an extent, but from what I got in your story, they really only developed over that week he was watching her, and realized them almost immediately, so you're good. [sic]

I'll be honest. I wasn't really sure how to respond to this review, so I was a bit glad that it was a guest poster, which means I literally could not respond to it. I think I get what the poster was trying to say, in which I will like to give this rebuttal:

It is possible that his feelings for Marinette aren't the same as they are for Ladybug. Love does feel different depending on how deep into it you are and/or what you are in love with. Prior to my husband, I had three boyfriends, four crushes, three flirt-buddies, and went on a few dates with one guy. My feelings for each of these men were different. If I was with my husband at the same time as any of the above, the feelings I have/had for him would feel similar in some aspects, but also vastly different in others. If I knew I was in love with Hubby, and felt something intense but still "less" for one of those crushes, I might not have realized it was "love" as well. I might have read it the way Adrien does in the show - and therefore in most fanfics - as an intense friendship.

Heck, Hubby even informed me, when we first started dating, that I didn't realize that I was flirting with guys and/or they were flirting back with me. I come from a very physical family, so I hug everyone. I give cheek kisses to everyone. I hold everyone's hand. I play with everyone's hair. I lean in close. I snuggle next to people when we're in confined spaces. I give massages, scratch backs, keep steady eye contact while conversing, and steal food or sips of drinks.

Basically, I had to learn about personal bubbles once I became an adult....

So, in truth, for guys I had crushes on - including my now-husband - it kept me a while to realize I wasn't just being my normal intrusive extroverted self. I was flirting. And there were times where I only stopped to evaluate and realize my crush once someone pointed it out:
 - "Were you flirting with him?"
 - "Pffft. No. We're just really... good... fri- WOAH!"

I mean, that's how I figured out I liked my first boyfriend... when I was also about 14....

My point being, that I TOTALLY understand Adrien's stupid, infuriating denseness when it comes to his own crush. How he feels about Marinette is probably worlds different to how he feels about Ladybug. If he knows that intense feeling is "love" then he might think the more subtle crush isn't love; just intense friendship.

But anyway, that reviewer - who may or may not have been critiquing me? - aside, I also got much more love throughout the week.

FFN: 1157 views, 4 faves, 5 followers, and 7* reviews!
AO3: 299 views, 6 kudos, 1 bookmark, and 3 reviews
DA: 18 views, 2 faves, but still not a single comment

Total Results: 1474 views, 12 faves, 6 followers, and 10* reviews

(*There are 5 reviews listed on FFN, but one is actually a two-part by a guest reviewer who hit "submit" too soon; see above)

Tumblr Notes: 11 total; 9 likes and 2 reblogs

FFN reviews:
  1. I really liked this chapter. Also I can't believe its already been 12 chapters.(Cassy1994's review)
  2. I just want to point out that fashion design is kind of like game design. If you’re a novice you wouldn’t just show someone your designs right off unless you’re being serious about this and could be up for an interview. Any artist would have 3 types of portfolios and maybe a website with her designs water marked so no one could steal them. I’m only aware of this because my husband is a game designer. (review for chapter 7?)
  3. See below for another Jowy's Pixie review

One of the Tumblr reblogs was Skyeribbon again, but the second reblog was someone who had found the announcement via Skye's blog. So, thank you, Skyeribbon for the share to help promote my story! It worked! This is the first time my promotion was reblogged from someone else's Tumblr. I'm super excited by this milestone!

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by Birdman, Inc

I still don't know what I magically did last week to get 52 notes in one week; less than. I'm pretty sure I had 52 notes by the time I updated this blog last week. While it's not nearly as exciting to be back to less than even 15 notes, having a reblog off of someone else's Tumblr is nice compensation.

This week is also the leader with the most reviews/comments in one week. Granted, that could be because of the question I posed at the end of my Author's Notes, but still....

There was also the first new Miraculous Ladybug episode in a month this weekend. That may have helped spike my view-count. Week 6 still holds the record though, with 1666 views between the three sites.

But speaking of the reviews, this was Jowy's this week:

Jowy's Pixie: Oh poor Adrien. The boy can't seem to catch a break from an onslaught of emotions. You really perfectly captured his inner turmoil in this chapter and it was such a pleasure to read. I can see this being a legitimate reaction Adrien might have in the actual show if he was to accidentally find out Ladybug's true identity. I'm so excited to see what Adrien is going to do next. Is he going to admit to Marinette that he knows? Is Marinette somehow going to find out? There's so many possibilities with this plot line you've created. That's what makes me love this story so much. Normally, I'm pretty good at figuring out where things are going to go, but with this story, there's so many possibilities that I can't decide. And that's good. I always end up spoiling stories for myself because I can guess where things are going so there's usually no exciting surprises for me. But with this story, I'm in the dark and I love it!
        Plagg's moments were hilarious to read in this chapter. You managed to capture his personality spot on which is awesome because Plagg is one of my favourite characters. I completely agree with your little analysis of the relationship between Tikki and Plagg. It makes total sense that you would make them have a more sibling like bond. That's usually what I imagine for them as well. Especially after seeing their interaction in Dark Owl. There didn't seem to be any romantic insinuations there. Though I do completely understand why people would ship them. Them being a couple would make sense, but obviously that's not the direction the show seems to be taking.
        This chapter was a pleasure to read, but then again, so are all your chapters. I always look forward to your updates to see what's going to happen to poor Adrien next. I must say, something I forgot to previously mention, it's nice to see a story from solely Adrien's point of view. That's quite rare from what I've seen. Usually it's either just Marinette or a mix of both. I like that you've decided to go with just Adrien though. It shakes things up a bit and makes things interesting. Congratulations on another well written chapter. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Good luck writing!

It is rare to find a story solely through Adrien's POV. Too many people are tempted to include Marinette's in some manner. But I just couldn't tell this story any other way, as I discussed last week. I just hope OatS will prove to be as refreshing to read with its dual POV between Adrien and Marinette.

First priority: Finish "Peeping Tomcat" and THEN worry about the POV in OatS.

Switching gears here, I managed to finish up “The Burning Maze” this week. Which leaves me with about half a month to get a head start on my next book.

I have to admit that with each book humbling Apollo a little more and more, I'm starting to actually like the guy. I guess that's the point, but it also shouldn't take three books to win sympathy for your protagonist and narrator. I mean, I like the Arrow of Dodona more than Apollo most of the time. Anyway, the book was intense, and I'm curious as to how much more it's going to get in the last two books. There's also a couple of "grab your tissues" moments that left me dumbfounded. So that's good. I still think I'm going to miss getting another Magnus Chase book in October when we get a second Trials of Apollo novel instead. That series was too good to only be three books long.

As for my 50,000+ word fanfic category? You can find "Won't Tell a Soul" on AO3. It's a Miraculous Ladybug fanfic focusing mostly on the supporting character Nino. The POV does jump to Adrien or Marinette on occasion, but it's mostly a Nino-centric story. It's pretty cool and had a lot of great moments. I just feel like it needed one more proofread to polish it up. Getting through grammar mistakes took some getting used to. It's not TERRIBLE, but it's enough to want that one last proofread.

Anyway, the story is intriguing and just keeps piling it on, which is great. I even used some of the story to help inspire me for Adrien's reactions to things in "Peeping Tomcat." It's great where inspiration comes from.

I'm now at seven out of twelve books read. However, aside from the next Trial of Apollo book coming out in October, the only planned book I have left to read is “Atlas Shrugged.” I don't know if I should attempt tackling that book again while also doing Camp NaNo, and all the social get-togethers I have planned in July. And I certainly won't be able to finish it in 11 days!

So I'm debating between three options. First is to just take a break from reading. Spend that time writing instead; reading my first draft and fixing it. Second option is to go through my at-home library or hit up the public library and snag a quick-read book. Something I can read in the next 11 days or so. Final option is finding another lengthy fanfic to read. Should be easy, my “to read” list is fairly lengthy on just AO3 alone. I mean, I have already been reading a bunch of short fics, one-shots, and lengthy projects one chapter update at a time, so maybe I could keep doing that?

I've started reading the following fics this year; a small chapter at a time while they slowly update:

• 101 Things To Do With Your Son; a collaborative story edited and thought of by Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet; currently up to 23,750 words
• Under Lock and Key; a collaborative between co-author/illustrator Eden Daphne and main fic author Maerynn, who sadly passed away in a car crash earlier this year; currently up to 23,646 words; Eden is editing Mae's last draft in order to make sure the story gets completed
• When Duty and Desire Meet; a collaborative between MidnightStarlightWrites and co-author/illustrator Eden Daphne; currently up to 39,185 words
• Mr. Lucky and the Cat by HariWrites; currently up to 38,126 words
• And the Name for Your Order is? by Baneismydragon; currently up to 7894 words

Add in the assortment of 4000-words-or-fewer short fics and one-shots that I've also read, and I think I'm getting a healthy amount of reading in. Not in a more conventional sense, but it's still a lot more reading than the average American adult gets in.

OH! And speaking of reading fanfics, Cyhyr posted something recently. It's a bit racy and definitely contains mature content, but it's short at only about 4000 words.

Yes. For me 4000 words is short. Leave me alone.

It's in the Final Fantasy XV fandom, so I was a bit lost as to who the characters are and how they SHOULD act. It probably would have been more enjoyable if I did know that, but that's the pitfall of all fanfic: it's more entertaining for those who know the source material. Even so, it was an enjoyable read if you are alright with the mature scenarios she wrote about; namely, prostitution.

So, if you have about 15minutes, and want to give her stuff a try, please do:

Savoir Faire

Alright, this blog is a beast and I need to use my free time to work on my PT chapters. Until next week!

*Fangirl Squee*

The first week of NaNo is over. How did you fair, if you had joined in, that is? I've been doing fairly well, and kind of "meh" at the same time. Yesterday was my first zero-day of the month, so there's that.

Calendar designed by Dave Seah

If you pay attention to the end-of-the-week counts Dave has set up, you might notice that I was ahead of the game by the close of Sunday. Yay! I was over by about 700 words, which is a nice start. However, especially after neglecting yesterday, I definitely want to try to aim for only 5-days-per-week for my writing schedule. That way I don't stress over missing days like yesterday, and I don't struggle to make up the words lost. I already took them into account.

Thing there, though, is that if I were to write daily for all 30 days of November, I'd have to average about 1667 words per day in order to finish in time. Only writing five days a week means that each daily goal now needs to be 2272 words instead, and I should have been over 11,000 words by now. However, I only surpassed the 2272 words goal twice last week, which means, for that goal level, I'm a bit behind.

I have my word sprints tonight though, so I should be able to catch up.

A reminder for those who might not know off the top of your head what I'm talking about when I say "word sprints" or "writing sprints." The concept is based on running, obviously. It's basically the artistic equivalent of either going a short distance or only having a short allotment of time, so one has to move as fast as possible.

In regards to writing, you can allot yourself few words, say only 500 words or so, and stop as soon as you hit that word count. However, it's hard to keep track of that and still be creative. So most sprints are in reference to time. It kind of relates to Ali Luke's suggestion of scheduling at least 15 minutes a day for writing. Everyone can spare 15 minutes, right? The idea of sprinting is that the author writes for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 1/2-hour, or even something as short as the time to listen to a single song. Once the author's time is done, so is the writing. Now, this can be a one-time, once-a-day sort of thing. I kind of did unofficial sprints when I would write during my 15 minute long work breaks, and I now do semi-sprints while writing over my half-hour long lunch breaks. Maybe you sprint when you first wake up before getting started with your day. Maybe you do a sprint just before bed to unwind. Maybe you do sprints while commuting on a bus or train. Maybe you sprint while your kid is napping, or even while you have the kid in time-out!

The alternative to a once-a-day sprint, or a "whenever I can find the time" sprint, is what we're doing for NaNo: repetitive sprints. We write for 20 minutes, then we take a 20 minute break to just socialize and bond. We talk about our stories, or nothing at all. We ask questions about roadblocks we're running into, or we ask questions about elements of other people's stories. We read what we wrote, or we are adamant that the non-edited version will never see the light of day. We chat about how we're doing with NaNo, or we sit in our respective corners and impatiently wait for the timer to start up again. Some may even say "screw the timer" and "cheat" by continuing to write during our "break" time. Once that 20 minutes is done, we go back to writing for another 20 minutes, and then another 20 minute break. We keep going with this 20-on-20-off rhythm for three hours. That's 100 hours worth of writing, but sprinkled across three hours so we don't get burnt out.

I'm really hoping doing these sprints will help me get the traction I need. Although I have 9000+ words written, I know I was off my game over the weekend, which is one of the reasons I just didn't bother yesterday. I know that I was rambling, and that I'm probably going to have to redo the entirety of the second chapter once it's time to edit. It also pains me to not edit right now. I'm doing good at keeping my inner critic at bay, but that doesn't mean he's not nagging me to fix things. He's constantly reminding me that this is the worst first-draft of any story that I've ever written. I meander. I ramble. The story is mostly inner-dialog with very little action. It's KILLING ME that I'm doing so poorly.

Then I remind my critic: "Hey, buddy, ease up. It's friggen NaNo! This is supposed to be shit! I don't have time to think and properly craft any of this. Let me pour everything out on paper so my story can develop outside my head. You can have fun sorting through it all next month. Kay?"

That's usually enough to get him to shut up.

Ya know, I've been seeing more and more people naming their Muses - I'm fairly certain mine's a woman, as is Greek tradition - and I'm kind of wondering if I should do the same. I'll definitely have to name my cranky Inner Critic as well.... We'll see if I ever follow through with this.

Back on topic!

So, I'm working on a novel rework of "Peeping Tomcat" while also trying to shove the developing plot of its sequel "One and the Same" onto the back burner. LET ME FINISH ONE STORY AT A TIME, MUSE! Oooooh, yeah, she needs a name.

Anyway, as I mentioned, I had been struggling with getting my traction, but I'm still more-or-less on par with where I should be to finish the story on time. I have my sprints tonight, which should help. I just need to really get into the right head-space, and thinking of elements of the sequel story isn't helping.

What I thought could help was to watch the show again to help me get into Adrien's head. What I found instead is that Season 2 of "Miraculous" started airing the weekend before Halloween, and the first four episodes have already been translated, dubbed, and aired in the UK - at least, I'm assuming it's the UK, because the videos on YouTube had the Disney logo on them, and I'm pretty sure that's the channel that airs ML in the UK.

I tried to behave myself and wait until Netflix has the whole season next month or so - all the more reason I probably should have gone with Varekai this month - ya know, since I'm seeing it this month - and done "Peeping Tomcat" next month since I could binge the second season in December. Oh well, doing them in reverse!

The temptation was too great, though, so instead of watching Season 1 episodes as I planned, I watched the first episode of the second season. I fangirl squealed the whole time.

Basically me:

It only got worse with the second episode. It was like the writers got together and said, "Okay, the Adrienette fans need more love. How about a whole episode dedicated to that? What can we do?"

The end result was this:

Among two other adorable moments that I won't get into because they are semi-spoilers and not nearly as cute as this one, the main draw for the episode occurs when Marinette's best friend Alya oh so subtly pushes Marinette into Adrien during a slow song. Adrien's reaction is to not only instantly ask Mari for a dance, but to drag her onto the floor before she can even answer. He then places her hand on his shoulder, took her other hand in his, wrapped his spare hand around her waist, and then WALTZED around the room. I mean, seriously, who does that!?

Then, because the way she started this whole interaction wasn't subtle enough, Alya proceeded to do what every Shipper of the show has been dying to. Alya "discreetly" slow dances with Nino over to Adrienette, spins away from her partner, grabs Marinette's hand from Adrien's, drapes both of Marinette's hands around Adrien's neck, and then moves both of Adrien's hands to Marinette's waist before spinning back into Nino's awaiting arms. The faces on Marinette's and Adrien's faces are priceless!

So what does Adrien do after such an awkward and mildly intrusive encounter? He smiles at Marinette, shrugs, LEANS IN TO REST HIS HEAD BESIDE HERS, and continues slow dancing! I mean, COME ON! How has he not realized he likes her yet!? Also, the reaction from Marinette when Adrien just rolls with Alya's new dancing arrangement is too cute.

I've watched this episode probably every day since I saw it was translated. It's really helped me with those sweet "Adrien MUST like Marinette" moments. Best is that if I need more inspiration outside this episode, there's even more to choose from throughout the second season. Nearly every episode has SOMETHING to draw these two together.

The third episode was very heavy on the LadyNoir shipping, and I'm a little peeved about this one. Not because I'm not a LadyNoir fan, but because, and sorry for the spoilers by the way, Nadja Chamack ends up getting Akumatized. For those who don't recall, that's who I had as an Akuma Villain named Headliner. Pretty much the only Akuma villain I had figured out.

I was also having her be Akumatized for similar reasons as the actual episode. In the official episode, it's because Nadja's ratings aren't as high as her producer wanted to warrant a prime-time show. In my version she was berated for being out-scooped by Alya. So... being yelled at by a superior because she doesn't have the big scoops the network wants in both my and the official versions. At least I was on par with the basic reasoning she'd be Akumatized.... I also had the necklace that she always wears as the item the Akuma absorbs into, while the official episode has a sort of electronic bracelet that registers ratings. So, two for two in the fact that it's a piece of jewelry. Finally, Nadja's motives while Akumatized are fairly similar in the official and my versions: truth about Ladybug and Chat Noir. In my version it's simply who they truly are. In the episode Nadja was trying to prove that the superheroes were dating. Which is where all the LadyNoir shipping comes in.

Side note: I don't know if the creator had always planned to include this factoid, of if he threw it in because so many fans had speculated on the possibility, but Chat Noir totally purrs in this episode, and it's adorable.

Anyway, back on topic, the fourth episode had another really sweet "Come on, Adrien, confess already!" moment, but it's a bit of a spoiler, so I'll skim over that one.

The fifth episode of the season thus far introduces a new character Kagami. Supposedly, she's intended to be another potential love interest for Adrien, because, ya know, the kid loves anime, so now he has to live in his own G-rated harem anime? Anyway, regardless if Kagami actually does evolve into a new love rival for Marinette - along with Chloe, Lila, and even herself as Ladybug - the episode has Ladybug trying to keep Adrien out of harm's way from an Akuma. There are so many super cute moments since this episode means Marinette, as Ladybug, gets to spend time rescuing, staying close, and even holding her crush Adrien - the holding is whenever she needed to scoop him up to swing out of danger. Meanwhile, Adrien tries desperately not to showcase how smitten he is around Ladybug, but also tries to hide the fact that he's her partner. Obviously the Ladrien episode.

Which means we should get some more MariChat goodness coming up in the near future. Seriously, I think Tumblr wrote the second season.

While I can justify that I did get a great of deal of writing done after the episodes inspired me, I am also using the episodes as a way to distract me and procrastinate. I need to find more of a balance between watching an episode to be inspired and actually getting around to writing. I'm also unsure if I should include any new information I'm getting from the second season, or should I just go with what was shown in the first season only, in order to avoid spoilers..... At the same time, though, by the time I'll be done editing, the second season would have been out for long enough that it shouldn't really be much in the realm of spoilers.

I'll have to play it by ear, along with everything else, I guess. I just need to buckle down and actually get to writing. I want at least the second chapter done by the time I'm done with the sprints tonight.

OH! And one last thing! I haven't checked on my blog views in a while, and so when I did today I was surprised at how many of them they were.

I know, it's kind of hard to see with my screen grabs, but the word underlined is "Miraculous." Okay, it makes sense, it's a popular show and a large, active fandom. It's only natural that tagging my latest blog posts with "Miraculous" would bring in more readers. I wasn't sure how many actually stuck around to read my posts though, at least, until I scrolled down. I cut a bit of a time jump into the above picture. Anything below the arrow are posts before I even watched "Miraculous Ladybug." Yet those used to only have about 50 hits. There is no reference to the show in any of those posts, and yet they all have over 200 hits now, and some have over 400! What the heck!?

So, for any of you who might be going back and reading more of my blog after "Miraculous Ladybug" brought you to it in the first place, thank you. Feel free to leave comments. Love you all!