āDonāt You Know? Heās a Gentlemanā a radioapple fic
āØā¬ļøSTRANGER THINGSā¬ļøāØ
'All Eyes on Me in the Center of the Ring' a steddie circus au with art from @bienmoreau
@strangerthingsreversebigbang FICS
I'm Not Gonna Do It (I Did It) - Robin is nervous about getting her nose pierced so obviously Steve has to go and support her. So what if he gets his own piercings done at the same time?
And Eddie definitely doesn't feel some type of way about it. HeĀ doesn't. (from art by @sillysparrow)
(Don't) Hold Your Breath - When Steve opens the door, on the doorstep stands Tommy, chewing on the inside of his cheek, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his shorts, backlit by the orange glow of the early evening sun.
Tommy who Steve hasnāt properly spoken to in almost half a year.
JustĀ Tommy. No āand Carolā. No other half. (from art by @glitterfang)
WIPs:
Rewind. Be Kind. Press Play. - Steve Harrington is the only one left in Hawkins and he spirals, taking him down a path to learn what it is to live.
The Promise You Broke (to Come Home Again) - a steddie-focused retelling of ST, starting with a wedding.
PERSONAL FAVES:
Your Kiss I Can't Resist - a sweet childhood friends one-shot from my steddie week compilation. 2 kisses given, 1 shared.
He's the Whore Next Door - a 5+1 crack fic written with @extocancer - 5 times Steve flirts with an adult in Mike Wheeler's life to get under his skin +1 time he gets lucky
Pro Patria Mori [podfic] - a reading of @3minsover's WWI au. The boys are English š
Looking Through Slow Glass - Eddie looks at his friendship with Steve through the lens of Steve's photography. Lots of pining and inferred happy ending.
a feel like the new generation of fanfic readers NEED to understand that clicking on a fic (interaction) does nothing. ao3 has no algorithm. your private discord discussions of fic do not reach the authors. if you do not actively engage with writers they will stop posting. this isnāt social media this is community.
Reminders for fanfic writers who think it ādoesnāt countā
ā¦ Your writing counts. like, a lot. If someone felt something because of what you wrote, then it matters. That scene you almost didnāt post? Yeah. Believe me,Ā someoneĀ out there bookmarked it for a reason.
ā¦ Writing existing characters doesnāt make it āless than.ā Youāre building arcs, crafting dialogue, emotion, pacing. Youāre studying character psychology like a scientist. Thatās not ājust fanfic,ā thatās storytelling.
ā¦ ābut itās just fanficā ...no. STOP, itāsĀ craft.
Itās understanding tone. Itās hitting emotional beats. Itās layering theme and backstory and prose into something peopleĀ feel.Ā Youāre doing the work, you just donāt get graded on it. (Which, honestly is a blessing.)
ā¦ Writing fanfic means you love stories enough to live inside them.
You care, deeply. You care enough to reimagine, to explore, toĀ add something of yourselfĀ to a world you didnāt create and somehow still make it feel brand new.
ā¦ Someone out there rereads your fic like itās their favorite book.
Maybe theyāve saved a line to their notes app,or they quote it to a friend. Maybe they just think about it when theyāre having a bad day. That little fic you almost deleted, itās comfort now.
ā¦ Your comments section is real. Every āI needed thisā and āthis made me cry in a good wayā is proof, you donāt need a book deal to matter. You donāt need a publisher to have an impact, because you already do.
FANFIC IS WRITING! Fanfic isĀ yours.
Youāre not ājustā anything. Youāre a writer, own it. Be proud of that.
dear lord, please take all life problems and responsibilities away from fanfic writers but also make them financially stable and happy with nothing to worry about so they can happily focus on writing and posting fanfiction. amen
Finally finished this a few weeks ago and thought I would share it with the good people of tumblr finally (sorry I'm so terrible at tumblring š do forgive me)
+54k || 6 chapters || mutual pining || getting together || explicit || Alastor x Lucifer
Tags: Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Seasonal Spirits and Guardians, but you get to fuck one, does a spirit count as monsterfucking?, Monsterfucker Steve Harrington, monster fucking, Spirit 'Eddie Munson', Ghost of Christmases Yet to 'Come', does it count as a threesome if the other hands are a phantom?, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering, Coming In Pants, Light Dom/sub, Eddie Munson is a Menace, In all forms, Friends to Lovers, reconnecting, No Beta - We Die Like Steve Harrington's Heterosexuality, Nipple Play, Spit kink if you squint, Accidental Subspace, it's small but it's there, Come Eating, Cum Slut Steve Harrington
Summary:
Steve Harrington is alone on Christmas Eve and is finding it hard to get into the festive spirit. Perhaps he should let the spirit get into him?
OR: A Christmas Carol but make it more gay.
Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @ukulilyjane . Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!
You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!
This weekās writer spotlight feature is:Ā a_lil_a_lot! @ukulilyjane has 26 fics posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and 25 of them are in the Steddie fandom.
@mission2mordor recommends the following works by @ukulilyjane:
All Eyes on Me in the Center of the Ring
(Don't) Hold Your Breath
Six Point Nine Million
Looking Through Slow Glass
"Iām an actual clown when Iām not writing, and getting to read their circus au (which was phenomenal, please go read it) was such an experience, that I actually shed tears when it was over. Theyāre a phenomenal writer, and their work deserves so much more praise than they know." -- @mission2mordor
Below the cut, a_lil_a_lot answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!
Why do you write Steddie?
Surface level? Make the pretty boys kiss! But to actually use my brainā¦ these two characters (in canon) have been pigeon-holed by their community in a way that theoretically makes them enemies and thereās something so joyous about people unlearning things about themselves and others only to fall in love in spite of what the world says.
Whatās your favorite trope to READ?
Iām such a sucker for some enemies-to-lovers + hurt/comfort. Like, let me watch my ship go through the ringer, assume the worst of each other and then learn to love the whole package. Itās yummytastydelicious (and always makes for the best smut š)
Whatās your favorite trope to WRITE?
Gotta love me some angsty friends-to-lovers. Stevie boy? Oh heās the prettiest little punching bag for that. Sorry Steeb.
Either that or crack-treated-seriously (looking at you extocancer)
Whatās your favorite Steddie fic?
Oh this is a really hard question. Just one? Iām afraid thatās simply not possible. Iāll try to narrow it downā¦ anything by kwills91 (I Will Die In The House I Grew Up In is my season 5 tbh), anything by 3minsover (Pro Patria Mori is my fave of hers), anything by ChristinMKay (As the poets say is GORGEOUS) and pizzabonesā i come back to the place you are is the most beautiful character study that really takes its time to let steddie learn about each other. Honestly, that one has ruined love for me at this point XD aināt nobody going to compare.
Is there a trope youāre excited to explore in a future work but havenāt yet?
Less of a trope but more genreā¦ I really want to take a crack at some proper horror. Horror (and particularly dystopian horror) is probably what I read most from traditionally published fiction, so I think that could be really fun. And hard.
What is your writing process like?
ADHD af! But because I know I am forgetful and easily distracted, I try to help myself out a little - for my one shots Iāll keep a list of bullet points at the top of the doc to stay on track and with chaptered fics I will generally have a separate doc with a table that I use to keep notes for each of the chapters including image/music references etc if I might need them. That was really needed for All Eyes on Me. And THEN I pretty much always write chronologically start-finish. That way Iām less likely to forget things I really wanted to put in.
Do you have any writing quirks?
All of the above! Oh, and I also tend to write the dialogue of a scene out first and then pad out the movement/feels in between later on.
Do you prefer posting when youāve finished writing or on a schedule?
Oh, how I wish I could post on a schedule. Those of you who do that, youāre my icons, for real. The only time Iāve ever properly done that was for the Steddie Big Bang last year and Iāll be honest, I was really pushing it on some of those deadlines. So itās not really a question of preference, but more just what ends up happening! facepalm
Which fic are you most proud of?
The fact that All Eyes on Me in the Center of the Ring actually got finished is some kind of miracle, so Iām definitely proud of myself for that one.
Of the ones Iāve written by myself (and that arenāt specifically asked about here), Iām actually really pleased with Your Kiss I Canāt Resist. Itās very short but I think I manage to say a lot with it.
Overall though, probably the one I am most proud of, I co-wrote with extocancer. Heās the Whore Next Door was so much fun to write and I reasonably regularly go back and re-read it because itās just SO silly. If you want a 5+1 on steroids (44.4k words!) that also humbles Mike Wheeler in the best way, that one is definitely for you!
How did you get the idea for All Eyes on Me in the Center of the Ring?
ā¦ Iām not even sure if I can remember in all honesty! I had put myself forward for the Steddie Big Bang last year and was fairly certain I was going to write a different story. I think it was one of those AU ideas that just pops up sometimes and I added it to a list before I realised that it would be a better story to tell for an event like a Big Bang than the originally planned one.
When writing All Eyes on Me in the Center of the Ring, what was something you didnāt expect?
The burnout!
Joking(?!) aside, I was actually surprised how much of my own life experiences were going to help me write it. Which is daft, because Performing Arts is where I exist in the world outside of fandom (that world exists?) but the fact that I got to use my understanding of how to put together a show, what those nerves feel like and look like, even some ballroom experience was really fun to play with. It was basically like smashing two hyperfixations together which I totally recommend trying at least once.
I was very fortunate that the artist who picked my fic actually has a proper circus background though, so when I had gaps in my knowledge, I could always check in with Haze (who is wonderful by the way) so I suppose that was also a nice surprise.
What inspired Six Point Nine Million?
Ha! Well, thereās this guy on tiktok who just constantly made me think of Steve if he were a guitarist and then I got paired up for a secret santa exchange. I just knew my giftee would love a silly little one-shot playing around with that idea and honestly it was just a great excuse to write hot, guitarist Steve.
What was your favorite part to write from (Don't) Hold Your Breath?
Oooh, a cheeky bit of Stommy! There wasnāt really one specific part that was a favourite, but changing Steveās narrative voice to try and fit his age was a really fun challenge for me. Okay maybe I lied - I think writing baby Steve talking about his best friend might have been my fave. The way he talks about Tommy but knows he shouldnāt say all of the things he thinks and feels out loud? Yeah I broke my own heart a little bit there. But in a good way š¤£
That and throwing water metaphors about left, right and centre.
How do/did you feel writing (Don't) Hold Your Breath?
I was really excited to work on that one as it was a Reverse Bang pick and I ADORE Beccaās art - thereās something about the way she does eyes that really draws me in. So then because I loved the artwork so much, I constantly switched between āomg this is so excitingā to āomg am I doing Becca justice?!ā
She was very encouraging and kind about my nonsense though, so thatās nice. Sheās a good egg, that one.
What was the most difficult part of writing Looking Through Slow Glass?
This is an interesting one for me because I wouldnāt say there was all that much that was ādifficultā to actually write per se. The fic is pretty personal - probably the most personal aside from Rewind. Be Kind. Press Play (as yet unfinished, sorryyyy) - and honestly it was a little like exorcising something.
I knew for it to be the way I wanted, the ending was going to be a bit ambiguous (although it definitely is a happy one), so I suppose knowing that a lot of folks wouldnāt read it because of that was a little saddening, but that wasnāt the point of me writing it.
Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?
āIf there is a god, then he merely sits back and watches as children across time fight his wars, fight to keep his good, green creation safe from what lurks beneath the surface of humanity. No, Steve doesnāt believe in anything after death, heās a firm believer in the quiet emptiness of death - heās sure that death doesnāt have sensations.ā - this is from the top of chapter 2 of Rewind. Be Kind. Press Play. (wip) and I think the whole beginning segment is a big fave, as I really got the chance to stretch some description muscles. Not updated that in an age though.
Do you have any upcoming projects or fics youād like to share/promote?
Itās very much been a long time coming (and probably will be longer again still) but extocancer and I do have another 5+1 on steroids very slowly in the works. Please donāt ask how long weāve had this, we donāt wanna talk about it lol. Neither of us have the right kind of ātism to have had it done when we wanted - our 80HDs are too strong. BUT it will happen. At some point. So keep your eyes peeled.
Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?
Aside from a big thank you to whoever nominated me and those of you who are reading my storiesā¦ Kind of a bit of an apology I suppose? Though I imagine a great chunk of you are familiar with hyperfixations switching and therefore will totally understand - steddie isnāt currently my big obsession (donāt get me wrong I still love the boys dearly) so, aside from the above, there may not be that much new steddie stuff from me for a bit. Thankfully though, you have 22 complete fics to peruse (+ 1 podfic and a cheeky stommy one) in the meantime š
Thank you to our author,Ā @ukulilyjane, and our nominator,Ā @mission2mordor! See more of a_lil_a_lot's works featured on our page throughout the day!
Writerās SpotlightĀ is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author?Ā You can nominate them here!
All Eyes on Me in the Center of the Ring by a_lil_a_lot
@ukulilyjane
Rating: Explicit
86,931 words, 6/6 chapters
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Tags: Britney Spearsā Circus album but make it MORE gay, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), gymnast Steve Harrington, Established Bisexual Steve Harrington, Steve Harringtonās parents are assholes, Forced Proximity, Anxiety Attacks, Panic Attacks, idiots to lovers, Controlled Eating Habits, Alternate Universe - Circus, Mid-Noughties AU, ex-olympian Steve Harrington, Dual POV, Beta-read, Steve Harrington has a quarter-life crisis and runs away to the circus, Eddie Munson has a whip AND he knows how to use it, Everyone Is Gay, yes Iām looking at you Wayne, Max Mayfield can shoot arrows with her feet, why did I feel the need to make Max more scary?, Erica Sinclair can breathe fire, who thought that was a good idea?, animal free circus except for Mews who forced his way in and no one is arguing with him, everyone can juggle, itās a good fun time with only the slightest sprinkling of angst for some SEASONING, Grumpy/Sunshine, steddiebang23, Mild Dermatophagia, Eddie Munson Wears Leather Pants, Homoerotic Wound Care, Wayne Munson Plays the Fiddle, Anal Sex, Mirror Sex, Shibari, Light Dom/sub, Sub Steve Harrington, Vers Steve Harrington, Soft Dom Eddie Munson, Vers Eddie Munson, rope bunny Steve Harrington, bratty Steve Harrington, Jealous Steve Harrington, past Edgyle, Public Sex, Outdoor Sex, Accidental Subspace, Love Confessions, Jonathan Byers swallows swords like he swallows dick - well and to the hilt, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Spanking, Cockwarming
Summary:
Ex-Olympic gymnast, Steve Harrington, is politely asked not to come back to college after the summer - upon his return to his hometown, heās not expecting a trip to the circus with his best friend to have such an impact on him. Just when he thinks heās run out of options, he takes a chance in following the Munson Family Circus and finds not only something he enjoys, but a place where he belongs.
-
Steddie Big Bang Project #044
Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @ukulilyjane . Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!
You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!
Tags: Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Water Metaphors My Beloved, Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang 2023-2024, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Tommy Hagan Needs a Hug, SOMEBODY HUG THEM FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, Idiots in Love, Childhood Friends, Non-Linear Narrative, Internalized Homophobia, Toxic Masculinity, Steve and Tommy have shitty dads and sad moms, Miscommunication, Background Relationships, Jealous Tommy Hagan, But also, Jealous Steve Harrington, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Bisexual Tommy Hagan, Steve is surprisingly aware of his own bisexuality he just doesn't know what to do about it, non-explicit comp-het sex, Season/Series 03, Kind Of, Temporary Steve/Nancy, who let nineteen year olds be this sad and perceptive?, First Kiss, Hand Jobs, Love Confessions, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Coming Untouched, Embedded Images
Summary:
When Steve opens the door, on the doorstep stands Tommy, chewing on the inside of his cheek, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his shorts, backlit by the orange glow of the early evening sun.
Tommy who Steve hasnāt properly spoken to in almost half a year.
Just Tommy. No āand Carolā. No other half.
Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @ukulilyjane . Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!
You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!
Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Rockstar Eddie Munson, Corroded Coffin Concert (Stranger Things), Misunderstandings, Matchmaking, TikTok Sensation Steve Harrington, Guitarist Steve Harrington, Spit Kink, Eddie Munson is Menace to Society, Eddie Munson Doesn't Really Know How to Internet, POV Eddie Munson, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Gareth Emerson is Sneaky, Eddie Munson Doesn't DO TikTok, Steve Harrington Is Good With His Hands, Tattooed Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson is Obsessed with Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson is Bad at Flirting, Gareth is an Angry Jack Russell Man, Fluff and Crack, They're Both As Obsessed As Each Other
Summary:
Eddieās never been a TikTok guy - heās more than happy to get his funny animal videos, D&D memes and thirst traps two weeks later than everyone else on Instagram.
Enter TikTok sensation Steve Harrington and his slutty guitar playing.
Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @ukulilyjane . Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!
You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!
a_lil_a_lot @lilyandthehorrors - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
