lyra cordelia⚡️

his dark materials and harry potter fanatic marisa coulter is a milf 18 she/her read ‘Hiraeth’ on AO3 now for some HDM feels

[lyracordelia]

marisa coulter and lord asriel are the definition of bi-sexual panic

[anchoredtether]

THE MISCONCEPTION ABOUT COMMENTING ON FIC

I’ve read all kinds of posts both from writers and readers lamenting about comments on fic. Authors are upset when they don’t get any, readers don’t know what kinds of comments to leave, etc. And it finally clicked in my brain why I think a lot of people don’t bother writing comments. 

And this is what it boils down to:

Writers do not want praise.  We just want to talk about our story. 

I can’t speak for everyone obviously - but I think the majority of writers don’t care so much for the “omg you’re a brilliant writer!!” comments as much as we just want to hear your thoughts on the story. Even if it’s just your thoughts as you’re reading of “oooh x happened! I can’t believe y said this! What’s going to happen now that z has happened?!” We literally just want to talk about what we’ve written like you would with a friend about a tv show. We’re not out here demanding praise like some entitled narcissist. 

While praising our writing skills or writing style is appreciated, it doesn’t need to be said on every fic and every chapter that you read. If you regularly comment on someone’s work that’s telling enough that you like our technique. Readers shouldn’t feel pressured to have to praise a writer’s abilities every time they want to comment. 

In the grand scheme of things, talking about the fic/chapter is actually more helpful to us writers instead of spewing praise. It’s the same with artwork. As nice as it is that people tell me “wow your art is so pretty!” it’s a LOT more useful to me to get comments like “I love their expressions!” or “the lighting on this is gorgeous!” because then I know WHAT people are liking about it. If no one ever comments on my backgrounds, I now know what to improve. If most people comment on liking the expressions, I now know the strong points of my art and can use it to my advantage to make even better art in the future. 

The same goes for fic. If multiple people tell me they liked a certain part of the story I now know that things similar to that are a hit. It’s feedback I can use to improve the story and give my readers more of what they want. Without that I have no idea what they like about the fic.

Talking with a writer about their story also gives them inspiration!! Nothing gets us more in the mood to work on a fic than to have people wanting to talk about it. A lot of times just talking about one of my fics with someone will give me that push to continue working on it. Getting a comment that just says “great chapter” or “you’re a great writer” doesn’t do much to motivate us to continue that particular fic. But if you talk about the story and the characters it gives us motivation to continue working on it, may even give us ideas for future chapters. I would hope that those of you with “comment anxiety” find this approach so much easier than trying to praise the writer every time you read.

So that fic the author hasn’t updated in forever that you’re dying to read? Talk to them about the fic and the elements of the story! It will make the writer want to talk to you about it and will get their mind thinking about it, hopefully inspiring them to continue where they left off. Fics that are left in silence are more likely to be abandoned or even deleted because nothing feels worse than putting your heart into a story to have no one say anything about it. 

TLDR; Writers do not want praise, we just want to talk with our readers about the story itself, and these are the kinds of comments that inspire us to keep writing more. 

AMENDMENT >>> Some people are misinterpreting my words so I just wanted to make something clear. I am not trying to police how people comment - I am merely reassuring readers that not every writer is an entitled asshole who expects you to comment about how talented they are and what a gift they are to the fandom. I’ve seen this attitude in writers occasionally and I want people to know that most of us writers are not like that. We love any and all comments but you do not ever need to feel pressured to say how amazing we are and lick our boots. There is nothing wrong with praising the writer, in fact a lot of us love it, but it is not something that should be required if you feel inclined to comment.

A good writer will love any positive comment whether there be praise or not. A good writer will never have expectations or demand something of their readers. A good writer will appreciate their readers and cherish the comments they receive. 

[lyracordelia]

honestly this really hit home for me, not because of my own fic, but i love commenting on other people’s work. Sometimes I feel silly if i don’t mention the technicality of their writing, but honestly I just love a good story. With Hireath, i find it so thrilling when people get excited over my plot. The fact that people love it just as much as I do, or the way i adore other people’s work, is just pure madness to me!

[lyracordelia]

New Chapter of Hireath, Little Manor, Large Lies, out now on AO3

Please go and check it out of you can, i’m actually pretty proud of it. Basically parties bringing out the worst in the Belacqua family.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/78945478#comments

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Lyra had tossed and turned in her bed all night, her mind swimming with theories, explanations, and excuses. How peculiar everything was. She began to feel like a stranger in her own home. If anything, the person who felt most distant was her mother and Lyra was beginning to feel like she didn't really understand her at all. It wasn't uncommon for Lyra to question the different aspects of her upbringing. Why did her mother finally come looking for her eleven years later? What was so special about now? Yet, Pantalaimon was the one who often reminded her to stop fretting, as he knew it only made things worse. Every time the girl found herself on the brink of sleep, her thoughts would sleep into nightmares, and that dreaded file would be the center of each and every one. The problem was neither girl nor daemon understood what the situation was.

“It could just be a practical file, you know, for like...something important?”

“No, I don't think so, no one could comprehend that. Other than her of course. Besides, why would it be hidden away like that?”

At some point, amidst all the fretting, Lyra must have fallen asleep as she woke to the sound of someone banging on her door. One of the staff’s attempts to summon her out of bed. It was early, and Lyra knew why. Today was the day of the dreaded Easter soiree hosted at Lord Boreal’s manor in Surrey. How she wished she could just close her eyes and make the whole day disappear, for Lyra knew that it wasn't the actual event that would be suffocating, she also had a whole morning of preparation beforehand.

[lyracordelia]

have i figure out what’s going to happen in my fics new chapter? yes

Does it help link different plot ideas together? Yes

Am i excited about writing for the first time in weeks? YES

[lyracordelia]

What I have learnt from publishing my first ever fan fiction online

After publishing my first ever attempt at writing around four months ago, just thought I would share what I have learnt thus far.

1. Despite doing English a-level I still spend ages figuring out how to structure sentences, basic grammar, and I am constantly utilising my thesaurus. I truly question why creative writing is so ignored though most mainstream education, it’s really helped my connect with my language the way writing essays never allowed me to do.

2. I have no clue how to express emotions. I’m still taking massive inspiration from the original texts or other books- it’s not coming that naturally.

3. I can’t spell.

4. Are my characters accurate enough?

5. Metaphors love them or hate them?

6. The concept of a word count drives me mad- especially the way it makes me write, as if nothing I write is good enough until I reach a certain word count.

7. I still can’t establish the difference between writing for myself and getting approval from those who read it. This has definitely been the biggest thing I have discovered about myself. Writing Hireath was originally just a way to express all these stories that were filtering around my head, but now it’s gained some attraction, I keep craving approval. I can’t figure out if it’s excitement which makes me check my phone every five minutes after posting a new chapter, or simply the crippling fear of failure. I base my worth of this fan fiction off the amounts of comments/hits I get, which is simply absurd. After taking a break for a while, I aloud myself to take a step back and wait for that drive to write because i enjoy it, rather than wanting to reach my new hit goal.

8. Am I good enough? Let’s face it, I am not a writer. Before a few months ago, I had never attempted creative writing before, but i’m still learning as I go. However, I know now that whether or not, I do enjoy it and that’s what counts. I just hope other people do too.

9. I need to stop comparing myself to other writers in my fandom. Whilst i’m on the subject, the HDM fan fic writers are incredible and so many of them are huge inspirations to me (please check out @jamlavender , @obsessedsleepygirl44 , @rhaized , and soo many more). But when I read other people’s work, I spend way too many time questioning if my own writing is as good? Are my characters as compelling? They are getting more comments than me, long detailed comments, am I just not as good? I even stopped reading anything for a while because it was getting too much. But I do think I’m still very much learning how to comprehend all these things.

There are probably way more things that I have learnt or that are sitting deep in my mind, but these have been playing with my subconscious for a little while. Overall, I know that I need to take a step back from putting this pressure on myself to ‘succeed’ though hits or comments, and just write when I enjoy it. Because I do really enjoy it when I relax a bit more.

Thank you to anyone who will read this, and anyone who has kept up with Hireath, hopefully new content coming soon.

[lyracordelia]

Hireath, Chapter 12: Secrets, Lies, and Strife, out now on AO3!!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/77744798

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

After only one week of sporadic and uncomfortable meetings with her father, the inevitable happened; Lord Asriel had disappeared once again.

“The weather in the North seemed to have cleared up,” her mother muttered with complete casualty, seemingly unfazed by the notion as her eyes never left the pages of her book.

Of course, Lyra fully expected this to happen, as it always did, however how she wished it wasn't so soon. It wasn't that she much enjoyed her father's presence, the truth of the matter was that Lyra was rather terrified of the man, but the girl did feel that they had only scratched the surface of discussion. It felt all too convenient that as soon as they began to have real exchanges that Lord Asriel had to disappear. What was his all-consuming mystery?

[lyracordelia]

i don’t know why but i really associate brown haired lily james with young marisa coulter?? anyone else have some random fancasts for hdm? but anyway ‘the pursuit of love’ gives me all the feels because of it.

[lyracordelia]

Hireath, Chapter 11: Routine, out now on AO3! Basically the chaos family not being able to function at all normally, featuring secret plans and heretical discussions- gotta love them!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/75204825

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Since her father’s unexpected presence at breakfast a few days ago, normality was slipping further and further away from Lyra’s grasp, and everything felt different since the evening of her frantic escape act. Whilst nothing had directly changed, the Easter holidays still consisted of its normal everyday activities and expectations, the frequent visits from her father seemed to have utterly shifted the dynamic of everyday life. It had been just under a week since their first conversation in the library, and since then Lord Asriel had made an appearance at the apartment five times, visiting practically every day. It was truly bizarre, and yet Lyra wasn’t complaining. He never stayed for too long, fitting in his meeting-like appointments conveniently just before Lyra and her mother were due at another arrangement, and she wasn’t sure which parent had decided this, for everything must be planned. The atmosphere surrounding these gatherings felt practically clinical, with unspoken rules surrounding discussion and practicality oozing out of her father's questions. There was a strict protocol that they all seemed to follow; the visits never varied.

[amazella]

Why do I fancy Vision now...?

I must admit... this side effect wasn't something I anticipated I'd get from wandavision.

[lyracordelia]

Hiraeth, Chapter 10: Polaroids and Persuasion, out now on AO3!

Definitely one of my favourite chapters yet so please give it a look if you can!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/74582874

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

It was Marisa who stirred first, sighing softly as she gently stretched her tired limbs amongst the silk sheets. As her mind slowly drifted away from slumber, her brows creased into a frown as she felt the figure who was still lying beside her, causing her to grown and shift her weight around to face him. Her body pulling towards his like a magnet.

“Don’t expect to be here when I wake up,” she explicitly remembered telling him.

But as she stared at the gentle light of the rainy-day which shone softly against his face, her mind softened. The windows were slightly propped open, allowing in a pleasant breeze, which lightly brushed at the back of Asriel’s head. It was far too early to be awake, but that wasn’t rare for Marisa. If you woke up early enough, you get to live in a blissful part of the day, the rare moment where the world expected nothing from you, and you could just…be. In the dark, you can sit and close out the world and make a reality where everything found finally be perfect. Unfortunately, Marisa wasn’t imagining the figure who was lying in her bed. It was strange to her how he was so unfazed by the beam of light that was slowly growing across his skin and she watched as his eyelids faintly fluttered. How nice it must be to live a life with so few expectations.

Continue on AO3 :)

[bathroombreaks]

✨ oh look, it’s another fanfic writer ask game ✨

has a comment someone left on a fic of yours ever made you laugh out loud?

has a comment someone left on a fic of yours ever made you cry?

and because i know we’re all egocentric, have you ever made yourself laugh out loud or cry with a fic you wrote?

what would this fic be about, based on the title? (asker provides fake fic title) (x)

if you couldn’t finish (one of) your wip(s) for some reason, what writer would you trust with finishing it, if any? (asker can choose what wip)

what is your favourite sense to incorporate in your writing and why?

what is you favourite sentence/paragraph? read it to us! (asker can choose what fic) (x)

if you got a computer virus that deleted all your fics but had just enough time to save one before they were wiped out, which fic would you pick and why?

the “you got kudos“ e-mail is usually much appreciated, but is there a fic you wish you didn’t get these e-mails for? if so, which one and why?

what word do you keep using like it’s going out of style?

what grammar mistake do you keep making no matter how many times your beta corrects you?

what headcanon will you keep implementing in your fics, even if canon ends up contradicting it?

do you make playlists for when you write? if so, share!

what trope would you refuse to write even if you were paid to do it?

describe (one of) your wip(s) in the weirdest/most contrived way possible! (asker can choose what wip)

[lyracordelia]

since Hireath seems to be low-key popular feel free to ask me things!

[lyracordelia]

Hiraeth, Chapter 9: Saturday Rain, is out now on AO3! Featuring Lyra feeling suffocated and intense mother-daughter breakfast

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/74206293

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

In normal circumstances, Lyra woke up each and everything morning with the desire to do things right, to be a charming and meaningful person, to be, as simple as it sounded, happy. She knew that by doing so there was unlimited potential for success, well, as successful as this world would allow her to be. She would carefully divide her attention between work and play; allowing herself to become absorbed in the luxuries that shaped her life. Trips to the theatre, endless lunches, and even the rather dreadful shopping trips, as well as spending time developing her personal studies. However, as she stared up at the ceiling, Lyra was overcome by the feeling that nothing was right. How could anything be right at the moment? Her world had become a mess overnight, and normality was melting away from her tight grip.

Continue on AO3 :)

[lyracordelia]

Hiraeth, Chapter 8: Midnight Impatience, out now on AO3!

The previous chapters events from a Marisa’s perspective. Featuring mildly unhinged Marisa, Lyra needing a break, and Masriel control (or lack there of)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/72188718

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Marisa Coulter despised waiting. It gave her time to examine normality, to ask herself questions about ordinary ideas that she would normally take for granted. People who were impatient lacked self-control, as her own mother often reminded her. Impatience was her child self, having a petulant tantrum, and it was high time the grown-up women asked it to have some better manners. She had always, essentially, been waiting. Waiting to become something else, waiting to be that person she always thought she was on the verge of becoming. Marisa waited tiredly for the life she was destined to have. However, this hatred fueled waiting was what caused tonight's outburst. Before Lyra’s birth, Marisa’s life was about waiting for power; she was taught this art at a young age, knowing the importance of marrying for power, spending hours of wasted time attempting to climb up a society that only seemed to oppress her. Before Lyra, before Asriel, she was well on her way to quite some position, but now her world was different. Lyra had changed everything.

continue on AO3

[lyracordelia]

we definitely don’t talk enough about that one scene in the amber spyglass where Asriel and Marisa have that... um...gag me conversation...

[lyracordelia]

anyone got any marisa & lyra, lyra & asriel, or marisa/asriel fan fiction wishes or ideas? i need a minor bit of inspiration for my fic... feel free to message them to me :)

[lyracordelia]

Hiraeth, Chapter 7: Lyra’s London, out now on AO3! Featuring the one and only dadriel, aka despite Asriel doing the bare minimum, Lyra is still in awe.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/73433895

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

The more brutal the storm came down, the calmer Lyra’s heart became; bitter gusts of wind bit her face, stung her eyes, and the unforgiving gale whipped at her flimsy day dress. Drops of rain beat against her skin like hammers, and, due to a minor shortcut through the Victoria Embankment Gardens, everything from her dainty Mary Janes to her bare knees eventually became caked in mud. However, Lyra hadn’t even noticed, she just kept on running until her lungs became led, a frantic attempt to escape her head and the wicked words of her mother which still burned a hole through her heart. Lyra had no idea where she was headed, her mind was racing with manic thoughts, all she knew was she had to create distance between herself and that suffocating apartment.

Continue on AO3

[lyracordelia]

I have been trying to post this for like the last hour and I give up- I think the layout looks ok but it keeps glitching, let me know how it looks :)

Hiraeth Chapter 6: Camomile is out now on AO3, featuring intense mother daughter conversations with underlying tones of the patriarchy

- actually probably my favourite chapter so far, so please do check it out of you can :)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385519/chapters/73096593

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

The subtle chime of the elevator signalled to Lyra that her mother had finally returned home.

It had been hours since Lyra had been dropped off back at the apartment and she had spent the entire time on the sofa, listening to the hourly chime of the mantlepiece clock. Watching the sunset from the corner of her eye, the child wondered about how best to approach the upcoming conversation with her mother. For a long time, Lyra had been bickering with her daemon about the best manner to address the situation; according to Pantalaimon, she couldn’t be this enraged about a simple boy, but Lyra thought differently, arguing that she knew her mother’s opinions and rules on the male sex and how she was supposed to act around them, rules she had actively broken. The only thing Lyra and Pan could agree on was how ridiculous the situation was, yet whilst the pine-marten was sympathetic, the girl was absorbed in rage. Her burning headache told her it was time to rest someplace quiet, to ride out the storm within her brain before she had to face another, but she just couldn't relax. Truthfully, she was worried, and as the daylight dwindled the tension in Lyra grew. It wasn’t unlike mother and child to argue, Marisa often explained to her that mothers and daughters with strong personalities might see the world from hugely different points of view, but she felt suffocating dread brewing deep inside her nonetheless.

continue on AO3 :)