If you’re stuck on a scene, stop forcing the “logical next step” and jump straight to the part you’re excited about. Yes, skip the boring stuff. Happiness counts as productivity. Write the joy first.
┈୨୧┈ Give them reasons they CAN'T be together that aren't just manufactured drama. Not miscommunication. Not love triangles. Not arbitrary "I push people away" trauma with no real exploration. Give them REAL obstacles: they're on opposite sides of a conflict, timing is wrong, there are actual consequences to being together, they have incompatible life goals, there's a power imbalance they need to resolve first. The obstacles should be meaningful and require actual character growth to overcome, not just a conversation.
┈୨୧┈ Make the friendship foundation SO STRONG that readers ship them before the romance even starts. They should genuinely LIKE each other. They should have inside jokes. They should seek each other out just to hang out. They should trust each other. They should have fun together. When the romantic feelings start developing, it should feel like "oh no, I don't want to ruin this friendship" because the friendship is genuinely valuable. Readers should be able to believe they'd still choose to be in each other's lives even if romance never happened.
┈୨୧┈ Let the tension BUILD in layers over time. First they notice each other. Then they start seeking excuses to be near each other. Then they start getting jealous. Then they start having Moments. Then they start thinking about each other constantly. Then comes the almost-kisses. Then the accidental intimacy. Then the barely-hidden feelings. Each phase should have time to breathe before moving to the next level. Slow burn means SLOW - readers should be desperate for them to get together LONG before they actually do.
┈୨୧┈ Show how they change each other gradually. He starts smiling more because of her. She becomes braver because he believes in her. They adopt each other's habits and phrases. They start to see the world differently because of the other person's influence. Slow burn is about showing two people gradually becoming essential to each other's lives. They should be woven into each other's character development, not separate from it.
┈୨୧┈ Make the payoff WORTH the wait. After chapters or books of tension, the moment they finally get together should be EARNED and SATISFYING. A CONVERSATION where they're finally honest. A moment where they choose each other despite the obstacles. A confession that feels like a dam breaking. The first kiss should feel like the conclusion of a long journey and the beginning of something new. Readers have been waiting for this, so make it count. Make it feel like YES, THIS WAS WORTH IT.
As a Dungeon Master I nearly scrolled past this before my brain kicked my own ass and reminded me that I have tried looking up 'Blue Gemstones' at LEAST a dozen times in the last six months and never found anything this helpful.
i love ur writing! can u do one for young coriolanus about like reader was basically lucy gray in the situation kinda but you were his tribute and after u guys won you go back to district 12 and kind along the lines of how billy taupe wanted u back and coryo was starting to get jealous and one of the nights when u were doing a show billy taupe wanted to sing with you but u rejected him and instead of leaving he kept trying kinda like in the movie when that happens so coryo isn’t happy with that and like the all out fight happens and u can end it on whatever note u want
i might be back for more too i love coryo especially peacekeeper version and ur writing is too good 😉😉
My Covey Girl | C.S.
Summary: aka Coriolanus gets possessive over his flower.
Pairing: peacekeeper!coriolanus snow x covey!reader
Includes: fighting, bruising, cursing, maude ivory is your sister, Coriolanus calls you covey, manipulation (?)
a/n: i wrote more for Coriolanus than any other man in my entire life
The Hob was roaring with excitement and laughter from peacekeepers and coal miners alike, everyone coming down to unwind and enjoy the performance the one and only Covey band would put on. Every show put on felt like the only time everyone could co-exist naturally. No peacekeeper quarreled with the district group and no district group egged on the peacekeepers.
It had been that way since you had come back from winning the 10th Annual Hunger Games.
After coming back from the Capitol, and learning that you won due to unforeseen circumstances, you had put on a performance every night you could. You missed performing for a crowd that truly admired and loved you, it was one of the things you absolutely craved back in the Capitol.
Every show was different and no one could say they saw the same thing twice. One night you could be singing multiple upbeat songs to get the crowd jumping, then next day you’d only perform only one song before hopping off stage.
Nevertheless, the Hob was always full of people who wanted to see the girl who won the Hunger Games by outperforming everyone else. Every seat, every table, every damn available space to stand was occupied by a patron just so they could catch a glimpse of you.
Tonight was no different.
While there were huge crowds already filling the Hob, you heard from Tam that there were lines leading out of the entrances. The owners of the pub began to let people who would only pay extra inside once they learned their space would be occupied every night.
“Man, this has got to be something else.” Tam shook his head as he listened to the multitude of conversations happening right outside the garage door, giving you an impressed look. “You’re telling me that all of this is because you won the fucking games?”
You glare at Tam’s use of foul language, opening your mouth to reprimand him although Barb got to him first.
“Tam Amber, there is a child present!” She flicked his arm and gestured to Maude Ivory who smiled brightly at him. Barb rolled her eyes at Tam before turning her attention back to you, her gaze softening when she saw you fidgeting with a necklace you obtained from the Capitol.
“He is right though. This is probably the biggest crowd we’ve gotten since you’ve come back.”
You bite your bottom lip and peer out the door, eyes roaming across the people scattered across the room. You weren’t nervous about performing in front of big crowds, but you were nervous about the amount of people in the venue.
More people meant an increase in tension, and if one person looked at someone the wrong way, then the Hob would break into hell and cause a scene nobody wants. It was a disaster waiting to happen.
Maude Ivory slipped an arm around your waist, looking up at you with so much pride. “Everyone will lose their minds when they see you tonight.”
Smiling, you press a kiss to the top of her head and squeeze her shoulder, appreciating that she did her best to ease your mind off the growing crowd. “Not as much as y’all when ya get ‘em ready for me.”
She grinned and grabbed her drum, following the rest of the Covey band out of the garage and up on the Hob stage. Maude Ivory waved back at you as you gave her a thumbs, chuckling when you heard her voice projected over the enthusiastic cheers of the patrons.
You walked the length of garage, listening and humming to the song your dear sister was signing when the metal of the door squeaked. You jumped at the sound and spun around, getting flashbacks from the games when you meet oh-so familiar blue eyes.
“I’ll be damned.” You say softly and drop your fidgeting hand from your necklace, taking small steps toward the boy who stole your heart back at the Capitol. “What’re you doing here?”
He matched your steps and let his gaze settle on your figure. It had been a while since he last saw you, and he noticed how comfortable you were back home rather than in the Capitol. It was to be expected, but he hated that you didn’t long for his protection as much—especially since you seemed to be loved everywhere you went in District Twelve.
“Long story.” Coriolanus shrugged and looped his finger in your leather belt, tugging you closer to him with a sly grin. “Missed you.”
You smile and wrap your arms around his neck, scrunching your nose when your fingers touched his buzzed hair. “Your curls, Coriolanus. You’re beautiful curls…”
“All went to a good cause, covey.” He pressed a kiss to the corner of your lips, his free hand coming down to rest on your hip.
“The cause being?” You ask and tilt your head, melting into his touch.
Coriolanus squinted his eyes at your curiosity, picking you up and spinning you around. Your laughter filled the air at the sudden action, making him kiss the side of your head. “To see you, of course. I asked them to transfer me to this District all for you.”
You click your tongue, “Went through a lot just to see a girl you mentored for a month.”
“Maybe I really liked her.” He teased and gave you a proper kiss, tugging you closer until your chest was touching his.
Sure, Coriolanus missed you, but finally having you in his arms again felt so much better then just expressing the thought. He liked knowing where you were and if you were alright, even if that meant breaking some rules. Which landed him in the Districts in the first place. Luckily bribery was still a thing in the Capitol.
In the end, the only thing he really wanted was you.
He began to press soft kisses to your lips over and over again, “Heard from a bunch of people that you sing down here often.”
You hum into his kisses, every sense focusing solely on the boy in front of you. “I practically grew up singing on that dingy stage.”
Coriolanus made a quiet noise of acknowledgment before straying from your lips, making a trail down your neck and over your collarbone before you finally stopped him. He pulled away from you and met your dazed gaze, eyes dropping to your swollen lips and tinted cheeks, eyes shining in pride sight.
“I think it’s your turn up on that stage, covey.” He nodded toward the exit of the garage as Maude Ivory finished her song, smirking when you cleared your throat and tucked your hair behind your ears. “I’ll be watching in the audience.”
“After that stunt you pulled, you better enjoy the stupid show.” You mumble to him and grab your guitar, gasping when he pulled you in for one last kiss. You pull away and glare half-heartedly at him, “You have no shame, Coriolanus Snow.”
He winked and you left the garage with a smile, screams erupting when you stepped on the stage with the same energy and enthusiasm as you always did.
“Aren’t y’all a cheerful bunch!” You give them a quick spin, dress flowing perfecting by your side before you nudged your head back toward the rest of the Covey. “Did the Covey warm y’all up for me?”
More choruses of replies echoed from the crowd, making you grin and strum your guitar subconsciously. Yours eyes scanned the premises before locking them with Coriolanus’ as he made his was back from the garage, your eyes lighting up when he nodded at you.
“That’s great.” You note and begin playing the guitar with purpose, the Covey catching on to the song you were going to sing. “Now, I think it’s time I sang, yeah?”
Cheers erupted when you sang an upbeat song, the regulars clapping, stomping, and dancing to the music. The newcomers just nodded to the beat, but loved the tune anyway. For a split moment, you believed this is what life could be without the Hunger Games.
Just pure enjoyment.
On the other side of the Hob, Coriolanus admired you for the distance. From the moment he saw you on the screen, he knew you were a born performer. He saw how in love you were with singing and dazzling the crowd. It was your calling. Every note, every word, every single strum of the guitar was perfect. Coriolanus saw that you were natural at entertainment.
But he wasn’t the only one who believed that.
Coriolanus noticed the expressions of the other men when you would sing toward the crowd—making them believe you were singing solely for them—or spinning way too fast that your skirt rode up higher than intended. It was only a matter of time before someone did something stupid.
As the song finished, you met Coriolanus’s eyes once more and sent him your own wink, causing the audience to holler in disbelief and awe. You both knew it was trouble to even be near one another, but that never stopped either of you back in the Capitol, why should it stop you back in your hometown?
“Wow y’all, I am exhausted.” You chuckle into the microphone, kindly thanking one of the patrons for the drink they offered you. “Are guys just as tired? Or should I keep singing for y’all?”
“Sing another song!” Someone shouted from the crowd, making you laugh and adjust your hold on your guitar.
You jokingly squint your eyes as you try to make out who suggested it from the crowd of chatty peacekeepers and miners, “Well, it is my job to perform, ain’t it?”
The people screamed in elation, shouting your name repeatedly. A huge smile decorated your face, but before you could even begin to direct the Covey on what song to sing, a familiar voice rang out, making your stomach churn in discomfort.
“Hey, pretty songbird!” Billy Taupe grinned from the front of the stage, looking up at you with drunken eyes. “I’d like to request a duet between you and me. Just like the old time.”
You grimaced and tried to tug his hands off your skirt, creasing your brows at his sudden intrusion. “I-I’m sorry, but this is only for me and the Covey on stage—“
“Oh, come on, I was part of all this before y’all kicked me out! Hell, I started this!” He began to shout over the loudness of the Hob, causing everyone to turn their head toward the sudden commotion.
The rest of the Covey looked at you in horror as Billy gripped your skirt tighter. You handed Tam your guitar and placed both hands on your skirt, going back and forth between Billy in frustration.
The newer peacekeepers and patrons didn’t understand that this was terrible, yet not even the older ones came to your aid. They simply watched. They weren’t on duty, this technically wasn’t part of their pay.
“Billy, let go of me—!” You tug and glare at the boy before a fist met his jaw, causing you to stumble backwards at the shock and impact. “Oh shit.”
Coriolanus had punched Billy. Chaos ensued between everyone. He started the brawl between peacekeepers and the District Twelve miners. Shouts and curses were heard from every direction as Coriolanus continued to fight with Billy.
You frantically ushered the Covey off the stage and back into the garage, hastily avoiding thrown punches and broken beer bottles. You grabbed Maude Ivory’s hand and yanked here into the room quickly before Barb did a headcount, sighing when everyone was present and counted for.
“What the hell is Billy Taupe doing back here? I thought he was banned.” You breathed heavily, letting your sister clutch you tightly in terror.
“He might’ve gotten in undetected.” Barb muttered and seized Tam by the arm, glaring at Clerk Carmine—CC—and believing it was him who let his brother inside. “We gotta get out before they send working peacekeepers down here to get to the bottom of this brawl.”
Tam and Barb left first, CC following close behind with an annoyed look passing through his face. He would rather die than let his jerk of a brother back into the Covey’s safe space.
More shouts were heard when you looked down at Maude Ivory, rubbing her arms softly until she calmed down long enough for you to speak.
“It’s our turn to go, alright, baby? We’ll have to be quick.” You say softly, eyes darting between her and the closed door that led straight into the Hob. “Can ya do that for me?”
She nodded quickly before gasping loudly at the sound of the metal hinges of the door, jumping back into your figure when Coriolanus stumbled into the garage.
“What are you doing?” You whisper-shout and look up at him, frowning at his bloody nose and already bruising cheek. “Let me clarify, what were you thinking, Coriolanus?”
Maude Ivory stared at the two of you, eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a second before recognizing the name. “The mentor…”
You nod in response and step closer to him, cupping his jaw and tilting his head to see the full effect of the bruising. “Coryo…”
“I wasn’t gonna let that man touch you when you were clearly uncomfortable, covey.” He put his hand over yours and kissed your palm, pursing his lips when you sighed. “I was protecting you from the terrible people here.”
“Well,” You pause and wince when you heard a loud thud right outside the door. “Thank you. Just…”
“You won’t lose me again, I’ll make sure of it.” He squeezed your hand, catching your quick smile at the silent promise. “Now go, your sister looks like she’s ready to leave this terrible place.
You nod and press a soft kiss to his bruised cheek, “Get better, soldier.”
“You missed.” He crossed his arms and watched you roll your eyes, smiling when you pressed a kiss to his lips. “I feel better already.”
“I’ll see you later, Coriolanus.” You shake your head in amusement and guide Maude Ivory out of the garage, a faint blush still dusting your cheeks.
Coriolanus watched you leave before entering the Hob once more and finding Sejanus, dragging him out of the place too. He did whatever it was to keep you safe.
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