#allure writes

[its-the-allure]

My dear friend @sweatersinthesummer made me a prezzie for my birthday month! She recorded one of my fave Drarry oneshots, something I wrote for my pal @kamaela. Thank you sissy! I love it.

Listen on AO3

[its-the-allure]

ok ok 6, 10, and 24

Ahh, thank you for more writer asks. This is so much fun! I just found this in my drafts and have no idea if I ever posted it or not, so here we go!

6. When do you title your fics? Before you write them? As you write them? While posting to AO3 and that “Work Title” field is staring at you?

I love this question! And I already answered it in this post, please see here

10. What’s a phrase you catch yourself using in multiple fics, not necessarily on purpose?

I don't have any phrases that come to mind, but I definitely have over-used words. I cannot help from calling Draco Malfoy "long" in all sorts of contexts. He's long, OK? I will not be taking questions. I also tend to pay a lot of attention to eye color, especially when writing Drarry because they both have unusual eye colors. And in my defense, eyes are something I tend to notice a lot IRL. But some betas have flagged it as overuse. In my last fic, I was also made aware of how often one of the boys "crowded" the other (HOT!) and also the expression "trim waist" was used more than once. I'm glad this was pointed out because I actually don't love it - giving myself a challenge to never use this particular description again.

24. What colors, sights, sounds, textures, etc. inspire you? Do certain environments make you feel more creative than others?

Not really, actually. The things that inspire me most are actually my lived experiences. I love writing about places I’ve visited before, special meals I’ve eaten, etc. Maybe I’m a lazy writer but I would 100% rather draw from my own memory than do research.

[its-the-allure]

@sits-bound surprised me with an incredible little fan bind of my recent @hd-erised fic City of Light (gift for @mars-bar81). It’s so perfect! Look how shiny and sparkly the cover is! Look at the perfect font and the pink chapter headers! Look at the little Eiffel Tower page breaks!! Thank you so much, sweet friend. I will treasure this always.

Read City of Light on AO3

[its-the-allure]

Hi! 5, 6 and 22 from the writer asks, please? :)

Thanks so much for the ask!

5. How do you know when you’re finished writing a fic? At what point do you call it done?

God, what a good question. Honestly it depends on the fic. I usually feel like I could poke at them endlessly, and sometimes I do. If I'm writing for a fest, especially if I have put a lot of myself into them, at some point I just feel like "I need to be done." Sometimes I think I'm done and my beta lovingly prods me to write a little more.

6. When do you title your fics? Before you write them? As you write them? While posting to AO3 and that “Work Title” field is staring at you?

My favorite thing to do is steal a great line from the fic to use as a title (ditto for Summaries!) or to use the title (or lyrics from) of a song. Please see "Come As You Are", "Sex and Candy", "lost for you i am so lost", "Snow Can Wait" and "Sweet like candy to my soul." Every so often I'll know the title right away, but more often I'll have a nickname for it while I'm writing. My favorite nickname for a fic I loved so much I ended up using for the title: Eyeliner!Harry.

22. Do you have a fixed writing routine, or do you write when you have time? Is there a time of day when you prefer to write?

I have a toddler, so I basically write when I can find the time and the energy, both of which are difficult to come by! I have written part of many of my fics on my phone while the baby sleeps in the car or the stroller, but my favorite time to write is at the computer - the only way I can edit properly. I have written at all sort of times, including late at night, but my best time to write is mid-morning.

[its-the-allure]

Merthur Anniversary WIP

Okay apparently, according to @aemelia I have to post a WIP? This is terrible and completely unfinished (please see the "add more here" bits in parenthesis). It was a fun thing I was trying out after writing the microfic Do you think Drarry would ship Merthur?

Arthur knew Hunith had read the books to Merlin as a kid. Arthur hadn't had a mum to read the books to him; he did not grow up in the tight knit family that Merlin had. But he'd been going with Merlin to the cinema each time one of the films came out, because Merlin was his best mate and he didn't have anyone else to go see nerdy shit like Harry Potter with him. Merlin wants to go for a drink afterwards to chat about the film. Arthur waits at a table at the little cafe in the back of the bookshop while Merlin purchases two steaming cups of tea and a few of macrons. "Which one do you want?" he offers as he sets the plate between them. Arthur takes the light green one and bites into it — pistachio. "Thanks. So, what did you think?" Arthur asks politely. He doesn't give a shit, not really, but he loves this time he gets to spend with just Merlin. No annoyingly handsome Gwaine hanging all over him 'platonically', no annoying half-sister stealing his attention with her (add something here). "Harry is so obsessed with Malfoy," Merlin says gleefully. "Did you notice how (say more here)" I'm so obsessed with you, Arthur thinks but does not say.

[its-the-allure]

1, 7 and 29 for the 2025 in review ask game, please :)

Thanks for the ask!

1 - Including WIPs, how many fics have you worked on since January 1st? 9 posted fic, 4 WIPs. A a few of those "fics" are actually microfic collections containing over 30 microfics ranging from 50-500 words each. (I also learned how to insert animated GIFs into mood boards and recorded several podfics, including a couple of collab duets!)

7 - What (characters) captured your heart? So many this year. Draco Malfoy is still #1 in my heart, but I also fell in love with a lot of hockey boys: Iyla & Shane, as well as Eric & Kyle from the Game Changers series, and Landon & Casey from Rachel Reid's Time to Shine. Then there were characters from my KJ Charles obsession: Will & Kim from Slippery Creatures, Richard & David from A Gentleman's Position. And let's not forget to mention my new TK/NP obsession brought to me by the incredible works of @makeit-takeit

29 - What's left on your To Do list for 2025? I have a secret fic coming out in a fest this year, and I'm also working on a podfic collab.

[its-the-allure]

Writing Questions tag game

Thanks for the tags @devious--muffin @poljupci @fluffyunderneath @upon-poppyhills - loved reading your answers to these as well!

WRITING QUESTIONS

1. How many works do you have on AO3/Tumblr? 21 written works, Also 13 podfics under my pseud AllureReads, 13 "art" pieces under AllureMakes

2. What's your total AO3/Tumblr word count? 110,514

3. What fandoms do you write for? Drarry, Merthur

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? (all Drarry)

Come As You Are E | 35k with art by @itsphantasmagoria

Sweet like candy to my soul E | 9k

Eyeliner!Harry E | 3k with art by @itsphantasmagoria

Worshipping at the altar of Harry James Potter E | 2k

Down and (nearly) out E | 6k

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! One of my favorite things to do is talk about writing, and I love hearing what things resonated with people reading my fics. It’s the best feeling in the world to receive comments, and equally as incredible to get a response from an author you admire! I love being part of this tradition.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hmmm, I am not very angsty lol so this was a hard one. I would say my angstiest story line is within All Roads Lead To You (Drarry). But the angstiest ending is A Hot, Heavy Weight (Merthur).

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Gosh this could be so many. I love a good HEA! But since many are more hopefully happy, I guess I would say Come As You Are and its follow up "Sex and Candy".

8. Do you get hate on fics? Thankfully no

9. Do you write smut? Definitely

10. Do you write crossovers? Not really, I have written a microfic in one of my fandoms where they are fans of another of my fandoms, which was super fun. I’ll never say never. Do you think Drarry would ship Merthur?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of, other than the scraping of AO3 that occurred earlier this year

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No but I want to! Have some ideas in the works but no timeline.

14. What's your favorite all-time ship? Drarry is the OTP

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I don’t really have an answer to this because if I want to I probably will, if I don’t want to I won’t.

16. Are there recurring themes you've noticed in your writing? Interestingly as I have seen this quiz making the rounds, I've also seen this question number posed as "What are your writing strengths?", and I'd prefer to answer that one, even though sometimes it's hard to let myself sing my own praises. I think I'm good at descriptions, and I'm also good at smut. When I'm writing I really try to visualize things in my mind, and I work hard to bring that to the page. There will be no confusing limbs in the way or "how did they get from there to here" in my scenes.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I am not good at action which is why I've never written an auror partners fic although I have one languishing in the WIPs. I have certain words that I tend to overuse and need to watch out for in editing. "Gaze" is a favorite. More than one beta has flagged how often I describe their eye color... in my defense, I notice eyes a lot in real life, and these boys both have an unusual eye color. But everyone has things they like and things that bug them in writing, and I get that, so I try to fall somewhere in the middle unless it's a particularly fluffy/romantic fic. Recently it's also been pointed out to me that I use the word ‘long’ to describe one Draco Malfoy A LOT. Look, he’s long, okay? Everywhere.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I enjoy it if it's not overpowering and fits the story, such as Draco Malfoy speaking French (personal headcanon). If the POV character also speaks that language, it makes the most sense for them to narrate that the other person says it in French, if they don't, including the language is great. Especially if there is a list of translations linked that you can easily reference.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Drarry

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? I have to pick between my children? Gosh that's so difficult. I'm really proud of All Roads Lead To You, a choose your own adventure type story using all the microfics I wrote last May, and including some great art by @basiatlu. But my favorite is probably Down and (Nearly) Out which feels like my most "Draco Malfoy is Draco Malfoy" version of Draco.

Totally unsure who has already done this, but I'd love to hear from @phoenixortheflame @yellowfork @aemelia @jelliewrites @faiell @fluxweeed @lqtraintracks @astolat @pl0tty @fastbrother and anyone else who hasn't answered this time around.

[its-the-allure]

"Season"

For @merthurmicrofic weekly prompt "season" | 200 words

And as the years pass, they fall into a comfortable, companionable friendship the likes of which Merlin has never experienced with another person.  And in every season, Merlin falls a little bit more in love with Arthur.  In the springtime—bursting with fragrant bloom, and birdsong—Merlin loves Arthur's quick wit; the hours of shared laughter and mutual ribbing—his cheeks aching, smiling in too-wide delight. In the summer—long days together under cloudless blue skies—Merlin loves how Arthur's hair falls golden as the fields of barley upon his princely brow. In autumn—trees shedding their jewel-bright leaves to carpet the damp forest floor—Merlin loves Arthur's sense of justice, his steadfast willingness to always do what is right. And in the winter—early evenings in, over-warm by the crackling fire—Merlin loves the strength of Arthur's hand on his shoulder, clasping firmly as he bids him goodnight. In every season, Merlin loves Arthur; will likely love him for the rest of his days.  But he tucks it away, holding it close to his breast along with his other terrible secret. And longs for a future where both can be known by the man who has captured his heart.

Thanks for the beta help @thesongistheriver and @aemelia