#cotta2023

[j-trow-95]

2025 has been ... a year

Thanks for the tag today @thewholelemon.

Well, it's that time of year again already. Can someone please explain to me how January both feels like yesterday, and like a whole decade ago? 2025 feels like it's been 'a year', that's the only way I can describe it. I think Jenny also said something along these lines in her post, but I might try to start doing quarterly recaps next year, just because I always feel like I forget things by the time these recap posts come around.

That being said, let's look back at 2025.

Fic

I didn't post nearly as much fic (or as many updates) as I would have liked to this year, but I managed more than I did in 2024, so I'm taking that as a win regardless. I posted four new chapters for The Trails We Blaze (my 2023 COTTA El Dorado!au fic), and the gang are finally blazing that trail. If you've not started reading this fic yet, there are so many little easter eggs and references to the original movie that I've loved sneaking into the story, but it is very much its own beast.

Huge thanks to my endlessly patient beta team for this one! I'm hoping to have new material ready for you all at some point in the next few months (teacher training permitting).

Teacher Training

On that note, I started my PGCE this September and it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I am absolutely loving it, and I've been in a placement school since October, but my God is it a lot of work! We had a few weeks on campus in September and into the start of October, before we were thrown in at the deep end on our first placement, and I've been taking on more and more teaching obligations as the weeks have progressed. I really think I might have finally found my niche, and what's surprised me most is which year groups I've loved working with most.

I'm a history specialist, and in particular an ancient historian (Imperial Rome is my specialism), but what I've really loved on this placement has been working with my year 7 students (11-12 yr olds/6th grade? I think?). This group that I'm working with are just the sweetest, funniest kids, they're all so smart they give me a run for my money, and they're so eager to learn. I'm really going to miss them when my placement finishes at the end of January.

Other writing

Alongside working on Trails when I've had time, I've been plugging away at my original novel A Survivor's Revenge. I cracked the 100K mark over the summer, and basically haven't touched it since. A combination of lack of time, and concern that I may have shared it too soon and with the wrong people have left it feeling slightly tarnished and I have struggled to come back to edit/continue writing.

This new draft as well required me to step away from it for a while so I could actually see the wood for the trees. Scenes have been moved, blended with each other, character relationships have completely changed or been significantly developed, my two main couples have got much more page time together (the yearning is strong with both of them!), and it's even more blood soaked than it ever has been before. Blood drenched is probably more accurate now.

So, next steps with ASR, I think I'm going to have to work past this period of block just to finish writing these 'shit hits the fan' chapters, so that I can finally move into serious structural edits. But this is definitely going to have to be put on the back burner while I'm on placement.

Books

I've read too many good books this year to list them all, so here's a few highlights.

Once the Skies Fade - Vanessa Rasanen

The Daevabad Trilogy - S A Chakraborty

A Ruthless Bloody Betrayal - Lindsay Clement

The Cursed Crown Duology - Laura R Samotin

The Empyrean series - Rebecca Yarros

A Language of Dragons - S F Williamson

Life

This year I was so lucky to be able to do so many amazing things with friends. I went and saw Dan and Phil's latest show in Birmingham with friends (still not over the Hard Launch!!), then a month later we saw Set It Off again in London. I started filling in my tattoo sleeve, I spent a crazy few days with @artsyunderstudy and her hubby racing around Devon and Dorset, and spent a whole (very hot) week at Chalke History Festival. I visited Hay-On-Wye (an entire town dedicated to bookstores in Wales), went to my first drag show with my mum, quit my trail job and started teacher training. Went to the Natural History Museum's halloween event, the Imperial War Museum's inaugural history podcast live event, visited Auschwitz for the second time (this time as an educator), survived my first full half term as a trainee teacher and performed in the staff panto at the end of term.

And so we're here, at the end of the year. I will admit, since we finished at school on the 19th my body has completely crashed, and now I'm nursing a chest infection into the new year. But yeah, looking back on everything I've achieved this year and everything I've done, I'm excited for what 2026 has to offer.

Thanks to everyone who's interacted with any of my posts (some of them are boarding essay length ... as is this one. oops.), and to everyone who has joined the ASR/Trails bandwagon. Here's to another year of fandom, friends, and fic!

Tagging:

@artsyunderstudy @aristocratic-otter @blackberrysummerblog @bookish-bogwitch @cutestkilla

@confused-bi-queer @emeryhall @erzbethluna @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature

@ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse @letraspal @martsonmars

@mooncello @monbons @nausikaaa @nightimedreamersworld @orange-peony

@shrekgogurt @skeedelvee @theearlgreymage @you-remind-me-of-the-babe 

[hushed-chorus]

Simon is lucky to survive when his ship is wrecked, even if it left him stranded on a desert island. But he's not the only one who escaped. The ship's mysterious cargo, the creature in the box, also made it to shore. What hope does Simon have when a vampire is lurking in the island's wooded interior?

Welcome to Carry On Through The Ages 2023 (@carryonthroughtheages)! Please enjoy my Age of Sail Snowbaz fic about survival and finding happiness against the odds.

Blood, Salt & Hummingbirds on AO3

(Chapters 9/9, T but mind the tags and CWs in chapter notes)

[aristocratic-otter]

Hello all! Well, COVID has passed me, not with a bang but with a whimper. I.E., I got it, I think (never tested positive), but with very very faint symptoms, and I'm fine now, so phew. Also, I'm going to see the Book of Mormon this week (the play), so I'm hyped right now!

Thank you to all who've tagged me in the last week. Even when I don't have time or feel up to posting, I love reading what y'all are doing. It's so diverse and interesting!

My thanks to: @j-nipper-95, @artsyunderstudy, @aroace-genderfluid-sheep, @nightimedreamersghost, @cosmicalart, @larkral, @angelsfalling16, @wellbelesbian, @cutestkilla, @confused-bi-queer, @hushed-chorus, @bookish-bogwitch, @ileadacharmedlife and @you-remind-me-of-the-babe.

There'll be no snippet from Westward Son this week. Not that I'm not making progress (I am), but everything I've written this week is extremely smutty, lol.

From my Age of Sail AU, which now has a name! It's Stars, Flowers, and Children, from the Dante quote: "Three things remain to us from paradise: stars, flowers, and children." It's extremely fitting, as you'll eventually see.

The Snip:

I don’t look at Baz. I’m feeling a little tetchy after being so soft with him. After a moment, he rolls back onto his back as well. Neither of us talk about it. But just as I’m drifting off, I’m almost certain I hear him whisper, “Thank you.”

Every night, for years afterward, I always give him a hug and a kiss goodnight.

From: To Heal a Broken Mind (coming down to the wire on this one!)

I want Baz. I want to wrap myself around him. I want to pull him inside of me so that our two hearts merge into one. 

He wants it too. And I’m too weak to deny him. To deny myself the comfort of his arms tonight. 

From Saving Simon Snow (I've hit a rough patch, but I think there will be a new chapter sometime this week):

“Shit,” he hisses. 

I spin to face him, half expecting a monster to have burst out of the fixtures and attacked him. But he’s fine. There’s no monster. Just Baz. Who for some reason is glaring at this very pretty bed. 

From Snow Fox (Next chapter definitely up this week!) (TW: for emetophobics):

“Basilton, what are you—” my father says, frowning. 

Before he can finish, though, Tarleton sends me a cocky grin and says, “I could land that hit with my eyes shut, Mr. Pitch.” 

“Show me?” I breathe, biting my lip as if enthralled by him. I’m not. I’m disgusted. If he tried to kiss me, I might vomit in his mouth.

From this year's CORB, The Heart In The Well (the name just came to me, I can't explain why it takes months for some fics and days for others!)

“This is your fault!”

Baz crosses his arms over his chest and narrows his eyes at me. “Really, Snow,” he drawls. I swear he sounds posher the more annoyed he is. Which is quite a trick, given that he’s sitting in the dirt, his stork legs stretched out nearly from one side of the well to the other, and wearing a dirty and tattered Watford uniform. 

Still he manages to look better than me.

Aaaand...a tease from something I've been calling "Simon as a TikTok dancer" (but which is absolutely a lot more than that):

Shepard smiles at my apparent interest. “This footage still needs a lot of editing before I can post it. But we post it on the internet, which is a way everyone in the world can see it if they want. And if enough people see it, we might get noticed. And we might start making money. More than the tips we get for our live performances at least.”

Half of what he says is nonsense to me, but I’m quivering with curiosity now. 

(and no, this isn't the mystery project I've teased. Which makes this...wince...my seventh WIP)

Tags and High Fives to everyone above and :

@angelsfalling16, @bazzybelle, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @dragoneggos, @erzbethluna, @frjsti, @fatalfangirl, @facewithoutheart, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists, @krisrix, @messofthejess, @moments-au-crayon22, @alexalexinii, @moodandmist, @mostlymaudlin, @prettylightsbigcity, @rimeswithpurple, @raenestee, @thehoneyedhufflepuff, @theearlgreymage, @tea-brigade, @technetiumai, @upuntil6am, @whogaveyoupermission, @whatevertheweather, @yellobb-old.

[carryonthroughtheages]

Carry On Through the Ages 2023 - Official Announcement

Yes, my lovely friends and history-lovers, COTTA is back for it's fourth year! I have been getting a ton of love from fandom people who love this event as much as I do. I don't think I need to repeat how much your love and support means to me, but it does.

Carry On Through the Ages 2023 will take place from September 11th to September 15th.

Like last year, posting dates will be given closer to the actual event, once everyone has a chance to think about their concept. I want to also make sure that every day of the event has (roughly) an equal amount of people posting.

A link to the Sign Up page will be posted on April 14th, and will remain open for two weeks.

You can click on the links below for the full COTTA 2023 schedule!

SCHEDULE FOR DESKTOP USERS

SCHEDULE FOR MOBILE USERS

If you want to learn more about COTTA and what it is, you can click below for a link to the FAQs.

FAQs FOR DESKTOP USERS

FAQs FOR MOBILE USERS

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to send me a DM or an Ask, and I'll be happy to respond!

SEE YOU NEXT FRIDAY! 💜💚

[j-trow-95]

Six Sentence Sunday

Thanks for the tags recently @blackberrysummers, and for the Wednesday tag @nausikaaa !

I'm back, and I'm back writing Trails! Will wonders never cease?

I'm about to start the third week of my PGCE, and I'm actually feeling like I could be a good teacher? Like, the imposter syndrome has started to abate in the last few days, and I think I can do this.

That being said, I've been working slowly away at a chapter way way ahead of what's currently published with Trails (and neglecting my edits and coursework like the pro-procrastinator I am!), and I am so so excited to eventually publish this part of the story.

Here's six snippets from this chapter. First five are Simon POV, the last is Baz.

Baz has nearly died too many times in the last month. I can’t believe, in here of all places, I almost lost him again.

“Baz.” His name comes out like a prayer, like an exaltation. With all the love I feel for him, imbued in three letters.

Every time I try to slow things down and let him set the pace he whines, a needy little sound at the back of his throat. And every time it completely ruins any self control I’m trying to muster.

I pull back to stare down at him. At his movie star sultry eyes, his hair, already drying at the ends, and starting to twist into dark waves against the pillows.

He’s still naked beneath me. Beautifully, completely naked.

And this, right here, is my key problem. No matter how many times I am reminded that the world we live in is decidedly unfriendly towards anyone of the homosexual persuasion, there’s a tiny kernel of hope that stays lit inside my chest. Snow could come home with a new girl every week, and all it would take would be one look across a room, one shared smile on our roof, one brush of his shoulder against mine, and I would be done for. He could tell me to my face, like he did today, that a homosexual affair was a mistake, and I would still love him. I do. I always have.

Tagging for next week:

@artsyunderstudy @aristocratic-otter @blackberrysummerblog @bookish-bogwitch @cutestkilla

@confused-bi-queer @emeryhall @erzbethluna @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature

@ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse @letraspal @martsonmars

@mooncello @monbons @nausikaaa @nightimedreamersworld @orange-peony

@shrekgogurt @skeedelvee @theearlgreymage @thewholelemon @you-remind-me-of-the-babe 

[j-trow-95]

Six Sentence Sunday

It's the first Six Sentence Sunday of 2025 (even though I'm posting this on Monday, shhh, the executive dysfunction kicked in last night as I was typing this post!)! Thanks for the tags @artsyunderstudy @nausikaaa, @martsonmars, @bookish-bogwitch and @mooncello, love seeing what you're all working on.

I haven't written anything new yet for either of my WIPs, but I thought I'd share a little something from both.

First off, The Trails We Blaze. I'm hoping to crack back on with this WIP in earnest in February, once I finish off my three month PaWriCo challenge with ASR. The last few days at work all I've been able to think about is the later plot points of Trails and I'm so excited to get back into this world.

I think this snippet is new, but apologies if not. This is Baz POV, way more than six sentences, and I've redacted one character name for spoilers!

The bedroom door slams shut and I slowly turn to face [redacted] and Fiona, both of whom are glaring at me and blocking my path out of the room. I cock an eyebrow and it sets [redacted] off. “What the bloody hell d’you think you’re playing at?” “Good morning to you too, [redacted].” “You think you can just waltz in here—” “You’re going to answer some questions,” I say, my tone brooking no argument. “Like hell I am.” “Leave it, Baz,” Fiona snaps, standing at [redacted]’s side, hands on hips and a scowl on her face. “Tell me everything I want to know, and I’ll leave.” [redacted] scoffs. “That simple, is it?” I nod. “It is.” “You jumped up little shit.” “Flattery will get you everywhere.” I perch on the edge of the desk, leaning back on it and playing with one of the figurines,

Now, onto the gremlins! I've been deep into ASR rewrites since November, and while I don't think I'll hit my target of a full rewrite by the end of the month or 100k (whichever comes first), I'm still plugging away at it.

In my last post I mentioned the change up in tense and how that's really helped, and I think working on Trails for the last couple of years (my God, it's been 2 years since I started working on that fic 🤯) has been a game changer for me.

Action has always been something I struggle with, but everyone has been leaving such lovely comments on the action scenes within Trails that it's given me a little more confidence when it comes to ASR. ASR is HEAVILY action reliant, and I still don't know why I thought this would be a good idea 😂🤦🏽‍♀️

That being said, read on for a snippet with Lauren being extra stabby.

I slip into another group of scientists who are frantically racing to the opposite side of the lab. No one notices as I slip the already knotted fabric over my head and tighten it. With my face hidden I shuck the lab coat and flick up the hood of my dark coat. Immediately the scientists are reeling away from me, shouting warnings to everyone close to them. They don’t get far. Throwing knives embed themselves in the lower spines of two, my sai plunges through the back of one man’s ribcage and out the other side, and as I’m pulling it from his limp body I sense someone coming up on my left side. The mercenary lunges with his combat knife, the blade whistling past my waist and stomach in a gutting motion; I’m now to the side of him, his momentum keeping him travelling forward as I angle my sai to penetrate his throat. His warm blood gushes down the blade and slicks my hand around the grip, the weight of his dead body threatening to rip the weapon from my hand. The whole thing happens so quickly it’s like the rest of the lab enters slow motion. I watch the light leave his eyes as he crashes to the floor, blood splattering around his head. Then the screams begin in earnest.

Tagging for other WIPs days this week:  @artsyunderstudy @aristocratic-otter @blackberrysummerblog @bookish-bogwitch @cutestkilla

@emeryhall @erzbethluna @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature @ic3-que3n

@ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse @letraspal @martsonmars @nightimedreamersworld

@orange-peony @shrekgogurt @theearlgreymage @you-remind-me-of-the-babe 

[j-trow-95]

2024 in review

Thanks for the tags @artsyunderstudy and @nausikaaa

Wow. 2024 has been ... a year.

I've spent this last year flip-flopping between periods of intense creativity and intense burnout. I've barely posted anything on here, and even less over on AO3, but I have been writing, and the plot gremlins have been working overtime when it comes to planning out where the WIPs are going.

Object permanence and keeping timelines straight in my head are things I struggle with, so I can't remember exactly when I actually achieved any of these things, but I did, and that's all that matters.

Huge thanks as always to Ashton for the incredible artwork in this fic, and for the beta help along with my editor Zoë, @cutestkilla and @iamamythologicalcreature

I posted one chapter of The Trails We Blaze, my 2023 @carryonthroughtheages fic, which is a SnowBaz/The Road to El Dorado au.

Simon and Baz have been through a lot together. Growing up as criminals on London's streets; surviving the Great War; dealing with a lot of repressed feelings. But after their latest con goes wrong, they're left with nothing but an ancient map, a signet ring of unknown provenance or value, and promises of a city that doesn't even exist.

Thrust into a world of adventure with danger at every turn, they're forced to decide how far they're willing to go for a myth, a fortune, and a chance at love.

This fic is going to be a real labour of love and I have big plans for it going forward. If you haven't started it yet, here's what to expect:

adventure across post WW1 England, France, and Spain

exciting action

political machinations

idiots in love pining for each other

epic romance (when they eventually get their shit together)

I know roughly how this is going to end, and I have a first draft up to the 'It's Tough to be a God' sequence (if you know the original film), but I'm currently trying to rewrite a large section of that draft. Discovery writing has been a massive learning curve for me, but I'm excited to get back to this fic and the characters.

Again, massive thanks to Ashton for the stunning artwork of Lauren. I never stop geeking out over the fact I get to call this incredible woman my friend, and that I get to actually look at my chaos gremlin MC anytime I want!

Most of my time writing this year has been spent on approximately the billionth rewrite of my original novel, A Survivor's Revenge.

I am desperate to get this story into the hands of readers, whether that's though trad or indie publishing, and so far I've had good feedback from my editor and alpha reader on the previous draft. But me being me, I couldn't leave it at that.

So now I'm rewriting the book and completely changing the way it's written. The shift from 3rd person/past tense to 1st person/present tense has finally got things moving in terms of developmental edits; the plot flows more smoothly, character interactions and growth are coming more naturally, and for once the villain motivations and plans are becoming clear! Praise the chaos gods.

Lauren Atkins is many things. Student. Daughter. Friend. But at her core, she’s a survivor. And she has one thing on her mind … revenge.

For the lovers of genre spanning sci-fi, morally grey main characters, full spectrum queer identities, and found family, A Survivor’s Revenge will have you asking, how far are you willing to go to protect the ones you love?

I went back and looked at some super old drafts of ASR a couple of months ago; after a conversation with my alpha reader decided to reinstate an old plot line that I'd shelved, and I am super excited to get back to this one. Lauren has become even more morally grey since I last handled this plot line, so things are going to get very bloody very quickly.

So the last two months have been spend sporadically rewriting this behemoth, and I'll be continuing that into January. Originally I was doing this as part of the PaWriCo writing challenge, but I don't think I'll manage to finish the full draft by the end of January. Currently it's sitting at 27.3k words, and if I wanted to hit par I should've been at 65.2k. So, likelihood of hitting 100k by 31st January is minimal.

This little floof is largely the reason for me falling behind.

Benjamin has been back in the vets consistently since the end of November for scans and surgeries, and now for an ongoing infection following the most recent surgery. It's safe to say my nerves and wallet are strained to the maximum, but he's 100% worth it.

So yeah. 2024 may not have been the most productive year for writing, but things have been happening behind the scenes, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to share more in the new year.

I've missed interacting with people on here, I'm tired of just lurking. This chaos gremlin is back, baby!

Tagging (sorry if you've already done something like this):  @aristocratic-otter @blackberrysummerblog @bookish-bogwitch @cutestkilla @emeryhall

@hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature @ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @letraspal @orange-peony

@shrekgogurt @skeedelvee @theearlgreymage @you-remind-me-of-the-babe 

[j-trow-95]

(A little more than) Six Sentence Sunday

Thanks for the tags this week @nausikaaa and @thewholelemon

What's this? A post that's NOT entirely about ASR? A miracle!

I finally got the inspiration to do the edits that have been sitting in my inbox since January for Trails and I think this chapter is almost ready to go! I'm planning to post it after EGF wraps up (I didn't want to get in the way whilst all the amazing stuff for EGF is posting, this chapter is about as far from Baz's fantasy as you can get!), so look out for it at the start of March!

That being said, enjoy (a little more than) six sentences from this chapter (that I'm pretty sure I've not shared yet, but can't be certain). Simon POV.

“Baz is right,” Penny says. She’s tapping the pencil on the piece of paper now, leaving flecks at the head of her columns. [REDACTED] takes another long swig from his flask. “What do we know about this whole situation? The Next Blood, the ring, Smith-Richards—” The stench of cheap liquor fills the room as [REDACTED] spits out a mouthful. “Smith-Richards?!” he splutters. “You didn’t think to mention this earlier?”  “Am I missing something?” I ask. The brickwork around the fireplace steams and sparks flit about in the wake of [REDACTED'S] outburst, and I keep a careful eye on Baz. If [REDACTED] had been sat any closer to the fireplace the whole room could’ve gone up in flames.

And now, because I have been doing a bit of writing for ASR, here's a few sentences from that, plus my weekly stats. Vanessa POV.

“It’s your choice,” I tell my father, drawing his attention back to me. “You can leave peacefully, or I can have these lovely gentlemen escort you to a cell for the next few hours. Either way, you have broken several MI6 regulations, and are well on your way to committing trespass.” “Excuse me?” I nod to the agents who each take one of my father’s arms and forcibly turn him away from me.

These scenes have been interesting to write. The power dynamics between these two are interesting to play with, and I think in this draft Richard is definitely becoming more three dimensional. It still doesn't make him a nice person to have in a scene.

January ASR word count: 13,736

3-9 Feb: 5,012 words

10-16 Feb: 420 words

It's been a slow writing week, and I'm not sure how fast the next couple are going to be either. I've hit a bit of a roadblock and I'm not sure which scene needs to come next, so I may have to jump around a bit and see where I land. Scenes from the previous draft are being remixed into different scenes in this one, so it's not a straightforward rewrite, but I'll get there ... hopefully.

Tagging:

@artsyunderstudy @aristocratic-otter @blackberrysummerblog @bookish-bogwitch @cutestkilla

@confused-bi-queer @emeryhall @erzbethluna @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature

@ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse @letraspal @martsonmars

@mooncello @nausikaaa @nightimedreamersworld @orange-peony @shrekgogurt

@skeedelvee @theearlgreymage @thewholelemon @you-remind-me-of-the-babe