My new tattoo at the bottom of my sternum, approximately where the ankh necklace (which I’ve worn every day for years) hangs when I wear it. I’m so happy about it!
fic friday: an in-depth look at the fic jinx proof
fic: jinx proof
pairing: harry styles/dylan rhodes (oc)
authors: emily aka bloomfields and sher aka hughazza
author blogs: hurrricanes and penceys, respectively
summary: As a New York native, Dylan Rhodes is no stranger to the hustle and bustle of city life. The Big Apple is constantly changing and Dylan adjusts like a chameleon. She seizes anything that is thrown at her and turns everything into a situation for her to thrive on, which is probably a good thing seeing as she hopes to become an architect one day.
Yet when the boy with the bad timing shows up on her doorstep with news that he has decided to spend his hiatus living in her stomping ground, the action of New York City will have seemed far more simple a life in comparison.
But of course, all hiatuses must eventually come to an end, and when it does, Dylan and Harry are left scrambling to hold onto the relationship they’ve been waiting for.
A messy tale of one city, a boy too soft for New York, and the chain smoking, smart mouthed girl that for some reason, Harry can’t seem to let go of.
first, what triggered the inspiration for this story?
Emily: Sher was saying to Leesh and I on Skype that she really wanted to write a story set in NYC and I was like dude me too and then we moved to our private chat and thought how we could explain Harry (we always knew this story would be Harry) being in the city for so long and once we discussed the hiatus the rest was history. I think that is how it went anyway. It was ages ago now!
Sher: She’s right! I’m a little obsessed with New York and had wanted to write a fic set there with an OFC who is a die hard New Yorker and that all led to Dylan :)
how did you come up with the title?
Emily: We had been deliberating over titles for like, three hours and I logged into Facebook and a local tattoo parlour that I’d liked when I was wondering where to get my tattoo done had made a post. I said it out loud and it just sounded really cool. I pitched it to Sher and it was added to our ‘shortlist’ and we talked it over for another hour before we settled on it. It just felt right.
Sher: Yeah and now we’ve thought of so many different ways the title fits in with the fic, the plot and Dylan and Harry’s relationship! It worked out soo perfectly.
how did you find the faceclaims for your original characters? why did you pick them?
Emily: I’d planned a fic with Andie Arthur earlier in the year that went nowhere and I’d always wanted to use her. Sher and I had been through tons of other faceclaim options and somehow Andie came up. Sher was unsure at first though because either of us were that keen on Andie’s brunette phase and then she thought someone we were friends with used Andie. By that point we had our hearts set on her and if it had worked out that the person was using her I don’t know what we would have done.
Sher: The fic wouldn’t have happened or become what it has become to be honest..no one else could be Dylan and Andie’s tweets and instas in real life have become such huge inspiration for Dylan’s character and really helped us think of little plot ideas. And the reason Dylan’s brother Taylor is portrayed by Chace Crawford is because Andie Arthur has met him in real life and they look eerily alike in the photo, it’s funny.
tell me, what was your favorite scene to write?
Emily: Off topic (slightly) but we write in the (google docs) doc together and for and for me the most amazing thing that I’ve seen Sher write was the one where they dance together in the shower. I found it really sweet. Bit that I wrote is probably where they are sitting on the beach and Dylan is inner monologuing about love and it really hits her that she could fall in love with Harry.
Sher: Aww thank youuu, I think I would actually say the shower dancing scene was probably my favorite to write too! I could never pick one favorite of Emily’s though, watching her write is so cool she just has this way about her I don’t know how she does it…the girl is like my goddess of dialog. She’s so good at conversation whether it be serious and angry or romantic and fluffy. And that’s the great thing about collaborating; she writes and I write and we end up reading over it and becoming obsessed with the characters and the plot as if we are readers and not the writers! Like she’ll be writing a fluffy scene or something and I’ll be sitting there bouncing up and down in my bed like squealing to her on Skype call as she writes because the scene is just so perfect.
what was the hardest scene to write?
Emily: By a long shot we haven’t written the hardest scene yet. There is a ton of stuff that is going to be hard to write that we are yet to get to. Of what we have written, maybe the laundry room sex? I was super self conscious about writing that with Sher hanging around. Oh, or the chapter when they were driving back from the hamptons. It was so boring to write and it took us ages to push through it.
Sher: It’s always a laugh writing smut on call. Seriously, imagine getting down to the nitty gritty kinky stuff while someone is breathing in your ear…it’s like watching them watch porn hahaha.
what was a development that surprised you the most?
Emily: Dylan staying true to herself and not going to the concert with Harry because she had homework. I don’t know, I know it’s true to her character but dude - it was Harry and Beyonce. Even as a fictional character it would be hard not to get caught up in it. Pretty sure Sher had to steer Dylan in the right direction because I’m rubbish.
Sher: Hahaha it might have been, I know I wouldn’t have the self control Dylan has but Emily and I pride ourselves in making Dylan a consistent and strong minded character. We also pride ourselves in making Harry as genuine and accurate as we possibly can, which is awesome because everytime Harry does something dumb in real life (especially when we predict it first or plan on writing it in Jinx Proof already) we literally will text each other and be like WE KNEW IT.
talk about who your favorite character(s) was to write. why?
Emily: Can I say Alexa Chung? Because Alexa Chung. On a more serious note, probably Taylor. He’s a much more pivotal character than people realise yet and he’s a really good guy. He’s the big brother I never had, really.
Sher: Besides Dylan and Harry (lol) I’d have to agree and say Taylor. He’s a lot like my big brother and he doesn’t live in the same state as me anymore so it’s always nice to write a brother when I’m really missing my own. BUT, I’m very excited for us to write Dylan’s mom more. Right now she seems a little in her own world and even a bit stuck on herself (kind of like a Real Housewife of the Upper East Side lol) but there is sooo much more to her character that we haven’t explored yet or showed everyone and we have so much planned for her and how she will guide Dylan through things.
who was your least favorite character(s) to write and why?
Emily: Dylan’s dad. What a dick.
Sher: Agreed. Or her lame friends (more like classmates) that used her for her Hamptons house.
what are some of your favorite character quirks?
Emily: I don’t know if it’s a quirk but I love writing characters who are infinitely cooler than I’ll ever be. They can get up to all the stuff I’m not brave enough to do. LIke laundry sex — Harry and Dylan are insane.
Sher: Harry and Dylan are on a whole other level. They like pushing each other, both sexually and mentally. They enjoy getting under each other’s skin and I think I’d even say they enjoy arguing. They’re the kind of people that can argue like cats and dogs one minute and be all lovey dovey the next. Or have a huge fight one morning and miss each other too much by the end of the day that they have to give in and apologize. But I’d say my favorite character quirk about Dylan is probably either or determination or her tough girl attitude. I love writing someone who is way more dedicated to her education than I ever was, it’s a little hard because I can’t relate, but it’s nice to write. And she’s her own person, she isn’t a character who is there as half of a couple and whose sole purpose is to date Harry Styles, she has her own hopes and dreams and goals and it’s refreshing to write.
If you could defend any character decision that had reader backlash, what would it be and why?
Emily: Dylan shutting Harry out in the last chapter. There were quite a few comments about how she should have let him in, let him help, not been such a bitch to him. But, like, she’s had this incredibly happy family life for as long as she can remember and it’s suddenly gone. Everything she ever believed about her parents marriage seems like total rubbish and for someone who wanted what her parents had, or what she thought they had, it’s shattering. She is also fiercely independent and always has been, so relying on someone when life gets tough is not something she is used to. This is the first big thing that Dylan has had to go through since she got together with Harry and you can’t expect her to forget years of dealing with problems her way just because Harry is on the scene.
Sher: Exactly, Emily put that brilliantly. If you were pissed off at Dylan in the last chapter for putting up walls and wanting to deal with her problems on her own then you’re about to get a rude awakening because this is just the beginning. She’s an independent woman, she don’t need no man. But in all seriousness, when writing a story you have to leave room for your character to grow as a person and develop and Dylan is just getting started with all of that. At the end of the last chapter she let Harry crawl into bed with her and have a little cuddle time and that was pretty huge for her! She normally would have locked the door and told him to go to his apartment for the night, but she didn’t! Let her develop, let her grow and just appreciate that you get to read it happen. That’s always my favorite part about reading fic, watching the main character blossom. Wow that sounded super cheesy…
what was one scene you really wanted to write, but just couldn’t fit it in the story?
Emily: There was something when we planned all the chapters. What was it though? I’ve got no idea. I think we scrapped a scene in the Hamptons when Harry’s friends were there because the chapter would be too long and I mean, it meant writing less Alexa Chung so that sucks.
Sher: I don’t think there’s been one yet? But we have 40 chapters throughly planned so I’m sure something will be scrapped somewhere down the line!
has anyone made any playlists, trailers, drabbles/ficlets or edits for this story and do you have a tag for them?
Emily: http://hurrricanes.tumblr.com/jinxproof all my tags are listed there and there is a fanmade trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1SucfWk1rA I also made a playlist and so did a reader but I’m too lazy to find the links with slow internet so Sher can find them :)
Sher: Mine are http://penceys.tumblr.com/jinxproof and you can also find links to the playlists there, as well as tags (with tons of cute Darry manips and edits) and a link to the trailer.
I have a rose with leaves on my left foot, with the initials of a great friend who passed away and on my right foot im getting a purple lily with the same type of leave pattern, same text with my mom's initials. i can't wait. and it's stupid that im even working....two hours. please, betch.
