omg I thought I was the only one imagining me before you as a j/b au when I first read it LOL. i screamed the entire time. :D
You were definitely not alone! ❤️ I couldn’t help but get Jaime/Brienne vibes while reading it and also imagining Hyle Hunt as Patrick and Addam Marbrand as Nathan. If only somebody out there could write a J/B version of it LOL. Maybe when the movie comes out it could inspire some J/B shipper out there, hopefully. Too bad I’m no writer or else I would have been on it!
omg do you have a link to the john and daisy interview where they talk about not being in love? i neeeeed it lol. i can't get enough of those two.
I’m sorry, I don’t! It was one of those things you happen upon after falling down a google rabbithole and I have no idea where it was and how I found it. :(
I was tagged by ladyoftarth-posts (about a million years ago omg)
Pick your 3 favorite pieces of your own writing and say for each:
1. What is your favorite line/passage and why?
2. What was the piece like to write? Was there anything interesting about the process you want to share?
3. Tag 3 people… midnightraptor scheherezadeshirking and snkrfnd
Since I only have 3 published pieces it was easy to choose!
Burn and Freeze
1 Favorite Line/passage:
That night by the light of a candle that allowed sinister shadows to steal across the stone floor toward her bare feet, Brienne practiced like a mummer on a stage, settling her neck upon the block again and again, to know how to do it with grace. She would die, she vowed, with more dignity than even Queen Cersei possessed.
WHY- I am a sucker for alliteration, and I felt like it worked well in this passage. Also, the thought of book Brienne settling her head on a block was heartbreaking, and I found myself very emotional while writing this passage. I also really loved how the following paragraphs turned out, when she is standing on the scaffold facing the crowd, but it was too long to include!
2 What was it like to write?
It was hard. I have a very weak canon voice and though this was absolutely canon divergent, the tone and language were difficult for me. I very much prefer to write modern day! Tamjlee looked it over and gave me a boost of confidence to post it.
3 Process:
I wrote this as part of the Quote Fic challenge and knew I wanted to parallel Brienne to Katherine Howard, King Henry VIII’s 5th wife, who was very young. Tudor history is my favorite time period. Even though they do not share many similarities, there is something about Brienne’s naïve that makes me think of Katherine Howard.
Night Without Stars
1 Favorite Line/passage:
“What about you, Brienne? What do you think the painting means?” He asked softly, turning his gaze back to hers. Brienne told herself not to let her guard down, but it was difficult when his eyes burned the same bright green of the wildfire used to light the lamps at the street festival outside. She couldn’t look away from him, the same way she couldn’t look away from him when they were younger. But she had been a kid then, too young to know what love, and heartache, truly were.
WHY?- This is my favorite passage because of all that is left unsaid between them. Jaime has just explained to Brienne what his version of the painting means, and there is a lot riding on her answer, though she doesn’t quite realize it. Also, the reader learns that they knew each other in their youth, but at this point can only guess what tragedy has torn these two apart. When I am reading fic, it is moments like these that draw me in, so I strive to make them accessible in my own writing.
2 What was it like to write?
My hubby and I were wondering though an Irish festival and I saw the saying “A face without freckles is like a night without stars” stitched onto a blanket or shirt or something and my brain exploded in JB feels. Thus, the story was born. I had been working on the story for a few weeks when JB appreciation week started, so I though, since this chapter was outlined and was a good mix of angst and a tiny bit of smut, it would be a good to share. At this point I also knew my due date was approaching and the chances of finishing the whole fic before then was pretty small, so I wanted to share at least part of it.
3 Process: This was the first chapter I wrote start to finish! Usually I jump all around.
The Monster
1 Favorite Line/passage:
Spoiler alert! This is the last passage of the fic.
His eyes lingered on the little black box sitting on the table next to the blossoming violets. “Life is never easy. It’s a battle, a war, but sometimes something very beautiful emerges from the debris. Like the first violets to bloom in spring, surviving a burial so long under snow, it is such a precious thing. Do you agree, Brienne?”
She reached for the velvet box, opened it and took out the ring. She slid it onto her finger, held her hand up in awe. “Life isn’t black and white. I spent a lot of time trying to push myself into those prescribed vicinities. The warrior is still alive, but I’m not a warrior, not truly. I am human, and I have hope.” How much was she going to miss the girl she was before? She couldn’t answer honestly today, but she was fine with that. She had a lifetime to find out.
Dr. Meribald stood and embraced her one last time. He walked her to the waiting room, where Jaime was sitting, waiting patiently for her, as he had been every session before. Brienne reached out her hand to him, and witnessed the moment his eyes noticed the ring on her left hand. His gaze, usually so guarded with other people, when returned to her own, was open.
“Are you ready, partner?” Jaime asked her.
She looked back at Dr. Meribald, standing in his office. He raised a hand in farewell, and turned away, closing the door. She went to Jaime. “Yes, I am ready.” He twined his fingers with hers, the grip warm and right, and they walked together into the spring.
WHY?-The violets bloomed, and so did Brienne, despite hardship. She and Jaime are true partners, in work, life and love. And I wanted to end with a dream of spring, and of rebirth for these tortured souls. I just loved how this came together to give them a happy ending. I am very proud of this story and it has a lot of emotions wrapped up in it.
2 What was it like to write? Writing this fic was like ripping out my soul. It was an amazing experience. This is the first fic I ever published online.
3 Process: This story spilled out of me. It took about 3 months to write and another 1.5 to edit. I started in the middle, wrote the ending, went back and wrote ALL the therapy sessions in order, then filled in all over. My husband thought I had lost my mind haha.
midnightraptor replied to your post: tattoos! what are they, where (if they're...
love it! especially love the “let go” and “fleeting” ones. those are the kinds of meaningful tattoos I want one day. hopefully my inspiration will be as thoughtful as yours hahah ;)
I’m sure they will be! You’ll have to let me know what you get once you decide to take the plunge :)
tattoos! what are they, where (if they're somewhere you feel like sharing lol), and what were your inspirations for getting them (if not too personal)? :)
aah! lots of good questions and I am up to the challenge!
more under the cut (because I’m sure most people wouldn’t care to read about this lol)
johnny depp once said, “my body is a journal in a way. it's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself” and that’s always resonated with me
ok so the first tattoo I got was a little heart on my left wrist. no real reason, I'm just all about everything it symbolizes... emotions, feelings, love etc.
my second tattoo is of the words “let go” behind my right ear. I got it after my first big heartbreak and well, I guess it’s pretty self-explanatory. it still holds a lot of meaning for me and it’s something I’m still learning to do
I got a tattoo of a flower behind my left ear, and I sort of regret that one, mostly because I didn’t love the way it turned out but also because it doesn’t mean anything haha
I have the word “love” tattooed on my back and it’s probably my favorite one. what is life without love?
and finally the last tattoo is on my right wrist and it’s the word “fleeting” lol. now that people call me “fleet” I identify with it so much. but originally when I got it, it was just a reminder to be present because I felt like nothing lasts forever, so you have to try to live in the moment before it passes.
