An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Word count: 14,270
Chapters: 24/24
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson
Additional Tags: Christmas, Ficlet, Ficlet Collection, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression
Series: Part 2 of Christmas at 221B
Summary:
A year after their first meeting during the festive season, Sherlock and John plan for another of Sherlock's holiday drinks things.
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Rec: Seasonal sentiment of a different sort characterizes this somewhat melancholy but no less soul-warming fic, in which John struggles to figure out why Sherlock isn’t approaching the season with quite the same enthusiasm as in the past. Gobs of scrumptious hurt/comfort ensue as The Case of the Undecorated Flat unfolds and John proves his mettle as a boyfriend and partner. Mycroft also shines in a very nice supporting role, and Mrs. Hudson gets what has to be one of the best lines ever about Sherlock: “He’s not easy to love, I know,” she said at last, with a soft, knowing smile. “Its a good thing he’s so easy to love.”
This is part two of an alternate meeting AU, but it can also be read as a post-pilot episode fic in which they got together from the start.
Made this little mood board for @fuckyeahfightlock‘s AU fic “The Jewel in the Tower”. I read this fic twice last summer and adored every lush word. The description and world building and characterization and really ALL of it is a delight to read. It’s a roller coaster of a story, too.
Back in March of this year, Carnation Books hosted an online party during which we watched a Bruins game with fanfiction author Poppy Alexander. Poppy, who is currently wowing us with her Sherlock Hockey AU Boyfriend Material, taught us about the game, gave us the scoop on her favorite team, and shared her thoughts on her fics and the writing process. We have reproduced portions of this conversation for our followers to read!
Note: The text below has been edited minimally and cut for length and clarity.
Lee:
So Poppy, have you been a Bruins fan your whole life?
PoppyAlexander:
My dad played hockey as a young kid and young man, and he took me to see the B's back at the old Boston Garden! I saw Cam Neely, Ray Bourque, so many greats. The '80s were great years for the B's. No Cups though.
It's currently the only thing my dad and I can relate on--other than his grandkids/my kids. We used to watch the UMass Lowell "chiefs" (now Lock Monsters), those games were local and cheap.
Lee:
Did something in particular inspire you to write Boyfriend Material?
PoppyAlexander:
I have wanted to write a Sherlock hockey AU since 2012. Sherlock as the goalie who reads the whole game, John as "captain"... so I've been cooking it up for a LONG time[...]
Sherlock is a much better goalie :3 [than Tim Thomas]. Sherlock is Tuukka Rask.
[...] John's career story (traded to get a Cup) is the story of a former Bruin (my FAVE), Ray Bourque, who played 22 years with the B's but had to go to Colorado to get his Cup. His playing is probably a bit like our man Tory Krug, though Krug is much younger than John is in the story. Especially since in his early years they didn't require helmets!
Kocur is Chara; tallest player in the league, veteran D. Thurston is Shawn Thornton, former Bruin now playing with FL Panthers, an enforcer. Bouchard is Patrice Bergeron, 37. Mellon is Brad Marchand, 63. Hatch is Tory Krug. Sawyer is Tyler Seguin, now playing for Dallas Stars, probably bisexual, so handsome, but too young for me. Gerhardt was former Bruin Dennis Seidenberg.
See if you can't google a pic of him with his shirt off and you'll see why John liked him.
[Someone in the chat points out Bruins goalie]
Yeah, watch Rask; that's Sherlock. Cool as a cucumber.
Gary_king:
Does an injury happen in the fic?? I imagine injuries are moderately common
PoppyAlexander:
No injuries in the fic tus far. Nothing to fight about yet. Nobody wants to take a penalty for no reason.
Lee:
Why do fights usually break out?
PoppyAlexander:
Breaks the other team's rhythm, the blue jackets and the stars like taking penalties for no reason (ugh bluejackets). sometimes as payback for a "bad" hit on one yr guys. sometimes personal beef (those usually come early in a game)
Sometimes team rivalries, like Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Fights are nearly unheard of in the playoffs, though; can't spare the players for those penalties.
Colleen:
[...]it seems like goalies are so well loved.
PoppyAlexander:
Very well protected. I love a player puffing his chest at a guy who gets too close to his goalie.
Colleen:
[...] Do they tap Sherlock on the head?
PoppyAlexander:
Yeah, of course. Hockey ritual!
Lee:
Do you read any hockey RPF, or is that not your thing? A few of us ship the cute boys in the penguins, just for fun 😄
PoppyAlexander:
I do not read RPF.
Lee:
Before Boyfriend Material, which of your fics is your fav?
PoppyAlexander:
My special baby is always Dissolution: Our Plague Days. Doesn't get as much love because it's rated T. But I love it. I am mad proud of At Night in the Floating World. And Dawn Before the Rest of the World is my happy, safe, cozy place.
Lee:
What was your first fandom?
PoppyAlexander:
My first fandom was Duran Duran. Like in the sense of being a swoony lunatic about something. I started writing fic in 1984: self-insert/Mary Sue RPF where I was married to John Taylor. We didn't know it was called fanfic back then, though.
It was just "my story" that I wrote 1000+ pages of in five years. So I forgive the MarySue-ing.
My first online fandom was Morrissey, in the mid 'Aughties.
Lee:
How far in advance do you write the chapters for your fics?
PoppyAlexander:
[Boyfriend Material] I started posting when I'd written about 50k, and currently I'm about 30k ahead of where the posted chapters are. I write the draft, then "pretty up" each chapter right before posting. This was a "15k" fic when I conceived it. HA! It will be 100k+ It's a novel. This is what happens when you cook a story for five years
I have not had a chance to mention Sherlock's number in the fic… John wears 18. I wanted him to wear 19 because it's my favourite/lucky number, but then I put Sherlock in #22.
So when they stand together: 2218
Gotta get it in the fic; so far it's only in my head.
Lee:
Do you have any fandoms besides Hockey and Sherlock? 😄
PoppyAlexander:
Currently? Still and always The Smiths/Morrissey. Criminal Minds. RuPaul's Drag Race queens. Doctor Who before Moffat took it over and wrecked it.
Lee:
Do you have a favorite sex scene and a favorite fight scene, from any of your fics?
PoppyAlexander:
I love the Johnlockstrade threesome in Overwhelm. And John and Sherlock fighting/fucking in the church in Body and Blood. It's hot. SO. MANY. KINKS in one place. church, fighting, hate sex, rimming… it really has it all. Lol
Lee:
I know a lot of the guests are writers too--any tips for writing hot sex scenes? 😉
PoppyAlexander:
OMG, so many. My main tip is subscribe to my blog at PoppyAlexander.com because I'm starting twice-monthly "how to write" series of posts, beginning next week. And one subset of that will be how to write erotica. I think there are some key things.
Have a "word bank" that suits the tone of the fic.
Like, in my really rough smutty stuff I use "cock" and "prick" but in a softer, gauzy 'verse like the 1920s one, I used euphemisms like "length" and "hardness." If it's romantic, loving sex, they might rock or glide, but in lusty, dangerous sex they will thrust and shove.
I think having one strong POV is the key to keeping those pronouns straight. It's hard to explain, but if you're writing John's POV, and you're really in it, you'll kind of automatically make John the default he/him and Sherlock will most often be Sherlock. or vice versa or whoever.
Epithets are awful. Use their names, I promise it's better. It scans better, makes sense, is not distracting.
I also think it's important to engage all five senses.
Personally, as bad as epithets are transcribed non-word sounds? (Like "ngh") Say grunted, groaned, snorted, hummed, moaned. Oh and Mm and Hm are OK, they're almost words. But ngh! is not sexy, in my opinion. But definitely check in with the sounds, the flavours, smells, temperature, texture… It enriches the scene. And those kinds of things can add to the tone. Like, if the sheets are scratchy and awful and omg I might be allergic to this detergent but my partner is RIGHT. THERE so I can't stop...
Lee:
Have you ever written with a partner, Poppy? Gary_King and I are writing partners and write together almost exclusively. Have you ever written a fic with someone else?
PoppyAlexander:
I have never written with a partner. I can't even imagine how it would work? Though there are a few writers I would say YES YES YES to and make it work, if they asked. No one has asked to collaborate, though, so. I wait.
Lee:
What's your editing process like?
PoppyAlexander:
Well, word processing is itself a kind of first-pass editing.
Write in a notebook with a pen sometime and you'll see what I mean.
But some of the best writing advice I EVER EVER got was to write the draft, start to finish, and at each writing session, DO NOT reread what you've written. That slowed me down so much, and I was constantly tweaking and tinkering. Now I just pick up where I left off.
My editing process is (for long fics) as each chapter is ready to post, it gets a last going-over.
If I have some kind of big epiphany about a scene I already drafted, that will have a major impact on things, or is a big rewrite, I'll go back to it when I think of it and work that scene.
But mostly I just write from start to finish, then go back to the beginning and rewrite.
I don’t work with a beta reader. Every upside-down bit of writing that says "Trust Issues Continue" ever, is about me. So that's not my jam.
Lee:
[...] Do you ever worry that you'll run out of steam on a fic? How do you keep your motivation going, or what keeps you going?
PoppyAlexander:
I worry more that quality starts to suffer in the third act because one does start to get itchy. You can see the end from there, you know how it's going to end, often writing the climax is challenging, and you have ideas for other things you've back-burnered and really want to get to. So that last third can get shaky if you're not careful.
Lee:
Do you juggle multiple stories or finish one at a time?
PoppyAlexander:
For some people working on multiple projects works. It does not work for me.
That can turn into seventeen awesome beginnings, thirteen middles, and zero endings.
I do have one other open WIP, a short one-shot, that I work on now and then for fun and will post when it's done, but I work on one thing at a time, no matter the length.
The exception is tumblr ficlets? I write those quite often to warm up for my writing session.
Like I wrote 10 of the 12 days of "Ficmas" on tumblr while I was writing Boyfriend Material, which is like 10k words together, not a small project, but it was not a priority.
And I haven't written the last two!
Lee:
Do you warm up every time you write?
PoppyAlexander:
Not really. I have rituals that lead to writing, and since scrolling tumblr is part of it, sometimes I end up writing a ficlet or an Ask answer or something, that's like a warmup.
But I have an established habit every evening, sit in the same place, at the same time, do the same stuff, and that time is sacred, and at 9:30ish, my body/brain knows it's time to write.
My productive hours are 9 - midnight. Most nights I write from 9:30 - 11.
If I'm stuck I might listen to a song that puts me in the right mindframe for the story, but I don't write to music. I prefer talking voices to music, so I turn on the TV, or use rainycafe.com .
But usually I just have it quiet if I'm at home. I like the noise of a coffee shop or whatever but I don't write out in the world much except during NaNoWriMo when my word goals are higher.
Lee:
Sometimes when you write for a fandom as big as Sherlock, you worry your fics won't get seen. [...] Do you have any thoughts on building an audience (besides "write things good enough to make people subscribe to you")?
PoppyAlexander:
I actually do not think I get read that much, in Sherlock fandom. I have loyal readers.
But I don't think I'm that well known. Maybe I'm wrong. LOL. BUT.
To answer that, I'd say I'm a good self-promoter. I think being reliable is a big thing. People know I will finish my shit. I've never left a thing unfinished.
And I'm prolific because of the time I devote to writing.
So I guess just flood the market and bang your own drum.
Guest:
When you first started writing (anything), how did you push through the writer’s block (and, what I struggle with, plot failure)?
PoppyAlexander:
I don't believe in Writer's Block. Just do the thing. I have never felt blocked. I have felt discouraged. I have doubted the quality or direction of what I'm writing. But the only way out is through, so I just keep writing and the next bit will be easier/better, and I can fix this mess later. But I love writing. I look forward to it all day every day.
Crysceles:
You may have answered this before, but what do you think is your greatest motivation to write?
PoppyAlexander:
It's just my thing. I've written since I was a little kid, it's just… automatic. It's my art. I just love it. Of course, the wonderful thing about writing fic is instant gratification, feedback, and interaction with readers. I love that and wouldn't give it up.
Lee:
Do you outline?
PoppyAlexander:
I don't outline in the traditional sense but I make notes and stuff. I kind of write a "treatment" at the beginning so that I always know what's happening next or at least later.
I have a thing I'll be posting on the blog, but there's a three act romance structure I like. The Point of No Return is the plot point [at] the midpoint of Act Two.
You open in the Ordinary World (before I met you). Then there's the Call to Adventure (first meeting) Debate and Denial (Who are you?). A Threshold to Cross (beginning a relationship) throws the characters into Act Two. Progress/"Fun & Games" (getting to know you). The Point of No Return (a deeper commitment), then Complications and Higher Stakes (falling for you). Then we get the Black Moment/Whiff of Death (break up) that puts us into Act Three. the Final Push (winning you back) the Climax (the happy ending), and the Aftermath (together with you).
It's a reliable organizing tool for a love story.
Lee:
It's more of a framework/tool, rather than a formula?
PoppyAlexander:
Right, it's a framework. Like a skeleton.
Romance is formulaic, with a few exceptions, but having this skeleton to hang it on can help organize a story so it doesn't meander.
Lee:
Do you have any thoughts on writing a story about an existing relationship? Would you adapt the framework somehow?
PoppyAlexander:
Sure, ignore those parentheticals I put in there, such as "first meeting" and "breakup" and substitute in the plot points in your story that fit. Maybe the Call to Adventure is a partner being offered a job in a far off city and the threshold to cross is asking the partner to move with them. Then the progress/fun and games would be talking them into it. The point of no return would be them agreeing. the complication would be...their credits don't transfer or their mother gets sick...leading to the whiff of death, Can we survive long distance? etc etc. You can use the basic structure to tell any three act story, really.
Carnation Books thanks Poppy Alexander for taking the time to chat with us. We hope you all have enjoyed reading this Q&A, and will follow us for more author chats like this!
For more of Poppy’s work please find her on AO3, and on her blog at PoppyAlexander.com
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Word count: 15,729
Chapters: 24/24
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Christmas, Ficlet, Ficlet Collection
Summary:
A collection of ficlets for December, prompted by MissDavis in her 2018 Advent Ficlet Challenge.
John and Sherlock first meet when John moves into 221C Baker Street. Will romance bloom before a party on Christmas eve? (spoiler alert: Yes, it will. Of course it will.)
I'm going to try to cram in all our favourite holiday fic tropes here, too. Enjoy!
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Rec: I loved this to bits! This is an utterly irresistible and fun alternate meeting rom-com with lots of remixed canon bits and no angst. Just clever dialogue, original cases, first-rate writing, tropes-a-plenty, and a gradually coalescing overall arc that truly tickled and delighted me when it all came together.
Hello! Can you suggest any Mansfield park au fics please? I ❤ rose/doctor Aus Thanks 😄x
Hi Nonny! So sorry it took us so long to get this done. I asked around for Mansfield Park’s crossovers with Doctor♡Rose and not a lot came out of it. I encourage you to check our huge Ten♡Rose AUs Reclist as well as our Movie AUs Reclist. Maybe you could find something that fits your fancies.
We are taking this opportunity to add a list we’ve never done before Non-AU Crossovers (Meaning the Doctor and/or Rose mingles with other fandoms but are still our Doctor and our Rose):
Non-AU Crossovers
@natural–blues recced:
A Shop Girl With A Broken Fob Watch, by @licieoic 10 (M) 30k Broadchurch
Tucker and Rose, by @mercwithamouth 12 (M) 40k The Thick of It
@arynrds recced:
Family of Blood, by @kelkat9 10 (M) 40k Fright Night
The Air Near My Fingers, by @abadplanwellexecuted & @helplesslynerdy 10 (T) 55k The Village
Lending a Hand, by #Goldy 10 (K) 25k Firefly
The Engineer’s Gift, by #Shan21Non 10 (T) 100k Firefly
Blinking, by @lvslie 10 (T) 15k Stranger Things
The Sins of His Shadow, by @tenscupcake 10 (M) 20k WIP Supernatural
A Walk in Eternity, by @andrastesgrace 10 (T) 20k WIP Broadchurch!CrossOver
Arrows, Storms and Torchwood, by @kelkat9 10.5 (T) 10k WIP Arrow
The Scenic Route, by @isilienelenihin 10 (T) 20k WIP Firefly
I Shall Wake and, but the Waking, Nothing Shall Repent, by #PoppyAlexander 9 (M) 10k Sandman
Hedgehogs and Relative Chaos In Time, by #Taranea 12 (K) 45k Sonic the Hedgehog
The Source Key, by @thechamberedheart 10 (K) 15k Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Blue Box in Paris, by #CelestialKat 10 (T) 15k WIP Miraculous Ladybug
A Hard Day’s Night in Time and Space, by #Boogaloo1964 10 (K) 45k The Beatles
The Phoenix and the Wolf, by @jaxin88 10 (T) 30k Harry Potter
Scheherazade, by #ZephyrHawk 10 (T) 90k Fables
@chiaroscuroverse recced:
Fallen, by @rudennotgingr 10 (T) 25k WIP Harry Potter
@julibellule recced:
Something Borrowed Something Blue, by #PoppyAlexander 10 (M) 20k Dexter
The Woman, by @isilienelenihin 11 (T) 35k Sherlock
Crop Circles, by @kelkat9 10.5 (T) 10k Signs
The Empty Flat, by @isilienelenihin 10 (M) 10k WIP Sherlock
The Curse of Camp Crystal Lake, by @cheriluvs10-blog-blog 10 (T) 10k WIP Friday the 13th
Stepford, by @allrightfine 10 (M) 30k Stepford Wives
Out of Joint, by #HonorH 9 (T) 40k Firefly
Plan for the Worst, by #WritingRamblr 9 (K) 10k Tron
A Committed Ripperologist, by @witchnova221 9 (M) 25k Jack the Ripper
The Blonde Girl, by @lumendea 9 (T) 55k Pied Piper
Double Crossing, by @jessalrynn 10 (T) 50k Star Trek
Time War, by @alexandra-the-lionheart 10 (K) 25k WIP Agents of Shield
You Are Still not Alone, by @thymelord 13 (T) 10k WIP hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
Paradoxical, by #SanguineInk 10&9 (T) 15k 1984
Don’t forget to follow our #CrossOver tag.
Find another fix to fit your mood (x) View our reclists (x) Or get teased (x)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Word count: 151,282
Chapters: 58/58
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Greg Lestrade, Molly Hooper, Original Male Character(s), Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Hockey, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, From Sex to Love, Closeted John Watson, POV John Watson, Pining, Casual Sex, Hook-Up, Rom Com Vibe, Romantic Comedy, Alternate Universe - Sports
Series: Part 1 of Boyfriend Material
Summary:
Boston Brawlers' team captain John Watson longs for two things: a championship before he retires, and a boyfriend. Assigned to room with goaltender Sherlock Holmes--known around the league as both a genius and a "weird dude"--on Brawlers' roadtrips, John discovers the things they have in common that lead to an easy friendship and a convenient arrangement.
Rec: This was one of my most highly anticipated fics this year, and it absolutely did not disappoint from start to finish. The characters (including the OCs) are wonderfully diverse and rich in personality, the hockey impressively passionate and knowledgeable (but not dragged out beyond its usefulness for the plot), the banter witty, quick, funny, and just this side of crass (and sometimes the other side too), and of course the relationships stunning in their complexity, emotional depth, and sometimes painful realism.
I loved Sherlock’s sassy confidence in this, paired with a careful emotional core that has its work cut out dealing with John’s stoic, private nature and unassuming strength. It’s a bit of a journey for the two, both in coming to terms with themselves and with each other, but trust me when I say that it’s all for the good -- the very good -- when they finally figure things out. With Italian horror movies, CRUZR hookups, proper English tea, shared hotel rooms, the Stanley Cup, and lots and lots of sex.
The fic isn’t tagged as such, but large portions of it are actually Sherlock/OMC and John/OMC. There is some relationship overlap with the Johnlock, but technically there was no cheating within a declared relationship. Don’t worry, though, the long game (and many of the “playoff” rounds) is Johnlock.
We recently let you know we would be planning a hockey game watch party on Thursday, March 23 at 7pm EST (Bruins v. Lightning! Join us at that time by clicking this link (http://www.rabb.it/carnationbooks).
We are thrilled to welcome fic author Poppy Alexander (on AO3 here), who will be joining us for this watch-a-long. Poppy is currently writing a Johnlock Hockey AU, and we will be chatting about the fic, hockey, and fandom while we enjoy some ice game with all of you!
Poppy’s fic Boyfriend Material just happens to align with our fandom explorations this month, and we can’t wait to chat with her. One of the perks of featuring multiple fandoms on our blog is that we get to see where fandoms connect and intersect. In this case, hockey and Sherlock blend together and give us something wonderful and unexpected.
Be sure to check out this fic whether or not you decide to join our watch party!
Boyfriend Material by PoppyAlexander
Rating: Explicit
Chapters: 21/?
Summary: Boston Brawlers' team captain John Watson longs for two things: a championship before he retires, and a boyfriend. Assigned to room with goaltender Sherlock Holmes--known around the league as both a genius and a "weird dude"--on Brawlers' roadtrips, John discovers the things they have in common that lead to an easy friendship and a convenient arrangement.
