Thebe Moon

Writer of winding, self-indulgent fanfics. We're all here to have fun!

[thebemoon]

So I'm getting a little nervous about people publicly accusing fics of being AI-written.

I agree, there are some awful AI fanfics out there that make no sense at all. ("His eyes held every breakfast my cat has ever eaten in the dark.") But I can't call them out because even one wrong accusation can be devastating to a writer.

I've written eight Harry Potter fanfics and if you look hard, you'll find a few "red flags" for AI even though I don't even use Grammerly. Or an alpha or beta.

I pre-write almost all my fics so sometimes I post chapters really fast. I recklessly use adverbs — and em dashes — with abandon.

And most recently, I accidentally changed a character's name and then changed it back. In my WIP, "A Clock With No Numbers," I mistakenly changed Justin's wife Susan to Hannah and then changed it back again. That's easy to do when you're juggling an ensemble cast. Plus I was wrapping up another WIP, "Augurey Park," at the same time, and Hannah was big in that. (I mean no disrespect to Hufflepuffs.) A kind reader pointed this out in the comments and I fixed it.

So please be careful when calling anything AI because I see a lot of anxious new and prospective writers out there. They are so scared of AI accusations that they're changing their writing or not posting at all.

We don't want to chase new writers away. I'd rather see 100 fics where the sun glows with all the confidence of a peanut butter sandwich than wrongly accuse one fic that is just a little weird in a human way.

Oh, and if anyone is wondering, I'm still working on "Clock," and a new character is entering the chat!

[thebemoon]

I‘ve been seeing more posts by Dramione readers who are sad because they didn't finish a free story, which apparently disappointed them in some way. Apparently they feel ”let down.”

Or they are in a reading slump with the free stories and nothing satisfies them and they need a perfect recommendation to make them happy again.

And so others toss out their favorite free stories in the hopes that something might possibly appeal to these poor, jaded souls.

This makes no sense to me. In fact, I humbly submit that in such cases, the problem is not the free stories.

[thebemoon]

"Augurey Park" by Thebe Moon is complete!

My Draco/OC fic, "Augurey Park," is COMPLETE! Yay!

In the final chapter, Draco has nightmares, Chloe attack-eats tiny cheesecakes, and Narcissa writes a letter.

AUGUREY PARK

Summary:

When American magizoologist Chloe Baffles arrives in wizarding Britain to start a new life, she isn't looking for trouble. But she finds it anyway, in the form of a posh, handsome wizard with a terrible reputation named Draco Malfoy.

Obviously, the sensible thing to do is to walk away. But if Chloe was the sensible type, she wouldn't have been fired from the San Diego Magical zoo for defending blood-sucking bugbears.

So there she goes, falling for a former Dark Beater with a father in Eggs-Ban. It's a slippery slope likely to lead to dark, twisted sex, and Chloe just knows she'll end up roaming the streets with crazy hair and a bad potions habit.

And somehow she has to keep this mad affair from her new boss, the U.S. Ambassador to the Ministry of Magic, and also from her new friends, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Easy enough, right?

Not really. In this enchanting, weirdly Victorian society, danger lurks everywhere, even six years after the Wizarding War. And when Chloe isn't helping hapless American tourists, she finds herself fighting darker, more terrifying forces than any potions habit.

[thebemoon]

My Draco/Original Female Character fic, "Augurey Park," is updated! Alerted by Susie Snake, Chloe rushes to Malfoy Manor to save Draco.

AUGUREY PARK

Chapter 29: We Will Be Righteous

Excerpt:

Wand in hand, I landed on a familiar paved road near Malfoy Manor. The air was cold, and a round moon hung in the night sky. The edge of the manor grounds looked shadowy and menacing, the silhouetted tops of the great house rising above the treeline.

It seemed smarter to approach the estate this way, using my previous escape route from the Manor — although really, nothing about this was smart. If Draco was in danger, how could I possibly help? No idea. But he had called me. He wanted me to help.

So I entered the wooded area between the road and the house, following the path that Ruffles the peahen had shown me. Fallen leaves crunched under my heeled boots, and sharp thorns and branches tugged at my fake fur-edged cloak. Finally, I hit the flat, winding path that wove between perfectly trimmed hedges. The Manor was hidden from view now, and the wind was picking up. I gripped my wand, not daring to cast Lumos, and trudged on.

[thebemoon]

'A Clock With No Numbers' by Thebe Moon is updated!

You are cordially invited to attend some rather tense negotiations with Weasleys and goblins.

A CLOCK WITH NO NUMBERS

Chapter 34: Meeting with Gringotts Goblins

Excerpt:

“Ah, Ranrock, my father’s old friend.” Draco smiled rather unpleasantly. “You look prosperous.”

“May gold flow to your coffers, Lord Malfoy.” Ranrock said this most basic of goblin pleasantries through gritted teeth.

“May your enemies bleed in darkness, Mr. Finch-Fletchley,” the goblin told Justin more politely.

[luna-azzurra]

Mystery Thriller Spots <3

[bakedbakermom]

if you ever find yourself writing fanfiction and thinking "this is too indulgent" that is the devil talking and he can go ahead and shut the fuck up

[toss-a-coin-to-your-stan-account]

jane austen said "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." and proceeded to make one of the most iconic austen girls of all time so like. keep making annoying and cringe and overpowered ocs and love them to bits even if no one else will.

[riverwriter]

I love that if you didn’t already know, it would be hard to tell which of her heroines she was talking about.

[thebemoon]

I think of this quote whenever I start creating a main character.

[thebemoon]

"Augurey Park" by Thebe Moon Is Updated!

My Draco/Original Female Character fic, "Augurey Park," is updated! Draco remains in seclusion, and Chloe receives an interesting offer.

AUGUREY PARK

Chapter 27: The Press Conference

Excerpt:

“You're sending American Aurors?” I asked the magical secretary of state.

“They’ll be there next week.”

“I don’t think the Ministry will like it —”

“Like it? Of course they’ll like it! Those are two of our best! Klara Kilburn caught three dark wizards and a Manticore just last week! And Sam Lopez captured a pack of leithfolds! Do you know how hard it is to nab a leithfold? Do you?”

“Actually, I do, but the point is …”

“Damned smart pack that was, hid in a cloak factory outside Milwaukee! A cloak factory!” Salem cackled approvingly. “We could use some of that ingenuity around here! Wish I could hire some leithfolds, they’d get things done!”

“When they weren’t suffocating and eating people, anyway,” I said.

“Well, sometimes you have to make concessions to get the best talent,” Salem said.

[luna-azzurra]

Tension-filled dialogue Prompts <3

[thebemoon]

My Draco/OC fic, Augurey Park, is updated!

Lucius has escaped from Azkaban, Hermione is on the rampage, and Chloe is convinced Draco is in danger.

Chapter 24: Undesirable

Excerpt:

Hermione sniffed. “Narcissa would never risk her son.”

“She did during the War,” I said.

Her eyes flashed. “Yes, I am quite aware of that, Chloe. Draco nearly became a murderer in that War. He nearly died himself. Narcissa won’t risk him again. I won’t …” She trailed off, leaving the last words unsaid: I won’t risk him.

I shifted in my chair, only more worried now. Two powerful witches, each one convinced she knew best, with Draco in the middle and an escaped Lucius lurking in the background. This couldn’t end well.

[thebemoon]

'A Clock With No Numbers' is updated!

Happy Holidays! And here's a present for all you Dramione readers — another chapter of "A Clock With No Numbers"!

Chapter 29: National Security Briefing with DMLE Head

Excerpt:

"In addition to Auror bodyguards," Gawain Robards said, "all Minister for Magic candidates receive weekly updates on national and international affairs."

“Flack too?” Hermione asked.

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

“But you just said —”

“That is not a confirmation of who or who may not receive a briefing on confidential topics of a sensitive nature. One must be discreet.”

“What if the candidate talks?” Hermione asked. Her opponent was a famous gossip.

Robards frowned. “My protocol is clear: Any candidate deemed a security risk is Obliviated after the briefing.”

“Then what’s the point?”

“Regulations dictate that all candidates receive briefings. Not that they remember them,” Robards said.

[ao3commentoftheday]

so I read this post about how great it is that ao3 doesn't have an algorithm and so commenting or kudosing a work on ao3 doesn't mean you're drowning in similar works for the next several months as you dig your way out of the algorithmic hole you accidentally dug for yourself

and I, too, love that about ao3! but it got me thinking about the fact that people keep talking about how there are fewer comments than there used to be

I'm not posting all that frequently these days, so I can't discuss my own experiences. I do know that this conversation is as old as commenting on fanfic is, though. Still, I think there's probably credibility to the idea. There are a lot more people reading fic these days, but there doesn't seem to be a similar increase in the comments - anecdotally at least.

Anyway, that post I linked (and reblogged before this one) got me thinking, and I wonder how much of that dip in "user engagement" or whatever you want to call it is a learned behaviour brought over from other sites.

"chatty tags" on AO3 migrated over from tumblr. "Social Media AUs" cropped up on twitter and spread all over. AO3 itself built in things like prompt memes that were popular on LiveJournal at the time. As much as each site has its own culture and norms, the people using those sites are going to cross-pollinate from one to another.

Every other website we spend time on for fun has some kind of algorithm that guides what we see. Even here on tumblr, the For You page is very affected by the posts you like and reblog, even if your dash isn't. We've all learned to be careful with how we interact with a thing we liked once but don't want to drown in.

We stay away. We don't like. We don't comment. We don't share. Interacting is the first step to seeing way too much of something that was just a passing fancy. Did I like it? Yes! Do I want 100 more just like it? Not necessarily.

This is too many words for too small an idea, but it popped into my head and refused to pop out again, so here you go. One more theory to add to the pile of why fandom might feel quieter than it used to in some ways.

[thebemoon]

I definitely do this on social media, and only like things I'm following anyway. If I click on one AITA post, I know I'll get nothing else for a week.

So it makes sense that people are engaging less and in strategic ways, and they bring those habits to AO3. Which is too bad.

[thebemoon]

My Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character fic, "Augurey Park," has been updated! Chloe encounters danger and mystery at Malfoy Manor.

AUGUREY PARK

Chapter 14: Flight

Excerpt:

I stopped, surprised and suddenly fully awake. In contrast to Draco’s sunny bedroom, draped in green and silver, the corridor was shadowy, with red candles flickering from wall sconces. Tall portraits and mirrors lined the walls, and a thin black carpet ran down the middle of the polished floor. To my left, the end of the corridor was in shadow, and I could hear faint squeaking and fluttering in the darkest shadows above me. To my right, the hallway turned a corner.

A wall mirror caught my eye, and I blushed at my reflection: face flushed, blonde hair sticking up wildly, my naked body wrapped awkwardly in the too-big robe. I turned back to the door I entered from, but it had swung shut, with no handle or doorknob.

Tentatively, I knocked on the thick wood. “Draco?”

“He won’t hear you,” said a voice, as cool and light as a summer cocktail.

But as I turned, I saw a witch who was all winter. Tall and slender, she had pale hair and skin, and wore blue-gray robes that matched her eyes. There was no warmth in her gaze.

[luna-azzurra]

Ways to Show a Character is Falling in Love and Doesn’t Want To ...

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They notice the sound of their name in that person’s mouth and hate that it sounds better. Like their name was meant to be said that way.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They start to dress better when they might see them, subconsciously at first. “Oh, this old thing?” Sure. The old thing you ironed twice.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Their laugh becomes a trigger. Not in the trauma sense, in the “I suddenly forgot how to breathe and now I want to die” sense.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Every conversation feels like walking a tightrope between wanting to tease and wanting to touch.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They say they don’t care, but they’re paying way too much attention. Who they’re talking to. How they’re smiling. Who made them smile.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They avoid them, dramatically, stupidly and it physically hurts. Like withdrawal. They’ll literally hide behind shelves, peek around corners, act like a spy in their own life.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They start saying their name too often. “Oh, yeah, Alex said that too.” “Alex likes that band.” “Alex once...” Shut up, my dude. Please.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They mock them to their friends, but there’s a softness in the way they do it. A little too much affection in the “ugh, they’re so annoying.”

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Their stomach does that thing, you know the one, when they catch their scent on something, and it’s not even strong, just a hint, and suddenly they’re useless for the next ten minutes.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They overthink texts. “Okay, no emojis looks cold. Too many looks desperate. Maybe one. No, zero. Period. Wait, does the period look aggressive?”

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They dream about them, not even romantically, just constantly. Their brain won’t let them rest.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Their jealousy doesn’t make sense. “Why are you talking to them?” “Because they’re a person.” “Oh, right, cool, yeah, totally fine, no reason, haha.” (proceeds to spiral internally).

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They act colder, on purpose. But it’s performative. The kind of detachment that’s practically begging to be noticed.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They start arguments for no reason. Because fighting feels easier than confessing.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They imagine kissing them during fights. Yes, during. It’s sick. They hate it.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They think about what they’d say if they ever got drunk enough to tell the truth. Then immediately pray that moment never comes.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Their pulse spikes when their phone buzzes. It’s embarrassing how fast they grab it. And when it’s not them? Oh, the rage.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They watch their every expression. Like a scientist studying a dangerous animal. “What does that smile mean? Are they flirting or just friendly?” They never know. It’s torture.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They make jokes about being heartless. “Me? Love? Gross.” Meanwhile, they’re literally halfway in love already.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They defend them when no one asked. “They’re not that bad.” Bro. No one said they were. Chill.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They keep trying to rationalize it, listing all the reasons it can’t work, all the flaws they can find, like that’ll stop the feeling. It won’t.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They flinch when someone else flirts with them, then pretend they didn’t notice.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They convince themselves the other person doesn’t feel the same, because that’s safer than hoping.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ Their denial becomes its own obsession. “It’s not like that.” “It’s nothing.” “I don’t even like them.” Said for the fiftieth time this week.

⋆.𐙚 ̊ They get defensive when someone points it out. “Me? Them? You’re insane.” They’re not.

[luna-azzurra]

Dear writer, you can learn from a lot of things in this world, but I HOPE that you are not learning to shrink yourself just because someone else has an opinion. Because, shockingly, people will always have opinions. ALWAYS. Even on things they do not understand. Even on things they have absolutely no business commenting on in the first place.

And I have reached a point in my writing journey (no, in my entire existence) where I am simply too tired and too emotionally exhausted to care about every random person who decides to fling their unsolicited “thoughts” at me like they are feeding pigeons.

For years, I let these floating opinions sink their teeth into my confidence. I let strangers tell me my writing was too weird, too messy, too intense, too soft, not soft enough, not marketable enough, not “correct.”

And for what? For WHO?

Because while they were sitting there critiquing like it was their part-time job, I was busy doing something they were not: CREATING.

So let me say this very clearly: I am done. I am cosmically, spiritually, aggressively DONE letting other people’s opinions steer my writing.

Let them talk and let them roll their eyes so hard they see the back of their brain. I will be over here making something chaotic, beautiful, deeply flawed, and absolutely mine. I write books that do not need to be universally approved because they were not designed for universal approval in the first place.

So, dear writer, learn what you want, but do not you dare learn to shrink. Do not you learn to silence yourself for someone else’s comfort. Do not you learn to dim your magic because someone with zero investment decided they did not “get it.”

Let them have their stupid opinions. You have got universes to build and characters to traumatize. And in my very loud, very passionate voice, I say this: write fearlessly and let their opinions take themselves somewhere far, far away from you.

[luna-azzurra]

When Your Character Walks Into a Room…

There’s this funny misconception that when a character walks into a room, the important part is the room. Writers start scrambling to describe the walls, the wallpaper, the lighting, the color of the rug that no one asked for. And sure, you can do that. But the room doesn’t matter until your character touches it with their thoughts.

And I’m saying this with love, because I’ve written those “character enters room, now here’s a paragraph about the furniture” scenes too. We all have. They’re basically a rite of passage.

But the more you write (and the more drafts you survive) the more you realize something important: the room is NEVER the point. The PERSON entering it is.

When someone walks into a room in real life, they don’t float in like a neutral non-entity. They bring whatever emotional chaos they’ve been dealing with. They bring the argument they just had in the hallway. They bring the secret they’re not ready to tell anyone. They bring the memory the smell of the room just stabbed them with. People don’t arrive clean. They arrive mid-story, even if they pretend they’re fine. So instead of focusing on the chair in the corner, try starting with the emotional “temperature” your character walks in with.

Are they anxious and trying to hide it?

Are they exhausted and hoping nobody notices?

Are they excited but scared they’ll ruin everything the moment they open their mouth?

You don’t have to spell it out like a weather report, just let it tint the way they see the space. Plus, a room changes depending on who’s looking at it. If your character is confident, the space might feel open, manageable, almost welcoming. If they’re overwhelmed, the same room can feel too loud, too bright, too filled with people who suddenly seem to know exactly where they’re going and what they’re doing. If they’re guilty, every shadow becomes suspicious. If they’re sad, the room might seem bigger than it really is.

It doesn’t matter how the room “objectively” looks. What matters is what they see first.

And please let your characters enter rooms in realistically messy ways. Not every entrance needs to be cinematic or in the Hollywood style. Not every character glides. Some fumble the door handle. Some hesitate in the doorway because they suddenly can’t remember why they came in. Some scan the room too fast because they’re nervous and then pretend they weren’t scanning the room at all. Some try way too hard to appear casual and end up bumping into a table they didn’t even notice was there.

That kind of stuff makes your characters feel like a real person and not because the action is interesting, but because it’s familiar. It’s that tiny, “oh god, same” moment between the reader and the character, even if they never consciously notice it.

So REMEMBER: an entrance is a doorway for change, not just a physical movement. You’re not writing, “They walked into the room.” You’re writing, “They stepped into a moment.” And that’s a gamechanger.