The Beta Branch

[queerstark]

Side Note To Fan Fic Authors

Here’s the thing.

I read a lot of scripts.  A lot.  From professionals to aspiring writers to complete newbies.  Features and pilots.  Specs and treatments.

And 8 times out of 10 the fan fic that I’ve read over the last, oh, 15 years is leagues better than this stuff.  It’s more inspired.  It’s more compelling.  It’s genre bending and creative and heartfelt.  It’s well-paced and intense and funny and sexy and meaningful.  It’s smart and thoughtful and good.  It’s novel-quality.  Better than, sometimes.

Rare is the script I don’t want to put down, but how often have we stayed up until 3am to get to the last chapter of a 100k fic? And it’s not even a fan fic author’s day job.  This is what they do on the side.  In their spare time.  For free.

So my point is, fan fic authors, you’re good.  You’re good writers and great storytellers.  I know it doesn’t always feel like it, especially if you’re one of the authors who’s not a BNF and doesn’t get the notes/hits that a few do.  And  because some people still view fic as “not real writing.” You guys know the shit that gets made into movies.  You’re better than that.  So be better than that.  If writing is what you think want to do, then just know you’re already doing it.   You’ve already started.

And you’re more talented than you might think.

[itsacon10]

For all the fic writers I know, just a bit of positivity

[poetry-protest-pornography]

I needed this today.

[ladykittenfair]

SickFic Prompts

I’ve been craving SickFic, so have some prompts and feel free to tag me here at @wordmage because I would love to see your takes on the prompts below. Feel free to add more, or use it for RP/art, whatever. I plan to try and fill them all out, myself.

99.9% Immunity - (character) never gets sick, right? Wrong.

Elephant in the Room - (character) is sick, but for some reason - rank, personality, etc - no one is talking about it

Heroes Don’t Take Sick Days - there’s no time to rest when you have to save the world, so (character) has to push themselves even when miserable

Insult to Injury - as if being injured wasn’t enough, (character) is getting sick too

Ill Timed - it’s the worst possible time for (character) to be sick, but their body didn’t get the memo

Irreplaceable - (character) is the leader/boss and isn’t able to take personal time off, even when they’re under the weather

It’s Nothing - (character) insists they’re fine, right up until they collapse

Medic Down - every group seems to have a primary caretaker. How do they handle it when (character) is the one sick?

Milking It - if (character) has to be sick, they’re at least going to get as much pampering out of others as they can

Not a Word - (character) said they don’t get sick, and isn’t in the mood for anyone to remind them while they recover

No Rest for the Wicked - the big bad (character) has more to worry about than the good guys

Open Secret - everyone knows (character) is sick, but they’re trying so hard no one has said anything

Persuasive Partners - (character) is sick, and refusing to stay put; their partner(s) give them a good reason to stay in bed

Stepping Up - boss/leader (character) is clearly miserable, so the others go out of their way to take as much of their workload as possible

Suffer in Silence - for whatever reason, (character) doesn’t want anyone to know they’re sick, and does everything they can to hide it

Take One Down… - (character) gets sick, and spreads it to the rest of the group

Team Mom/Dad - (character) is the one to always take care of others on the team

The Wolf Cries True - (character) has been known to exaggerate or even pretend they’re sick, only this time they’re telling the truth

This is Your Fault - (character A) was clingy while they were sick, and now (character B) has it

Why Didn’t You Say? - (character) hasn’t been feeling well, making for some uncharacteristic behavior, and their partner(s)/team/friends are much more understanding once they realize why

[ladykittenfair]

This is somehow one of my most popular posts (nearly 400 notes on it, mostly reblogs) which I am 110%  behind and totally approve. So I’m also going to add more things. (Drop these in people’s askbox with characters or something! Mine, too!)

Behind Closed Doors - (character) has a solid public face, but in private they let themselves be taken care of when they’re not well

Bless You - (character) has a particularly sneezy cold, and may or may not be able to retreat from life to deal with it.

Don’t Speak - (character) has a horribly sore throat and is reduced to barely talking while they load up on hot drinks and soup to recover.

I’m Dying - (character) has a headcold and despite that not being anywhere near the worst they’ve ever been, they’re flailing about it to anyone who will listen

Judgement Call - (character) really isn’t feeling well, but has pressing obligations. Others could step up, but no one is as qualified. They choose to…

Painfully Polite - (character) has very strong feelings about how one should behave, and they are even more mindful when they’re not at their best, talking through a sore throat, trying not to cough, attempting to stifle sneezes, etc.

Misery Loves Company - (character) is under the weather and not up for much, but really appreciates having someone there. Even if that someone is sick too.

Stay With Me - (character A) rarely asks for help, but they’re feeling miserable enough to ask (character B) to keep them company a while.

With Kid Gloves On - it’s a known fact that (character) has trouble accepting help, even when they’re sick; the others have learned specific “acceptable” methods over time

You Heard Nothing - (character) is obviously coming down sick - sneezing, sniffling, coughing - and absolutely refusing to admit to it, let alone take things easy.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 6/6 Fandom: Avengers Rating: T (for moderate language, mentions of torture and injury) Characters: Phil Coulson, the Avengers, Fury, Maria Hill Summary: Sometimes, the team members need help. This is five times Phil Coulson saved them ... and one time they saved him. 

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Captain America: The Winter Soldier/Avengers Rating: T Characters: Steve, Bucky, Nat Summary: Everyone, including Bucky, keeps telling him that Bucky can't be saved. Steve is determined to prove them wrong. Oneshot.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Avengers Rating: PG Characters: Tony, and the team Summary: Steve bets Tony that he can't go 24 hours without using technology (including JARVIS). Tony thinks it's going to be a cake walk... until he's just a couple hours into the bet. And knowing certain members of his so-called team are conspiring for him to lose the bet doesn't help anything. Oneshot.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Avengers Rating: T Characters: Clint, Natasha  Summary: Clint's quick and simple mission snowballs into a six month deep cover op, and he finds himself in wrong place at the wrong time when Natasha exposes everything.

Or: where Clint was and what he was doing during CA: Winter Solider, and how he came up for air to find the world in shambles. Oneshot.  

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Avengers Rating: PG Characters: Natasha/Bucky Summary: Coffee shop AU. Natasha prides herself on being calm and cool and able to read people, until a man with a silver arm, blue eyes, and a mysterious story behind them comes in and throws her completely off balance. Oneshot.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: T Characters: Castiel, Meg, Dean, Sam, Bobby (slight Cas/Meg if you squint) Summary: How shredded corpses, Dean's sudden super strength, and Meg's love life are connected, and what the boys have to do about it. (For the Swap Challenge.)

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Avengers Rating: G Characters: Bruce, Thor, & the gang Summary: One evening, Bruce and Thor find themselves alone in the Tower, bored with nothing to do (they're all caught up on Game of Thrones). Bruce suggests they bake a cake. Pointless bro fluff, Bruce & Thor friendship/bonding. Oneshot.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: T Characters: Dean, Cas, Sam Summary: Cas is able to bring Dean back from being a demon. When Dean remembers the things he did while a demon, and what happened to Sam, he wishes Cas had done no such thing. (Written pre 10x03, "Soul Survivor". Contains season 10 spoilers.)

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: T Characters: Sam, Dean Summary: After Dean is cured, Sam's trying to be fine, but he's really, really not. He starts to realize the whole Dean-was-a-demon thing affected him a lot more than he thought it did. Oneshot. (PTSD!Sam)

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars/Supernatural (AU) Rating: T Characters: Leia, Luke, Han, Vader (Anakin) Summary: Over twenty years ago, a demon possessed Anakin, and killed Padme. Twins Leia and Luke have been hunters ever since, and they're determined to bring down the demon who stole their parents from them. (Star Wars/Supernatural AU) Oneshot. (For the Secret Santa Exchange 2014.)

[thebetabranch]

Chapters:1/1 Fandom: Avengers/Iron Man movies Rating: K Characters: Pepper Potts, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff Summary: Pepper and Tony had moved out to the desert after the war. They had left the opulence of their former lives, bought with the money from selling war machines and bright, blood soaked ideas to the military. Now, Tony wasn’t the rich, privileged inventor, he was the poor, talented coffin maker living in the slums of a desert city. Shame the government doesn’t want to see it that way.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 8/8 Fandom: Better Off Ted Rating: T (for moderate language and zombie gore) Characters: Ted/Linda, Veronica, Phil, Lem, all the usual suspects Summary: Veridian causes a zombie apocalypse (because of course they did). Frankly, Ted is surprised it didn’t happen sooner. (For the Beta Branch Big Bang.)

[thebetabranch]

Body: Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: T Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Bela Talbot Summary: They just needed to go kill this monster that was drowning people in the South, then they could go to Disney World. Then said monster can’t stay dead, Dean’s past keeps coming up to sucker punch him in the stomach, and he may or may not be dying. Also, Bela’s there, so in all, it’s probably not Dean’s best day.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: K+ Characters: James Bond, Vesper Lynd Summary: Something should happen. Something should feel different, like it is a clean break, a sharp change, anything to show that something new is happening. But there is no sudden shift, no noticeable alteration in what they have. It’s just that bit by bit, James and Vesper get to relearn who they are.

[thebetabranch]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural Rating: T (for mild to moderate gore) Characters: Dean, Sam Summary: Halloween was inevitably a busy time of year for them. Something about the time of year coupled with the phase of the moon or something made the beasties and spirits more active, and this year is no different. God, Dean hated Halloween. (For the Spooky Swap.)