OK, so I never made it all the way through the episode, so this is off the cuff. But in the spirit ofĀ ācanon is bullshit and Kurt deserved betterā, here is my shot at Carole saving Kurt from that absurd S6 wedding per this request:Ā Ā https://www.tumblr.com/elledelajoie/697137179001028608/free-kurt-challenge-3?source=share
Note: Written for @elledelajoie. This isn't what I originally had planned (I'm still getting to that), but I hope you enjoy this anyway!
This is an AU (obviously) deviating from Kurt and Brittany's talk in 6x03.
--
āDon't let waiting for things to maybe work out with Blaine turn you into the guy who looks like somebody just pooped in your hand.ā
Kurt took Britt's odd words to heart as he left McKinley. As much as it hurt, he let "Klaine" go and decided to fly solo. Sure, he had to dodge a crazed Sue Sylvester (trapping him and Blaine in an elevator? Really?) and realize that he no longer felt a spark when he kissed his ex one last time. But he made it through the fire without another scratch.
Quinn was his plus-one for the wedding. They had rekindled some semblance of a friendship as Britt and Santana's wedding planners, and she was there for him as he secretly fretted over his choice to stay single for a while.
"You need to rediscover Kurt Hummel," she would say. "That's vital."
Even Santana -- after she had apologized to Kurt for lashing out at him in the hallway -- agreed with her wife-to-be and her former rival.
"Before you find someone else who will appreciate your uniqueness, you need to be Kurt again!"
Then Blaine showed up with his mother Pam (a nice woman who Kurt had never met). He'd jumped in when Brittany started panicking about bad luck tainting the ceremony.
"Look, I think we should cancel out all this..." he waved his hands. "... bad juju somehow."
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
Blaine nodded and pulled out a ring box.
Santana charged at him.
"Oh, hell no!" she shouted. "This is my wedding to Britt! You are not going to ruin it!"
Brittany piped up.
"Listen, I know our wedding is cursed with bad luck, but you can't just hijack it. Maybe have a Mounds bar while we panic over here."
Kurt stifled a laugh at that. He then rounded on his ex.
"We can handle the bad juju by ourselves, Blaine," he said. "You and your mother can just have a seat and wait for the ceremony to start."
After that, Kurt, Quinn, Santana, Britt, and the mothers of the brides managed to ward off the bad luck surrounding Brittana's wedding, and it all went off without a hitch.
PSA: Writing is a cultivatable skill, not an innate talent.
āI am hugely flattered when people tell me they think Iām a good writer (personally I think I am āreasonably capableā) BUT in any conversation about my writing, itās VERY important to note that Iāve been writing for fun in some capacity, pretty much daily, since about 2002.
The way that I got āgoodā at writing was by doing it. A LOT. (Trust me: I still have some of the old stuff, and looking at it makes me CRINGE. Hard.)
So please, donāt ever look at your own writing and say āOther people are better at this, why should I bother?ā There will always be someone whose writing you look up to, and thatās okay. If writing brings you joy or you have a story you want to tell, you deserve to do it! The worst that will happen is that your writing will get a little better with each thing you write.
Every writer inevitably gets to that scene that just doesn't want to work. It doesn't flow, no matter how hard you try. Well, here are some things to try to get out of that rut:
1. Change the weather
I know this doesn't sound like it'll make much of a difference, but trust me when I say it does.
Every single time I've tried this, it worked and the scene flowed magically.
2. Change the POV
If your book has multiple POV characters, it might be a good idea to switch the scene to another character's perspective.
9/10 times, this will make the scene flow better.
3. Start the scene earlier/later
Oftentimes, a scene just doesn't work because you're not starting in the right place.
Perhaps you're starting too late and giving too little context. Perhaps some description or character introspection is needed before you dive in.
Alternatively, you may be taking too long to get to the actual point of the scene. Would it help to dive straight into the action without much ado?
4. Write only the dialogue
If your scene involves dialogue, it can help immensely to write only the spoken words the first time round.
It's even better if you highlight different characters' speech in different colors.
Then, later on, you can go back and fill in the dialogue tags, description etc.
5. Fuck it and use a placeholder
If nothing works, it's time to move on.
Rather than perpetually getting stuck on that one scene, use a placeholder. Something like: [they escape somehow] or [big emotional talk].
And then continue with the draft.
This'll help you keep momentum and, maybe, make the scene easier to write later on once you have a better grasp on the plot and characters.
Trust me, I do this all the time.
It can take some practice to get past your Type A brain screaming at you, but it's worth it.
So, those are some things to try when a scene is being difficult. I hope that these tips help :)
Reblog if you found this post useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.
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ā
Know The Period Well
When writing a story that takes place during a time you have no primary experience with, itās important to do your research and not only be able to recall facts but be able to apply historical context to the plot. Itās especially important to consider diversity in period pieces and avoid whitewashing your cast, even if your story is set in a historically white place. The most obvious offender of this is England, but there were many people of color in premodern England that are completely underrepresented in modern fiction about the time.
People sometimes send me Asks wanting writing advice. Ā I suck at it. Ā I donāt really know how I do the writing, or how one should do the writing, or what one should do to get better at the writing. Ā All I can ever think to say is āwrite a lot of stuff and you will get better at the writing.ā Ā Which is true, but hardly a bolt from the sky.
Well, as it turns out, I do have one piece of Legit Writing Advice, and I am going to share it with you, right now. Ā If you were in any of my writing workshop groups at a con, youāve heard this advice already.
Warning: youāre going to fucking hate it. Ā But if you do it, you will thank me.
If you have a piece of fiction youāre serious about, something you might want to actually shop around, or just something you really are into and want to make it as good as you canā¦do NOT edit it.
Repeat. Ā DO NOT EDIT.
REWRITE.
As in, print out the whole fucking thing and re-enter it, every word (or use two screens). Ā Retype the whole thing. Ā Recreate it from the ground up using your first draft as a template. Ā Start with a blank page and re-enter every. single. word.
I hear you screaming. Ā OH MY GOD THATāS INSANE.
Yes. Ā Yes, it is.
It is also the most powerful thing you will ever do for a piece of fiction that you are serious about.
Now, letās get real. Ā I donāt do this for most things. Ā I donāt do it for my fanfiction. Ā But if itās something original, something I might like to get to a professional level - I do it. Ā You absolutely COULD do it for fanfiction. Ā Itās just up to you and how much time you want to sink into a piece.
You can edit, sure. Ā But you WILL NOT get down to the level of change that needs to happen in a second draft. Ā You will let things slide. Ā Your eyes will miss things. Ā You will say āeh, good enough.ā
The first time I did this, on someone elseās advice, I was dubious. Ā Within two pages, I was saying WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN DOING THIS ALL THE TIME. Ā I was amazed at how much change was happening. Ā By the time I got to the end, I had an entirely different novel than the one Iād started with. Ā When youāre already re-entering every single word, itās easy to make deep changes. Ā Youāll reformat sentences, youāll switch phrases around, youāll massage your word choice. Ā Youāll discover whole paragraphs that donāt need to be there at all because they became redundant. Ā Youāll find dialogue exchanges that need reimagining. Ā Whole plot points will suddenly be different, whole story arcs will reveal their flaws and get re-drawn.
You cannot get down to the fundamental level of change thatās required just by editing an existing document. Ā You have to rebuild it if you really want your story to evolve. Ā You will be AMAZED at the difference it will make.
It will take time. Ā It will seem like a huge, Herculean task. Ā Iām not saying itās easy. Ā It isnāt. Ā But it is absolutely revolutionary.
Try it. Ā I promise, you will see what I mean.
*PSA: Tipsy!Lori wrote this post. Ā In case you couldnāt tell.
I reblogged this earlier on kind of aĀ āthat sounds interesting. might work, might not, canāt see it being drastically different but whatever I should try.ā kind of note
Iāve got a short story due today at 5, so I decided to do this and completely rewrite the first draft.
OH. MY GOD.
This is legitimate. Itās let me completely gut scenes I was unhappy with, rewrite them entirely differently and not feel any loyalty to what I used to have.
Itās taking a long time. Itās a commitment. But heck so is writing.
This is such good advice. Iāve done it a few times, and it completely transforms your work. Itās a time consuming process, but itās absolutely worth the investment. I highly recommend this on things you truly care about. Itās incredible.
I was going to be like āthis is ridiculous, what an unreasonable standardā and then go off in a huff to work on an article, and then I remembered that the way I write articles now is by doing an audio draft, and then basically rewriting the article entirely while listening to the audio draft⦠so⦠yeah. This is probably actually really good advice. >_>
Though the US bodices are fairly consistent in look, it can vary a lot how the ombre shading is applied, how pink/white the pointed tabs are, and how much bead fringe, stars and ruffles is applied over the bust. It also varies if the ruffle is all dark blue, blue/silver or blue and cerise. Hereās some variations.
Itās interesting to see how some bodices and skirts has been mixed-and-matched throughout the years, featuring a very pale bodice to a darker pink skirt, and opposite. Originally bodices and skirts would have matched. The generic bodices today have little ruffle and moderate row of beaded fringe over the bust, and three beaded silver stars. Elder bodices can feature a lot more fringe and different application and amount of stars.
Summary: Kurt wasn't expecting to see Blaine at an ice skating rink. In fact, his face was the last thing Kurt wanted to see after Dad's cancer diagnosis. Of course he's going to "return the gift".
Note: Written for @elledelajoie's "Free Kurt for Christmas" event. Enjoy!
Read at AO3!
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The written address led Kurt to the rink at Prospect Park. It was all so scenic that he felt as if heād stepped into one of those Hallmark Christman rom-coms. The bright and colorful decorations stood out against the night sky as he hunted down any clue as to what Dadās surprise would be. It was clear that heād gone all-out when he planned his gift, and Kurtās curiosity was piqued once again. The sounds of cheer and laughter rang out all around him, and they only made him more eager to find anything remotely related toā
āPackage for Kurt Hummel!ā
Kurtās heart stopped for the briefest of moments. He hadnāt heard that voice since Thanksgiving! Seeing him now was much too soon, even if that phone call had ended with the two of them on good terms. Kurt took a few deep breaths and turned around.
Blaine skated to the rinkās edge.
āSurprise! Your dad called me out of the blue,ā he said. āWe wanted to see a beautiful smile on your face.ā
Kurt tried to remain impassive. He hadnāt told his dad about the cheating, so in hindsight, this was to be expected, really. This wasnāt meant to be a betrayal, he told himself. Heās trying to help.
It still stung. After the news of Dadās cancer diagnosis, Blaine was the last person he wanted to see right now. Speaking of, the other boy was completely oblivious to his inner turmoil.
āActually, he told me everything,ā he continued. āAnd I promise Iāll keep an eye on him.ā
Kurt still kept quiet. What could he possibly say that would make any of this⦠not bad?
Blaine pouted. āYou are happy to see me, arenāt you?ā
He stamped down the urge to roll his eyes. What, was he meant to be jumping for joy? Blaine knew Kurt couldnāt fully trust him, right? The words heād said during Thanksgiving⦠heād sort of meant them, but he didnāt think Blaine would actually show up. Then again, he thought of his dad. First the heart attack, now this. Kurt couldnāt rock the boat right now. He forced a smile.
āYeah. Yeah, always,ā he lied.
Blaine didnāt look too convinced. He shook his head and muttered something under his breath. Before Kurt could even open his mouth again, he was skating away from him. The families and couples around them skated on and laughed, clueless to their little spat. Kurt himself was rooted to the spot. What was he going to do now? No matter what Dad had said, Blaine was a gift he could just āreturnā. He was still a person with feelings. Besides, where would he go on such short notice?
On the other hand, spending Christmas with his ex and pretending everything was okay was not what he wanted to do. Kurt wouldn't budge on that. His dad needed him right now, and heād focus his energy on making this the Hummel menās best Christmas yet.
Nothing pushed the Hummels around. Not a cheating ex, and certainly not cancer.
Blaine was back before Kurt could really register his absence. By the look of things, he was still fuming.
āLetās go,ā he said. āI want to get some rest.ā
āFine,ā was Kurtās reply.
*
The walk back to the loft was tense. Blaine was refusing to talk to Kurt or answer his questions. Not that Kurt was interested in anything more than making small talk. Any warmth he had associated with Dadās surprise had long dissipated. In its place was cold anger. It was mostly directed at his ex. Apparently he had planned for the two of them to have their āChristmas duetā at the rink. Now he was sulking because Kurt didnāt fall in line and do what heād wanted.
Ridiculous.
āYou still havenāt told me where you have your things,ā he tried.
Blaine scoffed, but he finally opened his mouth again.
āBurt has them in one of his suitcases. He should have it in your part of the loft by now.ā
Kurt almost stopped in his tracks. Of course. No matter what Dad had said, he obviously didnāt think Kurt would actually want to āreturnā Blaine by sending him back to Ohio ā or at least to the nearest hotel. The idea of the two of them planning this out so far ahead was irritating.
ā... I see.ā
āLook, I donāt get why you asked, Blaine replied. āIām clearly staying with you and Burt until we go back to Ohio.ā
No, he was not going there. He knew better than to speak his mind now. Blaine wouldnāt take being thrown out well. The best thing to do was to wait until they got back to the loft and hope Dad would act as a buffer.
āBesidesā¦ā
Blaineās voice softened for the first time since they left the rink. Kurt sighed and finally stopped walking. The other boy took his hand, and he reluctantly turned his head to face him.
āItās Christmas. We shouldnāt be apart today of all days,ā Blaine continued. āI love you, and I canāt even count how many times Iāve apologized for what I did.ā
Kurt froze. Honestly, heād been starting to fall for it again. Blaine had always known just the thing to say. He was charming and sweet in the best way. However, the mention of his cheating brought him back to reality. It seemed to him that Blaine was saying that heād apologized enough and there was no need to dredge it back up. And the fact that he was using Christmas of all things to make his caseā¦
It all steeled his resolve.
He sighed. āLetās just get back to the loft, okay?ā
*
Dad was sitting on the couch when he and Blaine walked through the door. That was expected. What Kurt did not expect was to see him turn around in his seat and glare at Blaine as soon as heād heard them.
Kurt instantly felt a chill. āYou alright, Dad?ā
Dad shook his head as he stood up and walked toward them. Kurt immediately left Blaineās side and went to his. Fear clenched his heart.
āDad?ā
āWhy didnāt you tell me Blaine cheated on you, kiddo?ā he asked.
The room instantly felt even colder. Behind them, Blaine let out a shaky breath. He stammered, but nothing came out.
āIf I had known earlier, I woulda left your ass in Ohio,ā he continued. āYou hurt my boy and you lied to me about it.ā
Kurt cut in. āHow did you--ā
āI just got off the phone with Carole and Finn.ā
Blaine regained his voice. āWhat did he tell you, exactly?ā
Dad glared again. āNot much. Enough. He mostly wanted to know why I even thought about bringing you to Kurtās home after what you did.ā
He took another step toward Blaine.
"Burt... Mr. Hummel... itās not what you think,ā Blaine squeaked out.
Kurt caught Dadās arm. āDad, itās fine.ā
He quickly shifted so that he was standing in between his father and his ex-boyfriend. This was getting too intense for his liking.
āNo, itās not, Kurt,ā Dad said. āI know you. You were gonna grin and bear it, especially after what I told you before, werenāt you?ā
Kurt looked him dead in the eye. āActually, I wasnāt.ā
Now it was Blaineās turn to walk forward.
āWhat do you mean?ā he demanded. āYouāre not seriously going to throw me out on Christmas, are you?ā
Dad growled. āThe hell weāre not. Look, Iāve got enough money for a hotel room. You can--ā
āYou canāt be serious!ā Blaine cut him off. āI canāt just go to a hotel on such short notice! Iām sure everythingās full.ā
He looked at Kurt pleadingly. āBesides, I have an announcement to make.ā
Kurt took a deep breath. It was time to end this.
āBlaine... please donāt make this harder than it already is.ā
His ex opened his mouth to say something else, but Dad held up a hand to cut him off.
āYou heard him,ā he said. āGet your stuff. Iāll go with you.ā
Blaine huffed, but he did as he was told. Dad placed his hand on his shoulder.
āStay here. Iāll be right back.ā
*
In the end, Dad came back after only half an hour.
āHey. I set him up for two days. After that, heās on his way back to Lima.ā
Kurt hummed.Ā āI wonder what he wanted to tell me.ā
Dad shrugged. āDoes it matter?ā he asked.
They chuckled before Dad sobered and sat down next to him.
āI wish you woulda told me why you and Blaine broke up. Iām not fragile, you know? I aināt getting another heart attack any time soon.ā
Kurt bit his lip. āYou donāt know that. And now you have cancer, too. I canāt lose you, Dad.ā
He barely registered the sting of tears before Dad pulled him in a hug.
āGuess I owe you another gift, huh? You didn't like the one I got you.ā
Kurt shook his head. āNo, you donāt. You coming was the only gift I needed. Merry Christmas, Dad.ā
write bad fanfic. write mediocre fanfic. write fanfic that a thousand people before you have already written. write niche fanfic. write fanfic that only a few people will read or understand. write fanfic just for you. write fanfic just for a friend. write ocs. write self-inserts. the fact that youāre taking the time and energy to put your ideas into the world is amazing and people who shame you for it need to find better ways to spend their time.