Christmas Fic Trope List: This or That

 I love a good, mildly cheesy romance. If you've read any of my fics, I'm sure this shocks you. 

I mean, I have my limits (eg. I love the movie Letters to Juliet, but I cringe every time I hear that last line); but I love a good Hallmark romance movie, Netflix movie or books I can buy for like $5 on my Kindle and read in maybe an hour. 

There's always so many more of them at Christmas, with their own tropes that come with them. I thought it could be fun to have a go at writing one, but have other people (ie you reading this) pick the tropes that the story employs. 

You get to pick ONE (either green or blue) from each row of the list below. Fill in the Google Form here

My hope is obviously to have this finished to post around Christmas. 

But Real Life just handed me this big change, which is going to take up a lot of time and energy, so if I'm not going to finish it in time, I'll save it for Christmas 2022. 

Want to do this yourself, but maybe want to use different tropes than what I picked? TV Tropes is your go-to! 

Here's a list of Romance Novel Tropes

Here's a list of Love Tropes

Here's a list of Romance Novel Plot Tropes

Here's a list of Christmas Tropes

UtEot: Elphaba's Dresses

Someone asked me in a review if I was going to share a picture of the dress Elphaba's wears on her date with Fiyero in Chapter 17 of Until the End of Time on my blog, which I do kind of forget about these days...

So, Elphaba's dress in chapter 17 actually wasn't really based on anything, I just described a dress in a style I thought would look nice.

But here's a photo of the closest I could find, except without the flowing sleeves (and a little longer than described):

Same with Elphaba's dress in chapter 13, for her first date with Fiyero.

It wasn't based off anything in particular, but here's the closest I can find as to what I was picturing:

2017 Goals

Personally, my 2016 was pretty amazing.

I got to meet 2 of my favourite authors (Jodi Picoult and Rainbow Rowell); saw plenty of concerts and musicals; got to meet 2 of my favourite musical artists of all time (Carrie Underwood and Delta Goodrem, who made the year pretty amazing on her own tbh); my sister got married, so I got the big brother I've always wanted; and I got a permanent teaching job, which means job security and is everything that is amazing.

So, other than losing some of my favourite actors in the celebrity massacre that was 2016, I don't have a lot to complain about from last year.

Even my mental health is the most stable its been in a few years. I still struggle with depression, but I haven't had any major anxiety attacks in a year and I was really proud of how I handled the stressful times last year that in 2015, would have sent me into a spiralling meltdown.

But if my 2016 had a flaw, it was the lack of writing time I did.

I feel there was a massive decrease from how much I wrote last year as I've done previously. I'm not really sure why.

Some of it was absolutely due to work. I had more responsibility this year, plus I was putting extra work in for my application to get the permanency, which meant there were many times I was just too exhausted to even think about typing.

There were also a few minor health issues I feel may have contributed too- nothing serious, but I have been dealing with some crazy headaches in the past year, which also doesn't help with motivation to write.

The fact that my current WIP After Forever isn't an easy one to write either.... yeah, ok. That's a factor.

I write because I have all these stories in my head. And it keeps me calm and stimulated to work on something for fun. Writing is, and always has been, strictly a passion project for me.

And the passion wasn't lacking in 2016. I have so many stories in my 'to write' list. Many of them were planned and developed last year. I spent so much of the year wanting to write, wanting to work on the new chapter of whatever I was working on, but just lacking the physical and mental energy to do so.

I hate that. Because not writing makes me uncomfortable. I don't feel good- mentally or emotionally- when I don't write.

I'm about to post a oneshot on ff.net What's in a Name? that is my 95th fanfiction on the site. I don't really do New Year's resolutions- because I'm horrible at keeping them.

But my 2017 wishlist is to make writing a priority again. To figure out a way to be more motivated and physically inspired to write, without making it feel like a chore or something that is forced.

Because the idea of reaching my 100th published fanfiction in 2017 is something that sounds kinda amazing.

If you have any ideas/suggestions/recommendations on how I can make this a thing, please let me know!

Family Ties prompts

I'm uploading the family trees I created to use as the history of the Vinkun royal family. I uploaded them through Google Drive, because just posting it as a picture wasn't really going to work- they're too big for that!

This way, people can have a look and (if you want) let me know which of Fiyero's ancestors you'd like to hear more about!

There's two there- the House of Tiggular (reigning from 1570 to the present) and the House of Dahl (reigning from 1216- 1570). The House of Dahl dates back to the fall of the House of Craven in 1178, but I didn't do that family tree, because I had to draw the line somewhere!

The link to the PDFs is below, and you can contact me through FF.net, Twitter, Tumblr or comment below if you have a particular request or question!

I will be posting the images below, but I think the PDF may be better quality.

Family Tree PDFs

COMPETITION

One entry per person!

Milestone

October 2015 is the 5 year anniversary of when I posted my first Wicked fanfiction online.

Now, although I was posting fanfiction for other fandoms before, and have done occasionally since, Wicked was really where I found my niche, I guess.

Plus, 5 years on I can say it's the most supportive fandom I've posted in. I feel this is where my writing has grown the most, where I've pushed and challenged myself, and where I've met awesome people.

So, I wanted to do something for the occasion. 5 years is an impressive milestone, I think!

I'm hoping to be able to start posting my next fic Long Time Coming on that day, but whilst it could be argued that it is for you, that's mostly for me. People actually reading and reviewing is just a perk.

So, I wanted to do something for the people who are actually reading my work- whether they've been there since Ever Ever After, or found me through the 50+ subsequent stories since then, or who will just stumble across Long Time Coming when it goes up.

I have this notebook that I use when I'm going on trips and I'll have time to write, but I don't particularly want to lug my laptop with me.

In this notebook are first, handwritten, original drafts of different sections of The Ghost of Kiamo Ko, The Right Thing To Do, and The Most Convenient Definitions and a few other notes for stuff not worth mentioning.

What I'm proposing (potentially) is some sort of competition where either 1 winner would get the notebook; or 3 winners would get part of the notebook (1 for each fic).

What do you guys think? Is this lame? Is anyone interested? Does anyone want my scribbles and sometimes hardly legible notes?

UPDATE:
It doesn't look as though I'll be able to start posting Long Time Coming just yet unfortunately.

At this stage, I'm thinking the prize would be the notebook as a whole, but I'd like to do a 2nd and 3rd prize; and I'm after suggestions what you guys would like. To be an OC/create an OC in a fic? Someone suggested a Skype call?

The competition is not official yet, but I'm thinking some kind of question, you send in answers of say 100 words or less; and I have an impartial judge (ie. a friend of mine who knows I write FF but doesn't read it) pick the winner/s.

Writing Processes

Recently I was asked on Twitter how I organise my fics and my ideas, and instead of trying to explain in 140 characters, I thought visual aids might help.

I'm posting this here, in case anyone else is interested.

IDEAS

The way I organise my plans and notes has evolved over the 5 years I've been posting fanfiction. For about a year now, I've been using the OneNote program- it's easy to file and group notes and separate everything. 

I have 3 main notebooks for fanfiction related stuff:

1. Fanfiction Plans.

This is where I plan and outline every fic I'm going to write. As you can see in the picture below, each fic has it's own section.

Each section has 4 pages- Summary, Character List, Plot Outline and Notes. You can also add subpages if you want (and sub-sub pages). The screenshot below is for the fic I'm currently working on.

2. Fanfic Ideas

This is just where I keep a list of every little idea I have, or title idea, or a quote I think of. Sometimes I can piece several ideas together to form a story, sometimes one will fit into a plan I already have. 

 3. Carlie's Guide to Oz

This is where I keep all my notes on Oz in general. Some are canon from the musical or book, some are from the Wizard of Oz, some are from things I've established in previous fics that I liked, and some are just headcanons.
Whilst I'm not a huge fan of the Wicked book, because the musical doesn't have the room to get to in-depth on world building, sometimes I will use elements from the book. Or at least as a basis, and then I might put my own spin on it.

FICS

As for the fics themselves, they're all written on Microsoft Word. I have a folder (titled "Neds" for 2 reasons- 1. if someone is looking at my computer (because this folder is on my desktop for easy access) I don't have to answer awkward questions; and 2. Private joke between a friend and I.

The "Stories in Progress" folder has another folder in it, just for Wicked fics so I can keep them separate. This is the list currently:


I try to work on only one fic at a time, and I'm usually inspired to work on one in particular when I go looking for my next project.

If I'm not feeling inspired to settle on one in particular, I might jump around and draft the beginning of a couple until one grabs me- and that's why the word count in the above picture is all over the place.

Once a fic grabs me and I get into a flow for that story, I'll stay with it until I'm finished (although at times I might stop and write a one-shot if I'm having writer's block or it's a special occasion or request of some kind).

I hope this helps!

Life's Epochs Cover

I know it's been awhile since I posted on this blog (oops) but I wanted to say something about the cover for this fic. I’m not very artistic, so I’m super proud of how this turned out. 

The three non-circled ads in this picture are real governess ads from the early 1900s (thank you Google), I just Ozified them a bit. 

I wrote the circled one for this fic, found and downloaded an old-time newspaper font to type them all up, and added the circle with Paint. 

I stylised the cover using canva and here we are!

Link to my new Wicked fanfiction, Life’s Epochs (and my first non-Fiyeraba multichapter fic) is here

The Party: Pictures

Nessa and Galinda's Bridesmaid Dress:

Elphaba's Wedding Dress

The Petal Path and The Gazebo (Pretty much what I was picturing):

The Tent (although probably with more pink):









The Garden:

The Most Convenient Definitions: Galinda's Story

In Chapter 4 of The Most Convenient Definitions, everyone revealed why they were in detention and a few secrets.

Galinda's, it seems (according to the reviews), caught everyone's attention- in a good way!

If you haven't read it yet, but you've somehow stumbled across this post, you can read it here. We'll wait.

Actually, while we wait and before I forget, if you want to see the video I mentioned in the AN of Chapter 5, you can find it here. 

Ok, so, Galinda's secret. She revealed that the reason she came to Shiz, was because her alternative option was to get married. Her parents even had someone in mind- an associate of her father's. I gave the excuse that her parents were older than most, and wanted to know Galinda would be taken care of if something happened to them.

To me, this has always been a possibility of Galinda's background. Maybe it was the "Momsie and Popsicle" thing or that Galinda is obviously rather spoilt.

So Galinda came to Shiz, avoiding marriage, and kinda hoping she might be able to find a husband amongst her classmates.

As a few people have mentioned to me, it puts Galinda's "Fiyero and I are going to be married [despite the fact I only met him a few hours ago]" in a new light. I thought so too, obviously; although I do also think Galinda is just a hopeless romantic who knows what she wants. Fiyero meets her ideal, so she immediately decides this must be it. That's my interpretation of her anyway.

The thing is that Galinda's family is wealthy. And typically, wealthy girls didn't have careers. They either got married, or went to university (often to find a husband) and then got married. There's even a trope for it. The idea just made sense to me.

My headcanon for Galinda is that she's a debutante, did a year or so of finishing school before Shiz.

And for those of you who read the book (yes, I know, I don't typically take from the Wicked book, but I have on occasion), Galinda does marry someone much older than her, and very wealthy, Sir Chuffrey.

So to me it seemed plausible that this was a very real option for Galinda; and I thought it would make a good secret for Galinda and to reveal as a crack in her "perfect" life.

I'm glad it was so well received!

Video: Works in Progress

Here's a video about all the Wicked fics I have planned, but done a little differently!

I used Prezi.com (basically super fancy power points) and Screencast-O-Matic (something new I was trying out) to make this. It was fun.

Wish List

A list of a few things I'd love to do if I had the skills/money/people were actually interested.

• Have an actual website. Like, I love my blog, and I try to be good and let you all know when I post something fic-related on it and try to make sure everything is tagged with the story title so (in theory) you should always be able to find stuff from an old story; but a website would be cool where you could just post the links within the story. 
• Do a fanfiction podcast. I just think a lot of people have a lot to say on fanfiction, and I like to discuss things. 
• Travel around the world and meet people from FF.net. Just because it'd be cool.

My Mental Oz

I've been meaning to do this for a while, but now I've finally had the motivation to actually do it.

Basically, I thought it would be interesting (for me at least, not necessarily you) to give you an idea of how I envision each province of Oz and a few other things.

Now, you may not agree, and if that's the case, I'd like to hear your opinion! Also, many of my mental images may differ from the information we're given in different sources; and that is mainly a result of me seeing the musical before reading the book and having seen The Wizard of Oz 1000 times before seeing Wicked.

For example, I know the Vinkus in the book is largely grasslands and desert. But again, I saw the musical before knowing anything of the book; and although I have the grasslands in my mental "Vinkus"- because it's also featured on the musical map, I still see the Vinkus as I first did upon watching Wicked.

I also have to stress that I haven't actually been to most of these places, so my mental images mostly come from pictures I've seen and movies/TV shows, etc. Also, the pictures used aren't exact, obviously. Just to give you an idea.

So, here we go:

Munchkinland:

Munchkinland is a tricky one, because I actually have two sources. One of course, is The Wizard of Oz movie, as Munchkinland is the first place in Oz we see. Although The WoO mostly forms my basis for Munchkin City itself, combined with sort of just the typical country town.

For the rest of the province, I mostly envision where I've been living the past 3 years- the Australian countryside. Lots of green, lots of farmland, lots of sheep.

And to be honest, maybe a little bit like The Shire from Lord of the Rings.











The Governor's Mansion:

The Governor's mansion is the sole exception to this picture, and it's very similar to what I picture for Gilikin, as you'll see in the next paragraph.
Basically it's a big white house. And for some reason, it's always on the top of a hill.

This is the Governor's Mansion in Alabama. LOOK AT THAT STAIRCASE!!! *swoon*
(I have this weird thing about staircases. Love them)

Gilikin:

My vision of Gilikin comes from certain American states. You know the big plantation houses? That's what I picture. Like Gone With the Wind kind of stuff. Very green, lots of trees....





The Emerald City:

Basically, early 1900s New York, but green. I watch a lot of movies set in early 1900s New York. Or just early 1900s.



The Vinkus:

Again, I know- deserts and grasslands. What do I picture? Germany. Why? Excellent question. I don't know.





Kiamo Ko:

There's some really pretty German castles, and that's how I picture Kiamo Ko.



Shiz:

For Shiz, I mostly think of the big Ivy League colleges- namely, Harvard. Very old and lots of stone work....



Quadling Country:

Quadling Country was a hard one, and one I've only written once so far. All I knew about Quadling Country in the beginning was "marshland" and they were poor. This is what I think of.





The Glikkus:

The Glikkus is a place I haven't written yet. All I knew about that was this is where they mine the Emeralds for the Emerald City, and aside from Australia the only place I know Emeralds come from is Russia.

So, yeah, I tend to think of Russia.






I think that's everything... there's also Ugabu of course, but that's disputed and I haven't written that either so I don't think about it much.

The Right Thing To Do

Today I posted the final chapter of The Right Thing To Do, probably the most challenging Wicked fanfiction I've written to date.

I know in the past, when I've written a fic where I have many thoughts on it, I've done a video. Whilst that is still my first choice, I am still visiting my parents and sound carries, and.... I've made it nearly 8 years without them realising I post fanfiction online, I'm not going to blow it now by having to try and explain why I'm making a video and talking about Wicked characters.

But I had a few thoughts on this story I wanted to share that I didn't really get to express throughout the writing of the story, and a comment on the sequel.... which no one has asked for and I'm not going to write, but you get a comment anyway.

Finding Motivation:

As I've mentioned, this story has been in the works since 2012, when I saw this scene during a Gilmore Girls marathon.
I knew people would freak- because I was freaking.
As soon as I saw the scene, and I knew it would be a Fiyeraba, I had to essentially work backwards to figure out the plot. And there were elements I knew people wouldn't like, because I didn't want to write them.
Glinda pregnant with Fiyero's baby? Keeping Fiyeraba apart? Nope. All bad things.
But I had this idea so clearly, I took it as a sign I had to write it.
It just took me a long time. I struggled to get started and admittedly happily postponed the project when I had an idea I was more motivated to write, until finally I just had to write this to be able to say I had.

The Stress of Posting:

I was so nervous about posting. Because you can never predict how people will react- and this story had a lot to react to.
The revelation of Glinda's pregnancy was a big one- because it was a Flinda baby, not a Fiyeraba baby. And I know how protective people can be of their OTP's relationship and "happy ever after".
When I was writing House fanfiction, there were many people who would not read a story that had any baby that was not a Hameron (House/Cameron) baby, particularly that involved one half of Hameron having a baby with a third party.
The other bit I was nervous about was the outcome of the wedding, and the resulting Gloq marriage. I've read things (not necessarily fics, but just things) where things like this seem to happen and it seems terribly contrived and convenient just so your preferred couple can have a happy ending. I wanted to try and avoid that, even if that's what it was.
Fortunately, you guys didn't seem to care what I did, as long as you got Fiyeraba.
And this may seem strange, but I was also nervous about Julyan. As I've stated, he was Julia's creation and she was insistent. But I'd never written a gay character before, and I don't feel I am particuarly "sassy", which I was informed was a key element of Julyan's character. I didn't want to make Julyan two-dimensional or a stereotype or anything like that. But the feedback I got on his character was all very positive!

TRTTD non-sequel- Notes on Expanded Canon:

As I said, I have no plans for a sequel. Sorry... not that anyone has asked for a sequel. But because I've spent so much time thinking about this story, I do have some idea how everyone ended up... mostly.

I think the correct term for this is "Expanded canon", or maybe it's just my headcanon, I don't know. So this is like a "Where are they now?" segment at the end of a movie.

Julyan. 

• I feel like Julyan would definishly have finished Smell the Sparkle, and I think it would have been a success. Not in a way like Phantom of the Opera, or something, it wouldn't be regarded as a classic of the epitome of what musical theatre is. But I feel like it would have been a popular show, maybe not with critics, but with audiences.
•  I also feel he would have kept up his wedding and event planning business, either in the Vinkus or in the Emerald City. 
• I had this thought he met his Mr Right through planning a wedding, a chef/baker (maybe Seeley from Don't Tell the Bride? I did love him). And I feel they would have eventually either adopted a little girl or had her through surrogacy. Either way, he definitely had a daughter. 

Nessa and Frex

• Frex and Elphaba's relationship improved a lot, which made the whole family happier. Maybe not to the extent of Come What May, but to the point Frex genuinely appreciated his eldest daughter and respected her wishes and happiness.
• Nessa continued to work with her father, and eventually took over as Governor of Munchkinland.
• Nessa eventually married the Glikkus ambassador to Munchkinland, who I feel was older than her. Not like, her father's age, but still a good few years older than her. Not sure whether they ever had children though.

Glinda and Boq

• I really believe within a year or two, Glinda was as much in love with Boq as she ever had been with Fiyero, maybe more. When I knew they'd get married, I kept thinking of this one line from the end of Sense and Sensibility-

"Marianne could never love by halves; and her whole heart became, in time, as much devoted to her husband as it had once been to Willoughby.”

 I've always seen a lot of Marianne in Glinda, and if you have no clue who/what I'm talking about, please go read Jane Austen's S&S or at least watch the movie. It's an excellent adaptation with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman.

• Boq and Glinda would have had at least one more child, and I have a feeling Glinda got the daughter she so wanted. 
• And I think a few years after Mazhar was born (because I do feel they ended up living in the Vinkus longer than first planned- probaly until Maz was 4 or 5) they moved to Munchkinland, not Gilikin- perhaps because, like Fiyero, I find the image of Glinda as a farmer's wife amusing. 

Glinda and Elphaba

• In the epilogue I wrote, 

"And Glinda had been right, they found. It wasn’t like before, and maybe they’d never be as close as they had once been." 

In the context of the epilogue, that made sense. It had only been six months and they were only writing back and forth.

• I do feel that eventually, it wasn't the same, but it was better. Because there were no secrets, no lies; and they were family. They were essentially co-parenting a child together (with the boys, of course). I feel eventually, especially once she fell in love with Boq, she was as enthusiastic about the Fiyeraba as she is in every other fic I write. 

Elphaba and Fiyero

• I think eventually, Elphaba and Fiyero did get married. And by eventually, I mean years. 
• I feel it wasn't smooth sailing, I think Elphaba would have put a lot of pressure on herself about the relationship because of all the circumstances surrounding it, and it would have been a rocky road. 
• I think she managed to keep herself out of the press until Mazhar was about two and then the press got wind of the fact that she and Fiyero weren't just very good friends; but I don't think the press ever connected her to Fiyero and Glinda's breakup- at least not yet.
• I think it was at least five years before they got engaged, probably a few years after that they had any children. 

Mazhar

• Maz is a happy kid. He'll never be king, but by the time he's old enough to really understand that, he's spent enough time living in Munchkinland he doesn't care about that. 
• And I think that while he understands Boq and (eventually) Elphaba are just his step-parents, he sees them as much his parents as Fiyero and Glinda. I'm always switching around what he calls them, but he has this huge family and doesn't know any different.
•  I feel he'd spent the summer and alternate Lurlinemas's in the Vinkus, and there'd be many trips back and forth all through the year; and everyone would get together for his birthday. 

I think that's everything... any questions or anything else you want to know? Any headcanons of your own you want to share?

The Right Thing To Do: Glinda's Wedding Dress

As much as I don't like writing this wedding, I did have fun picking Glinda's wedding dress. You can go a lot more princess/flowing with Glinda than Elphaba, because the only way Elphaba would wear this dress was if you held a gun to her head- and maybe not even then.

The Perils of Dating A Commotion: Elphaba's Wedding Dress & Boots

Elphaba's wedding dress

Elphaba's wedding boots

Sneak Peek: The Right Thing to Do

As you may know (if you care and/or are paying attention), my next Wicked fanfiction is entitled "The Right Thing to Do"

I've been planning and trying to write this since 2012, and I am determined to finish it now!

If you've really been paying attention, you will know this fic has a secret (well, not so secret) title in certain circles as "the Sassy Gay Julyan fic".

Basically when I first had the idea, I ran it past Julia- as I always do (well, did. Not so much these days :( She's busy and time zones suck). And Julia demanded an OC.

When I told her there was no room in this fic for a female OC, she decided the simple solution was to make it a male OC. And of course, he should be sassy and gay. So, SGJ was born.

She was pretty insistent.

I really had no choice

Julia wrote him a backstory and everything (which I'm not using most of, but I keep it because it amuses me):

Right so Sassy Gay Julyan. He grew up in the Vinkus with a dream of being a famous star on Emerald Street (the Ozian equivalent of Broadway, obviously) but after coming out to his parents as gay, they demanded that he stop with all the glitter and become a totally serious lawyer. Naturally, he goes to Shiz with the intention of fulfilling his parents' wishes, but soon meets Fiyero Tiggular, who teaches him it's okay to put glitter in inappropriate places. But when Elphaba wrongfully punches Fiyero's precious nose, Sassy Gay Julyan realizes that he needs to take action. So he not only becomes an Oz-renown nose lawyer, but also, he becomes the practically worshiped directed and star of the musical: "Smell the Sparkle," a tale based on his life and his experiences as a Sassy Gay Friend. He also frequently gives Fiyero Sassy Gay advice and flirts with all of the guys in a (mostly) platonic way.

Yeah, Julia's still upset over Fiyero's nose being broken in Out of the Blue. 

In case you couldn't tell.

 Anyway, I'm not using a lot of that backstory, but I love it.

I wasn't really sure writing Sassy Gay Julyan (the character, not the story) would turn out, but when I showed the first mention of him to Julia, she loved it. As have a few other people who have seen it. So, I thought I'd share it with you guy.

• 
  

  "“Will we finally get to meet your friend? Julyan?” Boq asked.
• 
  

  They had all been hearing about Julyan for about two years, but none of them had ever met him. Julyan was Fiyero’s best friend since the boys were five, and all they really knew about him was that he was gay and living in the Emerald City. He had studied at the CEC earning a degree in performing arts, and was performing in the ensemble of Wizomania as he created his own musical in his spare time. The name of which kept changing. None of them were even sure there was a plot. “I think so,” Fiyero answered Boq. “His contract with Wizomania was up a month ago, and he hasn’t mentioned anything in his letters about renewing it. He keeps insisting this is the year to finish the musical.” “I’m pretty sure you need a plot and title before you can finish anything,” Elphaba said dryly. “It has a plot!” Fiyero defended his friend. She rolled her eyes. “Yero, the last I remember, it consisted of an epic love story between a pirate and a ninja; a talking unicorn and an underground break dancing society. None of which to me say ‘this is a logical plot’. It doesn’t even have a title, unless he’s reconsidered “Jump the Horn”, which references none of the above so-called “plot points.” Except maybe the unicorn,” she acknowledged as an afterthought. “Ok, so it’s a work in progress,” Fiyero admitted. “But still…”"

It's only a little bit, but there you go. Enjoy ;)