Hi, I'm Jackie. On this blog you can expect Once Upon a Time, Glee, Broadway musicals, and Tumblr randomness. My Glee fics (mostly Klaine) and my OUaT (Rumbelle) fics are linked in the sidebar.
Two identical infants lay in the cradle. “One you bore, the other is a Changeling. Choose wisely,” the Fae’s voice echoed from the shadows. “I’m taking both my children,” the mother said defiantly.
Once upon a time there was a peasant woman who was unhappy
because she had no children. She was happy in all other things – her husband
was kind and loving, and they owned their farm and had food and money enough. But
she longed for children.
She went to church and prayed for a child every Sunday, but
no child came. She went to every midwife and wise woman for miles around, and
followed all their advice, but no child came.
So at last, though she knew of the dangers, she drew her brown
woolen shawl over her head and on Midsummer’s Eve she went out to the forest,
to a certain clearing, and dropped a copper penny and a lock of her hair into
the old well there, and she wished for a child.
“You know,” a voice said behind her, a low and cunning voice,
a voice that had a coax and a wheedle and a sly laugh all mixed up in it
together, “that there will be a price to pay later.”
She did not turn to look at the creature. She knew better. “I
know it,” she said, still staring into the well. “And I also know that I may
set conditions.”
“That is true,” the creature said, after a moment, and there
was less laugh in its voice now. It wasn’t pleased that she knew that. “What
condition do you set? A boy child? A lucky one?”
“That the child will come to no harm,” she said, lifting her
head to stare into the woods. “Whether I succeed in paying your price, or
passing your test, or not, the child will not suffer. It will not die, or be
hurt, or cursed with ill luck or any other thing. No harm of any kind.”
“Ahhhhh.” The sound was long and low, between a sigh and a
hum. “Yes. That is a fair condition. Whatever price there is, whatever test
there is, it will be for you and you alone.” A long, slender hand extended into
her sight, almost human save for the skin, as pale a green as a new leaf. The
hand held a pear, ripe and sweet, though the pears were nowhere ripe yet. “Eat
this,” the voice said, and she trembled with the effort of keeping her eyes
straight ahead. “All of it, on your way home. Before you enter your own gate,
plant the core of it beside the gate, where the ground is soft and rich. You
will have what you ask for.”
The time has come! Please submit your votes for the anonymous authors that you feel should advance to Round Two. You can click here for the ballot, or click on the link at the top of the blog that says VOTE: ROUND ONE.
As you’re voting, please remember what I said before. Every vote counts, but all the likes, reblogs, and comments may also help decide who advances to the next round.
Voting ends on April 30th, so don’t delay!
Edited to add: apparently, the ballot is not showing up when you click the link on mobile. You can only access it on a computer. If anyone knows of a fix for this, please let me know.
Summary: Set in year leading up to the time jump in Dreams Come True. Kurt and Blaine have been married for five years, still living in New York City, still trying to navigate life. As their friends become settled around them, Kurt and Blaine figure out who they are, and who they are as a couple, as they settle into being a full adult. A story of marriage as it grows up and settles down for good.
A/N: Hey guys - this was started back in 2019, and based on the Final Season sketch I wrote detailing what the “final season” of Glee would be like - taking the characters up to the points we see them at the end of Dreams Come True. Each chapter is meant to be stand alone/episodic - like an episode of a tv season - but there is an overarching story to the narrative as a whole.
Thanks @snarkyhag for beta'ing - though I’m sure it’s been so long she doesn’t even remember, lol <3
No - I did not forget about my other WIPs, but since I wrote nothing over my vacation, I thought I’d send this finally out into the world - the last of my big WIP ideas.
******
Episode 1: The Camping Trip
It’s Thursday night and they’re making out on the couch. Kurt’s on his back, head propped on a pillow. Blaine hovers slightly over him as they trade slow and deep kisses. There’s no rush, no frantic rubbing of bodies, no hustle to shimmy clothes off. In fact, they’re barely touching except where their mouths are connected. They have the time, finally, to enjoy each other. To really let it play out.
He thinks he remembers the last time they had sex - probably a few weeks ago? Maybe a month? When they started their run on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf Kurt made it a point to schedule in time for a quickie or two during the week. Their work schedule didn’t really allow for anything more. Besides, fast and efficient fucking is the best stress relief. By the end of the run, however, they had been both so exhausted that neither really wanted to have sex. They barely had the energy to have a full conversation, let alone do anything that required more than falling into their bed every night.
But even so, sex had maintained a staple of their marriage. Making out, however? Kurt can’t remember the last time he and Blaine just made out.
It’s funny, their friend circle would claim the making out is a common occurrence; everyone always bringing up the one time they were too busy making out in a car to attend a wedding. Well, that had been a good five, no six, years ago now – way past the days when stealing kisses had been the most thrilling thing they could do. Still, their unhurried make out reminds Kurt of being back in high school when it had been more about the journey and less about the destination. He wants to just sink into the couch and enjoy Blaine, enjoy all of the Blaine. Dammit, it’s been long enough. He’s going to.
He can tell Blaine’s getting a little tired of holding himself up. They break for a moment, Kurt spreading his legs so Blaine can settle between them, gently putting his weight on top of Kurt. The lazy kisses resume, now with a slow rocking of the hips. He can feel Blaine growing hard in his jeans, Kurt’s own arousal slowly building. He’s not chasing it, however. He lets it linger, enjoys the warmth and familiarity of Blaine on top of him.
Kurt is intent on enjoying himself tonight because, god knows, they’re going to have to start job hunting tomorrow. Usually they’re better than this, having another job lined up when a run ends. But the play had taken everything out of them, even testing their marriage. And now they have to face the reality of unemployment. Kurt should really check his email before they actually get to bed to see if…
As a fan creator, you are your own “boss” and therefore you decide on your own workload. However, if you are enthusiastic about the fandom or if you’re one of a small set of creators or if you’re trying to “keep up” with other writers, you might take on more work than you can reasonably handle.
A lot of fan creators feel a strong sense of responsibility attached to their posting schedule, for example, or feel guilt associated with not writing on a particular day. Self-imposed deadlines can become hard and fast rules rather than personal goals, and there is stress and anxiety related to not meeting those deadlines. Missing a posting date or taking too long of a break from uploading content can feel like a risk, like your audience will be disappointed and might even disappear.
Workload becomes a problem when you feel overwhelmed by what you need to do. This might be because you have accepted prompts from others, because you’ve started several works in progress but not completed them yet, or because you’ve signed up to participate in fandom events.
If you find yourself overloaded and stressed out by your to do list, it’s time to prioritize and deselect.
What fics are you most interested in writing? Put those at the top of your list. What are you not at all interested in doing? Remove those from the list. If that means that you won’t fill a prompt, let the requester know that you won’t be able to write it for them. Generally speaking, people are understanding. Telling them also means that they are free to give that prompt to another author.
Fandom event organizers would also rather you let them know early that you’ll be pulling out. The more time you can give them to find a replacement for you, the better. Most organizers have “back up” writers available who will take on unclaimed prompts for people who are unable to complete the challenge or event.
Be open and honest with yourself and with others about what you can really do. It will be better for everyone involved. A sustainable workload is necessary for you to be able to continue creating long-term.
Because of the amount of time and energy being devoted to fic and the exhaustion that results from overwork, authors who are experience burnout are more likely to need more rewards from the community in order to feel like their effort is worthwhile. If the reward they are receiving feels too small for too long, these authors might complain about a lack of comments or kudos, insist on more interaction from their communities, or maybe even stop writing altogether.
Unfortunately, no amount of reward will help them restore their depleted energy.
It’s important to note that you can feel burnt out, even when you’re doing something you love. Because it’s something you love doing, you are more likely to push yourself to do it even when you’re tired or otherwise need to rest. This is even more true when fic writing is something you’ve done in the past to help you relax from other life stresses.
If you are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed or like you have too much on your plate take a step back. Give yourself some time off. Remember that writing is your hobby and ultimately the only person you are responsible to is yourself.
Rest, recharge, and let go of the things that aren’t working right now. Take care of yourself first and you’ll be better able to take care of others later.
The ask box is open! Let the authors know how much you love their stories. Please include the title of the fic or the writer’s Showdown pseud in your message.
Adulthood does require a lot of paperwork (as does my specific job), and I have also sometimes struggled to keep up with it at times! I have ADHD that I manage without medication, and that has required me to come up with a lot of creative strategies for managing deadlines and responsibilities. If you’re struggling, I recommend:
Use the technology that’s available. There are a lot of apps and programs out there to help you keep track of things, and many of them are free. Ideally, look for apps that you can sync across multiple devices. I personally relied on Google Calendar to get me through graduate school - you can enter deadlines and tasks, and set up reminders for yourself to jog your memory. It also gives you a visual look at your schedule, so you can see where you have space to slot extra tasks into your day. In addition to Google Calendar, I recommend checking out Any.Do, Habitica, Bear, EverNote, and 24Me. You can also use the built-in reminder app on your phone, and if remembering to jot things down is a struggle for you, iPhone users can verbally tell Siri to set a reminder for them - I use this function of Siri several times per day. There is no shame in being dependent on technology to manage your life; there are great programs out there, and it’s okay to use the tools that are available. It doesn’t matter which app you choose, or how many apps you choose - it’s about finding a system that works for you.
Try bullet journalling or using an organizer. If technology just doesn’t work for you, you can also try using pen-and-paper methods to keep your life on track. You can find pre-made organizers and agendas at any bookstore, complete with calendars, to-do lists and daily agendas. If you want more control over format, you can also look into starting a bullet journal. It may take a while to set up your bullet journal and get the hang of using it, but when you’re done, you have a fully customized organizational system that can help you track whatever needs tracking in your life. I personally use a bullet journal, and I find it immensely helpful.
Invest in a filing cabinet. Shoving important documents into random drawers and cupboards is an excellent way to not be able to find those documents when you need them. Invest in a small filing cabinet, and take an afternoon to sort and label your important papers. All your essential ID documents, school paperwork, financial paperwork, etc, should be properly sorted and labelled so that you know exactly what documents are where. The time that you spend creating and setting up this system will save you a lot of panicked hours digging through random piles of paperwork you shoved into a drawer in the future.
Automate whatever tasks you can. If your bill payments can be automated, do it. If you have products that you regularly use, set up an automatic order of them on Amazon. If you’re going on vacation and don’t want to waste hours emailing everyone to let them know, set up an automatic reply that lets people know when you’ll be back. If it can be automated, automate it. The best way to keep track of deadlines is to minimize the number of deadlines you need to keep track of. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress.
Write everything down. The easiest way to miss a deadline is to forget to write it down. Never assume that you are going to remember something just because you promised yourself you would. If you have something you need to remember, jot it down, enter it into whatever organizational tool you are using, and make sure you set a reminder. Seeing all your tasks written out can help you figure out which deadlines are coming up first, and plan your time accordingly.
Do chores on a schedule. Trying to wing your deadlines and household chores is a really awesome way to find yourself frantically doing laundry at 2 in the morning because you have a big presentation in the morning and you’re totally out of clean clothes. Figure out a regular weekly schedule for your chores, and enter them into your calendar. Not only will this help you visualize how much time your chores take up every week, but doing chores regularly saves you a lot of time and energy - it’s much better to spend 10 minutes per week wiping down the shower stall, rather than spending 3 hours trying sandblast a month’s worth of soap scum off the tub.
Break large projects down into small, manageable chunks. Let’s say you have a huge term paper due three months from now at the end of the semester. Your grades and sanity both depend on you not waiting until the last minute to write that paper. But when you think about how much work needs to be done to write that paper - thinking of a topic, researching, outlining, writing, proofreading, citing, formatting, etc - it’s easy to get completely overwhelmed, and procrastinate working on the paper until the 11th hour. Instead of having an all-out, last-minute panic, start by breaking large projects down into tasks that don’t seem so daunting. If you need to write a 20-page paper with at least 10 cited sources, start by giving yourself 2 weeks to find 5 good sources to cite. Then in the next two weeks, find 5 more sources to cite. Then in the two weeks after that, write the outline. You get the picture. When tasks are broken down, it becomes a lot less overwhelming to do them, and you make much better progress.
Learn to prioritize. There are two things you need to think about when you’re trying to prioritize a task - how urgent it is, and how important it is. An urgent task is one that has to be done soon; an important task is one that has a very important outcome for you. All the tasks in your life fall somewhere on the urgent-important spectrum. If tax deadline is in three days and you haven’t filed yet, filing your taxes is both urgent and important. Taking the garbage out when the can is full is urgent, but not important - nothing in your life will go terribly wrong if you don’t do it. If you want to be a writer someday, working on your writing is important, but not urgent - there’s no deadline, but your life will be hugely negatively impacted if you don’t do it. In general, when you’re prioritizing, tasks should be done in the following order: important + urgent > urgent but not important > important but not urgent > neither important nor urgent. Sometimes, prioritizing means letting things slide if they aren’t worth the time and effort to do them. When you’re a student, this often means taking a hard look at how important something is. If you have a pop quiz tomorrow that’s worth 2% of your grade, and a midterm in two days worth 25% that you are completely unprepared for, your best bet is to take a quick skim of your pop quiz notes and spend the bulk of your time studying for the midterm, even if it means getting a mediocre grade on the quiz.
Overestimate how much time you’ll need to complete a project. How much time do you think it’s going to take you to finish that homework assignment that’s due next week? Think about all the contingencies - assume that you get stuck a couple times and have to scour the internet for answers, or call up your friend who took the class last semester. Maybe you estimate that the assignment should take 4 hours total to complete. Perfect - now schedule yourself 6-8 hours to actually get it done. People tend to dramatically overestimate their own efficiency, and underestimate the time it takes them to actually finish important tasks. If you don’t want to be scrambling all the time, the best thing you can do is intentionally overestimate how much time you need.
Do a regular “life audit”. Every 1-2 weeks, block out some time to sit down and take stock of everything that’s going on in your life. How did the previous week go? Did you get everything done that you needed to? Is there anything you need to catch up on? What are the things that are coming up in your life? What needs to get done this week? Are you making progress toward your goals? How’s the household chore situation? What do you need to prioritize for the week ahead? Is there anything that you’re wasting too much time on? Are there any papers or files that you need to put away in your filing cabinet before they get lost? Checking in with yourself regularly gives you a chance to catch small issues before they can snowball into enormous problems.
Staying on top of deadlines is a skill, and it’s easy to mess up every now and then. We all do it. The key is to keep trying, and to keep striving for improvement.
