@tontonguetonks / tontonguetonks.tumblr.com
New year, new challenge. I'm hoping to battle the urge to delay posting anything because it isn't perfect by posting a chapter a month in 2024. If all goes well, by the end of the year I'll have my first longfic out there in the world! Regardless of its quality ^^'
Summary: Draco is fresh out of Azkaban. Harry is his parole Auror.
happy ofmd renewal day! here is my little witch with knives in her feet adoringly laying on her new gay pirate flag catnip toy
Found this in my drafts, with zero idea of when I wrote it or wtf I was thinking.
It's on the snowiest of days that Harry finds himself missing Hedwig the most. The sound of the wind rattling the window pane yanks him out of his melancholic daydreaming and he turns to find a snowy white owl, large, glassy yellow eyes boring into his soul. It takes him a moment to realize that there really is an owl at his window. He crosses the room and throws it open, snow and chill wind whirling in behind the creature as it lands on his kitchen table. Attached to its leg is a tiny, round package wrapped in plain brown paper. The owl holds out its leg to Harry, and he feels a pang of guilt twist in his stomach. This owl's attitude resembles Hedwig's too much.
He digs out a small handful of owl treats from the bag beneath the window and spreads them out onto the table before freeing the bird.
At first, Harry wonders why anyone would send him a Snitch when he unwraps the package until he sees a tiny clasp along the Snitch's mid-line. He opens it, and inside is a tiny rolled up piece of parchment. He spots a bit of emerald green ink and a familiar as script before a sound at the fireplace distracts him.
Draco tumbles out, soot in his dishevelled hair. He's wrapped up warm in a knit scarf that was a gift from Mrs. Weasley last winter. He doesn't stand, but kneels, and Harry bites back a sob when Draco pulls out an identical Golden Snitch box.
"Yes!" Harry cries, darting across the kitchen and into the sitting room before Draco even has time to ask.
The reason most people are bad at offering cogent criticisms of other people's work is because they're evaluating those works on the basis of The Thing They Would Make, not The Thing You Would Make. Indeed, a great many people don't understand that those are different things, interpreting The Thing You Would Make as a defective or incomplete version of The Thing They Would Make.
This gulf of understanding is not an impassable one. Learning to correctly identify the author's creative goals with respect to a particular work, and to formulate criticism in terms of how best to achieve those goals, is a skill which can be cultivated. In its proper place, it can be a hugely valuable skill – there's a reason many authors will tell you that a good editor is worth their weight in gold.
Unfortunately, developing this skill will not make you any less prone to being a hater. Learning how to correctly identify other people's creative goals simply means that you'll graduate from picking at specific choices to saying: "I understand this work's goals, and those goals fucking suck. I hate everything that this chooses to be."
This is why a good beta is so hard to find. And also why many writers don't make the best betas (me included). A beta really has to be able to disconnect themselves from both 1) "how I would do this", and 2) "what i would enjoy reading."
It's really hard to be able to put all that aside and just help the author write the story the way they want to write it, and to help them meet their goals whatever it might be. To disconnect yourself enough to be like, "okay, what are they going for? how might their style best serve this type of storytelling? what questions are actually going to be useful here to help push them further on their own path? what way can I say things so that they can hear it and that it won't hinder their progress in any way?"
You betas are amazing mythical beings and I appreciate you all so much.
excellent beta advice! saving for later
"Look at those colours."
"Don't tell me you've never seen a canola field? They're everywhere."
"They look amazing."
it’s amazing how i can look at a piece of fanart and immediately know what fic inspired it 🥰 this is BEAUTIFUL
✨ these comics are from a popular drarry fic called eclipse by mijan! for anyone new here, the context is that draco has a phobia for bodies of water, & with his consent, harry tries to help him overcome it. harry initiates by taking off his shoes for him when he sees draco stiffen up & it kinda tumbles into this tender moment where draco feels braver helping harry undress if harry can help him with his own clothes.
its a very sweet metaphor for the themes of the fic where draco is still a bit pathetic and slow at disavowing his parents’ views (although clearly wanting to) but, by contrast, feels braver helping harry escape voldemort. and it is through helping harry through his adversaries that slowly has draco proving to himself that he is capable and ultimately, more himself, when offering to do good. anyways!!! im smitten by this fic as you can tell.
hope you enjoy my little rendition of it!
you can see the wips for this as well as other fun content on our patreon! all support goes towards funding us creating & our 501(c)3 cat rescue!
i’m so happy to see this fic getting some love, and even more for fanart! but i was also like ‘i don’t remember this part’ until i read the description XD forgot about that. it’s been years since my last reread
shoes on in the house who cares vs shoes off upstairs vs shoes off at the door. tag urself and where you’re from or/and the main culture u follow at home
team house slippers! leave your shoes at the door, please. it’s hard enough to keep the floors clean with two cats 😘🇨🇦
Thank you @Vukovich for the tag!
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
37. 36 under tontonguetonks, and one under anonymous
2. What’s your total AO3 word count?
11,768
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Harry Potter
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
Nothing Like a First Kiss; Your House; Coffee and a Croissant; Because You Made It; Harry Potter: The Boy in Heels
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
As many as I can! The engagement is so satisfying, and returning to comments when I’m feeling down is a great way to boost my mood.
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Uuuuhm, probably Your House? But even that ending is hopeful.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
8. Do you get hate on fics?
None so far!
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
Occasionally. I think the only smut is from Your House and it’s hella cringy. And getting re-written.
10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?
Nope! Read ‘em occasionally, though.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not to my knowledge.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Nope! One podfic, though, for Harry Potter: The Boy in Heels by PhenomenalAsterisk :D (This made my year!)
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I have not! That would be awesome to do one day <3
14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?
I am Drarry trash.
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
Sadly, my anon one. Which is why it’s in the anon collection ^^’ I love the premise, but I fell into the trap of biting off more than I can chew and trying to shove too much plot in and lost much of my inspiration.
16. What are your writing strengths?
I think I write better when restricted by a word count. I tend to spotlight sensory details or dialogue when I’m on a word budget.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
Too many Scrivener files for the same damn story. Too many versions of the same story, written all the different ways. I get lost.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
I’ll include it when necessary? I do love a French-speaking Draco, but my French is Québecois, and his… isn’t.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
InuYasha. No, none of it is published. You’re welcome.
20. Favourite fic you’ve written?
I love almost all of them! But I think the most satisfying one to look back on is Coffee and a Croissant because writing it for @cupofsquirrelfan has been a joy <3
Aaaah I am bad at the tagging part of tagging games. Apologies if you've already been tagged! @phenomenalasterisk; @cupofsquirrelfan; @flintandfuss
I CANNOT WAIT OMG
Need a little boost here! 🥺
*summoning fandom power*
It's really the last chance to own this deck, so if you know someone who may like it, please share ❤
We have time till October 25th! ✨
Ahhh omg y'all check out illustory's GO card deck and get yourself some lovely affirmations and art!!
💫 It's okay to write fiction you would not want your grandmother to see.
💫 Different stories are for different audiences.
💫 You do not have to appeal to everyone.
💫 Don't sacrifice the story you want to tell for an imaginary audience or for imaginary critics.
I just updated my tablet to the newest version of the tumblr app for iOS and it completely broke screen reader access for both VoiceOver and Spoken Content. This has happened in the past already, so I will file a support ticket and copy-paste my text from last time, but this really sucks. I sincerely hope this doesn’t affect all screen reader users, but I’m unsure how they could program this bug in a way it only affects me. If you rely on a screen reader to use the tumblr app, I’d advice to not get the latest update to be on the safe side.
When I say “completely broke access”, what I mean is that no posts on my dash or on individual blogs get read or recognized at all. No plain text, alt text, tags, etc. Note count and buttons still work though.
If you also run into this bug, here’s my advice. If anyone has something more useful, please tell me
If you have the latest version but your screen reader didn’t break, also please tell me! I would be fascinated to know if this bug is only affecting some people
Read it in its inaugural form here. ~3k. mind the tags, lovelies <3
tags for this post: divorce, grief, the sads, past drarry relationship
The divorce papers lay strewn over the threshold to the den, where dust particles hung heavy in the air, suspended in the sunlight from the front windows.
Headcannon: Draco grows his hair out(similar to his father's) and when he's bored, Harry braids it. It just kinda happened on accident one day and became a habit. It has gotten to the point that Draco allows him to do it everyday, it's routine. Alternatively: Draco once tried to tame Harry's hair before they went out. This resulted in the comb, the straight iron, and Draco's hand getting stuck in his hair.
omg hahaha I’m laughing thanks to that last bit! Thanks so much!!
I love love the two headcanons! They def. happened! What about the two of them happening the same day? Draco wanting to return the favour to Harry and then… the mess!
You just made it ten times better. I’m glad you liked them.
@camomile-cookies like this? I might fix it later, I’m better at traditional art, but here you go.
um. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! 😍
The flirty fairy 🧚 has popped in and left you some fairy dust! 🌼✨ It should bring you luck for the rest of the day 🎉 - just mix it in some water and hydrate! 😘
haha, this is so sweet!
hydration check, everybody! 💧
tbh shoutout to the over 40s on tumblr, sorry the internet acts like yall belong in the retirement home when ur literally just regular adults with hobbies
Thanks for the tag, @vukovich ! I tag Willow, but I don’t think they have Tumblr.
Three ships: Drarry, Scorbus, aaaaand. idk. im tired.
First ship: Inukag. Still my only straight ship.
Last song: i wish you cheated - Alexander Stewart
Last movie: Ugh. The Dumbledore one. :/ only somewhat by choice
Currently reading: Raising Other People’s Children: What Foster Parenting Taught Me About Bringing Together a Blended Family - Debbie Ausburn (my partner and I are thinking of fostering a handful or so of years from now… and it has been occupying ALL OF MY BRAIN SPACE for the past week)
Currently watching: Nothing, though the Red White and Royal Blue movie is on the list. Movie night, anyone?
Last thing I wrote: minor edits to my 8th year epistolary fic that has been collecting dust for over a year. and by minor, I mean i changed maybe two words.
Currently writing: still slowly working away at that vamp fic… help me.
