I dream of the day when I won’t have to look at this fucking chart….

Malibu Kisses

Long time no see! I am officially back for 2019. Took a break earlier in the year to do a ton of reading and improve my editing skills, so I hope yall can see the difference in my work while still getting that classic cookie vibe. First up is some Sheith! I have absolutely fallen off the deep end for them, and every other thing I see makes me think of a new AU. There’s enough angst to go around, so have some sweet fluff, teasing, and well…its me…so smut. Tis my brand *shrugs*. This is one big ol’ fic at a whopping 7k, which is my longest single fic to date. So celebrate this milestone with me with some fun in the tub. Big thanks to my beta team that listened to me cry about this fic for months. Yall kept me sane and away from the delete button. I hope yall enjoy. Leave me a comment, reblog, tag, anything so I know what yall like. Be sure to check out my writing blog @luminescent-words for all fics, WIPs, and everything literary!

Pairing: Sheith

Length: 7k

Read on AO3

Read on FF.net

They were supposed to be at a hot springs. They were supposed to be drunk. They were supposed to be naked. But their getaway was cut short at “one more meeting”. Shiro has a plan to remedy two of those things, and it requires Keith, the largest tub he’s ever seen, and some coconut rum. Drunk and in love is a combination they know well, but tonight things get a little extra steamy.

Malibu Kisses

Malibu was sweet—too sweet—but Keith didn’t mind the sugary taste when he was licking it off Shiro’s lips. Everything tasted better when it was stolen from his tongue. And, tonight, the menu consisted of rum, whiskey, and the most gorgeous man in the Garrison on his stomach beneath the sheets. That was, if Shiro could find his surprise he’d so eagerly mentioned before.

They hadn’t intended on staying so late at the Garrison, but one meeting always led to another for Shiro. Then, the MFEs had come knocking on Keith’s door, and, regrettably, he’d be there to answer. Hours in the cockpit of a new fighter jet, simulator reprogramming, and several ass kickings doled out on the training deck later, he vowed never to make that mistake again.

All they’d wanted was a small getaway, but there was no such thing as a day off for the admiral or the leader of Voltron. It wasn’t surprising that their plans had fallen apart; what had been, was the way Shiro had welcomed him back to their room with a coconut kiss and the promise of something special. Immediately, Keith had dropped his bag, grabbed his own poison of choice, and let a giggling Shiro tug him out the door.

It didn’t take long for the pair to sneak along the hallways of the Atlas or for Keith to catch up to Shiro’s level of inebriation. With a bottle of whiskey in one hand and Shiro’s fingers laced in the other, he let himself be dragged past room after room he didn’t recognize. Though, at the rate they were going, maybe Shiro was a little too tipsy to remember where his surprise actually was.

Keith reached his hand out to grasp Shiro’s shoulder, ready to steer him back to their room and their nice, soft bed, or at least a closet for a little quick privacy, when Shiro made the smallest gasp of joy.

Metal fingers against his chest tilted Keith’s world on its axis. Their feet tangled together, sending him stumbling toward the floor and his back into a door. Shiro crowded around him, held him up—so close he could barely breathe.

Apparently, they’d arrived at their destination.

Keith hardly had a thought to spare about where they’d ended up, though, with the way Shiro was looking down at him, cheeks flushed with that perfect shade of pink he would do anything for.

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Words related to “afraid”:

jittery

jumpy

fearful

scared

rattled

shaken

startled

panicky

anxious

worried

terrified

hesitant

alarmed

agitated

shocked

petrified

spooked

timorous

unnerved

distraught

lily-livered

frightened

distressed

concerned

intimidated

fainthearted

yellowbellied

apprehensive

disconcerted

panic-stricken

Writing Tip:

Avoid filter words

Stuff like ‘he felt’ and ‘she saw’ and ‘he remembered’–the stuff that shows us the story as it’s filtered through the PoV character’s senses

sometimes it’s fine, but a lot of the time adding in those extra words puts extra distance between the reader and the narrative, and it keeps the reader from getting quite as engaged with what’s going on

Consider:

He saw the gates open up, and he felt cold air blast his face. The wind howled in his ears, and he remembered how beautiful this place had looked back before the Frozen King seized the throne.

vs.

The gates opened wide, and cold air blasted his face. Icy wind howled in his ears. This place had been so beautiful before the Frozen King seized the throne.

The first example isn’t necessarily bad, but the second one is a heck of a lot more intimate. And though they’re both pretty okay on the scale of a paragraph, that first option can get really grating if you let it carry through a whole story

Like… as a reader, I know the character is seeing and hearing and feeling these things. You wouldn’t be mentioning them if they didn’t. So having the constant reminder that the character perceives stuff is like… it’s the literary equivalent of those vacation photos where you can’t see the sights cause the person’s thumb is in the way

So yeah. Let the reader see the world through the character’s eyes without making them feel like they’re riding around in a character-shaped meat-suit. It’s actually a relatively small thing, but this is one of those little details that can turn an ‘okay’ piece of writing into an absolutely awesome one, so I feel like it’s worth keeping in mind 

Starfarers: Chapter 2

Happy gajevy day yall! I am so excited for all the love for my dear gajevy. This is where I finished off the original prompt for my Eden’s Zero crossover fic but we have now turned into a multichap. Levy dives into the deep end this time, and we finally meet Gajeel and a few of the crew members of the Iron Dragon. I hope yall enjoy. Leave me a comment, reblog, tag, anything so I know what yall like. Be sure to check out my writing blog @luminescent-words for all fics, WIPs, and everything literary!

Pairing: Gajevy

Length: 2.2k

Levy McGarden has a thriving business and a comfortable life on Blue Garden. But that life was turned upside down the night she crashed into the Captain of the Iron Dragon. Space pirate: Gajeel Redfox. She saved his life that night, and they’ve only grown closer since. Now, he’s got a proposition: come with him and he’ll take her to find what she’s been searching for her entire life.

Chapter 2: Captain

Levy whirled around.

Gajeel.

“Of course I got the note.” Her words tried to come out harsh, but the warmth spreading through her heart dulled their bite.

He was everything she remembered and more. Clad in a simple black shirt and leather jacket, he exuded confidence. Wild raven hair cascaded down his back, tempered by a thick gray bandana that matched the studded embellishments on his clothes and face. His red eyes pierced straight through to her heart. Tall and muscular and tanned from hours outside, he looked like he’d stepped straight out of one of her romance novels—only better.

The curve of his lips sent a shiver down her spine as he inspected her over too. Six weeks was such a long time, and there were so many details that had faded from the picture of him in her mind. The tiny scars on his hands, the sparkle of metal against his skin when his piercings caught the light. Holoscreens and wanted posters could not hope to do him justice.

Then there was his arm. Entirely mechanical, it stretched from the top of his left shoulder all the way down to his fingers. Dots of color and symbols speckled the entirety of the prosthetic, hiding the many gadgets—and weapons—his disposal. Dangerous, alluring, exciting. Real and right in front of her.  

Gajeel flashed a wicked smile. “I knew you’d come. You were never afraid, not even that first night.” He took a long drag of her coffee. The cocky grin plastered across his face vanished in a twist of lips. “That’s no good. Needs whiskey.”

Lifting onto her tiptoes, Levy swiped the cup back. “I’d thank you to not take my things.”

“Ah,” he sighed, “but that’s what pirates do, little Levy.”

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How To End Your Story

The Circle Ending- A story that does a full circle and comes back to the beginning

The Moral Ending- An ending where you learn a lesson and see the character develop

The Surprise Ending- A big plot twist last minute

The Reflection Ending- The Character looks back on their past achievements and experiences

The Emotional Ending- Leave your readers feeling sad, bittersweet, or happy

The Cliff Hanger Ending- End on something that will leave your readers at the edge of their seat

The Humor Ending- Finish in a funny or humorous way

The Question Ending- Make the reader wonder what will happen next

The Image Ending- Show, don’t tell

The Dialogue Ending- Finish with a quote from one of your characters

Starfarers: Chapter 1

Happy birthday @whereisthefood123! I am so excited to finally bring yall my Day 2 prompt for Fallfest. I’ve been in love with the idea of an Eden’s Zero crossover and here you have it. This was originally a oneshot, but I’ve expanded it into at least a three part fic. In honor of my co-mod’s birthday, have Part 1 of Starfarers! WTFood is a fantastic writer, friend, and really helped pull the event together. Happy birthday, darling. I hope you have a fantastic day and all the sweets your heart desires. I hope yall enjoy. Leave me a comment, reblog, tag, anything so I know what yall like. Be sure to check out my writing blog @luminescent-words for all fics, WIPs, and everything literary!

Pairing: Gajevy

Prompt: Adventure

Length: 1k

Levy McGarden has a thriving business and a comfortable life on Blue Garden. But that life was turned upside down the night she crashed into the Captain of the Iron Dragon. Space pirate: Gajeel Redfox. She saved his life that night, and they’ve only grown closer since. Now, he’s got a proposition: come with him and he’ll take her to find what she’s been searching for her entire life.

Chapter 1: Risk & Reward

Levy turned the note over again in her hands. Remnants of the daylight that had streamed through her window when she’d sat down cast shadows around her room. But she didn’t need the light to know what was written there; she’d read it countless times over the past three days. Fifty-seven words scribbled into parchment were now burned into her memory.

How about a little adventure, Shrimp? Meet me where I first swept you off your feet. Four days from now, just before first light peeks out over this planet. I’ve got something special I wanna show ya, if you’re not afraid to sail with pirates. I’ll bring the rum this time. You bring better running shoes. -CGR

Levy buried her face into her knees thinking about that night. Swept her off her feet—more like tossed her over his mechanical shoulder kicking and screaming. Still, she wouldn’t have changed anything about it, despite the rather unfortunate circumstances.

That had been six weeks ago. Six heart pounding, gut wrenching, butterflies running races through her stomach weeks of all-day texts and late night video calls. And Levy hadn’t been able to stop smiling since. Especially now that his studded face graced every other wanted poster on Blue Garden.

His strong, chiseled face with that cocky grin. But the posters never truly did him justice. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye that you could only see in person, and Levy longed to experience that flash of dangerous excitement again. Some days it felt like it had all been a dream, but the universe had quite literally shoved her into his arms.

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WIP Meme

Tagged by @theolddarkmachine. 

Thanks girl! I’m always up for some WIP fun. Two main fics on the ticket this week, but many more are sitting in the drafts!

Sheith drunk fun fic

Gajevy Fallfest Day 2

Tagging: @ literally anyone who wants to participate! I know peeps are pretty busy right now with the holiday

Resources For Writing Sketchy Topics

Medicine

Writing Specific Characters

Illegal Activity

Black Market Prices & Profits

Forensics

Adrenaline

Back with some strictly Sheith this time, yall. I’ve been super inspired by the new fandom and Voltron in general. Pretty sure I’ve watched it all the way through like 4-5 times now. I don’t ease into fandom…I leap without a parachute. That being said, have some exciting Sheith with just a tid bit of steam at the end…cause, well, that’s just what I do here. lol. Still testing the waters with their dynamic, and I’m having a blast. I hope yall enjoy. Leave me a comment, reblog, tag, anything so I know what yall like. Be sure to check out my writing blog @luminescent-words for all fics, WIPs, and everything literary!

Pairing: Sheith

Prompt: Excitement

Length: 1.4k

Keith wanted a thrill, adrenaline coursing through his veins. But there isn’t much that gets his heart racing after countless battles in space. Except if that thing is cliff diving or Takashi Shirogane, or better yet, both. No longer in the driver’s seat, Shiro’s about to experience a rush unlike any he’s felt before, and he may get a little more excited than Keith had planned on.

Adrenaline

He trusted Keith with his life. He knew that. Keith was a fantastic pilot, but there was something about being pressed between him and the handles of a hoverbike, racing through canyons at top speed, that set Shiro’s nerves on edge. Leveling him with steel eyes, he asked an unspoken question.

Keith didn’t need to hear the words to know what he was thinking. “Weren’t you always the adrenaline junkie, babe?” he retorted, leaning forward to nuzzle at his nose.

“Yes. When I was driving—and could see the trail,” Shiro grumbled.

A dangerous smile sprouted across Keith’s lips, and he winked. “I promise. You’ll like it.”

Shiro huffed, tearing his gaze away from those mischievous eyes to stare at the sky. This whole situation had been Keith’s idea. Racing was apparently too tame for him now, and he’d wanted to up the ante. A single bat of those long lashes and the curve of his smile while he would say ‘please, babe’ and Shiro was putty in his hands. That was how he’d found himself seated between Keith’s arms on a hoverbike—backwards—about to dive off a cliff, clinging to his waist like Keith was a life preserver and he was drowning. Wind whipped around them as they barreled towards the edge. Shiro tightened his grip, sliding their bodies closer.

“We can’t have the leader of Voltron and the Captain of the ATLAS dead at the bottom of the cliff,” he murmured.

“Nope. But death never stopped us before,” Keith chuckled, placing a quick, messy kiss on his lips. “Shut up and trust me.”

Hairs prickled on the back of Shiro’s neck; rock formations he knew all too well faded into the distance. They were close. His pulse pounded in his ears. Only about thirty seconds left.

Suddenly, Keith revved the engine, shouting, “Hang on, old-timer!”

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Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers

As described by Selnick’s article:

Because I realize all my characters do is look at each other and have their eyebrows shoot up. Sometimes they even lower their eyebrows too!

WIP Wednesday #7

Hey yall! Welcome to my weekly WIP Wednesday. Pic a fic from the list below, send me a line number, and I’ll respond with the corresponding sentence! I’ll be answering lines all day, so give it a go & good luck ;)

This Week’s WIP fics include:

1. Winner Takes All/Pinned (Gajevy)

2. Warm (Todomomo)

3. “Comfortable” prologue (Gajevy)

4. Adrenaline (Sheith)

5. Fallfest Day 2 (Gajevy)