A Little Unsteady (30675 words) by andthenshesaid-write (ladyknight1512) [AO3]
by archiveofourown.org
Chapters:
3/3
Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships:
Jonah Morgan & TK Strand, Jonah Morgan & Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Characters:
Jonah Morgan (9-1-1 Lone Star), TK Strand, Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Charlie Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Grace Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Owen Strand, Original Characters
Additional Tags:
POV Jonah Morgan, Alternate Universe, Future Fic, Coming of Age, past parental death, Parent-Child Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Underage Drinking, Canon typical references to drug use
Series:
Part 3 of Fathers and Sons
Summary:
Jonah is newly 18 and ready to enjoy the summer before he goes to college, especially now that he has access to the trust fund his dad left him, but it all goes pear-shaped when a fight with TK makes Jonah question the relationships in his life.
The sequel to Led Me Here to You and No Legacy So Rich.
A Little Unsteady (30675 words) by andthenshesaid-write (ladyknight1512) [AO3]
by archiveofourown.org
Chapters:
3/3
Fandom: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships:
Jonah Morgan & TK Strand, Jonah Morgan & Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Characters:
Jonah Morgan (9-1-1 Lone Star), TK Strand, Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Charlie Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Grace Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Owen Strand, Original Characters
Additional Tags:
POV Jonah Morgan, Alternate Universe, Future Fic, Coming of Age, past parental death, Parent-Child Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Underage Drinking, Canon typical references to drug use
Series:
Part 3 of Fathers and Sons
Summary:
Jonah is newly 18 and ready to enjoy the summer before he goes to college, especially now that he has access to the trust fund his dad left him, but it all goes pear-shaped when a fight with TK makes Jonah question the relationships in his life.
The sequel to Led Me Here to You and No Legacy So Rich.
Coming Soon: The Jonah Fic
That’s right, folks. We are rapidly closing in on the publication of The Jonah Fic (which still doesn’t have a title – I’m working on it).
My hope is that it will be released some time next week. Maybe even this weekend, if the final edit goes well! So if you need to catch up on the other two fics in this series, now is the time!
For anyone not in the know, The Jonah Fic is the third and final fic in the ’Fathers and Sons’ trilogy, which began with:
TK knows his life is going to change when Gwyn and Enzo die, leaving him with custody of his six-year-old brother Jonah, but he isn’t prepared for the rigours of parenting, the questions it raises in himself, or for Jonah’s new teacher, Carlos Reyes.
and then continued with:
It’s been 10 months since Carlos and TK officially got together and things couldn’t be going better. Their relationship is strong, they’re in the process of telling Jonah about them and Carlos has never been so happy.
When his mother calls to tell him about his father’s upcoming retirement, Carlos is suddenly faced with the prospect of being honest with his family in a way he’s never been before. Telling the truth is the scariest thing he’s ever done, but with TK by his side, he knows he can survive it.
The Jonah Fic will pick up the story on the morning of Jonah’s 18th birthday and will follow him as he comes to terms with some of the realities of his life that he hasn’t reckoned with. This story has been a long time coming and I’m very excited that it’s finally almost here.
Fathers and Sons Fic #3: Update 4
I have very exciting news.
Today I finished draft 3 of The Jonah Fic.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that The Jonah Fic is what I (semi-) affectionately call the third and final fic in the ‘Fathers and Sons’ trilogy. You might also remember that in draft 3 I would be removing a B-plot for a Jonah/Charlie romance from the first half of the story. I won’t lie: it was hard going. I ended up with 26 pages of deleted content. Not all of it was Jonah/Charlie romance stuff, but most of it was, and that’s a lot of pages, especially when you think about having then replace that content with new stuff. Although it was hard work, I’m glad I did it. It wasn’t necessary and the story is stronger overall.
So where does that leave things now? Well, this draft will be sent off for beta reading (although I’m honestly tempted to just post it as is and be done) and then I’ll have to do the edit based on that feedback. I’m hoping to have the fic posted by the end of March, but that will depend on how busy my betas are and what I need to do to the fic once I get it back from them.
In the meantime, I’m going to get back to working on the vampire hunter fic that I started writing while I was taking a week off before starting on Jonah Draft 3. I’m really excited about this vampire fic. I was having so much fun writing it and I’m excited about its potential. That one’s still in the very early stages, though, so you probably won’t be seeing it any time soon.
I reblogged two writer ask game things with the intention of coming back to answer some questions myself… and then I got busy with work and forgot that I’d reblogged them so this was a surprise! A good one, though! Always happy to talk about writing and fic things.
I’m assuming you mean this post. Also, you didn’t specify a fic, but I’m almost finished draft 3 of The Jonah Fic so I’m going to answer in relation to the ‘Fathers and Sons’ series.
25. Share your favourite line
Maybe this one from No Legacy So Rich:
He remembers the way he shuddered when he heard it, like his very foundations had shifted, like TK was an earthquake or a fire, or some other elemental force that had roared into his life and left it irrevocably changed.
26. Share your favourite detail
Again, from 'No Legacy So Rich’:
He’s not sure how long TK has been rubbing his thumb against the ridges of Carlos’s house key, but it’s long enough that a raised, red welt has formed.
I love this detail because it felt like such an inspired moment when I wrote it. This is in the middle of a scene in which Carlos is struggling; he’s in the middle of a panic attack. And TK has just had a moment in which he’s realised that there are things about Carlos and their relationship that he doesn’t understand, and he’s not happy. But Carlos needs help and TK loves him and is a paramedic, so he helps him, but this little detail of him rubbing his thumb against a key so aggressively that it leaves a mark shows there’s more going on for him under the calm facade. It’s just one of those moments where I did a successful show-don’t-tell.
27. Share a piece of lore you made up for the story
I don’t know what counts as 'lore’ exactly, but I often do this thing where I take a little detail or fact from my own life and give it to a character. They’re often silly things, things that no one else knows about me, things that no one else would notice. But then they become real for the character for me, like a fact that I carry through for them everywhere. At the end of Led Me Here to You, Jonah (who is 6 at the time) comes into TK’s bedroom and they watch SpongeBob together, and TK thinks about how he hates SpongeBob but he watches it anyway because it makes Jonah laugh. The detail of TK hating SpongeBob is something that I took from my own life and gave to him; when we were kids, my brother loved it and I hated that show with a burning passion (I still do). But I let him put it on the TV before we went to school anyway. So I guess the made-up lore here is that TK hates SpongeBob (he secretly loves Glee, though).
word excerpt ask game ✨
rules: send me a word & i'll share something from a WIP (or something published if I can't find it in the WIP folder).
✍️ even more fic writer asks!
This one is a behind-the-scenes dive into a specific fic. Followers can send an ask with a number & the fic they’d like you to talk about ✨OR✨ you can decide what fic you’re focusing on and just ask for numbers. (Or reblog and answer everything like a Q&A)
- Start to finish, how long did it take to plan and write? Did you take breaks during the process?
- How did you come up with the idea?
- Did the idea change at all by the time the fic was complete?
- If the fic required it, what did you research in order to write it?
- Did you outline the fic?
- How did you decide what tense and POV(s) to use?
- How did you decide what character(s) would narrate the fic?
- Did you cut something out of the outline or an early draft? What was it and why did you decide to cut it?
- Did you get stuck at any point? How did you get past that?
- How did you approach writing the fic? (e.g. wrote it start to finish in order, started with the ending, starting with the twist)
- What was the most challenging aspect of writing it?
- What program(s) did you use to write and edit?
- Did you write any of the fic by hand? If yes, which parts? Do you find you write differently by hand vs typing?
- Talk about the fic’s opening scene & how you approached it
- Talk about the characters’ struggles & how you decided on those
- Talk about the fic’s biggest moment & how you came up with it
- Talk about the fic’s ending. Why did you end it where you did?
- Talk about your editing and revision process
- While editing, did you kill any darlings? What were they?
- Did you work with a beta? How did that affect the finished fic?
- Did the fic end up shorter or longer than you had planned?
- What is something you learned about yourself as a writer from the experience?
- How did you come up with the title?
- How did you celebrate finishing?
- Share your favorite line
- Share your favorite detail
- Share a piece of lore you made up for the story
- Write a new summary for the fic, but badly
- If you made a playlist, talk about the songs on it and share a link
- Would you ever return to the story’s universe and write more?
Get to know your fic writer!
- Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?
- Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?
- Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic
- Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?
- Do you like constructive criticism?
- Do you have your work beta'd? How important is this to your process?
- How do you choose which POV to write from?
- Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?
- Do you comment on stories you read?
- Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up
- Link your three favorite fics right now
- how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?
- what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?
- how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?
- How do you write smut scenes? Do you get very visual or detailed? How important is it to be realistic?
- How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?
- What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)
- Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?
- What is the most-used tag on your ao3?
- Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?
- Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?
- Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)
- Best writing advice for other writers?
- Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?
- What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?
- Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?
- What is your most and least favorite part of writing?
- On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?
- What’s your revision or editing process like?
- Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished?
- Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?
- Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.
- Do you want to be published some day?
- Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
- What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain?
- How do you write kissing scenes?
- How do you choose where to end a chapter?
- Would you ever write commissions?
- Share a snippet from a WIP
- If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?
- Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?
- What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?
- Do you take a sadistic joy in whumping your characters, or are you more the "If you hurt them I would kill everyone and then myself" kind of person?
- What mistakes do you keep making no matter how many times your beta corrects you?
- Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?
- How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, etc)
- How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?
- What do you look for in a beta?
- Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?
- How long is your longest fic?
- What’s your total AO3 word count?
- Do you respond to comments, why or why not?
- How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?
- What’s your favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?
- Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?
- What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?
- Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished?
- What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? (Brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc)
- Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?
- Have you had a writer you admire comment on your fic? What was that like?
- Why do you continue writing fics?
- Thoughts on cliffhangers?
- Something you hate to see in smut.
- Something you love to see in smut.
- Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project
- How do you deal with writing pressure (ie. pressure to update, negative comments, deadlines, etc.)?
- Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?
- What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?
- What work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?
- When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?
- When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?
- What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?
- What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?
- You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?
- What scene in [Fanfic Name] took the longest to write? What was difficult about it?
- Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of [Fanfic Name]?
- Do you have a favorite scene you’ve written from [Fanfic Name] story/chapter?
Writing Update
I guess it’s time for a little writing update because progress has been made.
I’m happy to report that yesterday I finished draft 2 of The Jonah Fic. I wish I could say that I’m excited or at least relieved, but to be honest, there’s still so much work left to do that it doesn’t feel anywhere close enough to finished yet for me to feel any of that. The major task for draft 3 is rewriting the first half of the fic and removing what remains of the B plot, which I talked about a bit here if you’re interested. After that, I’ll send the fic to my betas and then I’ll have the edit to do based on their feedback, and I’m expecting that edit to also be a lot of work. So as you can see, there’s still a long way to go but I’m hoping to have The Jonah Fic published by the end of March. Don’t hold me to that, though. I’m taking a week off from The Jonah Fic before I start on draft 3, just to give my brain a small break and to give myself some space from it so I can come back with fresher eyes.
You’d think that I’d take this week to chill out a bit and not worry about writing anything. Instead, today I started working on a continuation for one of the Tarlos AU ABCs. I’m hesitant to say too much specifically, because I know lots of people had lots of different favourites from this collection and I don’t want people to be disappointed, especially because me starting work on expanding one doesn’t mean that I’ll finish it, or even that I won’t start writing another one that I’ll finish first. That being said, I’ve been fairly open about having a handful of favourite AUs that I think are well-placed for continuation and expansion, and I will confirm that it’s one of those. I have 830 words so far that I really like and I’m excited to write more. I don’t have a clear idea of where this fic is going, although I do have a couple of ideas for plot points, so hopefully I can stick with it. If nothing else, it’s just fun to be writing something completely removed from the ‘Fathers and Sons’ universe and I’m hoping that will serve as good motivation to help get me over the last couple of hurdles for The Jonah Fic.
sent a message
If you are still taking requests for fanfic writers director's cut would like to know more about Jonah fic you are writing. I hope it's not spoiling your wip.
(In response to the Director’s Cut commentary game)
I’m always happy to talk about fic so my inbox is always open.
The Jonah Fic, as I affectionately call it, is the third in my Fathers and Sons trilogy. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give the game away, but also because it’s still coming together. I’ve never had a story, whether fic or original, give me so much trouble. I had to abandon the first draft because about 7000 words in I realised it wasn’t working. Then halfway through the second draft I realised that the B plot wasn’t working the way I imagined it would and I decided I would cut it. I’m currently getting towards the end of the second draft and once I finish that, I’ll start on the third draft to remove what remains of that B plot. So it’s been a bit of a slog but I’m feeling happier about it overall now than I was a couple of months ago.
I don’t mind telling you that the B plot that will be removed from the first half of the third draft is a Jonah/Charlie romance. I had planned this basically from the moment I started writing the second fic, No Legacy So Rich, so for it to then not work in the writing was annoying. In the end, though, I realised I was just using it to distract myself from the fact that I didn’t know how to pull the A plot together and it’s better to take it out.
In terms of the main plot, and without being too spoilery, I’ll say that this fic is told through Jonah’s POV and it begins on the morning of Jonah’s 18th birthday. That puts it 10 years to the day since the end of No Legacy So Rich. The focus is very much on Jonah and TK’s relationship, which I love, because that’s always been at the heart of the series. Jonah has a lot to come to terms with and again, without saying too much, I’ll just point out that a major theme of the series has always been the relationship between fathers and sons, and how difficult that can be even when they love each other.
I’m hoping to finish the second draft this week (everyone please gather in a prayer circle). Then I’ll start on the third draft and hopefully I can have the fic published by the end of March. No promises, though, because I suspect my betas will have a lot of work for me to do in the edit after they finally read it.
Thanks for asking about The Jonah Fic. I know it’s not going to be as popular as others, just because it doesn’t focus on Tarlos (although they still definitely feature). But I think Jonah’s story, especially in this ‘verse, is important to tell and I love it a lot, even when it gives me grief.