Lovesbitca8 AMA

ask me anything

Lovesbitca8

The Auction, The Right Thing to Do & All the Wrong Things Author

disclaimer

AMA contains spoilers to The Auction, The Right Thing to Do, All the Wrong Things and other works.

One of my favorite creative moments in “The Auction” was when we found out about Lucius adopting Hermione and changing who the heir was. How on earth did you come up with that idea? It was so shocking and unexpected. I loved it!

Hi! That was such a fun concept to play with. The idea came into play very early on, but it was just a matter of "how far would lucius go to keep the Manor in the family." There's this moment in the virginity ritual in chapter 19 when his eyes flick up to Hermione and it clicks for him that it may be a way out. And I think that's how it clicked for me and @raven-maiden at the time. That it was something that fell into his lap like that.

Hello LB8! I've harrassed you elsewhere so I feel like I already have most of the answers to questions I have had, but I just wanted to know, when you first started TRTTD, did you intend on doing ATWT? I know that you were begged for TA, and BR is A+ when you add to it, but this really has expanded into a universe. Also, sidenote, I'm so impressed that you decided to take a step back from fanfic to work on your personal stuff, and honestly, I think that's a lesson we all need to learn from.

Thank youuuu.
I didn't intend to write ATWT when I was writing TRTTD. TRTTD was my first fic ever so I was really just... trying to do the thing lol. It was very flattering to hear how much people wanted more from that universe, and I never advise authors to do this (lol) but I started to imagine what I would do with Draco's POV that I couldn't do with Hermione's. I think it was around the Lucius v Hermione conversation in Azkaban that I decided to do Draco's POV.

I simply adore your writing and your fics are some of my favourite Dramiones ever. As a reader what was truly incredible for me, was the little Easter eggs you managed to drop in each story. I am very curious to know how you were able to connect back to those little details, and how much work went into that?

I LOVE EASTER EGGS. I have always been drawn to TV shows and movies and books that have such rich universes to dig into and find the easter eggs, so it was almost old hat to me. I think something I like to play with is themes and motifs, so if there's an opportunity to drop something in there that calls back to something else, I love to take it. Some things were purposefully planned from the start of the sequel stories, but a lot of it just comes up as I pants (a writing term to mean: not plotting everything, flying by the seat of your pants)

How come you chose the quite unique, bittersweet ending for The Auction that we don't (imo) often see in fanfictions? I thought it was absolutely perfect and left me aching, but I know that there were a lot of split opinions about this kind of ending.

Absolutely. I really don't enjoy writing or reading fluff. L.M.A.O. So when trying to create the kind of ending I wanted for The Auction, it really boiled down to: "What does Hermione need for this story to be over. What does Draco need for this story to be over." I'm a big fan of leave them wanting more, and I know that doesn't always fly in fanfiction, but I definitely wasn't interested in babies and snuggles after the themes and plot of The Auction. I know some readers would have preferred that, almost as a form of aftercare once you've gone through an ordeal, but I was really more interested in what needed to happen for it to feel complete.

Where did Blaise get the oculus dolus spell in TRTTD?

I like to think that an older boy taught it to him. Maybe one of Marcus's friends. It seems a very conniving teenage boy thing

I love your work! I can’t remember seeing this asked elsewhere yet. Was there ever a possibility for you that Draco wouldn’t return in TA?

oh wow SUCH a good question. No, it wasn't an option. It was always going to end at Cornerstone like that. Even before I began writing chapter one, it was ending at Cornerstone

You might not have an answer for this and feel free to not answer my question. Where was Draco while he was gone during The Auction???

I do! He was at the Malfoy property referenced in Birth Right: A cottage in the Balkans Mountains. It was "off the record" in the conversation Narcissa and Hermione had with the Gringotts goblins, but Draco knew about it because he had access to the Malfoy archives. I know some people were aching to know where he was, but in Hermione's POV, it couldn't be revealed. She couldn't have information on it or else it would be public knowledge. And I could have revealed it "post-Cornerstone" but like I mentioned above, I didn't want more to the story than what I gave. (Apologies for the irritations that causes.)

Which character's POV would you find the most interesting to follow apart from Hermione and Draco's in TA?

A tie between Lucius and Pansy. I'm not going to be writing in their POVs necessarily (except for the glimpses we see in All Right and the Lucius POV in Birth Right) but I love writing characters that are smarter than me lol

Did any fan interaction within your facebook group or one of the discord channels ever change your plans for your plot / characters? Like, they said "I think this might happen" and you thought oh wow that's a good idea let's add that in, etc.

HA. So we never added anything in because of speculation or anything like that, but the one thing Raven and I kept an eye on was things that were hard to follow. If there was a general consensus that people "didn't get" something, we addressed it in the first half of the next chapter with just a quick reference from Hermione's inner monologue. We did clarify that Harry was dead A LOT but that ended up backfiring because it made readers more suspicious.

What question do you get asked the most? And what is the answer to said question?

I mean, while it was a WIP, the most asked question was "Why was Pansy at the Auction" and "Is Harry really dead" lol. Now that it's complete it's "Where was Draco/Why did he stay away" and "Are you writing the Draco POV" lol. Pansy and Harry questions are clear now (one hopes) and I mentioned above where Draco was. He stayed away because he thought Hermione was Stockholmed, so he wanted to give her space (Also, Death Eaters were really given a fair trial, so....) And no, I'm not writing a Draco POV. <3

At what point in the plotting/planning process did you decide to incorporate the Heroine’s Journey? Was it something decided in the beginning or once you’d come up with that initial scene?

Some of it was natural progression, but really @raven-maiden opened my eyes to all the ways it fit into the Heroine's Journey (I just spelled that wrong six times) when we started plotting together. I don't think much of the plot was changed to "fit" the Heroine's Journey (only 2 mistakes that time), but in the final act, we were able to click a lot of pieces into place with Hermione rejecting society the way it was (Hestia and the new ministry) and deciding to go her own way.

You have written some incredible and extremely diverse smut scenes from first time sex in Rights and Wrongs to the absolute TREAT so that is Dom Draco in Good soooo: How do you go about writing your smut scenes & balancing them with plot, and any advice to beginners on how to tackle writing sexy time?

SEXY TIME! I think balancing smut with plot is dependent on what kind of plot you have. If it's a rom-com feel, then sex is a huge part of plot progression. If it's a war epic fic, then sex is like a side plot. The advice I give to first time smut writers is: Forget about the elbows. I think it's hard to figure out where all the limbs are sometimes, but if you write a first draft with a glass of wine next to you, just forget about the elbows and talk about how the characters feel. Then edit sober lol

I really thought it was clever to make the choice that even though Hermione was technically a slave, she came from some place of privilege. Her internal struggle with this really played on Hermione’s characterization from canon, and I liked that the darkness of the story mostly comes from the outside. Were there any side characters whose backstory hurt to think about from a writer’s standpoint? You obviously know them better than any of us, and there are likely things unsaid in TA, so I’m curious who hurt the most to think about as you wrote them in these small mentions from Hermione’s POV.

Ginny for sure. A part of my brain hasn't even filled in all of Ginny's story. There are blank spaces for my own protection and for hers. I think Luna hurt a lot too. And it was really difficult to think of her in this scenario, so I utilized her in a completely different way than the others. Pansy in general had so many hurdles in her life, so to end up in the Ministry with the other girls and think that Draco wouldn't choose her -- that was painful to get into her headspace in those beginning chapters.

What got you into writing? Was there a particular fic that sparked your interest that had you writing?

I wouldn't even BEGIN to remember what I was reading back in 2017, but I think I was thinking about trying out writing fic for a little while, and then one day I had enough of a story in my head that I felt confident I could do something with it. I'm a playwright and original fiction writer too, so I was already writing before fic, but it was such an encouragement to be a part of a community

What got you into the Dramione fandom? Was it something you instantly thought of while reading the books? Or was it a certain story?

A friend of mine in high school introduced me to it! I don't remember my first fics, but the movies were still coming out, so it was just a matter of a friend being like "have you heard of fanfiction".

This question is actually from my mum, who has had to listen to me gush about your work and all things HP related for weeks now - Will you ever write anything other than fanfics, so I guess she means original work if that makes sense. I see in the previous question you actually kind of answer this though

HAHAHAH HI MUM!!!! Yes! I'm focusing in 2021 on my original works. I'm actively searching for a literary agent right now which is the first step in traditional publishing (as opposed to self-publishing). I have one manuscript complete, and I'm working on my second.

Creating and writing such an alternative universe I suppose is quite a big work. Is writing your first job or it's a passion?

It's SUCH a big time commitment, yes. I'm really focused on writing this year, but I am still freelancing with my "day-job" skills.

Is Dramione your headcanon? If not, who else would you have wanted to end up with the two separate characters respectively?

ooo good question. I think Dramione is my only headcanon for Hermione, but I can get behind Drarry too in Draco's case.

So I think it’s safe to say we love you and will continue to support any and all of your work. Please take a moment to share and shamelessly plug any fics or original works coming in the future so we can be sure to support you as much as possible! Q: What are you writing now?

HAHAHAHA WHAT A SWEETHEART. I am currently querying (sending to agents) one of my Reylo fics that I took down and did serious revisions to. And I'm working on a YA thriller called THE THRASHERS that I give little snippets about on Tumblr and Facebook. I wish there was something coming down the pipe soon-ish, but really it's just such a slow process. In terms of fics, I'm not working on it now, but hopefully in the future: I have a "You've Got Mail" Dramione AU that I'm really excited about. It will be a multi-chapter to publish later this year

First, I adore your writing (both Dramione and Reylo), and thank you for being here! (And as a Buffy fan your name has always amused me) My question is: are there any side character plots/arcs in TA or Rights & Wrongs that you had to leave out to push the story along/keep it moving, that you would have liked to included?

Buffy!!! Gosh I'm sure there are a million little things. There's a few things like, Neville was supposed to be with Ron and Ginny when the True Order broke into the Manor, but we had to simplify the moment or else it became too frenetic in an already frenetic scene. There was a lot behind Charlotte and how her network of spies worked, but there wasn't time to develop it in Hermione's POV. She coordinated with the Muggles on the outskirts of the city and had a whole system of how she passed notes. But also she was a Selwyn, so she had a working knowledge of who all these people were who were treating her like a hostess for sale.

I think its safe to say that there are some characters from your fics that are absolutely HATED (with good reason), but also some that readers either hate or love cough ron Which HP character in any of your work do you dislike the most?

HA. I mean, we're all hating Cormac in Good, right?
In The Auction, I think Dolohov was a fun character ("fun") to write because there was nothing about him that made your Bad Boy Barometer jump. Like, we can love Lucius Malfoy, but the kind of dirty evil I wrote Dolohov as was just... There's no need to feel he's misunderstood. In the case of Lucius, I knew that readers really despised him in TRTTD and ATWT but I was already rubbing my hands together and grinning maniacally.

From all the stories you’ve written (reylo, dramione, original,..) which was the most important/meaningful for you personally and if you’re comfortable answering: why?

Thank you.
The Thrashers is going to be really important to me personally because it's something I've wanted to write for 15 years. But I would probably say TRTTD and The Food of Love (reylo) are important to me for the same reason. They were my first fics inside the respective fandoms (and TRTTD was my first fic overall) and they were both accepted and encouraged and they both made me feel like I had a place inside that fandom.

Of all of your dramione fics, which was a favorite scene for you to write?

I think the New Year's Eve party in The Right Thing To Do is still a favorite. It had to feel like a first kiss without being a first kiss. And it was tricky to get into it and make it all work in one chapter, so when it did work, it felt great.

I know that you're working on turning the Food of love into the original novel. I'm not in the Star Wars fandom but I would willingly buy/read this one because you are my fav author. When it will come out approximately? The title will remain the same?

Thank you! Well, I'm going the traditional publishing route, which means I have no control over anything anymore.
In traditional publishing (meaning, your book on a shelf), I need an agent first, then they need to sell it to a publisher, then intense revisions, and THEN a book on a shelf. The title is changed right now to Heart Strings, but that will change again I'M SURE. I will be really open on my social media accounts about my progress in publishing (wins only. I'm not going to tell you how many rejections I've had already lol) so you will know when there's info to know!

Thank you so much for answering one question after the other. I hope you’re not too stressed out
Q: Was there ever a time where you lost inspiration or motivation to continue one of your stories (writers block). If so: what helped you the most in that situation?

As @raven-maiden can attest.... I had writer's block for 75% of The Auction

I'm kidding. It was 80%. I think what helped most was deadlines and accountability. As many of you know who were reading it as WIP, I pushed back publish dates often, but the accountability of the deadline I set for myself was always there. No one would DIE if I didn't post on a Sunday evening, but there was a promise that was made. I think the support of Raven and Cat and a few close friends was the greatest solution to writer's block, because the opportunity to bounce ideas or just say "me no want to" to someone who wasn't my dog was really helpful.

How do you keep everything sorted when you’re writing multiple fics at one time? Also, do you have any type of process or ritual to get into your creative space when you sit down to write?

When it came to the Auction and the subplots, Raven and I had a 50 page google doc that we worked out of. But as far as juggling fics, usually i was only working within the Rights and Wrongs universe, so it was at least easy to keep that at the forefront. Sometimes writing outside the universe was a nice and necessary detour for the creativity. My ritual is really just coffee and soft music. I like writing in the mornings, but i've been very distracted in recent months and unable to do so. I also really liked coffee shop writing when it was possible.

Hello, always love your work, specially Dramione. How is you creative process for sex scenes enter when writing. Do you inspire from, I don't know, other films or series or books... how do you create this scene as visually and sexy whiteout being clinical about it?

Thank you! Raven always laughs at me, but sex scenes FLY from my fingers. I can write sex scenes at about 3x the speed of non-sex scenes. I do watch p0rN0gRaPhY for assistance in bodies and new positions, but I think with sex scenes, the most important part is knowing how the sex is going to push the plot forward (if there is a plot) and writing to that. If they are "in-love-and-not-saying-it" at the end of the sex scene, then that's a jumping off point for starting to write it. If one person is going to think it's casual and the other not-so-casual at then, then that's helpful in starting off.

OMG! Hi!! Big fan! I could sit here and fan girl all day, but I have a question: So I’ve followed your tumblr and am part of the facebook group. Most of the interacts I’ve seen have been supportive and kind and I have seen you swarmed with love when someone crosses the line. I’ve always been a writer and I actually have works, but what holds me back is the fear of the mob (people who harass about updates or critique without necessarily being constructive). How do you deal with that? Any recommendations?

hello! That's SUCH a hard thing when beginning. And there's no way to tell someone "remember the positive things instead of the negative!" because we all know our brains don't do that. I think the best thing is to try to get a support system. Preferably a beta, but even just friends. If you have a beta, then you can go to them if you get a harsh critique and ask "do you think this is true? should I focus my energy here?" I should mention that reviewers are MUCH gentler when you are starting off as a new writer. It's only when they think you've cross this invisible line of being "untouchable" that they start to get mean like that. Luckily I have Raven (who I have now brought up 5 times so that must mean we are in love), who will either bring something to my attention or make sure it's NOT brought to my attention. And that's what you could get out of a beta or good fandom friend.

Hi!
Would you mind sharing what you meant for Draco destroying the jewelry box with Avada Kedavra and him piecing it back together to symbolize? Or do you prefer to leave it open to the interpretation of the reader?

ooooo good question. I think (pardon my Reylo) it really translates to "kill it if you have to." This idea of Draco thinking it has to be all or nothing. He's been holding this love inside of him for so long, and as soon as he let it out, it came back to hurt him. So he wanted it gone. I think by piecing it back together, he has realized that killing it isn't possible.

When you’re starting a new story, is it because you had an idea come to you or do you have brainstorming sessions to decide what you want to write next?

Thankfully, I have not yet gotten to a point when I don't have an idea for a "next story," so I don't usually need to brainstorm for a fresh idea. Usually when I'm mid-WIP, a new idea comes to me that sounds so much cooler than what I'm doing and please mom can I just go here for a while? But that also means that I get YEARS sometimes of percolation before I start writing the first chapter. Which can be good for my process.

I adore your work and your self in the fandom
Who are your favorite Dramione side pairings 1) to write, and 2) to read?

Thank you! Favorite side pairs to write are probably Harry/Ginny. I like a steady side relationship if the main relationship is going to be rocky. And I like reading Ginny/Blaise and Pansy/Harry.

Hello, first I just want to say how much I enjoy the Auction, it is an amazing work, thank you so much for creating it! Narcissa was my favorite, were do you get inspiration to write her?

I only realized recently that Narcissa is like 95% inspired by Lily Van Der Woodsen from Gossip Girl

I AM JUMPING IN HI YES HELLOOOO
okay so here is my question. What scene in TA ended up changing the most from what you thought it would be?
e~~xcluding ones I coerced you into changing~~

Only the ones you coerced me into changing.
The edinburgh scenes for sure.

Which scenes did Raven coerce you into changing?
(YOU OPENED A CAN OF WORMS RAVEN) Or rather you feel is the most important scene that y'all changed?

I think the biggest changes for the better that Raven insisted on were making sure that the Edinburgh scenes remained horrifying throughout. Just because Hermione wasn't being treated poorly, didn't mean she could forget about the other girls. I never wanted to glorify Edinburgh in anyway, but Raven really made sure that any pleasure Draco and Hermione took in the forced proximity was achieved at home, not at Edinburgh

Have you considered writing amother fic in TRTTD universe where Hermione and Draco get together while at Hogwarts, or do you think their story only works if it’s post Hogwarts?

I haven't really considered it, but I don't think it ONLY works later on in this universe. I just like to play with missed connections and things like that. If I wrote more Hogwarts fics, it probably wouldn't be within the Rights and Wrongs Universe.

First off, huge fan. You are the only fanfiction writer whose work has convinced me to read a fic longer than 3 chapters, and now I’m in DEEP lol Did you/do you ever worry that getting involved with fanfiction would make some people take you less seriously as a writer? Did you ever hesitate to post or talk about your work because of that? Is it something you’re open about with agents/publishers now and what has that experience been like? Also is Birth Right on pause until further notice (I know your original fiction is priority right now)

Hi! Thank you! So, I've definitely hid fanfiction from my Real Life for quite some time, but as far as the publishing world, one of the agents I'm in talks with actually READ my Reylo fic as a fic. She represents another friend who is publishing her Reylo fic, and when they sent it to the professional big time editor, the professional big time editor said "I'VE READ THIS AS A FIC" and snapped it up. So it can be a mixed bag. I won't be hiding my fanfiction from agents because thankfully I have a lovely group of people who will be interested in following me over to original work, and that can be a selling point. I'm definitely hesitant about the crossover from Fic Life to Real Life and vice versa, but thankfully it's not something stopping my career as a writer right now. And Birth Right is being held hostage by my muse right now. I want to work on the original fiction and hopefully Birth Right will follow

So you said earlier that ideas usually come up while you’re writing other stories. What spurred the idea for Good? Or what were you writing/working on that made you decide to write such an excellent Draco?

HAHAHAH I was actually thinking of writing a BDSM story around the end of ATWT I think? Maybe even after I did Draco as the sub in EDALD. And of course, you know me... I can't just write BDSM. I must plot BDSM and emote BDSM.

What is one of your favorite parts about being in fandom?

Hm, I'd say The Friends We Made Along The Way.

Me creeping in one more time compare your first fanfic and your last fanfic (or even your first fanfic and what you are currently working on (Thrashers). What areas do you think you've grown in the most as a writer?

I'd say I've become more aware of self-editing (I say, having just written 325k) in terms of editing things down before I get attached to them. I have definitely gotten interested in plotting and laying out a storyline. I think my prose has gotten stronger over time -- I was just listening to someone reading The Right Thing To Do outloud the other day and went ouch

What is the hardest part in a story for you to write, if smut is the easiest for you? If you start writing a new story do you just write chronological/ chapter after chapter or do you first start with key scenes that stuck to your head?

I write chronologically usually. The hardest part in serial fanfics for me is the opening moments of the chapter. It's a weird balance of Here's what you missed on GLEE and also picking back up right where you left off. Scene connectors are also very hard for me, trying to just move a character away so something else cool can start. And I realized during The Auction that scenes with a large party around a table were invited by Satan.

In TA, at Edinburgh Dolohov gets Hermione and Draco breaks into the room. Can you expand on why Dolohov was able to speak about Draco giving up his birthright?

Yes! Lucius made Dolohov take an Unbreakable Vow to not discuss the deal he and Draco struck. But he could only discuss it amongst Malfoy family members. Guess who was a Malfoy family member at that point -- Dolohov was definitely reckless to speak about it then, but if Hermione hadn't been "A Malfoy," he would have died instantly.

What is your favorite Dramione fic of yours / of those you have written?

The Right Thing To Do has a special place in my heart, The Auction is my proudest achievement, but A Stake of Holly Through His Heart was the most fun to write

Since everyone is being shy at the end I'm going to hop in with my questions that I have asked many times only to receive rolling eye GIFs, poop and middle finger emojis, and sass. BECAUSE SHE CAN'T AVOID IT HERE

How does Draco propose in TRTTD?

I'd like to think (and by this, I mean, I have full rights to change this at a later date), that he plans a trip to the vineyard in France. They take a weekend trip to enjoy Magical Paris, which Hermione has never seen. He plans to ask her at dinner one night. He's nervous and excited and twitchy, and then Hermione turns to him as she's zipping up her dress and says, "Do you think you'll be ready for marriage one day, Draco?" And he promptly deflates and just hands her the thing

In TA, why was Ginny referred to as Voldemort’s pet? He seemed to allow her more outbursts or be more forgiving to her behavior than he was to others. I've always been curious about what exactly started that or what happened behind the scenes to lead to that.

He often requested Ginny's presence as a plaything. So even though Avery bought her, he was aware he would be brought into to the Dark Lord's favor by acquiring her. I think because of their history with the Chamber of Secrets, Voldemort felt he had a connection with her, and it was fun to exploit that. I think once Ginny realized that she had these "allowances," she came to realize that she was going to be the only one to get close enough to kill him. So she continued to play into it more and more.

cough I HAVE another question that I have not yet asked because I knew she would call me Sparks.
What is the moment like when Draco gets released
is Hermione there to pick him up, or is it Narcissa, or both? Is Hermione waiting for him at the Manor?

I think both Narcissa and Hermione are there. They have a nice dinner together and then Narcissa conveniently disappears.