INSTANT REC: Pairing Pendragon/Merlin*

[sheswatching]

*sorry that this is the nth time you're seeing this on your flist.

This fic! This fic right there. Written for the KMM prompt: "Arthur is a BNF, Merlin is his prized beta"

It's adorable, schmoopy, a little bit sexy, but also very very meta. Even reccing it here is making me hyper-aware of the connotations and everything. WEIRD.

This fic is also making my heart all warm and fuzzy for all the lovely people for whom I've ever beta'd, especially those with whom it brought me closer. Long epic fics or multi-parters, fics that just drain the life out of you, fics that make you laugh out loud, or ones that make you cry just a little bit. The relationship between a writer and a beta is an important one, and it's not easy to always find the right fit - but some people are just awesome writers, and others awesome betas (lol def. not me) who can tackle anything. I think that this fic is the ultimate BNF/beta story in a way, it's basically a fairy tale.

BUT ENOUGH OF MY RAMBLINGS. GO READ IT (this means you, lydkami, but be warned it's very cute)



OH WAIT. WHILE I'M HERE (and on topic of beta'ing). HAVE ANOTHER REC!

This is a gorgeous, funny, cute modern AU Merlin/Arthur, entitled "Once Again, With Feeling" by the lovely gallifreycalls it's for the KMM prompt "Ten years ago Arthur broke things off with Merlin because he didn't want a serious relationship. Now Arthur has everything he wants: a lucrative career, nice car, fancy place, and finally out of his father's shadow. However as the holidays approach he realizes that he doesn't have anyone special to spend them with like a family. Late one night a ghost/spirit visits him and allows him to see how different his life would have been if he stayed with Merlin. In this universe he and Merlin are married with kids and happy. When the spirit comes back to return Arthur to his actual life, Arthur pleads to let him stay. The spirit can't allow this but instead gives him the opportunity to return to the past to correct his mistake. Unfortunately the spirit sends Arthur back six months after the break-up and Merlin has started seeing someone else."

GO READ IT.

Did I mention it's a musical and uses some amazing/hilarious/ABSOLUTELY PERFECT song choices to take us through Arthur's manpain and indecisions? No? Well now I did, and you have no excuse.

Comments

[renrenren3]

FFFFFFYEAH! I've been reading it even if I never read WIPs because seriously. This fic. Thanks for bringing it to my attention bb. It's indeed worthy of multiple simultaneous recs. ♥

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

Seriously. My flist is swimming in recs of this fic XD

[chicaintcheap.livejournal.com]

ty for that second rec, it seems exactly like what I'd love to read :)

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

you're welcome, hope you like it :D

[gallifreycalls.livejournal.com]

I came here to thank you for reccing the fic and tell you you are too an awesome beta, BUT YOU EDITED YOUR POST (OR MAYBE I DIDN'T SCROLL DOWN ALL THE WAY) AND MADE ME CHOKE ON MY RAMEN.

First things first, I'm usually scared off of fics for whom comments just sort of explode, but seeing it rec'd everywhere and on my flist, I read it. I shall have to listen to my f-list more often now. The author even included a beta fish!! Makes me feel a little redeemed for thinking the prompt was about beta fish!Merlin.

Secondly, I wanted to comment that you are an awesome beta. Really. I'm not just saying that. You pick up on good points that I totally overlooked or filled in my head and forgot to translate onto the computer screen, and you do concrit and call me out on my laziness without making it feel like a punch in the gut. :)

Thirdly, I'll be coughing out ramen for the next few minutes. But seriously, aww, thanks for the rec. :)

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

I DID EDIT MY POST SORRY =x

Bahaha yeah, I'm sure plenty of punny people thought it would be about a beta fish!Merlin, too :P

AND STOP WITH YOUR PRAISE, IT WILL GET YOU NOWHERE...except in my pants :P Really, it's unwarranted. I think that, as a beta, having a writer open to criticism, and one looking for specific things, too is very helpful, especially if they're willing to discuss things. Sometimes it feels too much like a business exchange and the relationship doesn't really get a chance to form.

OHNOES. I hope you've stopped coughing and no ramen has been harmed in the typing of your comment.

The rec was well-deserved, you're welcome :)

[gallifreycalls.livejournal.com]

No worries. I tease! O:)

I don't write much, and when I do, it's usually a quick and dirty, short fill, so I don't have extensive experience with betas (I think the fact that when I see "beta," my first thought is "fish" speaks volumes to that). My experiences on the receiving end of editing has pretty much been what you said, a business exchange. "Here's a list of what you need to fix. You forgot an article here. This part is awkward." This was a lot more back-and-forth and helpful. :)

The rest of the ramen is where it should be. No more ramen abuse.

[lydkami.livejournal.com]

okay OMG. thanks for the recs, totally read the first one and it was amazing, have to read the second one yet. but well, tomorrow! since there's only 4 mins left of today and I've been half asleep for hours but I had to keep reading XD

*HUGS*

omg, I have a recc for you it's an AU dean/cas it's a wip so I'm waiting to see if they end it up soon or something before I hand it to you so you're not in the same position as i am now of having to wait for the next part XD (Cas is a teacher XD)

g'night. take care!

pst. there was no way i wouldn't read the first, the meta of it is awesome - the editing bit totally calls my heart XD although i've never gone for the beta part of the fandom... I've never really gotten around enough into the fandom system to know where I should go to be the beta XD

okay, srsly, off now. ttyl.

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

OMG I LOVE DEAN/CAS. REC AWAY!!!

merlin_betas is a good start bb :P But yeah the meta of that first post was EPIC!

HOW ARE YOU DOING, BTW? *smishes* I really have to actually start using your e-mail =x

[lydkami.livejournal.com]

http://cautionzombies.livejournal.com/3762.html#cutid1

remember it's a WIP.

i'm way behind in comments, i've read your post, but i'm going out to dinner with some old friends so i don't really have that much time to catch up but i'm so totally pm-ing you tomorrow, but let me remind you right now that if i can do anything to help you, even if i'm just your far-away-shoulder, just tell me 'k?!

we also must kind of legalize me adopting you and your sisters 'cause i need minions like misha, and what better than an army of younger siblings!? think you guys are like perfect even if you are not and also have those problems, idk, you kind of remind seriously of many of my friends in the sense that i tend to become good friends with awesome people who are so lovely and friendly and sensitive and don't mind me being all irony and sarcasm with a great sidedish of weird comeback lines ;).

/bah, rambling, ignore it. i'm becoming maudling in my old age.

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

I love it when you ramble, it makes you so much more lovable *huggles* of course, among all those comeback lines and irony and sarcasm...definitely :P

hope you had fun with your friends! I'll bookmark the fic and check it out! :)

[lydkami.livejournal.com]

I love it when you ramble, it makes you so much more lovable crazy

okay, there fixed it up for you ;)

Thanks, I did. and let me know what you think of the fic and if you find more dean/cas good fics do share XD

[faorism.livejournal.com]

I read the fiction and thought it was nice, but definitely not my thing. It felt more like reading a well-written, funny original fiction about a BNF and his beta rather than a Merlin/Arthur. :\ BUT THAT'S JUST ME. I am happy I did read it though, if that counts for anything! Thanks for the rec,

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've heard that criticism of it, and I can see how that plays out, especially with us not really getting a full characterization of Arthur outside of his fandom role, or Merlin really, for that matter. I do think that it could probably work in any fandom, which is why it's been so universally well-liked ever cross-fandom boundaries.

[dianadisaster.livejournal.com]

Thank you for these recs! I haven't been reading much fic lately, I just haven't been feeling it, but I opened these because you recced them. I then proceeded to DEVOUR that writer/beta one, I loved it. It felt good. I still need to leave a comment for the author, but if you hadn't recced it first, who knows when I would have found it?

[sheswatching.livejournal.com]

YAY! You should head over to marguerite_26's lj for Merlin recs. I basically normally agree and love everything she recs, so if you want to get caught up - that's a good place to start!

I'm glad my recs are being useful though YAY! :)