Page 1 of 14

Discussion of Fics We're Currently Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:20 pm
by DatCog
So...A Match and a Fuse...bit good isn't it?!

Moderator post:
This thread is for more in-depth, on-going discussion of individual pieces of fanfiction. To find (and give) more straight-forward lists of fanfiction recommendations, please go here. Thanks! :reading1:

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:35 pm
by MythicalPinkTrashCan
AHHHHH THEY DANCED!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'm also reading Take Me By The Hand by philscurls and OMGGGG it hurts so good. The tags do spoil it pretty big, but this last update OMGGG

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:47 pm
by alittledizzy
I don't even read WIP generally but this fic is my whole damned life right now. I feel the same way about the updates that I used to feel about tv shows, where I get all tingly and excited and the night before I know it's going to update I fall asleep daydreaming about what will happen in the chapter. I basically spend more time daydreaming about Sarah's fic than I do working on my own fic now. (But a really nice flipside is that remembering how it feels to be fully engaged in a WIP that I trust has really inspired me to want to put out something longer this year.)

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:49 pm
by MythicalPinkTrashCan
I get that same feeling Dizzy! I feel as dedicated and sucked into this fic as I do when Game Of Thrones is on. I feel like I literally can't wait one single second when I've seen it's updated.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:58 pm
by DatCog
MythicalPinkTrashCan wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:49 pm I get that same feeling Dizzy! I feel as dedicated and sucked into this fic as I do when Game Of Thrones is on. I feel like I literally can't wait one single second when I've seen it's updated.
Glad it's not just me! I've just downloaded the whole thing to read again from the start because the updates aren't enough right now (I'll be caught up before tomorrow's update). It's just wonderful, I've enjoyed a lot of fics recently but there's something VERY special about this one. I was just a pool of slush after yesterday's chapter...the dancing, the thigh touching, the drunken cuddles ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:06 pm
by Lain
I first found amaaf on Tumblr when it was a few chapters in and I was able to read them back to back. Ever since then (chapter 3 or 4), I've been trying to walk away from the fic for even just a week, tops, to give myself the gift of a large chunk of it to feast on, but here we are at chapter 25 and the most I've managed to miss is the Christmas day upload. :sarcasticclap: It's robbed me of my willpower, but that's fine. Is it roughly 10am EST on Wednesday yet?
alittledizzy wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:47 pm I don't even read WIP generally but this fic is my whole damned life right now. I feel the same way about the updates that I used to feel about tv shows, where I get all tingly and excited and the night before I know it's going to update I fall asleep daydreaming about what will happen in the chapter. I basically spend more time daydreaming about Sarah's fic than I do working on my own fic now. (But a really nice flipside is that remembering how it feels to be fully engaged in a WIP that I trust has really inspired me to want to put out something longer this year.)
I do this, too!

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:12 pm
by MythicalPinkTrashCan
Wavey is doing the slow burn SOOOO good. Like freakishly good. Usually I can't even stand slow burn, or at least, have it be completed already. This is amazing. Wavey has obviously been lacing each update with some sort of addictive drug.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:24 pm
by DatCog
MythicalPinkTrashCan wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:12 pm Wavey is doing the slow burn SOOOO good. Like freakishly good. Usually I can't even stand slow burn, or at least, have it be completed already. This is amazing. Wavey has obviously been lacing each update with some sort of addictive drug.
Slow burn fics are my favourite sort of fics and this one is excruciatingly good. I'm hoping they keep it going for a while yet, the build up is bliss.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:32 pm
by kindofatrashcan
I try to make myself forget the upload schedule so the updates are a surprise, yes, i'm that ¿stupid?

as all of you i find that slow burn sooooo gooood and the inner working of Phil's mind is mesmerizing. I'm torn betweet wanting a Dan's POV chapter but at the same time i love trying to understand him through Phil. And i don't want to even begin with Jimmy. :happytears:

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:42 pm
by DatCog
Re. Jimmy, I only really started watching his videos quite recently but he's now one of my most favourite people. I suspect a few others have also become Jimmy fans as a result of this fic!! I'm jealous of amaaf!Phil having Jimmy as a best friend <3

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:50 pm
by alittledizzy
DatCog wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:42 pmI'm jealous of amaaf!Phil having Jimmy as a best friend <3
Me too, definitely - but also part of me can't stop wondering what an au of this au would be, where Jimmy and Phil ended up getting together after years. I have to just pretend Dan never exists, but like, ugh. I love Jimmy so much in the fic.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:54 pm
by lefthandedism
So what is it about this fic that makes it so good, do people think? Clearly the writing is good, the characterization is good, the structure of the chapters/installments is very good (each one has a satisfying arc and then leaves you breathless for the next one).

And relatedly, why do people like slow burns? I'm not sure I'm particularly a fan of the genre; if all I'd heard about AMAAF was that it was a good slow burn my interest may not have been piqued.

I had saved this up to read for my holiday travels, so I was able to read about 22 chapters all in one go. I'm not sure how that changes the experience at all (an interesting question in of itself). For me, the biggest delight so far has been realizing that this (at least the first 25ish chapters) is as much a story about Phimmy as about Phan. That's what has given the story depth for me, while, yeah, the slow burn has me wanting more every time. :fan:

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:25 pm
by greenergrass
I come from a fandom where it was pretty common to have at least one really amazing wip going at any given time until most of the fandom infamous writers fled one by one (along with many incredible full-length one-post fics - I don't know how to say that, basically long chaptered fics that were posted all at once), and it's been such a blessing to find AMAAF (and a couple other fics such as DTU, but we're focusing on amaaf right now). Don't get me wrong, there are several amazing short deppy one-shots and a few longer gems in this fandom, but it is very rare that I've find a wip that is very well-written and has kept me engaged. It's been awhile since I've been excited about and eagerly awaiting updates for a wip (and the first time in this fandom), so this fic is extra special to me because of that.

Now, for a few reasons off the top of my head why I'm enjoying this one so much:

1. I'm not particularly for or against slow burns, just whatever works for the pacing of the story - for this story, because of who the characters are (somebody with depression who is just starting to 'heal', and somebody on the asexual spectrum who has never experienced this kind of attraction) it makes perfect sense that it is a 'slow burn' and they are taking their time
2. The depiction of Dan's depression and work toward recovery is done very accurately - it's not over-the-top at all (which is a common mistake for writers), but it isn't tossed aside either. It's a constant thing because that is reality, but it is not Dan's entire life because that is not reality either. I also like the references to things Dan has mentioned irl about his depression and how he has worked towards recovery
3. The depiction of Phil's *demisexuality (*the writer hasn't labelled it in the fic, and I think she said she is planning to leave it unlabelled, but I will use demisexuality here for simplicity) is also done very accurately. There are obviously many different ways to be on the asexual spectrum, and the depiction of Phil's sexuality is a very real and valid one. It comes across as incredibly realistic, and like with Dan's depression it is neither over-the-top or cast aside.
4. Each chapter is engaging. Though it is a slow burn, each chapter feels very complete and advances the plot in a satisfactory way. The writer has a way of leaving me satisfied from the chapter and not like it was a 'filler' chapter at all, but also leaves each chapter in a sort of 'cliff-hanger-y' way in that I'm left wondering what will happen next and excited for the next chapter to be posted.
5. The OC's are great. The writer has made an effort to fully develop the OC's such as Jimmy and Rory into real, complex characters. They have their flaws just like real people do. And their relationships with the main characters (mostly Phil in this case) are great. You come to love them as much as you love deppy in this fic.


There are a million other reasons I can come up with for loving this fic so much, but I'll just leave it at that for now.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:43 pm
by alittledizzy
I appreciate slow burn in a specific setting. I don't normally read WIP because I don't normally find it done to my liking - which is not to say I'm judging quality of how other people write it, I do want to stress that this is preference. But I find with phanfic most writers tend to take 'slow burn' to mean 'need to put as many obstacles between them as possible' rather than just taking their time and building a relationship in the way that sometimes relationships do take time to build. I love the slow process of falling in love, I love how internalized the emotions and process is.

And it's not angst. It's realistic emotion, which means it feels nuanced and not overly saccharine or perfect, but no one is hurting for the pure sake of drawing the story out. It's all a positive climb from the starting point, and you can see where it's headed, and waveydnp isn't putting in any plot twists just to keep the audience on their edge. (And she's proving she doesn't have to; even fully knowing they will end up happy and together, we are still on edge.) Other people are involved but it's not miscommunication for the sake of miscommunication; when there is miscommunication that is determinedly resolved in a way that shows character growth. One of my absolute least favorite plot tropes is two people who don't get together because they just won't have a goddamn conversation and a story ends up being build entirely on misunderstanding and as soon as it's resolved, bam the story ends. (Again, not a quality commentary - just personal preference.)

I also need to know that either a) the story is finished and the author is just posting chapters to draw it out for the reader, or b) the author is writing way ahead and there's no danger of it becoming abandoned. My soul hurts when I get really into a fic and then updates just abruptly stop. Even if the author is just taking a break and comes back a few months later, generally by the time the author starts writing again I'm just... over it, emotionally. The story will never have the same impact on me again. If I think there's a chance that the author is gonna drop the fic (usually I vet this by looking at whether they have any other WIP, or how long it has taken them to post and finish their previous WIPs) then I just hit subscribe and try to forget it exists until it's done. A long fic I can consume in one go is definitely still an amazing experience, it just means the slow burn isn't quite as slow and delicious because within a few hours the journey is over for me as a reader.

Basically - slow burn for me is like having a favorite food but you only like it when it's cooked a very specific way, and I just don't trust most people to do it right so most of the time I'm not gonna take the risk.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:06 pm
by obsessivelymoody
Personally, what makes the story "good" to me is that, as dizzy and whatdoiknow said, the story is realistic. I don't usually prefer slow burns over other stories, and I was actually wary going into it because often times slow burns feature a huge lack in communication between the characters or other side characters getting in the way of the main relationship to create the "slow burn effect". Along with that, I've often found that after the time has passed leading up to when the characters actually start to reveal/act upon their feelings for each other, it's all very fast and overly dramatic, which feels unnatural to me. So this story-also being a wip, which I usually stay away from in fear of abandonment, which to me shows how invested and how good I personally find the story-was like a breath of fresh air. I've read a lot of fics, and there are very few that draw me in as much as this one, and not in a "guilty pleasure" sort of way.

Also to add on to how I find this story realistic, I think the way Dan and how he deals with his depression and coming out of university sort of floating in a "quarter-life crisis" is really done beautifully. It's not romanticised or sugar-coated, nor is it portrayed with really basic stereotypes. It feels organic, which is something that is often hard to find in fics. Along with that, the way Phil's sexuality, and demi/asexuality is portrayed in this story in general, is really lovely. It makes me feel like the fic is less of a slow burn and more of a sort of coming of age story, in the sense that Phil is figuring himself out for the first time.

So essentially for me, this fic ticks a lot of boxes that many normally don't, and naturally it's kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next update.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:41 pm
by greenergrass
alittledizzy wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:43 pm But I find with phanfic most writers tend to take 'slow burn' to mean 'need to put as many obstacles between them as possible' rather than just taking their time and building a relationship in the way that sometimes relationships do take time to build. I love the slow process of falling in love, I love how internalized the emotions and process is.

And it's not angst. It's realistic emotion, which means it feels nuanced and not overly saccharine or perfect, but no one is hurting for the pure sake of drawing the story out.
obsessivelymoody wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:06 pm Personally, what makes the story "good" to me is that, as dizzy and whatdoiknow said, the story is realistic. I don't usually prefer slow burns over other stories, and I was actually wary going into it because often times slow burns feature a huge lack in communication between the characters or other side characters getting in the way of the main relationship to create the "slow burn effect". Along with that, I've often found that after the time has passed leading up to when the characters actually start to reveal/act upon their feelings for each other, it's all very fast and overly dramatic, which feels unnatural to me.
I agreed with both of your posts, but just copying these two sections here because I meant to touch on this in my first post and forgot. Like you both said, the reason the slow burn is good is because it is realistic (which I briefly touched on in my post), and not the author grasping at straws to make the fic longer or more dramatic. Everything that happens is happening for a reason; there's not some crazy plot point that is just thrown in there to stretch out the slow burn or make it more angsty or dramatic. I don't mind angst at all as long as it is done realistically (and ends in a happy ending - I'm not here for any sad endings, there's enough depressing shit in the real world). I also don't mind slight miscommunication as long as it seems like a real possibility (because let's be real, miscommunication does actually happen irl, just not so extremely as some fics like to make it). I think a lot of writers (especially young ones maybe?) think it's more exciting for a reader to read a fic where there's a bunch of crazy twists and turns and angst and then a dramatic realization where they're suddenly like bam we're actually in love let's fuck. But I am all about the realistic portrayals - give me healthy communication, domestic sweetness, personal growth, relationships with close friendship first and foremost, trust, etc any day.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:16 pm
by sparkle
Honestly the reason I'm loving it so much is purely because of the hurt/comfort being so relatable to me (send me good hurt/comfort recs plz I'll pay you back in.. idk gifs?) but its relatable because of how realistic everyone is. I don't feel like I'm reading some deus ex machina - it feels like it actually would happen?

I just feel like Dan in this is real, like especially because they author has taken stuff Dan has actually said about his depression. It doesn't feel like quotation dropping either, its like they've used them as prompts to write a realistically recovering character from and its so accurate. As someone who experiences depression almost identically to how Dan described, and indeed how it's portrayed in this fic, I really feel it? Which helps with the realism and helps with me LOVING it.

I love how its told through Phil's perspective and mediated through his thoughts. I honestly didnt expect to like his viewpoint this much. Its a really cool insight into demisexuality and I think it helps the slow burn, by the very defitintion of what demisexuality is. But it doesn't feel like someone has gone through a checklist on tumblr, it actually feels like this is what would happen.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:19 am
by AroboticPhil
Agree with all your posts, I am loving this fic so much and I think for me it's :
good writing + good characterisation (or rather good consistent characters : they're not the most accurate representation of deppy -which isn't the point - but they feel like slighty different versions, just like a good AU should feel) + it's realistic + the delicious slow burn and tension + most of the story is just FLUFF and the best kind of it, it makes me feel warm and happy after reading it which is the main thing I want out of fanfics :love2:

I don't know if this is where I should say this but I'm also really loving L'Histoire Française ( http://archiveofourown.org/works/129321 ... s/29553327 )
The burn is a bit less slow but the tension is so so good and it's such a fun story, thiw version of Phil is pure gold :ribena:

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:33 am
by sunshinias
whatdoiknow wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:25 pm 5. The OC's are great. The writer has made an effort to fully develop the OC's such as Jimmy and Rory into real, complex characters. They have their flaws just like real people do. And their relationships with the main characters (mostly Phil in this case) are great. You come to love them as much as you love deppy in this fic.
Uh, maybe you just phrased this wierdly but Jimmy's not an OC? Sponning his youtube channel because he's great: https://www.youtube.com/user/jimmy0010

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:00 pm
by LurkingTrash
I personally love a slow burn when it's well written and let me tell you, a match and a fuse is something else, I usually don't read fics that aren't fully posted because I can't handle the wait but I couldn't resist giving it a peek when I saw how people were talking about it here and look at me today, I stayed up until 3am reading all the chapters already posted and am already anxious for the next one SO GOOD
I'm also not much of a active searcher for phan fics so I appreciate when people mention them/recommend any on any topic here on IDB because it's one of the few ways I'll end up reading phan

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:53 pm
by kavat
I'm just coming in here to nod in agreement. December was rough for me but thanks to amaaf, iihappydaysii's Disturb the universe, dizzy' s advent fics and gamingmas I managed to stay distracted enough to get through the month. Thank you, talented people! :stan:

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:46 pm
by alittledizzy
:dead: :dead: :dead: :dead: :dead:

I speak to you from the grave after this latest amaaf update.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:56 pm
by MythicalPinkTrashCan
alittledizzy wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:46 pm :dead: :dead: :dead: :dead: :dead:

I speak to you from the grave after this latest amaaf update.
I didn't want to post because I felt like i couldn't NOT spoil it. I'm just in aw. amazing

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:59 pm
by alittledizzy
MythicalPinkTrashCan wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:56 pm
alittledizzy wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 5:46 pm :dead: :dead: :dead: :dead: :dead:

I speak to you from the grave after this latest amaaf update.
I didn't want to post because I felt like i couldn't NOT spoil it. I'm just in aw. amazing
I feel like the nature of this thread is gonna mean that there will be spoilers - it'll be hard to discuss current fics without talking in detail about updates!

And in the vein of that - oh my god if Phil wanking to thoughts of Dan was that hot, then the actual sex scenes are gonna literally kill me.

Re: Current Fics We're Loving

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:04 pm
by liola
Okay i'm avoiding spoilers like crazy but everyone and their mothers is raving about AMAAF and I've basically stubbornly not started reading it because i'm always scared i will end up hating what's being hyped and tbh I try to stay away from fics about asexuality spectrum because it's usually written really badly but it seems like this isn't the case...

Basically I'm reaching a stress point where I need some good writing to look forward and everyone says amaaf will be it but it's also super long and slow burn so like... can someone convince me to give it a go? Is it gonna ruin my life? I have my last university exam ever in two weeks and a full time job what should I do, is it worth it?