'Peeta with a Disability' fics: in which Little Miss Mionie cringes at inaccuracies and gets annoyed about ableism

Warning: this post has Little Miss Mionie going all social justice-y on yo' ass. She will not apologise for this. 

'Consequences' by leabharlann on DA

The lovely Fiona asked if we could find her fics where Peeta is disabled. Man oh man, they are hard to find! It's hardly surprising, since disabled people are a minority in our society and perhaps a lot of writers who don't have a disability aren't interested in creating a character with one, either because they're plain not interested, or because they are afraid of portraying a disability accurately. Perhaps this isn't helped by the fact that the moviemakers didn't include Peeta losing his leg in the The Hunger Games film (personally, I'm still hoping for a plot twist at the start of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.) The fanfiction world in general is pretty inclusive when it comes to the rainbow spectrum of sexuality (to a lesser extent, gender) and of race, but when it comes to disabilities, learning difficulties and impairments, ableism rules undeniably. This is a problem that hopefully our fellow awesome writers who either have a disability, difficulty or impairment and their friends can resolve by writing some kick-ass fics in the future! There is something quite ironic about an able-bodied person writing this post, too, so please do keep that in mind.

I studied sign language last year, and I know that Deaf people don't see their inability to hear as a disability but rather a communication difficulty; this makes perfect sense to me and I respect that in the real world. I naturally cringe away from fics with characters who are Deaf because I am convinced someone will be doing something wrong, so I don't actively seek them out, which is why I haven't reviewed any before this post. I don't really like including them in this post, but basically, without them, this post would be me ranting about social injustices and ableism without any fic recs. (Boring for most people, I'm sure). Plus, I'm sure Fiona and others who seek out 'disabled-Peeta' fics are looking for plots such as these. So, with a little cringing, I list for ye:

With Eyes To Hear by Amelia Day
Summary: Peeta Mellark has always relied on two things: his eyes and Katniss Everdeen. They've never thought of themselves as anything but normal...it's everyone else who has always had the issue. Modern Day AU.
Review: Why do all disability!fics have such cliche titles? Apart from that, this fic is cute and well done. I love the characterisations of younger Peeta and Katniss in the first chapter. The sign language and Deaf culture is handled well; my only wish is that it wasn't alternate universe. Otherwise, it reads like a nicely done romance/drama. (It actually reads to me a lot like a AH Twilight fic!)

Stories of Us by Ameiko
Summary: AU. Katniss never imagined that The Great War would change her life in the secluded PA woods, but it did. She also never imagine that crippled soldier Peter "Peeta" Mellark could heal her heart.
Review: I love all the American historical settings that are popping up in Hunger Games fics lately! This plot is great and I think, especially for the setting, that Peeta as an amputee has been treated very well by the writer.

A Way With Words by The Jumble Book
Summary: Peeta's been rescued from the Capitol and he's not been Hijacked. However he's not escaped unscathed. Snow always knew the boy had, had a way with words. How will Peeta cope without that talent? How will the rebellion cope without it? How will Katniss?
Review: This author works with people with disabilities, so there's an expectation for this fic to be well done. I enjoyed the plot (it's a believable way for Peeta to become disabled in a canon world), and Katniss' narration is a nice change from all the Peeta narration in other fics where he's the main character. It does leave a bit of a gap, however, knowing what he's thinking and feeling in the first couple of chapters before sign language is introduced. Also, I feel like Katniss especially picks up sign language super quickly in this fic, and Gale is relegated to OCC angry evil guy. It's not the best fic, but it's pretty good!

I couldn't find any *good* fics with characters who are blind, or who had a learning difficulty or developmental delay, so if you know of any, please comment below!

Finally, here are some excellent links on disabilities in The Hunger Games fandom and fanfiction:
Writing Disability in Fanfic: An Insider's View (blindness in particular)
Some Clues On How Not To Write Deaf Characters
Access_Fandom
So, How ABOUT Those Hunger Games?
Disability: Lost in the Translation of the Hunger Games

~ Little Miss Mionie

Sealskin (K/P, Rated M)

Well, well, well, look who found their way back! What can I say, I've been busy trying to find fantastic little stories for all you people to read and boy do I have one for you this month! How about we get right down to it, eh?

Title: Sealskin
Author: Loupee
Rating: Rated M
Pairing: Katniss/Peeta, Katniss/Gale
Summary: "In the cold north folklore told of shape shifters who lived both within the ocean waters and walked on land. Peeta believed they were just a thing of childhood stories until a fateful encounter. Years later he is drawn into the world of a girl with uncanny similarities whose past and future are interwoven with those of the creatures."

Why?

If you're relatively new to THG fanfiction you're probably still diving into the plethora of canon-compliant fics that have a tendancy to fill in the empty holes or other characterizations that you don't get from canon - and that's perfectly fine. If though you're like me and you've been kicking around for a while you may start dabbling in reading fics that take a more liberal approach to the characters by putting them into amazing little alternate universe scenarios that blow your mind.

Sealskin is absolutely one of the fics that will carry you away. I swear, you will show up for the star-crossed lovers and stay because you simply can't stop reading.

One of my favourite things about Loupee's Sealskin is that it is unlike anything I've ever read before. It centers around an old folklore tale but brings a very human aspect to the story that ties it almost seamlessly into the THG world. The characterizations are spot on with both Katniss and Peeta staying very true to form in their expected behaviours alone as well as during the critical moments that could be mirrored by canon elements. My only concern (and this is a personal preference of mine) is that once again Gale is in the role of the antogonist and that simply breaks my heart.

I highly recommend this story to anyone looking for something completely out of THG universe, or anyone who just wants something fantastic to read. Hopefully you go check it out.

Much love.

Hero of the Story (M Rating)

I'll tell you all right now, real life is getting the better of me. I'm writing this early on a Saturday morning because it's come down to me waking up early in order to actually get things done. Oh adulthood, how you steal my hopes and dreams and turn them blah blah.Okay - on to the story rec!

Title: Hero of the Story AO3 / FF.net
Author: atetheredmind (s_e_irvine) AO3 / FF.net
Rating: Explicit
Summary: By the end of the summer, Peeta Mellark had married the shoemaker's daughter. And by the end of the summer, Katniss had wed Gale in a small toasting ceremony. AU where Prim and Peeta are never reaped, and where there is no mockingjay, no rebellion.

Why? Okay, so there are lots of reasons that I would recommend atetheredmind as an author to anyone. For example, her stories are creative (read: explicit and adventurous), sex positive, and often so well written that you forget really who you are. But those are just some of them. I'm rec'ing this story to you today because for what started out as a prompt response, it somehow morphed into this two part story that has the capability to make you re-think nearly every conception you have about endgame Everlark.

Without giving too much away, the summary says it all - Peeta and Katniss are both married to other people. Plain and simple. For most, that's it, that's all. But not in this story - atetheredmind has effectively conveyed the challenges that two people face when their hearts are elsewhere which in turn makes you, the reader, reconsider where you think you stand on the convention of infidelity.

I'm not saying you're going to like it - hell, I had double thoughts while I read it - but you will come away from it thinking a little bit more about your conceived notions of monogamy and people's choices. Give it a whirl and hopefully you'll be as spellbound as I was.

PS. Just so you know, the erotica tag is on here because if you dig around a little more in atethermind's profile you'll find 'The Education of Peeta Mellark' and well, geez, that story is some of the best of the best. Trust me on that. 

Three Recs: Katniss/Gale goodness

Hey lovelies!

Today I'm bringing you three Katniss/Gale fics. I'm a pretty weird Katniss/Gale shipper, myself - I only really like the ship if it's post-mockingjay and Peeta's sort of out of the picture - but these three fics were so fantastic I didn't care. I've featured the author jada_jasmine twice. She's a gem writer!

they were going round and round but they did not meet by jada_jasmine
Summary: Gale never once imagined the happiest he'd ever be was at eighteen.
Why? Jada_jasmine has such a way with words. She portrays such melancholy moments of Gale's life regarding Katniss with such clarity and tone. The final sentences of each moment seem to leave an echo; they are like a motif of such sad, poignant moments in life. This is wonderful, something that could realistically happening post-mj. A deep, contemplative piece at a lovely length.

Same Small World by lilabut
Summary: A different take on the morning before the reaping.
Why? I actually found this fic confusing the first time I read it - I couldn't figure out when it was set in the THG timeline. I really loved it for its simplicity, however. I feel like lilabut captured Gale and Katniss' characterisations wonderfully. It's a excellent piece for someone's first go at THG fic writing!


I found a beating heart half-buried in the woods by jada_jasmine
Summary: This is a betrayal worst than most.
Why? Once again, this author does a fab job of imagining Katniss and Gale reuniting. I love that it's set in the woods, and that she doesn't shy away from the fact that Katniss and Gale have been changed by war. It's not as...lyrical, as "they were going..." but it's a great snapshot nonetheless. I especially love this line: "This is a Katniss who points arrows at his heart and a Gale who can no longer walk in the woods."

~ Little Miss Mionie

Backwards (K/G, K/P, M/G)

Backwards by Posythorne
Summary: Catnip, you've got a couple of things to learn about having someone's back. A collection of Gale moments. G
Ships: Katniss/Gale, Katniss/Peeta, Gale/Madge
Why? Backwards is a brilliant one-shot. Posythorne captures Gale's characterisation perfectly, as evidenced by first-person narration. It is a series of scenes of Gale interacting with main characters up until Catching Fire. I really enjoyed seeing a younger Katniss from Gale's eyes; I think posythorne really entrenches the sense of Katniss and Gale having the burden of their entire families on their shoulders. With a short, straight-forward sentence structure, the beauty, quiet and strength of Gale is really pulled through.


I kiss Prim on the forehead and she lets me stroke her cotton silk hair until she falls to sleep. My family will have to manage on the leftovers of yesterday's squirrels. This home is too broken for me to walk away from tonight.


I also really liked that Gale is shown not only with Katniss, but with Madge. This author does a marvellous job of giving Gale Hawthorne the depth and complexities he deserves - whether this is in his mannerisms, reflections, or his characterisation. My only criticism is that the final scene is not as impactful as the previous ones - but perhaps posythorne wanted to leave Backwards on an indeterminate note.


Happy reading,
Little Miss Mionie

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Katniss/Gale, Katniss/Peeta)

Title: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Author: jacyevans
Summary: AU - Katniss kills President Snow, and his granddaughter participates in the seventy-sixth annual Hunger Games. Everything changes. Everything stays the same.
Ships: Katniss/Gale, Katniss/Peeta

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a tragic and moving AU fic. It shows a different side of the ending of Mockingjay from when President Snow is overthrown. The basic premise is  that Snow's granddaughter is thrown into a final Games, which does go ahead - but this fic goes deeper than that. Jacyevans uses it as a way to make her characters express things they didn't in canon.

There is a sense of horrible revenge in the air, that Coin and everyone else on the rebellion's side is just as blood-thirsty and ruined as the people they fought against as the Games are set up for the final time. Characters are eager to watch Skylark Snow die. With Coin not immediately dealt with by Katniss, this horror continues.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Plutarch’s voice carries through the streets, echoing off of the empty houses, “May I present the victor of the seventy-sixth annual Hunger Games: Skylark Snow.”

Skylark raises her face to the sky, throws back her head. A hovercraft blocks the sun overhead, and she climbs onto the lowered ladder, letting it carry her up and away, out of the arena and into safety.

Into President Coin’s waiting hands.

She laughs, because she can’t do anything else, lets her arms fall to her side. Her blood slides in soaking rivulets down her legs to drip onto the floor.

What does it matter? She’s dead anyway.


Jacyevans shows a final parting of Katniss and Gale, and Prim being mourned; Buttercup makes an appearance and Peeta and Katniss continue on. It's got so many canon elements which are changed into quiet moments that really make it feel like the series has come full circle.


“We survived," Peeta says quietly, standing at her side. "Real or not real?”

Katniss glances at him, watches his lips twitch into a smile. My name is Katniss Everdeen, she thinks. I am seventeen years old. I live in District Twelve. This is what I fought for.

“Real,” she says, and takes his hand.


How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a carefully transformed alternate take on the last few chapters of Mockingjay; I'm sure some of you would even preferred this more nicely rounded off version. It's heartbreak all over again with a simple sentence structure, and it is wonderful.


Happy reading!
~ Little Miss Mionie

Little Miss Mionie's Recs: Fics Fics Fics (K/P, K/G)

Hey y'all.
Long time no recs, hey! ... I know you love it when I keep you waiting ;)
Here's some fab fics I've read recently that I have been dying to recommend to you.

Title: Touchstone
Author: Charlottetrips
Ship: Katniss/Peeta
Summary: This is why she stayed with him.
Why? Touchstone is a really unique look at Katniss and Peeta in a post-mockingjay world. Intense and wonderfully written.

Title: inherit the earth
Author: Liketrains
Ship: Katniss/Peeta
Summary: She doesn't know whose nightmares they are hiding from tonight. Maybe that line has blurred indefinitely. spoilers for mockingjay. 
Why? Oh My Gale Hawthorne, this fic renders me speechless. It is so, so innovative in the world of post-mockingjay fics in terms of the plot and tropes. I love all of the canon pieces put into this, and the poetic elongated sentence structure. The pacing is just brilliant. It's aching. A must-read.

Title: Guilty
Author: sephiesport
Ship: Katniss/Gale
Summary: While Katniss is fighting for her life during the 75th Hunger Games, Gale's got his own problems to deal with. Namely planning a rebellion, avoiding the psycho who wants him dead, and survivng a bombing. You know, no big deal. Gale's POV of Catching Fire.
Why? Awesme, on-the-spot characterisation of Gale. This is such a great exploration of all the things we didn't see. I haven't finished reading it, but Guilty totally has me hooked.

~ Little Miss Mionie

Ever In Your Favour (Katniss/Gale)

OHMYNIGHTLOCKBERRIES. I'm so sorry for being away for these past couple of weeks; university has been burying me with assignments. I'm sure it hasn't been bad at all - you've been in the very capable recc'ing hands of Amata, Lavender and Polka! In any case, I'll be sharing a few fics I've recently floved and/or read over the next couple of weeks.

Title: Ever In Your Favour
Author: Estrunk
Summary: In the Epilogue Katniss was just guessing what would happen next. But she didn't see what was coming. Here's what really happened! PeetaxKatnissxGale If you think the end to Gale's story was just not right, take a look.

Please note: Super spoilery review.

I'm super sorry to the lovely Estrunk, but I'm giving a mixed review for Ever In Your Favour. There are many positives to this fic, which I'll go into later, but there was this one thing that made me not enjoy Ever In Your Favour: and that was the catalyst that kicked the plot off.

I'm not new to fanfiction; I've been kicking in in various fandoms for around seven years now. And I think it's because in terms of romance stories, I've mostly seen it all, I could see this plot point coming a mile away - and *spoiler* killing Peeta off so Gale and Katniss can have a relationship is a catalyst that I find to be very weak. I think this is because I've seen it done in a number of other fandoms, mostly Harry Potter, and so I was a bit like, this again? This major plot point was quite unoriginal and boring for me to read, despite how believably executed it was. This, though, was a stark contrast to the rest of the fic; I can honestly say I've never read anything like Ever In Your Favour in the Post-Mockingjay category. I also want to add that I had trouble believing Gale and Katniss' relationship at first; I felt like there wasn't any chemistry between them, only angst. (This eventually changes as the fic progresses.)

With negatives out of the way, I want to talk about the aspects I enjoyed - the parts I can tell Ever In Your Favour's loads of readers love. As aforementioned, the rest of the plot is quite original as it deviates away from the Post-MJ canon we all imagine. Estrunk has Gale's characterisation and voice down pat; Gale was my favourite point-of-view to read. I enjoyed some very unique features, such as Gale's job as a grave digger, and the expansion of settings and location. (What did you say?! We get out of District 12 in a Post-Mj fic?!) Estrunk also did a fabulous job of executing a slow, yet believable story of Gale and Katniss coming together and finding love. And huzzah for an epilogue without marriage and children!

All in all, if you can get past the slightly-overused plot point (and I'm sure I'm the only who couldn't, oops!), Ever In Your Favour is a a Gale/Katniss shipper's dream come true.

Happy reading,
Little Miss Mionie

Interview with Medea Smyke!

I'm very happy to presenting you all with an interview with a fabulous author, and friend of mine, Medea Smyke. If you're a Gadge fanatic, you've most likely read her fics; they are legendary for that ship! Medea's fics are a currently very popular in the Hunger Games fandom, and with her being such a wonderful writer too, I thought I'd take the chance to interview her and gain some insight into her writery ways. This is a must see for fans of An Extra Dividend and And So We Run Redux!!
 ~ Little Miss Mionie


LMM: Thanks for doing this, Medea.


MS: Thanks for interviewing me! 


LMM: All right, I'll get straight into it. What made you start writing Hunger Games fanfiction?

MS: Well, I didn’t mean to. At the time I was happy writing for “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR). A friend of mine recommended the “Hunger Games” series to me shortly after CF came out. I browsed through the stories on FFN and couldn’t find anything on Gale/Madge (Gadge) as a pairing, (except a few K/P fics where they were sort of tucked into the background), so I ended up having to write it for myself! That spelled the end for my LOTR days, alas. 

LMM: You are renowned in the fandom for writing realistic and rounded portrayals of Gale and Madge in a romantic relationship. What drew you to this pairing? What do you love about it?

MS: Madge and Gale piqued my interest as a shipper as soon as he made that backhanded comment about her dress in HG. I grew up reading Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables, and Much Ado About Nothing were the love interests spend a majority of the story at odds. I love that flavor of romantic tension. Then when Madge showed up with the morphling in CF, there was no going back for me. Besides, I was rooting for Peeta to win Katniss. ;) 

Gadge makes for a dynamic pairing. Some might say that pairing Gale off with Madge would’ve been a  “too easy” solution, but I disagree. Turning Gale into a douche tool was taking the easy way out. Anyway. There are a lot of angles to take with Gadge, with the class issues, their stances about the rebellion, prejudice and presuppositions about one another that are present in HG, etc. Their relationship with others in the town also make them interesting to write about. They’re both friends with Katniss but on a very different spectrum. What I also love is that they are minor characters (Madge more so than Gale), which leaves plenty of “off screen time” for fanfiction writers to play with. One of the best examples of this is Solaryllis’s Rebel Like You. 

LMM: Do you find, predominantly writing a fanon pairing (Gale/Madge), that it is harder to get your stories read and reviewed? Or are Gadge fans very dedicated in their love and reviews for Gadge fics?

MS: At first, yes, it was difficult to get readers, let alone reviews. One can’t expect to get the same amount of reviews than a K/P story would. I started writing Gadge shortly after CF came out and I think the pairing was a bit of a surprise to people or downright distasteful. Folks either ignored Gadge fics or they left me interesting reviews with their negative opinions. The G/K/P triangle was still up in the air, at that point, so there was a bit more emotion behind shipping. Even now, few people think seriously of Madge as a character, let alone as a love interest for Gale. On the flip side, though, writing Gadge did draw other Gadgers out of the woodwork and I made some great friends in the fandom that way. Now there is a definite backing for Gadge within the fandom and far more writers to choose from. When Mockingjay came out there was definitely a question about whether or not Gadge would survive, but I think the ship is as strong as ever. Maybe more so. There’s a certain level of canon defiance required to be a Gadger, and that’s always fun. ;) 

LMM: You have a habit of resurrecting Madge Undersee in your fics. Any chance we’d see an angsty fic where Gale mourns her, or sees her for the last time during the bombs? Or are you committed to keeping it AU?!

MS: LOL! I am an emotional coward, so something that angsty would probably break my wee heart. Besides, whenever I sit down to write drama, humor always gets in the way. I have made a cozy corner for myself in AU, and I don’t see dislodging myself anytime soon. There are plenty of other Gadge writers who thrive writing angst, so I’ll leave them to it. 

LMM: You have a talent of for writing our fave Hunger Games characters at all stages of their lives – during the rebellion, facing parenthood – and all of your fanfiction stories are quite different in terms of narrative and genre. Do you deliberately try and write different things? Or has it all just sort of…happened? 

MS: Hmm. It’s a bit of both, part whimsy part deliberation. I do try to make different characters sound different, if successful, the way Collins writes them, so my Gadge stories will be different from the one I wrote about Finnick. She did a fabulous job giving her cast unique voices, so that may account for different narrative styles I use to accommodate them. 

My ideas for stories tend to start with a smattering of dialogue or a random scene and suddenly the whole story unfolds. It can be quite random. For And So We Run Redux, that mammoth story stemmed from the drabble I wrote when I pictured Gale showing up at Madge’s home to help her escape. The first installment of Christmas Cheers started when I was looking for Christmas ideas for my little nephew who was about to be born. The little outfit that says “My Other Bottle’s a Beer” turned into a gift from Haymitch and voila.  They’re quite different stories and that depends totally on whatever random idea pops into my head. Sometimes these develop into full-out stories, sometimes they end up on the shelf. 

LMM: An Extra Dividend is your most acclaimed Hunger Games fic. A lot of fans wondered what happened to Gale post-Mockingjay, and it seems like An Extra Dividend is an idea that a lot of people hope would have happened in canon. What was the writing process like?

MS: Writing An Extra Dividend was probably the most beautiful writing experience I’ve had so far, LOL. Most stories I’ve written have required a lot of hair-pulling and existential crises, but this one seemed to write itself. A large part of that owed itself to lifting half of the plot directly from the play The Shop Around the Corner. The letter-writing, misunderstanding and romance come from the play, while the secondary plot of the Capitol loyalists infiltrating the system was something I added. I have the hardest time with plots, so with that difficulty out of the way, I got to focus on characterization and dialogue - the fun things. What was also unique about AED was that I had the majority of the story written before I began posting. That made a huge impact on my ability to revise each chapter, so I was able to publish a new chapter every week to two weeks. Knowing where the story would ultimately go made revision a much smoother process. It took me about three months to grind out the rough draft, and only a few months more to post the entire thing. Amazing, considering that Redux took me a year. 

LMM: As We Run Redux: Part II is also one of the fandom’s most popular AU fanfics. Have you been surprised by the response considering it is very alternate? I mean, apart from writing a strong characterisation of Gale that was bound to get applause from Gale fans, Redux II has had fanart drawn for it twice.

MS: I've been lucky to have some folks over at Deviant Art draw up some scenes from my stories. They're all awesome! My absolute favorite has to be this artwork for Quintus McFarlane, the pilot in And So We Run II, by Apricotteacup and I can't talk it up enough. 

(The image won't work on blogger, but you can find it here on deviantart.)
When I started Redux it wasn’t strictly AU yet, it was speculative fanfiction, which I think is a distinction and certainly where the draw came from. It certainly became AU, though, after Mockingjay’s release.  By then, though, the story was about wrapped up. I think I’m surprised when any of my stories do well, but given the timing, I think that helps explain why the story had a draw. I doubt Redux II would be nearly as successful if it had been written after the publication of MJ, which established post-CF canon.  In fact, I miss those days before Mockingjay, where authors were able to post stories with their own version of events without having to explain how it differed from canon, since canon hadn’t been revealed yet. We saw some of my favorite fics during that period between CF and MJ, with stories like Holymfwickee’s (then Kenoshachick) Scars.  There’s a certain thrill in speculative fanfiction where anything is game, which deliberate AU doesn’t make up for.
LMM: You love YA fiction. Do you find any part of YA helps you in writing? Eg, writing Gale, Madge and Katniss as teenagers in Redux II – because although everything is very serious in that fic, you’ve written it just like Collins in the idea that you don’t forget that they’re all teenagers going through hell.

MS: LOL, YA fiction has helped me remember how awful being a teenager was and all the emotional wackiness. For the record, it wasn’t that long ago, but I spent all of high school trying to get out of high school, so I don’t think I took advantage of the cool things too, which YA fiction also reminds me. Teens are in this great phase (okay, it didn’t feel great at the time) where they are still adolescent yet turning into adults. So teen characters can be spontaneous when they need to be, but also incredibly mature at the same time. We also see Katniss and Gale thrust into these adult roles, so they have this maturity-beyond-their-years thing going on coupled with occasional hiccups that make for some dynamic characterization.  

LMM: Moving onto something a bit more fun…I giggle-snorted so hard while reading Peeta’s Honeymoon Survival Kit (co-written by Geeky-DMHG-fan.) Was it a challenge to inject humour into such a serious fandom?

MS: Ha! No. I don’t think I could write anything else but humor for long. The darker the series gets, I think something in me feels the need to balance it out with light. When Geeky and I wrote PHSK, we were both pretty upset with how Mockingjay turned out and I think we both wanted to write something that would take our minds off of it and reclaim the characters we enjoyed. Writing drama is so difficult for me - at least - writing it straight. There are some intense moments in some of my fics, but it never lasts long before some joke bubbles through, or the characters do something absurd. I can’t seem to help it. Even SC can’t seem to help it, either. Just think of the scene in Hunger Games where Katniss makes Peeta wear a backpack over his groin even though he’s on death’s door. So funny! 

LMM: What inspires you to write?

MS: The absence of the stories I want to read is one inspiration, certainly. For fanfiction, it’s the desire to speculate about where a story will go (when canon isn’t established) or to keep characters alive (Madge!) or to play with a favorite pairing (Gadge!). The characters themselves are inspiring. I miss them when the story is over and want to know more about what they’re up to, so I make it up. 

LMM: What’s your favourite Hunger Games book, and why? Does it directly reflect the type of fanfics you write?

MS: Difficult question! I tend to blend Hunger Games and Catching Fire together into one story.  If I had to pick between the two of them, I suppose I would choose Hunger Games. We’re learning about Katniss’s world for the first time. The arena is my favorite here and we get to see a whole lot of Peeta. The world is also a little less complicated than it starts to become in Catching Fire when President Snow and the rebellion really inject themselves into Katniss’s life. The story feels more contained and surprising. 

I don’t like Mockingjay at all, so that certainly reflects the type of fanfics I write. I incorporate what we know from HG and CF and pretty much ignore the canon after that point. It feels strange to fly in the face of canon, especially coming from LOTR where canon knowledge was integral to a story’s success, but MJ is unacceptable so I’ve had to adapt my sensibilities. 

LMM: You’ve been writing fanfiction for around ten years. Do you feel (like I do) that your most recent work – which is for the Hunger Games fandom – is your best yet? Why or why not?

MS: Definitely. I tend to always feel like whatever I’m working on is the best as it benefits from a culmination of whatever I’m learning about the craft of writing. Plus, it’s fresh. In the Hunger Games, as opposed to LOTR, I also don’t feel overshadowed by writers who have been in the fandom much longer than me, since it is a brand new baby fandom. It’s been awesome to be part of building and creating fanon rather than entering into an already established fandom. That’s certainly helped my writing.  

LMM: What are your thoughts on Hunger Games fanfiction in general? How does it compare to other fandoms you’ve written in – and is this a good or bad thing? (Eg. You’re unlikely to find an AU “all-human” a la Twilight fic in this fandom. Everything is quite canon based in terms of setting.)

MS: As I mentioned above, HG is a new fandom. I don’t feel lost in the shuffle the way I would in a larger, older fandom like Lord of the Rings, or in very popular ones like Harry Potter and Twilight. It boggles my mind and I would feel too overwhelmed to try and get a fic wedged into one of those fandoms. 

HG fanon, the facts that we take for granted even though they aren’t in the books, is still under construction. I like helping create it. For example, Gale’s catchphrase, “Hell’s teeth” has gone viral. I doubt folks realize that came from And So We Run Redux. It’s nice to be a part of creating fanon instead of walking into a fandom where these kinds of little details are established and expected. 

LMM: Since we are a recommendation site, I thought it would be fun to ask: What are some of your favourite fics?

MS: Right now I am thoroughly enjoying Solaryllis’s fics, particularly Rebel Like You and On What Grounds. Her treatment of Gale and Madge is spot on. She writes intelligent plots with plenty of intrigue and a really cute dog named Zipper. 

Holymfwickee recently published a continuation of her Always Trust Your Wingman fic to include a juicy two-chapter story on Madge and Gale called Double Date. Even though she is best known for her Katniss/Peeta fics, she always puts great perspective on Madge and Gale as individuals and as a couple. 

Fans of Jo and Gale will enjoy Miss Scarlette 05’s crackfic called Pants.  Even people like me who don’t like Jo and Gale together will enjoy it. Just don’t read and drink at the same time unless you have something on hand to clean off your monitor. 

And my favorite Gadge of all time by Geeky-DMGH-Fan is Peeta Mellark Ruined My Life. 

LMM: Are there any secrets, spoilers or titbits of information about any of your HG fics that you’d like to let your readers know about? Perhaps calm down an hysteria about a recent cliff hanger, for instance?

MS: Well, I don’t have anything that I’m posting at the moment, so there aren’t any secrets or spoilers or hysteria. Not that I know of. 

LMM: Can you give us an exclusive and tell what fanfic endeavours you’ve got coming up? :)

MS: Sure! Currently, I am working on two new instalments for my annual Christmas Cheers collection. There will be two different pairings. I’m sure it’s obvious what at least one of the pairings will be. ;) 

After that, I hope to actually begin working on a Hazelle/Mr. Hawthorne “pre-Gale” fic. It will be a romantic fic about how they they fell in love. It will also explore the reasons why Katniss and Gale didn’t know each other until after both of their fathers were killed, even though both of their fathers hunted (which no one else in 12 did) and worked on the same crew in the mines. If Mr. Hawthorne and Mr. Everdeen knew each other, why were their families so separate? I’ve got some ideas about that. 

LMM: Finally, what’s your favourite THG fanfiction that you’ve written?

MS: Oh boy. Erm. Well, I think it has to be An Extra Dividend and possibly I See You. AED was super fun to write. Although, I See You is a Katniss/Gale fic, it feels a little more like the Hunger Games to me. I don’t know. I don’t go back to read my stories often, but when I do, I go back to that one.


You can find Medea Smyke and her fics on fanfiction.net. 

In Honour of the Hunger Games Trailer... (Katniss/Gale, Katniss/Peeta, Gen)

Here are three fanfic recommendations that coincide with screencaps from the effing awesome trailer.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

Four Times Katniss Wasn't Reaped (And The One Time She Was) by lit_chick08

He's always been more afraid to hear her name than to hear his own.

Verdict: This is a great canon expansion from Gale's point of view. Great characterisation, and plotted very neatly, Four Times... presents the reaping with as much emotion as the trailer did.

Even When You Win, You Lose by angelan

Peeta muses on his feelings for Katniss before the games begin.
Verdict: A perfect portrayal of everyone's favourite baker's son.

Not Yet A Hurricane by Solaryllis
It's harder than people realize to be the one left behind. Gale's story of Katniss and Peeta's Hunger Games. 
Verdict: Solaryllis is a brilliant writer who does a fantastic job of conveying what it would have been like to watch the games - a point of view that we'll most likely be seeing in the movie.

It seems like the odds are in Gary Ross' favour, hey?
Happy reading,
~ Little Miss Mionie

Quick Rec: Pants by Miss Scarlett 05 (Johanna/Gale/Katniss)

Ahh, I still lol at this picture.

Good morning fellow tributes! After watching whitneyleemilam's new Hunger Games parody (featuring guys from Winterspringpro and A Very Potter musical!!), I felt the need to post a humorous recommendation - a break from all the ansgt that comes with THG fics.

Title: Pants

Author: Miss Scarlett 05

Ships: Gale/Johanna, Gale/Katniss, Katniss/Johanna. It was just easier to type it shorter in the post title :)

Summary: Johanna scares the pants off Gale—but that seems to be what she's going for, given the pull on his waistband. Gale, Katniss, Johanna and a missing pair of pants. General trashiness, some stupid humor and LOTS of DIRTY thoughts. A/U

Review: Miss Scarlett 05 is one of my fave authors in the fandom (and friends!), but I have to admit that I was totally blown away that she could write a humorous plot, and great dialogue full of one-liners, given that her hugely popular Grow Together is such a heartfail fest. Miss Scarlet 05's employment of sharp, straightforward or 'simple' sentences as they're called really help communicate Gale's frustrated tone through this one-shot.I really enjoyed Gale's characterisation - gasp! He thinks like a teenage boy! - and Katniss' portrayal is surprising spot-on. Johanna has to be the highlight for me, though; with lines like, "I don't think I've had a coal miner before,", her character really builds sexual tension in this story. What's not to love about sexual frustrated!Gale, sexually naive!Katniss and screw me!Johanna? Pants is a great one-shot that's both funny and pleasurable to read.

Excerpt:

"Katniss?" he strains, not quite knowing how to handle his longtime best friend's roommate. It's not so much an invitation for a third as a plea for intervention.

Is the roommate always this friendly? She's a victor. Maybe she's about to kill him and eat him. There hasn't been much meat in the District lately. Could be a mineral deficiency. No, his media-friendly mug is too important to the rebellion for Plutarch to ever allow that to happen.

He silently pleads to the cross girl. She stands with arms folded defiantly over her chest. Her chest.His eyes linger there for a few seconds. He's always liked that area.

He wonders if she's going to do something.

"Should I leave you two alone?" He remembers to look up at her face when she says this. She appears both uncomfortable and annoyed at the same time. "I could go visit my mother."

"Oh, I think you should stay," Johanna says in a tone that makes the hair on the back of Gale's muscular neck stand up.

Johanna pins him to the wall. "You're going to be a good boy. Aren't you?"

When you're between a terrifying temptress and a wall, what choice do you have? Gale closes his eyes. Hopefully he'll figure out what to do when he reopens them.

Happy reading!

~ Little Miss Mionie

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Weekly Fan's Fic Rec: Three Times Gale Defended Katniss Everdeen (Katniss/Gale)

Holy tracker jackers, it's time for another Weekly Fan's Fic Rec!
The ever elusive 'Anonymous' sent this one in.

Title: Three Times Gale Defended Katniss Everdeen
Author: audreyii-fic
Summary: ... and three times he couldn't. Gale always looks out for Katniss, even when she doesn't know it. Pre-Hunger Games through the beginning of Catching Fire. Canon-compliant.
Why Anonymous loved this fic: "I love Gale's voice in this fic; it's so perfectly IC. It's easy to see why he's protective of Katniss and why he loves her. I really enjoyed Gale's view of their District and the Seam - it seems very realistic and paints a little bit of a different picture to how Katniss describes it in the books. It's a much darker view of their society. I especially loved the parts where Gale describes other guys noticing Katniss, and when he goes off with a girl to forget her. Uh, to sum it up, this fic is totally sweet, melancholy and dark. The ending is brilliant. Go read it!"


Want to share your fic love? Fill in the Weekly Fan's Fic Rec form!

~ Little Miss Mionie
*I understand that this is not quite weekly, but rather 'whenever-someone-fills-in-the-form fan's rec' at the moment, hehe.

Weekly Fan's Fic Rec: Katniss/Gale fics

This week's fan's recommendation came to us via twitter. I was on the lookout for some Katniss/Gale fics, and the lovely Miss Scarlett 05 tweeted in with not one, but two recommendations! Thank you so much, Miss Scarlett 05!


Title: I See You
Author: Medea Smyke
Summary: What if Katniss had slipped out to find Gale after the banquet at Mayor Undersee's instead of waiting a couple of weeks to meet Gale at the cabin? Fanservice ensues. This is an AU Catching Fire scenario. K/G

Title: Stranger
Author: SamSnead
Summary: My throat closed with emotion and against all odds I found myself inexplicably wishing for the simplicity of the arena - eat or starve, kill or be killed, live or die. But there would be no silver parachutes to save me from this destruction.

In other news, my interview with holymfwickee will be posted very soon, and in the next two weeks I'll be posting some in-depth recommendations - which I know a lot of people prefer. I hope you are all having a fantastic week, and that you enjoy our recommendations!

~ Little Miss Mionie

Quick Rec: Two Fires by Isabugg

"Whoa, Little Miss Mionie! Another update? I thought you said this would be a casual rec site." Well, yes, I did say that - and I do mean it. But I'm on holidays at the moment, and the site's just started, so I'm trying to show off our awesome recs so more people will get involved :)

I'd firstly like to give a few shout-outs to the lovely people at TheHob.org and a few lurkers of ADifferentForest for their enthusiasm about Nightlock; and also to Muttations, our first wonderful affiliate!

Today I'm just posting a quick little rec - as recommended to us on twitter by the fabulous @AnonymousCiter! (What a sneaky way to get around using our forms, hehe.)

Two Fires by Isabugg

What if Gale, overtaken by the grief of seeing his oldest friend about to be swept into the monstrosity that is the Hunger Games, volunteered for Peeta and took his place? Gale Hawthorne x Katniss Everdeen

Why? Well, I've only read the first chapter, but even from only that, Isabugg's mastery of descriptive and emotive language is phwoar-worthy. The plot sounds unbelievably cool and intriguing (yet it's so simple!) A must for Katniss/Gale shippers.

Here's an excerpt to entice you:

"Let's get this over with!" Effie said, her voice struggling to keep its usual exaggerated timbre as she caught sight of the Peacekeepers. Without missing a beat, she spun the boys' glass ball before clumsily pulling out another slip of paper, smoothing out the surface across her lap before moving towards the microphone. I didn't even have time to hope that it wasn't Gale before her voice boomed across the square, announcing the name. "Peeta Mellark!"

I stared wide-eyed into the crowd, now biting my tongue for fear of crying in front of all these people and cameras. My eyes swept over his blond head, and a crushing thought weighed itself in the pit of my stomach.

I know him. A baker, about my age, and the son of the man my mother had rejected in her youth for my father. I quickly thought back to the time he gave me bread when I was in my weakest, hungriest state, but before he could even take two steps, I saw Gale violently pushing his way through the crowd.

"I, Gale Hawthorne, volunteer for Peeta Mellark!" His gruff voice echoed throughout the square, his hand up high and stiff above his head as he sprinted towards the stage, instantly engulfing me in his arms after he had reached it.

That was when the crowd got rowdy, pushing each other around and yelling obscenities up at Effie, threatening her and the Peacekeepers around us.

I heard gunshots pierce the air, slicing through the once determined protests and turning them into bloodcurdling screams.

But all this time, Gale wouldn't let me wiggle out of his strong arms.

~ LMM