Hard Facts Community

ColleenD wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 10:45 pm I am bouncing around the idea of doing a sort of N&S/Pretty Woman crossover, where John pays Margaret to court him, so kind of like a fake dating/engagement trope. Have no fear, no prostitution will be involved.

ColleenD wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 10:45 pm I was telling Tom and a few others on chat the other day about my new idea.

I am bouncing around the idea of doing a sort of N&S/Pretty Woman crossover, where John pays Margaret to court him, so kind of like a fake dating/engagement trope. Have no fear, no prostitution will be involved.

John, being hounded by everyone to get married (esp. to the dreaded Ann Latimer), decides to find someone to pretend to court to get everyone off his back. I’m thinking of having it that some necessary investors for the mill will only invest in stable mill owners i.e., those that are married or in the process thereof. Of course, John doesn’t have the time or inclination for the real thing. Knowing the Hales are hard up, he decides to ask his tutor’s lovely daughter (the only woman he could stomach spending time with), offering to pay her for the inconvenience and promising to amicably break off the courtship when the time comes.

This story will include balls, dinner parties, and other public opportunities for ODC to be seen together. I will do my best to work in some of the events from the original story such as the riot. But rest assured, it will have an HEA.

Thoughts and suggestions are welcome, although this is a back burner story as I wish to finish North <=> First (at least).

ColleenD wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 5:41 am I love all of the wonderful ideas our Millers have here!

All the recent hullabaloo has me thinking of some of my other ideas. I have one I wanted to bounce off you guys. It came to me when I was writing 'Dixon's Revenge' and is along that theme. You know me and the cross-over. I was thinking of crossing N&S with Arsenic and Old Lace. If anyone is interested it can be read here for free: Or you can get a summary on wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_a ... ace_(play)

It is a morbid comedy where two old ladies murder depressed loners and their insane brother buries the bodies in their basement. Their sane nephew, who is recently engaged to their next door neighbor, discovers his aunts' homicidal tendencies and has to figure out what to do about it all.

Anyway, I would call mine Arsenic and an Old Maid, Dixon, therefore being the murderer. The set up of murders I have so far are as follows:

Dixon kills the landlord because he wouldn’t change the wall paper.
Dixon kills Boucher because he hurt Miss Margaret at the riot.
Dixon kills Leonards because he is a threat to Master Fred.
Dixon attempts to kill Mr. Thornton because as a lowly tradesman he is not worthy enough to marry Miss Margaret.
Dixon kills Mr. Hale for bringing them to Milton which she believes kills her mistress.
Dixon kills Mr. Bell when she hears that Margaret is to inherit all his estate.

I suppose I could have her kill Bessy for presuming to be friends with Miss Margaret and maybe Mrs. Boucher because she witnessed her killing Mr. Boucher. She could even kill Mrs. Hale to put her out of her misery.

My problem is how to make it a comedy. Or maybe I should just skip the comedy and make it a murder mystery. What do y'all think?

MacSwell wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:44 pm

I love this idea! Have you seen the Cary Grant movie? That’s the only version I’m familiar with but it sounds brilliant. Making it light would be hardest with characters that the reader is sympathetic with, like Bessy. But those are also the characters that can help add that suspense. The levity then works with the reader’s relief and cuts the tension. So lots of near misses with characters you care about and near discoveries as well.
In addition you need a character like Grant who knows the secret but is running around desperate to keep others from finding out. Really the humour is mostly at their expense. The “auntie murderers” see nothing wrong at all with it and don’t mind anyone finding out
It’s a great idea! Let me know if you ever decide to do it!

MacSwell wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:18 pm So maybe this has been done before and if it has feel free to “point me” but I was thinking a modern au in which there is a You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around The Corner sort of situation- ideally with some sexting or phone sex involved because let’s be honest we all need to experience mostly vanilla MH being scandalised by somewhat kinky JT’s dirty talk

Philipaholt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:06 am

MacSwell wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:18 pm So maybe this has been done before and if it has feel free to “point me” but I was thinking a modern au in which there is a You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around The Corner sort of situation- ideally with some sexting or phone sex involved because let’s be honest we all need to experience mostly vanilla MH being scandalised by somewhat kinky JT’s dirty talk

OMG. I could do THAT

cashmeritan wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:43 am So I have no idea where to ask this, but is this a smut-friendly community? Most of the stuff I write inevitably turns out to be Rated E on AO3, or an extreme M on fanfiction.net.

If so, I have some smut ideas I'd like some feedback on... More to come, depending on your answers.

Philipaholt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:06 am

MacSwell wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:18 pm So maybe this has been done before and if it has feel free to “point me” but I was thinking a modern au in which there is a You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around The Corner sort of situation- ideally with some sexting or phone sex involved because let’s be honest we all need to experience mostly vanilla MH being scandalised by somewhat kinky JT’s dirty talk

OMG. I could do THAT

can you please do this? I'm an extra huge fan of the Jimmy Stewart version (mmm Jimmy Stewart) but would love a modern take with a JT/MH ship! Also hopefully I'm using quotes correctly lmao. I'm so excited to be here!! I'm really socially awkward so please forgive me in advance. I feel like I've found my people and that makes me super happy.


edit: it took me like 5 times but I think I may have the quotes thing down...maybe....

cashmeritan wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:43 am So I have no idea where to ask this, but is this a smut-friendly community? Most of the stuff I write inevitably turns out to be Rated E on AO3, or an extreme M on fanfiction.net.

If so, I have some smut ideas I'd like some feedback on... More to come, depending on your answers.

Philipaholt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:06 am

MacSwell wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:18 pm So maybe this has been done before and if it has feel free to “point me” but I was thinking a modern au in which there is a You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around The Corner sort of situation- ideally with some sexting or phone sex involved because let’s be honest we all need to experience mostly vanilla MH being scandalised by somewhat kinky JT’s dirty talk

OMG. I could do THAT

can you please do this? I'm an extra huge fan of the Jimmy Stewart version (mmm Jimmy Stewart) but would love a modern take with a JT/MH ship! Also hopefully I'm using quotes correctly lmao. I'm so excited to be here!! I'm really socially awkward so please forgive me in advance. I feel like I've found my people and that makes me super happy.


edit: it took me like 5 times but I think I may have the quotes thing down...maybe....

Philipaholt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:06 am

MacSwell wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:18 pm So maybe this has been done before and if it has feel free to “point me” but I was thinking a modern au in which there is a You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around The Corner sort of situation- ideally with some sexting or phone sex involved because let’s be honest we all need to experience mostly vanilla MH being scandalised by somewhat kinky JT’s dirty talk

OMG. I could do THAT

Philipaholt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 3:45 am

cashmeritan wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:43 am So I have no idea where to ask this, but is this a smut-friendly community? Most of the stuff I write inevitably turns out to be Rated E on AO3, or an extreme M on fanfiction.net.

If so, I have some smut ideas I'd like some feedback on... More to come, depending on your answers.

Philipaholt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:06 am OMG. I could do THAT

can you please do this? I'm an extra huge fan of the Jimmy Stewart version (mmm Jimmy Stewart) but would love a modern take with a JT/MH ship! Also hopefully I'm using quotes correctly lmao. I'm so excited to be here!! I'm really socially awkward so please forgive me in advance. I feel like I've found my people and that makes me super happy.


edit: it took me like 5 times but I think I may have the quotes thing down...maybe....

1. We are DEFINITELY smut friendly. Blame Tom and Merry.

2. I absolutely adore the Jimmy Stewart version!! Although I do need a refresher....

3. I know we're so very happy to have you...and I know what you mean. Isn't it nice to find "your people"?? I know I have

cheers, love

cashmeritan wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 12:16 am So... now that I know that smut is accepted here. I've already finished one smutty drabble, and am thinking of making a perhaps nonlinear series out of it - called 'The Commanding Master'. Basically, moments where *ahem* Mr. Thornton plays the role of 'commanding master' in the bedroom, in a fully consensual manner (he needs Margaret to ask him to behave in such a way).

Yes, I'm a degenerate.

Would you guys be interested in reading something like that?

Also, question - should I hop on the chat sometime and say hi? Or, do you have a discord server everyone chats in?

Happy Friday! (it's 7:15pm here right now)

-Mary

cashmeritan wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 12:16 am
Would you guys be interested in reading something like that?

ForeverAutumn1 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 12:30 am

cashmeritan wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 12:16 am So... now that I know that smut is accepted here. I've already finished one smutty drabble, and am thinking of making a perhaps nonlinear series out of it - called 'The Commanding Master'. Basically, moments where *ahem* Mr. Thornton plays the role of 'commanding master' in the bedroom, in a fully consensual manner (he needs Margaret to ask him to behave in such a way).

Yes, I'm a degenerate.

Would you guys be interested in reading something like that?

Also, question - should I hop on the chat sometime and say hi? Or, do you have a discord server everyone chats in?

Happy Friday! (it's 7:15pm here right now)

-Mary

I think there would be many, many of us who would be interested in reading that!

Several of us tend to get on the chat on Saturdays, if you're East Coast time it would be maybe around 10 am to around 2-3 pm usually. We'd love to have you!

cashmeritan wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 12:16 am So... now that I know that smut is accepted here. I've already finished one smutty drabble, and am thinking of making a perhaps nonlinear series out of it - called 'The Commanding Master'. Basically, moments where *ahem* Mr. Thornton plays the role of 'commanding master' in the bedroom, in a fully consensual manner (he needs Margaret to ask him to behave in such a way).

Yes, I'm a degenerate.

Would you guys be interested in reading something like that?

Also, question - should I hop on the chat sometime and say hi? Or, do you have a discord server everyone chats in?

Happy Friday! (it's 7:15pm here right now)

-Mary