sorryyy for getting back to this so late i've been Busy and low energy but at the same time it's a good thing because now we get to look at this again as if it's brand new content! good god they are so dear to me. like it's so natural... sooooo, like, #Them as well. genuinely maettael skinship overdose and there's so much here i feel like i still haven't processed. the knee rubbing kind of kills me in particular. it reminds me a little bit of that clip at the jpn fansigns last year where taerae seemed to feel some type of way (i'd dare call it embarrassment?) about being asked to do super lady again iirc and matthew put his hand on his knee and taerae playfully removed it but then conceded. like it was so sweetie-cutie-silly but also offering comfort in the way matthew knows best. it's become so natural between both of them, they're like magnets. yesterday's zepisode too, they can't be in each other's proximity without unconsciously touching somewhere somehow. and i know matthew is super touchy with everyone and taerae has his moments with a different type of boundary/dynamic with all of the members, but i can't help but just love how special it is between them. :')

also: the clip with taerae bringing matthew's hand to his mouth and then tapping it on his chin, my dear oomf said it looked like he wanted to bite him AND I HAVE THOUGHT THE SAME BEFORE. i'd love for him to bite matthew a bit... just to see what happens... but i digress. and the last clip like you said... GAWD they're the sweetiepies of all time...

ahhhh congratulations, super proud of u!!!! as for beta reading, i'd say the most convenient might be the jbwfic discord. they have a channel (#beta-reading) where you can ask around if someone wants to look at your work. though i understand that can be suuuper daunting! if you have a friend or mutual you trust, you can ask them instead. or you can just make a tweet about it and some of your mutuals might wanna help out. i don't think beta reading is that much of a Must, if that takes the pressure off for you. personally i do prefer my works to be beta'd before i post them but if that feels like too much pressure or vulnerability please don't break yourself over it!! best of luck ♡

hmmm, to be honest i'm not too sure how much help i can be here, because i have been really struggling to sit down and lock in lately. so if anyone reads this and has any advice it's definitely welcome for me too!

overall here are some things that have worked for me in the past that might also work for you:
→ having a deadline and working on that type of adrenaline. an external one (like a fest) helps more than picking one yourself but i think it can help either way if you're strict enough!!!
→ basically striking the iron while it's hot, meaning that if inspiration strikes, writing it down somewhere asap will be helpful — notes app or a piece of paper, doesn't matter. i've actually been recording voice memos and just rambling sometimes and then going from there when i Do have the means to actually write. sometimes an idea is so good it will simply Happen, other wips be damned. and those moments are also allowed to happen, so allow it!!!
→ (additionally, sometimes you gotta let go of certain wips or works indefinitely, just to see if it's simply not feasible or if maybe the motivation comes back. but that line is verrrrrry thin. if you love something let it go etc etc.)
→ limiting distractions (rip twitter), having a designated spot to write (e.g. i write better on my laptop while sitting at my desk but prefer editing on my desktop pc with a bigger computer screen, writing on my phone i only do as a last resort or when i Really feel inspired), and building it into your routine also really help.
→ adding to the routine part, i tried to do a thing where i tried to write at least Something every day. whether it was 10 words or a 100. better that than nothing, i used to think; i had a tracker for it and everything. but personally i have kind of given up on that because life just happens and i just don't think it was for me. i think i prefer to see what my schedule and headspace allow that day and then make it a 'to do' to sit down and like... do Something if i can, as opposed to forcing myself to do shit on the daily when i am not feeling well or too busy. but it's a matter of finding balance i suppose. i think i might pick it up again eventually once i feel a little better but yeah!!
→ sprinting! BIIIIIGGG fan of sprinting. sprinting alone, sprinting with friends, sprinting with other writers... jbwfic have a discord server with a sprinting channel that's being used super regularly, but it's very easy to set one up for yourself if you invite writer-bot to your own discord server. or places like ohwrite! idk. sprinting is just good to like, Commit and make some progress. you can always worry about editing later!
→ if you have someone you trust with your writing, i highly recommend you to ask them to take a look. especially if they're a fellow writer and you trust them on their feedback and honesty. personally i LOVE beta reading for others but find the experience of showing my friends my wips incredibly daunting. but it's helpful! it's motivating, it's productive... yeah.
→ also this may sound silly but i feel like it's soooo important, especially since you talked about 'finding the energy'. and it applies especially for writing fic or making artwork which is something you do for free in your free time: don't be too hard on yourself. there's a balance between pushing yourself to continue and knowing when it's time to take a break. i burn out fast and get demotivated fast and it really sucks but there's times where i know i have to keep pushing but other times where i know it's unwise to do so. especially as an adult with a job and a life, sometimes u gotta spend your free time playing games or watching something or going on a run/walk or going outside or doing literally Anything else. i think just in general though, taking care of yourself is really important. especially for zb1, i know time is precious and we're on a bit of a limit here, but please don't burn yourself out for the sake of writing. it's most important to have fun.

ummmm yeah! tbh it feels a bit ironic because again i've been having Troubleeee and i'm also like. a really slow writer LOL so it's cute you come to me with this when i'm (vaguely gestures) Like This. but i guess that's another thing, to not compare yourself to people who manage to write a lot and write fast at that. everyone goes at their own pace!!! either way so these are by no means foolproof and overall pretty personal but i do really hope they can help you a little bit at least! wishing you the absolute best of luck and rooting for you!!! ♡♡♡

YIPPIEEEEEEEEEEEE! just so u know i have More. i always have more. this was just narrowed down to what i thought the person asking might be looking for And Then Some, but there's always more. i didn't even get to rec some of my other faves cuz i didn't wanna make it too long or overwhelming ahfodsqfhs.

also sorry i'm really in a yapping mood today but i was talking to my non-zerose oomf a few weeks ago because i was annoyed regarding people complaining about the lack of (maettael) fic without actually trying to do something about it, and he was like "wym? aren't there like 300 fics in the tag?" and he started telling me about his own experience in his own current fandom (hockey rpf but that's neither here nor there). basically the whole conversation offered me a perspective that i'd admittedly forgotten, which is that it's actually really nice that someone might become interested in maettael and have like 300 fics to read… like, isn’t that actually so fucking cool??? i am aware that out of those 300, a chunk of this is them being tagged a side pairing, but still. Still! i think it's quite nice! and so often new people pop up and join us and it's really great and fun. and in the meantime there's likely always more fic to recommend and read and re-read regardless! :-)

YEAH... i love when u look up tender in the dictionary and maettael are There. sorry for getting back to you so lateeee but i do have some fics for u so hopefully that makes up for it! i'm bad at recommending stuff cuz i wanna include Everything but i tried to narrow it down a little (though admittedly i veered off track a little LOL) with a bit of luck there's a few in here that are exactly the type of stuff you are looking for!! ♡

• Stargazing by vodkosx, which is the fic in the screenshot!!
• the whole in this world, it’s just us series by taeloving (kibeom). it's sooo very dear to me! genuinely one of my favs lately.
• more than enough by intothewoodz is one i was also thinking of, but i also really think that her works love is an uncountable noun and when the clock strikes midnight also fit really well in this category!
• calling you home by cupidzhanghao, JUST SO TENDER. also: Stable!
• Holding You (just for a while) by yutosphere, sweet and lovelyyy
• cy's citrusverse combines the hot with the sweet (no pun intended) and it's just excellent
• giving you your flowers by gyu_urix (flowerhairclips). save us pradatthew!
• adding not enough sleep, not enough you by hodugwajaz here in case you're looking for something a little more spicy but i loved this one. actually lemme go reread this rn.
• i saw you everywhere by capturingstars (bclark), cute lovely band au!!
• And While I'm in This Body, I Want Somebody to Want by zhangnooki for excellent Gender stuff. trans tr my beloved.
• one thing about me is i will always find a way to recommend if the party was over by poppingstar because man. Man.
• Third Time's a Charm by armyrosebian for Sillies and Smiles, truly
• warmest cord of care by concepts (apersea) as well as love is a bridge. concepts' #1 fan is me.
• The Taerae Situation by divinesarcasm, some jealous tael and miscommunication... i Love!!!
• what do lovers care about the end of the world? by dustonleaves, i loveeee this fic. when taerae first posted the pic with matthew on the dwas-instapost this was the first fic i reached back for. beautiful writing.
• what's the name of the game? by jadelypop, i usually don't fw hp aus but this was soooooo cute
• Game Changer by viminibox, in my head this is what happened in LA this summer. that's MY truth!
• with joyful mien by JELLYPOP (blaspheme) is another all-time fav and i will always find an excuse to recommend it anywhere at all times.

as for headcanons hmmm... i’ve been thinking of mttl mutual body worship a lot these days? and how that would play out, taerae taking care of mttw in his own way too etc. also i’m working on something that i wish i'd get around to finishing soon that kind of focuses on how domestic i think they could-would be. so a lot of my headcanons are going into that (but i don't wanna share tooo much yet)! also i recently saw a video of a lesbian couple planning to propose to each other at the same time and i though that was soooo chaotically maettael lol (and then bow coincidentally also had it in his fic which is Great). so yeah!!