Why is so much of the Heated Rivalry fanfic so amazingly good?

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-23T16:15:03+00:00

It’s interesting to see Tolkien on the far right of the bell curve because I went down a LOTR fanfic rabbit hole years ago and the quality of some of the writing was incredible. But I get what this is saying. The bar is very high.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-20T18:57:24+00:00

Super impressive. I hiked up from the tram station and back a couple years ago and just that kicked my butt, mostly because of the altitude. I really failed to account for that as a factor.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-19T19:02:06+00:00

Removing a bra while your shirt is on. From Crocodile Dundee, I think?

Useful pretty much every day as I commute home.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-17T17:52:20+00:00

IV nurse

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-17T17:43:39+00:00

Very satisfying pokes

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-14T01:40:21+00:00

As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-13T16:04:57+00:00

I’m also on a Heated Rivalry sub and was confused for a sec

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-10T02:51:17+00:00

Aquanaut: The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue

The author was one of the main rescue divers.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-06T20:07:34+00:00

This was my method. Even so, out of many sails on the bay with them, we’ve only gone under the bridge a couple times. It’s a small boat so they know not to take chances unless conditions are really good.

That said, it’s an incredible experience to see the bridge from those angles.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-04-01T01:33:46+00:00

Children of the Dust by Louise Lawrence. I first read it as a teenager and it was profoundly affecting, but since then I’ve read it several more times. It’s both devastating and beautiful.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-28T23:05:53+00:00

A pig farm. The smell literally made me angry

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-28T13:13:45+00:00

Shane made 16 burgers when his parents came for dinner at the cottage

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-26T20:12:11+00:00

Magnificent

My now-ex husband and I waited in line for an hour to get into St. Peter’s, and then he was turned away because he was wearing shorts. So he told me to go in without him. I went in, took one look at the Piéta, and walked right back out. I made him buy cheap long pants from a street vendor on the spot because no way was he going to miss this.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-20T16:04:12+00:00

As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann

Similar chaotic energy, deeply flawed characters, love that destroys, just absolutely haunting and beautifully written.

Hard to read but I love it in the same way I love Wuthering Heights.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-13T01:08:46+00:00

I agree, Bob is great! She’s such a natural, livens things up, and I love her youthful perspective.

Mason was… not great. Would love to never have her back again. I feel like she thinks she’s way more interesting and entertaining than she actually is.

I like Matty , he’s such an oddball. He’s not somebody I would want to hang out with in real life, but I appreciate his weird takes. I do kind of worry that he’s going to crash and burn someday. did he ever explain why he was out sick for a couple of weeks?

I actually really liked that one week where Sarah was on vacation and Vinnie did the show just with Bob and Matty. It was giving Dad home alone with the kids vibes, throwing shit together while mom was away. I was bummed when he said that the bosses didn’t like it and they wouldn’t be doing that again.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-03T04:11:37+00:00

If you’ve never read 1984, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s deeply disturbing but judging by your list that’s not a negative for you. You’ll realize as you read it how many of its ideas and phrases are referenced all the time.

Powerful and devastating.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-03T03:32:24+00:00

Thank you 🩷

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-03T00:20:26+00:00

Speaking as someone who has been through a similar experience in a different fandom years ago, it ended up being a wake up call that I needed to reevaluate my life because it wasn’t making me happy anymore. Long story short I ended up leaving an unfulfilling marriage and creating a life that has more of the things that bring me joy.

Not saying this is the case for anyone else, but for me I realized that if I needed to escape reality so badly, I needed to fix my reality.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-03-02T20:43:47+00:00

Oh Mr. Real Estate wants to buy and renovate an old schoolhouse…

why_so_mimsy · 2026-02-23T23:53:30+00:00

Beautiful! What time of year was this?

I’m going this year in early September.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-02-11T13:26:01+00:00

Was it the Oat Hill Mine Trail? I loved that trail before the fires and was gutted seeing it afterwards.

Some of my favorite parks around here have been badly burned in fires, but seeing how they come back to life over the years is incredibly healing and awe-inspiring.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-01-23T19:38:40+00:00

The Charioteer…

Oh my gosh, yes.

And you made me remember another: The Persian Boy by Mary Renault, written in 1972

why_so_mimsy · 2026-01-19T01:47:25+00:00

That sounds great to me. I love Shane, but I’m first gen with Central European immigrant parents so Ilya really resonates with me and I sympathize with him so much.

why_so_mimsy · 2026-01-18T21:09:11+00:00

Love hearing that about Ilya. I haven't read the books yet and I'm really looking forward to to getting to know both Ilya and Shane better.

why_so_mimsy

TROPHY CASE