Project Azkaban by Unwritten Curse

[Unwritten Curse]

PROJECT AZKABAN
a teddy/victoire prison experiment fic

 

So I wrote Project Azkaban for NaNoWriMo 2018 and I hit 50K. The story itself is pretty much done except for the final scenes (which are roughly outlined but not written). I will be adding scenes throughout and editing what I have written for Camp NaNo.

The plan is to post 4 new chapters during the month of July (one per week) and have 2 more edited and ready to post so that I'm ahead of my posting schedule.

*.   *    * 

Summary: Plans for The Azkaban Project began during Voldemort’s reign. With the allegiance of the dementors in question, Azkaban’s current order of operation was no longer viable. Combining their most innovative studies in Space, Time, and Thought, the Department of Mysteries forged a new prison experiment. But what they thought they could control, soon began to control them.

picspam from the Gryffindor Twitter account

[shadowycorner]

I know there's two chapters posted that I haven't read yet, and I'm stoked to get to them. I just wanted to say I

1. LOVE THAT PICSPAM OMG

2. think it's one of the most unique ideas out there

3. am super jealous you're already mostly finished

4. am wondering whether the story explores the Department of Mysteries a bit more?

[Unwritten Curse]

1. RIGHT? I don't even know who made it for me other than it was one of the Gryffie staffers or prefects. 

2. THANK YOU

3. Oh girl, don't be. It's a hot mess in my Google Docs. The editing is way less fun than the writing.

4. Yes! I have a document/letter/article at the end of every chapter and there will be some about the Dpt. of Mysteries and also a couple of scenes at the end.

[grumpy cat]

21 hours ago, Unwritten Curse said:

So I wrote Project Azkaban for NaNoWriMo 2018 and I hit 50K. The story itself is pretty much done

excuse me i did not know this and now i'm very happy because *grabby hands*

i feel like i might've asked this at some point. or someone else for sure asked it. who knows but! where'd you get the idea for this fic? because it's wildly original

[Unwritten Curse]

4 minutes ago, grumpy cat said:

excuse me i did not know this and now i'm very happy because *grabby hands*

i feel like i might've asked this at some point. or someone else for sure asked it. who knows but! where'd you get the idea for this fic? because it's wildly original

 Y'all are making me feel warm and fuzzy.

The idea came half from a dream (in which I was escaping a prison and I didn't know who to trust and there were obstacles and I was being chased/swords were being thrown at me--which is not a thing in the story (the swords), but the vibes are similar?) and half from a question (WTF happened to Azkaban after the war). Plus I really like dark/horror fics.  Oh, and also the Dpt. of Mysteries has always fascinated me because, like, what do they do there?

[grumpy cat]

ah i remember when i read that first chapter, i got the chills reading that department of mysteries project proposal.

this story is everything, i have to go back and read it all and review it all because it's fantastic

[Aphoride]

Project Azkaban is one of those fics I always look at and want to read, but I feel like I should do it properly - mug of tea, review my way through, etc. It sounds so incredibly addicting and fascinating - I love the idea of the Department of Mysteries and the question of what happened to Azkaban post-war, and I really really have to read all of it.  

What has been/is your favourite thing about writing it? What's your least favourite? 

[something wicked]

i can't wait for more of this it's honestly the most beautifully spine tingling, chilling but amazing story  i need to get on reviewing it (have i? i should know that but if i havent i will). i can't wait to see what you've got in store next! good luck!

oh and also if i remember correctly the picspam was by taylor i think? maybe?

[just.a.willow.tree]

I HAD NO IDEA IT'S ALMOST DONE. I AM SO EXCITED FOR NEW CHAPTERS.  Congratulations on writing so much for Camp NaNo, what an accomplishment!

1. Since you're mostly editing now, I wanted to ask what your process is like -- do you focus on specific elements first (e.g. characters) or do you systematically fix everything as you go?

2. What has been the most rewarding, exciting, and/or surprising thing that's come out of completing Project Azkaban?

3. Since it's such an ambitious and unique project, I'm really curious about whether anything has changed from your initial concept?

4. What's one major takeaway you've had writing this wonderful story?

[Unwritten Curse]

On 6/25/2020 at 4:10 AM, Aphoride said:

What has been/is your favourite thing about writing it? What's your least favourite? 

Figuring out all the intricate aspects of the prison has been my favorite AND least favorite thing.  Because it's SO FUN to dream up all the different mechanisms in place but OH MAN I have run into so many plot holes and had to think my way out of them and sometimes ONE TINY DETAIL can take WEEKS to iron out. I have driven my husband to the brink of insanity asking him to help me solve all the issues...

 

3 hours ago, just.a.willow.tree said:

1. Since you're mostly editing now, I wanted to ask what your process is like -- do you focus on specific elements first (e.g. characters) or do you systematically fix everything as you go?

2. What has been the most rewarding, exciting, and/or surprising thing that's come out of completing Project Azkaban?

3. Since it's such an ambitious and unique project, I'm really curious about whether anything has changed from your initial concept?

4. What's one major takeaway you've had writing this wonderful story?

1. Oh man. It's chaotic. I don't really think I have a method, other than I am now creating an outline for each chapter after it's edited so that I can see the overall story arc and make adjustments as needed. So I guess I am prioritizing plot/pacing now. I'm definitely fine-tuning characterization as well, and adding a lot more dialogue.

2. I had originally planned this story to be maybe 8 chapters and as I wrote it, I realized this the scope was far wider than I had originally imagined. To write a full novel when I wasn't really expecting to was kind of awesome. I just kept dreaming up plot twists and a lot of the story wrote itself.

3. Oh, I guess I just answered this question. Haha! One specific thing that has changed is my exploration of the Dpt. of Mysteries. It wasn't a huge part of the original, but as I explored the idea of Project Azkaban (the prison itself) I began realizing just how horrifying the final product became and it led me down a rabbit hole of sorts as I explored the potential for corruption in the Ministry. Did you know that the Dpt. of Mysteries is considered "highly classified" and so it's the only Dpt. that doesn't have to report to Magical Law Enforcement? SKETCHY.  

4. That everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do. 

 

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SWEET COMMENTS.

[nott theodore]

Gina!  This story is completely amazing and the news that it's pretty much finished is wonderful to hear

 

1. Does this story cover all your head canon for Azkaban/the Department of Mysteries after the war, or is there more?  Can you imagine writing any spin-offs?

2. How did you decide which characters were going to be the prisoners in the story?

3. Project Azkaban is so compelling and creepy - do you feel like you have to work to get into the right mindset for the story, or can you separate yourself from it?

4. Have you learnt anything, maybe about your writing processes or head canons, while writing this story?

5. How does one edit a story?  What's the most difficult thing about editing this story now it's all done?  Was that always your plan?

6. Do you have a favourite character from the story?

[Unwritten Curse]

9 hours ago, nott theodore said:

1. Does this story cover all your head canon for Azkaban/the Department of Mysteries after the war, or is there more?  Can you imagine writing any spin-offs?

2. How did you decide which characters were going to be the prisoners in the story?

3. Project Azkaban is so compelling and creepy - do you feel like you have to work to get into the right mindset for the story, or can you separate yourself from it?

4. Have you learnt anything, maybe about your writing processes or head canons, while writing this story?

5. How does one edit a story?  What's the most difficult thing about editing this story now it's all done?  Was that always your plan?

6. Do you have a favourite character from the story?

1. There's definitely more! I'm trying to show the general backstory in the documents at the end of each chapter, but there is so much more darkness and corruption and I would LOVE to write more about it. I am doing some one-shot spinoffs of the main characters right now, but those are more light and character development-y. It would be fun to also explore the backstory of Emmanuel Brandt (the head of the project) and others.

2. I guess I was just thinking about which characters would volunteer for this, you know? Like... what would motivate them to take part in such a dark project. And I won't say why they all agreed to this because that would potentially spoil later events, but they each have their own reasons based on their lives and families and relationships, etc.

3. OMG YES. This is part of the reason it takes me SO LONG to get chapters posted. There are times when I try to write and it is so painful to get a single sentence out. Other times, the words totally flow. I have found that I write this story WAY better at night (which is the opposite of when I am typically inspired to write) and when it's storming, for obvious reasons. 

4. Yes! I have learned that 1) I love Lysander/Scorpius, 2) writing a full manuscript before editing is actually WAY helpful in figuring out plot holes and seeing the overall plot arc, and 3) fear isn't as straightforward as one might think and, from a psychological standpoint, can come about through a myriad of emotions.

5. IDK WHAT IS EDITING I think I had planned to edit the story all along, mostly because I wrote it for NaNo and I knew parts would be rushed and/or shitty due to the nature of writing a novel in a month. Plus, I had an overall plan but not a detailed outline and I know that I do way better with a detailed outline. Some parts that came out during NaNo do not make ANY SENSE so I need to either figure them out or cut them. I would say the most difficult thing about editing is that I'm now switching around the order of things and getting really confused.

6. Ooh, this is tough. I love them all for different reasons. My gut instinct is Lysander because he's a sweetheart but he's also got a temper and it's kind of fun to write.   I'm also loving Teddy and his lone wolf (heh) tendencies, because it makes his love for Victoire all the more precious. Somehow she has cracked his rough exterior and found a permanent place in his heart. He's also got a bit of a savior complex and I love that Victoire kind of pushes against that a bit. (Okay, now I am verging into spoiler territory, so that's enough from me!)

[poppunkpadfoot]

UGH yes i'm so excited. i wish i could come up with some good questions to ask but all i can do is flail  if you ever need any encouragement or to talk anything through, hmuuu