#or only leave Kudos but not Comment on sites like AO3 that are also not algorithm-based

[holopossums]

While I do think there is a small problem with people not engaging with or sharing creative work/fan work on here (or other sites that don't run on algorithm like AO3), I don't think the answer is to be ridiculous about it either.

A much better way to address it is leading by example: reblog/share and add positive comments yourself! People will catch on that it's cool, that it's okay and they have nothing to be anxious about, and start doing it too.

Wagging fingers or complaining tends to do very little. Thankfully, people emulating those they admire is a powerful thing. You can simply model behavior you want to see and some people may start catching on.

But it won't get any better if you don't do your part too. So don't worry so much about others. Focus on what you're doing and how you engage with creative works and fandom. Be a positive force yourself and the rest will follow.

[elvisqueso]

Pocahontas/John Smith Fic Rec List

In light of my recent inability to be chill at all about this ship or the movie, I've put together a fic rec list for the perusal of anyone wanting to dip in the waters with me.

I generally kept to one fic per author, but quite a few of these writers have some impressive catalogues of fic; and although I picked one personal fave per author for this list, there are a TON of excellent picks on these authors' pages, so please, please check them out!

[ big thanks to @revangerang for being the lead witness to me absolutely losing it for the past, like, 2 weeks. ]

One Shots:

The Royal Progress by babyb26 [ ff.net | Ao3 ]

When Pocahontas tries to escape the love triangle between her head and her heart by traveling with the king and queen on their royal progress. What could go wrong? What happens when a mysterious stranger claims her as his Queen of Love and Beauty? Can one dance alter a seemingly unhappy future? A wee bit supernatural. Dedicated to SunRise19 and HC247 Rating T-M

Tags: Romance/Supernatural, Solstice/Midsummer, Ritual Sex, Tarot, Love Confessions, Court of King James I Rating: M Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 12,871 Published/Updated: 12/25/2019

Notes: I love me some supernatural elements, and this one-shot is a nice change of pace for this ship, since it focuses on bringing in old spiritual practices of the Isles. This author has a much broader catalogue of fic, so be sure to check out their page!

---

When Hearts Meet by WishingDreamer5 [ ff.net ]

The moment he locked eyes with her, John Smith was utterly lost.

Tags: Romance Rating: T Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 324 Published/Updated: 8/11/2015

Notes: Just a short, sweet little one-shot. <3

---

Deleted Scene by fokkusu94 [ ff.net ]

You know how John Smith never tells Pocahontas that he loves her in the movie? Well, for whatever reason, the writers left it out. This is that scene.

Tags: Romance Rating: K+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1,473 Published/Updated: 1/24/2014

Notes: What is says on the tin; fluffy and sweet!

---

Light My Candle by HC247 [ ff.net ]

Pocahontas and John run into a bit of trouble on their wedding night. Fun, fluffy, romance. For Sunrise.

Tags: Romance/Humor Rating: T Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 936 Published/Updated: 12/27/2009

Notes: HC247 is another author with a massive selection of fic to choose from, so it was hard to single one out. This was probably the first one of theirs I read, and it's still a favorite I like to revisit.

---

Sweet Sorrow by guardyanangel [ ff.net ]

"What pain? I've had worse pain than this." It was somewhat truthful. What was worse than the pain from his physical injury was the emotional agony he felt knowing he'd have to leave her. Nonetheless… "I just can't think of any right now." JS/P Oneshot

Tags: Romance/Angst Rating: K+ Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 1,503 Published/Updated: 10/8/2010

Notes: Hope you like pain. I do. ಥ_ಥ

---

Dream Giver by EnInkahootz [ Ao3 ]

After the events of Pocahontas, John Smith and Pocahontas reunite in a dream.

Tags: Romance, Ficlet, Dreams Rating: T Chapters: 1/1 Word Count: 665 Published/Updated: 3/3/2020

Notes: Another bit of wistful fluff <3

Completed Chapter Fics:

The Path to You by Cherriepixie27 [ff.net | Ao3]

This is a fix-it fic in which Pocahontas and John Smith end up together. Ignoring the end of Journey to a New World because I will go down with this ship. Lots of angst and eventual smut, hence the M rating!

Tags: Romance/Angst Rating: E Chapters: 2/2 Word Count: 6,931 Published/Updated: 7/20/2021-9/9/2022

Notes: I love the characterization in this fic. It's got a great balance of angst and yearning and romance. Just two people, finally finding each other again.

---

Shadows Cast by doodlegirll [ ff.net | Ao3 ]

What if, at the Hunt Ball, instead of a bear baiting, there was a prisoner? ..:Dedicated to my friend Kayla:..

Tags: Romance/Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Whipping [John Smith Whump], Angst with a Happy Ending, Racism/Racist Language, etc. Rating: T Chapters: 13/13 Word Count: 39,103 Published/Updated: 7/10/2013-1/12/2023

Notes: doodlegirll is another one with a collection of fic. She goes back quite a ways, and she's experimented with a lot of different styles over the years! This re-vamp of the non-canon sequel is more recent and action-focused. I have an affinity for it in particular bc I love me some whump ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

---

Battlefield by SunRise19 [ ff.net ]

After Pocahontas II. It is often said you can't have life both ways, no matter how you wish it so. No one expects a battle of inner desires and words to be started during a ball. When the lines are drawn, can one foolish act be enough to make peace? PLZ RR! For HC247…COMPLETE

Tags: Romance/Drama Rating: T Chapters: 3/3 Word Count: 11,000 Published/Updated: 10/1/2018-1/1/2019

Notes: fCUk the writing in this one is so good! I'm a little [a lot] obsessed with the way John is written in particular. And SunRise has a TON more fic; there's a little something for everyone on their page, so be sure to check it out!

---

Painting with the wind by Psyche Blue [ ff.net ]

A series of one shots following the second film, exploring the lives of John Smith and Pocahontas. Like the film, it is loosely based on historical events.

Tags: Romance/Angst Rating: T Chapters: 42/42 Word Count: 20,379 Published/Updated: 2/14/2013-3/3/2013

Notes: *deep breath* aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA *deep breath* When they say angst they Mean It, but it's WORTH it. The story is intense and so beautifully written, I can't recommend this one enough (although, if you need a happy ending for P/JS...you can always stop a chapter short of the end and Pretend :'D)

---

Meeting His Match by RhapsodyinB [ ff.net ]

John enjoys being a carefree bachelor until someone causes him to rethink his lifestyle. His version of the classic.

Tags: Romance Rating: T Chapters: 2/2 Word Count: 4,897 Published/Updated: 11/21/2012-11/28/2012

Notes: As the summary implies, this is a John-centric lil character study. A heartstring-tugger, with a dash of canon-divergence.

---

Choosing Her Own Path by Lahiwe [ ff.net ]

Pocahontas never thought she'd be able to listen like her mother had. The gift of understanding was just that, and it hadn't been given to her. But when she meets a man from across the sea, she learns that the gift is more a part of her than she knows.

Tags: Romance/Adventure Rating: T Chapters: 9/9 Word Count: 13,294 Published/Updated: 1/2/2012

and,

The Collected Writings of Captain John Smith by Lahiwe[ ff.net ]

It's been a while since Thomas Ryan has had anything to do with the New World. Still, memories of it have never left him. Five years after his return to England, however, he receives a strange parcel and a letter from none other than his old friend, John Smith. Read the story of Pocahontas from Captain Smith's perspective-perhaps you'll learn things you never knew you never knew.

Tags: Romance/Adventure Rating: T Chapters: 10/10 Word Count: 32,124 Published/Updated: 6/9/2012-12/31/2014

Notes: I included these two fics together because they're really a two-part series. They're both wonderful character-focused fics I just adore.

---

Disney's Pocahontas: an extended retelling by best obsessed [ ff.net ]

A retelling of Disney's Pocahontas, now complete. The idea is to see if a serious treatment of the whole story can work. Disclaimer: though some of the characters are my own, most were given their present form by the Disney Corporation.

Tags: Romance/Adventure Rating: T Chapters: 25/25 Word Count: 110,703 Published/Updated: 4/12/2009-5/29/2009

Notes: This is an EPIC and, if I were to pick, like, a 'Citizen Kane' of P/JS fic, it would be this one. Basically, it's an expansion on the world of the film, and reframes the story a little more realistically. It's got EVERYTHING. It's got a deep study of both leads, complex political maneuvering, John Smith's Pretty People Problems (obsessed with this), gay lil Thomas having a Lot to deal with, Pocahontas being smarter than everyone, and romanceeeeeee. *muah* c'e bella.

Incomplete Fics:

Glory to Glory by pearl037 [ ff.net | Ao3 ]

When John Smith returns to England, Pocahontas is left as the mediator between the settlers and her people. When a bad growing season forces them to cease trading, the new captain will stop at nothing to ensure the survival of his colony. Meanwhile, England prepares for war. Multi-perspective. All rights belong to Disney and history. Part XIII is up!

Tags: Adventure/Romance Rating: T Chapters: 14/? Word Count: 42,731 Published/Updated: 4/6/2019-6/22/2022

Notes: There's some wonderful characterization in this, and an excellent exploration of grief that just gets me in the gut. It's more-or-less an alternate sequel, and builds up the setting around both the denizens of Jamestown and John's gang of fugitives (queen behavior).

---

Burning Bright by typewriter33 [ ff.net ]

This is a continuation from a "Pocahontas" fanfiction 'The Burning' published in 1999. He had never dared hope to see her alive and laughing, vibrant and beautiful. T/M

Tags: None Rating: T Chapters: 5/? Word Count: 21,349 Published/Updated: 7/30/2020-7/2/2023

Notes: I'm not sure where the predecessor of this fic is (although I'll continue to try). It's a rare modern AU, with a twist. You can piece together what happened before the fic, and the intensity of the universe it happens in. To keep in line with the setting, Pocahontas has a different name, which can be jarring, but once you get past it the premise is interesting and the story, compelling.

Honorable Mention:

The Magic of Hogwarts by orphan_account [ Ao3 ]

"The wall clock reads fifteen minutes till eleven. The newspapers indicate that today is the first of September. King’s Cross Station is bustling... Here our fairytales begin." Excerpt from Prologue. Betaed by the lovely and amazing Crystal (niuniujiaojiao). Please read the notes at the beginning of this fic. I will eventually update.

Tags: Disney/Harry Potter Universe Crossover, Modern Setting, Mentions of Underage Sexuality [see Author's Notes abt this], More Tags to be had Rating: T Chapters: 21/27 Word Count: 112,028 Published/Updated: 4/11/2016-1/10/2020

Notes: I didn't include any crossovers in the main list, because I hadn't really broken into that set of fic, yet. But I felt this one deserved a spot on the list. It's a wide, wide fic, and includes interpretations of a TON of Disney characters. I included this because the Pocahontas/John Smith subplot absolutely fucking wrecked me, and I needed to share. The last update the fic got threw me in the back of a van and beat me with an aluminum baseball bat. This fic is unfinished as of now, but even if it's never updated again, it's worth a read. Just be sure to read all of the author's notes!

[thrandilf]

Reasons To Make An AO3 Account

I've spoken to a few friends who use AO3 exclusively as guests, and they didn't realize how useful having an AO3 account is/what they were missing out on, so here we go!

You aren't seeing everything on the site if you aren't logged in because some authors lock their fics to only let logged in users see them due to AI scraping and other concerns. As a guest, you don't even see any indication that something is missing from your search results.

Bookmarks! You can bookmark/favorite works to come back to later, and this bookmarking system includes tagging and sorting if you wish. If you're shy, you can privately bookmark so that no one, author included, sees that you bookmarked a work (the author's private stat page will show the bookmark number go up but nothing else)

Some authors also only let logged in users comment.

Leaving kudos is nice and many people leave them as guests, but since the AO3 bot problem, it's now difficult to tell how many guest kudos are Real. Leaving kudos as a logged in user assures that the author actually knows someone liked their work rather than wondering if it's just a bot.

There's also an AO3 read history- you also have the option to clear it or turn this function off entirely any time.

AO3 has site skins! You can change your color palette around, I personally use one that gives me less eyestrain than black on white.

Using AO3 as a guest or logged in user has no financial implications. They don't advertise, they don't get anything out of you signing up for an account or not if this is a concern of yours.

AO3 can sometimes have a long wait for acceptances, but members are given invite codes that we can send out to people to speed up the process! Ask a friend on AO3 for a code and they can probably give you one if you don't want to have to wait

Go forth and enjoy!

[obsidianpen]

Uh, kinda rude but the previous anon wasn't entirely wrong. Just look at the numbers, your most popular story is Tomione, Pen, and I think you also prefer them to write, don't you? I mean, the relationship between them is more equal and interesting and intellectual and they complement each other in a way that, Harry never could, I mean, he's great, really good but uh, too simplistic. Hermione has more complexity as a character, and her dynamic with Tom/Voldemort is more fascinating. This is just my opinion,.. but the numbers are there to prove that we are a bigger community.

lol ACTUALLY

The numbers on B&G are only bigger because that story is public. NG, and all my other harry/V ones, are private, meaning it’s only available to people who make accounts and are logged into them. The only people who can bookmark, leaves kudos, or comment on those fics are people who have active Ao3 accounts.

I’m pretty certain that there are MANY more tomarry fics than there are tomione ones, at least on Ao3. Not sure about on ffnet or other sites but I’m only on ao3… except for when people tell me they found my stories on Reddit or TikTok and then I inevitably have to sit and marvel at how I am like an ancient shaman of toxic storytelling to a younger generation who yell at each other about whether they should read my fics in the comment sections of ambiguous posts with quotes from those fics… what a journey these stories have been on.

So. why is my tomione fic public but not the harrymort ones? Because, in my experience as a ff write for both ships - and I’ve been here a while - people who like harry/V are pretty chill with people enjoying other ships (usually). People who come for tomione, however, sometimes FREAK when they see harrymort. So I try to make it a little less accessible to that crowd, for my own sanity.

lastly…. Does one have to be better than the other? I think both Harry and hermione are great for different reasons. One is t better, they’re just different. :)

[the-doe-eyed-girl]

Can an experienced fanfic writer give me some advice?

I’m normally not this vulnerable on the internet but I just want some advice on something that happened to me.

So for context, I used to love writing. In middle school and my early years of high school I wrote my own cheesy stories, fan fictions and I even got a chance to write short stories for school assignments. I decided to get back into writing for my New Year’s resolution. I didn’t have a lot of time to write for fun this spring but now I’m home for the summer and decided to go for it.

I haven’t publicly posted a lot of my writing (I used to post short, original stories) but figured, “What’s the harm in putting myself out there?” So I started writing a fanfic about one of the shows I loved as a kid.

I chose the site Archive of our Own/AO3 (I heard it was a good, trustworthy site. I still think so) and saw that it had a feature to leave notes from the author. I decided to put at the top of each chapter that I welcomed any and all critiques. I figured just because writing is my hobby didn’t mean I couldn’t improve.

Over the course of three or so days, I uploaded the first four chapters of my fanfic. AO3 sent me an email notification that I had my first comment. I opened it to find a guest account criticizing me. Not as a writer, but as a person.

The comment said that I was begging for attention, only cared about getting comments and that my work wasn’t what the world needed. I was hurt but figured that this person didn’t know me personally and I shouldn’t let it get to me. I deleted the comment and tried to get on with my day.

Later in the same day, I get an email about another comment. Different guest account criticizing me, saying that I’m begging for attention, that I craved external validation and I was in the wrong hobby if that was the case. Again, I deleted the comment, thinking that I was doing the right thing.

That night, as I’m working on the fifth chapter, I get another email about another comment. It’s a third guest account. This one was kind of different. Basically the account said that they weren’t trying to be mean, just honest. They said how they had seen me upload several chapters over just a few days with little to no engagement (at this time, I saw about 40 people had at least checked out my fic). They said basically how I shouldn’t strain myself and suggested that I should write privately or just quit altogether. They went on to say that they had seen my fic be buried under better written stories with more comments and kudos and I should take the lack of engagement as a hint.

I had literally only had my account for like, three days at this point. Given how similarly all three guest comments were worded, I realized there were two possibilities.

1) These were three different people who all happened to share similar opinions.

2) There was one person behind all the accounts who kept commenting critiques of me as a person without even knowing me.

It’s hard to describe how I felt when I considered possibility two. I guess I felt unsafe, almost (?). I get that the person(s) behind the accounts didn’t have my actual email or anything but I digress.

I figured that if a person(s) was going to go out of their way to say something about me as a person that was critical of me as a person over a fan fiction, it wasn’t worth it to keep my AO3 account.

I deleted my AO3 account, which meant I was also deleting the story.

I guess I’m posting about what happened to me to ask if I made a smart choice. I know that people criticizing others on the internet isn’t anything new but I’m worried that I somehow missed something.

Did I miss an unspoken rule of the fanfic community by asking for critiques on my story or deleting the comments?

I’m genuinely asking because I love to write and I am concerned I didn’t do enough to prepare myself by putting my work out there publicly.

Thank you.

[in-my-loki-feels]

20 Questions with a Fanfic Author

I think I may have done something like this once but it feels like it was a while ago so hopefully this isn't repetitive. It's always fun to look back on my writing, so thank you for the tags @loki-is-my-kink-awakening @andthekitchensinkao3 @kcscribbler and @lokimobius!

1. How many works on AO3?

I have 59 fics! (and boy does it irk me not to have a nice round number. I should've waited to do this until after my next fic.🤣)

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

622,756 words

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos

This one feels skewed because they're all from my last fandom, which is the largest and most active I've ever been a part of. (Also, three of the below were event fics, which always get more circulation.)

Found: Extremely Friendly Fox lost whenever you go dying of thirst A bridge in the dark Ember burning low

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently I'm writing for Loki and (technically) Crimson Peak x Bridgerton. (More on that later. 🤭) In the past, I've written for Assassin's Creed 2, XMFC, CA:TWS, and Overwatch, to name a few.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do my absolute best, though I do fall behind depending on my current energy levels. I greatly appreciate any kind of comment and I want to respond to show my thanks to anyone who took the time to leave one. <3

6. Angstiest Ending?

It's not on ao3 but there is one fic (technically a series of vignettes) that is the angstiest shit I've ever written and every time I remember and go back to read it, I get depressed. It's canon's fault! (And the sad songs I was writing for.)

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

How to answer this when pretty much everything I write has a happy ending, lol. I guess I'll say A Desperate Play for Control because it's a long fic that's angsty at times but has a definitive, sappy-as-hell, happy ending. 💚🧡

8. Do you get hate?

I don't think I have, though I have gotten critical comments that missed the point of a fic.

9. Do you write smut?

Boy howdy, do I ever. 29 fics worth. 😂

10. Do you write crossovers?

Have you heard the good word about Sharperton?? 🤣 Take Sir Thomas Sharpe from Crimson Peak, throw him into the arms of Benedict Bridgerton, and you've got yourself a crossover!

I did also one write a very silly Prometheus/XMFC crossover of sorts.

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

No, but I've had them cross-posted to other sites without permission, which I don't love.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I've had a couple of people ask if they can translate a fic and that's always so flattering.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic?

I'm doing so now! @silentxsymphony and I are deep in the mines of our Sharperton agenda.

I would also count my Avengers AU under this since @wolfpup026 and I bounced ideas back and forth.

14. All time favourite ship?

An impossible question! I have favorites that I love even 20+ years on, so it doesn't feel fair to compare those to ones I've only recently fallen for, like Lokius. They're good ships, Brent.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Probably anything from previous fandoms. I have some ideas I still really like but my reasons for disconnecting from one particular fandom kind of affected my love of writing for that ship.

The best answer for this is probably the XMFC Cherik werewolf fic.

16. Writing strengths?

Sappy endings? Porn with feelings? Characters actually talking things out instead of ignoring each other? (I'm bad at this type of question.🙈)

17. Writing Weaknesses?

Descriptions, especially scenery and clothing. They don't come naturally to me so I have to force myself to go back and figure out what people are wearing and what's around them, aside from anything characters have interacted with in that scene.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

*sweats in AC2 fics* 😅 As a reader, it does sometimes frustrate me if there's a lot of text in another language and the meaning isn't obvious. Even when authors try to use links to take you to the bottom of the fic for the translation, and then back up, it disrupts my immersion, which affects my enjoyment of the fic. I sometimes just gloss over that text and check the translations at the end.

As a writer, I'm guilty of it. I used a sprinkling of Italian in my Assassin's Creed fics because it was so prevalent in the games. I think the meaning was usually obvious. There was one fic where I wanted to have characters speaking in Italian and English but not understanding each other, so for that one I said, "Consider the default Italian. Anything in English will be in []."

19. First fandom you wrote for?

My brain is mush so my early fics all kind of jumble together. I think it might have been something for Batman: The Animated series, but only a scene or two. The first full fic was either Star Wars or The X-Files.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Another impossible question! I'm going to say it's between A Desperate Play for Control and Love What's Gone. For the former, that might be the largest rewrite of canon events I've tackled (usually my AU's are very different) and it was so creatively exciting and rewarding to work with @wolfpup026.

For the latter, I don't feel like the kind of author to tackle big themes (like grief) in my fics, and I'm always claiming I don't write angst, but I'm really proud of how that one turned out. 🥹 I'm usually just trying to make the dolls kiss!

This turned into a long post so I'm not going to tag anyone. If you reached the end and want to answer the questions, feel free to tag me!

[rhonuscorner]

20 questions for writers

@sandcastlekings tagged me, thank yooouuuu <3 Let's see how well I can answer this while dealing with a migraine yaaaaay.

Tagging @certified-handler @scarredlove @driftingmoonmenace @justyourawkwardghost and whoever else wants to, consider yourselves tagged. No pressure of course.

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

Only 5 right now. There used to be more but I got rid of them, and what I have uploaded is only a small fraction of what I have written over the last 20+ years as most of it is kept between myself and friends.

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

As of right now 480,939 but again, I don't consider this to be accurate in terms of how much I have truly written. We're talking millions of words.

3) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Considering I only have 5 works online right now and the one with the most kudos only has art in it, this is a weird one to answer lol.

4) What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for sooooo many fandoms but right now I only write for the DCA fandom. But I have also written for, just to name a few, Dragon Age, Dishonored, Cyberpunk 2077, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Pokemon and MCU. I feel like I should also mention that before recently all of my writing was RP based because I love writing stories with someone else and some of those stories found their way onto AO3.

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always!!! I you take a moment to leave me a comment, you bet I will personally thank you for it in a reply!

6) What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

None, I love me some good ol' angst but never at the very end. Happy endings only.

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uuuuuhhhhhhhh... that's assuming I actually finish my fics lol.

8) Do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten some. Mostly from trolls bitching about the copious amounts of gay in my fics lmao.

9) Do you write smut?

Yes though I don't write it too often.

10) Do you write crossovers?

I've written a few, yes. The most notable ones were Dishonored/Assassin's Creed and Dishonored/Dragon Age. That latter one actually worked out really really well, it was a lot of fun to write.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Kiiiinda. I found my biggest Assassin's Creed fic on a Russian site once, translated into Russian, but I was credited with a link back to the original so I wasn't too upset about it. I also translated the comments underneath and people liked it, so yeah, I left it like that.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

One of my earlier RPs was translated into English by a friend, back when I still wrote exclusively in Dutch, and that same Assassin's Creed fic from the previous question was also translated into Chinese (but unlike question 11, this person asked for permission first).

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

That's like 99% of my stories lmao. RP makes for some of the best storytelling in my opinion and I really really REALLY love writing stories that way, but finding someone to write with, someone who shares a similar style and enjoys the same kind of tropes isn't all that easy. I'm always on the lookout though! Aaaaaand the ever amazing @scarredlove is hella indulging me right now lmao, writing out scenes with me involving our DCA OCs~

14) What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Yeah no, this is impossible to answer lol.

15) What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

*nervous chuckle*

16) What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, especially inner dialogue, a character's thoughts and observations.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

Descriptions, particularly of environments. It's kinda boring to me so I struggle with it a lot.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

Sometimes, only when it makes sense for it to be part of the story.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

Lord of the Rings

20) Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

That was hands-down a very lengthy RP I wrote with a friend back in 2014 that was unfortunately never finished. It was very dark, very gritty, akin to a zombie apocalypse but instead of zombies we had crazed humanoid robots, in a world where humans and sapient robots co-existed and all the troubles that came with it. The character I wrote for this story is still my favorite character to write, ever and I would honestly would love nothing more but to rewrite this story with the same basic premise with someone. Because sometimes a plot just works, y'know?

Perhaps one day. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[frodothefair]

I recently came upon a post on Reddit about why people do not comment on fanfiction as much as they used to, and here are two interesting observations that jumped out at me:

And ok, my thought on this are:

Regarding what's outlined in the second post... *facepalm* Do people really not have anything better to do? Like, really? Really-really? Harassing people for the fics they comment on? But I suppose, it's not entirely surprising. One of my friends is of the opinion that on the internet these days, anyone can be a minor celebrity, and what do ill-meaning fans and papparazzi do to celebrities? They stalk them and try to make a scandal out of everything they do. We've seen it with Britney Spears, and I've seen it with youtube creators, and I've seen it with roleplayers. Different scale of fame, similar behavior, and in the age of social media, anyone can be a self-styled paparazzo.

Regarding the first post, I admit I've been guilty of ranting about a comment once, but it was a peculiar case where a person said that I had a pro-Lothíriel and anti-Éomer bias in my responses to other readers (not even in the actual fic). And ultimately I feel that I blew it out of proportion, and quickly deleted the post. All this is to say, I do not care what kind of comments you post - I welcome them all: short comments, long comments, even comments that don't make sense. Hate or harassment will not be tolerated, but kind concrit is welcome, because how else am I going to get better? Thankfully, I often do get comments: from my mutuals, but also from other consistent and drive-by readers (more for Eothiriel than for Frodogold, understandably). Interestingly, I've found that people have been increasingly commenting under guest pseudonyms - which helps separate your reader-self from other parts of your online presence. There are pros and cons to allowing and using guest comments, but that is one way around the problems described above. Another thing you can do is have a reading account that is separate from your writing account, again to avoid being judged for your tastes and opinions as a reader.

Image transcripts under the cut:

[Jade-Dragon927]

I think its a combination of things. Some that have been recent, and others that have been slowly making change.

Most of our social media pages display engagement from likes, follows, and shares while providing very little response and satisfaction for commenting. This has slowly been changing how other media sites show engagement with their audiences over the past half decade.

Recently however, I've noticed that the opinion of those that write fanfiction have shifted, and I completely disagree with it. A lot of people kn the fanfiction sphere complain about short comments, too long of comments, comments that don't make sense, just about anyone commenting anything. ESPECIALLY constructive criticism or criticism comments. I cannot agree with people who think commenting criticism and "con-crit" shouldn't be allowed or done.

A lot of people are complaining about how people comment now-a-days and it makes others wary of commenting now. It's pretty sad to see.

[Guoba-Gaming]

This isn't a catch-all explanation, but based on my experience (as part of a few video game and book fandoms) and the experience of my friend (who is part of a few danmei fandoms), there have been cases where people will go to the comments section of controversial fics and harrass the people who commented using their public AO3 account. They'll either check if the AO3 account is linked to any social media accounts (like Twitter) where they can bully the commenter, or they'll go on the AO3 profile of the commenter and leave bad comments on their fics. We've also seen this happen with more innocuous stuff like Kudos.

Again, this is only what my friend and I have personally observed, and this isn't applicable to all fics, only those with dark or controversial content.

[thedaselcor]

Twenty Questions for Fanfic Writers

Tagged by @tansyuduri (thanks!) Taggong forward: @cat-in-a-tesseract , @gallows-into-oblivion , @mxkelsifer , @miyriu , @toomanyfanficsbruh

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Not including unrevealed exchange works I currently have 60 works on Ao3.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

135,630

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dragon Age and Mass Effect (ThedasElcor , ThedasHanar)

Merlin (OAFelcor)

Overwatch (MildBeagle)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

the hope of a new life (38 kudos)

Mass Effect Andromeda Evfra de Tershaav/Female Ryder | Sara I'm always a bit disappointed about this one because I had a whole subplot involving this Ryder being deaf and specifically preferring hearing aids to corrective surgery but I didn't have time to really perfect it before the exchange deadline so I had to scrap it.

a love that burns like holy fire (32 kudos)

BBC Merlin Arthur/Merlin I just started this one not long ago and it's really been neat to see it take off and have a huge welcome from the Merlin fandom, it's been a really cool community to join. The concept for this one is that Merlin is Transmasc, and that he uses magic as part of his gender affirmation, and somehow that leads to all sorts of dominoes falling that changes the entire outcome of the series starting around the middle of season one.

nights of holy fire (30 kudos)

BBC Merlin Arthur/Merlin So this one's actually the nsfw companion piece for "a love that burns like holy fire", I decided to write the main fic as fade to black and have this separate place for sex scenes and I think it's actually been working really well.

Some Kind of Wonderful (30 kudos)

Dragon Age Female Inquisitor Trevelyan / Josephine Montiliyet This is one of my favourites, I think. I wrote it as an exchange treat and it led to me meeting my fandom friend @sandalinbohemia A funny story with that one is that Rowan as an inquisitor stuck with me so much I thought Sandal had specifically requested the name, but I entirely made up the request and the name and had no idea for over a year. The premise is that Inquisitor Trevelyan finds an old clause that allows her to duel for Josephine's hand using a board game rather than a physical duel, and it's a bit of a fix it for the canon Lord Ortranto situation.

Of Wrath and Wanting (19 Kudos)

Dragon Age Leliana/Morrigan Honestly this is a tiny little flash piece I did for a crackship request back on the bird site. It's really neat, but it's only about 250 words. I have no idea how it did so well.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Definitely, I love comments. the main reason I write most of my longfics like a serial in a newspaper or an old cable tv show where I publish as I go is that I can find writing exceptionally lonely. I love to talk about my work, my blorbos, whatever else.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't write a lot of angst, and I don't write a lot of endings, but probably Rotten Touch. It's a true drabble (100 words), Overwatch, Reaper/Soldier. Since it's so short I'll include it here.

Jack remembers a time before Overwatch, remembers the love they’d shared, remembers Gabriel’s hands on his body in the dead of night. Dead… Dead… That was the problem, wasn’t it? That past was long since over, and now Jack couldn’t even think of himself as anything but 76. Gabriel Reyes had stopped being Reyes, had stopped being anything, long ago, and the vision in Jack's mind can’t cling to the fantasy. Gabriel’s hands become Reaper’s hands become rotten, foreboding, and cold. Every lover, Reaper, before him, and since, melt into an amalgam of broken promises and rotten touches. Jack’s alone.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That's a tough one! I really like fluff, but I also tend to leave stories with an indication that life continues so it's a bit more ambiguous than happy. I guess I'd say my Josephine/Sebastian Dragon Afe epistolary series Vael in Vellum, it really has more of a conclusion than a lot of others and I think it's really cute.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I know of.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yep! honestly all kinds. I write sweet things, spicy things, things I'd be mortified for people in the real world to know about, all sorts of pairings. I'm a transmasc guy who is gay married and who spent a good amount of time thinking he was a lesbian AND in what he thought was a hetero live-in thing for a while so I feel like I have a lot of the mechanics covered and I have a pretty good imagination. Idk if it's good or not, but people seem to like it, and I tend to like it when I reread it.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don't go out of my way to, but I do write them, especially for exchanges. I think the craziest one was the Commander 'n Chief fShep/The Iron Bull series I wrote for @ferindencadash (Mass Effect/Dragon Age)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I started translating Moments Between (Mass Effect Sloane Kelly/enbie Ryder), especially since later chapters that I need to rewrite have Ryder speaking an almost creole-like French dialect, but I got lonely :P If folks were interested, I'd be willing to translate some of my pieces, especially the shorter ones, into French or Spanish.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I used to do a lot of chat based role playing, but I don't think I ever officially wrote something with someone. I can be really intense when I'm mid hyper-fixation, though, it probably wouldn't be a good time for a co-writer.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Honestly, whatever one I'm writing at the time. I'm absolutely in love with Sloane/Ryder (Mass Effect), writing fCadash/Varric Tethras for the Tethras n' Trouble series and , HardAssi (Krem/Lace Harding) for Her Safeword is Apples (and she smells like blossoms in the rain) (Dragon Age) both felt absolutely world altering. Now that I'm writing Merthur (Merlin/Arthur from BBC Merlin) for the Elements of Albion series, that's everything. I love ships... all the ships. Give them to Ziiiiimmmmmm.. ahem...

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I think that I'll keep writing all my pieces as the fixations shift, honestly. Eventually I'll finish more and start more. I guess the most precarious right now is probably A Perfect Fit (HardAssi), but I don't think any work is really doomed. Sometimes I hyperfixate and write over 20k in a weekend, sometimes it takes me weeks to get 500 words out... I think it's more of a lifestyle at this point.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Probably portraying emotions and emulating cadence and mannerisms.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Commas, run on sentences, an absolute gay audacity and disregard for all the rules of grammar...

But seriously probably angst, hurt/comfort, I'm really very "meta" in my writing and I go through all the emotions the characters are going through, very, very vividly, to get it all right, so it can be really difficult for me to finish works that hit the really hard spots for long periods.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I enjoy it! I like it better when the text lends itself to having the translation right there or having the narrator tell us. I've got a few works that use extensive footnotes that are all neatly linked back and forth and stuff and it's just a lot of work to format.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

No idea. The first fandom I published is Dragon Age, I keep a bookmark to the Ao3 import of the fic (I orphaned the account a long long time ago) and it reminds me that I was never as bad as I thought, but that I've also gotten a lot better. In terms of ever written, including role playing days and just loose leaf notebooks I started almost 25 years ago, so I really have no idea.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

In terms of complete works only probably either The Writer and the Racketeer (fCadash/Varric) or Antivan Coffee (Josephine Montiliyet/Zevran Arainai), both Dragon Age. I did a lot of Dragon Age exchanges so a lot of my finished works are in that fandom. I would say right now, though, that I'm really enjoying writing a love that burns like holy fire, it's inspiring a bunch of spinoffs and it's been super great to more actively join the Merlin fandom.

Thank you so much to @tansyuduri for tagging me for this, it was so much fun. Thanks to anyone who read through all this, it felt really neat to do a little interview of myself. Hopefully some people I tagged forward have fun with this (no pressure as always), and I really look forward to writing for you all in the future!

[rjthirsty]

Fanfic Writer Interview

I found this from someone that I don't follow, and they didn't say where they got it, only tagged who tagged them and then others, which was not me. But I wanted to do it. So I'm doing it. If anyone else wants to do it too, go for it.

How many works do you have on AO3?

62

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

"I'm Pregnant" With Ikemen Prince - 65 Ikemen Prince, 10 Chapters, 4,600 words, fluff, - AFAB!Reader reveals to the princes that they are pregnant, and how each one reacts. As you can see, I haven't finished everyone.

Memento - 54 Ikemen Prince, 1,800 words, solo male, angst, smut, explicit - Gilbert masturbates to a token AFAB!Reader had given him.

The Perfect Distraction - 48 Collar x Malice, 3,300 words, smut, explicit, commission - AFAB!Reader's puppy dog boyfriend, Kei Okazaki, dotes on his girlfriend who is suffering from a broken arm.

Between His Teeth - 37 Ikemen Prince, 2,900 words, smut, explicit - AFAB!Reader/MC and Gilbert get to the fucking post-route. Route end spoilers, of course, and some rewriting for more realistic events and outcome, imo.

Incomparable - 31 Ikemen Prince, 7,800 words, smut, explicit, threesome - Dahlia (OC) shacks up with the Klein twins, both lovers of hers. The dicks don't touch, so it's totally fine.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do, but often at a delay. First, I don't have notifications on on most sites, including ao3. So I have to log into the site to see comments in my inbox. Second, I sometimes don't know what to say. I'm not good with compliments. But I want people to know that they are appreciated.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Oh, I'd say Bound Forever, another Ikemen Prince fic I have with Gilbert, Roderic, and AFAB!Reader that touches on a lot of spoilers from his route. I wanted people to cry with it. I'm also working on a dark fic that should have a very angsty ending, but it's still a wip.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Hmm. I write a lot of smut, which doesn't really have "happy" endings, just fucking and satisfaction. Most of the fluff I write isn't really finished. I guess the long fic The Royal Lion would have a happy ending. But I would consider To Be Understood to be more meaningful.

Do you write crossovers?

Nope. I have too many ideas to want to cross into crossovers.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I guess so? I mean, I've had people leave comments talking about not liking characters or things that happen and kind of venting about it, but they like the writing? So I find it hard to take it personally when I'm not the characters, and I'm the author. See what I mean?

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I don't really understand this question. There are different kinds of smut? The previous poster said, "Alongside complex, layered issues and thought provoking emotions." But like... does that mean all their smut is emotional and has plot? I'm not ragging on them, I just really don't understand the question. I write porn without plot. I write porn with feelings. I write smut amidst drama, such as both my long fics. I write quick ideas of lovers just fucking. I just write smut. 500 words to 25,000 words, it doesn't matter to me. Yes, Banging Birthday is all smut and 23,500 words.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Probably not. I wouldn't even know it if it happened. Haha.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Probably not. No one has asked, and again, I wouldn't even know it if it happened.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I honestly didn't know this was a thing. I've been inspired by others, or talked about an idea and had someone feed into it. But neither of those are co-written.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Please. Anything Gilbert von Obsidian. Pair him with everyone. I will never turn down a Gilbert fic. That's what happens when he hits top husbando.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I don't think like this. If it's a WIP, then I will finish it. If I don't think I will finish it, then it's not a WIP any more. I publish what I have, or toss it, because there won't be more to it, so I'm clearly not working on it.

What are your writing strengths?

Uhhhh..... I guess I nail down personalities pretty well? I have a way of showcasing the things I love about characters, usually making them more likeable to others. I don't tend to have writers block and can pound out several thousand words a day if my health is holding up. I've been told my pacing is really good.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Hmm. My writing process. I have to go from beginning to end. I've been working on trying out scenes without explaining anything, just getting right into the thick of things. I'm a pantser, so often my fic ideas go off the rails. I just let it take me where it goes. I can't tell you where something will end up, because I never know. And my characters change up my ideas several times.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I can't do that because I don't know another language well enough. I think it's neat when people sprinkle in certain words or phrases.

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Ikemen Sengoku and my idea of a trans man Kenshin. Anything Ikemen Villians, I haven't gotten around to it yet with all my focus mainly being on Ikemen Prince.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh gosh. I think - because I'm still new to fanfic writing (7/2023) - I don't have enough experience to say anything is a favorite. I try out different ideas to see what I enjoy writing the most. Some of it works out, some doesn't, but I don't dislike those attempts. I like everything I've ever posted. I just like writing.

[lostdrarryfics]

hi i'm looking for a fic!

post hogwarts, set in some kind of workplace, possibly auror or something like that. actually might be non magical office au!

plot: (i MIGHT've mixed harry and draco up here but this is what i think) basically draco is friends/coworkers with ron but draco has to become the assistant of/work for (short-term) this other guy who turns out to be harry. in the past, when they were in school, draco had confessed to harry on the last day/graduation. harry rejected him and draco was devastated so when he realises he has to work for him now he's upset/worried/nervous but then it turns out that harry doesn't even remember draco which outrages draco. (it ACTUALLY turns out that harry thought the confession was a prank or something and turned him down. but in truth, harry actually really liked draco this whole time too but draco didn't know this.) harry also acts super mean to draco (and it turns out that harry is only acting mean because he heard back then that draco likes mean guys who treat him like shit because of blaise or something). after they work together for a bit, eventually harry "casually" asks draco out (he tries to act casual but is actually nervous) and draco's kinda shocked possibly insulted because i think harry implied or draco took it as a casual thing. but i think draco actually becomes upset over that and runs off or something then harry chases after him then tells him the truth. there's a scene somewhere where harry and draco are out at a bar or something and hermione comes in and starts hinting about how harry was pining for draco or something like that?? she says something harry wants hidden because at that point you think harry doesn't remember draco but it turns out that's not true. i think there was an earlier scene when they start working together near the start where they're at a cafe or something and harry somehow alludes to school/the past/the confession and that's when draco realises that harry doesn't even remember him (or so draco thinks since harry is pretending)

would've read it on ao3 or one of those drarry fic hosted sites/livejournal. would've read it some time before 2018 so the fic is older than that

completed fic, either chaptered or a long one-shot.

i'm not sure why but the fic kinda reminds me of Take These Lies by Avocado though i don't think it's the same author

thank u <3

We believe you are looking for Give Me a Quiet Mind by calrissian18 (16k, T)

Don’t forget to bookmark, leave kudos and comments!

[lucithornz]

I hate the concept of kudos.

I understand the intention behind its design, but the results is lazy readers who are like "Yeah I'll leave a kudo thats enough". That. is. not. enough. Leave a comment.

I'm not saying leave a comment on every fic you read, i get it, I try hard to do that and even me sometimes I just can't for whatever reason.

If anything, as a writer, I use kudos as a metric of "people are reading a fic", like the little red light that shows a device is on.

AO3 is a blessing but I hate kudos as a concept. I feel that older platforms where the only interaction was a comment had more comments than AO3, or maybe thst just my perception.

I appreciate them because there are so many readers that treat them very seriously so I know that when they give them it means something.

But the whole social media being driven by likes and kudos being equated to likes in a lot of people's heads has put them in a weird spot.

And then yes, fandom is about community, you have to talk to people to build community. Kudos are great, but they are impersonal, so it's hard to find that fandom connection that way.

I think older fandom it was just more common to comment. We have been losing that, which I think is connected to the way other social media sites work and people treat AO3 the same way (it's not social media people TALK to each other) Older fandom got this and it's been lost a bit in recent years.

But at the end of the day, fic is a gift, and so are comments. They are also means of building the fandom community we all inhabit, so they are important.

[librarylexicon]

20 Questions for Writers

EDIT: Now with question 17!

Tagged by @cuephrase (ty bb!!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

32 (that are attached to my account).

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

283,405. I very nearly posted 100,000 of them last year, and only noticed when I looked at my stats in January. If I'd known, I would have posted something else to get it over that line!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Right now, just Batman, but in the past I've written for Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables, Little Men, Tintin and a handful of other fandoms. I have a Road to Avonlea fic tentatively in the works, and might return to any of these fandoms if inspiration strikes.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

All the Corners That Are Left is an outlier in my stats because it has more than three times as many kudos as the runner-up. It's an exchange fic that was my first foray into posting Batfam fics, and I liked writing it so much that it actually sparked a loose series of Post-Crisis oneshots, currently called Corners.

Family Crisis is my beloved canon divergence AU of War Games. It's the first fic I started writing for Batman, and I'm so happy that people are reading it. It's very comics-oriented, but still easy to follow without having touched a comic (imo).

Harry Potter and the Time-Turner is the first multichapter fic I ever wrote and completed, back when I was in my early teens. I won't reread it, lest I die of cringe, but I'm bemusedly grateful that it still gets hits and kudos.

Home Assignment is a Dick whump fic I drafted quite a while ago, and finally had an opportunity to finish and publish when I signed up for a Dick Grayson event. I had fun playing around with unreliable narration in this one!

In Retrospect is a HP fic that was written for a challenge where I was given five prompts and a week to produce five one-shots. I chose to make mine interconnected missing scenes set during and after Deathly Hallows, and particularly like how Painfully Abnormal turned out.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! It's a habit that's carried over from my fanfiction.net days, and I receive a manageable amount of comments, so I try to respond to every one. (The only reason I might not is when someone leaves a string of comments that are all very brief. In that instance, I tend to reply to the final comment only.) I adore reading and replying to comments! 🫶

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I've always been an angst lover. The Last Enemy, one of my oldest fics, ends with (canonical) apparent character death, and For the Sake of Our Son ends with both main characters (canonically) dying. How fun!

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Other than a shipfic that's now anonymous, I don't know! I tend to go for uplifting or satisfying endings without necessarily aiming for happy ones (although I rarely have unhappy endings). Maybe You Know I Love You? I do also have a handful of Batman ficlets that I recently wrote for a zine, and there's definitely fluff among them.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I think I got some on fanfiction.net back in the day, but the most hate I've received that I can remember is people being salty about a couple of fics I began when I was a teenager and never finished. I'm sorry, but it's been almost a decade! Yes, you can and should resist the urge to tell me that you don't respect authors who abandon fics!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope!

10. Do you write crossovers?

While I've toyed with quite a few crossover ideas over the years, I've only published one, which is a Rise of the Guardians and Peter Pan one-shot called Lost Boy.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I can't recall any specific instances, but many of my fics have been on the internet for a long time, so they've definitely been scraped for knockoff sites, if nothing else.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, three times! Harry Potter and the Time-Turner has been translated into French, Shirley Not has been translated into German and At Home, They Call Me Tintin has been translated into Chinese. (Links to these translations are in my fanfic masterlist on Dreamwidth.)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I'm open to the idea! I'd have to really know the other author and get over my control freak tendencies, though...

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

I don't ship much (to the point where I have plenty of NOTPs), but I do love TimSteph, and I have soft spots for DickBabs and BatCat (Bruce/Selina) as well. All-time favourite, though? That would have to be Anne and Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables series.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Before the War(drobe). Narnia fandom, I really want to return to you someday, but I have a couple things to do first!

16. What are your writing strengths?

My most positive comments almost always mention characterisation. I also think I write dialogue pretty well. In my mind, well-written dialogue is essential to good characterisation.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Even though I write about characters who are superheroes, I rarely write about them BEING superheroes, because I struggle with action scenes. Also description, but I like to think I've grown better at it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't like to use non-Latin characters in my fics for readability reasons, and I don't like to include dialogue in another language if I don't know the language. So, when my characters speak a language other than English, I either just use an English translation with a dialogue attribution (e.g. She said in Spanish) or just use the attribution without the dialogue, depending on whether or not the POV character understands the language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter! I wrote for it before I knew what fanfic was. I also joined the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges forum on fanfiction.net back in the day, which led to my most prolific ficwriting period.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

My favourite fics tend to be my most recent ones, because they're the ones I've spent the most time on and am most proud of. I can never pick one of anything (as you've probably noticed), so my current favourites are:

Family Crisis – longtime labour of love and Bruce character study

All the Corners That Are Left – Dick character study feat. Jason

Flight Mode – Tim character study feat. Bruce

Phew, that was a lot of questions! I think a lot of people have already been tagged 😅

Scrolling through my mutuals and no-pressure tagging @silverwhittlingknife @geevesthevieve @batrachised @freyafrida and @silent-silver-slip and any other fic writers who see this! 🫶

[arteclove]

As a follow up to this post,

*For the sake of simplicity, I am assuming that if you reblog a post, you also like it

[falloutjuli]

Fanfiction Writer Interview

Hi! I got tagged by the lovely @monkey-banana41 and without much introduction, here we go! <3

---

How many works do you have on AO3?

Only 12. Im picky about what I actually publish and since I got a job my time to write at all has gotten.... thin. :(

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

Alright... This feels a little insane but its as follows

Eros - South Park - Kenny x Reader - Oneshot / Explicit - 7,3k words

Wait, youre my hero? - South Park - Kenny x Reader - Oneshot / Teen - 5,1k words

All I want for christmas is some time with my Rival - Bungo Stray Dogs - Akutagawa x Atsushi - Oneshot / Teen - 16,3k words

I dont wanna be alone (Dont wanna be alone) - Bungo Stray Dogs - Akutagawa x Atsushi - Oneshot / Teen - 6,3k words

What are you doing Stepbro? - South Park - Tweek x Craig - Oneshot / Explicit - 18,5k words

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

YES!! I may be slow or forget at times, but i genuienly love and appreciate anyone who takes time out of their day to leave a comment. Especially funny ones <3

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I have two candidates.

If I count all of mine, like even from a different site and in my native language then its distress. Because that one has no real happy ending and one actual bad ending where the reader can decide if the story ends in the worst way or in only a slightly bad way.

From my most recent fics and in english its for sure my DD fic; Zephyric Mizpah (BSD - Explicit and Dead Dove; Do not eat). Its very obvious why this one for anyone who has read it.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

It was a hard decision but i think its So let us stop talkin' falsely now, The hour's getting late (BSD) that i wrote for the BSDC Music Event. I have writte a few happy endings for SSKK but in this one I barely angst them unlike my other event fic and both get to live their dreams while being cutely in love. Atsushi in particular gets a good ending here, maybe its to make up for what I did to him in the other event fic...

Do you write crossovers?

No. Idk why. I think its because Id see myself struggle to nail everything in such a thing. The only crossover I make would be JoJos Bizzare Adventure and Arcane simply because I have two OCs in each and I stared shipping them. But it wouldnt be for canon characters :/

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I was gonna say yeah but then remembered the weirdo who accused me of insane shit (calling me a PDF file) over a properly tagged fic. Yeah. Other than that no, everyone I interacted with has been a real sunshine <3

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Uhm.... yeah. I like smut that also has an emotional component and try to balance that. Not in all fics of course but inward narration is something thats dear to my heart. If its good or not is for my readers to decide.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yep. Almost like uhhhh a decade (holy shit im old) my most popular work in a fandom kept getting stolen and it was annoying. Some where just inspired while others stole the whole idea and tried passing it of as their own. Luckily readers of mine informed me back then and helped me report it.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Uh yes and no. Someone asked to translate but never got back to me with the link so idk if they ended up doing it or nah. haha

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! I used to write with my irl bestie in my native language. I had people asked for collabs back then too and nowadays I like coming up with ideas with @monkey-banana41. Sharing a fic has always been something i treasure dearly. <3

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

That's a tough one. I think I have a few OTPs for each fandom so its hard. SSKK for BSD, GioMis and GyJo for JJBA, Creek for South Park. The list is looooooooong. Current hyperfixation: SSKK tho <3

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Uhm. A lot haha. I have so many ideas that Id kill to finally finish. Be it my old fics from my native language or The Other side of Paradise, my multi chapter BSD what-if-Fic. I have many more wips and ideas. My head makes a lot of them.

What are your writing strengths?

From what others said I apparently excell at nailing characters and dynamics as well as dialogue. And humor, which is something im very proud of :D <3

What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing anything short. And scene transitions sometimes, like when I really need a scene to end so I can get to one i wanna do more.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Depends truly. I mean as someone who has a different native language to english itd be easy to me, but I know at times it can be a little disruptive to the reader if implemented poorly (I have been there, good god, when I wanted to flex my newly learned french), or be really immersive if done well.

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Ehmm maybe Solar Opposites (Im a slut for Terry and Korvo), GioMis and Hetalia. I have written drabbles and a few OS for it already but never published. I think theres a lot more but Im lacking the brainpower to remember.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Cliche but all of them. If I have to say it tho... Before it all goes dark... For one last second I know I wasnt alone... (BSD - SSKK) simply because its near and dear to my heart. I put a lot of effort into it in a limited time frame and I had a great time traumatizing some people with the mean twist. haha.

Tagging: Everyone who would like doing it. Most of my moots have already done this and so idk who to tag. <3

[r6shippingdelivery]

I want to preface this by saying this post isn’t about any fandom in particular, it’s an issue that concerns all fandoms and it was a thought that sparked in my mind after reading some posts from generic fanfic sites/AO3 related. And it’s about the way fanfic writers are treated in general, even by fellow writers.

When someone makes a post reminding people that liking and reblogging/retweeting is the best way to help their favorite artists, or that comments help the algorithm and boost the creator’s confidence, everyone shares this and I don’t really see any dissenting voices. However, the moment someone makes a post saying that the way to support your favorite writers is by leaving kudos and commenting if you can, a lot of people flip their shit and start saying writers ask too much and feel entitled to comments and interaction. Why the fuck is there such a double standard?

Why is it okay to tell writers they should be grateful if people passively read their stories and never make their appreciation known, but I have never seen a post with people complaining in the same way about how artists expect engagement on their art posts? Occasionally, there’s some posts about the importance of sharing (by reblog/retweet, not reposting), but it’s usually more in the vein of pointing out how that’s on a downtrend and warning people that if they don’t share the art and stuff they like, the artists will eventually leave the platform. And yet the moment someone points out that if writers don’t get any encouragement they’ll eventually stop sharing and updating their stories, it’s a giant argument about how writers see fandom as a big transactional event and how they feel entitled to comments. Even writer focused spaces are spouting such sentiments, it’s mind boggling! 

If a writer talks about their lack of engagement on a story, they get bombarded with replies about how they should write for themselves only. Which is fair to a degree, but let’s look at it like this: if you baked your favorite cake and brought it to a potluck and nobody tried a slice of it, everyone would understand why you’d be a bit bummed. Yet writers get inundated with contradictory advice: you have to ask for concrit if you want interaction, try asking for specific questions at the end so your readers know what to comment about! Don’t ask for concrit and much less ask specific questions cause then the readers feel pressured and won’t comment. Answer to all comments you get or the readers won’t bother commenting if there’s no reply. Don’t reply to comments cause then you’re artificially inflating your story’s stats and commenters will be put off by that. Give a blanket statement about how you appreciate comments and kudos. Don’t do that because you look desperate. Etc. It’s a ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ situation. No matter what route you pick, it seems like you’ll come off as entitled/desperate/clingy to people, just for saying “please, let me know there’s someone out there and I’m not throwing my stories to an empty void.” 

And while most of the focus of these big “writers ask for too much” rants are about comments, there’s also the kudos. Apparently the idea that if you read a story and enjoyed it you should leave kudos (aka, clicking a button - it’s like giving a like) is preposterous for some sectors too. So people won’t leave kudos on ongoing stories, and commenting is out of the question/too much effort, so they just read those ongoing multi-chapters silently - and then complain when the story is abandoned. God forbid the author saw the lack of interaction and decided that sharing their story wasn’t worth it since nobody seemed to like it, as far as they could tell. And to those crying they did like it…  well, if you don’t actually show that in a tangible way, how the fuck did you expect the author to know? Fandom might not be transactional in the way some people seem to think it’s suggested, it’s not a review/comment exchange, no. But it’s a place where people seek connection and community, and if you don’t talk to people you won’t make those connections. Not everyone is on the same social media circles, sometimes a comment on AO3 is all the fandom interaction people will have. And that’s okay. You can still make friends and connections like that. Hell, a lot of the fandom friends I met started with them commenting on a story of mine or vice-versa! 

Nobody is asking you to comment on every single story you read, that’s asinine and impossible, and tbh sounds more like a strawman argument than a real idea you can see in these discussions. All fanfic authors say is “if you enjoyed my work, leave a kudo and consider leaving a comment if possible, even if it’s just an emoji or keysmash, please”, and yet that’s deemed too demanding and/or manipulative. But being told artists need you to support them with likes and reblogs, and comments if possible, and please consider donating to their ko-fi - that is perfectly okay. And I’m not saying artists are entitled for that, not at all! I’m just asking y’all to consider why there’s such a double standard in the way people treat fanfic writers versus the way they treat fan artists. Because at the end of the day, both are creating the content fandom people like to see, and yet it doesn’t feel like both types of creators are treated in the same way.