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[fangirldreamsandstuff]

the tiktokification of ao3

or: some of you fundamentally misunderstand ao3 and it really, really shows

i was talking about this with a friend a few days ago and since then i've seen multiple posts of various sorts that have just made me think about it more, so. here is me breaking down a disconnect i see particularly with younger members of the marauders fandom (i say marauders specifically just bc that's the only one i'm plugged into):

okay, so i've seen many (usually younger) marauders fans either talking online about how they wish ao3 was more like social media (specifically regarding algorithms) OR talking about ao3/fanfiction/fanfic writers as if they are operating under the same etiquette/guidelines/assumptions they would bring into social media platforms. this ranges from being mildly irritating to genuinely harmful, and i want to talk abt why.

first - you have to understand that social media, in this day and age, exists in a profit economy. and when i say social media here, i'm referring to platforms like tiktok, twitter, instagram, etc. all of these platforms exist in a profit economy where content is a product that can be monetized. this leads to a few important distinctions:

people posting on these social media platforms are generally posting with the intent to get their content seen by as many people as possible, as quickly as possible

they post with this intent because once their content is consumed by enough people, it becomes a product that they can monetize

therefore, if that content gets popular enough, these people can become influencers, where content creation is an actual job and their audience are, in a sort of vague and obscured way, similar to consumers purchasing a product

because of the profit economy surrounding social media, there are certain assumptions + forms of interaction that bleed across almost all social media platforms. the ones relevant to this little essay include:

operating under the assumption that anyone posting anything on the internet wants to go viral, ie. be seen by as many people as possible as quickly as possible in order to grow an "audience"

these influencers are creating content for us, their audience, so they should want to please us. they should also be trying to appeal to the broadest possible audience. therefore, if we dislike their content, we have a right to make that very, very clear.

in that same vein, we have a general right to critique content creators, as they are making a profit and we are the consumers purchasing their product--much like you might feel entitled to a certain standard of service in a restaurant where you are paying for the food.

when you carry these assumptions over to a platform like ao3, it creates problems. why? in a nutshell: because ao3 exists outside the profit economy

ao3 is a non-profit. it does not have an algorithm because it is not trying to sell you anything. this means that the writers posting their work on ao3 are not making a profit. we are not influencers. we are not creating monetized content to sell to a consumer-audience. where consuming content on other social media platforms might be comparable to eating at a restaurant, reading fanfiction on ao3 is more like coming over to someone's house and eating cookies that they made for free. you are in their house. the cookies are free, given as a gift. so what happens when those assumptions outlined above start to bleed over from other social media?

assuming that anyone posting fanfiction online wants their work to go viral -- i've seen this with popular fic writers getting questions like, "are you worried x isn't going to be as popular as y?" those questions are usually not ill-intended, but they demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding about why writers post work on ao3. it's not to go viral. it's not to build any sort of online following. most of us who post on ao3 have jobs or schoolwork or other commitments, and writing fanfiction is something done for fun, out of a love for writing. those sharing their work online might be seeking community, but that is fundamentally different from seeking an audience, and in no way involves internet virality. if someone is posting fanfic on ao3 with the hope that it'll "go viral," then they likely either won't continue writing fanfic for long or will reach a point where they have to re-evalute their motivations, because seeking joy and validation by turning your art into a product for consumption just isn't very sustainable.

influencers are creating content for us, so we have a right to let them know if we don't like it -- nope!! fic writers are not influencers. yes, even the popular ones. no matter how much other people might blow their work up on social media, fic writers are still outside the profit economy. they are not creating content for an audience. they are not creating content for you. they are writing because they love it, and they are generously sharing it. if you don't like it, don't interact with it. you are never entitled to loudly and publicly proclaim how much you dislike a fic. i talk about this more here

we have a general right to critique fic writers, the same way we do with content creators/influencers -- again, no. you should not be treating fic writers the way you would treat an influencer on another social media platform, no matter how popular they may be. this is not to say fic writers are beyond all reproach; rather, it is a call-in to check your entitlement. fic writers are not little jesters entertaining in your court. they are not subject to your whims. they do not have to do things for you. they do not have to write things you like. in that post i linked on point 2, i talk about what etiquette might look like if you're really concerned that a fic writer is doing something harmful, but that is not what i'm talking about here. i am talking about the proliferation of negativity i have seen, especially on twitter and tiktok, where people essentially just talk shit about fics or fic writers as though they are entitled to have those fic writers working to please them. this is gross, and it needs to stop. you wouldn't go over to someone's house, eat the cookies they baked to share, and then spit those cookies back in their face and start shouting about what a shitty baker they are. or maybe you would--in which case, congratulations! you are Not A Good Person.

anyway, at the end of the day, a lot of this can be boiled down to: Because ao3 exists outside the profit economy, fic writers are not influencers, and you should never be treating them as though they are. i think i see this disconnect largely with younger people just because they've maybe only ever really understood social media within this sort of influencer-consumer-culture economy, and genuinely don't understand how to interact differently with the internet. so, consider this post a call-in to reevaluate the way you interact with fic writers and the etiquette you use when it comes to engaging with fanfic on ao3! i promise that ao3 being different from social media is a very, very good thing, and also a very, very rare thing, so let's treasure it and focus on fostering community rather than trying to morph it to fit the mould of influencer-audience dynamics that we see almost everywhere else <3

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

how mc ACTUALLY got Bill’s sweater

Lately i’ve seen a lot of posts where Bill and Charlie are jealous about each other Decided to draw something else %)

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

Amazon Unveils a [Horrifying] Fanfic Publishing Platform

Today, Amazon announced the imminent launch of its newest endeavor, Kindle Worlds, a publishing platform for fanfiction. When I read the announcement, I was horrified, then angry, then sad. I want to take a moment to explain why this is such a tragedy.

Read More

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

a minimum of 40-60 girls were dress coded at my school this morning, but not even ONE male was. a percentage of those girls weren’t able to have a change of clothes delivered to them by a parent and were forced to miss a number of final exams. no one at our school has ever been particularly fond of the dress code, however this is taking it too far. if you’ve successfully fought/know someone who successfully fought against dress code please help us by informing us on how to go about ridding our school of this sexist code. honestly, calling a student a skank???? NOT OKAY. we live in Southern California, and right now our weather averages about 100°F (roughly 38°C) and girls are expected to wear long pants. girls were FORCED to miss FINAL EXAMS just because what they were wearing was deemed “distracting”. a large portion of these girls proved they were not breaking dress code (no shorter than four inches above the knee) by measuring with a ruler, but were not released. please help spread this and let us know if there’s any way to fight this without causing us more trouble!

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

y’all

a mutual of mine

suddenly has posts on their blog

with links to “find women to have sex with”

my mutual is NOT POSTING THESE

tumblr just got even worse

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

August 21st is Fanfic Writer’s Appreciation Day  💕

Let’s be honest - we all forget to leave a comment sometimes. We don’t always go out of our way to click the “come talk to me on tumblr” link on AO3 to scream about the fic in the author’s inbox. On August 21st I encourage you to take a moment and show fanfic writers that you appreciate them!

How can you do it?

leave a comment and kudos on every fic you finish reading. Doesn’t matter how short. Doesn’t matter if you’re just repeating what other people have already said. Just be kind! Keysmashing, Caps Lock, and live commenting appreciated! (Bonus points if you leave a comment on every chapter)

ideas for what to put in a comment: one | two

floaty review box for ao3 (super useful for commenting as you read + it has a ‘review tips’ button if you feel stuck)

reblog ficlets, drabbles, fics, fic rec posts, etc. Put a nice comment in the tags. Remember that likes, while appreciated, don’t give the writer any exposure, meaning the posts don’t reach more people

go to your local fanfic writer’s inbox and talk to them about their fic of your choice. Let them know how long ago you’ve read it and what story point/sentence/scene still makes you smile when you think about it

send thank you messages to fic writers. In a world where you have to pay for almost everything, they’re supplying you with countless hours of free entertainment. It can get quite lonely without getting messages acknowledging the hours they spend writing stories - let them know their time and effort is appreciated

make fic rec posts and @ the authors whose fics you’re recommending! (believe me, fic writers love to see their stories in these posts)

create something inspired by a fic! You can draw fanart, make a moodboard or aesthetic post, or even write a song for the fic you love. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro doesn’t matter - the thought alone is what counts more than anything <3

buy the writer a coffee if they have a ko-fi page and you have some change lying around c: Caffeine keeps most fic writers awake when they struggle with a particularly slow draft or a difficult scene. More coffee, more content.

These are only some ideas out of the sea of possible ways to appreciate fanfic writers. On August 21st show the writers in your fandom(s) some love <3

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

Reblog if

You want an ao3 app You think ao3 should do suggestions - after you finish a fic it gives you a list of things like it etc You’re trash

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

Masterlist

I write for every character that is listed below.

You can send in any request you want. I also write for every sexuality that you prefer, whether the character you wish to be paired with has that sexuality in canon or not. If you don’t have any special wishes, I’ll try to make it gender neutral.

Harry Potter

- Fred Weasley - George Weasley - Draco Malfoy - Harry Potter - Neville Longbottom - Sirius Black - Remus Lupin - Luna Lovegood -

Brilliant (Fred Weasley x Reader)

Riverdale

- Jughead Jones - Sweet Pea - Kevin Keller - Toni Topaz -

Come with me? (Jughead x Reader)

I have the world in my arms (Jughead x Reader)

Divergent

- Peter Hayes - Eric Coulter -

Little Sunshine Part 1 (Peter x Reader)

Little Sunshine Part 2 (Peter x Reader)

Shadowhunters

- Alec Lightwood - Magnus Bane - Isabelle Lightwood -

Marvel

- Peter Parker - Loki - Steve Rogers - Clint Barton - Bucky Barnes - Pietro Maximoff - Dr. Stephen Strange - Wanda Maximoff - Natasha Romanoff -

Supernatural

- Dean Winchester - Sam Winchester - Castiel -

Jake Miller

Living Room

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

Masterlist

I write for every character that is listed below.

You can send in any request you want. I also write for every sexuality that you prefer, whether the character you wish to be paired with has that sexuality in canon or not. If you don’t have any special wishes, I’ll try to make it gender neutral.

Harry Potter

- Fred Weasley - George Weasley - Draco Malfoy - Harry Potter - Neville Longbottom - Sirius Black - Remus Lupin - Luna Lovegood -

Brilliant (Fred Weasley x Reader)

Riverdale

- Jughead Jones - Sweet Pea - Kevin Keller - Toni Topaz -

Come with me? (Jughead x Reader)

I have the world in my arms (Jughead x Reader)

Divergent

- Peter Hayes - Eric Coulter -

Little Sunshine Part 1 (Peter x Reader)

Little Sunshine Part 2 (Peter x Reader)

Shadowhunters

- Alec Lightwood - Magnus Bane - Isabelle Lightwood -

Marvel

- Peter Parker - Loki - Steve Rogers - Clint Barton - Bucky Barnes - Pietro Maximoff - Dr. Stephen Strange - Wanda Maximoff - Natasha Romanoff -

Supernatural

- Dean Winchester - Sam Winchester - Castiel -

Jake Miller

Living Room

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

Updated Masterlist

I updated my Masterlist, now it is more clear which characters you can request.

I also included some new conditions about requests, you should check them out ;)

I’ll be waiting for your exciting ideas.

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

Updated Masterlist

I updated my Masterlist, now it is more clear which characters you can request.

I also included some new conditions about requests, you should check them out ;)

I’ll be waiting for your exciting ideas.

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

I'll be updating my Masterlist tomorrow😇

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

hi! do you write for peter parker?

Sorry for the late answer, but I have exams coming up😭Yes, I do write for Peter Parker😉Feel free to request something, love😘

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

I’m sorry but did anyone else notice this little scene where DC comics put in a little easter egg abOUT DRACO MALFOY AND HIS FAMILY I AM IN A STATE OF INTERNAL SCREAMING BUT LIKE SERIOUSLY MY POOR BABY MALFOY HE JUST WANTED TO BE HIMSELF DC COMICS YOU SNEAKY BASTARDS I LOVE YOU thank you for warming my little fangirl heart 

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

Just gonna leave this here. We should all show more tolerance 🌈

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

That is exactly why I love cats so much😂

Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, ‘No, you move’.

[fangirldreamsandstuff]

the one thing all of us writers have in common is that none of us are fucking writing