lonelymaroonsock

[lonelymaroonsock]

maturing is realizing people who’ve been calling out gaza scam ring a year ago and got cancelled for it were actually right all along. these people are the heroes we didn’t know we needed

IF A STRANGER IN YOUR DMS OR INBOX BEGS YOU FOR YOUR MONEY, THEY ARE A SCAMMER. NO MATTER HOW TRAGIC THEIR SOB STORY IS

they all use the same copy and paste script, and they’re all scammers trying to manipulate and guilt trip you into donating or helping them spread their bullshit by sharing their posts. block and report them.

[lonelymaroonsock]

Personally I hate AI because it uses slave labor, is killing the planet and is making people stupid, but that's just me. The soulless art aspect is just one little piece of my grander disdain.

[lonelymaroonsock]

You know how improv comedians do the "yes, and--" bit with each other? You take what the first person said and build off it, you're both directing the story, you don't want to be the person who responds to a funny bit by ignoring it and starting your own bit. Yes, and.

I feel like tumblr does "no, and--"

Like. Sharks are smooth. Those are his hooves you bitch. The entirety of rickroll culture.

It's like. This is the nostalgia website, we hold on to our memes and catch phrases, but when someone replies to a funny post, it's often another perspective or a counterpoint. Net zero information gained.

Like "when I take a shower it takes so long, I have to get undressed, get in, shampoo my hair, make a blood sacrifice to Cthulhu, rinse out my hair, add conditioner, wash and rinse my body, get out, dry off, get dressed. Someone help me" and the response is not the normal "yes and" response to the blood sacrifice comment, that's too easy. The response is "buy 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner" because that's funnier

Idk where I'm going with this, I just think it's interesting

[lonelymaroonsock]

o-oh my god

[lonelymaroonsock]

maybe this is just me idk

[lonelymaroonsock]

[lonelymaroonsock]

giving “unsolicited criticism” on someone’s fanfic doesn’t make you cool and your “suggestion” is definitely not helping the author lol

what fanfic is is 1.) free, 2.) something an artist writes for fun, 3.) their source of comfort and joy.

unless specifically asked, fanfic writers are not looking forward to hearing your unsolicited criticism, even if you do so “politely”. by reading someone’s fic, you ask the author to let you in their house and they let you in. if you end up not liking their place, you quietly leave. you don’t start telling them things you don’t like about their house.

“but I was being polite when I tell them their bed should be bigger” “I was saying it so nicely when I let them know pink did not suit their couch” no. you’re not helping. you’re just telling them they should adjust their place in order to fit your personal liking. it’s their house. not yours. build your own house instead of telling strangers how their houses should be.

if authors didn’t ask for your opinions and if you don’t have anything nice to say, be quiet.

[lonelymaroonsock]

"i don't comment on ao3 because i don't wanna be annoying or weird" skill issue + you greatly underestimate the power dynamic here, writing multi paragraph comments is like feeding a bunch of deeply insane and possibly starved ducks at the park and watch them go completely mad over having received a piece of bread

[lonelymaroonsock]

By the way, fanfiction isn't the place for reviews or criticism.

When you're a published author, it's like you're preparing a meal in a food competition. You expect a rating and to be told what worked and what didn't to improve your craft and embark on your career.

When you're a fanfiction author, it's like taking some of your free time to enjoy the process of baking cookies and then offering them to someone to be kind.

If you take a cookie from the plate, you don't spit it out and tell them it sucked.

Unless the writer asks for your opinion, you can keep it to yourself.

Adding this to clarify, and you don't have to agree with this by any means, I cannot force you to, but the reason Ao3 and Fanfiction isn't the space for criticism and ratings...is that it is a fan space created by fans for fans.

It isn't school.

It is a space where people with the same interests can congregate and enjoy the same fandom.

When you think about commenting on an fanfic authors fics, don't think if it as fishing around in your pocket to give them a compliment.

Compliments are nice. Most everyone likes compliments.

"I like your character development."

"You paint wonderful imagry."

Those are comments that are compliments. Speaking for myself as a fanfic writer they're nice, but they're not what my fan heart craves.

I want engagement with my readers.

The best comments I get aren't talking about my skill as a writer, but what just happened in the story because you and I (the reader) are already fans of the world created.

Comments like:

"NOOOOOOOO!"

"Did she actually just do that?"

"EXCUSE me?!?!"

None of these comments are compliments and none are critical. They are emotionally aligned with the story. They are engaged and with this engagement we create a little community in this tiny little space we get to call ours.

I cannot stop people from saying cruel things, but I can inform those people of the "dangers" so to speak when people treat fandom spaces like Ao3 as if it's Goodreads.

Writers, who write for themselves and offer it to you out of kindness, can decide that if people are just going to spit out their cookies they don't need to post about them anymore and that is how fandom spaces die.

If you don't like the flavor of cookie they made, or you're allergic to one of its ingredients...don't eat the cookie. Put it back for someone else to enjoy and then go find the flavor you do like.

[lonelymaroonsock]

My respect goes out to everyone who writes fanfiction. Whether you're crafting epic sagas, filling in missing moments, or just having fun with an AU, it takes so much creativity and dedication to bring those ideas to life.

Writing isn’t easy—finding the right words, keeping the momentum, and sometimes just convincing yourself to start can be a challenge. And yet, fanfic writers do it anyway, pouring love into their stories, expanding worlds, and giving us all something to obsess over.

I’ve even tried writing myself, and let me tell you—it’s hard. I don’t know if I can keep it going, and now I completely understand why there are so many unfinished fics out there. It takes so much effort to see a story through to the end, and honestly? That makes me respect fic writers even more.

So if you write fanfiction—whether you share it or keep it to yourself—just know that it’s appreciated. You’re amazing. Keep writing.

[lonelymaroonsock]

sometimes I’ll be looking at my own fic just to see how long it’s been since I last updated it and all I feel is

✨shame✨

[lonelymaroonsock]

[lonelymaroonsock]

Sometimes, I'll write the trashiest, stupidest, what in the third grade book report fuck is this fanfic and delete the whole thing and restart.

Other times it's like Shakespeare possessed my body and now my crossover and Romeo and Juliet are going one on one in hand to hand combat for best poetic line ever written.

[lonelymaroonsock]

"If you use em dash in your works, it makes them look AI generated. No real human uses em dash."

Imaging thinking actual human writers are Not Real because they use... professional writing in their works.

Imagine thinking millions of people who have been using em dash way before AI becomes a thing are all robots.

REBLOG IF YOU'RE A HUMAN AND YOU USE EM DASH

[lonelymaroonsock]

Please provide soup, I need soup. Tomato Basil, I crave.

Alright. Let me satisfy your craving.

[Picrew]

[lonelymaroonsock]

wishing I could freeze time so fanfic writers could write all of their slow-burn enemies to lovers and gay porn and fix-it fics and all of their WIPs and prompts without having to worry about life and other responsibilities

[lonelymaroonsock]

We have enough to share