#Building Community

[insanitysilver]

Multifandom Fanfic Event Calendar

An attempt at aggregating the events I’ve seen. Not affiliated with any event organizers. Key: ☼ Writing - ♥ Reading. (Updated: 2/4/25)

JANUARY

All Month :

♥ - FaFiCoWriMo / Fanfic Comment Writing Month ( @faficowrimo ) Challenge: Comment on every fic you read during the month of January ☼ - Whumpuary ( @whumpuary ) Daily whump-themed writing prompts

Last Two Weeks of January :

☼ / ♥ - Genuary ( @genuary-fic-event ) Authors / readers share favored Gen fics on social media & add them to the annual Genuary AO3 collection

FEBRUARY

All Month :

☼ - February Ficlet Challenge ( @februaryficletchallenge) Write a 200+ word ficlet based of the daily surprise prompt. Comes with a yearly ao3 collection. ☼ / ♥ -  Femslash February Event celebrating femslash pairings. Participate by writing, reading, commenting on, and recommending femslash fics. Applicable works can be added to the open ao3 collection and tagged with #femslash february ☼ / ♥ -  Femslash February Celebrates Black Women Under the Femslash February umbrella, this event celebrates Black History Month and uses the additional '#femslash february celebrates black women' & '#ffcbw' tags. ☼ -  FebuWhump ( @febuwhump ) A month of creating whump works guided by a daily prompt list. ☼ - Feveruary ( @feveruary ) A month of sickfic-based writing prompts. ☼ - Kinkuary ( @kinkuary ) A month of kink-based creative writing prompts.

February 10th - 14th :

☼ - FicWIP's "Hey, Sweetheart" Challenge - ( @ficwip ) Challenge: Use the pet name "sweetheart" in fic or art.

February 15th :

☼ / ♥ -  International Fanworks Day / IFD Celebrates fanwork and has a new general theme every year. Hosted by the OTW, they usually run a week of events to celebrate which (can) include: essay calls, surveys, drabble challenges, games & trivia, along with the annual feedback fest post which solicits 10 fic recs based of the prompt of the year. Applicable works can use the ao3 tag.

MARCH

All Month :

☼ - FicWIP's Level Up Challenge - ( @ficwip ) Running through all of February & March, this challenge asks you to pick an aspect of your chosen creative craft you'd like to improve on and see that goal through. ☼ - Multiamory March ( @polyamships ) Create daily polyam-themed work with an optional prompt list and submit to the ao3 collection.

APRIL

All Month :

☼ - Angstpril ( @chaos-company ) Daily angst-themed writing prompts.

MAY

All Month :

☼ - Do-May-Stic ( @domaystic ) Daily domestic-themed writing prompts. Includes a yearly ao3 collection. ☼ - MerMay A month of mermaid-themed creative prompts. While perhaps more widely used by visual artists, AO3 has thriving yearly tags for the event. ☼ - Whumpay ( @whumpay ) Daily whump-themed writing prompts

JUNE

All Month :

☼ / ♥ - Gen Work June ( @genworkjune ) Authors / readers share favored Gen fics on social media & add them to the AO3 collection. Writing prompts also available. ♥ - Fanfic Summer Reading Program (Northern Hemisphere) ( @ao3commentoftheday ) A summer-long challenge to encourage people to read and interact with a variety of fics. Mostly self-guided, but comes with a number of attractive achievement badges.

JULY

All Month :

☼ - Fluffuly ( @fluffuly2024) Daily fluff-themed writing prompts

AUGUST

All Month :

☼ -AU-gust / Alternate Universe August ( @augustwritingchallenge ) Daily AU-themed writing prompts. Comes with yearly ao3 collection. ☼ - Fic WIP 5k - ( @ficwip5k ) Challenge: Write a complete AU for any fandom in 5,000 words or less. ☼ - Writer's Month ( @writersmonth ) Daily fiction writing prompts. Offers personalized badges at the end and has a yearly ao3 collection.

August 21st :

♥ - Fanfiction Author Appreciation Day A day to celebrate your favorite fic authors, customarily by commenting on their work, sending a nice message to their ask box, and/or mentioning them in a rec post with the '#Fanfiction Writers Appreciation Day' & '#FFWAD' tags.

SEPTEMBER

All Month :

☼ - Sapphic September ( @sapphic-september ) Daily sapphic prompts with a yearly ao3 collection. ☼ - Sicktember ( @sicktember ) Daily sickfic prompts with a yearly ao3 collection. ☼ - Tropetember ( @tropetember ) Daily prompts based off popular fanfic tropes (5+1, one bed, etc.) with a yearly ao3 collection.

1st Week :

☼ - Trick or Treat Exchange (Begins) Annual fic/fanart exchange for hosted on ao3. Prep/sign-ups begin in September, and fics are revealed on Oct. 31st to the annual ao3 collection.

2nd Week:

☼ - Yuletide Secret Santa (Begins)( @yuletidetreasure ) Annual fic exchange for rare/obscure fandoms hosted on ao3. Prep/sign-ups begin in fall, and fics are revealed on Dec. 25th.

September 15th :

♥ - Comment Day ( @comment-day ) Pick 1+ fics and leave a detailed, personalized comment.

OCTOBER

All Month :

☼ [BLANK]-ober Daily Writing Challenges In the spirit of inktober, a drawing challenge that encourages artists to draw start and finish a small drawing daily, often guided by prompts, many creative-writing-centric events have sprung up. Some are more self-directed than others. ☼ - Fictober ( @fictober-event ) - general fiction writing prompts ☼ - Flufftober ( @flufftober ) - fluff-based prompts ☼ - Kinktober - kink-based prompts ☼ - OC-tober - Make art about your OCs daily ☼ - OTP-tober - Make art about your OTP daily ☼ - Whumptober ( @whumptober ) - whump-based prompts

Final Week of October :

♥ - Just Leave a Comment Fest ( @justleaveacommentfest ) Challenge: leave as many comments as possible. Each day comes with an optional reading theme. Mini-events are often run throughout the year. ☼ / ♥ - FicWIP's Ship Week - ( @ficwip ) Multifandom week of celebrating shipping. Includes a week of writing prompts and a support bingo board for non-writers.

October 31st :

☼ - Good Intentions WIP Fest ( @goodintentionswipfest) A day for celebrating/sharing/posting abandoned WIPS by submitting them to the ao3 collection. Let's give the dead a proper send off. ☼ - Trick or Treat Exchange (Revealed) Annual fic/fanart exchange hosted on ao3. Prep/sign-ups begin in September, and fics are revealed on Oct. 31st to the annual ao3 collection.

NOVEMBER

All Month :

☼ - Novella November ( @novella-november ) Challenge: Write 30,000 words. ☼ - Rough Draft Month ( @roughdraftmonth ) Challenge: Bring a creative project to completion alongside of other creatives doing the same. Comes with different levels of word-count goals and a flex goal option.

DECEMBER

All Month :

☼ - Hurtcember ( @hurtcember ) Daily whump-themed writing prompts ♥ - Zero Comment Challenge ( @polizwrites ) Challenge: Comment on one or more works with zero comments. ♥ - Fanfic Summer Reading Program (Southern Hemisphere) ( @ao3commentoftheday ) A summer-long challenge to encourage people to read and interact with a variety of fics. Mostly self-guided, but comes with a number of attractive achievement badges.

December 13th - 25th :

☼ - 12 Days of [Blank] Old fandom tradition of doing daily prompts in the 12 days leading up to Christmas. Some are more self-directed than others. ☼ - 12 Days of Christmas ( @12daysofchristmas ) - 12 days of holiday/winter-themed writing prompts. ☼ - Fluffmas - 12 days of fluff, #fluffmas ☼ - Kinkmas - 12 days of kink, #kinkmas ☼ - Smutmas - 12 days of smut, #smutmas

December 25th :

☼ - Yuletide Secret Santa (Revealed)( @yuletidetreasure ) Annual fic exchange for rare/obscure fandoms hosted on ao3. Prep/sign-ups begin in fall, and fics are revealed on Dec. 25th to the annual ao3 collection.

[thatonebirdwrites]

(I wrote this article to help remind myself that even small actions like maintaining my microlibrary matters. I've included my methodology below and why I do it. I also includes some resources that go into further depth).

Archiving Our Works Offline

Since we are entering a fascist era where I live, archiving literature of all types becomes more pertinent. Especially with the current rise in book-banning and censorship (much of that focusing on marginalized groups like LGBTQIA people and Black and Indigenous people).

So how do we archive literature and keep knowledge safe from censorship or destruction by authoritarian regimes? There’s various methods, but I’ll speak of a way one can do this without a degree or beforehand knowledge of archival practices.

I’ve been archiving my eBooks and the studies I’ve read for a long time now, but it’s only recently I’ve been working on transferring them to a safer, offline drive. I also have a large physical library of books from various genres and covering many different topics. I collect books and can often find them cheap at book sale fundraisers, estate sales, sales in book stories, discounts in online stores, etc. 

Due to how extensive my library is, it’s inspired my friends to read new authors or genres or to tackle new topics; the archive gave us room for discussion. It also helped friends or community members who don’t have access to a library still access a digital copy by checking-out a copy from me. Now, one doesn’t have to share their archive with anyone, but I find it helpful to do so.

The goal however should not be to archive the most famous books — as if everyone did that we wouldn’t preserve much knowledge, so focus on unique and lesser known literature and media to preserve those too. This is why I focus so much on marginalized authors, who are not well known.

Archiving knowledge is why physical libraries in a town is so crucial. They are bastions of knowledge and archived books, media, and documents. Supporting your local library and fighting with your library to keep them open is crucial. This also requires fighting against book bans that would censor/restrict what a library is allowed to put on their shelves and archives.

What I’m suggesting here isn’t to replace libraries. It’s to augment the community’s archives of knowledge, media, documents, and books. Since Public Libraries are the forefront of the fight against banned books, it can be crucial to make sure the banned or censored books are preserved somehow.

While the authoritarian state may easily target Public Libraries, they can’t so easily target civilians, especially if the archival project is done quietly among small groups of people. These smaller projects are how some of the lost knowledge from before the 1930s Nazi book-burnings were salvaged; everyday people like you and me archived books and documents and kept them safe.

Experts often discuss four stages to censorship:

Stage one: Not allowing certain topics to be discussed. This is similar to laws in Florida, where speaking of LGBTQIA folks (trans in particular) can be penalized. This primarily impacts schools, but not necessarily the publishing industry as a whole.

Stage two: Bills that censor the Internet. The terrible KOSA bill (Kids Online Safety Act) is an example, where it sought to censor the existence of LGBTQIA and/or Black and Indigenous literature, media, and documents on the Internet. This is where sites that carry these media may start to go dark digitally.

Stage three: Penalizing anyone who sells, disseminates, or produces censored materials. This is when authors, publishers, bookstore owners, libraries, and others are attacked directly and penalized for having any literature or media the state deems ‘bad.’ The penalty can range from fines to jail time to death.

Stage four: book burnings. This is full-on blatant Nazi-esque book burnings and trashing of any institution or public archive of knowledge and media that holds the censored materials. For example, the Sex and Gender Institute in Germany in 1930s was the first targeted institution for book burnings by Nazis. A century worth of data on LGBTQIA (and specifically trans and intersex individuals) were lost. The only remnants that survived was documents smuggled out before the book burnings.

For the country in which I reside, we are hovering between stage one and two. I suspect by the end of these four years, we’ll be closer to stage three. This is why it’s crucial to keep an archive of knowledge, and if many people are doing this, the higher likelihood that more data can be preserved. It may seem daunting, but that’s why it’s helpful to work with other people and focus on a specific genre or topic for the archival project you start.

I personally started with Leftist books focused on anti-capitalism, anti-racism, building communes, and science fiction and fantasy by marginalized authors. I was a little broad in my choice of topics, but there’s no need to be this broad.

For example, one could pick to archive only trans literature or only literature by Indigenous authors. Also remember, you cannot archive every book in your chosen topic. You will be curating these archives to some degree because that’s inescapable. Do not fret over this or agonize over being unable to archive all the books.

Preserving some knowledge is better than losing it all. That’s the goal. Take it a step at a time. For me, I’ve been adding to my archive for over four years. It’s sitting at around 25 gigabytes, and it’s something I added to slowly over that time. I took breaks. I set aside time each month to update the archive, and I asked others for help during high pain times. (This was helpful during the start of Covid, where I started up a digital archive of studies. Friends helped catalog them.)

Preserving knowledge and literature is crucial in times where censorship and book bans are on the rise. There’s a lot of great knowledge, literature, and media out there that should be preserved for future people to read or watch.

When an authoritarian regime starts to censor the sharing of knowledge, data, and stories, this is when archival practices become crucial for the survival of people’s history, culture, and stories. Anyone can work on an archival project, though I recommend building up a group to help make it easier in the long run.

1. Hardware. 

Obtain a large storage drive, as in a 1 or more terabyte SSD drive. This will serve as the data repository for the digital portion of the archive. This drive must not be used regularly. It’s meant to store the data, then be placed in a safe storage area (at just the right temperature to avoid degradation of the drive).

Since books can range in size, multiple storage drives may be needed. If one is seeking to also rescue/archive media such as photographs, videos, music, podcasts, etc — then you’ll need larger storage drives. This storage drive should not be connected to the Internet in any way. It’s meant as an offline archival device.

Servers can also be used as archives, where the data is stored on the server, but a server is connected to the Internet. Depending on the circumstances, it may not be wise to have the back-up archive in the cloud. A back-up should be stored offline for any archive security.

Try to avoid cloud storage, especially if based in the USA. Do not use googledrive or dropbox or any similar cloud storage. If you must use cloud storage, always have an offline backup on your own SSD drives, and seek out a storage service that is based in a country with good privacy laws that has encryption embedded in it such as cryptpad.org.

Next make sure the computer hardware needed to open those drives are kept in top-notch shape. The digital archive will end up useless if there isn’t a device capable of connecting with the storage drive. Most devices with USB ports have the capability to connect to a storage drive.

2. File types.

You need to make sure the file types used in digital storage can be easily accessed by the majority of devices currently in existence. At this time of writing in January 2025, PDFs, ePub, .Doc, .mp3, .mp4, .wave, and .zip  are the most common file types and the most accessible. Could this change in the next decade? Maybe, but for now, focus on the most common file types that are accessible by the majority of systems.

3. Avenues of procuring the literature for archiving.

There’s two forms of archival data: Physical form and Digital form. 

For the physical form, that consists of print books, magazines, newspapers, photos, etc. These can be purchased online or in physical stores. They also can be traded for using a grey market system. (Grey market is where the item is obtained legally but then sold by someone who may not have a license to sell. Black market is when item is obtained illegally.) Physical forms of literature are the superior archival forms. Books can easily outlast our lifetimes if stored in a dry, lukewarm temperature storage space.

Digital forms do not have a physical version of the data. The storage device or server is the only sign it exists in the physical realm. Digital forms can be compressed into smaller file sizes for long-term storage. Buying eBooks is also cheaper than a print physical copy. There is also online PDF/eBook libraries where one can download the book for free (for legal reasons, I cannot recommend. For ethical reasons, I maintain archiving literature to make sure it doesn’t disappear or is destroyed by censorship is important in the long-term).

Once the item is procuring (in hopefully legal way as I in no way suggest breaking the law), then it becomes important to store it appropriately.

4. Storage of archival data and literature.

The storage drives in point 1 become crucial for the digital forms of literature and other data. Storage drives need to be kept in a relatively dry, cool space and kept offline. When I saw cool, I’m speaking of between 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Best to keep it at a steady temperature. I prefer 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This prolongs the shelf-life of your drive. To avoid stressing the drive by using it often, try to time the storage so that you store as many files as you can in one boot-up.

Another important component to using storage drives is the power of encryption. A drive can be encrypted, and the key needed to use it safely guarded. I’d recommend this only if there are concerns of increased scrutiny to penalize the possession of certain types of literature and archival documents and media.

For example, if a law is passed to ban trans or queer literature, there’s a few ways the law could be written: it can focus on who sells or prints this literature, which means possession of it is not part of the law. A second way is to penalize both selling, printing, and possession. It’s this latter form of law that needs to be watched out for, and if it comes to be, that’s when encrypting the drives and keeping that key safe is crucial.

I am not an encryption expert, however. So be sure to research encryption to determine the best way to build up this security.

For physical storage, the area needs to also be dry and in that same temperature range. Storage in bins such as metal or plastic bins can also help preserve the books and magazines. Finding a space big enough can be difficult. Sure, a storage center could be used, but if you lose access to it or one is raided, you’d have no control over rescuing your archive. Better to work with your community (and friends) to store it yourself, so you have control over who has access to it.

5. Building up these archival Libraries in your communities.

If this feels daunting, then take a step back and think about who you know that may be interested in assisting. You can then talk with those people and work out a system to spread the tasks and make the project less intense. By working together in community, you will lessen the risk of burnout, which is crucial since it can take anywhere from weeks to years to recover from burnout.

What is burnout? It’s when stress on the body and mind pushes one past their limits and causes illness — physical or mental illness. The body and mind are exhausted, and so activities becomes increasingly hard to do. The best way to avoid this is to share the burden in projects like these. Take breaks often to give your body and mind rest. Spend time with family and/or friends and/or pets to help recharge. Take some solitary time too.

Working with other people in community is crucial for surviving fascist regimes. We are not islands, as that saying goes, and even islands are not isolated and independent. For the island relies on the larger, interconnected ecosystems of earth to exist. 

Mariame Kaba, who wrote ‘We Do This Till We Free Us,’ wrote about her father and something her father shared with her: “You have a responsibility to live in this world. Your responsibility is not just to yourself. You are connected to everyone…. because the world doesn’t work without everyone.” 

We are interconnected with other people and the environment as a whole. No one is “self-made” as that is individualistic capitalist propaganda; all of us had people throughout our lives that taught us what we know, socialized us into society’s norms (or out of those norms), assisted us in hard times, and so forth. Humanity are inherently social creatures, so do not discount the power of community.

Resources

For ways to build up your own groups and communities, I recommend starting with Surviving the Future edited by Branson, Hudsen, and Reed and How We Show Up by Mia Birdsong. Group-building can be as simple as a book club, who meets monthly, deciding to take on archiving the books they read.

For further reading, the following article discusses archiving and rescuing trans literature, but it’s tips apply to everything I’ve discussed above and to many other types of literature: A Practical Guide To Resisting Censorship. It includes tips for ways people can work together to safeguard knowledge and literature, which is nicely organized based on your role in the literature ecosystem. 

Feel free to share thoughts and tips below. :)

[thoughtportal]

This is a really good thread from mastodon about the counter culture scenes of the 1980s and 90 and how they were destroyed and what we can do to rebuild them.

[bethelctpride]

How to find the local queer people when there don't appear to be any queer events nearby

are you sure there are no events?

Because they're a lot more common than you think, but you have to look in the right place! The social media algorithm sadly will not feed them to you. You will generally have to go through at least one layer of introduction before you meet folks directly.

Yes, this is a bit of a secret social club. Because many of these people lived through being too public might get you raided by cops or get you dead. They're rightfully cautious. They want to make sure people showing up aren't there to do harm. And the more rural the area, the tougher it will be to find people, but they're definitely THERE and likely having the same thoughts that nobody else is there.

Queer social activities are overwhelmingly run by middle aged folks (who have time, money, skills, and energy to do so) and they tend to use different social media because that's where they originally built communities!

The advice here for hunting down groups assumes you are an adult who can figure out logistics and safety of contacting other adults and getting yourself somewhere safely.

For social media, check Facebook and Meetup. These are most likely to have large local-ish groups putting on events. Join some groups. Many may be private and require approval before you see content. Even if there's not one immediately nearby, join the closest one, whatever "close" is. Even if it's not a perfect fit, they generally know the other even smaller groups nearby and may give you an invite to closer group or even direct contact info for The Local Guy where you text him.

Next up, Instagram. You'll pick up some folks a little younger and more business and pop up events this way. Sometimes you may not see an event until after it happened! Message the person and ask when next one is. Good odds there's a repeat.

Still no luck? Check out specific types of businesses/orgs in your area that tend to have an overlap. Maybe the local bar or coffee shop has a gay night once a month. Check their posts for last month, or if you can filter by date, look specifically in June. If they had one, message and ask about if they have an upcoming one. Even if they don't, they may put you in contact with organizer from past one.

For organizations, check for groups serving HIV+ populations and the neurospicy. Even if you fall into neither category, because of the overlap, there's good odds they offer specific services FOR queer folk. Contact them and they'll know who in the area is putting on events.

Check furry groups. Generally they do most organization via Telegram, which will require an invite. Find the nearest furry convention, check to see if they have a message board. Search for telegram. there's likely one attached to the convention and asking there of "hey, is there a furry telegram group that covers X area?" there will be one. I hope you like bowling, because this is by far the most common non-convention furry event.

(and if your reaction is EW Furries, you need to kill the little Puritan living in your head that hates people having fun doing stuff in a way you think is Cringe. Bowling is not that uncool.)

Still no luck? Now you're going to have to go search for individual queers in the wild! Your best luck is going to be with three other types of groups: 1. SOME Church activities 2. activities that attract the neurospicy (train groups, collecting groups, etc)

3. Tiny specialty groups where everyone is old and its in danger of dying out

If you're really rural sometimes the ONLY group doing any activities is the local church. If they're listed as "open and affirming" that's what you want. Unitarians and Congregationalists are most likely to fit that definition. But you should be able to run web search for that exact phase of "open and affirming church" + "your town" and it'll show you SOMETHING nearby. You may still come up with nothing, but the ones that are doing that tend to be really dedicated, so they will have info about what local groups are friendly to queers, if not open about that. They will also have non-religious activities like knitting or potluck even if you don't want to go to a service.

Neurospicy activities- check your surrounding libraries for activities as well. Even if you're not that brand of spicy, the overlap is high. Find an activity you are reasonably interested in and go meet locals. You'll find out which ones are queer after a few meetings. Often it will turn out everyone is and nobody said anything until one person does. (like our local hackerspace. secret trans hangout)

Endangered skills- do you really want to learn some weird, specialty skill that's dying out? Ask around. call the senior center and have them post a note. Post at the library. stick a thing on a bulletin board at the grocery store. Pick something you are GENUINELY interested in learning like flint knapping, or how to cook a regional dish, local history, how to spin llama wool. Weirder and more endangered the better. Post several! Give them a way to contact you by phone. Unless they are horrendously bigoted up front, you are about to learn a skill and once you disclose "hey I'm gay", you are about to be introduced to every solitary queer in the area that is a friend of a friends' granddaughter's classmate. Often your mentor won't quite GET it, but you're their favorite person now so they're trying. And as you get introduced, suddenly the local flint knapping group is also the queer flint knapping group! and you should post on social media about your cool new activity and SURPRISE, you found them all! Also they now all have cool knives. win-win!

[mythals-whore]

Some thoughts on fandom engagement

Post got long but TL;DR engagement is low, Never Ever Stop Creating! fandom is community and everyone needs to participate

extended thoughts and personal anecdote under the cut:

For writers:

I have turned off Kudos emails from ao3. I found myself checking my email and feeling discouraged when I didn't get them. So i turned the emails off so I wouldn't know I wasn't getting them. Even now when I go to my dashboard, I specifically do not look at the bottom of the work to see those numbers.

This is not me telling you to do the same thing. It is easier said than done, and I understand that. But that's what I had to do to have a good time.

Because for a little while, posting made it less fun. I felt like people didn't like it. I was being overly critical of myself, couldn't write more than three sentences without feeling like I was garbage and my work was garbage and I should just quit. I would post a chapter and then immediately want to take the whole thing down. But then I realized...

I have about four half-finished projects in my WIP folder. I have written like 500,000 words that no one has ever read. Because I had fun doing it! Because I enjoy writing!!

And the point of this isn't to say writers shouldn't want or expect engagement. That is not at all what I'm saying!

What I am saying is that if you enjoy writing and you find that posting your work is making you feel unmotivated, discouraged, and you're not having fun anymore it is okay to take it down. It’s okay to make your work private for a while. It's okay to turn off Kudos emails or even comments. Whatever you need to do to make it fun again, do that. If you enjoy creating, please do not let the lack of engagement stop you!

It's been really helpful for me to find a community of creators! Without the support of @thedissonantverses @flowersforthemachines and @basedonconjecture I may have deleted my work months ago!

And that said, if you want someone to read your work, there are so many people (including and especially me) who would love to read and promote you! Participate in WIP Wednesday and Writing Weekend! Promote your own work!! Promote other creators' work! This is how we build community!

For readers:

If you love fanfic, and fanart and fandom in general engage with it. The urge to take down your work is real! And not unique to me! If writers don't get kudos or comments or replies on tumblr, they will delete their work. If there's a fic you find, and you enjoy it but you don't engage with it do not be surprised if you log on one day and it isn't there anymore. Or if it gets orphaned. Or if they simply stop updating it.

Fandom is meant to be a community. The whole purpose of it is to enjoy the things you enjoy with other people. If you're consuming free work (be that fanfic, fan art or something else) and you're not liking or reblogging or commenting then those people will stop sharing it.

And my personal take, while we're here: I do not get it.

I do not understand why there are people out there who do not jump at the chance to directly engage with authors and artists who make things that you enjoy. You can tell them personally how much you like their work! You can ask them questions! You can send them your unhinged ramblings on The Character.

And before anyone comes to my replies and says: I never know what to say ))):

Here is a non-comprehensive list of 10 slightly unhinged things that I've actually commented on fics (some edited for brevity)

I am chewing on glass.

bye i’m putting my fist through the wall 😭

These two are consuming my every waking thought

That ruined me i fear. I have passed away

THIS IS LITERATURE. absolutely tore my heart out.

You are sick in the head my friend

Im gonna sip on this sentence a while.🤌🏻

how could you do this to them? writing about this in my burn book brb

A) You absolutely cooked here B) how fucking dare you?

 kicking my feet and giggling!!!!!

And this isn't just for ao3/fanfic writers. Fanartists deserve love too! Artists love feedback!! The more unhinged the better!! Tell us we're evil! Quote our work back to us! Tell us you're smashing through walls like the Kool-aid man! Tell us that our work is making you scream and cry and blush!

No one is expecting you to leave several long paragraphs with an actual annotated review (not that that wouldn't also be welcome). Comment! Engage! Community is the whole point!

This also goes for finding Tumblr mutuals, by the way. If you want to make friends with people on here engage with their content! Like their posts! Reply to them! Send asks and messages!

Stop being afraid to enjoy things! That is like...all we are doing here.

[roseredsnow]

Someone else probably has said it here but haven't seen it so hoping it'll help me find more to reblog.

It is not only the US that needs to be wary of their goverment and be making plans for how to build community and help others.

As someone in the UK I'm incredibly relieved our election was before theirs cause I think it could've went a very different way if we were after.

Everyone, everywhere now needs to start thinking about what they can do.

[bumblebeeappletree]

I’ve been looking for some recipes to share that’s good for dietary restrictions. “Why?” You may ask.

Well, it’s because I’ve been thinking about potlucks. Neighborhood block parties. About people coming together and feeding each other and enjoying each other companies and having fun.

But anywho, I’m thinking of putting them all on one post. Except for this particular article because unfortunately America Test Kitchen has 2 free articles per month for people who don’t subscribe to them. So while I’ll still post the link, I’m also having the article underneath the cut. Enjoy the food ideas to share with others!

Recently, I hosted a four-day gathering for nine people with 10 different dietary restrictions. To say I was worried would be a vast understatement.

We had everything: no gluten, no meat, no dairy, no mushrooms, and much more. All had varying degrees of importance from “just a preference” to “just in case, do we know where the closest hospital is?” 

Many restaurants are aware and accommodating of dietary issues, but it can be difficult when this problem arises at home. You can’t make different dinners for everyone.

We’ve compiled a list of suggested meals and preparation styles to cook for a crowd where everyone—including the host—enjoys the dinner, feels included, and stays healthy. 

(But first, an important disclaimer: There's more to cooking for people with special diets than just choosing a recipe. If you're cooking for someone with severe allergies, make sure they're comfortable with your serving setup.)

Spread-Style Meals That Offer Ultimate Flexibility 

My coworkers are food lovers and problem solvers. When I asked them what they would serve in this scenario, they all had the same answer: DIY-style meals offer the most flexibility for the diners and the least amount of stress for the cook.

Build-it-yourself meals allow people to select what foods work for them and avoid the ones that don't, without putting the responsibility on you.

For tackling this kind of meal, we suggest taking inventory of all guests' allergies (and the level of cross-contamination they allow) and then creating a themed dinner with choose-your-own elements. Make sure each person has at least one option at every step.

Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Build-Your-Own Bowls

Bring Sweetgreen home by making a couple plain bases, a few simple proteins, and some roasted veggies, and ending it all with a topping and sauce bar.

Bases: Everyday White Rice, Foolproof Oven-Baked Brown Rice, Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon, Basic Farro Pilaf 

Proteins: Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts, Garlicky Broiled Shrimp, Teriyaki Tofu, tempeh steaks, sautéed eggplant with plant-based meat

Veggies: Skillet-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips; Skillet-Roasted Broccoli; Kale with Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, and Lemon; Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

Sauces: Hummus with Smoked Paprika, dairy-free green goddess dressing, Roasted Garlic Chimichurri, Lemon Aioli, Tzatziki Sauce, Red Pepper–Almond Sauce 

Toppings: Microwave-Fried Shallots, shichimi togarashi, Microwave Cheese Crisps, Gim, Chili Crisp

2. Make-Your-Own Pizza

Whether you have an indoor or outdoor pizza oven or you simply make them on the grill or in your oven, making your own pizza is one of the easiest DIY meals because it mostly just requires the host to chop toppings and stretch dough.

Almost all ingredients can be store-bought, but if you feel like elevating the experience with a few homemade options, we have some suggestions.

Dough: Classic Pizza Dough, gluten-free pizza dough, thin-crust whole-wheat pizza 

Sauce: No-Cook Pizza Sauce, Basic Pizza Sauce, Perfect Pesto, alfredo sauce   

Toppings: Caramelized Onions, pepperoni, roasted vegetables, anchovies, Spicy Honey, dollops of homemade ricotta

3. Burrito/Taco Bar

For this simple spread, make a variety of proteins and vegetables, buy any additions, have a few homemade salsas on hand, and let your guests decide whether or not to use flour, corn, or other types of GF or dietary-specific tortillas.

Fillings: Plant-based chorizo, shredded chicken, sweet and spicy fried fish, grilled steak, bean and vegetable

Salsas: Fresh Tomato, Roasted Tomato–Lime, Salsa Roja, Quick Tomatillo, Mango-Mint, fresh corn and avocado   

Additions: Tangy Apple-Cabbage Slaw, Bell Pepper Slaw, Chipotle and Pepita Guacamole

Single Recipes for Multiple Dietary Requirements

When you don’t want to prepare an entire spread and instead just feel like making one dish that has several dietary accommodations baked in, we have some options for you.

I asked my coworkers: Whether vegan, vegetarian, soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, or peanut-free, what do you make when trying to accommodate multiple diets?

1. Japchae 

This was my go-to meal when cooking for my large, dietary-restricted crowd and it was a hit. The base noodles, Korean sweet potato noodles, are naturally gluten-free and hold onto sauce really well. To keep the dish gluten-free, I used tamari instead of soy sauce which generally contains wheat. To accommodate a pescatarian and someone with a mushroom allergy, I just cooked these elements separately and left them on the side for people to sprinkle onto their own plates.

Who It’s Good For: Those following dairy-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut–free, soy-free (using tamari), vegetarian, and vegan diets.

2. Breakfast Casserole 

Essentially a crustless quiche in a baking dish, a breakfast casserole is great for a varied crowd because you can swap any protein, vegetable, or spice in or out depending upon your group's dietary needs. One of our members raved, “One of us is dairy-free, the other has celiac, so this was perfect to please everyone."

Who It’s Good For: Those following dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, peanut-free, tree nut–free, or vegetarian (provided they eat eggs) diets.

3. Red Lentil Soup 

This soup is spiced, rich, and nourishing because of the thick texture and nutrients that simmered red lentils bring. To make this a complete meal, pair it with a hearty salad and serve dressings on the side.

Who It’s Good For: Those following gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegetarian or vegan (if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth) diets.  

4. Vegan Barbecue Tempeh, Mushroom, and Bell Pepper Skewers

Tempeh is an awesome, naturally gluten-free (most often; check your brands) vegetarian protein for grilled skewers. You can add any vegetables, or even fruit, to your skewers and the same glaze can be used for any meat skewers you make separately.

Who It’s Good For: Those following gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegetarian or vegan diets. 

5. Walkaway Ratatouille

Most ratatouille recipes call for labor- and time-intensive treatments like salting and/or pressing to remove excess moisture from the vegetables. Not only is this meal largely hands off and fuss-free, but it's also ready in under an hour, and it’s chock-full of vegetables while accommodating some of the most common dietary restrictions.

Who It’s Good For: Those following dairy-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets.

6. Falafel

Like a cross between a spread meal and a single dish, making falafel the centerpiece of your dinner allows you to provide lots of pita, sauces, and toppings on the side for people to choose from while you only have to cook one main element. Though this recipe uses all-purpose flour, an equal amount of chickpea flour can be substituted for a gluten-free version. To accommodate this substitution, we increase the water.

Who It’s Good For: Those following dairy-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets.

7. Chili-Spiced Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

This recipe is a great example of a jazzed-up protein that is still widely applicable to different dietary needs without sacrificing flavor. It can serve as a complete meal as is, or for a vegetable element you can add some simply dressed greens on the side.

Who It’s Good For: Those following dairy-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free diets.

8. Best Prime Rib

Provided your guests eat meat, you’re in luck. Though this is technically a plain protein, there is nothing plain about a centerpiece-worthy prime rib. Serve it with any vegetable sides, salads, or potatoes to round out the meal.

Who It’s Good For: Those following dairy-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free diets. 

9. Chicken Shawarma 

Instead of going out for shawarma, we were able to create a home version by using the broiler and boneless chicken thighs. Chicken shawarma allows guests to assemble their own pita pockets with as much or as little sauce and vegetables as they desire. To accommodate more diets, make roasted tofu as a vegetarian option and provide gluten-free pita.

Who It’s Good For: Those following gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free diets.

Allergy-Friendly Swaps We Love

Sometimes a recipe is so close to fitting your restrictions but doesn't quite work because of an ingredient or two. We have a few standby swaps that are typically fine in small amounts without significantly altering the overall recipe.

* Swap tamari for soy sauce when you need to be gluten-free.

* Swap sunflower seed butter for peanut butter when you need a peanut- or tree nut–free alternative. 

* Swap vegan, non-dairy milks for cow’s milk. We like oat milk when baking due to its higher sugar content and almond milk in savory applications because it is more neutral. 

* Swap garlic or onions for garlic oil when alliums can cause an issue, such as with the Low FODMAP diet. 

[thaenad]

do u have any advice for building feedist community? esp a queer/trans one. i’ve been lurking for ages but i think it’d b really fulfilling to actually do something about it

I can share how I did it! before starting anything, I named the group (abundance), created a poster with a cute logo on it, and marketed it as a LGBTQ2IA+ and fat liberationist group. I mostly took to feabie, I posted the flyer, put it in my bio description, and then using the location search, I began following people in my area. feabie actually allows you to search by gender and sexual orientation, so I did seek out some queer people in the beginning. I regularly posted messages to the timeline advertising my group with a link to a screening application - a google form with screening questions asking potential members what they want to get out of the group, what would make them feel safest to take part in it, as well as some questions regarding privilege, fat liberation, and consent. this is just a precaution to make sure everyone joining has a mutual understanding of how to participate in a group setting with safety and respect, and consideration for our most vulnerable community members (bc goodness knows there are some creeps on feabie). once folks pass the screening, I email them with a link to our discord server in an initial welcome message describing my intentions for the group and why finding community and spreading fat liberation is so important to our lives. the discord server is where we all communicate and plan events. the first event I planned was a potluck in the park, which took place last may. I highly recommend starting events in the summer where folks can hang out in a safe public space for free. as the group was expanding, I did a lotta reblogging on tumblr, including sharing it to my @fatliberation blog which has way more traction. I also created a group on the queer app lex which brought in a few members as well! HOWEVER. I do live in chicago, where there is a high concentration of feedists. if you aren't near a big city this might be more difficult, but I would encourage starting an online group if that's the case! also, it may surprise you just how many feedists live in your area. I thought that I would be lucky if I got close to 15 people to sign up, but as of today, there have been 58. not only from chicago, but all over the midwest. out of those 58 applications, 45 joined the discord. out of those 45, only 20ish people are active, and out of those 20ish people, usually less than ten people show up to events. but that smaller core group has become an amazing group of close friends. It will take time. so many months of preparation and networking. I think it took close to 7-8 months to get enough interest for that first meeting in may, and since then it has taken almost another year to get into a groove and get to know each other. but after that initial potluck, the ball kept rolling so easily. feedist community is life-changing magic. I had a dream that someday I could have that, so I took a lot of risks to make it happen - all while alone, lost, anxious, unsure if any of it would come together or if I was going about things the right way, just flat-out raw dogging it and carving a path. and it was the best risk I've ever taken. I feel overwhelmingly supported by my peers. I sincerely wish you the best and hope with all my might that you find your community. let me know if I can answer any questions you have along the way.

[insanitysilver]

AO3 Tastemaker Game

You? You're an individual. You're a reader and a forager with fine tastes. You're not afraid to wade into the deep end. Browse the dustiest aisles. Get in the vents. Come, pan for gold with me in the far reaches. The game goes like this:

On AO3, navigate to your pairing/fandom of choice

Apply your standard filters

In the 'Search Within Results' field, paste this: kudos<100 comments<5 bookmarks<5 hits<500 sort:>updated

Press the 'Sort & Filter' button

Read down the line until you find something you like

Comment, bookmark, and mark it as a recommendation

For the ultimate connoisseur: Bonus Points - share your new rec off-site Hard Mode - kudos<12 comments<1 bookmarks<1 hits<395 sort:>updated

[travelinglikethelight]

Just building a small, friendly Rings of Power community here on Tumblr. 

Come join us! 🤓

Unless you're racist, then please don't.

[happymeishappylife]

Like many of you are, waking up to the news this morning was shocking, saddening, and worrying. And while I am a believer of getting every last count, the numbers don't look strong enough to flip these results, as unfortunate as that is. But unlike 8 years ago where I felt miserable, lost, and unable to focus, I don't feel that way this time. Maybe thats because I got ready for work, just like I always do. Maybe thats because I know I will be talking to people who voted for this today, even a couple who didn't like the guy.

But overall, I am ready to keep fighting. And what this election has shown me more clearly is that we have to fight, but we also have a lot of work to do. The polarization in this country is ripping us apart and we need to fix that before we can fix the country. And to do that we need to do 3 things:

1. We need to build our communities back.

We are at a point with politics that people have made them their entire identities and thats all they consume, feel, and react to. We need to instead find a way to connect people to people. And we need to find the things we enjoy so we can get to know our neighbors as people with interests and not just people living on our streets. We need to raise each other up, help where we can, and we need to celebrate others achievements. That will help in this scary time and hopefully bring us back to a civility to discuss the heavier topics without making it feel like we need to attack each other or rip each others throats out.

And how do we do that?

2. We need to get people offline.

The 24 hour news cycle, political podcast and constant commentary is not healthy for anybody. Not only because it keeps everyone in a constant state of anxiety, but also because it traps people in their echo chambers and lets propaganda and radicalization breed into minds of otherwise normal people. And we are all susceptible to propaganda, don't think you are immune because you are on the other side. Its also getting worse by the spread of misinformation, AI, and bad actors who want to divide us and make us hate each other.

Now of course, we should be paying attention to what our leaders are doing, but we don't need to read every tweet or hear every soundbite. Instead, pick two times a day where you are ready to consume the news for 30 minutes or an hour. And don't take one source as gospel. Hear the news event, and double check other outlets to see how they are reporting it. Find the actual recordings and not just the clips. Because sadly, there is not a reputable news source anymore. And after that time, go do something else you love so you can start connecting to people in real life and relax which help the mental stress.

And yes, being online helps organize these events, but in person events will benfit us so much more. So please, find a way to disconnect from the virtual world and find a way to connect to real people again.

3. We must engage people to do their civic duty.

And no, I don't mean converting them to your side because everyone gets hostile about that. I am talking about, getting them engaged in the process at all because I have a sneaking suspicion that like 2016, a majority of Americans didn't vote at all this time.

But how do we do that?

We don't wait four years. In fact, this goes for people who are politically active too because we keep turning out every four years, but ignoring the elections where our votes really matter and affect the most change which can help make all of us feel like our vote does matter.

So start with your Town/City council. You don't have to watch the hearings/meetings (because they are arduous, trust me, I attend them), but read the news the day after, find out what they discussed, voted on, rezoned. Do you like it? Great, vote to keep those people on the councils. Don't? Vote them out. These elections happen every year and also involve ballot measures that affect your taxes and community. Understand the process and get involved here first, then your county, state, and them the federal. Then it won't be intimidating to get into and it won't be as polarizing.

And you may think 'but why should I vote for the superintendent when I don't have kids in school or the agricultural commissioner when I am not a farmer?' Do you want our society to be taught well or poorly? Do you want our food to be ethically produced or make us sick? You don't need to know the ins and outs for every issue or position but you can at least make sure qualified people are in those roles to make those decisions and not just people hoping for a platform.

So don't despair. I know thats hard today. I know it will feel desperate right now, but we can't give in. We can't give up. And we can survive this.

[deminetly]

HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄��⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂

go outside as much as possible

start saying hello to radom people and spark up a conversation

smile and wave to strangers

go to events happening near you

always say yes to oppurtunities

ask random questions from strangers

become a regular somewhere

bake sweets for your neighbours and invite them over

spend time at your local community center

volunteer (it can just be helping a random old lady carry her groceries home)

[jambearie]

Psssst if you're looking to create some positive change in the coming years, I implore you to keep an eye on your library's board positions!!!

When policy is changed or we get book challenges the board gets the final say in inacting them. It is also often made up of mostly or exclusively old folks who may or may not be in the up and ups of *widely gestures* everything.

If that sounds like too much. Please, please, sign up for a card if you are able to, and check out and request items that are important to you! Even if you don't actively read them (can check out and put through the slot). We are at the whims of our patrons. If something checks out it stays on the shelf. If specific topics are popular we buy more.

Also!!!!! If you are already an active library patron, encourage the people around you to become library users!!!!!!! You'd be shocked at how many people don't realize they have libraries and we have cool shit like video games and telescopes to check out now.

[roseredsnow]

I love the old lady on the corner who gave me a bag of cooking apples and used to hand out dog treats.

I have joy for the blackberries that grew over from the neighbours yard, and the wild strawberries that grew in plant pots from seeds birds dropped.

I have hope for the kids that asked to wash my car for £2 a few weeks ago, and a different two that were selling homemade lemonade outside the co-op yesterday.

I look forward to doing up our garden into something my Dad is proud of, and to all the future cosplays I make.

I can't wait for my alone time when my parents go away in November for a few weeks, and I can't wait to see my friends in October.

Inspired by this post

[bumblebeeappletree]

Okay I think I got a bit of websites with recipes on them lined up. The first two are websites that talk about dietary restrictions, what people can and can’t have, and give suggestions for what you can use to replace an ingredient. These websites will have links to different recipes, but I hope they’ll give you ideas on new foods to try! And I hope they’ll do great when you make them for your party/potluck!

And remember! It’s always good to experiment when you cook!

Imagine dining at a restaurant and not being able to find anything on the menu you can order because of a food allergy or intolerance. The frustration and disappointment of feeling excluded from enjoying a meal out with friends or family can be disheartening.

In a world filled with diverse food preferences and restrictions, understanding dietary constraints is crucial for anyone involved in meal preparation, especially caterers. This guide will help you navigate the complexities of various dietary needs, ensuring that everyone can enjoy delicious meals without worry. From food allergies and intolerances to religious and lifestyle choices, we’ll explore how to create inclusive menus that respect every guest’s needs.

Last month, my daughter’s friends came over for a casual graduation dinner…

A growing number of people in this country follow specialized diets. This creates a real challenge for both caterers and consumers. How do you navigate a buffet where the options are pre-set and customization is limited? Of course, there are plenty of caterers that specialize in meeting different types of dietary restrictions, but if you’re looking to serve food with more generalized appeal — take a look at these six dietary restriction-friendly dishes that won’t make anyone feel deprived.

Making dinner is hard enough every single day, but then throw in the limitations of not using gluten, dairy or eggs? It can feel downright impossible. I’ve been there. I’ve been tearing up at the grocery store wandering aimlessly. Let me save you from that feeling! I’ve compiled 31 gluten free dairy free egg free dinner that are tried and true. These are dinners I make myself, for my family, that we love! Arm yourself with a variety of new recipes–slow cooker, stove top, one pan meals, salads and more! You’ll have a collection of recipes to simply rotate every month! All of these recipe are also nut free too making these very allergy-friendly recipes too!

I believe that meals should make everyone at the table happy, no matter their dietary preferences or restrictions. Luckily, it’s simple to make a perfectly delectable and crave-worthy dish, regardless of whether it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, or meat-free. I’ve got all your allergy-friendly, vegetarian, and vegan recipes right here.

Meal planning has never been so easy. These AIP Dinner Recipes are a complete meal for at least 4 people in one simple AIP recipe. Most of these AIP meals can be made in 30 minutes or less and in one pan.

Whether it’s for a wonderful occasion like welcoming a new little one into the world or for a more difficult circumstance like sickness, surgery, loss, or grief – sometimes, you need to support those you love by providing dinner. This is why we made this list of 20 meals to bring someone when they need it most.