#Fanfic PSA

[z-mizcellaneous-z]

a compilation of comments ive left on fics as a reminder that you too can go batshit over fics

authors don't think your excitement over their work is weird or off-putting. they love seeing people get as excited as they themselves do about their work.

[thetrashywritingwitch]

Read this thread if you post on ao3, wattpad, quotev, etc. If you have gotten any messages or emails from a company called WebNovel claiming they will pay you for fanfic, know it is a SCAM!!! Do NOT sign up for it, do not post work there, so not sign any contracts, it's all bullshit.

[cygnusdoesthings]

FANFICTION PSA!

Beta Readers vs Editors Edition

Beta readers and editors are not the same!

Beta readers:

Give feedback on certain plot points

Have read similar content

Are representative (somewhat) of your target audience

Give feedback on cliches and character flaws

Are usually a close friend (or at least someone well-known) to the writer

Editors:

Suggest or fix better wording

Break up paragraphs

Go 'holy shit how did you fuck this word up this badly' (fix typos)

Syntax and markdown editors

Help with the horrors of correct punctuation and regional spelling

Think of it like this:

1. You write stuff.

This is the initial modelling, the design of your product. It's more than an idea, it's composed, but it's not ready to present to consumers yet.

2. Your editor edits stuff.

This is the refinement part. Your editor sands any little details, makes the corners less harsh, and overall makes it smoother to read for any sort of screen/size.

3. Your beta readers read and give feedback

These guys are your quality control. They represent your target demographic- they'll give you first-hand reactions which you can base 'hey, will these people enjoy this? Why or why not?'

If there's any glaring typos and mistakes your editor or you have missed, they can point it out, but ideally that's the editors job. They'll also give you feedback :)

4. You implement said feedback

Tweak the things your betas said to tweak- and if you're curious as to why, then you're encouraged to ask why.

Obviously, you can say 'uh, that's a terrible suggestion'- remember, this is still a draft, you can afford to debate and experiment with elements.

5. Repeat steps 3-4 until you either say 'fuck it it's good enough' or just 'I literally don't care, one beta read is enough' (which is fair)

It's suffering time.

6. One Last Edit

Cool! You now have your modified, personalised little piece of gremlin muse thoughts. You've chucked it through quality control- and in the process, changed the design. You've got the "Final Draft".

By changing the design, your editors will need to refine said design- and then you can publish it. Your editor will look over and fix things- and then it's time.

7. Release the beast!

Congratulations! You've got a somewhat coherent story!

It is now shipped out to waiting minds all over the world :]

!! Also !!

You do not need any of these to write a good story! This is just the technical terms of all these things.

And as a general rule, Ao3 tends to mush betas and editors into the same person. Which is fair.

TLDR: when you see someone on ao3 go 'grammarly is my beta' they are technically wrong, it's probably their editor.

Buuuut considering it's ao3, we let technicality slide. Because canon is just a suggestion (finger guns)!

[stickyfrogtoy]

People I’m begging, I’m pleading, please for the love of god tag your omegaverse fics correctly so those of us that are really trying to be polite and just quietly stay away can properly avoid them. I mean no judgement wolf it up or whatever just please tag properly

[beemovieerotica]

PSA: bot comments are taking over ao3

The above examples have been provided with the authors' permission to demonstrate what these look like.

Basic rundown:

They are all 3 sentences long

Perfect grammar, capitalization, and punctuation

Like absolutely flawless English teacher-style writing with only a single exclamation mark, ever

No mentions whatsoever of character names, settings, situations, or anything that could be tied to the story

The usernames may be identical to people who exist on ao3, but the name is not clickable, and no profile is associated with it EXCEPT when you directly search for that name. What this means: the comments come from an unregistered (not logged in) reader, bots scrape the site for real usernames, attach that to the comment, and post

Please spread the word about this so authors can filter comments and report them accordingly

There has been some speculation about why this is happening at all, and the best guess is that this is a feature that AI-training story-scraping tools are implementing to try and make their browsing traffic look legitimate

[just-french-me-up]

this is a PSA for fic writers who haven't updated in a while :

there are fics out there I'm subscribed to that have gone double digit months without updating.

rest assured the moment those babies catapult an AO3 email my way i'm dropping from the face of the earth to sink my teeth into them

i'll wait, and so will your readers

[watcher0033]

Y’all, the Archive admins are made up of VOLUNTEERS. And they have been working for 12-13 HOURS STRAIGHT.

I better not hear any complaints when donation period comes around. OR ELSE.

cosplay by @woahchriswoah on Twitter

EDIT: How do we show appreciation to the volunteers? For me reading these deep dives on OTW issues u guys apparently it's been said multiple times that one of their objective statements is to have paid staff for ao3 and there's a surplus of donations they haven't used up or the other community solutions that needs to address. For those more financially literate feel free to analyze, snipe me or add to the discussion etc. linked here by deepa. They’re cool and these yearly analysis they did aint no joke.

But Seriously what can we do for these volunteers? The probable burn out from this entire fiasco would be no joke. @ao3org

[mikkeneko]

PSA for Google Docs writers

[Edit] Also for Firefox, as per @essayofthoughts in the notes: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/delete-g-docs-type-to-insert/

If you (like me) use Google Doc to write fanfic, you may (like me) have been annoyed by the new "feature" they added in the past few weeks, "Smart Chips," where by default every time you open a new line it auto-inserts a "@" symbol and then prompts to add additional people into the doc for review or whatever other useless thing I immediately closed out of.

There doesn't appear to be a way to turn off this "feature" in GDocs however someone has put out an extension that nixes it:

[mandiemegatron]

PSA;

YOU MAY NOT POST MY WORKS TO OTHER WEBSITES, AT ALL. NO PERMISSIONS WILL BE GIVEN AT ANY POINT IN TIME.

ANY PLAGIARISM, MULTI-WEB POSTING OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT WILL HAVE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.

ALL WORKS CREATED/WRITTEN BY ME ARE OWNED BY ME, MANDIEMEGATRON.

[heywriters]

once again, to the people charging money for fanfiction: be more freaking careful before you get us all taken down?!?!?!?! you shouldn't be doing that at all because you don't have any right to make money off someone else's copyright, but making noise about it risks legal repercussions even for people who don't charge! STOP THAT.

and DEFINITELY don't be advertising it on AO3

[silverstark]

AI threat to Ao3 and Fanworks

Betsy Rosenblatt, the legal chair for Ao3′s umbrella Organization for Transformative Works, is advocating for allowing AI developers to use fanfic. :

This is a betrayal of Ao3′s mission, a betrayal of the worldwide community of fanfic-writers/readers, and a betrayal of Betsy Rosenblatt’s job to legally protect fanfiction. Please keep an eye on this situation and speak up where you are able to- there is at least one petition out already.

[dduane]

Hey, AO3 folks (and fanfic writers elsewhere)... if you see this offer, RUN AWAY FROM IT. IT’S POISON.

Please read this twitter thread and then stay FAR AWAY from the people being described...

https://twitter.com/aj_spinner_/status/1557083021949505549

The tl:dr; version: These people want you to “file the serial numbers off” your fanfic and publish it with them.

The catch: If the IP owners ever come after you, you’re on your own... and you have to pay the publisher damages! (Not to mention the IP owner...)

Also: their advances are CRAP. Also: Your advance (such as it is) is obtained by crowdfunding. WTF!!!

So:

AVOID AVOID AVOID. Dear sweet THOTH on his e-scooter, stay away from these people.

ETA: Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware has looked at the contract and declared it “completely incoherent and inadequate”.  

So, honestly... AVOID.

[dragonheartstring360]

Some notes for anyone writing a character with glasses, from someone who wears glasses everyday:

- glasses need to come off before changing a shirt, unless it has a really big collar. Otherwise, glasses will get ripped off by said shirt collar.

- weather will affect how well you can see out of them, especially rain. Raindrops will dot glasses and it’s like trying to drive a car in the rain without working windshield wipers. Snow sometimes does this too, but not as bad, and lots of dust kicking up will make glasses dirty and foggy. If it’s humid enough (talking like swampy, Deep South levels, weather app says “90-100% humidity”), glasses will fog up when you step outside. If it’s crazy windy, glasses can fly off and the character should hold onto them or take them off and put them somewhere safe. They’ll usually get dirty or break in a pants pocket, so maybe have character carry around a sturdy glasses case if needed.

- not all materials are good for wiping glasses off. Some shirt materials just make it worse.

- if your character’s glasses are super dirty or smudged, they will be able to see it 24/7 as they look around and it’s annoying af.

- although glasses can keep things from getting in a character’s eyes (like something that’s been sprayed), it doesn’t protect our eyes all the time, especially if it’s coming at an angle or there’s a large amount. For that, you’d need actual safety glasses or goggles (and yes, they do make prescription goggles, but they’re not cheap).

- speaking of waves, for the love of god, DO NOT have your character swim with their glasses on. At best, they’ll get wet and they won’t be able to see. At worst, if they’re forced underwater or an ocean wave smacks them in the face, they’ll fly off and/or break.

- a crack in glasses is actually annoying af and makes it very hard to see.

- if a character’s face is wet, like from sweat or a ton of rain, their glasses will continuously slide down their nose and they’ll need to keep pushing them back up.

- lots of liquids other than water will make glasses opaque.

- glasses should be fitted pretty well to a person’s head. So if the character’s face is dry or there’s a moderate amount of wind, the “legs” that go behind their ears should be tight enough that they don’t just constantly fly off or slip down their nose. If they do, they’re too big (but obviously something a tornado will make them fly off).

- although I hate the whole “they took off their glasses and now they’re a ✨ model ✨” trope, people do tend to look very different with glasses on vs off - especially a character like Harry Potter who constantly wears their glasses. It’s not unrealistic that people who don’t know the character well (or even those who do, but just aren’t as quick) won’t recognize them at first without their glasses.

- as far as I know (correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never been able to do this), if a lens pops out of the frames, it can’t be popped back in by non-professionals without the right tools. The glasses are just done for.

- if your character has contacts in (or this is a psa for anyone who wears contacts), DO NOT have them rub their eyes. The contact will pop out and they’re very translucent and tiny, so trust me, it will just fall and be lost forever.

- being able to see clearly out of one eye and not the other (like with a broken/missing lens or a contact falling out) causes headaches.

- glasses are expensive af in the US (idk about other places). One time when I didn’t have vision insurance, an eye exam and two frames with lenses (I have blue eyes and very extreme light sensitivity, so have to have prescription sun glasses as well as regular glasses) cost over $900USD. If you want the special frames that become tinted and basically turn into sunglasses when you walk outside, it will cost extra.

- speaking of those lenses that become tinted when you walk outside, they take awhile to fade back to normal after you go back inside. Your character needs to be prepared to still be “wearing” sunglasses for the first 5-10 minutes after they walk inside.

- if a character is wearing contacts, they can wear normal sunglasses. If not, they’ll need special prescription sunglasses to be able to see. You cannot wear prescription sunglasses with contacts in or you won’t be able to see anything. Ever tried to look through your friend’s glasses and everything’s weird and warped and giving you a headache? That’s what it will look like.

- not exactly glasses related, but people with lighter colored eyes will always have worse light sensitivity than people with darker eyes. I have very blue eyes and looking up at the sky on a sunny day will literally make me see stars, and especially if I’m driving towards the sun while it’s setting, I have to have my sunglasses on or I literally will not be able to see and tears will be leaking out my eyes the whole way home.

- speaking of prescription sunglasses, unless your character can see pretty far without their glasses or they’re far sighted, you cannot just take prescription sunglasses off and still be able to see, especially while driving. You just have to deal with it and keep the sunglasses on and look like a Matrix wannabe if it gets cloudy or starts raining, or you have to do the super speedy Dance of Death where you’re still watching the road in front of you, taking off one pair of glasses and putting the other on super fast (which usually requires you to use your mouth to open and close things).

- GLASSES ARE FRAGILE. Seriously, a very petite person could sit in them and snap them in half. They’re not something you want your character just throwing around.

- there are varying levels of how well someone can see. There’s farsightedness and nearsightedness. Some people don’t have that much trouble and can see pretty far, so only wear their glasses as needed. But some people (aka moi) can genuinely only see a few inches in front of their face. Like if I ever lost my glasses or they broke, I’d be done for. I wouldn’t be able to work or drive or do anything around the house.

- glasses need to be replaced about once a year because of possible prescription changes or sometimes lenses losing their strength and becoming harder to see through. Trying to tough it out after long enough will give your character headaches/migraines and sore eyes from eye strain.

- some mascaras (especially thick ones) will smudge glasses when the character blinks. Same with false lashes (although they’ll brush instead of smudge). Usually less intense mascaras and shorter fake lash lengths are better.

- eye makeup is harder to see with glasses on.

- please, please, PLEASE stop using the whole “omg look how much prettier/more attractive they are without their glasses” trope. Not everyone’s eyes can handle contacts and some people prefer wearing their glasses. And it makes those of us who prefer glasses or have to wear them feel like shit, especially because there aren’t a lot of characters with glasses in media who don’t become the butt of a joke (ie the one wearing glasses is the “ugly duckling” for it like in princess diaries, or like Velma from scooby doo always losing them and patting around, or people who wear glasses will always be some sort of dorky/insufferable know it all).

- glasses come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and can be used to actually enhance a character’s style! Some of them even have magnetic frames that click in place over the simple pair, so have fun using glasses to build your character’s style.

- edit to add: no one ever purposely falls asleep with their glasses on. You will crush and break them when you roll around. However, if a character does accidentally fall asleep with them on, a love interest gently taking them off so they don’t wake them up and setting them on the table next to them can be a super cute moment.

- whoops thought of some more. Hair products, especially hairspray, can be a bitch to get off glasses and doesn’t always just rinse off with water. If they’re spraying anything, including dry shampoo, the glasses have gotta come off and get out of the line of fire first.

- hair can and will get caught in the little hinge by the legs and we do occasionally not notice till we take our glasses off and rip a hair out of our heads.

- be careful when you comb or brush, cuz if the glasses legs get caught in the brush or comb, it will be ripped off our face.

Hope this helps! May the writing gods bless your work 🤓

[sidekick-hero]

(steddie | teen | wc: 388 | tags: modern au, platonic stobin, unsafe texting in the sense that you should be aware people can read what you text 👀 | @steddiemicrofic prompt 'pin')

>>Robs, is showering no longer a thing? Could I save hundreds of dollars and the planet by not wasting water on showers?<<

>>You're being dramatic. Also if you stop showering this friendship will be text and calls only, dingus.<<

>>I think the people on the Mayflower smelled better than the guy next to me.<<

>>Ever thought about just sitting someplace else?<<

>>What if the next person smells even worse?<<

>>STEVEN<<

>>Fine jeez<<

Pocketing his phone, Steve sighs and looks around the full compartment of the L train for a sitting neighbor who doesn't make him want to puke. Deciding that this is unbearable, he just walks over to the other end of the compartment and plops down next to a guy with headphones on, as far away from the offending odor as possible.

He can hear the faint sound of drums and guitar riffs from where he sits quite close to the other man. The guy smells nice, though, something light and slightly vanilla with a hint of cigarette smoke clinging to his clothes. With another sigh, Steve feels the tension drain from his body.

>>I'm free!!!<<

>>I had no idea you were being held hostage. Or do you mean free from the crippling expectations society places on you as a white, middle class man from the Midwest?<<

>>You are so funny 🙄<<

>>I know. Better neighbor?<<

>>Yeah, he's fine. Probably damages his eardrums right now, but smells kinda nice.<<

>>Is he cute? 👀<<

Steve glances to the side to check out the guy. He's wearing a black tanktop with deep cuts down his side, showing off a plethora of tattoos on his pale skin. His hair is dark and curly, but Steve can't see much of his face from where he's sitting.

>>Can’t really say, too much hair. Lots of tattoos, though.<<

>>Oh, a bad boy, huh? 😏<<

>>🙄🙄🙄<<

Why did he have to tell Robin that when he was growing up, he always rooted for the bad guys in the movies?

>>This is your chance, Dingus. YOLO and all that.<<

>>What? Should I just say, 'Please pin me to a wall and ravage me?'<<

He's so engrossed in his conversation that the deep voice coming from his right startles him so much that he almost drops his phone.

"Oh, I'd love to do that, big boy."

[its-pluto2]

Your favorite writers have stopped updating, not returned from hiatus, or simply deactivated altogether, because they get no support.

If you're one of the people who goes to X writer's inbox and says "I know I don't reblog from you-" lemme just stop you right there.

We have lives. We have duties, things to do, responsibilities, because a big chunk of us are adults. It's okay that you have other things, that you're not always available, that you might be going through something and can't always read or reblog everything. Writers get that.

But no writer wants to see you tell them "Hey, I know I don't reblog from you!"

They know. They're in a slump for a reason. The reason isn't you not reblogging or supporting them, the reason is hardly anyone doing it.

And if you go to them and wave the "hey!! I don't reblog from you even though it's all you ask in return for your free work!" card, chances are, the writer will be upset. They can't very well point out how tactless you're being, because then they might just be cancelled or called out for being rude to you when you are deliberately being tone-deaf to their situation as well.

Like you, writers have lives outside. Writers have jobs, or are searching for them; they have worries, duties, things going on, worries, etc.

The difference is they sit for hours upon hours to write, while it would only take you between a second and a minute to reblog.

Reblogging is absolutely not difficult. Fast reblogging is incredibly quick and practical, but "slow" reblogging isn't slow either. You don't even have to add a comment to the reblog, an empty reblog is just as appreciated.

Supporting your writers is literally not difficult, and if you as a reader and as a consumer aren't going to do it, then it's totally fine if you choose not to. Your life, your blog, your choice.

But don't go at a writer to remind them "Hey I know I'm among the people who doesn't support you but I still like what you write" and expect them to be overwhelmed with joy without feeling the slightest tinge of resentment.

Likes do nothing!!!

If you're in the position to support a writer, do it. It's not hard.

[jaegerisim]

ATTENTION TO AO3 WRITERS! IF U RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE OR SIMILAR DO NOT CLICK!!! IT'S PROBABLY A SCAM TO HACK UR DISCORD ACC

You can probably know by how the ACC is deleted, the username and the <<" ">> they used.

REBLOG TO SPREAD!