#bc those still keep it in ao3 and authors get hits kudos comments

[takkamek]

that lore(.)fm bullshit pisses me off so much like MY GOD the tiktok crowd is really just ready to ruin absolutely everything they can get their hands on

[wiseatom]

As a fic writer, how do you stay positive and not stress yourself out with constantly comparing?

I've been really struggling with that. I start spiraling when a certain chapter doesn't get as many comments as usual, comparing my hit counts and kudo counts to other fics, and it's really not healthy but I'm struggling with knowing how to stop, how to just be happy and proud of the response I've gotten. Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

hello!! i'm so sorry that i'm a little late answering this!!

honestly, to me, this is absolutely one of the hardest things about posting fic, so i completely understand why you are feeling down. it's taken me a really long time to try to get out of that mindset, and it's also something i still struggle with so like. it never Really goes away, but i've gotten better at managing it!

when i'm reading fics by other authors, i have trained myself to just not look at the kudos/hits. so much of engagement has to do with luck and posting at the right time - for this fandom, that was during vol1/vol2 and immediately after vol2. a lot of the authors who have bigger engagement were posting back then and built those audiences, so for those of us who weren't/didn't get that engagement, there's just not a lot we can do to catch up! it's out of our control! it's easier said than done, but i try to remember that and also just not look at their hits/kudos count at all if i can help it!

i also trick myself by setting The Lowest Expectations ever. when i posted my first fic, the "expectation" i set for myself was 1 hit and 1 kudo. literally that's it. because the bar was so low, exceeding that at all made me really happy! now that i've posted more and have gathered a bit of an audience, i have more realistic expectations/goals - i'm like, "ok, i have x amount of subs on ao3, x amount of followers on tumblr, and all of my fics have over x amount of hits, then i can expect this fic to perform At This Level" and still lowball myself. i'd rather expect something low and have those expectations exceeded than set the bar too high and not get there, yk? also re: chaptered fics, those just like. do not perform well lol. it's a combo of kudo restrictions (you can only leave them once), hit count being higher bc people return for every chapter and drive that up, and most people filtering by completed works that really set chaptered fics up for failure, and it's through no fault of the author. definitely keep that in mind!

i think overall it's a hard mindset to break, so i understand why you're there, but everything i've mentioned is what helps me get out of it when i'm feeling down about hits/kudos and comparing myself to other authors. i'm sorry again that this is a little late, but i hope that you find any of it helpful! <3

[logicheartsoul]

how to deal with poor fic reception? i have an ocxcanon series that i put a LOT of my heart/soul into. i just started posting the first few chs. bc it’s oc/canon + a smol fandom, i have no delusions abt how much attention it will get. it has gotten a nice number of kudos so far….but no comments. i’m trying to tell myself it’s OK but it’s kinda hard to feel OK…i’m not sure how to deal with this so i can still keep writing the whole series since i do love the story very very much

I guess it depends on the definition on what you mean by 'poor fic reception' because depending on the fandom and depending on how many fans are in it and how active it is, something that may have low numbers in a bigger, more active fandom, may actually be doing pretty well. I've been in a variety of very rare, small, niche fandoms and some extremely big, active ones. Something like 15 kudos in a small af fandom is pretty significant, coz the smaller the pool of people, the more likely most of the fans have seen it, you know? Even in a big fandom, 15 isn't bad either -- in all the content they had to choose from, those 15 decided to look at your work? That's pretty damn good I feel.

Just by the general nature of things, any fics that are primarily only oc/canon fic is gonna be harder to get more reception than if a fic has canon/canon only ship or if it's a fic with canon/canon and oc/canon. I could probably get into it, and there's lot of meta essays discussing the why's about it, but the fact is, it's just naturally harder to get more readers into it. Since you've mentioned about having no delusions about the attention, I'm sure you know the reasons that I do too.

It's good you got a lot of kudos so far! I dunno if you've seen the Meaning of Kudos post (which is a survey done by readers of ao3 on what they actually mean when they kudos a fic) but all those kudos do mean something, and it's all positive.

I totally understand though, wanting to hear what people think about the work and effort you've put into a story, and how it may seem like silence. A good thing to keep in mind is that [x] amount of people read your work and liked it. Sometimes it's hard to lose sight of it because it's numbers on a screen, but a good trick I've learned from someone is picture being in a room. Imagine the number of people you got for those kudos or hits. If it's 26, holy shit, that's 26 people, that's almost the start of a big party! If it's 100 or more, that's the size of a big college lecture class.

Another thing I know from reading fic for a long time and writing fic and being friends with fic writers for years, is that many people might enjoy the premise/idea of an on-going story but will wait for it to be completed before reading it. Some of them they got burned by amazing WIPs and then the authors abandoned the stories or it doesn't update for years or they have limited time to read fic and wanna read it all in one go. And even if people are reading your on-going fic, they sometimes don't comment for the same reason -- they want to save all their thoughts and opinions til the very end.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with asking in the author's notes about leaving a comment. Of course, not in a rude way, but something like 'oh I spent a lot of time working on this chapter this week because...[insert reason], I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!' or something along those lines. Sometimes readers just need some nice encouragement to leave a comment, even if it's just an emoji reaction.

If the story is one you love writing, I hope you keep going at it! I hope these things might help make it easier, coz it can really get tough. But I hope it won't discourage you to keep going.

Now, if you want to potentially get more eyes to look at your work -- and therefore increase the chances of a reader who does comment to show up -- there are ways to do that. They're not all guaranteed, of course, and I've known MANY an amazing fic writer whose works can get overlooked for lots of reasons and the most popular work can be someone who's just managing to be striking it hot while the timing is right with the most popularly sought out tropes with decent enough execution on the ideas. Popularity does not equal skill and does NOT indicate people who are not popular enough are bad writers.

This response is getting kinda lengthy, so I'll leave it under the cut.

Some of that is of course making sure you're not posting in the AO3 dead zone hours (which I recently found out is a thing, wtf) (check this post out for more info ) so that it allows your chapter updates to show up on the front page of your pairing's tag and a better chance at new readers to see it.

There's also promoting the fic on a tumblr account (either a personal tumblr, a writing only tumblr, or a fandom only tumblr, whatever you want to choose) and using the right tags to get eyes on it (first 5 for it to show up on tagged pages and first 10 for in search results). Please don't use tags that have nothing to do with the fic --characters or pairings that aren't relevant -- because the fans of those tags will most likely just block you, but also it's easier to maintain tagging to relevant stuff as well. Also, it just makes fans of those characters or pairings annoyed, to the point of possibly writing posts about that very thing. And annoyed/mad fans will spread the knowledge of who is doing that kind of thing if they're mean/petty enough. Just better for everyone around to stick with fandoms, characters, and pairing tags that are relevant.

And don't be afraid to reblog your own work to promote it -- people have busy lives and also live in different timezones and countries and so whoever might be seeing might be like, 'oh! This fic updated!'

Another good tip is to regularly update but not post like 5 chapters at once. Max 2 chapters in one go is ok, but space out the chapter updates if you aren't already doing so. That allows people time to read each part through. The only exception I can think of for more than 2 chapters if it's like... the very end of the story, then people can be like 'oh this 20 chaptered fic is complete! I can start reading it now!'

Also, people love following authors they like on other platforms, so if you're comfortable with it, you can also leave in the author's notes the tumblr account you'd want them to interact with.

There's too making friends in the fandom you're in -- people who can understand and share your enthusiasm for why you wanna write this. Sometimes what we're searching for when wanting comments for our fics, other than validation, is just someone to connect to and seeing how what we created connected with them. Sometimes just getting a friend's comment can be better than a random person's.

And, while not all fandoms do this, some do, and that's to find a person or a fandom blog that helps promote other writers for their works and getting someone's eyes on it. Like a pairing/reading library or someone who routinely recs works and encourages others to send their fics in so they can check it out. That could also help! Of course, that's no guarantee the person or people running it WILL read it but sometimes you just gotta put yourself out there. You won't always strike but you never know.

Anyways, I hope all of this was helpful, anon! I do hope you get more good feedback on your fic, that someone will comment, and that you continue enjoying writing this story you love.

And of course, if none of this helps, sometimes it IS ok to step back and take a break. Take a break from the writing or in fandom, whether that's a day or a week or longer. No comments is not an indicator of your worth as a person or as a writer. Sometimes, stepping back to distract ourselves or to not think about it for awhile helps refocus it all.

[stealing-jasons-job]

Dear fanfic readers...

I want to start this by saying I love you all. Seriously. I honestly wouldn’t still be writing fanfic if you guys didn’t exist. And I think that’s probably true of a lot of writers. We thrive on readers enjoying our work, leaving kudos/comments, reblogging, sharing with friends, etc. And 99% of people who read/comment don’t fall into this category. 

But I have to address something. Er, I have to address a few somethings. Tonight, one of my dear friends received a nasty comment on one of their fics. It was, frankly, a mean rant disagreeing about the choices said writer made in the chapter update. But what really struck me was what they said at the end of the comment—that they admire the author’s work and that they are excited about future chapters. Which to me, meant that they meant their comment as a constructive criticism rather than to be purposefully hateful. 

Which leads me to my first “something”: 

Long comments about things you personally disagree with in a story is not constructive criticism. 

I say this as someone who gives actual constructive criticism to writers for a living. Calling someone’s work horrible or hollow or misguided or flat or [insert long list of other adjectives I’ve seen non-writers call someone’s work] isn’t constructive criticism. It’s not constructive. It’s just mean. 

Moreover, constructive criticism has to be founded on mutual trust. If you’re commenting on ao3 or Tumblr or Twitter on someone’s work who did not ask you specifically for constructive criticism, that trust isn’t there. 

You’re welcome to your opinions about someone’s story or work. But you are not welcome to share those negative opinions when you don’t have consent. Even when you DO have consent, that constructive criticism needs to be well-structured to include real reasons why something isn’t working in a story (”I don’t personally agree with this choice” is not an example of a real reason) and ways to improve. That respect is the very least a writer deserves when someone is asked (notice how I bolded asked, bc it’s fucking important) to give feedback on work that they spent time and effort on.  Which leads me to my next “something”: 

Fanfic is provided for free, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t cost something. 

I saw a post on here recently (linked here) that talked about how fanfic is provided at no cost to the reader, but that doesn’t mean it’s “free” for the writer. And this is something I think some non-writers don’t quite understand. 

Writing a story—whether it be based on characters from a TV show like this fic or based on original characters of your own creation—is a lot of fucking work. It takes hours of your time and so much mental energy. There's the planning and the plotting and the actual writing and the editing and the working up the nerve to post it so that others can see it and hopefully like it. And all of that labor, all of that emotional/mental/physical labor is done for free. So that the stories in our heads and hearts can exist and so that readers can enjoy them.

EVERY choice is thought out. Every. Single. One. Every conversation is considered, every dialogue tag is placed with intention, every choice the character makes is one we make first. And do we always agree with the choices our characters make? Do these choices always perfectly mirror what would likely happen in real life or even if another write were to have written the story? No, not always. But damn if we didn't have a reason for letting them make them regardless. Every facet of a story is considered—especially for longer fics. 

So hours of work and a mountain of emotional, mental, and physical energy is put into a fic. Writers open up a door for readers to see into our minds and hearts and souls for these stories. And the very least readers can do is tell us when those stories resonates, and be kind and respectful regardless of if it resonates or not. Deciding to shit on a story because you don't personally agree with the direction the story is headed? That's heartbreaking. And irritating. And frankly unmotivating. 

Which brings me to my final “something” of this post: 

Negativity and indifference are killing Fandom. 

We’ve all seen how Fandom (and I’m not just talking about one specific fandom, I’m talking about capital-F Fandom as a whole) has gone downhill in recent years. There’s less engagement with works, less discussion happening between readers/creators/writers/casual viewers of a fandom, and more writers/creators leaving Fandom behind. 

That’s mostly because of negativity and indifference.  There are a lot of posts about how people (and I include myself in this because I really need to do better, and I’ve been trying) need to make a mindful effort to comment on fics you like, kudos fics you like, reblog, retweet, converse with your favorite writers/creators, etc. So I won’t harp on that again here. 

But negativity is another culprit here. Putting a fic or a piece of art out into the world is terrifying. More terrifying to some than others, but there are nerves and anxieties that go into it no matter who you are. And unlike paid authors publishing books or showrunners air tv shows, the only thing we get in return are the kudos/comments/reblogs/retweets from readers. That’s it. So when we put hours of time and effort and those little pieces of our soul into works only to be met with indifference or hateful comments (even when they are misguided attempts at constructive criticism), it makes the benefit of all that work less and less appealing. 

I’ve seen too many writers abandon works and leave fandoms (including t100 fandom, specifically the bellarke fandom) because of this. And I hate it. We have too many talented writers and creators for that. Moreover, the world needs those talented writers and creators to keep making things they love for it to keep spinning (a topic for another long Tumblr post). 

So how can Fandom be a better place for writers/creators? 

First thing’s first, participate. See a piece of art you loved? Reblog it. Read a fic you adored? Comment something to that effect. Find authors or creators you admire? Reach out to say hey! Or just hit the follow button and interact with posts if you’d rather not say hi. We appreciate all of it and love you immensely for it. 

But the kicker once you start participating is doing it mindfully. Think about what you’re commenting and whether it’s helpful or harmful. A long string of emojis bc you can’t put how much you loved a fic into words? We love to see it. Novel-length tags in your reblogs about your favorite lines? Will probably make our day. DMs or asks about upcoming chapters or fic ideas? We’ll scream our joy and talk your ear off. 

A rant about how you thought the characterization of Bellamy in this fic was off? That’s not helpful if the writer didn’t ask you specifically for that kind of feedback. And hateful comments about how a fic needs to be updated sooner or how a certain update didn’t mean your qualifications for how you personally wanted a story to continue? Definitely not helpful (and a honestly a dick move). 

I have no qualms about speaking on behalf of all fanfic writers when I say that we LOVE every single person who reads our shit. We thrive on people reading our stories and then telling us and their followers how much they loved it. No (kind) comment goes unnoticed or unappreciated. 

So please, please, please spread kindness whenever you can to writers and creators. <3 

All my love, 

A fanfic writer who is terrified that negativity is going to drive all my fandom friends away, and who might get carpal tunnel if I have to write another novel-length rebuttal to someone being an ass on AO3 to one of my friends

[skypied]

AO3 Tag Game Tagged by @anchoviesinthenightsky wh- who me?

Ty for the opportunity to not shut my mouth ahhah

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 6

2. What is your total AO3 word count?  57,343 wtf

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?  well I did write two oneshot Zelda fics at 13 and one oneshot Harry Potter fic at 15 but we don't think about those. (and i just remembered I have a trashed Ace Attorney wip buried deep in my drive somewhere) So I honestly consider Luca the only I've written for for real.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

actually it's the same order for hits/bookmarks/comments except one of them

Cliff's Edge (450 (you nasty people <3))

make me crescendo (176)

you've been hiding all your life (139)

sickeningly sweet like honey (108)

always be this close (82)

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not? Yeah I try to reply to all. I think there's like two with just an emoji I haven't replied to. But it usually takes me a little time, esp right after publishing something, to reply, I save them up a little. But like now, when it's been a while since publishing and I think a week or more since a new comment, I get excited and rush over immediately haha.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? well all that are ended have happy endings. The angstiest rn is probably the Alberto angst one, hold my breath for me, but if it actually goes somewhere story-wise and not just short standalone chapters, I'm hoping to veer it somewhere happy. Boy deserves to heal. I kind of doubt I'd ever write something w an angsty ending. For me what's the point of escapism if it's not happy and carefree (I say, following Eli's planned tragedy with hawk eyes HAHA). I'll get out more angst when I finish the untitled Big Sad Gay Fic but that'll have a happy ending too.

7. Do you write crossovers? Never tried or considered.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic? No

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Well. You already know. I write anything I want to, tbh. I think my "genre" is "spicy vanilly" like I'll add elements of kink but keep it pretty soft and gentle still. Sorry to go on a tangent here but truly believe that's to do w my identity being somewhere on the ace spectrum, if kink goes too far I just don't understand it. I feel like I write all my pwps from a very emotional perspective rather than a physical perspective, and for me it's hard to grasp kinks where I don't understand the emotions of it. I guess! I do enjoy occasionally reading stuff that's kinkier and more physical, just yeah. I don't understand it enough to write it.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I don't know! Probably not?

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before? no, though I'm working on some stuff with @albertolovesluca! not co-authoring but we're bouncing ideas for each others' fics and it's lovely and he's helped me a LOT! I've not really interacted enough w people before to have anyone to talk ideas with so it's been a very fun and rewarding experience<3

12. What’s your all time favorite ship? Well I'm a hyperfixator at heart so that changes whenever I change fandoms but the actual OTP that remains after years are probably Klavier/Apollo from Ace Attorney, I periodically fall back into them even now, something like 12 years (fuck! I feel old) after getting into them. All the rest have mostly faded away, though the biggest ones have been Davekat (Homestuck) and Wolfstar (Harry Potter) but I feel like nothing can compare to Luberto since I haven't actively participated in fandom or writing before them.

13. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Zelda

14. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? Hmm I think my favorite published one is you've been hiding all your life bc that one's so intensely personal to me. Like reading it back I'm a little more "eh, it's alright I guess", but it was such a profound and transformative experience to write. I feel like it untangled some knots inside me. As a whole I think make me crescendo is my best pwp at least. I think it's hard to compare the pwps with always be this close but that one was really, REALLY fun to write. 3

Though I feel pretty certain the Big Sad Gay Fic will be my fav when it's done, simply bc I have never done anything properly multichapter, it's very personal to me, and I believe in its concepts and am in love with some of the more pivotal scenes I've written... I think! We actually made some progress on completely rearranging a lot last weekend but aren't done so it's all a little up in the air rn!

Ok I'll tag everyone I can remember are authors, but really anyone who wants to, grab it! Have fun!

@morganskii @love-your-enthusiasm @imbeccablee @sgtalligator (yours is on Wattpad but I suppose the questions will work either way!) @albertolovesluca @someonehidethetequila @big-meows @beartofry @themeganator5000 @annie-mantic @jofngve @curioserprime I'm not sure how many of the tags work, think I exceeded max tagged but hope you get the memo! but no pressure ofc! (aka most of the people on my to-read-list but I haven't gotten around to... sorry! 😬❤️ I hope to get a little more energy and time when my cold finally fucks off!)

[ggukkiereads]

Hey I was the anon who asked for your ao3, totally fine that you don’t want to share your username so I will gladly accept any tips on how to navigate ao3 🥺🥺 bc I try navigating by just using the guys name or the group name and yeah most of the fics that appear aren’t really my style. ao3 it’s a really overwhelming space 😔 so please help this dumb girl

🌷 hello, AO3 anon! It’s not that I don’t want to share, I just feel like it’s going to overwhelm others (with my 1K bookmarked fics). I am not an expert on AO3 and I’m trying to recall how I navigated through it. Though to be honest, I don’t recall much. I just remember visiting ao3 years ago to check yoonia’s Carousel fic and some other fics I got from those twitter fic recs threads. I sort of took note of the fics separately (like a note app where I list down fics I was monitoring) but AO3 actually has this feature and it should be easy breezy once you get the hang of it! 

I tried to make it as understandable as possible. Please see below the cut

🌷 So there are ways to navigate through fics: 

1) through the filters per fandoms, per member - this is usually the sidebar portion if on desktop

2) through the tags themselves - just click on any tags you like 

3) by subscribing to the author or fic

First, do you need to create an account?

It depends on you. Personally, I tried both. Not having an account, you can still comment but it’s kind of hard for me to keep track of my favorites or fics I’ve already read. Plus if you have an account, you can subscribe to fics or to authors so you get notified every time there is an update. You can also bookmark fics you like or fics you want to read. All up to you how you want to use the bookmarking tool.

I use my secondary email, the one I use for random subscriptions to stuff like games, netflix, etc. I feel more comfortable using secondary or dummy email as I call it. 

1) NAVIGATING THROUGH filters per fandoms, per member

I screenshot below the sidebar which allows you to filter content. If you prefer reading FxM fics, then choose that. If you’re in the mood for member x member scenarios then choose MxM. 

Additionally, you can adjust settings too for what to exclude. In my example below, say I don’t feel like reading multi-member fics and I just want FLUFFY fics. I can also adjust in the “exclude” settings.

You can also sort them per recent post, per hits, or per comments. I personally mix this because I also like discovering new fics. So, daily or every other day, it’s set to “date posted” so I get to see new fics. Earlier I had an ask re: a fic on AO3 and that was something I was able to read right away and commented on upon its drop (because the filter settings allowed me to see it right away way before it got popular). 

The Hits or Kudos or Comments filter allows you to see which ones are already popular among readers and I guess initially you want to try this settings to help you get started. Not all of the choices will be according to your taste though. It doesn’t mean it’s popular that it’s going to be to your liking 

🌷TIP:

Once I figured out the filter settings I want (which was more of the recent fics, mostly FxM), I  saved or bookmarked the url. I just clicked on the link and it directs me right away to pre-made filter settings (then I’d get to see new fics for the day)

2) NAVIGATING through the tags themselves

So this is helpful when you’re in the mood for certain tropes or genres. Like there was a time I was  in the mood for roommate AUs and I just binge-read all the fics in the results

So, for example this particular fic has well-defined tags ( I am reading this fic by the way. It’s rockstar Jungkook lol). Example you want to just read “friends with benefits” fics, you can click the link and it will give you ALL FICS that are under the same tag

This will give you ALL RESULTS (screenshot below shows you all fics from various fandoms, AUs, etc).  Repeat after me: the SIDEBAR is your friend. You can filter the results further by choosing the settings you want. 

Same process as #1, use the filter and use the settings you need. You want FxM, filter it to BTS fandom only, maybe for relationships you’re in the mood for just Yoongi x Reader? 

Take note that sometimes you have to apply the settings first before you can set another filter. For example, I set it to FxM and then BTS fandom first then clicked SORT and FILTER. That’s the only time these relationship filters will show (it’s like funneling. Once you’re in the “BTS fandom filter”, it will show you the other filters available to that category.. So for relationships there will be Jungkook x Reader, Yoongi x Reader, and so on and so forth): 

I read all members so I don’t really filter it to any specific members. I really go by the summary of the fic and the tags if they look interesting to me at the moment. 

3) Last, NAVIGATING  by subscribing to the author or fic

So, I actually subscribed to a lot of authors but they are usually on TUMBLR too. I guess, I read more series on AO3 since it is easier to navigate? 

Plus there are authors whose fics are available on AO3 but not on Tumblr. koyamuses for example, has their old fics like River Run (sea serpent!yoongi) and Mangata (pirate!jungkook) on AO3 but I remember their more recent ones are housed on tumblr. Obiwrites, a reader’s favorite, actually started on tumblr but they decided to use ao3 as a sole platform. I think she reposted some of her olds fics (but not all, still waiting for hoseok’s fic depaysement and that yoongi cinderella fic 😭)

There are also authors who have pseuds on AO3 and they post different content. gukluvr, for example, has an ao3 and the fics are different from her tumblr fics.

The beauty of subscribing to an author (say you like their body of work), is you get to see updates as they come. You get an email notif that [ _____ posted  fic title ] - I highlighted those with tumblrs too. It’s easier because with tumblr you search for fics manually but here ao3 does the work for you and just send you the email.

Even if they don’t post anything new, it’s just fun to see all the authors you like in one place in case you want to binge read per author. You can access it through your AO3 profile (if you set up an account)

You can also subscribe to a series only (meaning you don’t feel like subscribing to the author yet). If you subscribe to the author, you get notifs on EVERY FIC they will post. So if the author posts for other fandoms like Harry Potter or Star Wars, then you’d get these notifs too. So, it’s upto you

This is me subscribing per fic/work: (though this is not updated, some of these fics are already completed and I should start “unsubscribing”)

per series (though take note some of these have been completed). I am also subscribed to the authors so it’s kind double but you only get one email notif, don’t worry. 

ONCE YOU GET USED TO the navigation, you can bookmark the fics you like or mark them for later. Some bookmark fics they want to read while others bookmark their favorites. 

In my case, I bookmark all fics I’ve read and categorize them under collections like favorites, etc (but you don’t have to do this; this is just my method to remember fics), I haven’t really updated my bookmarks/collections so 🤷‍♀️. But that’s okay, it’s my own organized chaos so I can easily navigate through it.

For fics I want to read or re-read, I just mark them for later which you can access on the HISTORY page. 

Best to try all these on desktop. Once you get used to it, you can just play around on mobile. Sometimes, I just wait for notifs from my subscribed accounts/series; I just read it right away and mark them on my email as done once I’ve read or bookmark on AO3.

Don’t forget to give kudos to writers you like the stories of! I love giving kudos and I comment sometimes =) 

Okay, whew! I can’t believe I just wrote down a pseudo tutorial on AO3 navigation 🤭. I really hope it’s an easy tutorial for you to go through. Otherwise, I don’t know how I can further explain it. You can use the search bar of AO3 too! Just type, say “friends with benefits” and it will give you all types of fics. But, I just used this so I can click on the FWB tag (see #2 process)

There are so many fun stories or fics on AO3 too! And there are writers you won’t see on tumblr. 

I wish you good luck on your AO3 journey. It might be overwhelming, but it’ll get easier once you get used to it 🌷🧚‍♀️🥰

Enjoy!

[inferior-fairy]

I was tagged by @ragnarlothcat!! Thank you ilu 💝

How many works do you have on AO3?

75! I'm very sad that I didn't notice when I hit 66 or 69 😔😔 my new goal is 420 though that is,,,, a long way off

What’s your total AO3 word count?

218,847! Which is,,,, holy shit y'all- I sometimes forgot how much I've actually written so seeing the numbers now is just- wow

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Uhhhhhh depends on how you count it! I have Star Wars, obviously, but I've also published a PJO/DCEU crossover fic outline (the first thing I ever put on ao3!), then I wrote 2 D.Gray Man fics and 1 Fairy Tail fic when I was ~14 and published on them on ffn (which have since been deleted), and ig also Maximum Ride when I was ~10

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Anakin's Froggy Friend- 813

Skywalker Is A Slave Name- 467

Straddle and Stretch- 344

I only want you near me- 288

symphony of stardust- 270

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yup! Partially bc as a reader I like it when I get responses from authors, but also bc I just like interacting with ppl and letting them know that I appreciate their comments!

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

Oooh boy, ok, so I think this one kind of depends on which flavor of angst you like better? Because the first one I thought of was Möbius Strip, but then I remembered I also wrote Orders Unrefused, so,,,,, one of those two! Or my whumptober fics. Definitely any of those.

Do you write crossovers? If so what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not technically! Like I said I did publish the outline for a PJO/DCEU crossover fic, but I didn't actually write anything, so I don't think it counts

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Nope

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes and yes.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Obikin!

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

At this point? Sephir. It was the first multi-chapter fic I ever worked on and I had high hopes for myself being able to finish it, and then I just,,,, never did. I keep going back and forth on the ending too, which isn't helping. I have it open in a tab to guilt myself into finishing it, so hopefully one day, but for now it's definitely on the backburner. Way, way in the back.

What are your writing strengths?

Asking the hard questions here 😂 I like to believe that I'm good at conveying emotions, it's one of my favorite parts to write in a fic!

What are your writing weaknesses?

A Thing I've been more aware of recently is that I tend to write a lot of weirdly formatted sentences and there's not a lot of variation in length. Otherwise banter, and dialogue in general, is something that's always been more difficult for me to write!

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

I think it's cool. I prefer having the translation indicated either in the notes or the fic itself, but otherwise yeah, I just think it's cool.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

D.Gray Man! Technically it's Maximum Ride bc I wrote self insert fic in 2nd grade, but I don't count that bc I didn't know what fanfiction was back then

What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Yoda and His Two Bottoms

My answer changes depending on my mood, but it's either Möbius Strip, Love Is, or Want (An Artist's Touch)! Möbius Strip is the first fic I remember being super excited about publishing because I was proud of the setup, and I still love the whole 'perfect idyllic world is slowly revealed to be not what it seems' vibe, combined with the whole 'reset' thing.

Love Is started out as a forest spirits idea from someone on the obikin server (I'm so sorry I don't remember who 😔😔) and I wrote a few paragraphs right before I went to bed! I really loved it and it developed from there due to a writing workshop I was in- also on the obikin server!

And finally, Want (An Artist's Touch)- Like I said, I enjoy writing emotions, and this fic is basically,,,, only that lol 😆 It's based off the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea and I went so ham on the prose but I still love it

Tagging: I can't keep track of who's done this and who hasn't so I'm sorry, but @jswander @pandora15 @obiwanobi @obikinn and,,,, anyone else who wants to! If you see this consider yourself tagged

[inyoursheets]

author meme

i got tagged by the dear @sothischickshe

im tagging @medievalraven​, @fairhairedkings and @mego42 if you feel like it, no pressure whatsoever

ao3 name: nomind

fandoms: girls, good

number of fics: 7

fic i spent the most time on: warm water! first attempt at multi-chapter paired with inability to outline / zero planning skills equals oceans of time spent trying to figure things out lol

fic i spent the least amount of time on: oh it’s gotta be one of the short smutty ones. i assume take it but maybe it’s some time in your sheets???

most hits: warm water

most kudos: warm water. 666 to be exact. somebody take one for the team and come save my christian ass please

most comments: warm water by far and people are SO nice!!!! and are SO mad at me!!!!! i love it!!!!! it fuels me so much to watch people SufferTM bc i like putting the slow in slowburn (: (: (: im gonna miss that a lot when i finish this fic i imagine

most bookmarks: warm water, but actually not that big a diff w the instigator

highest total word count: also warm water

favourite fic i wrote: ohhh i think it’s a tie between the instigator and warm water. im very glad that i feel like i managed to pull the threesome fic off. there isn’t much i’d change about that fic and im genuinely happy with what i wrote. im glad im satisfied with it!

that said, warm water is my baby bc a) it’s so self-indulgent b) i love torturing people, see above c) im accidentally processing some things through this fic, ew d) it’s been nice to sink my teeth in one story for a longer period of time e) i like that it’s mine? if that makes sense? mine to write, mine to ruin, mine to struggle with. like as much as i hate having to actually write sometimes and as much as i get stuck with the plot sometimes, esp in the second half of the fic, it’s still fun to work it out and write and sometimes suddenly stumble upon a scene that works out better than i expected it to, sometimes surprise myself with how much feeling i could pack into a scene, sometimes reread and genuinely enjoy what i read/like the emotional beats of the story (am i using those words right). so while i complain about writing this fic a lot i also love it

fic i want to rewrite/expand on: one may expect the bounce house guy!AU to be expanded or the exes!AU that i often lament going about too messily, but im actually feeling more inspired to work on a possible follow-up to how do i even... say that? to explore communication during sex bc i find that an interesting topic

share a bit of a wip or story idea you’re working on: i see this was another sneak way of trying to get me to write. disgusting. since i don’t wanna talk about the story ideas flinging through my head bc they deserve no attention until i figure out the final chapters of warm water, i guess you can get a snippet. but! feel my rage!

Beth’s not sure why but the tears are uncontrollable, starting the moment the door closed behind Thanh and showing no signs of stopping. She managed to keep a smile on her face as she kissed him quickly on the lips, feeling the water droplets drip from his just-showered hair as he deepened it a little, slipping a tongue inside her mouth, leaving with a promise to call her later that she wishes he hadn’t made.

[loving-jack-kelly]

Fic Author Tag Game!

Tagged by: @monogramsalarm hey Matt!

Tagging: uhhh @little-byrdie-told-me @penzyroamin and @romeomahbromeo

Ao3 name: SpraceJunkie 

Fandoms: Mostly (almost entirely) Newsies but there’s also a few Bandstand, Renegades and other miscellaneous fandoms present there. But 58 of those 75 are Newsies

Number of fics: On ao3 I have 75 fics and who knows how many tiny fics I have on here that aren’t on ao3 probably a lot

1. Fic you spent the most time on: I feel like I’m obligated to say How to Steal Some Art and Hearts bc that’s still a WIP that I haven’t abandoned but like in one shot I think it’s By My Sword which I wrote all at once and it took like three months of focusing all on it.

2. Fic you spent the least time on: Oh probably Jitters? Any of the ones I post on here and then move to ao3 I write in one sitting and are usually pretty quick, but Jitters was one of those things that just kind of appeared fully written in my head and it took like five minutes to get it down.

3. Longest fic: By My Sword is currently! Art and Hearts should take that spot back with the next update, but By My Sword is at 24,408. Arts and Hearts should hit 25k at the next update bc I’ve been keeping each chapter at 5k.

4. Shortest fic: It’s Okay to Cry which is 421 words of Jack Kelly being a dad friend

5. Most hits: 2175 on About Time

6. Most kudos: 377 on Soft Lines which is the first non-Newsies appearance in this post sjhgsjhfghjsf (it’s Good Omens)

7. Most comment threads: 55 on Art and Hearts! 

8. Fave fic you wrote: Ohh that’s like asking me to choose a favorite child I Love Art and Hearts (which is why it takes so long to update fellas I refuse to rush it bc I don’t want to hate it) and By My Sword. Also Percy Jackson Died which the pjo fandom on here seemed to like too. And Three Steps Forward which is Bandstand fic about my boy Jimmy Campbell

9. Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: oh so many of my old ones. Pretty much anything from before the summer of 2018 I don’t like now, and even things from last year I can see my growth from. At some point I’m planning on rewriting some of my old stuff at the very least to reformat it into something readable. Tbh though after going through my entire list of works on ao3 I wanna take a shot at The One That Got Away again because I never ended up finishing it and it was a very good concept.

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning:

Jack was rough and tumble, could convince a mountain to move with the way he spoke and yet stumbled over his words when he was just having a conversation. He was an artist, constantly covered in streaks of bright colors leftover from whatever project he was working on, even when he was working at his day job, where he was always covered in flour from doing the baking for the tiny coffee shop he “practically owned ‘cause like, Kloppman just lets me do whatever shit I want which is why everything is so good.” He was loud and….and bright, that was the only way Davey could think to describe him.

He’d tried. More times than he’d really like to admit, he’d tried to capture Jack in words like he’d managed to capture so many characters he’d written. It should have been easier than the characters he made up entirely. He didn’t have to come up with a name (Jack, meaning “god is gracious,” Kelly, meaning “bright-headed,” no middle name) or an appearance (5’8 but claims 5’9, curly dark brown hair that could be described as shaggy, dark, dark brown eyes that almost looked black in some light. Very square jaw, like ridiculously square. A smile that took over his entire face. Not that Davey was paying that much attention), and yet he just couldn’t find the right words to get Jack Kelly to translate into words.

He was too energetic to be trapped in written language, he changed too often and moved too much and was so much that the stillness of ink could never hope to communicate who he was. The way his hands jumped when he talked, the way he swung an arm around the shoulders of anybody he liked who was close enough to touch, the way he paused when he was searching for a word, the way he bounced on the balls of his feet as he spoke, the way laughter seemed trapped behind his eyes in flashes of light until it escaped out of his mouth, everything about Jack Kelly was kinetic and Davey couldn’t seem to get a freeze-frame on him clear enough to write it down.

Not that he needed to. He had no reason to try and capture Jack Kelly in writing. Why would he? He wasn’t falling for Jack, he wasn’t overly attached to Jack, and he definitely wasn’t frustrated at his inability to describe Jack Kelly.

There’s one that should hopefully be done fairly soon. Also somebody needs to stop me before I write a Javid au for The Thing About Harry because I’m very close to it and if I start that now this one will never get done and I like this one. Also there’s another secret one in progress that Byrd knows about but I latched onto the one I just posted from before I could finish it but it’s also very good.

[jennycalendar]

2019 fic roundup

december was INSANE and i spent most of january dealing with the aftermath of Terrible Parents, but i am finally doing this! in nearly-february! good grief!

tagged by @catty-words​! always a delight, cori <3

Total 2019 Word Count: 541,906 Total 2019 Hits: 29,555 Other 2019 AO3 Stats: Kudos: 3,184; Comment threads: 787; Bookmarks: 509; Subscriptions: 223.

Total 2018 Word Count: 338,835 Total 2018 Hits: 22,374 Other 2018 AO3 Stats: Kudos: 2,192; Comment threads: 453; Bookmarks: 280; Subscriptions: 69.

links and titles to 2019 works (buckle up, folks.)

[btvs] imperfections (148,374 words) y’all know about the braveryverse already but i’ll bring up some good points: jenny and giles accidentally adopt the entire scooby gang. also faith gets some actual support and is actually eventually stable enough to date buffy. good times.

[btvs] deliberate obstruction (5,492 words) the one where jenny is petty as fuck and attempts to sabotage every single one of giles’s dates after their breakup. not her best look, but it was really fun to write jenny being Not Great. she deserves to have that option.

[btvs] arch-nemeses (2,171 words) who doesn’t love some of that good old-fashioned ripper au nonsense? particularly when it’s spike and ripper being confusing nemeses who sometimes drunkenly make out (jenny thinks this is very funny).

[btvs] sick day (3,097 words) written because someone should take care of giles, damnit! probably not jenny, tho. she’s not the best at it. lucky for her giles loves her so much.

[btvs] simpatico (10,096 words) sister fic to the grieving process! set circa btvs season six! jenny is connor’s awkward aunt! giles is a repressed disaster who’s still pining but refuses to admit it! 

[btvs] honesty’s the best policy (3,830 words) that one where giles and buffy are hit with a Truth Spell that means they say exactly what they’re thinking. is that all that bad for buffy? not too much. is it a little iffy when you’re a repressed watcher man who still haven’t told your girlfriend how much you love her? uh.

[btvs comics] i router, you giles (1,111 words) GOD this was written BEFORE i knew that giles and jenny were dating in the reboot comics and isn’t that a concept? a snarky-cute first meeting! ok not really that cute bc they just yell at each other a lot! but definitely snarky!

[btvs] transitional (3,152 words) good golly this is cute and i honestly forgot that i wrote it. which makes sense, bc there is a lot of stuff on this list. set in between season one and season two, in an attempt to bridge the giles/jenny gap between “awkwardly friendly coworkers” and “oh my god i think i like you”

[btvs] across the pond (5,323 words) FUN FACT this got nominated for a headline award and i’m SO PROUD OF THAT?! epistolary fic! giles leaves for england in s6 but without his wife! his wife is very mad and writes him VERY MANY LETTERS TO YELL AT HIM! perfect for those people who sometimes think “god, i wish jenny had been in s6 to yell at giles.” 

[btvs] very really married (66,987 words) giles and jenny got drunk-married in las vegas and are keeping the marriage going so they don’t look like terrible authority figures. giles does not want buffy to know about his fake wife. giles does not want his fake wife to know about his real slayer. giles has a lot of problems and it doesn’t help that he might be catching feelings. big mess.

[btvs] bad dreams (2,267 words) GILES/JENNY/ANYA IS BEST SHIP NEXT QUESTION

[btvs comics] an open mic enthusiast (2,250 words) yet another giles/jenny comic-reboot meet-cute written before i knew they were dating!!! this time: jenny gets to see giles playing guitar. repeatedly. because she keeps going back to watch him at the open mic.

[btvs comics] blindsided (2,024 words) my first (and definitely not last) giles/anya fic! a shorter version of a plot bunny i hope to chase down in 2020 (ahaha did i say that WHOOPS)

[btvs] uncharted (16,469 words) my jenny calendar day fic! also known as “jenny calendar has a guilt complex: a novella.” no prophecy dream outs jenny to the group -- but she tells them anyway. and blames herself. and breaks up with giles while she’s trying to Fix Things. absolute mess. (thank god there’s a happy ending, right?)

[btvs] on the mending of hearts (9,236 words) that giles/anya fic where giles shows up at anya’s failed wedding and sweeps her off her feet and they have sex in his hotel room! except uhhh there’s a lot more drama and crying and anya really just needs some cuddles, tbh.

[btvs] extracurricular activities (1,003 words) straight up this one BARELY counts as a 2019 fic. i wrote it back in 2016 and forgot about it and found it on my hard drive and wrote an ending to it. it’s tiny, but it’s cute! lots of early-relationship calendiles fluff, as is My Brand.

[btvs] cookie dough and boy talk (a remix) (3,976 words) dawn, but in the ripper au! she’s a precocious little bab and ripper babysits her and gets semi-adopted by joyce. it’s a thing.

[btvs] a history lesson (698 words) a brief ripper au interlude between jenny and dru. dru tries to point out that jenny and ripper are in love. jenny very unconvincingly denies it.

[btvs] faith, hope, and pancakes (3,236 words) ripper au, now with faith! and she gets to hang with college-age jenny! who is dating her idiot boyfriend ripper! the Most Fun of times.

[btvs] compromises (750 words) this....was supposed to be a three-sentence prompt but I Can’t Do That. giles and jenny discuss (read: jenny yells at giles about) giles attempting to attack angel on sight.

[btvs] valentine buzz (3,422 words) i wrote this in may lmao but i just REALLY WANTED to write fluffy braveryverse valentine’s day nonsense!!! lots of cuddles and kisses and softness abound in this fic.

[btvs] days in goodness spent (5,893 words) this fic's point was a little more abstract and a little less blunt than most of the rest of these, but i wanted to explore the concept of giles slowly going from idealizing jenny to genuinely loving her. i hope i did it justice.

[btvs] to have and to hold (7,861 words) giles and jenny get married in the braveryverse. that’s really all there is. also i posted this on my birthday (may 23rd) AND it is the 23rd fic on this list!!!! WILD!!!!!)

[btvs] saw her in the streetlight, making all the world bright (5,738 words) took me like a year and a half to write the first fic in the ripper au, lmao. in which jenny is a snarky eighteen-year-old, ripper is a snarky college dropout in a band, and neither of them are at ALL good at communicating. especially not ripper.

[btvs] perfect (1,465 words) ripper au: it’s revealed that jenny hasn’t had sex before. ripper handles this with his characteristic maturity and grace (just kidding lmao he FREAKS. but it’s bc he loves her.)

[btvs] respite (1,106 words) i wrote this after issue 5 of the reboot dropped bc i was very emotional about canon power couple giles and jenny. in retrospect, i gave giles’s emotional maturity WAY too much credit--esp. given what’s going on now--but it was still fun as heck to write.

[btvs] shouldn’t we be getting together (3,193 words) this fic’s existence is a combo of me reading a summer camp ya novel and liking the Aesthetic but not the Culture & me talking endlessly w/ @jackalopingintothevoid​ about ripper and jenny’s teenage dynamic. so many of these fics have her galaxy brain takes woven in and i KNOW she knows that. lov u, jack.

[btvs] fragmented (6,158 words) written because of that one time my brain was like “but what if jenny WAS haunting the school?” happy ending because it’s me and g/j deserve some kisses.

[btvs/hp crossover] buffy summers, muggle-born (22,070 words) i CAME BACK TO THIS in 2019 and wrote a few chapters and DROPPED IT LIKE A HOT POTATO. hopefully 2020 will bring me the courage to pick it up again!!!!!! who DOESN’T want a carelessly-mashed-together crossover where the scoobies and the golden trio are all going to hogwarts together for some reason????

[btvs] in bloom (8,452 words) this was SUPPOSED to be the end of the jenny-anya-tara trilogy. it was not. (more on that later.) this was also supposed to be a fic where giles and jenny get together. jenny and anya got together. writing things is wild sometimes.

[btvs] i still want to be your girl (35,165 words) straight up i am so proud of this fic! s7 au: jenny was chased out of town by angelus. giles does not know this. jenny has been working with angel in la, but left with faith to try and help defeat the first. giles is not the guy she remembers. (but jenny’s not exactly the lady giles remembers, either. so maybe things might work out.)

[btvs/leverage crossover] what’s in a name (4,421 words) sophie’s & jenny’s relationship to their names & identities always so totally fascinated me! this fic was my way of exploring that. (also i got to give giles and jenny a toddler. that was fun too.)

[btvs comics] live a little (6,700 words) i had so much fun coming up with a backstory for giles and jenny in the comics that i am kinda tempted to eventually try and do it again. this one was fun to write, tho.

[btvs] kind of like hydrogen peroxide (7,501 words) THIS was FUN. ripper au, but it explores both jenny’s longing for High School Normalcy AND ripper’s fucked-up relationship to magic. also senior prom is a thing.

[btvs] mending fences (6,093 words) sequel to the aforementioned epistolary fic! lots of first-person self-loathing from giles, but also a LOT of love for jenny and his kids. also the man really truly needs to stop repressing.

[btvs] her father’s daughter (1,982 words) 2020 will bring us another chapter of this fic i swear to GOD. literally there’s only one chapter up so i cannot even TALK about my plans for it but uhhh if you want giles and jenny and their three daughters pls feel free to go to that prologue and check it out.

[btvs] a thousand different ways we fell apart (4,888 words) the au fic to encompass all au fics! inspired by the comic reboot and me being like. christ. do they go through this ridiculous shit in EVERY universe? ....and then i wrote a fic where jenny was a space traveler looking through multiple universe to try and fix her marriage with giles. extra fun.

[btvs] no such roses (4,814 words) this one turned out a TINY bit rushed, but the concept of jenny bringing giles back from the dead is always something that i love exploring. i might come back and rewrite this, someday.

[btvs comics] no perfect choice (4,801 words) OOF. wrote this one after issue 8 dropped. a lot softer and more tender than what actually happened, tbh. maybe i will reread it again to make myself feel better about comic calendiles and their brutal split.

[btvs] family (3,545 words) wrote this one p early in the year and came up with an ending to it much later! ripper au: the story of how xander came to live with giles and leave his parents. angst-with-a-happy-ending abounds.

[btvs] a california january (2,206 words) jenny and giles attend a funeral together. that’s pretty much it. this is defs one of the best things i wrote this year, tho.

[btvs] how i survived my summer vacation (volume two) (25,027 words) swear to god this is gonna be the next thing i update. the braveryverse NEEDS to continue. it’s got married calendiles, for god’s sake.

[btvs] clear and impartial judgment (3,977 words) that fic i wrote when i got mad at a lack of resolution wrt helpless. like!!! giles drugged buffy!!! do we not get to talk about the psychological ramifications that would have on her???? (well. canon doesn’t. but i do.)

[btvs] sunshine ladies (10,188 words) THIS FIC WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN and i say that with incandescent love in my heart. i intended for the ‘verse to be giles/jenny, and then i intended it to be jenny/anya, and then i was like....jenny has two goddamn hands, and there’s foreshadowing here for endgame giles/jenny, and i wanna write some giles/anya. let’s fuckin go. (DEFINITELY writing another installment in 2020 about this iconic ot3 of mine.) 

[btvs] spirit-touched (4,769 words) the first smut i write and it’s calendiles ghost sex. i really think this is on brand for me, esp. considering that swath of asks in 2016ish where everyone wanted to know if ghosts could jack off. incredible.

[btvs] dear friend (28,865 words) this fic had such a rushed ending :( it’s a cute premise (you’ve got mail giles/jenny au!!!!!), but i lost interest halfway through, and as a writer i can rlly see that when i read it. another thing i might like to go back and rewrite at some point, tbh!

[btvs] familiar (2,034 words) AUGH i am SO proud of this fic. SO SO PROUD. it’s a concept i really can’t explain and the little twist at the end is something i really really like, so...just read it.

[miss fisher’s murder mysteries] unbearable (5,670 words) i need to write more mfmm in 2020 but the amount of good fic out there is deeply intimidating/delightful. this one was my little “what if it was phryne who thought jack was dead” and tbqh i had a lot of fun with it? bc pining phryne (who makes brief but extremely poignant appearances throughout the series) is an awkwardly, heart-meltingly sincere lady.

[ace attorney] man’s duty to society (544 words) wrote this as my first foray into aa fic while getting emo about miles edgeworth. would absolutely still die for that man.

[ace attorney] fancy running into you (5,887 words) lots of schmoopy narumitsu fluff! gregory edgeworth is alive! miles is trauma-free! phoenix is an artist! just!!! goodness!!!!!!!

[ace attorney] big sister (2,741 words) set in the same gregory-edgeworth-is-alive ‘verse: babey franziska comes to live with miles and his dad. she is a little impossible but miles kinda does love her.

[ace attorney] prince charming edgeworth and his incredible tux (8,042 words) this fic came from me being like “i want to write phoenix swooning over miles in a tuxedo and being like HE LOOKS LIKE A DISNEY PRINCE” and spiraled into something much longer!

[ace attorney] fate, choice, and everything in between (4,384 words) SOULMATE AU. nothing i love more than deconstructing soulmate aus. but like. in a romantic way. also phoenix and miles ARE soulmates and that is JUST facts.

Favorite Fic: I WROTE SO MUCH STUFF THO LIKE !?!??! how can one expect me to distill it to just one fic? i’ll make it my top threeL

a california january (I AM SO PROUD OF THIS FIC. it is soft and angsty and silly and devastating and tender. all the calendiles feels.)

i still want to be your girl (same mood!!! i’ve wanted to write this fic for literal years, and it’s one of those rare occasions where the picture in my head actually turned out BETTER when written out!)

sunshine ladies (this is like my giles/jenny/anya ship manifesto and it still makes me happy to think about them all co-running the magic box together and smooching a lot.)

Hardest Fic: OOF uh i went through a rocky period of writing when transitioning into college? no such roses and dear friend were hit the hardest by my insecurity & my desire to Finish Things rather than actually spend time on the craft. but i’m much more settled in now and my writing is DEFINITELY in an upward swing (as my newest fic -- as day follows night -- attests to quite nicely, imo)

Do You Plan to Take Prompts in 2020? always always yes! (i’m bad at following through with them, but am ALWAYS accepting them.)

What was the best thing about 2019? there were almost too many good things to COUNT, but i think all of them were made possible by me working extremely hard to get myself the FUCK out of my abusive parents’ house and into my first choice college!! i’m thriving, y’all.

What was the worst thing about 2019? realizing that both of my parents are fundamentally terrible people. that part kinda sucked.

Any last thoughts for 2019? i finally understand what it’s like to fall asleep feeling safe, and to notice the way the leaves change color, and to get excited about self-indulgent things like food and cuddly stuffed animals and my own fic and art. 2019 brought a lot of happiness into my life, and oh yeah also i’m in love! lots of cool stuff going on.

Goals for 2020

finish the latest braveryverse installment!

MORE ART JUST IN GENERAL. i love drawing, but there’s not a lot of free time for artsy celia when they prioritize writing so often!

write one of the many incredible longfic ideas that’s floating around in my head. it’s honestly probably only like two or three big ones, but at least DECIDE which one i’m gonna focus my energy on.

more giles/anya this year!

more giles/jenny/anya this year!

diversify! still gonna be writing about jenny forever, but like. it might be fun to write about a few new things here and there.

maybe some more ace attorney fic? maybe even some mfmm fic again? phryne and jack are never far from my heart.

not tagging anyone bc this is....january. but if you wanna do it, feel free!

[bisamwilson]

ooooo fic writer asks yis yis! 55! 68! mmm 75! 78!

thanks for the ask, bee <3

55) Have you noticed any patterns in your fics?  Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

i have a particular stylistic habit for using lots of em dashes, colons, and semi-colons! also i tend to write sentences that would generally need an "and" but i just connect with a comma instead (e.g. "Sam wonders if maybe he’s feverish, thinks if he has the damn flu it’d be worth catching it to keep Bucky’s warmth near him.")

outside of general writing style, i tend to write a lot more from sam's pov, dealing with any issues or wants sam might have! i have a few bucky pov fics, but even then most of those are pretty focused on sam (except maybe stuck a feather in his hat). bucky calling sam "angel," "sweetheart," and "sammy" are particular staples of mine, same with sam calling bucky "baby"! and also if the fic isn't an au, i tend to set it in delacroix unless i specifically want them away from home, and most of the time they're wanting to get back home then.

68) Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

honestly? there aren't many off the top of my head that i can point to as being a /particular/ influence, tho a lot of napricot's works inspire how i write sam, just because i think we have similar ideas of who sam is. i developed a particular writing style when i was writing for and editing my high school newspaper in like 2016, and obviously i've refined it, but the bare bones of that are still there. a lot of my college papers that i could get away with stylizing read the same as my fic does too!

75) Is there a particular fic that readers gravitated towards that you didn’t expect?

is all of them an answer????? lmao! i'm still shocked when people are like "you're one of my favorite sambucky authors!" or "omg as soon as i saw you updated i ran to ao3!" bc asdklfdjs people recognize me??? as a fic writer????? idk i just feel like i'm so new comparatively speaking that that's wild

as a real answer, oh so saccharine bc it blew up on tumblr kind of out of nowhere? like the post for this has like 200 notes or something which is wild!!!!!!!! like 4-8x more than most of my other posts. also people really liked some invisible string tying you to me which shocked me bc i feel v out of my depths with omegaverse

78) What motivates you during the writing process?

i must have Tasks™ in order to thrive and when i finish a fic i have completed An Task™. so mostly it's the arbitrary deadlines i put on myself to finish things, but also the sweet sweet validation of knowing i'll get a comment or two. i pretty obsessively check kudos/hit count/comments/any possible statistics ao3 gives you for a couple of days after posting. (can u tell one of my primary love languages is words of affirmation lmao)

[vagarius]

thanks for tagging me, @iamthefacebehindthemask!!! (I always get really excited when I see you tagged me, I love these things)

i’m not sure who to tag though... if there’s any writers who want to do this count this as me tagging you

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

vagarious: erratic and unpredictable in behavior or direction

I just took out the “o” lol. It’s kind of ironic now bc I’m pretty predictable when it comes to fics...

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos)

Subscriptions: crumble; throw, which is one of my only multichap works and like the only one i’ve actually updated... still have to get out that last chapter though iT WILL HAPPEN

Hits: housework, a short kurokage fic which for some reason has 1711 hits

Kudos/Bookmarks: phones, which is my free/hq wrong-number crossover fic with 264 kudos and 42 bookmarks (it was a lot of fun to write)

3. What is your AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

N/A (oops)

4. Do you have any regular/ favorite commenters?

odoridango and bystander have commented on a lot of my hq!! fics (thank you!!!!!) and horchata has written me some of the sweetest comments ever. And all my boueibu fics tend to have the same few commenters @nardaviel @mystofthestars @thatlittledandere @angelluckovich kakera

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

There are quite a few, actually. Pretty much all of @fortune-maiden‘s boueibu fics bc they always make me smile, the vld fics Recoil/Release and Keith’s ‘Physical Contact’ Initiation Program, and all the gift fic people have written me and Distractions and Pliant by tastewithouttalent but they’re both enatsu smut and i’m embarrassed. I go back to pretty much all my bookmarks but sometimes I have to be in a certain mood to read them, I guess.

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

24 subscriptions, 108 bookmarks

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

um... slice of life aus, I suppose? most of the stuff i write is loosely canon compliant now that i think about it...

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

27 user subscriptions and 477 total bookmarks (to works)

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

My more outlandish crossovers, I suppose. like dark!boueibu x vld

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

I’d like to get better at writing fantasy/adventure. And actually writing longer fic. (I can usually plan it out but have trouble actually getting the words on paper when there’s just so much stuff and a majority of the time the fic veers off and i have to plan again...)

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

Rarepairs, I think. Or relatively popular ships in small fandoms :P

12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

48 (!!!)

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

oh god... too many... and they’re spread throughout three devices + an online drive

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

I mostly jot down snippets and lines and other small ideas like that to incorporate/develop into a fic later on. And I’ll layout longer fic if I intend to write said fic. Though there’s some things (mostly AUs and crossovers) I don’t intend to write but keep in my head to keep my thoughts warm.

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

No, but I have participated in collaborative things like the free! shipping relay and hqbb

16. How did you discover AO3?

I honestly don’t remember.

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3?

haha no

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

um, if ever asked, I just say “Elena,” which is my first name, so...

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

There wasn’t a specific author, but the fic catch a falling star by hoshruba is the fic that inspired me to really get into fic writing. I had written pjo/hoo fic on ffnet before then, but catch a falling star is when I started to get serious (for lack of a better term) about it

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

Like what you write. Which is crappy advice, I know, but if you write what you want to read and are happy with it, then you’ll keep writing, and when you keep writing you’ll inevitably improve, even if it doesn’t feel like it. You’ll improve bc, at least for me, the more fic I published the more I wanted to publish, and the more I had to learn how to do to write things. Ideas burst out of me at the seams. So write those short drabbles and ramble-ly one-shots and just. Enjoy them. Like what you write.

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

I typically plot out longer stories, but my planning stages tend to just be random bursts of ideas and lines in an unorganized list. On the other hand, there are quite a few fics of mine that I started and finished within one sitting - it felt like they wrote themselves.

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

I haven’t gotten a bad comment that I remember (there are probs a few on my old fics but whatever), but I have gotten some weird/funny comments on said old fics on ffnet.

Examples:

You sweared!

What

also now that i’m looking at them most of my ffnet comments reported crying... i wrote a lot of angst and still kinda do oops

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

Action. Fantasy. Fantasy action. Most things outside of slice of life, now that i’m thinking about it...

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

Too many, omg. I still have that last part of crumble; throw, and I also have an iokin fic I want to finish but it’s gotten out of hand... also a long keith (vld) fic but we’ll see how that goes. Plus all my little ideas floating around in various electronic devices.

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

Um, the stories ideas kinda just... happen... and whichever I finish/start first are the ones I finish/start first.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

Not a daily one, but when I do sit down to write I try to go for at least 300-400 words (though if I really sit down to write it’ll typically go beyond that)

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

Definitely (hopefully)

28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written?

an endless start of april, probably

29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written?

There’s no fic I’ve written that I actively dislike. If I posted it, I like it, at least a little.

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

Still writing fic, lol

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

For me? Writing dialogue, probably.

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Starting.

33. Why do you write?

I first started writing because there was stuff I wanted to read but couldn’t find, so I wrote it myself. I don’t think that’s changed. I also think it’s fun to explore emotions and how they translate in to action (or lack of action).

[inyoursheets]

writer asks

tagged by the wonderful @bourbon-ontherocks, @mego42 and sorta by @sothischickshe whose attempt to tag me made me laugh 

ao3 name: 

nomind. im not even sure why at this point

fandoms: 

ive only published good girls fics on ao3, but there may or may not still be some terribly written unfinished hp fics (probably x reader) made by thirteen y/o me floating about online somewhere.

number of fics: 

i keep thinking the answer is like, three, but it’s actually five. that’s how memorably my fics are lmao

fic i spent the most time on: 

oh, for sure my latest, warm water. ive never spent this much time plotting, editing, thinking things over. as evidenced by the rest of the fics ive published lol

fic i spent the least amount of time on:

i thought it was maybe the spanking fic but that one actually sat unfinished in my drafts for a long time now that i think about it, bc it wasn’t gonna get its own fic, it was supposed to be part of chapter two of the never have i ever fic . i think it was how do i even... say that? bc once i knew what i was trying to say with it, it got real easy to write, but im not sure! 

most hits:

this is so funny bc i had no idea -- i expected the answer to be warm water, but that one is just barely third, almost fourth! the winner is actually my super self-indulgent never have i ever fic that i can’t believe so many people fuck with, some time in your sheets

most kudos:

now that one is warm water

most comment threads:

also warm water! and everyone is so sweet! but also so frustrated! which is very fair haha, im frustrating myself by writing this tbh. but i think the frustration is gonna be worth it. i hope?

most bookmarks:

once again, warm water

highest total word count:

warm water and im very excited about the fact that i've only published like, half, and i still have to write a couple of scenes, some of which i expect to be pretty girthy. im so happy i finally managed to start a (proper) multi-chapter fic.

favourite fic i wrote:

i think either how do i even... say that? bc the subject matter matters to me and actually grew out of my own need to process some things -- verbalizing what you want during sex is scary ok! -- and i think people also took it that way? there have been some really kind comments on it, specifically about the message i was trying to convey/stumbled upon while writing, so that is wonderful! i actually never responded to any of those comments bc i suddenly got self-conscious about author comment etiquette and im thinking it would look weird to do so now, but i am really surprised and humbled by them!

 or warm water for reasons im not gonna go into until ive finished it, but yeah, it gets a special place in my heart, too, trust me on that. it also unfolded in such a great way as i was writing it, it really took a different turn from what i had originally planned out, which has been such an interesting process and it really made me feel joy to be writing again, you know? when characters/scenes just sorta take over? so it’s been definitely the most enjoyable to write i’d say. but also the least haha, which makes it so special.

fic i want to rewrite/expand on:

i feel like my very first fic could lend itself pretty easily to being expanded and becoming a proper AU, it would be pretty hassle-free to continue, but i don’t know if that’s a path i wanna go down. maybe some time in your sheets bc i did weave in that they’d been fucking regularly and i kinda liked their dynamic there, but my goodness, it’s so plotless! all my smut fics are so plotless! technically even the spanking fic could like, get another chapter of more spanking, but what would be the point? 

maybe how do i even... say that? would be the most interesting to continue, to see how beth learns how to vocalize her wants and needs in bed, how she grows in that, but idk if i am equipped to write such a thing. hmm. im gonna think about it, after i finish the beast that is warm water.

share a bit of a wip or story idea you’re working on:

so ive got some dialogue between beth and stan sitting in my drafts bc i love a beth/stan friendship, but it didn’t fit in anything else i wrote, nor will it fit with an AU like warm water. im excited to use it one day, not bc the dialogue is any good (it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if literally none of the actual dialogue ever makes it to the actual fic) but i love the vibe in that scene. they discuss d*nsie, so unfortunately that fic must include that douche canoe, so that’s sad

what i also have is a barely-there rough draft/idea for a beth/rio/rhea threesome fic (mostly inspired by one particular sex position i wanna see them in) that is gonna take a while to actually write bc as @foxmagpie has pointed out it’s really hard to try and make that not be completely ooc, and i think im not gonna start until finish warm water.

and that’s that! im tagging @missmaxime @fairhairedkings @sothischickshe (who i now realize probably already did this?) and @sdktrs12 if you feel like it!