#i'm trying out a new fic posting format to see if people are more likely to read it!

[moonchildstyles]

announcement/sneak peek

happy spooky season everyone!!

ive never had the time to do something like this, but ive finally timed it all right and I'll be posting a halloween/spooky centered fic for this season! and, for the first time ever, I'm trying out a mini-series kind of format! if its something ppl like and interact with ill def consider doing this more!

anywayyyyyyyy, starting next friday, the 13th, on patreon I will begin posting my new mini-series called Oleander for early access! two weeks later on friday, the 27th, tumblr will begin the story!

it's a three part mini series with darker themes and ideas than ive ever worked with before! i don't usually spoil too much of the stories but ! this is another vamp h story!! very different from my previous vamp h though!!!

this will be my last big piece of writing for the year before I go on my break, and I'm so excited for you guys to get to read it and get to know this new story!

under the cut, I have a sneak peek attached! I also have a Pinterest board you can look at if you want to get a feel for the story!

—————

She hadn't misremembered, it appeared. His eyes really were almost black, just barely tinted a forest green—if the forest in question was being spotted in the pitch of night, only a sliver of the moon and stars above allowing any clarification.

Her heart jumped in her throat, running faster than it had any reason to when their eyes met. She forced herself to swallow it down.

"Sorry, sir," she muttered, unable to pull her gaze away from his even if she instinctively wanted to look anywhere else. "Did you find all you were looking for?" 

"I did, yes." His voice was a lulling rumble, rounded and heady as if the goal was to lure her nearer. If not for the table separating them, she would have fallen for it.

Offering a quiet smile, she gave him a polite nod. 

No other words were exchange, as per usual for his visits. The Count wasn't much for conversation and idle chatter like the rest of the village. Instead, she could feel him watching her as she counted up his herbs and the price of each bundle. 

He was buying the same ones he always did: winter savory (he switched to chamomile when out of season), tobacco, and lavender. 

The buds together created a confusing scent, adding to the mishmash of what the apothecary already was. She couldn't imagine that he would put these three together in any space of that castle, the mixture too aggressive. 

Though she tired her best to concentrate on only the herbs, (Y/N) was too aware of the static of his presence. She wondered what he thought when he came down to the village, what he thought when he interacted with people like her. He was always so stoic. He never gave anything away, though that didn't stop the village gossip from running wild about him.

Swallowing around her dry throat, heartbeat bubbling against her ribs, she matched his gaze. The pricing for his bounty came out on buzzing lips, "Sixteen shillings please, sir." 

He didn't bat an eyelash at the price despite it being the biggest single purchase her father's apothecary would see until the next time he ventured down. Instead, he looked at her with his dark eyes and a tic in his jaw. He was unbearably handsome, made of cut edges and smooth planes, but he always looked at her as if he were angry and working to bury it down. She could never figure out why or what exactly made his nostrils flare or his jaw tight when he spoke to her, but she hoped she wasn't the only one he reacted to like this. 

His hands moved quickly, pulling out a small pouch of tinkling coins before he plucked out the exact amount for her. For a moment, she could see bank notes tucked inside the pouch as well. While she wasn't surprised that someone like him would have that kind of wealth, she had never seen it before with her own eyes. 

Passing off the change to her, his pale fingers grazed her open palm. Goosebumps immediately raised across her skin, his touch feeling as if he had been standing in the dawn's dew for hours, allowing the chill to cling to his skin and leach away all hope for warmth. The graze was quick, barely a heartbeat long, but she swore she could feel the lingering touch for moments after. Maybe he really did have a hard time navigating the village when the fog was this thick, having traveled in winding route and wrong turns for so long he still hadn't been able to heat up even after spending time in the shop. 

Flicking her gaze up to his on instinct, she saw he was looking at swatches of skin exposed from her dress, eyeing the goosebumps he had plucked up on accident. 

(Y/N) cleared her throat, nothing more than a reminder to herself to keep professional and not to gawk at the man. She placed the change in the small cup underneath the collection counter before reaching for his herbs of choice. A length of twine was used to tie up the bundle, ensuring he didn't lose anything on his way back home. 

"Thank you," he muttered once she passed them back, their skin no longer grain this time. 

"Have a pleasant journey back home," she chirped, her voice decidedly pleasant against the bubbling she was feeling inside, "Stay warm." 

The Count didn't give any kind of reaction to her before he was leaving the shop in a flourish. Taking advantage of the window at her disposal, she watched as he ventured out into the fog. The mist mingled around him, making him appear as if he were a ghost, one with the Earth-bound clouds. She was only vague aware of the way her body heat ticked up some now that he had left. 

Though she could hear the sound of footsteps descending the stairs that led up to their home a floor above, (Y/N)'s head was outside the shop and away from her father. She didn't turn even when she could tell he had made it to the landing. He was used to it by now, she knew. Her head was always miles away as far as he was concerned—thinking too big for the village and that was only going to hurt her in the long run. 

The air around her shifted, telling her that her father was just behind her, likely watching to see what had caught her attention this time. 

"Is that Harry?" he grumbled, spitting out the name while dismissing the faux-title since they were alone. 

Her father didn't much like the Count—Harry, as he bitterly spat out. (Y/N) was never sure what had set off her father's distaste for the man, just knowing that he thought him to be something of a boogeyman against the village. He didn't even go to church, her father regularly complained. What kind of man was he if he couldn't even bother to trudge down from his palace to spend some time with God, even if it was in the presence of commoners? 

(Y/N) never really minded. Though she'd never tell her father, church was boring. She couldn't blame Harry—the Count, whatever she was supposed to call him—for skipping out. Especially with the peeks a the castle she could garner if she trekked through the woods far enough. She wouldn't want to leave that place for anything. 

Nonetheless, (Y/N) answered with a soft, "Yes." Her eyes were still locked on the form of him she could barely make out through the mist. 

A grunt of disapproval left her father's lips. She didn't have to look at him to know that he had his arms crossed over his chest. "Are you okay?" 

It was when he settled a hand on her shoulder that she snapped out of her staring. 

"Yes, I'm well," she answered as placidly as possible when she turned to face him. She didn't want to show just how affected she was by the Count. Her father would do more than just grunt and disapprove if he knew just how drawn to the man as she was. 

He peered through the window, his eyes surely finding the one dark figure filtering through the fog. His brows slanted into harsh slashes over his eyes. "I want you to come and find me when he comes in from now on. I don't want him talking with you, anymore." 

Her fingertips buzzed at the new instructions, matching the kickstart to her heartbeats. As much as she heard her father's concerns, and had listened in to all the of the stories and webs spun about this man, those did little to deter her interest in Harry or quell the bubbling in her chest every time she saw him step inside the apothecary. 

"I can handle him, father," she countered, trying to sound as uninterested as possible while attempting to hold her ground, "We barely talk when he comes in, anyway." 

The creases between his brows only deepened when he matched her gaze. "I do not want you becoming one of his victims, (Y/N)."

—————

[olderthannetfic]

Hi hi! I have a question and I apologise if it's impertinent but I really didn't have anyone else to ask. I'm new to ao3 and I'm still figuring out how it works. The problem is this- when I look up a character x reader, I'll see the tag included in many works that have oneshots but since it's a side character, more often than not the oneshot for the character hasn't been written and the tag has been there for months. Is it okay to do that or is it tagging something incorrectly? They say they'll write one eventually but they never do, y'know? To me it kind of feels like they're just trying to reach a wider audience but because of this I can't even filter tags and I have to manually search through the book to check if the character is included, especially when the chapters are titled only by numbers :')

Is it okay to tag things in advance like that?

--

Oh boy...

Wattpad refugees do tend to use AO3 "wrong", sometimes in ways that break the rules and sometimes just in ways I find annoying and against typical AO3 culture.

I'm assuming you are coming from Wattpad based on you calling a work or a fic a "book", which is a very, very Wattpad thing to do.

I'm assuming they are coming from Wattpad given the bad behavior you're describing and the fact that they're a x reader writer.

--

So, here's the thing, if you start writing a fic and there's any amount of the actual fic, even if it's pretty short and bad or in a weird format or whatever, it's still a valid fanwork. Most of the time, AO3 leaves it to the author to decide how to tag (aside from a very few things like death threats in the tags or failing to use the required archive warnings).

AO3 won't stop someone from tagging a future pairing that hasn't appeared yet.

--

But "books" of "oneshots" are such an obnoxious Wattpad thing. This is a completely stupid use of AO3 from the "Please send me prompts" part that is usually in there to the way that unrelated fics are smashed together.

It's not against the rules, but it's a crappy use of AO3 befitting of n00bs.

Sadly, old hands at AO3 also make shitty works that are unrelated stories mashed together. They're often a whole set of kinktober fics or something where the trope tags and the ship tags are accurate, but you can't tell which ones go with which ones without searching the whole fic.

We regularly complain about that on here.

--

A much better way to use AO3 is to make a series titled "My x Reader Oneshots" or "All of my kinktober fics" where each separate story is its own work with its own tags.

My assumption is that this person is using the inaccurate tag both to get more eyeballs on their existing work and because they probably take prompts for that ship or something. (I'm basing this on the kinds of things people say on their oneshot books on Wattpad. Maybe they don't actually take prompts since you haven't mentioned it.)

Some people just don't care that they're annoying others and messing up the tags, but I think some actually don't realize how AO3 filtering works and have no idea this behavior is a nuisance.

On a lot of sites, both Wattpad and algorithm-driven social media, unless a post/work is very popular, it disappears out of sight. Even an inaccurate tag doesn't do that much.

On AO3, one is getting a full list of everything with the tag, going back however far. It's a library catalogue for which you should use accurate data. But this writer is probably thinking of tags more as advertising and a way to get their name out there so readers can follow them pre-emptively. They mean to write the ship in the future, so it's not really inaccurate... (And, tbh, if it were a single work and the ship just hadn't appeared yet, I would agree with them even though those are frustrating too.)

--

So no, they should not do this.

But it's not actually against the rules.

I would mute the annoying people who do this.

[siffrin-enthusiast]

// intro post

[Image ID: A GIF of the In Stars and Time party, created by insertdisc5. End ID.]

hello and welcome to our little corner of the internet!!

more information (including about the music) is below the cut but the tldr is that i'm a happily taken 18 year old, auDHD disabled transmasculine host of a traumagenic DID system currently fixated on in stars and time, ultrakill, and coding. collectively we go by kuiper and he/they pronouns :)

my asks & dms are always open! feel free to draw me an anon picture (checked weekly) or check out the submissions thread!

while you're here, consider donating to palestine to request a commission from a lovely talented in stars and time artist!! check it out at @isatforpalestine!

if you're trying to get the playlist to work, you need to go to your site settings, allow audio, refresh the page, and then play it. It will update itself as you navigate through the entire blog so there aren't any pauses/cutoffs! the good news is once you figure out how to do it, it'll work until you clear all of your site cookies!

interests

there's..a lot!! in stars and time, coding, rain world, deltarune, slay the princess, pokemon, hollow knight, psychology (my college major!), fnaf, inscryption, generation loss, hades, celeste, ultrakill, warrior cats, oneshot, hunger games, moon knight (pirating it), night in the woods, and a good thirty more that i'm forgetting.

tagging system

i do my best to keep it simple because i'm too lazy to do a cool one for convenience! interests are tagged with the name of said interest (#in stars and time), and if they're somewhat newly-out, they get a "spoilers" thrown on the end of it (#in stars and time spoilers). if there's something i post about that you don't want to see, i highly encourage you to block its tag! i won't know or be offended! :)

i’ll tag anything that i think is a common thing to be tagged like death/blood, and i do it in the format of #tw death. if this isn’t the right format or anyone wants me to tag other things that i didn’t think of, just let me know!

there's also a few special tags of my own! asks are tagged with #kuiper important posts for the important stuff (like this intro post), #kuiper favorite posts for my favorites/things i return to frequently, #kuiper asks, posts where i ramble about whatever is #kuiper rambling, posts about my dissociation/system are tagged #kuiper system posting, and posts about my disabilities are tagged with #kuiper disability moment! i also write fic and while i tag them with #kuiper fics, i post most of them over at my fic sideblog!

if there's ever anything that you need tagged, please let me know!!

requests

i'm getting pretty into making stuff so..if anyone ever wants me to try my hand at something, please feel free to ask! this is pretty informal until i set more things up! edits, pfps, icons, stimboards, userboxes, ask games, fic/drabbles, coding, i'm willing to give it an honest shot!! feel free to ask!

any and all requests will be tagged with #kuiper requests!

contact

the best way to contact me here is my dms/asks because my notifications are a. little overrun!!

don't like tumblr? don't worry! i have too many other sites! ranked from most to least used:

neocities

cohost

spacehey

dni

i use the block button liberally, as should you! it's freeing!

basic DNI criteria!

people who don't believe in freeing palestine/zionists

entirely nsfw or untagged nsfw accounts.

entirely ed/sh or untagged ed/sh accounts. i understand if you're struggling with it, but if it is your entire blog, no.

syscourse. post whatever you want on your blog, just don't bring it to mine (asking my opinion, tagging me in things).

blank blogs. i will think you're a bot.

people who are still giving j.k. rowling money. shoo!!!

radfems, terfs, radqueers, transableds, proshippers, stuff like that.

anyone not on that list is more than welcome here!!

credits

theme and the lil cat popup by glenthemes

music player, playlist

the lovely dividers

in stars and time & gif by insertdisc5

siffrin looping gif

[artsyunderstudy]

An ask game for writers to procrastinate working on your WIP(s)

Thanks for tagging me @cutestkilla @ivelovedhimthroughworse @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @valeffelees @emeryhall @monbons @thewholelemon @whatevertheweather @aristocratic-otter @bookish-bogwitch @orange-peony @shrekgogurt @wellbelesbian @theearlgreymage @ic3-que3n - I definitely shouldn't be procrastinating writing because I'm overdue but I'm a sucker for a good Q&A.

1. 🦈Tell us the name of your/ one of your WIP(s):

I technically have a handful of WIPs I haven't given up on posting but I'm not actively working on. Après la Pluie, le Beau Temps is the one I'm actively working on. I'm in the planning stages with All the Lonely People which is a fic I'm planning to cowrite with @cutestkilla my beloved. Then I have Sober, Water Grey, Close Your Eyes, and A Mild Case of Madness (yes I haven't given up on AMCOM I was actually thinking I'd try and finish it up after I'm done posting Après)

I don't actually work on more than one fic at a time but I also had like a flood of ideas once I was done writing Someone Wicked and that's why the pile of WIPs. Also I was trying to do discovery writing and realized that I hate it.

2. 🍄Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of “___ + ___ =___”

Why is this so hard???

Okay. Um.

Roommates who (pretend to) hate each other + alcohol induced vulnerability = publicly getting off with each other on a stranger's couch in the middle of a rager, probably to the dulcet sounds of goosebumps by travis scott.

3. 🌍What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it?

Amazingly my current WIP doesn't really require much bracing. But I am still intending very much to complete Sober (working title) which I talked a lot about last year. That would come with warnings for grief, alcohol and sexual assault. Which makes it sound so much worse than it is, but then again I always think that my writing isnt actually that sad but then i have people telling me i ripped their heart out of their chest and chewed on it so im not a good judge of that. i will say it definitely has more jokes than my usual fare.

4. 🧭An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

I am very decisive when it comes to titles, so I genuinely cant think of anything. I guess Sober, because I'm not sure that's the right title for the fic because it's not about addiction. It's about drunken hookups (and like, definitely some alcohol as a coping mechanism but like, mostly just uni students partying and going too hard as they are wont to do) so I was thinking of making it longer like "Kiss Me When You're Sober" but I dunno. It's not even close to done so I don't have to decide yet.

5. ⚠️Which WIP you're most likely to finish or update next?

Après la Pluie, le Beau Temps is the fic I'm actively working on and I'm going to post this guy next come hell or high water. It's just taking me a while, I'm a bit burnt out. But things they will come.

6. 💾What is your document of your WIP/ a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you’ve saved it as)

All my documents are the fic titles so nothing really fun there.

7. 🖍Post Any sentence(s) from your WIP.

“If you’re going to do this, do you actually trust him? After everything he’s done to you. Everything you’ve done to each other.” I sigh. “I don’t know.”  All the things I’ve always believed I hated about him feel different now, filtered through a new lens. His relentlessness, his sharp edges, his poise. The way he moves across the pitch, and plays his violin, sweet-toned and sorrowful. The singe of his magick.  “I just … see him,” I say quietly. “And I know I want him. The way I’m supposed to.”

8. ♻️A scrapped idea for your current WIP.

I don't know, I don't think I've scrapped any ideas for this WIP yet? Actually, I think earlier on in the planning I had wanted to have Niall and Dev being absolutely gross with their PDA through the whole thing, but I ended up writing a completely different side-story for them that's genuinely a ton better. Basically, they were a gag, and now they have an actual arc.

9. 🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

Gonna mirror Dre here, we have been planning a fic to cowrite but we both have other fanfic obligations to fulfill first, so it's a little bit on the backburner until we are both freed up. Again, to parrot her, it's a canonverse AU based on a movie we both adore, older (late 30's) strangers to lovers, a ghost story but in a cathartic way, not a scary way, developing relationship. We have a shared trello and I can't help but daydream about it. I am so very very eager to start working on it in earnest.

10. 🤡How many WIPS are you actively working on?

One, actively. Two if you count the fic with Dre which we occasionally can't help but get into long discussions about.

11. 🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

I am currently writing a genre I've never written before which has just been a little daunting. As well as this first chapter has zero simon or baz, probably, and THAT is hard too. But it has to be that way. For the setup. It just means I'm having to learn how to write a lot of side characters in a way I haven't done before, like Niamh and Niall (since i have a bit of experience with agatha and dev)

12. ❤️Not a question, just a second Kudos to send.

Everyone deserves so many many kudos.

Tags! @hushed-chorus @run-for-chamo-miles @j-nipper-95 @noblecorgi @facewithoutheart and @stitchyqueer <3

[castielslostwings]

Please help me tell people about my book!

Hi! I'm publishing a book! It's HERE, just in time for Christmas!! It's GAY!! It's romantic!!! It's HOT! It has firefighters and background sapphic romance, and is exciting AF!!!

I'm very excited, too!

Both U.S. domestic and international friends can order shipped Paperbacks from me directly via my Ko-Fi shop (retailers take less of a cut): https://ko-fi.com/castielslostwings/shop Or you can order on amazon directly, this is the only way to get the KINDLE ebook option: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945687126

Standard EPUB format is available to download directly from me for $1 cheaper than Amazon: https://ko-fi.com/s/2a82c64d56

And WILL be available at other retailers soon!

Here's the thing: I had a pretty solid platform on Twitter, but since Elon took over, a lot of my followers left, the algorithm crashed, and the whole thing might go under. I don't have the same reach on other platforms, so I need some help! Please share this post if you like GAY SHIT and BOOKS and helping indie content creators be successful!!! Please follow me or check out my ko-fi for updates! Thanks!!! Here's my pitch, hope you like it:

"Fire & Ice": The flaming hot queer romance novel where a foray into BDSM helps two best friends find themselves, each other, and what it really means to burn. Summary: "Firefighter Tripp Truett has somehow tumbled into a whole new kind of relationship with his quirky paramedic best friend, Lee, but mutual relief from their high-stress jobs quickly develops into something more. With all the missed signals and crossed wires, can these two ever figure out that they're so much closer to being on the same page than they think?"

**************************************** About the author (info dump ahoy!!!!) :

I'm Robin, sometimes known as Wings! I'm a 36-year-old, queer, autistic, disabled mom of 2 humans and 5 senior rescue dogs, former R.N. & paramedic. I'm a hardcore fangirl and a proud fanfic writer (and reader), and while I know some people will judge me for that, I am not ashamed! I started writing as a hobby after becoming physically disabled and unable to work as an RN. Fanfic gave me an audience and an outlet, gifted me purpose and hope again. Transformative fiction is FUN! It fosters creativity and passion, heals wounds, and makes people happy. If someone wants to discredit me for that, then perhaps they aren't the audience I'm seeking.

Ultimately, I know I'm taking a risk, but since people seem to enjoy my fics, this book is my attempt to try and make ends meet through original fiction! I know some people WILL discredit me. But I'm always about being myself and speaking on what I feel matters: Fanfic should be legitimized as a creative medium. I assure you, friends—the thousands of hours I've spent on my fanworks are as REAL as it gets. The intersection of disparaging fanfic + sexism/misogyny can't be overstated—women (esp queer women)'s unpaid work is often treated as a "hobby," not worthy of uplifting. I'm here to uplift! The risk is worth it—I would have nothing without fanfic & I'm proud. Younger creators shouldn't feel shame about writing/reading fanfic. We should ALL approach it as a legitimate medium. In fact, MOST new media these days is transformative "fanwork" of SOME kind, whether it's inspired by, based on, or outright rebooting existing worlds.

Plus, we queer folk simply deserve to see our stories in the mainstream media and to see the characters we fall in love, identify with, and root for to get their happily ever afters.

TL;DR: I'm keeping my name and history. Hopefully, I'll be successful in original fiction, but if not, I'll still be a fangirl. Please consider supporting me + other creators attempting to dip into original works. Follow or subscribe to my ko-fi for previews, updates, access to my discord community where I share exclusive content, and more: https://ko-fi.com/castielslostwings FIRE & ICE IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH MULTIPLE PLATFORMS! Ko-Fi subscribers will have the option to buy signed copies & merch bundles! The link to purchase will also be posted there first.

A MAJOR thank you to my friends, editors, and to everyone who in my server for supporting and encouraging me to put myself out there and try something new. Love you guys so much. <3 Thank you to @chaoticdean for the beautiful cover. Many more thank yous to come. P.S. If you are reading this and know anyone with a platform who might be interested in receiving a free copy in exchange for promo (only if they enjoy, ofc), please holler at me, I can use all the help I can get!

<3 Wings

[desceros]

@fidgetyfawn hi hi so i thought i'd go and give you a very brief tumblr beginner/early intermediate guide since i've also seen some other people around here that may find it useful!!

i'm going to assume you know little to nothing, and this post is good both for people who are just looking to find cool art/fic/whatever, or for people looking to post their own art/fic.

click on the readmore here and i'll give you a bit of a walkthrough for how to get things set up and how to start interacting with people, as well as some basic etiquette!

THIS IS A VERY LONG POST!! pro tip: if you're on desktop, you can use the J key to skip down a post and the K key to skip up. youre welcome

so first things first, when you log in, the first thing you'll see is your dashboard. this is where posts from people you follow will appear.

dashboard management

i can't remember if this is the default or not, but i highly recommend you change your dashboard (almost typed dachshund ATD counter: 1) to chronological order. you can do this by clicking settings on the left, then dashboard (ATD counter: 2) on the right.

personally, i uncheck the 'shorten longer posts' option since it cuts things too short, and further down you'll see the option that says 'best stuff first'. turn that shit off. you'll miss a lot of posts from people you follow if you have it on. actually, everything on that preferences section can get turned off. tumblr is designed to be more curated, and those are all options the staff added trying to emulate things like twitter. they suck. turn em off.

how to find blogs to follow

so now that you've got your dash set up, it's time to get some shit showing up!! you've already started off right by following me, so i can see you know how to do that much. but in case this post breaches containment, i'll put some tips here for people:

if you see people out in the wild that you like who link their tumblrs, go check em out. see if you like what they post. if so, you can follow them. this will put their posts on your dashboard, and they'll get a notification that you've followed if they have those turned on.

once you find someone you like, check out who they're reblogging from. go check out those blogs. see who they're reblogging. go check out those blogs. search for things that you're interested in, and click on the people posting into those tags (more on this later). eventually, you'll be following lots of people who post things that you like, and now you can start really curating your own posting experience.

some people will have a DNI (do not interact) linked somewhere. if they do, it's considered good etiquette to give it a look and make sure you're not gonna step on toes. some people will have a "blank blogs"/"ageless blogs dni" on theirs, or say they'll block you if you're a blank/ageless blog. this is because a lot of bots will have a blank tumblr, so it's a good idea to make some text posts or something saying IM REAL I PROMISE and you can have "i'm an adult"/"18+"/"(your actual age if you're comfortable with it)"/"(an approximation of your age, e.g. 20s, if you arent)" before you get too in the weeds on following people.

sidebar, once you're blocked, it's a bit tacky to go find that person on other platforms or go on anon and ask why they blocked you. just move on and don't take it personally.

how to post shit

these are the buttons that let you post new shit. when you make a new post, you'll get the post editor popping up. it's actually pretty cool, hot take, but here are the important things to know:

put your post in the spot. i'm using the text post one here since i post either fanfic or nattering. you can add links to stuff, change formatting, font colors, all that. i'm not gonna get too into the weeds on that since this is a beginner guide, but there are other guides on how to do it slash you should fuck around with it a bit yourself. i will, however, show you the details of the "post now" button

post now: posts now

add to queue: tumblr has a function where it will automatically post things in your queue. you can find it in your blog detail page, which you get to via account>[click on your blog name]>queue on the right. you can change how many per day go there. a lot of people will have a cutesy queue tag (eg "i love queue" or something punny like that) so your followers will know if it's a queued post or a regular one. this is cute, but not necessary

save as draft: if you want to keep a post for later but not publish it yet, you can save it as a draft. it's in the same place as your queue, but these will stay there until you post it yourself. i do this a lot for posts that i want to keep for their information, or to save art to post for when i'm trying to break up an ocean of asks. very cool feature

post privately: this will make it so that only you can see the post. just a warning though that anything that goes online will be seen by Someone, so i wouldn't put like. deep dark secrets or your ssn here or something. (<- does not use this feature at all hahaha)

schedule: you can have the post drop on a certain time on a certain day. fun for flashbanging yourself later, or reminding yourself of something, etc.

if you put something in your post, it will be "searchable" on tumblr. that means if you have a post saying "i hate tmnt rise" then people who look for "tmnt rise" may be able to see your post. just a heads up. you can make your blog not show up in search results, but if you're someone looking to be found (e.g. a writer trying to post, or someone trying to make friends, etc.) i dont recommend you turn that on. just be aware that if you post things talking shit, you might get some people trolling you. just block them and move on.

if you click into a post, this thing will pop up. this will allow you to add a picture, a gif, a link, an audio file, a video file, a poll, or a readmore break (shortens the post like i did with this one to make it less intrusive on someone's dashboard).

etiquette note: if your post is going to be on the long side, Especially if it's a text post (for me this is around the 650-700 word mark), put it under a readmore. it's really annoying on mobile to scroll through a bunch of text. also, if you're going to post nsfw (which i will remind you, WILL show up in the public tags!) either have some kind of nsfw tag, put it under a readmore, or both.

tags

on the bottom of your post, you will see the option to tag your posts. some people don't use the tag function at all. i use it religiously. tagging serves two functions: organizing your blog, and sharing your content.

on your blog, you can search posts by tag. this is the best way to search your tumblr, which has a notoriously terrible search function. if you ever want to confidently be able to find things again, tag them something you'll remember. i have a list here of tags i use as an example for some ideas.

secondly, tumblr has a function where you can see what everyone is posting under a certain phrase. you can find this by typing a phrase into the "search tumblr" bar in the upper right. this will largely be posts that are tagged by that thing, or have tags that contain that phrase. (e.g. if you search "tmnt" you will find posts that are tagged "tmnt" but also some that are tagged "donnie tmnt"). this is how you can find new people to find, and fun art to reblog, etc. search for things you're interested in, then go through the tag and find who looks cool.

you'll also find that some people (<- me) will "talk" in the tags. the op of the post Can See These!!! so don't say anything that's rude or that you wouldn't want them to see!!! but this is a holdover of tumblr etiquette from years ago when it was considered rude to reblog art, let's say, and put your thoughts about something in the reblog as its own reblog. the old school of thought is that it disrupted the "aesthetic" of the post, so you'll see a lot of people put their commentary in the tags instead. it's not as obtrusive, but everyone can still see it. there's a joke that your tags will "pass peer review" if someone screenshots them and puts them on the post while reblogging, but that's usually something you'll see on particularly funny posts or creative posts or that sort of thing.

reblogs vs reposts

you will come across people who have "no reposts" or "don't repost my art" in their description or on their blog or on their art. there's a lot of confusion for new tumblr people on what that means.

reposting means that you are downloading the art/fic/whatever, then using the upload function and creating your own original post.

reblogging is when you take the post that the person made, and clicking on the reblog button (third one here):

reposting things is BAD because it does not give the op original credit and it makes it look like you created the thing. reblogging is GOOD because it shares art/writing/etc with the people who are following you, and encourages community. the double arrows are what keep community alive!!

on that note, likes are functionally useless. that little heart there does nothing for artist engagement. while there is a tumblr algorithm, it's terrible, doesn't really work, and! we've already turned ours off in the beginning, remember? most people will have done this. liking a post doesn't put it on your blog, it doesn't make it so that you can find it later, it doesn't boost the op's engagement. likes do the two things and only the two things:

op knows you saw the post

tumblr puts it into one giant unsearchable pile of things you've liked

that's it! so if you like a post, consider reblogging it. add that fun commentary in the tags we talked about! this is a really good way to make someone's day.

etiquette note; you'll sometimes see people who say "no spam likes". this means that they don't like it when people go through their blog and just hit like on the latest posts over and over and over. it clogs up the notification feed and makes it harder to see the engagement that actually Means something, e.g. reblogs, mentions, replies, etc. i personally don't have an issue with it since you can filter those out if you're looking for something, but if someone asks you not to do it, don't do it. also, if you do it and suddenly find that you're blocked even if you've not done anything wrong, that might be why. some people just don't like it shrug.

how to make friends

tumblr is a social media site, and while it's possible to have a great time on your own just reblogging pretty art and great fics onto your page, a lot of the joy comes from participating in community.

there's a good post here i reblogged the other day for some details, but here are some basic things for a beginner to know:

you can send messages to blogs you like called "asks". you'll find the link to it on the left of the follow button on someone's blog, and a lot of people will have changed the wording. for example, mine is called "request a song." you can send people messages, anonymously if you wish, and tumblr will let you know when the person has answered your message. they may do so publicly (which i always do!), so make sure not to put anything there you wouldn't be okay with all of their followers seeing. don't be rude. but it's the best way to start talking with someone. and most people are very excited to get messages like this!! so don't be intimidated!!

there is a dm system. most people aren't going to have it available except to people they're following, and it has a bit more of an intimate feel than an ask. personally, i only use this function for my mutuals (people whom i follow who are also following me), and i'd be willing to bet that's a common mood about it.

replies: just like you did with the post you started, you can reply to text posts. the op will see it, and you can start talking about a post without having it appear on your blog. it's a nice way to communicate without clogging up your dash/blog, and you did so perfectly!

reblogs: we already went over this, but you can also just reblog posts. the person from whom you reblog will see what you say, and op will see what you say. etiquette here is not to reblog posts if someone asks you not to, and to tag longer posts as "long post" so people on mobile who have that limited don't have to scroll as long

talk to people! be friendly! ask them about their day. if it's an author, tell them your favorite part of their last fic. ask what the inspiration was for this part or that part. i get people sending me songs in that remind them of character moments, and that's fun! draw art of your favorite scene, then tag the author in it! (to tag people, use the @ symbol, then type their username, e.g. @desceros tags me).

find people that are posting the things that you like, follow them, reblog from them, send in asks off anon when they reblog little games asking for them, just. you know. be social. that post i linked has some good ideas if you need help.

if you're coming from ao3, go to the author's profile page. a lot of us have our tumblrs linked there. go to their tumblr. follow them. send in asks about their fics. you'll often find fun fanart, or wips, or that kind of thing!

anyway i think that answered all the questions you had, but you can ask if there's something specific you were looking for i didn't touch. hope this helps!! C:

[cogglebee]

Portal Zombie AU

I'm more of an ideas man, so actually writing out my ideas into a full story is stupid difficult. But I still want to share while I embark on the painfully long process of turning this idea into a full fic. (sorry if any of this is formatted strange or if I'm somehow posting wrong, I don't really understand tumblr all that much)

Portal Zombie Apocolypse AU!! (I started this before infection aus started popping up if that gives you any frame of reference as to how long ago I started this)

Summary: Instead of Caroline being put into Glados, she's poisoned by a jealous coworker with a strange substance from one of the labs (Cave is still alive and healthy, he's just not relevant to this story)

She goes home to her fiancé Chell (queue the gasps and cheers) Who is worried that she appears so sick and cold. Caroline brushes her off and goes to rest, insisting it's just a bug. So Chell leaves and visits her friend and former coworker Mel (queue more gasps and cheers)

It's here where we learn a bit more about Chell, she's a former test subject that left quietly after witnessing the death of a fellow test subject due to the unsafe testing conditions of Aperture. She hasn't reported anything for fear of ruining Caroline's career.

While Chell is away, Caroline begins to change, her body begins to decay, her hair loses it's color and turns white, her brown eyes shift to a haunting yellow. In a distressed state, not remembering that she pushed Chell away, begins desperately searching for her. This is when the infection spreads to other people.

By the time Chell leaves Mel's house (the next day) the entire city is desolate, she rushes home, encountering several zombies on the way. She's desperate to find Caroline again, but she doesn't find her. So she gathers a couple weapons and goes back out to search for her fiancé, on the way meeting Doug Rattman, the scientist that was working on the serum that caused all of this, he's trying to find a cure (he also has a large therapy dog simply named "Companion" that accompanies him) the two team up and travel together, eventually meeting Wheatley, whom they have to save from a small horde. Mel probably dies I haven't decided.

Angst and apocalypse shenanigans ensue, the crew travel together till they find Caroline, now Glados, (Genetic Lifeform Amplifier Destitute of Soul) (idk man I needed to get the name change in there with a new acronym) Emotional moment, Chell has to kill her, world begins to heal.

Some other information: Caroline is the patient zero in this (obviously), so she's got some abilities to kinda mimic Glados in the game. She acts kinda like the head of a hivemind, she's able to tune into any infected and see what they see, hear what they hear, etc. She uses this to spy on Chell, as she is now hellbent on killing her (I'll work out a proper reason, it's mainly because her mind is very corrupt right now and all she knows is that Chell makes her feel very upset, because when she was first getting up again while Chell was gone she found her ring on the counter)(She doesn't know that it was temporary so that she could wash her hands and just forgot to put it back on)

This all also means that killing any infected won't do much to end the apocalypse, they have to kill Caroline.

I have some other little ideas but thats about the jist of it. The idea was inspired by Brand New City by Mitski and California Dreamin' by The Mamas and The Papas

If anyone has any advice on properly executing an idea like this PLEASE share, I'm almost desperate here (I'm very desperate, writing is a tricky mistress)

[meiieiri]

Hi! Another person here asking about Water's Edge (sorry). This is kind of an insight into your writing and your life, so if you don't feel comfortable with that or just don't wanna share, feel free to ignore this!

You're thinking of discontinuing the series because of lack in interaction, right? I can't think of a smooth way to transition into my question, so I'll just put it bluntly:

Is writing Water's Edge (specifically) something that you're doing for interactions or something you're doing for fun?

That question alone should determine whether or not you should discontinue the series.

If you're doing this purely for interactions, I'd say that I can't really help you. It's up to you if your writing is purely based on interactions.

If it's for fun, then consider how much fun you're having while doing this. Are you having fun writing it? Does it feel more like a chore than something you'd like to do? If it feels like a burden, then stop. Discontinue the series. If it feels like a burden because of interactions, try and disregard interactions and focus on writing. Never let views, interactions, likes, shares, comments, etc– determine the worth or fun of your writing. Ever. You may already know that, but it's just a reminder. If you really liked where the series was headed, then I'd say finish that chapter and see how things go. If you're happy with it and proud of what you did, then I'd say consider continuing it. If you feel like either a huge burden was lifted after finishing it or just genuinely exhausted, try taking a break or just discontinuing it completely. Personally, I was a really consistent poster once. It got boring and exhausting trying to think of new ideas. I'm now only posting once every 2 months, maybe? I feel much better.

Take my advice if you want, but you don't need to be completely swayed by my opinions or personal thoughts. Just take it into consideration. I personally really like Water's Edge. The storyline is interesting and the formatting is unique. I'd love to see more of it, but it'd be awful if you decided to put your work before yourself. If you do discontinue it, please take care of yourself.

Note: Maybe writing shorter chapters will make it less of a chore? The first two chapters were really long. Idk I'm not a writer. Just an idea.

Sorry this was really long. I hope you have a good day 💕 Sorry if something doesn't make sense or if there's grammar mistakes! I'm writing this on my phone :,)

I actually really liked reading this, damn.

And to answer your question, no, I’m not writing purely out of interactions, in fact, I first started writing this series because I really had a good idea on the top of my head, I just think that, with all my exhaustion writing these longass chapters, it’ll be great to see people actually picking it up and showing appreciation or even hate, lmao. Just something to be recognized would have gone a long way but — that’s something the old me would say. I was re-reading the last few chapters and I feel really bad of having to leave it on the table, completely forgotten, because this fic — writing this fic rather – is the closest thing I have to an actual baby :’3

But you’re right, I did a lot of thinking and I’m guessing we’re back on, this is something I’ll see through to the end. However bitter it may be.

Thanks for this, I needed that.

[dreamingcloudie]

Helloooo for the 100+ follower special could you write 8 13 and 15 for Dottore please? Thank you <3

✨️Amidst The Snow, A Flower Bloomed✨️

✎ ❛❛ Why would I ask for something else when I can have you? ❜❜

-

Prompts:

#8 - "I already have you, my greatest present."

#13 - "I don't need any gifts."

#15 - "I don't like holidays. I only like them when I'm with you."

Pairings(s): Dottore x GN!Reader

Genre/Format: Fluff (oneshot)

Warning(s): None!

wc: ~1.6k

Notes: omg I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting 😭 It's already WAY past Christmas :')

I honestly have no idea if it I made the right choice to try something new for this fic while my mind was hazy 💀 I was hesitant to post this but I didn't want to discard something I worked hours on either. It felt like it gradually becomes a mess, my apologies. I'm still learning :')

P.s: If you want to, please feel free to send in another ask, I'll make it up to you with hopefully a better one 🥲

How do you grow a flower?

For a seed to grow into a stem, it needs to be coated in nutritious soil; for a stem to grow supple leaves, it needs to be watered daily; for sepals to release the caged delicate petals, it needs to bask in the warmth of the sun.

But how can one bloom all of the way, when it was buried deep amidst the baneful snow?

He, a man of enigma who scorned the skies, pledged to the Tsaritsa was his words to topple the heavens. A cruel harbinger who was known for his immoral ideology to create a mortal greater than the gods, naturally, none would dare to approach him.

But then you appeared.

You, so captivating, so vibrant, so full of colors and bright. Day by day, you’d unknowingly smitten him with your boisterous self. The way you’d laugh when he spilled coffee all over him; the way your brows would furrow in concentration as you worked on the task he gave you; the way your face would lit up when he brought up a topic you liked.

Just like a flower craved for the sun. He craved for you.

He was frustrated, his mind was constantly thinking of you. Only you. 

Just what have you done to him? Did you plant a parasite in his brain without him knowing? No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure out what this anomaly was that plagued his mind.

In the sea full of Fatui staff who attended the annual banquet in celebration of Christmas, he couldn’t help but the sight of you laughing and talking with one of the other harbingers—Pantalone, left a bitter taste in his mouth. His hand that was gripping a glass of wine subconsciously tightened when the ninth landed a kiss on the back of your hand.

He was eventually broken out of his trance when his heart skipped a beat as a voice he knew all too well spoke.

“Hey, you okay?” 

You were just talking to Lord Pantalone about how he was going to go bankrupt if your boss kept on asking him for more funds when out of the corner of your eye, you could see Dottore was stiff, his hand shaking ever so slightly. So, as his loyal assistant, you decided to go check on him and excuse yourself from Pantalone.

Now you stood before his very eyes, they automatically moved up and down to take in your form. Oh how enthralling you looked, your Fatui uniform didn’t do you any justice. Thankfully, he had his mask on so you couldn’t see what he was doing.

After a few seconds of him staying silent, he managed to compose himself and gave you his infamous smirk.

“Why of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know, Doctor. You just seem… tense today,” you told him.

Ah, he didn’t think you’d notice. Then again, you were the only assistant who could keep up with him. 

“Well, I suppose I’m not used to being in a venue filled with so many people,” he said, twirling the wine glass.

You were skeptical, but given that he was your superior, you didn’t question him.

"Let's move to the balcony then," you suggested. 

And he nodded, giving you his approval.

As the two of you navigated through the doors that lead to a balcony, the muffled sound of music coming from the ball room turned into a softer tune. 

Looking back at Dottore, you extended your hand to him and asked, "Shall we?"

You? Asking him to dance with you?

His breath hitched at your invitation.

Why were you making him feel like this?

He was taking too long to reply and you were eager to have this dance with him, so you put yourselves into a waltz position, without waiting for him.

"My, what a bold move. Since when were you the one to make decisions?" He said, trying to distract himself from how warm his face has gotten at the close proximity shared between you two. Even with his mask on, he was almost certain you could see it too.

"Well, Doctor, you've been working a lot lately and your shoulders are still tense. So I thought a little dance would help you lose up a little." You replied, putting one of your hands on his shoulder.

"Still, it was my call to make." Despite saying that, he didn't move his hand that was placed around your waist.

There the both of you swayed gently to the music. As you started at each other, it felt as if you were in a fairytale. With only the moon as your audiance and spolight, the charming prince and an elegant royalty danced to their heart's content.

He didn't even care about the pain that sent through his foot when you accidentally stepped on it, muttering an apology and smiling at him.

That smile... that darn smile that his mind wouldn't stop thinking of. How would it feel to wake up to that sight every morning?

Oh, what a foreign feeling it was.

He hated it. He hated that he loved it. He hated that he loved you.

Love...

So that's what it was.

Of all the feelings he could've felt, it had to be the one he had the least knowledge of. But it made him feel so warm. A warmth that he was addicted to.

As the two of you danced, you'd notice how his smirk turned into a content smile. 

What was he thinking? You wondered. 

"You're someone who's not fond of holidays, but here you are enjoying yourself," you teased.

"You're absolutely correct." He chuckled.

"I don't like holidays. I only like them when I'm with you." He blurted out without thinking.

Upon hearing what he just said, the both of you froze.

Did… did he…?

He coughed, trying to break the awkward silence.

"I…pardon, I—"

"Dottore, do you really mean what you said?" 

Were you mad at him? He wouldn't doubt it if you were, who would want to love someone who was insane like him?

But his worries slowly melted away when you placed your hand on his cheek. Not once did you rush him, you just stood there and waited for him to say something. Anything.

And finally, he spoke.

"Of course." 

It was now or never.

He took both of your hands with his and brought it to his chest. You could feel just how fast his heart was beating.

"Of course I mean it, (Y/n), you make me feel… indescribable feelings. As much as I hate to admit it, I am unable to deduce as to why I feel this way. However, one thing I do know is that your existence simply entranced me and that I… I love you," he confessed, bringing your hands up to meet his lips.

"So, how would you like to do a little experiment with me? To explore these new feelings with me? Together?"

You were baffled, never in your wildest dreams would you ever thought he'd feel this way.

That he'd feel the same.

You were worried that your feelings for him would be unrequited. But here he was, a man you thought devoid of love, was standing right before you. Asking you to be his.

His stomach was starting to twist and turn at your lack of response, but it all ceased when you lifted his mask up enough to lean in and connect your lips with his.

His lips were softer than it looked, you thought. As you pulled away, you could feel the heat spreading on your cheeks and a silly grin made its way to your face. 

"I will take that you accepted my proposal then."

Before you was also a smiling Doctor, showing off his pointy teeth that you oh so adored as you giggled.

"Oh right! I almost forgot," you exclaimed, rummaging through your pocket. 

To your horror, you weren't able to find what you were looking for.

"Oh, no, no no." You were starting to panic now. Where was it?!

Facing Dottore once more, he could see you furrowed your eyebrows, your lips turned upside down. He was confused, however, as to why you were down.

“What's the matter, dear?”

“Since it was Christmas, I’ve prepared a present for you. But it looks like I’ve forgotten to bring it due to how busy I've been lately,” you explained. And you were looking forward to see his reaction too...

A present? Why would he want some objects that held no value to him when you finally became his? And what more could he ask for when you’ve already given him so much? 

He was once buried beneath the snow, but then you emerged from the horizons. With tenderness as your shovel, you dug your way through layers and layers of snow. And him, was the forlorn seed you found.

You, the radiant sun that shined the brightest in his sky. You, the inferno that melted the snow around him. You, the shield that protected him from harsh winds.

Haven't you done so much for him already?

Placing both of his hands on your cheeks.

“I don’t need any gifts.” He said, softly stroking your face.

“Do you know why?” Taking his mask off, he leaned his forehead against yours as you lost yourself in his mesmerizing crimson irises.

“I already have you, my greatest present.” 

With your tender care, up until this moment, a seed that everyone thought was fated to wilt in the snow.

Now, was a flower that finally bloomed.

[feedthefandomfest]

Hiya!

I love this blog and just wanted to ask- do you know any advice on formatting and tagging for AO3?

Or just general etiquette!!

I'm not new to AO3 (reading or writing) but I haven't interacted with the actual community much and would love to know more :)

oof, I still feel like a newbie posting stuff on ao3, and tagging is something i've always struggled with. and actually formatting is also on ongoing issue 😅 so with that in mind, here's what i try to consider:

TAGGING

relationships -> tagging the main is obvious, but i'm sometimes torn about tagging side relationships that feature in the fic, especially since it's annoying to be searching for that pairing and get a bunch of results where they're not the main focus; unless the other pairing is a prominent feature, i leave it out of the relationship tags and at most add it to the additional tags

characters -> i remember updating the character tags on my early fics every time another character popped up in the story, but now i'm of the same mind as the side pairing issue; unless the character is prominently featured, i leave them out of the tags

content warning/advertising -> if i know the fic features an element that some people might wish to avoid, i always tag it and also always fret that i've forgotten to tag something in that regard. when it's more about advertising what's in the fic, especially sexual content, i sometimes feel silly listing every flavor of physical encounter unless the fic is pwp/smut (in which case i gleefully list all the depravity); i sometimes worry that over-emphasizing the sexual content in the tags is misleading? like of this 100k fic, if 15k is spent fucking, how do i get the tags to reflect that while also tag cw appropriately? is there an established tag for that?

sometimes i see fics with TONS of tags, like an exhausting amount, and sometimes i see fics with very minimal tags... sometimes frustratingly few. i also know some writers add chapter-specific warnings in the author's notes. in the end, so long as you're making it possible for people to find or avoid your fic as needed, then you're good. Here are some good posts that dive into it more!

(i remember when people on tumblr would scold writers for monologuing in the tags on ao3 like we do on here, claiming it was a strain on the system, but i believe that's been debunked?)

FORMATTING

i've noticed some MEGA annoying quirks with copy & pasting over from Google Docs and Word, and I know there are some tricks to get around them, but i tend to just slog through the Rich Text window fixing everything manually 🙃 OKAY I FOUND SOLUTIONS LINKED BELOW.

spacing problem #1 -> pet peeve of mine, but i dislike it when the paragraphs have massive spaces between them (ditto for indented paragraphs). idk why, but it's tiring for my eyes to constantly leap the chasm between paragraphs. so whenever i copy and paste from Word, which for some reason ALWAYS appears with double spacing between line breaks, i go in and manually fix it. SOLUTION

spacing problem #2 -> when copying over from Google Doc, whenever there's a punctuation mark following an italicized word, a random space appears between them. and yep, i have to go in and fix every one because typos make me twitch. (this might not be an issue for everyone; i overuse italics and dashes like it's my job) SOLUTION

spacing problem #3 -> again probably a me issue, but i tend to include song lyrics a lot, and it's always a headache to format because when pasting from the doc, ao3 embeds these spaces between the lines that i can't remove by backspacing. only fix i've found is to copy and paste lyrics directly from a website, and then it formats fine. random and annoying and weird. (no solution 😔)

since this section has just been me whining about finding SOLUTIONS for formatting issues, i'll offer one tip that's more about general editing: i try to proofread best i can in Word/GDocs, but it's always easier to spot errors when i'm reading the draft on my phone. the typos always jump out at me from a phone screen. it's now my favorite way to edit!

every writer has their own preferences on formatting, and every reader has their own level of tolerance for formatting quirks. in the end, so long as the formatting doesn't interfere with the reading experience, you're all good.

[onesunofagun]

You know, I'm going to put a thought down because I'm thinking about this again because of the post earlier.

It might be a vent? I think it's more just me trying to describe a feeling so it's outside me and I can look at it.

I've seen a lotta discourse and a lot of theories and different takes out there. There's always gonna be some stuff that's frustrating because it's something Sus being widely normalised, but generally speaking, I think the varied perspective and ideas are always good thing in a fandom.

I've seen all sorts of ideas be explored-- in fics, in doujins and art, in roleplay, in lore essays-- over the years. I like to think I have a pretty good map on the fandoms I've been online and present in since the early 00s. I can usually remember context about how certain stuff came about, like what tropes or ideas got popular when and how, whether through shipping or fanon or mangas or general knowledge about the development process.

When you've been in a fandom a long time-- especially if you have made a lot of contributions to it, at any point-- sometimes you even have a part in shaping certain idea flows within it, yourself.

So I have had the chance to see and contribute to a lot of conversations that have happened over and over and over again, in a kind of generational way. I have seen certain discussions from old forums, translate to fics. I've seen them pop up on tumblr, then tumble to Reddit, then YouTube. I have watched the spread through the general sphere of things, get added to and turned over and re-examined.

For the record: I love watching that process, and I like being part of that process! Mentally tracking the grandfathered in fandom history has also become its own kinda hobby for me.

I've always found it interesting mapping where new fans come in, seeing how they orient themselves and what they pick up-- how and why and what they do with it, whether I appreciate it or not (I highlight biases that are related to harmful ideas when I see them to illuminate them).

Seeing certain concepts be repeatedly rediscovered and watching how certain waves of fans digest them is fascinating. Sometimes with surprising results, sometimes with disappointing results, but it's fascinating either way. That's kind of part of the appeal having been here so long and why I came back into (mild) activity-- I get to study and dissect the fandom behaviours as well.

But despite all of that, I've found I don't really appreciate a good number of the popular YouTubers who focus on Zelda as their channel topic.

I think I've developed a bit of a distaste for a few of them in particular, actually--the big number Zeldatuber channels. Mostly the ones that seem to be the theorycrafters that kinda followed on from a MatPat style format. All of my love to well researched videos analysing the themes and meta, and all the silly boundary breaks and speedruns, mind. But I found I got really disillusioned with the handful of channels that rose to prominence and how their content shifted with that growth.

With the potential to monetise their discussions and discords worth of people and patrons driving this kinda content, I do think a lot about things that have been discussed in the fandom in the past that get taken up and regurgitated as part of that grind. I have lost track of how many videos that have come out of a few big Zeldatubers of this vein gave me a really weird slimy feeling and I am trying to work out what it is.

I'm not super invested in watching much of Zeldatube at large, mostly because I've seen most popular subjects covered in many variations. I'm a lot more personally interested in analysis, rather than theorycraft, so take it with a grain of salt that I may have a bias too (The popular Zonai fixation really doesn't interest me at all, and Zeldatube burnt out on that hard).

A lot of the channels like this seem to present their stuff like it is brand new and never been seen before, and like it's a great achievement in sleuthing or that they've cracked a code-- but not in a fun feeling way. Not in an exciting personal discovery way, but in a way that feels like it's propping up an exclusivity around that channel, and its validity as a leading authority on Zeldadom. There's something vaguely newsfeed-like, or sensationalist about it to me, with tight knit associations to other big channels making the same type of content (and about the same types of subjects as far as I ever noticed, and widely overlapping perspectives).

I wonder if that's a cynical feeling that I have where I'm just being an old man yelling at clouds, but there's really something that rubs me wrong about the handful of top channels like this. Something about the way they generate and present, and potentially profit from, often long running fandom concepts and otherwise freely shared ideas that have had many contributions feels off.

Maybe it's also me struggling to understand the closed off nature of how a lot of people just absorb the series secondhand now, and how normal it is to have the most popular Zeldatube channels setting the tones and assumptions around lore for large swatches of the newer fans. And not because old guard gatekeeping, but because there's an obvious chasm there between new and old fans of the same media that now exists that's seemingly getting wider.

I do sometimes worry about the trend of recycled old fanon staples presented as brand new takes, because of that-- or worse, sold as the definitive take, especially when a lot of people do just accept them and then go off and start arguments because 'big Zeldatube said so' and they must know best.

Sometimes I wonder if the trend is actually adding to issues with consumption vs engagement, in terms of media literacy and fandom interaction. There's certainly some theories, because of these channels, widely taken as a kind of gospel from the 'zelda experts' like the discussion is already closed; mystery solved. I've legit seen smaller youtubers be accused of stealing or copying theories from the larger channels, when making detailed and well researched videos about canon lore. I have had multiple interactions with fans who just link to a popular video and be like 'here watch this, it'll explain it' like they can't even be bothered to have their own take, but they're also not interested in yours.

The way big Zeldatube presents itself and gets consumed at large, though, I guess I just don't recognise that as the same as seeing a new fan have a joyful discovery of something from their own interactions with the franchise and fandom. I realise that the channel runners are fans themselves, but I suppose I mean that the platform feels more like a degree of professional separation that's very closed. It's become 'Zelda is my job now' thing that's focused on interest trends and news.

Something something, decades of fandom interaction and discussion and archiving getting scraped and haphazardly slapped together again for the content grind because clout and profit??

That feels mean to say but--

"Like and subscribe and join my patreon for more content, often mined from various thoughts around the fandom to make up a new video to schedule" is how it often tastes to me and that's not a flavour I enjoy.

Again, by all means, not applicable to the whole of Zeldatube or many fans who do watch the big channels. But this kinda thing does feel like a pervasive and popular part of the theorycrafter channels. Commodification of theory, and exploitative platforms built off a community's back, leave a lot of the big Zeldatubers without my support or endearment. I feel incredibly conflicted about them.

Is that anything?

[olderthannetfic]

How I would do 2023 ship stats

You know, normally, I don't bother to do much with top AO3 ships stats. That's partly because someone already does it and partly because I think they're stupid stats that just lead to people gloating about their blorbos "winning". But I do routinely have a look at what's new and popular when I'm doing things like making a dance party playlist for Escapade Con, just so I know what fans might be getting into lately. I have to say, collecting these is not hard. It's not even particularly time consuming.

Doing it super efficiently would be easier with a script, yes, but most fandom stats aren't actually collected with scripts, and if you're only looking for the top 100 ships, you can more or less do that by hand. How I would set about it for you, the random fan who's curious but not curious enough to learn to code, would be to log into AO3 and then find tags where you can see the sidebar. They should be tags that encompass the whole archive and that are mandatory and unique… in other words, ratings.

Since every AO3 work must have one and only one rating, you can just check these five and get a good sense of what's on there. There are some minor wrinkles to iron out, but it's a good preliminary research step.

The way you want to do it is to start with a spreadsheet. Open up your ratings URLs (and also paste them in the spreadsheet for convenience—google sheets will make clickable links). Copy all the sidebar top ships into a list. Filter out all of these ships. Copy the next set, etc. After a while, you'll have a good list that's longer than 100 ships but that most likely contains everything really popular. (Filter for things posted/updated/whatever in the past year if that's the data you're after. Filter for f/f or whatever topic you're interested in if that's the question you're asking instead.)

Use your spreadsheet to generate the actual links for each of these ships. AO3 URLs are predictable: you can generate them from knowing the exact spelling of the tag and the normal format of this type of URL. (There are a bunch of standard spreadsheet functions that can be used to get rid of the work count numbers you've copied from AO3 to get just the pure ship tags. I'd use things like =right() and =left().)

Open the links. Copy the work totals back to your spreadsheet. Voilà!

One drawback of this method is, obviously, that it's boring and tedious, but if you didn't like boring and tedious, why were you collecting fandom stats anyway?

A more important drawback is that in using exclude filters, it's possible you could miss a ship. If the posting patterns are just right, there might be something that has its numbers reduced by excluding other ships that should be on your list. You could have a similar issue if the ships on your list are mostly one rating (so higher in those searches) and some other slightly larger overall ship is spread more evenly. I would try to ameliorate this problem by looking at the sizes of the smallest ships you're covering. They will likely be bigger than the entire fandom section for most fandoms. Taking another look at the bigger fandoms that could be hiding a small-end-of-big ship can help double-check that you haven't missed anything. Grabbing the top 130 or 150 ships in some search while only looking for the top 100 will likely find most of the edge stuff too.

Add any ships that look like they should be double checked to your spreadsheet. Add their work totals. Re-sort your list.

Another thing to consider is that AO3 keeps track of the most recent update date on fics. That's what's easy to search by. If you're only interested in when a work was first posted, easy manual filtering isn't the way to go… However, if the objective is to see which ship tags were active in a given year, most recent update date is the relevant piece of data anyway.

You're not going to recreate centreoftheselights' exact analysis unless you collect data year to year, but you can come up with something pretty similar that answers a similar question, and you don't need to be a programmer to do it.

In the end, accept that some data require hard collection methods that a site doesn't easily offer you and you might have to scrape multiple times a year with a script if you want to know that particular thing… or you might have to randomly sample and hand-count as with FFN shipping stats. (Yes, I've done it. It can be done. It's just annoying.)

So when you're setting out to look at some stats question, the big first step is to decide what you're even asking and why and whether you're just wimping out and going with what's easy to collect instead of what you actually want to know.

...now I'm kind of curious. Maybe I'll go pull some 2023 numbers.

[arimiaromage]

well guess I'll post the NeaPasta fic I won't finish lolll. I'm not used to writing in this format (I normally write in 1st person script format) so apologies for the scuff

a Bookman and a Noah find themselves together one moonlight night...

"Bookman, show me how to dance."

Allen turned around towards the voice with a wry look on his face. His expression was only somewhat hidden underneath his wide-brimmed glasses and the low lighting of night. Nea was leaning against an illuminated window sill, arms crossed. But instead of his usual cocky grin, a thin scowl hung on his lips.

"...Why?" The words left Allen’s mouth cautiously.

Allen squinted at him, trying to discern what kind of trick this was. This was Nea we’re talking about, after all. Despite being raised as a noble with more confidence than a king, Nea didn’t have an elegant bone in his body. The Noah—and Katerina—had long given up trying to set him up with a lovely lady. This had to be a joke.

Nea’s scowl turned into a grimace.

"Because the Noah want to have some kind of damn ball for our 17th birthday."

Allen put a hand on his hip. "And you didn’t protest?"

"..."

Nea’s eyes darted away.

"Mana agreed to it."

Allen sighed. There it is. Mana "agreeing" to it probably meant Mana thought it sounded fun, and with Mana so happy-looking there was no way Nea could just not go along with it.

Nea scoffed, fiddling with his cuffs. His eyebrows were upturned, but there was something more begrudging about his demeanor tonight. Something more... impatient. High strung.

Oh my God, Allen thought. He’s serious.

Allen sighed, "...And you think I’m going to teach you? Why not ask your family?"

"Not going to happen", Nea glared.

Allen rearranged some of the books on his desk, looking downwards to hide his grin.

"I’m sure Road would be happy to help."

"No."

"Why not wing it like you normally do, stepping on people's feet until no one offers a dance?"

"I’m leaving."

"Wait!" Allen interjected.

His voice was a little too quick, a little too loud. Nea stopped in his tracks but left Allen speechless.

A stillness overtook the room as the two silently stared at each other. Allen’s heart quickened by the second.

"...Fine."

He straightened up, pressing against his vest and fixing his posture. A silent sigh. Calm down, he thought—the two had pledged to save the world together, so how bad could a late night dance be? Nea was more than capable in a fight. A few choreographed steps shouldn’t be that hard for him.

Still... There was something rising in his chest. Apprehension? Trepidation?

Allen stepped towards a table against the wall where his record player was. A few moments later and a quiet hum filled the room as piano keys started to play.

He exhaled once more, slower this time. And then he smiled.

"This’ll be good for my notes. ‘Can Noah pick up any new skill or are they helpless to change’?"

Nea held his hand out, his typical confidence returning.

"We’ll see about that."

Allen took Nea’s hand in his, becoming self conscious at how warm Nea’s were compared to his own clammy hands. Despite all of his physical training, Nea’s fingers weren’t coarse—they were smooth and slender, just like a pianists’ should be. As if he’d never had to fight before. As if he really was just a rich kid. The feeling in his chest only became more pronounced.

Nea cleared his throat, making Allen almost jump. "And?"

Allen brought his gaze to Nea’s shoulders, but couldn’t manage any higher. It’s because Nea had such a strong gaze, especially up close- yeah, that’s it, Allen told himself.

"One person puts their hand on the other person’s chest or shoulder-" Allen laid his hand on Nea’s right shoulder. "-and the other puts their hand on the person’s back, below their shoulder blade."

Much to Allen’s chagrin, Nea cupped his waist in his hand.

Allen fixed his own posture. "Stand straight."

Nea muttered a curse under his breath.

Piano notes from the major key spun around in the moonlit room. Allen took the first step. He guided Nea past his desk, each step precise.

Allen's quaint study had at first seemed too small for the pair, but with his careful guidance, the room felt like a ballroom. Two steps to the left, one backwards, one right, two forwards, and so on. As the music calmed his nerves, he eased up and let the rhythm take control.

A Noah and a Bookman, hand in hand, for none of the world to see except the moon.

In the corner of the room, a haphazardly thrown together suitcase sat open. One half had books & snacks neatly strapped down while the other side had clothes strewn about.

Nea looked back at him. "Aren’t you leaving at the end of the month?"

Allen sighed, "I was, but it looks like I’ll be leaving this weekend instead. The sooner I’m gone, the sooner I’ll get back, though."

His gaze wandered off, looking past Nea.

"Another country, another war."

"..."

He feinted a small laugh.

"If my train gets delayed any, the war might be over before I even get there."

The pair made a turn together, maneuvering around a large oak desk. A glint crossed Nea’s eyes as he opened his mouth.

"What will your name be this time?"

Allen narrowed his eyes at Nea with a thin smile on his lips. "I can’t tell you that."

Nea frowned.

"Why not? I won’t be anywhere near the place."

"You’re not involved with the record. I’m not breaking tradition."

"What if I guess it?"

"Hmm... No."

Nea leaned closer.

"I bet you haven’t even figured out a name yet."

Allen paused for a moment. Bullseye.

"...I won’t be telling it to you, so what does it matter?"

Nea threw his head back and laughed.

"What does it matter? You’ll be on a train coming back to Edinstown before you come up with a name you like! You’re so damn picky!"

The music changed time signatures. Their steps quickened to match the new pace.

"I’m not picky! I just refuse to be called anything that’s not... fitting."

Even though he tried to choose his words carefully, Nea lunged at the hesitation.

"So is ‘Allen’ a fitting name or just something you settled for to shut me up?"

Nea’s eyes were penetrating. Although there was a smile on his lips, it was sharp, his words ready to cut any indecisiveness.

Allen stepped back, leading Nea with him. He tried to scoff the idea off.

"I went with it, didn’t I?"

Taking the lead, Nea guided him back towards the window. Their faces were illuminated by the moonlight, only further showcasing Allen struggling to come up with words.

"Because I insisted?"

Nea hadn’t insisted and knew he hadn’t, but it backed Allen up even further into a corner.

When the young Bookman junior had traveled to Edinstown several years prior, tasked to document the unnatural occurrence of the Earl going missing, he hadn’t a name for the mission. Each story required a new identity to go with the record- a new lie for himself to adopt that would be solidified as the name of the record. And yet, when he arrived in Scotland for presumably the longest mission of his life, he couldn’t decide.

Bookman had always told him not to get sentimental, that names were things to pick up and throw away at the drop of a hat. The only part of it that would stick was the name of the record. But even after years of having heard it, "Allen" found that hard to swallow. If anything, his travels made it harder for him to accept it as fact.

Names were gifts. They gave people not only a sense of belonging in their communities, but a sense of self. They cemented their existence.

"Allen" had long since thrown away countless names, but the people he had encountered in those times hadn’t. Of all of the people he had met prior, there had to be at least a couple that still remembered him by those discarded names. Right?

That brief sense of existential dread is what lingered over "Allen" as a young boy when he first walked through the town. What would he want to be known as for however many years he was here? For all he knew, he might spend the rest of his life working on this mission—the Earl was 7000 years old, after all.

Despite all of his late night pondering, he was introduced to the young twins without a name- something Nea couldn’t fathom.

"Why don’t you have a name?"

The Bookman junior shifted uneasily but made an effort to put on his best face.

"I’ll have a name soon."

Nea didn’t buy it.

"You weren’t born with one? Why didn’t your parents give you one?" He questioned.

Had it been an adult asking him this or a child even younger than him, the Bookman junior would’ve shrugged it off. But being pestered about it by someone his own age was something new and uncomfortable.

"They did! ...But I...I want to go by a different one."

How could he explain the intricacies of a Bookman’s life? He had seen enough to understand that his life was a completely different existence than other humans.

Seeing the Bookman junior’s discomfort, the older twin interjected.

"When you know what you want us to call you, just let us know."

Mana’s smile felt a tinge sweeter when put next to his brother’s uncouth look.

Nea flippantly shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don’t take too long."

And so, the junior stayed with the Campbells for a time without a name. A proper name, that is, as Nea bombarded him with nicknames, each sticking less than the previous one.

"If you don’t give us a name, I’m going to put ‘four eyes’ on all of your stuff."

The junior swatted Nea away.

"I told you to call me Bookman! Why isn’t that good enough for you?"

Nea just folded his arms.

"That’s not a name, that’s a title."

From across the room, Mana chirped in.

"We call the older man Bookman, so why don’t we call you Junior?"

He shot a glare at Mana.

"No. I’m not going to have people my age call me just ‘junior’."

Nea grinned.

"Sounds just like something that a junior would say."

The Bookman junior jumped to his feet and chased Nea around the room, trying to hit him with his book. It was hard to hear what he was yelling at him over Nea’s own laughter.

...

A strong gust from the North rippled through the wheat field, making the golden sea shine extra bright in the sunlight. Sunny days like these were soon to be a rarity as fall set in, but for the moment the boys enjoyed their time outside under the broad limbs of Cornelia.

The young Noah stretched out, yawning.

"I don’t wanna go."

He said this lazily, almost aimlessly noncommittal, throwing his hand out in swishing motion.

The Bookman junior sighed.

"The Noah clan invited you to dinner. It’s best if you attend."

Nea groaned, "But I don’t like them!"

The junior readjusted his glasses, trying to come up with the quickest way to end this conversation- the same conversation they’d already had several times over.

"You’re a Noah now. You can’t just avoid your family."

Nea snorted.

"Sure I can. I’m doing a pretty good job at that now."

With the strong shadows underneath Cornelia’s branches and Nea’s head being turned, the junior couldn’t make out his expression.

"...I don’t want to go without Mana."

Nea’s gaze was set on the far off horizon, ever out of reach.

His voice was quiet as he muttered, "Why am I a Noah?"

He reached his hand out. His fingertips grazed the golden wheat fluttering in the wind.

"What’s the point of me having a near immortal body if Mana can’t even leave the house?"

The junior looked down at the book in his lap and silently closed it. He’d heard people curse the heavens; he’d seen people pass away; he’d even been witness to mindless violence, all in the name of recording history. But there was something about Nea’s small voice that made him feel a tinge of shame.

He wasn’t a doctor, but... Sitting here under the broad shade of Cornelia, with the vast blue sky cloudless in front of them...

"I feel so helpless."

The words were uttered once and carried away in the wind as soon as they left Nea’s lips. They were never meant for anyone’s ears but the junior heard them regardless.

"..."

Allen looked out over the vast field ahead of them and then back towards the house where Katerina was attending to Mana. Out here, the problem seemed so far away...

"Then live for him."

Before he knew it, he was trying to comfort Nea. They managed to shift the conversation away, talking about the flowers blooming and what boring event the Noah would drag Nea to and even what was for dinner. Anything to get their minds off of Mana's looming sickness. —Anything so Allen didn't have to record those tears.

[goatcheesecak3]

Maybe a story where the reader helps clean and patch up Gavin after a rough bar fight.

Gavin Ellis X F!reader

Fic type: fluff

Warnings: mention of physical altercation, blood, alcohol

Summary: Your boyfriend, Gavin, comes home drunk out of his mind and it's your job to patch him up.

A/N hello! sorry it took me so long to get around to this, but i hope you enjoy it! if anyone wants the m!reader version just let me know! also, sorry if the formatting is weird, i'm posting this from my laptop lmao

Midnight. Gavin had gone out for drinks with Ray a few hours ago, and he still wasn’t home. Initially, y/n hadn’t been worried, she knew Gavin wouldn’t risk going anywhere too sleazy with Ray, not after the last time he had roped Ray into that world. Unbelievably, even being used as a drug mule by Gavin wasn’t enough to make Ray give up on him. They needed eachother in certain ways, Ray kept Gavin grounded and sensible, and Gavin made sure Ray actually had fun – y/n was more than grateful that her asshole boyfriend had at least one responsible and kind friend. However, as the minutes ticked on by, she felt herself growing anxious. What if Gav had left Ray to go see some of his old “work associates”? what if he’d gotten himself arrested? Oh god, what if he was dead in a ditch somewhere? What if- *CLUNK * - the front door opened.

“y/n? are you up?” she heard a familiar voice call softly from the hall. It was Ray, with a nearly comatose Gavin slung over his shoulder like a bindle.

“Christ! How much did the silly prick drink?” y/n gasped.

“Enough to get in a punch up with a guy twice his size” Ray answered, his voice shy, but light hearted, as though he was unsure if he was allowed to laugh.

“Just dump him on the sofa, Ray, I’ll take him up to bed after I clean that blood off his face”

Ray obliged.

“You’re a saint for putting up with him,” y/n chuckled, reaching into her purse, “here, get yourself a cab home, your mum must be worried sick by now”

…

“Agh… what the…” Gavin winced as he came back around

“Shhh, don’t be a baby” y/n teased, dabbing a cut on his lip with an alcohol pad.

“When did I get hom- OW! Can you cut that out?!”

“about ten minutes ago, Ray carried you here”

Gavin’s tired eyes filled with dread.

“did he tell you about…”

“the fistfight? Yeah, it might’ve come up” y/n said, raising her eyebrows and shooting him a pissed off look.

Gavin knew he fucked up, he’d promised y/n he’d stay on the straight and narrow, he knew how much it upset her when he got into fights. He was on thin ice with the law as it was, he should have been keeping his head down and his nose clean- easy as pie in theory, but when some cunt at the bar shouts “Oi Gav, yer new bird dresses like a slag” it gets particularly difficult.

“Babe, it’s not what you think, this dickhead was saying all sorts of horrible shit about you, I was like… defending your honour” Gavin stumbled over his words, desperately trying to explain himself.

Y/n’s expression softened.

“You’re an idiot, Gav. I don’t need you to beat people up for me. That guy probably didn’t even know who I was, more than likely he just wanted to get a rise out of you” She sighed as she applied some ointment – more gently this time – onto a scrape on his cheek.

“C’mon, don’t I get any credit at all for trying to stick up for you? Look at how busted up my lip is!” Gavin whined slightly, a cheeky grin forming on his face.

Y/n attempted to stay serious, but she couldn’t help herself from smiling.

“If I kiss it better will you pack it in?”

“Maybe”

She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss onto Gavin’s still slightly bloody lips.

“better?”

“much better” Gavin grinned, his eyes droopy and a big dopey smile plastered on his face.

“c’mon you big softie, let’s get you some rest. You’ve got a lovely headache to look forward to tomorrow” Y/N teased, taking Gavin’s hand and kissing his cheek lovingly. God he was an idiot, but a cute idiot.

[valeffelees]

An Ask Game for Writers to Procrastinate Working on Your WIP(s)

thank you kindly for tagging me @shrekgogurt @youarenevertooold, and @monbons i've been seeing this game make its rounds on my dash and was really hoping someone would pull me in!

🦈 Tell us the name of one of your WIP(s)

my main three wips at the moment are without sun, ballad of the final sparrow, which is more commonly known as bitverse, and fragile things (and how to break them), but i've also been fucking around a bit the last two or three weeks with a new (terrible, evil, very self-indulgent) wip called god-forbid.

🍄 Describe one of your WIPs in the format of “___ + ___ =___”  

i think i might be dumb bc i don't understand this question at all.

🌍 What tags or warnings will your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it?

bitverse: heavy angst, psychological horror elements, alcohol abuse, allusions to suicide, unhealthy coping mechanisms, dead dove: do not eat.

🧭 An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

ballad of the final sparrow -> baz is typing fragile things (and how to break them) -> there's a werewolf in london god-forbid -> the gap between a tragedy and comedy

⚠️ Which WIP you’re most likely to finish or update next?

i have no idea. i mean, you'd think the answer would be without sun since it's the only fic i actually have posted at the moment, but unfortunately i am an untrustworthy villain.

💾 What is the document of your WIP called? (Not the story title, but what you’ve saved it as.)

same as the fic title. if i start a new wip and don't know what to call it, i'll pick something at random and add (working title) at the end.

🖍 Post any sentence from your WIP

from without sun:

“You don’t like peppermint,” he says. But maybe she does. Maybe that’s one more thing he can add to his growing list of things he got wrong about Agatha Wellbelove. No. 1 — Dislikes peppermint; actually, she is quite fond of it. No. 2 — Likes Simon Snow; him, not so much.

♻️ A scrapped idea for your current WIP

one of the biggest changes i made to the plot of without sun really early on was penelope's role in the story. i had a clear idea of the story i wanted to tell as soon as i saw the prompt for the fic. without sun was always supposed to be about more than simon and baz. the story is about grief and love, and the space we take up in the lives of the people around us. but n e way, in my orig draft, penny was actually supposed to be able to communicate with simon a bit, and there was gonna be a whole sect of scenes in the middle of the fic where they sat around together trying to break simon's curse what we know and what we don't know style via passing notes. i ended up tossing this idea really quickly tho, and i'm glad i did bc one of my favourite moments i've ever written in any fic happens in chapter two of without sun and it belongs to simon and penny.

🤔 What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

so many. or, well—what counts as "haven't even started"? i hate to let ideas sit around in my head bc it feels like leaving raspberries in the fridge for too long, like that shit is gonna get mould on it, so usually the first thing i do is rough out a few scenes and/or script out a very rough outline of the plot (like this / this / this style) so that i have something to come back to later. i have dozens of zero drafts just lying tf around. but otherwise, yeah, so many. one big idea i have is called heart on fire and it's based on fanart, but i haven't started it yet bc obvs i wanna get permission from the artist first but i've been holding off reaching out to them about it until i've knocked a few of my less intimidating longfics off my wip list bc heart on fire is gonna fucking hefty so i don't wanna give'r until i'm sure i can manage it.

🤡 How many WIPs are you actively working on?

LMFAO

🛠 Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

i'm having a real bitch of a time with agatha's main scene in chapter two of without sun, i've been fighting with it on and off for months, but i can't get it to do what i want it to do.

❤️ Not a question, just a second kudos to send.

cheers!

sorry for any doubles but, tagging: @drowninginships @cosmicalart @that-disabled-princess @fatalfangirl @cutestkilla @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @roomwithanopenfire @hushed-chorus @blackberrysummerblog @imagineacoolusername @nightimedreamersworld @prettygoododds @confused-bi-queer @mooncello and an open tag for anybody else who wants to procrastinate their wips!

[sykloni2]

TMA fic recs

I have been reading a lot of the Magnus Archives fanfiction lately and there is this very specific type of fic I have been enjoying a lot: email conversations, official forms, HR complaints etc. I find looking at the Magnus Institute through that kind of perspective really interesting and fun, because despite everything it is a workplace. There are a lot of people who are trying to do their jobs with varying success.

These types of fics are probably not for everyone. I can see why someone might find emails and documents dry to read or just not vibe with the formatting, but I'm sure there are also people who love these kinds of fics as much as I do.

Beholding the GDPR: How the Magnus Institute Updated Its Privacy Policy for the Twenty-First Century And Only Caused One Nervous Breakdown In The Process

by shinyopal 1/1 (~9k)

This fic is told through emails and the Institute's new messaging app. Christopher Davies has been hired as Institute's Data Protection officer and he gets right to work.

The fic gives really nice look into how the Institute functions as a workplace (or doesn't). Can't recommend more. I feel for Chris so much.

RE: Jon Sims Complaints (edited)

by starcore 1/1 (~10k)

Jennifer Barnes from HR contacts Jon through email about the 500 complaints concerning him. Also Wikipedia Leitner :)

matter of accountability

by wadtefulreverie 1/1 (~12.5k)

HR shows up in Jon's office to go through the record amount of complaints about him.

Very fun outsider POV fic.

End Racism in the OTW | Xenotic Events: Guidelines for Public Health Management

by imperfectcircle 1/1 (~5.5k)

This fic is written as an official document (or I quess since it's still being edited -a draft of one). Jon is the main representative from the Magnus Institute giving his input in the comments, but he is hard to get a hold of for clarification so we also hear from some other archival staff.

Overall very unique fic. Jon says some concerning stuff on an official document (some of it actually very warranted). Also wasps. I won't elaborate on that.

Informed Consent and Other Cosmic Ironies

by KiaraSayre 1/1 (~0.5k)

Tim who doesn't give a fuck anymore fills out some paperwork.

Short and a lot of fun.

The Supervision and Oversight (Irregularities) (EU Exit) Regulations 2017: a post-exit regulatory regime for the Magnus Institute

by raven (singlecrow) 1/1 (~2.5k)

This fic is about Magnus Institute's regulatory position after Brexit. Once again written like an official document where discussions happen in its comments.

Here is one of my favorite quotes to convince you to read this:

"we take the view that the regulation of institutions such as ours should remain with the European Agency for Oversight of Irregularities, who may not know that much about what they are doing but have at least had since 1972 to not know that much about it."

Ask an Exec: How to Navigate Cultish Colleagues, Soul-Stealing Bosses, and the End of the World at Work

by shinyopals 6/6 (~43.5k)

Jon seeks advice from a management advice blog after his sudden promotion to the head archivist. He keeps writing to the blog even when things escalate.

I loved this fic. It was fun to see outsider perspective on Jon's problems and people (Jon included) putting together that he is 100% working in a cult.