#there's a few tw but only bc i mention why u gotta fuckin TW

[whirlybirbs]

(clears throat and climbs onto my content creator soapbox)

hi, i have something to say.

stop taking advantage of fandom writers.

earlier this morning, i was tagged in a ‘writing challenge’.

i’m not going to link it because it’s apparent that this person has gotten ‘hate’ for posting & tagging, anyways. that’s all the comments are on this post -- people saying this person is an angel, and undeserving of the kick-back. 

i disagree. this person needs to learn why what they’re doing is wrong.

i’m not unsettled bc i was tagged in it -- i love getting tagged in writing challenges and wish i had more time to do more!

it’s the rules of this challenge + precedent it attempts to set, as well as the amount of recognizable fandom writers, mutuals and followers i saw on this list.

and i am not about to let y’all be taken advantage of.

this challenge starts off by stating only to enter if you follow the rules and then proceeds to launch into a set of rules that caters to the creator of the challenge:

“must be she/her/hers, late 20′s-30′s, plus-size preferred, only angst if it ends in fluff, no wlw, must be romantic relationship with male main only...” 

and it only get’s worse.

“please be general to appearance (unless you want to use mine)” “please use Y/N (or my name if you really want to)” “smut/nsfw is fine (but no spanking/choking/anything triggering please)”

the challenge creator then lists a good chunk of characters you can write for, then outlines another section:

“pick at least 1 - reader’s personal situation”

small boobs, depression, anxiety, other mental disorder, physical disability, disease, non-american (most fanfics are american-based) (i’m australian), virgin, never-been-kissed/never dated, reader abused as a child, lonely/friendless, scared of rejection, guarded reader, shy, bullied by family / ”friends” / coworkers, ticklish.

if you’re not picking up what i’m putting down by now, here’s the deal.

here in whirlybirb’s world, i’ve got a few strict rules i follow when it comes to written requests in my ask box. i won’t write self-harm / depression / abuse / bullying. 

why?

because you never know what the writer’s triggers are, and furthermore, what the mass of my follower’s triggers are. i try my best to tag anything that could possibly be triggering and still -- i won’t put an abuse prompt next to small boobs. 

if we want to strive for a more diverse range of reader-inserts, i’ve got news: this ain’t it. 

but, it’s pretty clear why the challenge creator is listing these things -- i mean, it’s a “give ___ some love” challenge anyways. there is a clear disregard for the writers being called on and their triggers. it’s disgusting. 

so, all the gross stuff ignored, what’s the deal? i mean, it’s a challenge, birbs.

alright, say i’m a painter. you come to my studio and i ask, “what should i paint today?” and you say, “it’s nice out! you should paint outside” and i think... wow! you’re right. i will. 

you don’t need to pay me. i asked, you gave a vague suggestion that allows me to exercise my creative free will. 

now, you waltz into my studio and ask me to paint “a female, late 20′s, plus size, with green eyes and purple hair and she’s holding Bucky Barnes’ hand”. that’s called a commission, and honey you gotta pay up. 

so, what’s the difference with writing? and it’s a challenge, you win something, duh, birbs. 

right! yeah, but in this case, after they’ve called on writers, ignoring the offensiveness of the prompts and rules, and asked for a very specific self-insert, surely they offer a prize for compete in this challenge, right?

i mean, that’s the whole point of these challenges. there’s usually something you gain -- whether it be a care package or a spot on a follow-forever or a trade fic. surely, after jumping through the loops in this very specific, offensive, triggering challenge, you get something?

nope. 

in conclusion, fucking pay content creators for your extremely limited + detailed request and stop trying to weasel one out of this community.

y’all work too hard to be swindled into a ‘challenge’ that give you nothing to gain, that’s disrespectful, that’s unfair. don’t let people take advantage of your skills.