#unforth writes

[unforth]

An elven prince appears in your bedroom.

"You are commanded to serve me in the summer court," they tell you.

"I've never told me you my name!" you exclaim. "You have no..." you trail off, though, as you realize in horror...you can't refute the prince. Their words compel. You can feel the power of the geas, the strength of their authority.

Frantic, you try to think when you could have erred.

And then you realize.

Yesterday, you had noticed your Facebook account was logged out, so you used your name and password to log back in.

But no, you hadn't been logged out.

You'd accidentally gone to Faebook, not Facebook.

And now, they had your name...

[wolffyluna]

Trick or treat! Hualian pigeon au (inspired by your Inktober art 🤣 )

So. This is a week later.

My excuse is, I came up with this idea for a full length fic that I thought would be fun. Sure, it was a pigeon keeping AU, but close enough. And then I started writing it, and realised that it didn't need to be as long as I planned it to be? And that by making it longer, I would have not so much as 'over egged the pudding' as 'made a sweet omellete.'

...except then it wasn't even a pigeon keeping AU?

So, I have a picture of HuaLian as pigeons.

And I have a post-canon pigeon fic.

***

Xie Lian sat on the edge of a fountain, watching as the crowds milled apart the market. The bubbling sound cut half the hubbub, and the scent of clean water cut half the smell of fried food and cooking meat.

Hua Cheng sat next to him, scanning the crowds as well, looking almost as if he was Xie Lian’s guard.

Which was funny, because they were out here in this mortal town on Ghost City business. Xie Lian didn’t have any reason to come, just— Hua Cheng had only just recently returned to him, and he was still greedy for his company. But the business was over, and they both sat around lazily, with nothing better to do.

Xie Lian munched on one of the red bean buns Hua Cheng insisted on buying for him.

A pigeon walked up to them, in that shy back and forth bob as they tried to test how close they dared to get for the reward of crumbs. She held her wings tight, ready to spring into flight at the merest twitch from the scary ‘humans.’

She was smell enough that he guessed she was a hen. Mostly white, with a strip of iridescent gray around her neck like a piece of jewellery. Very pretty, for a feral bird.

The pigeon keepers in Xianle had always favoured that pattern. The dovecotes in the palace were filled with as many pied birds like her as they were with pure white ones.

Maybe she was a distant descendant. That was a nice thought.

He pinched off a bit of bun, and tossed it to her.

She pecked at it, with great gusto and happy coos.

Hua Cheng leaned over to watch, taking the excuse to put his hand on top of Xie Lian’s. “Encouraging the rabble, I see?”

Xie Lian laughed. “Supporting my fellow busker.” He threw her another piece. A few more pigeons crept up cautiously, but she commanded enough presence that they didn’t dare approach yet. “She is a very charming performer.” If she was a long lost descendant of dove royalty, scraping a living out on the streets— well, she was fat and at least happy for now. That was something.

Hua Cheng’s eye crinkled. “I fear this San Lang is a phillistine.”

Xie Lian laughed again, and handed him some crumbs to distribute. “It takes time to properly appreciate the art, but my San Lang is so clever, I’m sure he could pick it up quickly.”

[duckprintspress]

Hi there, i'm not sure this is in your wheel house, and I hate to waste your time, but I had a question and wonder if you might be able to offer advice (no worries if you can't or don't want to). i write a lot of fan fiction, but also have lots of idea about non-fan fiction stories. when i've tried to write them, however, I find the idea of getting a whole story out to be sufficiently intimidating that i've never been able to do it (there are probably other reasons for this of course, too). i love the A03 capability of posting one chapter (which can be super short) at a time; it's a real impetus to keep going without having to complete an entire work up front, esp if the feedback along the way is encouraging. what is your take on getting an original fiction story out in a03, but then trying to get it published elsewhere afterwards (taking it down from a03 at that point if necessary)? is that something feasible to try to do?

or perhaps you have other recs? (I don't think my original stories (unlike my fan fic) is likely to be focused on LGBTQIA+ relationships or issues, and i'm straight, so i suspect it's not what your publishing house is focusing on)

thank you so much for even reading this message.

Howdy anon! So there's a few things brought up in this message, and I'll try to answer each.

First: yes, we love offering advice and getting asks! Srsly, you and everyone, don't hesitate to drop stuff like this in our inbox, I love answering them, and if I (hi, I'm @unforth, meatspace name Claire, pen name/editing name Nina, and I own the Press and run our social media accounts) don't know the answer, I can kick 'um to the DPP server and get more folks to weigh in!

Second: yeah, motivation is a constant challenge, and what works is always going to be different for everyone. Those comments each chapter can be all that keeps me going on a long fanfic sometimes (and even they're not enough sometimes, oops, shovels a bunch of unfinished wip under the carpet behind themself)

Specifically, you ask: what is your take on getting an original fiction story out in a03, but then trying to get it published elsewhere afterwards (taking it down from a03 at that point if necessary)?

So, works are absolutely converted from AO3 stories to published stories. I can think of a half-dozen examples off the top of my head (one of the most recent being Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk, which started as a Dean Winchester/Jimmy Novak fic). However, I'd point out that original fiction gets very VERY low engagement on AO3. Most of the conversions I know of are people taking fanfiction and either scrubbing the barcodes (as in, swapping character names and removing/replacing canon references) or completely rewriting it. If the feel you're struggling with is "I want to get fanfic-like engagement but on a completely original work" I think you'd struggle to get that on AO3; virtually no one I know who has posted original works on AO3 has gotten that engagement on those works.

Publishing it as original fiction that you don't substantially change for publication will also weaken your ability to get it published. It'll guarantee that you can only apply with it to places that allow/do reprints, because you've already "used" the First Worldwide Publication Rights that most publishers will want for an original thing - because you already published it. So even if you remove it, the cat is already out of the bag on "first," and that will limit your options - another reason to do it as fanfic that you then rewrite. It's relatively hard to find places that will publish works, especially long works, that the First rights are already off the table (though we're one example of a place that will, we've published things that are up on AO3, and allowed the unedited versions to remain on AO3 when we've done so. For example, several of @tryslora's stories. We've also allowed the opposite; there's at least one original work on AO3 that started as a DPP exclusive for Patreon, and when the rights reverted back to the author, they chose to post it to AO3 with our blessing).

Of course, you can bypass these issues by self-publishing. Then what you keep and what you change, whether you keep it on AO3 or remove it, etc., is up to you, because you're the boss. Self-pubbing puts a lot more of the work on your shoulders tho - editing, cover art, marketing, typesetting, etc., all of it becomes your responsibility.

But: yes, taking works from AO3 to original fic publishing is feasible and is a thing that happens all the time. Depending on how you're publishing it and/or how extensively you rewrite it, you may not even have to take it down, but it would depend. Certainly, for most trad pub/big publishing houses, they would expect you to take it down.

Re: your last point about working with us, we require exactly zero disclosures from our contributors about their sexual or gender orientation. Our only requirement is that authors have posted fanfiction on a public, accessible fanfiction website. To the best of my knowledge, the vast majority of the people we work with are LGBTQIA+, but I also know for sure we've worked with at least one person who was cis and het. There are probably more. It's honestly none of my business. We've also published plenty with no LGBTQIA+ component. The way we work, we accept authors, and once we've got the author, we publish what they want to write, we're not particularly interested in policing that. Things without LGBTQIA+ don't tend to sell as well, because of the interests of our customers, but we'll put it out anyway *shrug*. I'd guess around a quarter of our catalogue has no explicit LGBTQIA+ rep, maybe a bit less.

Anyway! Hi, I'm wordy. TL:DR is: you can absolutely try to motivate yourself to write original fic by publishing it to AO3, but engagement is likely to be low, and doing so will make it harder to publish. If you feel you need the motivation that posting chapter-by-chapter gets you, it'd be better to write it as fanfiction with the intention of rewriting it later, as this will improve engagement without doing as much damage to your ability to publish it later.

and if you wanted to write with us, you'd be welcome; we recruit authors through our anthologies, and I expect our next open call to be sometime over the late spring or summer. We only juuuust started talking potential themes a few days ago.

Hope this helps!

-unforth

[pherryt]

Lost Boys

A multi fandom crackfic starring Ryoga Hibiki & Roronoa Zoro

Fandoms Include: One Piece, Ranma 1/2, Witcher, LotR, Zelda, Prydain, Fruits Basket, Old Guard, Slayers, Doctor Who and HDM Rated: G Words: 27,733 No Pairings Summary: Zoro and Ryoga get so lost they travel through other fandoms. No, they don't know what's going on either, but they sure would like to find out. Maybe someone along the way will have answers?

Authors Notes: I know a crossover like this is daunting. Not only are there 11 different fandom universes involved, but it's 27k.

First - I try to write all my crossovers so that you do NOT need to know the other fandoms to enjoy this fic. You might enjoy it even more if you do, but you can still enjoy it if you don't.

Second - I believe I have succeeded and I have testimony to prove it! I had @socially-awkward-chocobo read this over before I posted. She has no knowledge at all of HDM, never even saw the last movie for LotR (and doesn't remember much of the first 2), barely knows anything about Ranma 1/2 and doesn't remember anything about Prydain, except that it was read to her once as a child. And she enjoyed the fic :D

Thanks go to a number of people for encouraging this fic, helping this fic, or giving me ideas of fandoms/characters to play with. Including Socially-awkward-chocobo, I'd also like to thank

@li-izumi @unforth @ialwayscomewhenyoucall

... I think Tumblr is making it harder to tag people in posts. And to check if you did.

[wangxianficfinder]

Fanwork Research & Reference Guides Compilation

~*~

All in the Wangxian Family by tungstenpincenez (G, 19k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, family tree, Comic-Con, Humor, tutorial, Chinese names, chinese honorifics, warning: mental illness discussion)

Writers Guide: The Guqin by ThisIsWhereTheMagicHappens (Not Rated, 1k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Writers, guqin, chinese instrument, Meta, non-fiction)

How Mo Dao Zu Shi Uses Classical Chinese Literature and Ideas in Character- and World-Building by yakuzakuma (G, 5k, Reviews, Meta, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides)

Working Guide to almost every single mxtx character by Nightfeather18 (M, 1k, all the characters, every single one, help guide, Spoilers, my horrible sense of humor)

On Character's Ages by thewickling (Diviana) (G, 5k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Meta, Nonfiction, Cross-posted on Dreamwidth)

On Qishan Indocrination's Duration by thewickling (Diviana) for pumpkinpaix (G, 1k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Módào Zǔshī History, Qíshān Wēn Indoctrination,Timelines)

A Compiled List of Known Lan Clan Rules by Unforth (Not Rated, 2k, Meta, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Nonfiction, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Podfic by dangercupcake)

A Writer's Unofficial Guide to Chinese Naming by FireflyPie (G, 2k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Chinese Language, no knowledge of the MXTX novels strictly required)

List of Differences Between Modao Zushi and CQL/The Untamed by Unforth (Not Rated, 3k, Meta, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Nonfiction, Cross-Posted on Tumblr)

The Untamed / MDZS, resources link post, stuff I needed as a writer by AteanaLenn (G, 1k, Meta, Metafiction, resources, linkdrop, Nonfiction, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides)

Chinese naming basics for fanfiction writers by miqqumi (Not Rated, 937, Meta, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides)

MDZS Timeline by thewickling (Diviana) (G, 22k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Meta, Nonfiction, Módào Zǔshī History)

Grandmaster of Demonic Timeline by chrisemrys (G, 2k, timeline, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides)

MDZS Audio Drama Episode Guide by pumpkinpaix (Not Rated, 5k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides)

Mo Dao Zu Shi Writer Reference: Novel Chapter Summaries by threerings (Not Rated, 2k, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, Podfic by dangercupcake)

Reference for Modao Zushi Writers: Chinese terms by chaoticjoy (G, 3k, WIP, Meta, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides)

MDZS History Context for Dummies by enbysaurus_rex (Not Rated, 14k, WIP, Meta, Analysis, Historical Accuracy, Historical Metaphors)

Ghostbusting Economics: The Great Cultivator Labor Shortage by GhostySword (G, 3k, Meta, Economics, Worldbuilding, Crack, Though honestly it's not that wild and pretty well supported by the text)

RL Cultivation 101 by Gina3 (T, 2k, Meta, cultivation, Taoism)

Fanwork Research & Reference Guides tag on AO3

WangXiantics: The (unofficial) Untamed Episode Guide by Trensu (T, 116k) although it’s a reaction work, it also serves as a list of episode summaries highlighting key moments.

dyingstar14's (unofficial) guide to writing ancient china by dyingstar14 (Not Rated, 6k, WIP, Ancient China, Ancient History, non-fiction, information, Units of Time, Hair, Units of Distance, Education)

meta and translation masterpost by @songfeng-shuiyue

The Reading of Sorrow (and other works) by Tavina (T, 10k, WIP, Meta, Worldbuilding, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE), Essays, Research, Historical References, Historical Accuracy, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Yuan Dynasty Paintings and Painters, Future Fic, Appendixes, Music) historical research underlying the fic but I'm not in charge of sorrow (so please don't ask me when) with abundant book recs.

Who Knew the Truth About the Wen Remnants? by Karmiya (T, 8k, Meta, Essay)

~*~

Google Docs

transcripts and translations for the entirety of The Untamed (Spreadsheets)

~*~

~*~

Maps of MDZS

Tumblr post by mondengel

Twitter thread by @/wangxianling

Twitter thread by @/bosbiee

Tumblr post by lalunaticscribe

Stunted, Starving Juvenility - Addendum by TomatenMark

~*~

[profoundbondfanfic]

Fourth list with our favorite aro/ace/demi fics 💜

Part 4

Ace=/=Aro by Unforth [Mature, <1K, Aro!Dean]

Ficlet written to the Tumblr Prompt: Aro Dean calls Cas "buddy" and "pal" and "devastatingly handsome friend" because he really believes that and the guy's really, really hot and always licks his lips because they're so chapped and dry. Dean obviously has to kiss him to get him to stop. Only problem is, Cas thought Dean was ace, not aro (thank you very much, small town gossip, for mixing everything up), and he is very confused by this.

Halflings by Unforth [Explicit, 103K, Demi!Cas]

Ever since his wife Lisa died, Dean Winchester has been willing to do anything for his son Ben. When Ben decided he wanted to adopt a halfling, Dean said yes without hesitation - provided they did so the right way, by giving whichever half-human they decided to bring home the respect and dignity it deserved. Half-octopi Castiel isn't exactly what they were looking for in a pet, but, then, they aren't exactly what Castiel was expecting for owners, either.

honeysuckle by sharkfish [Teen, 3,9K, Demi!Dean, Ace!Cas]

“Your omega’s here, ok? Everything’s ok.” Cas closes his eyes and leans a little into Dean’s solid warmth. His omega is here. He can smell them all over each other already. “You made me such a nice nest, too.” Dean’s voice is low, honeyed and soft. He smells sweeter, it hangs thick and heavy in the air. “Show me.”

Never Trust a Skinny Baker by mnwood [General, 11K, Aro!Dean]

Dean owns a bakery. Cas is a patron who can't hear, and Dean happens to know sign language. This fic has all the tropes you know and love so get reading, fuckos.

Smells Like Love by shiphitsthefan [Teen, 1,5K, Aro!Dean, Aro!Cas]

Five times Sam tried to tell Dean he was aromantic, and one time Dean told someone else.

Dear Virgo by K_K_TiBal [General, 9,9K, Ace!Cas]

Dean Winchester is a journalism major planning to coast his last year by mostly just sticking to writing the campus newspaper's daily horoscopes, and he almost succeeds. Enter Castiel Novak, captain of the soccer team, and his next interview appointment. It's obvious from the start that there's something between them, but things don't quite go as Dean first hopes, and he ends up learning a lot more about Castiel than he ever planned on - luckily for him.

Sparks by vipjuly [Explicit, 21K, Demi!Dean, Demi!Cas]

The creepy house on the corner has been abandoned for years, everyone says. It's ramshackle and decrepit, the yard overgrown, the wrought iron fence bent and broken in some places. The adults in the neighborhood have asked the city to do something about that eyesore for so long, but the city insists that someone is paying property taxes on the house, therefore they cannot do anything about it. So, everyone ignores it and pretends it doesn't exist. They definitely don't go anywhere near it, either. Dean, though. Dean is drawn to it as if by gravity. Little by little, Dean repairs what he can. The monster inside the house ain't so bad, either. Y'know. For a monster.

Decompression Therapy by TheAuthorGod [Explicit, 6K, Aro!Dean]

For AroDeanWeek 2015 Dean is a sex therapist. He's good at it; he helps people. He doesn't get attached to people romantically, so he's a better fit for the job than most. Complications don't arise until he starts to feel something totally new for his best friend Castiel Novak. I mean, it's not like he hasn't been around Cas his entire life or like he's not living with him and helping him raise his niece turned daughter. Dean just needs to deal.

[immortalwanderers]

Fan Translations on Wattpad

Hullo lovelies!

It has been brought to our attention by one of our discord members that currently on wattpad, there is an entry for Tian Ya Ke that claims to be it’s own translation whilst stealing from other, pre-existing ones as well as fan art.

For further details and information on this matter, we highly encourage you to take a look at @bluemorningsoup‘s incredibly informative post on the situation at hand. You can find their post here.

I’d like to personally take this moment to remind the community that the hard work that translators put into making these works sharable across other languages is something to be incredibly thankful for. Often, translation projects are created out of love and dedication to the original source material, and fan translations are done for free. Such projects require many hours of work, as well as an understanding of the original language as well as one of the languge it is being transferred into, as well as a unique creative discretion on how best to share particular words, phrases or cultural differences that may not work as well outside of their native language. To see such efforts stolen and taken by others in such a way is not only disheartening, but incredibly disrespectful to those who took the time and effort to share these works in this way in the first place.

Bluemorningsoup very kindly links to fantranslations in their own post that you may be interested in so do take a look at what they’ve shared as alternatives!

We at Immortal Wanderers would also like to remind you lovelies of the translation works we recommend to! There are a lovely selection of works collected in this carrd page (not by ourselves, but by another very lovely member of the wider community for these novels), including some for those in languages outside of English, so do go ahead and take a look at what they share.

As of the time of writing this post, there exists no offical announcements for versions of either Qi Ye or Tian Ya Ke in the English language. However, if you’re interested in owning the Chinese editions of these novels, the very lovely @unforth has a fantastic post on how you can go about doing so! This way, you can show your support to Priest also.

[mayalaen]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks to @hullosweetpea for tagging me!

First, my AO3

How many works do you have on AO3?

186

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

2,072,229 words (don't ask the count for fics NOT posted 😱)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Supernatural, Stranger Things, Fargo, Stargate 'verse, Hannibal, The Blacklist, Dickensian, Angel+Buffyverse and more

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Alpha House 'Verse, Resonance, Best Brother Ever, CONventional Psychopathy Part 1: Primary Deviance, and Try on for Size - all SPN fics

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do, but I get into weird moods where it's hard to do it, so I'll go for a while without responding and then do a bunch to catch up.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Inside (SPN). It's short but gory and really not a happy ending.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I tend to leave things on a good feeling but I think the one that has the most whiplash type of oh shit this is bad to oh wow we're all good is Rewritten in the Stars.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

In comments and in anon messages sent on Tumblr, but I delete immediately because I refuse to feed trolls. For the most part readers are SUPER awesome and I really appreciate them!

9. Do you write smut?

Tons!

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Open Sesame Street Walker is by far the wackiest one. It's a choose your own adventure but every choice leads to insanity 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yup. I wouldn't have minded any other fic being stolen because it's all fanfic, but this person managed to grab the ONE fic I'm also writing as original fic and it's a world that's been living in my head since I was like 9 years old. It means a lot to me, so to have someone take it and make money off it with the possibility of fucking up a future book deal sucks. Every time I get it taken down, she puts it back up a few weeks later.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I think there's at least one, possibly two fics translated.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I wrote one crackfic, but I'd love to write more with somebody. I think it would be fun.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I can't say I have a favorite. I'm too much of a multishipper to pin down one in any fandom. The closest I can get is the OT3 of Leverage, Eliot/Hardison/Parker.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I really think I'm gonna finish all my WIPs. Might be delusional, but oh well.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialog. It's harder for me to put in a lot of description on surroundings because I always think it's going to be boring to the reader, which is silly.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Keeping it short and to the point. The only short fics I've written were crackfic.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

The closest I came to this is Castiel's noises in Resonance 'Verse. It's just animal noises. I don't think I'll ever attempt to actually write in another language. The most I would do is italics so it tells the reader it's spoken in another language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Stargate SG1

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It changes depending on mood, but right now it's Caging the Mongoose. It's not popular at all, but it's a Blacklist/SPN crossover and it's got all the things I love plus Dean is schizophrenic in it.

tagging (with no pressure or obligation): @actualalligator @unforth @ltleflrt @whataboutthefish @wheels-of-despair @peachonified @kallisto-k @lochnesswriter and anybody else who wants to play! Please tag me so I can see your stuff 💜

[scarletlich]

Get to know me ask game

tagged by @rongzhi

RULES: bold the ones that are true and tag how ever many people you feel like to do it.

APPEARANCE

Blonde hair // I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing (well aesthetically i like a mix but comfort wise i like loose) // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have dyed or highlighted my hair (i let my friend bleach it two days before i cut it off) // I have gotten plastic surgery (depends on your definition) // I have or had braces (at least 3 times and i had headgear too) // I sunburn easily // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look (working on it) // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards

HOBBIES AND TALENTS

I play a sport (used to be a coxswain on my school's crew team for many years, was a captain of the team too) // I can play an instrument (violin) // I am artistic // I know more than one language // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami // I prefer movies to tv shows // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with friends // I travel during work or school breaks // I can do a handstand

RELATIONSHIP

I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // I have a crush // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years // My parents are together // I have dated a best friend // I am adopted // My crush has confessed to me // I have (had) a long distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends // I have made an online friend // I met up with someone I have met online

AESTHETICS

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sun rise // I enjoy rainy days // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // The sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep (TTRPG podcasts actually) // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colors // I find mystery in the ocean // I enjoy hiking on nature paths // Autumn is my favorite season (if it weren't for the semester yeah)

MISCELLANEOUS

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle (rarely... chronic insomniac) // I am the mom friend (friends say i have 妈系男友 vibes) // I live by a certain quote // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities // I enjoy Mexican food // I can drive a stick shift // I believe in true love // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower (not in the dorm shower but at home yes) // I wish I lived in a video game (would like to live in luofu xianzhou during peace time) // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 dogs

Tagging: @mimicori @lily-ocho @zhaotings @fucknectar @yanwangdijunfensi @niteshade925 @buried-in-stardust @unforth

[unforth]

:D Trick or Treat: NieLan trying to figure out where to go for dinner?

Ah thank you! I can't remember if I've ever written Nie Mingjue's pov before? Or if I've written Nielan (I think once???) So hopefully I did okay. Modern AU, fluff.

*

"What were you thinking for dinner tonight?" Lan Xichen asked. He had the sweet, fond expression on his face that always made Nie Mingjue's heart melt, and for a moment Nie Mingjue couldn't even understand the question...then he realized Lan Xichen was watching him expectantly.

"Oh...uh...the Sichuan place?" suggested Nie Mingjue.

Lan Xichen's smile slipped a hair.

Fuck.

"...dim sum?"

The smile slipped farther.

Double fuck. But really, it wasn't fair that Lan Xichen expected Nie Mingjue to read his mind! What kinda crap was that?

"... ...that new Korean place???"

Lan Xichen looked positively crestfallen, and Nie Mingjue's annoyance finally trumped his regard.

"Why'd you ask me if you already had a preference?" Nie Mingjue snapped.

"No...no, those are all fine," Lan Xichen replied. "And you're right, it wasn't fair of me to expect... but... I was hoping you'd want me to make dinner."

"You?!" asked Nie Mingjue, stunned. "That was an option?" Lan Xichen's smile returned, smaller and shyer and even more gorgeous.

"If you wa--"

"YES!" Irritation forgotten, Nie Mingjue grabbed Lan Xichen's hand and hurried toward the kitchen, pulling Lan Xichen along behind him.

"Any requests?" offered Lan Xichen.

"Anything," Nie Mingjue said warmly, glancing over his shoulder toward Lan Xichen; Lan Xichen's cheeks went beautifully flushed. "If these are the hands that made it?" Nie Mingjue raised the hand he held to his lips and brushed a kiss over the knuckles, and Lan Xichen's cheeks went redder, his eyes wide. "I'll eat anything you create."

[subtlybrilliant]

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better.

Thank you @prommethium for the tag!! 💖🤗💖

Favorite ship ever: If I only had one to choose, Hualian! Although honorable mentions are Wangxian and O14 (and also CrO14)

Last song: Lightfall from the Destiny 2 Lightfall soundtrack. Going to listen to more of the soundtrack this afternoon as I write reports!

Last movie: I think it is Mulan- my sister and I watched it last weekend

Currently reading:

1. Farfalle di Carta by @jadevalentine-writes It is one of my comfort fics (and an all time favorite in general) and always makes my heart feel warm and safe!!

2. That’s NOT A REAL TROPE You Hack Author! by @boomchickfanfiction A HIGHLY entertaining read; the number of times I actually had to put my phone down bc I was laughing so hard over The Antics! Truly good for the soul! Recommended to me by @jadedzer0 when I finished SVSSS and needed MORE lol

3. Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism, edited by Elizabeth Bartmess

Currently watching: The Morning Show

Currently consuming: my lunch! (Butterfly crackers with hummus, also have some mozzarella cheese, some cucumbers, and blueberries on the side). And some oolong tea!

Currently craving: biscuits and sausage gravy with an egg on top

Tagging (no pressure of course, as always!!) @herrscherofstupid @heart-of-hyrule @intentlydivided @unforth and whomever sees this and wants to participate!! 💗

[duckprintspress]

What's the difference between catering to fanfic writers and to other kinds of writers? Or is there not much of a difference? Happy Book Publishers Day BTW.

Hey anon!

Ah, I'm so excited that you decided to send in a question for Book Publishers Day! I delayed answering for a few days so I could really think about the answer, and now here we are. :D

Tentatively, I'd say that there's not a huge difference between catering to fanfic writers and catering to other kinds of writers, but there are a few. I'd say the biggest differences aren't specifically in "how we cater to authors" so much as "how we've envisioned and structured the whole Press differently because of our collective roots in fandom." Here's some of the biggest differences that strike us, starting with those that are more narrowly about catering to the different types of writers, then getting a bit more general.

Privacy/safety concerns. While of course everyone worries about their privacy and maintaining data security is critical when dealing with contractors, employees, etc., it's something we especially emphasize when working with fanfic writers for two primary reasons. First, a lot of fanfic writers don't want people who know them in meatspace to become aware that they write fanfic, given the stigma against it in some communities. Second, a lot of fanfic writers are queer and they aren't necessarily out in all their circles. Thus, we put a lot of extra effort into ensuring that people who work with us can keep their "fandom self" separate from their "meatspace self," if they want to. I'd estimate roughly half of our authors opt to keep their various "selves" completely separate, and we work to be very public about the steps we take to protect our authors and the guarantees we have in place that we won't "out" anyone in anyway - that we'll do everything in our power to protect them.

Publishing education. While plenty of the authors we've worked with have been interested in publishing for a while, and a noticeable minority have published their original work with other Presses, a lot of our authors have always seen publishing their original stories as more of a "someday" and aren't familiar with the processes of what happens after the stories are written. So, we put a lot of effort into process-related transparency and answering questions to ensure that writers know what to expect. For example, we make blank versions of all our contracts public so that people who are considering working with us have plenty of time to read them, research standard contracts, and decide for themselves if they think our terms are favorable. We want people to know what they're getting into and to feel comfortable before they commit, and to feel comfortable walking away if that's better for them.

Unconventional publishing models. That said, we're also rather outside the mold for publishers, because only a few of the folks in our upper echelons have a background in more traditional publishing and/or medium/small Press publishing. I, the owner, have flirted at the edges of the more mainstream publishing industry but while I know a lot of people in trad pub and indy pub, I haven't worked in it myself nor have I been traditionally published. Thus, we definitely have had a learning curve ourselves, and it also a lot of our internal structure and approaches are specifically, explicitly designed around fandom models instead of around more standard Press models. For example, we wholesale adopted a zine approach to anthology production and publishing - we select creators and give them freedom to create within the parameters of the anthology theme, then help them with editing, instead of asking for completed stories that we sift through and pick our favorites. For another example, our approaches to tagging and cataloging stories and our interest in breaking out of industry-standard rigidly defined genres are also deeply rooted in our experiences as fans and fancreators in fandom spaces. Basically, in the same way that we approach writers who are fanwriters first, original writers second, we ourselves were all fandom people first, publishers second. and our methodologies grew out of our experiences as forum moderators, fandom event creators and runners, zine editors, etc.

Community spaces. Again, because we're looking at more of a fandom-based model transplanted onto a publishing milieu, we're very oriented on building a community and relationships. Our Discord is quite active, and we talk about our lives, about our projects, help each other out with research and betaing, etc. To be honest, I don't know if that's different from other Presses, but I at least strongly suspect it's well outside what trad pub does.

Transparency. In the end, we view Duck Prints Press as a collaboration, as something we're growing together with writers, editors, artists, graphic designers, etc., where all of us have been active in fandoms first. Toward that end, general transparency about our decision making, processes, and plans is important to us, and we work hard to make sure that people involved in the Press know what's going on. We hold monthly meetings to which everyone involved in the Press is invited (our next one is this Tuesday!) where we talk candidly, openly, and honestly about our progress on current projects, any set backs we've encountered, and how we're doing fiscally. In the same way that, if I'm involved in a zine, I'd expect the people running it to talk about the money earned, where profits are going, if there's been an issue with production, if someone's life going haywire has introduced delays, etc. That's the level of openness we aim for.

Education. This is an area where we're still expanding, but we've so far offered two classes to people involved in the Press on grammar and editing stuff. The idea is, a lot of people who write fanfic aren't "trained" authors, and we often don't know the rules, just "what sounds right." And, that's fine, that's why we have editors! But if people want to learn more, we're striving to provide more opportunities for that. Related, we're extremely, and atypically, transparent about our selection processes for people who apply to anthologies. We are not and will never be a black box where submission stories come in and acceptance and rejection letters go out. Not only do we use a rating rubric that's available publicly, we also share completed rubrics with authors upon request. We want people who are interested in learning and improving to see our notes and to have the chance to ask questions. We want to support people who are aiming to improve. And, flipside, we don't automatically send those rubrics out to applicants because we wholeheartedly subscribe to the fandom-standard attitude that concrit is only helpful when it's asked for. If someone doesn't want more information, doesn't want to improve (because improvement NEVER has to be one's goal as a writer, especially for fanwriters doing fic for fun!), we don't force that feedback on anyone! So, so many of our structures are based on fandom models, are grounded in fandom ethos.

Relaxed restrictions. All of the people who run the business are queer (I'm aroace genderfluid, myself), and most us are neurodivergent (my diagnoses are ADHD and clinical depression), and some of us are disabled (my wife, for example, is an ambulatory wheelchair user, though she's not heavily involved in the management team...right now she's anonymizing the submissions to Aether Beyond the Binary), and many of us are parents (I have two kids, aged almost 5 and almost 7). I've been active in online fandoms for more than 20 years, and the people in my fandom circles have overwhelming shared the above characteristics. Most are queer. Most are neurodivergent. Many struggle with health issues and disability. Many are parents, have multiple jobs, are caring for parents, are supporting their partners, are facing a multitude of meatspace challenges that make working in a traditional publication model difficult or impossible. In a lot of publishing, things like really struggling with deadlines, or having to navigate the potential for unexpected health flareups, or juggling multiple jobs, or working around a child's schedule, would be dealbreakers - the deadline is the deadline, meet it or get out. That's...so not us. We strive to create an environment with the flexibility to meet people where they are, where having life go sideways (cause let's be real, life always goes sideways sooner or later) doesn't disqualify someone from breaking into the industry. As long creators communicate with us about their hurdles, we are very free about giving extensions, making exceptions, tweaking schedules, etc. We don't want anyone hurting themselves just for a story. Yes, it can make management more challenging at times, but we always look to grant the same grace that we hope to be given when our own lives get complicated. (2022 has been a huge example of this, as my health issues resulted in my needing surgery last February and it completely disrupted all our project timelines for the year - we've really only just caught up in the last month or so).

Setting expectations. We aim to set realistic expectations with authors who write with us. My own sense of other models is that most publishers promise success without necessarily delving into things like "but you'll have to handle all your own marketing" or "this is how many copies you can honestly expect to sell." Authors can often be in for a rude awakening once they're in the door and contracted and would be hard-pressed to back out. We're very small, and we operate on a shoe-string budget (I have been operating Duck Prints Press for just over two years and we've never yet earned enough for me to take a paycheck, and we're in the red for both of our first two years, though our 2022 numbers are a significant improvement over 2021 and we have every reason to hope we'll keep growing). We can't afford a lot of advertising, can't be the only source of marketing, can't promise that people will sell lots of copies (full disclosure re: what that means, our average short story sells under 10 copies during the first week it's released). We can't promise anyone a livable paycheck. What we offer instead is community, support, creative freedom, understanding, and the chance to be part of a fan-run business that is slowly but surely growing, and growing amazingly. No editor will ever say "you have to change xyz so your story will sell." No editor will ever say, "we just don't want that story." We want to publish what our writers want to publish, and we want to work all together to help grow all our audiences. And that means, for people involved right now while we're this young, we can't promise much, but we can promise one wonderful thing: that the future looks bright.

This went a bit beyond "working with fanfiction writers versus trad pub writers" and more into "ways we approach things differently than a more mainstream Press," but I think that does tie into how the approach is different. We're not viewing the Press as The Owner And Managers Who Are Always Above and the writers as The Content Creators And Cash Cows. All of us in the management team are also fandom people, fanwriters, fanartists, etc. It's not two distinct groups, it's one big group of more-or-less equals (yes, there's still a hierarchy, there has to be some, but it's not super top-down and there's lots of opportunities for people to share their skills up the not-really-a-ladder) with the doors thrown wide open to welcome in more folks.

And that, I think, is the crux of the difference of how we cater to fanfic authors compared to what we might do differently if we were working with a more mainstream set of authors. While we do maintain certain editorial standards and we obviously don't accept everyone who applies, we still try to cast a wide net, to opt for inclusion over exclusion, to try to make allowances, to make space for people at different levels, with different experiences, with different life challenges, etc. In the end, I'd love everyone who ever applies to work with us to end up as part of the Press, because if people want to work with us, we want to work with them! There's no way to just bring in everyone at once, and some people need to hone their skills more before they'll be ready to meet the writing standards we aim for, but it's nothing that can't be learned. And, if people want to learn it, we want to help them learn it.

We're a publisher, yes, but we're also a community of fanwriters who all dream of being published, helping each other to make that dream a reality.

This was probably a ton more answer than was really necessary, but here we are. :D Thanks for asking, anon, and I hope you found the answer informative!

(I'm @unforth, by the way, it occurs to me a lot of people may not realize that.)

[dei2dei]

Fic Tag Stats Game - Oneshot Edition

tagged by @dolcemcrte!

Rules:

Give us the links to your one shot fics with the most hits, most kudos, most comments, most bookmarks, most words, and least words (does that count for one shots? Guess so).

Most hits: Pretty Things , E. (6,904). Unrepentant Arcane CaitVi smut.

Most kudos: Pretty Things, E. (398); pretty sure for the same reason. I do love kudos on smut.

Most Comments: Pretty Things, E. (18). Are we seeing a trend?

Most Bookmarks: Pretty Things, E. (97 when you check private). This fic was fun, but... yeah, this is what happens with big fandoms.

Most words: Because of a Horse, M. (11,401). Ghost of Tsushima, Jin/Yuna.

Least words: Any of my standalone drabbles at 100 words. Hidden Power (E), a Honkai Star Rail Serval/Cocalia drabble; A Smile That Changed The World (M), Gundam Wing: Witch from Mercury Hands (G), a One Piece gift for a friend. ... well, this is what happens when you write ONE smutty oneshot in a popular fandom and the rest of your fics tend to be longfics in a smaller fandom, I guess. Pretty Things remains the only Arcane fic I've written to date, along with Hidden Power & ASTCTW for their fandoms. I've written a few Ghost of Tsushima pieces and all the OP I've written has been giftfics. Not a single MK piece made it on here, alas!

I will tag... hmm. @cosmictapestries (I know you only have a few oneshots!), @eviltothecore13, @sarnakhwritesthings, @unforth

[jemariel]

Deep fic ask, 7, 15, & 19? (:

7. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

This is a complicated question because there are lots of different kinds of feedback and support, and at this point I can usually find the support I need because I have a gasp Support System. @elanor-n-evermind @sharkfish @generaldeliciousness, the writing room on the Profound Bond discord server... whether it's cheerleading or grammar wrangling or just listening to my whining or being a soundboard or telling me whether or not something is even working, I can count on you guys, and that's huge. Highly recommend to anybody who wants to write: find friends who will enable you.

And I just have to point out that I learned more about grammar and my own writing style from @unforth editing a 3k smut story for @duckprintspress than I think I did in the year before that and I still keep some of that in my back pocket. Solid concrit, well-presented, is absolutely chefskiss.

As far as kudos and comments? I'm in a lucky place. I had one fic a few years ago that got picked up by the Claw and went absolutely gangbusters (Grooming Instincts), and since then I have ridden a comfortable wave of decent visibility. The driving urge/need to post something that will become a Fandom Classic has been satisfied as much as it's going to be. Bucket list item: check. But I still can expect a certain level of engagement on things I post. I feel like if I were to not get that baseline, I would be a bit put out, which is the danger of expectations. So I try to brace myself for that: what if this is the fic that doesn't go anywhere? Especially since, well, the show ended in a fireball a couple years ago and the fandom is just a bit smaller now than it used to be. Which does make me sad because I still have stories to tell with these boys. But. I'm still here, still writing them. My community is still here, and that's what counts.

Anyway, that wandered a bit xD

15. How do you think your writing as improved over time?

You know, it's interesting. The first fanfiction I ever posted is still accessible on fanfiction.net. A while ago I went back and read some of it, and was startled to find how much it still sounded like me. Hell, I unearthed a Star Trek story that I wrote in 2006 because the original hosting site was in danger of disappearing, and it still sounds like me. That's definitely my voice. (And I was clearly going through it on the gender front in that Star Trek one, damn.) Sometimes I wonder if I've lost something from those earlier days, because I used to just... do things, and not overthink them so damn much.

But I have definitely, technically, improved. Pacing, sentence structure, variety. My ability to execute bigger ideas. Trying to get stories to come from inside the characters rather than focusing on describing the action. Picking the right details.

For a long while, I was convinced that my writing was not in fact getting better, and I worried that I'd lost some kind of energy, or that I'd used up all the words I had. Not every story is better than the last. But like I said in a previous ask on this game, I'm finally meeting my own standards again. So that has to count for something.

19. If you could write an ideal fic, what would it include?

I mean.... there's nothing stopping me from writing my ideal fic. Never has been. Be the fic you want to see in the world or something like that. So I guess... mash up all my fics in a blender and see what comes out. Boom. Ideal fic :D

But it would definitely have some bed-sharing with sexual tension. And some of Cas figuring out how to human. But also being a non-human, non-angel creature, preferably with wings. Perhaps a shade of non-traditional a/b/o dynamics on there. Yeah, that sounds about right

[ask me deep writer questions]

[wolffyluna]

I just finished The Crown Prince by Feng Nong yesterday.

I think the English speaking fandom for it is just me and maybe @unforth, but I am tempted to write some fic for it.

For context: the comic is about former crown prince, Yong Qi, cinnamon role with a spine of wet tissue paper who has been put in jail after being deposed; and the new crown prince, his younger half brother Yong Shan, who is competent and most things except for functional relationships. It's also an noncon incest comic, and with that warning, the rest of this is under a cut.

1. I'm kind of interested in writing some missing scene fic to fix the seam in the middle. The relationship between Yong Shan and Yong Qi changes quite noticeably in the middle-- it gets. So much more functional, and they do seem to like each other, as opposed to being stuck in a loop of flailing and terror, respectively.

And this is partially justified in some character development Yong Shan has.

But there are two problems:

- the relationship improves *before* the character development

- we get way less development for Yong Qi, and yeah, sure, he's a forgiving guy, but it's a very sudden change for no explicable reason?

And like. I bet I could in fic work out why Yong Qi inexplicably, uh, becomes very placid about this situation. And also sneak in some more development for Yong Shan so the timing makes sense.

Like. I think trying to fix it pacing wise would make it more fucked up, but hopefully in a sparkly way? It would probably be a combination of Yong Qi being a very forgiving ~ cinnamon roll, combined with "wow, our relationship is so much better when it's only 5% rape and torture" and "he keeps raping me, but he hasn't killed me when not killing me would take some effort."

2. There's a characterisation thing that is lodging in my brain. And I know the Doylistic answer for why this character is Like That is "because it is the tropes," and there probably isn't a canon Watsonian answer.

But. Um.

Yong Shan, who just assumes incest is the answer, for things where there is a much more common and innocuous answer? Like, his explicit reasoning is "you (Yong Qi) must like our other brother (Yong Lin) better because you want to and have fucked him!" not just. Yong Qi likes Yong Lin better for any other reason?

And Yong Shan is the only brother who does that.

And there's some... [wiggle hands] they're not quite 'identified patient' dynamics, but something similar, around him? He's the cold fish brother no one likes, not even his mother.

And this is painting a very particular picture, and I'm noooooot sure the author intended it.

[hils79]

Tag 9 People You Want to Get to Know Better:

Thanks for the tag (ages ago sorry) @strandedchesspiece 💜

 Favorite Color: Purple

Currently Reading: Still working my way through the DMBJ novels. Nearly at the end of Sand Sea.

Last Songs: BTS in the Soop Theme Song, Saturday Drip by NCT Dream and Loser=Lover by TXT

Last Series: The last one I finished was Love Like the Galaxy and I'm currently watching 2gether: the series. Got 1 episode left so I'll finish that tomorrow.

Last Movie: I watched Willow last night with some of my work friends.

Currently Working on: Not having some sort of emotional breakdown over the state of the world? In all seriousness though I'm currently editing my DMBJ Rarepair Exchange fic and I've got 2 chapters left to write of the idol AU. I'm still doing Mandarin practice every day. Some days I feel like I'm making real progress with it and other days I feel like a 白痴 

Tagging: @mekare-art @notafanbut @nightxshade @ohyka @toastinette @chancellorxofxtrash @heliological @daydreamorama @unforth No obligations! 💜