#fanfic writers can do things simply for fun anon

[ao3commentoftheday]

Hello there! This question isn’t so much about popularity as it is about feeling lonely in fandom spaces. I’m in a relatively small fandom where it’s easy to “run into” the same users who write fanfic and draw fanart a lot. Over the years I’ve tried doing all the usual things to make fandom friends, like commenting a LOT on fanfic when new works are posted, being friendly in my author’s notes, being friendly on tumblr, complimenting artists works and reblogging and just generally trying to share the love so to speak.

People will reblog my art on here, but on AO3 I tend to get crickets on most of my stuff. Especially on fics for my OTP. My OTP is notttt popular in the fandom. It’s actually a lot of people’s NOTP because it “takes away” from the canon couple. I’ve accepted a long time ago that I’m going to get less readers because of the shipping stuff alone. But even on my works that aren’t shipping focused at all, it’s just crickets.

It just kinda sucks to try so hard to make fandom buddies and see them all having fun together and constantly feel like the kid sitting alone in the corner. I keep wondering if people in the fandom don’t like my fics just because of the shipping thing because I know I’m not a bad writer. But like I said, I’ve tried reaching out to people, be encouraging and show joy at what they create, but I just keep wondering what I’m doing wrong to make fellow fans not want to be friends with me. I’ve been focusing on just doing my own thing but yeah, it sucks not having anybody to fangirl with.

First of all anon, *hugs*. Being lonely sucks, and I'm sorry to hear you're in that situation.

When it comes to the other folks in your fandom, I don't think it's necessarily that they don't want to be friends with you. I think you might just need to do a little extra legwork to get in the friendship door.

It's not really fair, but it is kind of human nature, that if there is a perceived difference with someone else, we tend to keep them at a bit of a distance. It doesn't mean we dislike them! It just means that it takes more effort for us to get past that difference and see them as a friend. The more we do it, of course, the easier it gets and you might not even notice the hiccup anymore - in person.

You're probably in the "acquaintance zone," if you'll allow me to use the phrase. People probably have a generally positive impression of you because you're nice and you're friendly and you're encouraging. But if most of their conversations are happening in a ship-centric venue, for example, then you're not going to have access to the full spectrum of community with them.

You mention that other folks see your OTP as a NOTP. Do you feel the same way in reverse? They might assume that you do, and that's what's keeping you out of those convos. If you actually don't mind their ship and simply prefer your own, you could always attempt to make a foray in that direction? Let them know you don't mind being exposed to their shipping talk?

Another thing you could try would be to identify the multishippers. In my experience, those are the folks who are most open to befriending folks who don't ship the main pairing. They can see possibilities all over the place, and they're happy to be exposed to new ideas.

Small fandoms can be rough when you're into a niche part of it ❤️ Let's see how others handle your situation.

You can also find this question and answer on Dreamwidth.

#asks and answers

[targaryen-dynasty]

Fandom can be overwhelming. And a ton of writers surely can agree that it puts an immense pressure on your shoulders you sometimes struggle to take care of.

And it was like that for me quite some time ago. Back when I started writing, I was a half-baked writer and even less experienced with fandom etiquette in general. I just stumbled into fandoms, not really knowing what it all was about. After posting my first fanfic that was based on a role play storyline a former friend and I had, and seeing how well it did, I got lost in the rush of attention and interaction as well in the people asking for a part two and what not. I am wiser now, and things like that don‘t affect me anymore (honestly), but back then, it led me to resort to shitty things to be able to post stuff as quickly as possible.

And that‘s plagiarism.

Many, many (traumatic) things have happened to me in the years before that, and while that‘s no excuse, knowing it might give an insight of what‘s been going on with me.

Just so you understand, it all has happened more than a year ago, I got called out by the original author and very quickly deleted the few things related to it. I have also not done it again since then, but it has still happened. I have lifted a good bit of that writer’s things of a series I truly enjoyed, yet it didn’t help with my anxiety. But I still received recognition for it and should feel good, right? It felt nice, right? No, no it didn’t.

I refused to say it out loud, because I was ashamed and afraid, and should have known better back then (although there was no way for me to know. I was inexperienced in writing, fandom, and some life things in general). But with all the fandom bullshit going on now, and these informations in the hands of the wrong people, I deem it most fitting to admit it now to free myself of that burden and take back my power. There are screenshots where these people admitted they wanted to call me out based on the apology doc I made to inform them, but couldn’t simply because they didn’t have any access to it anymore, and how they made fun of me for it — while they also called me nasty things. And on top of that, these people went around and told my secret to several people. While I trusted them to keep quiet, they always claimed there would be other people I told that would definitely spill the secret, but these people didn’t. It were them.

I am by now way justifying what I did, I don’t want to do that. But it‘s meant to finally show my responsibility for that mistake. I‘m an adult, yes, but that doesn’t mean I am immune to making them. I am still learning, and with this, I‘ll take a step back from writing for I don’t know how long. Could be a few days, weeks, months or until season two airs.

Thank you for reading, I’m sorry, and lots of love,

Laura.

Unfollow me, unlike my stuff, stop supporting me: do whatever feels right for you. I don’t blame you. But it‘s been done, and I’m sorry for it. There‘s nothing more I can do to make it better.

I won‘t shut down my anons. So, if you have something to say to me now — feel free to do it.

#laura talks 🐉 #I apparently have no grasp of English #so if there are any mistakes — idc #this is going to blow up on discord i just know

[sprout-fics]

First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for all the work you put into all your pieces, especially omegaverse. It’s actually inspired me to want to write my own AU, but as someone who’s never really written fic before, I’m nervous. It all seems so insurmountable, if you have any advice? Thank you.

Hi anon, thank you so much for your lovely ask! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my story, and it’s an honor to inspire you. I have more writing advice than I can manage, but lemme it narrow it down to your particular question.

Write the stories you want to write, and the stories you want to read. This is the most important thing. Writing for an audience and chasing trends is a losing game. If you try to do what everyone else is doing, you’ll find yourself drifting from what you want to do. In the end, you should be writing for yourself first and foremost, and sharing the things you are proud of.

Find a style that is comfortable to you. It’s great to look up to other authors and emulate the things you enjoy in their styles, but it’s more important to find a style you don’t have to constantly tailor, because it will only give you an undue amount of stress.

Remember that posting your stories is a gift, not an obligation. It is perfectly ok to keep your stories to yourself if that’s what you are comfortable with. Those who will demand updates and offer unsolicited constructive criticism are reading as a privilege you offer, not a service.

Find people to talk to about your stories. Mutuals, friends, followers/readers, it helps so much to have a rubber duck/sounding board for ideas. Half the time I’m stuck on something I bring it to a friend and the knot unwinds itself.

Don’t worry about activity/follower count. If you find yourself constantly refreshing for reblogs/comments, take some time away from your screen and go do something else. The people who enjoy will come, fear not. 

Establish your boundaries. This can be things you refuse to write, people you don’t want to engage with, turning off anon, or limiting the privacy of your stories. Do what you need to in order to feel comfortable in your craft. 

Similarly, don’t forget to properly tag your stories. There will be people who will not want to read your stories, and that’s ok!! You don’t want to read every story either. However, if folks ever decide to complain, you can simply point to the tags and tell them they should pay better attention to the warnings of the content they consume.

Know when to take a break. It’s important to know what burnout or writer’s block looks like for you, and when to step back. 

Find inspiration. This can be movies, shows, other fanfic, books, music, etc. Find things that keep you writing

Most of all, have fun!! If you aren’t having fun writing, then what’s the point? Do what you have to in order to make this a fun experience. Remember cringe is dead. Be as indulgent as you want. This is your own little daydream realm, don’t let others ruin it for you. 

I hope this advice helps, anon. I have much more regarding writing resources/tools/things I use in my own writing style, but that’s for a different post. In the meantime, please have fun writing your first fanfic!

#writing advice #writing tips #writer tips

[actualbird]

Hi Zak!! This is a pretty random ask but i was just wondering if you have any tips for starting a fanfic/story? I just keep getting stuck on how to start one (I really love your work/blog 🙏 feeds my tot brain rot fr!!)

hi anon, im glad you like the stuff i make ;w; !!! and ohhh, sure i got tons of tips for that!.....so many that i actually wish i cld get u back here to ask what specifically about starting a story u'd want tips on but for now, i'll go for a general overview :D!!

cuz....to me (i.e. based on my writing process, which i'll be drawing heavily from for these tips), the act of Starting comes in three distinct steps, one after the other:

Idea Generation (what is the story gonna be about and how do i get ideas for that?)

Concept Organization/Outlining (how is the story going to be about this idea and how will i be executing it?)

Creation (GAH, HOW PUT WORDS ON PAGE!?!?!?)

so i'll give general tips for all three!!!

-

Idea Generation Tips

(this is the step that i personally have the least trouble with because my brain makes 5 new ideas every day. it's kinda a curse now because it leads to me having too many wips and concepts and only 1% of them gets to the Creation period jhvjhVJKSHFVHJS BUT ANYHOO, TIPS-)

Check Out Prompt Lists (super fun and easy way to get an idea! theres tons of story and fic prompts out there that you can search up here on tumblr, some of them being lists of lines of dialog or lists of AUs or scenarios. even if you dont follow a prompt exactly, they can be great at kickstarting ur brain into thinking of something related that you Do wanna pursue)

Open/Ask For Prompt Requests (if ur brain doesnt have any ideas, u can ask around and see if anyone ELSE has ideas theyre alright with you writing! my tot fics "reviews for Time's Antiquities, South Stellis | Average Rating: 4.8 Stars" and "but little do we know, the stars welcome him with open arms" were both inspired by anon asks i got!! to those anons who sent those asks, i owe u my life....but yea, maybe other people can give ideas to you! or, again, give Something that can inspire another thing in ur brain to take shape)

Just Ramble With A Friend (SO MANY OF MY FIC IDEAS started because i was just goofing off and playing idea volleyball with fandom buddies in our DMs (shoutout to sam samsspambox, z lukevonhagen, and beck beckthebeetle for being the main culprits of this). like, what started out as a joke conversation eventually makes go "oh no wait i actually wanna see that as a fic" and then boom, Idea Has Been Acquired. but fr, talking with another person makes your brain create things u never thought about before. it's both tons of fun to chat with a buddy as a sounding board, and it yields awesome concepts for stories!)

For Fanfic Specifically, Think About What You Want To See In Canon But Hasn't Happened And You Want It So Bad It's Driving You NUTS (this can be anything from missing scenes you wish were expanded on, scenes you wish went a different way, character relationships you wish you could see more of in canon, go nuts! the fun thing with fanfic is that it's a fertile playground for all the what-ifs, and a lot of my fics' ideas were simply found because i thought "man i know tears of themis is never gonna show me deep found fam moments/artem ptsd consequences after main story 6.2/mariluke, so imma make it myself" JHVSJDHF. ideas are hard to make sometimes, but brains are so good at desiring things. and all those desires? those can also be Ideas for a fic!)

-

Concept Organization/Outlining

(very much skippable if your writing style/personality is more receptive to free-wheeling!! im just the type of writer who always needs an outline to begin something. it helps me structure a raw idea with no shape into something clearer that i can envision a story for)

Outline A Rough Chain Of Events Chronologically (this can be as simple as three bullet points, what happens at the Start of the story, the Middle, and the End. or maybe you can go list down the portions of your fic according to the Freytag's Pyramid Plot Structure: Exposition, Inciting Incident, Rising Action, etc etc.)

Outline A Rough List Of Stuff You Just Want To Happen In The Fic (if your brain is like mine and isnt too great at chronological thinking, make a list of just all the plot points and events or even dialog exchanges u Want to see in the fic. you can organize it in the order u want later once uve put everything down)

Outline The Themes (moving away from plot, many stories are more focused on feelings or characterization or themes. so make a list of the Concepts you want to tackle. this is something i do for my fics that are more introspective, so i outline shit like "EVENT THAT MAKES LUKE INTERNALIZE SELF-LOATHING followed by EVENT THAT MAKES LUKE'S VIEW BE NOTICED BY ANOTHER CHARACTER")

-

Creation

(the worst part of writing....is the writing JAVFJVSDKHFDJHJ but nah fr this is the part i have the hardest time with, so here are tips that help me kickstart the word engine)

You Dont Have To Start Writing The Fic From The Beginning Of Its Story, Start Writing Wherever (confession: a good 75% of my fics are ones where the first scene i actually wrote down was not the start. instead, i just wrote the scene i was most excited to write. and usually thats somewhere in the middle! i do this cuz it makes my brain happy, and a happy brain is much easier to pull words from than a sad brain. plus, when i see the scene I Like Best already written, it gives me motivation to do the rest of the fic because oh my god i want everybody to sEE THIS ONE DANG SCENE!!! start writing the fic at whatever point you want, in whatever order comes most naturally to you, is my point. you can fill the rest in later, but hey, starting to write where you Want has gotten you Started. now you just gotta finish, and finishing when you already have something down is much easier than starting from 0)

Set Tiny Wordcount Goals. And When I Say Tiny, I MEAN TINY!!! (writing is intimidating but if you set a goal of say, 100 words written for a wip per day, at the end of one week, you'll have 700 words. at the end of two, you'll have 1400 words. at the end of a month, 3000. small goals help since it makes you do Something, and that Something will inevitably compound, no matter what goal uve set. and let urself be proud of the goals uve achieved!!! writer brain gets happy when you tell it it's done a good job at reaching a wordcount goal, and like i said earlier, happy brain is much easier to work with than sad brain)

Give Yourself All The Time You Need (i know this sounds counterproductive but sometimes....the best thing you can do for the part of your brain that wants to start creating....is waiting til it's ready. dont pressure yourself, cuz brain will get sad. dont be too hard on yourself, cuz brain will get sad. start when you want to start in the way that works best with your brain and see where things go, but be patient with yourself. sometims Starting is actually the longest part of writing a story and thats fine. it will happen. trust)

-

thats all the tips ive got! and of course, what will work for me wont always work for other people, so please feel free to take what you think applies to you and discard what doesnt resonate.

i hope some part of this can help! happy writing :D

#asks #anon #.....man i forgot if i had a tag for writing tips. i know ive answered a writing tips asks but i cannot rmr for the life of me the tag..jsd #also yes im testing out changing text color to help break up my blocktext rambling jhvjkVKJ

[lathalea]

Hey, I'm the anon who was asking why people are writing Thorin with all these modern quips.

Thank you for your answer and your awesome pictures of Thorin!

I sadly think you may have misunderstood where I was coming from, though.

I never am against people being creative..I have no problem with people expanding their minds to come up with so many different ideas and scenarios. The people reblogging from you made me look like a complete heartless jerk saying that people should be free to write whatever they want and I'm just an oppressor, pretty well.

If anything, my point is, people are always writing fanfic with the same narrow minded ideas..they really aren't as creative as people think.

They are filled with utter political correctness and Marxism. This stuff is more narrow minded than being creative, as we see it in every tv show, movie and video games, even! It's everywhere! But, this is considered creative when this is all we ever see in storytelling? This is why I felt you misunderstood me, and so did everyone else.

If people are being truly creative, they wouldn't keep putting these same ideologies in stories. You know how many Thorin stories I couldn't finish cause the women are usually written as the same tropes over and over again? Always feminists, and just knows how to fight, somehow, or always has an attitude..this is how women are written in pretty well any type of entertainment, these days.

Hope this helps you understand more where I'm coming from.

(Mandatory Thorin swooning material here.)

Hi again, Anon! 

I’m glad you’ve read my reply. Rest assured, I understood everything very well – including the fact what kind of fanfiction tropes you like the most and the ones you don’t. As for the latter, I simply hope that doesn’t include the Thorin fans who have fun together with me whenever I open Thorin’s Ask Box and reply humbly ask our King Under the Mountain to kindly reply to everyone’s questions.

It’s good to know that you didn’t mean to come off like “a complete heartless jerk”. It happens sometimes that we write certain things under the influence of strong emotions and click “send” before taking a deep breath and re-reading what we wrote. I understand, no worries. But I’m sure you see how your words can be interpreted by others. And I’m certain you know — probably even better than me — that proper wording matters a lot, especially in English. Because it is not my first language, I’ve learned to be ultra careful when putting my thoughts into words here on Tumblr (or anywhere in the Internet) — otherwise I can come off as the aforementioned “complete heartless jerk” and no one wants to be that person, right? 

If anything like this ever happens again, I’d like you to know that you can always drop in to my ask box and clarify further what you had in mind. I will be happy to convey your reasoning to my followers as I’m doing it now.

Anyway, I’m glad that you decided to clarify your thought process and we went from the initial confusion of “strange gender ideologies” to the problem of the Original Female Characters and their portrayal in fanfiction — which is a very interesting issue worthy of a separate discussion (another one I’d love to have). But let’s dive into your ask.

(Just look at his majestic profile!)

“If anything, my point is, people are always writing fanfic with the same narrow minded ideas..they really aren't as creative as people think.”

(I have skipped the part about the main popculture categories because it’s a separate topic, but I’d love to discuss it with you on another occasion. I think it would be a very interesting exchange of opinions.)

Let’s focus on fanfiction for now, specifically, Thorin fanfiction because I see we both care for this character a lot.

I’m glad that in your ask you decided to challenge the fanfic writers and encourage them to broaden their horizons and try harder! It’s always good to improve. And speaking of improvement, remember when I said “proper wording matters”? I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to offer you a piece of advice I got from a good friend once: I’ve learned that it’s best to avoid categorical statements containing words like “always” or “never” when discussing things in public to avoid being misunderstood or coming off as confrontational. Some of the people who will read this may think that you are either offending fic writers on purpose (which I’m sure is not the case) or have a limited knowledge of fanfiction (and you seem like a well-read person). It is much better to say “It feels to me that many people write fanfic with the same narrow-minded ideas because…” (I’d like to hear your reasoning by the way!) 

Let’s leave dealing in absolutes to the philosophers and theologians, okay? :)

Now, let’s get back to Thorin fanfiction.

(Just look at that hair!)

"If people are being truly creative, they wouldn't keep putting these same ideologies in stories. You know how many Thorin stories I couldn't finish cause the women are usually written as the same tropes over and over again? Always feminists, and just knows how to fight, somehow, or always has an attitude..this is how women are written in pretty well any type of entertainment, these days."

I must admit I’m a bit sad that you happen to find only this type of Thorin x OFC fics. At the same time, I have to agree with you that there are certain repetitive tropes and traits that make many OCs boring, or worse, make them look like a Mary Sue. In mainstream media, it is very common to portray a female character as “strong” by putting a sword or gun into her hands, but for me, it is much more interesting to see either this type of physically strong character, but marked by flaws or torn by conflict, or a more feminine type of character whose strength that comes from within. At the same time, I realize that this type of character (“badass girl with a sword”) has become very popular and perhaps that is why I get easily bored by it nowadays, because the world of popculture is oversaturated with them, as you said it yourself. But I believe that a good writer can write a character like this and keep me engaged if there is interesting depth to that OC. 

Either way, I totally understand that you may feel tired when seeing this trope, but I also know there are tons and tons of various stories available online though browsing through them may feel like a chore sometimes. But don’t worry, I happen to have read quite a few Thorin fics (it should be clear to you by now that I have no life ;)), and some of them were really good. I have prepared a short list of Thorin fics with interesting protagonists from many different places (ff.net, AO3, Tumblr) — you’ll find it below. I hope that after checking out these stories and reading those stories, you can perhaps feel a bit of relief knowing that there are quite a few interesting female protagonists around.

Here we go (a general warning, many of the fics below contain NSFW scenes):

💕 @technoelfie - check out the Thorin masterlist - stories like The Long Dark and its sequel contain an OFC that is everything but badass, even though she comes from the modern times. And the story is very much canon in all the right places.

💕 Kkolmakov’s fic Me Without You - a perfect example of how you focus on canon, provide the readers with a feminine OC (and Wren, the protagonist, is very far from a classic Mary Sue), and weave an engaging story inspired by Thorin’s works. Check out her other Thorin stories on ff.net, they are full of great ideas! 

💕 @legolasbadass - check out the Heart of Gold fic on AO3! The OC is a very complex character and the story of the secret love between her and Thorin in a restrictive Dwarven society relies heavily on canon. Dania, the protagonist, shows us a quiet, resilient type of feminine strength.

💕 @fizzyxcustard - see Fizzy’s Thorin fics here on Tumblr and A Rose at Twilight on AO3. This is a story about a young woman capturing Thorin’s heart against all odds. Again, far from a typical swashbuckling Mary Sue, it focuses on a rather vulnerable character who gets a chance at a new life.

💕 @middleearthpixie - this very prolific writer has more than just a few longfics under her belt. See the whole list here. Stories like In Time or Where I Belong, among others, contain well-rounded OFCs free from the repetitive traits you mentioned.

💕 @thorinstorieswoman - this blog contains a 2-part longfic where the OC is an elf from Rivendell and the issue of elf-Dwarf animosities is addressed in an interesting way without straying outrageously from canon.

💕 @frosticenow wrote A Thread of Life, a companion piece to my art (yes, I may be biased here) that includes another really interesting OFC, a seamstress, and Thorin falling in love with her. You will find great worldbuilding ideas here too and strong focus on the Dwarven culture!

💕 The Queen by Heloise Durin - the story of how the love between Thorin and Queen Heloise blossomed. It is somewhat inspired by real-life events, as the author admits, and the readers can see that a queen can be a strong female character yet her strength does not come from wielding a sword nor from sassy remarks.

💕 Other writers who are known for Thorin fics are @legolaslovely, @deepestfirefun, @dumbassunderthemountain, @fromthedeskoftheraven, @averil-of-fairlea, @xxbyimm, @i-did-not-mean-to, @shiinata-library, @scariusaquarius, @guardianofrivendell @ruthoakenshield and more (if you’re a Thorin fic writer and you’d like to be added here, please let me know!).

💕 Oh, and if you’re tired of the issues you mentioned, like “feminist OCs” and “badass girl OCs”, feel free to check out @lordoftherazzles stories. The main focus is Bagginshield and this is a ship based solely on canon characters free of those characteristics so maybe it will interest you too? Here is Razzy’s AO3 page.

And if you're searching for a classically feminine OFC whose greatest trait is being passive and ogling Thorin, see my story Springtime at the Lonely Mountain.

I hope you'll like at least some of these stories. Feel free to share your thoughts with me! I’m always eager to discuss fanfiction :)

(Well hello there, handsome king!)

Before I click “send” on this post, I’d like you to ask you something, if you don’t mind. You wrote: “They [fics] are filled with utter political correctness and Marxism.”  

I must admit, I’m a bit confused here. Would you be so kind and please explain to me how Thorin fics you encounter (because I assume you were still talking about stories containing this character here) are filled with Marxism? And if you could provide me with some examples/fic links, that would be great! I must admit I have never encountered a truly Marxist Thorin fic (or Dwarf fic) yet. I’m always on the lookout for fresh worldbuilding ideas and uncommon takes on social and economic issues in fanfiction, especially in stories where Dwarves are the main focus. Revolutionary Dwarves? Labor issues, capitalism and communism as concepts developed by the children of Aule? That would be a very interesting read!

The same goes for “political correctness”, by the way. I remember you mentioned earlier that it bothered you when people inserted modern ideas into Middle Earth fics so I’m guessing this is another example of this issue - please please please feel free to give me some juicy examples! I’d really like to hear your take on things and see how you would rewrite such stories or their elements to fit your tastes better! And apart from removing anachronisms from stories, that’s a great exercise in creative writing. By the way, forgive my curiosity, are you a fanfic writer yourself? If so, I’d love to read your stories if you’re willing to share them with me :) 

All the best,

Lathalea 💙

#thorin oakenshield #lathalea speaks #ask box #thorin #the hobbit #tolkien #fanfiction #thorin x oc #original female character #lotr #fanfic writing #character headcanons #Marxist anon

[phoebe-delia]

You've spoilt me rotten with your fanfics. I LOVE ALL OF THEM SO MUCH. IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. NOW, if I went and complimented all your works, we'd be here all day, so let me get to what I wanna ask.

What's your advice to someone who wants to start writing ? Like any advice on things that I should keep in mind while writing fanfics or stories or whatever.

Oh my goodness, anon!!!! You literally have no idea the boost this gave me. Thank you SO much for reading my work. It means the absolute WORLD!!!! 🥹

I admit I feel a bit unqualified to give advice. That said, I will tell you a few things that I've learned in the two years I've been writing fic:

Write what you love, and write for yourself

When I first set out to write fic, I made a list of all the tropes and things I loved reading in other fics, and I started there. I also realized pretty quickly that I found a lot of inspiration in music; most of my fics are based on songs. That's what worked for me; you'll find what works for you!

2. Make friends in fandom

Comment on fics. Join discord channels. Reblog things and use tags. Do fests. Send asks off anon. Interact with other writers and fandom people. You will learn SO much from talking to them. A lot of fandom discords, if not already writing-focused, have resources for writers to help each other. When you make friends in fandom, you can alpha and beta for each other. So so so many of my fics have been made better by asking a friend to look at them. Making friends is also just a great way to experience fandom in general.

That said—remember that this is still the internet. People can be mean. Protect yourself and be safe. Set up boundaries. It is simply NOT worth it to fight with someone online, about anything. And don't you ever let someone make you feel like you're a bad writer; if someone you meet in a fandom space is not making you feel good about yourself, then cut off that relationship. It is not worth it.

3. Don't compare yourself to other writers

I'm still learning this one; every damn day. Don't compare yourself to other writers—as better or worse. Just don't. No one is going to write like you. No one is going to tell YOUR stories like you. Do not let other people's writing discourage you from putting out your own work.

OH and make a folder of all the nice things people say about you/your work!! (For instance, I screenshotted this ask and put it in my folder right away 😉) It will help IMMENSELY on rough days.

4. Don't make a habit of checking your stats page too often

I check my stats page way more than I'd like to admit, and there are days I'm disappointed when I don't see the numbers change. Try to establish a healthy relationship with your stats page early on, so it doesn't become a Thing for you like it did for me for a while lol. (I think at this point I've desensitized myself to it so it doesn't affect me as much when I don't see a change.)

5. This is supposed to be fun

If at any point you find yourself stressing about this, take a step back. This is a hobby. This is for FUN. This isn't school or work, you're not getting paid for this, no one will be impacted if you're late posting something or if you never post something at all. Write when it's fun; don't write when it's not fun.

I hope this helps, anon! Thanks so much again for sending this in. Sending you love and good luck, and let me know if/when you've posted!

#ask #writing #lovely anon #im the luckiest

[meownotgood]

Ayo what the hell😭😭

It’s not like the internet isn’t already full of people obsessing over certain characters/people/things they like. This blog just happens to be one of those corners of the internet.

Yeah, maybe I *am* mentally ill and I’ve personally been embarrassed by how much I obsess over him, but Aki simply has become my comfort character. I know it’s strange - I’ve never felt such a strong attachment to a fictional character before, I’ve never had a fictional crush like this before. I’m stressed 24/7 and have to deal with shit every day and if going to this blog ab Aki is my weird escape, then so be it. Yeah, maybe I do need therapy, but that ask was way out of line.

Is your writing Aki fanfics? Perhaps. But it genuinely is *beautifully* written. Seriously. Not to mention that I’ve discovered far far worse fanfics out there that would, be considered more concerning lol

Sorry for the rant. I know this is the type of reaction that anon wanted but I still felt the need to spill this out because it got to me. Like said above, I’m fully aware that I have this odd obsession with a fictional character and I that ask was aimed at me, too. Idk what else to say than uh, yeah that was a whiplash

I know right?? like I just don't understand it because I feel as though liking a character or writing fanfiction is really a normal thing. and fanfiction is far from a waste, it's writing just like any other form of writing is. it can be fun and it can be polished or messy but it's still writing, and it isn't anything to be ashamed of.

this is part of a larger issue, there's a lot of people out there who think fanfic writers and ESPECIALLY smut writers are just degenerates but people write smut for so many reasons. smut can be art, sex can be used to tell a story, it can help writers with their stress and trauma, it can just be fun as hell to write and that's all okay. let people write what they want, there aren't enough writers out there

I've gotten a few asks like this before and most of the time I simply ignore them and move on, I know I'm happy and that's all that matters. I'm sorry autism scares you, but I'm a perfectly happy well adjusted individual. let me live in peace with my silly writings and my topknot collection lol

#no need to apologize because clearly I needed to rant too #anon never feel ashamed or embarrassed for your love of a fictional character!!! #please never listen to anyone who says things like that #listen man the world is too crazy and life is too short to not have fun #if it's something simple that makes you happy who is anyone else to judge #even if it is for a fictional character #you have love in your heart to give #and I think that's so lovely #ask mags

[heich0e]

Can I be annoyed on your behalf abt that last anon? It was such a snarky thing to say and clearly if they were okay with it they wouldn’t have said anything about it in the first place! Some of my favorite fics were never finished by their authors and that’s totally okay. I’m happy that they were shared with us readers anyway. Sometimes writers move on to new hobbies. Sometimes they don’t connect with a story anymore. Sometimes they simply don’t want to finish it and that’s okay!!

Anyways, the new samu fic is just perfection 🫶🏼 thank you for sharing with us

i've definitely said it before, but none of my currently unfinished fics/wips are considered abandoned to me—i fully intend to go back to them when i have the time/motivation/DESIRE to work on them!! that being said, i don't expect every person to have seen/remember everything i've ever posted on this website bc i rly am just babblin' away on here.

but i do sometimes wish people were a bit nicer about the fact that writing fic is NOT A JOB. it's a hobby. it should be FUN. that's not to trivialize it, or say it should be effortless and silly or frivolous in any way. it should still be stimulating and challenging and fulfilling for you, or whatever you want it to be, because it's something that you're doing for your own amusement in your free time y'know?? but like i have a whole life and a job and other hobbies and interests outside of fandom/fanfic/the internet. why WHY would i want to keep devoting free time and energy to something if the end result is just getting mean messages from strangers about how the thing i made is somehow not up to the standards? :')

kissing u smoochin u lovin u thank you for being here for me to share it with <3

#liv got mail

[merakiui]

Hi! How often do u write a day, also do u plan ur writing times/when u write? What are ur optimal writing conditions? Can u talk more abt ur writing process and quirks u have as a writer pls? Im a big fan :3

Hi hi, dearest anon!!! :D I'm happy to answer your questions!! I love rambling about writing, so thank you very much for asking!!! <3

How often do I write a day?

Aaa it really depends! Sometimes I can write a lot if I have the time, energy, and brain power and other times I write very little.

Do I plan my writing times/when I write?

I try to! Writing is like a little treat for me, so after a long week of uni and work I tell myself: okay, this block of time is reserved for writing fanfic and nothing else!!! I like to write on the weekends the most because I usually have more time to do the things I couldn't do during the week! But if I have some free time, I'll attempt to put some words on the page.

What are my optimal writing conditions?

Most importantly, a clean and organized desk space! :D if I'm writing during the day, I open my curtains to let sunlight in, put on music, keep my water bottle filled, and I'll write. If it's at night, it's mostly the same, but I dim the lights so they aren't so bright and harsh.

What is my writing process like?

It's mostly structured when I'm following an outline, but sometimes it can be chaotic if I haven't written an outline in advance or if the outline is written vaguely to make room for other scenes or last-minute inspirations. Although sometimes I'll just write and see where it takes me!

What are my writer quirks?

If I'm feeling lost or unmotivated (or I simply wish to find inspiration), I will go for a run! A good run with some music usually helps to clear my mind and gives me the chance to daydream certain scenes. To hype myself up during the editing process, I do dramatic reads in my head and I react accordingly when something exciting/sad/funny/etc happens. It's very enjoyable! It may not be a quirk (more so a blessing or a curse depending on how you view it), but I have the tendency to think too much. ^^;;; therefore, my google docs is always filled with wips and concepts. It's fun to look back through the drafts and outlines to see what I was cooking. There will never be a shortage of ideas hehe!!

#chit chat

[wooahaes]

I totally understand your point and where those asks are coming from about the things you can't stand in fics, but there's a difference between hating a certain expression like "she released a breath she didn't know she had been holding" and being triggered over things like y/n being described as small, having long hair and stuff. The writers are most likely writing from their own characteristics (or if not, things that they'd like to have)

That's personal preference and if you'd like to see something specific represented, why don't you write it yourself? (And I absolutely don't mean this in a condescending way, I'm genuinely saying you should try writing it yourself, why not?)

hi anon! i'm going to assume you're new here since it'll explain that last part since i occasionally do write fics with chubby readers or fem readers that are tagged as such since i like seeing myself represented <3 i always tag them as being a chubby reader so that people who don't want to read that kind of thing can avoid it since it's not applicable to everyone and some people just aren't interested in reading it

also, before i really go into it... i'd very much appreciate it if you didn't throw around the word 'triggered' in such a manner. we're having a discussion on my blog. if i've gotten a little too heated, then that's my bad, but this is nothing like being triggered by something (trust me, being sent into a breakdown over an actual trigger is not fun and a thousand times more stressful/upsetting than getting a little heated during a discussion).

i think the thing is... my anons have all been pretty nice about the things they're talking about? i genuinely brought up the point of writing pet peeves in terms of phrases or things that people see in writing since i like creating a safe place to talk about things. i'm very much a white woman though, so i try not to comment too much on things like my first anon brought up of writers talking about reader visibly blushing aside from the fact that i try to avoid physical descriptors like that due to it alienating darker skinned readers. it's usually because of these comments (so far not aimed at me, but general grievances with reading fics) that i try to avoid any physical descriptions in my fics--reader doesn't turn red or blush in a visual sense, but their face will get warm or they'll get flustered by a statement. it's a more universal feeling that people can agree to rather than worrying about the color their face is, plus it's more inclusive of people who don't visibly blush.

my other anon said that they feel self conscious so it bothers them when writers specifically talk about showing off curves (which not every person has, by the way--i've known people who are rectangular in body shape and lack any curves, doesn't make them any more or less a person deserving of respect). this is easily something a writer could warn for, too. describing reader as petite or dainty or tiny is also something that alienates the readers and rarely gets a warning for.

if i may be so bold, i don't think you fully understand my point and my anons points. reader fanfics are meant to be an inclusive medium because you're intentionally writing a more blank slate than you would an original character. it's one thing to write something like a personality or giving your reader likes/dislikes and writing reader as someone petite. i... simply can't ever be petite (i can lose weight, yes, but i won't ever be tiny and petite because my body simply isn't like that). dark skinned readers can't just become lighter.

it's okay to write a reader from your own characteristics. it's okay to romanticize your skin tone or your body. it's not okay to not warn people about it when they don't fit that mold. if you're going to exclude readers, then the nice thing to do is warn them before they start reading your fics. i warn people when i write chubby reader fics, i've seen poc writers warn when they're writing a poc reader... why can't people with long hair or smaller body types do the same? why would people viewed as deviations from that mold be the only people who have to warn people? i'm not saying you can't write a reader who's petite, i'm saying you should tell your audience when you do. it helps readers find material that fits them better rather than walk into a fic and be taken out of it because reader's described with things like "your slim body" or noted to be blushing red.

and as i've said, i've written a lot of fics. some of them feature a chubby reader because i do like to write my own representation sometimes. most of the time, i leave those details out because i don't see a point in them. i write for myself sometimes, but i also like writing for other people and giving them a place where they can feel safe in romantic fics where they're loved no matter who they are or what they look like. sometimes i start ideas with a chubby reader that i later cut out because their body type didn't actually matter to the story i'm telling (even though i could have just kept reader chubby--why alienate people when it isn't relevant to the plot?). i've had ideas start out neutral that changed because i wanted to tell a story a specific way.

personal preference isn't an excuse to not tell your readers what you're writing. i'm willing to bet every single anon i've had so far wouldn't have these complaints if they were given a proper warning before they read the fic (because then they likely wouldn't have engaged with something they can't relate to unless they were just down to read the writing and not imagine themselves as the reader).

#wooahaes.ask #asks.anon #normally i would put a readmore on this but i feel like this one is important to address #i do feel the need to also say that the way i write reader fics and the way i write my original works deviate from one another #aka i'll write a chubby protagonist purely for the representation of it all even if her body isn't 100% relevant to the plot #because i like the idea of writing stories for girls who have bodies like mine even if they can't 100% relate to the protag through like #interests and personality. #reader fics i feel like people are able to step out of their shoes to read a reader whos extroverted #you can't just pretend you're an entirely different ethnicity or body type

[sukunasun]

How do you write so well? I also want to write and find my own style but i always end up deleting my works because I can't bring myself to like them. They are too simple or too repetitive. It would be great if you could offer me some advice. (If you don't mind.)

hey anon! thanks for reaching out, hm...honestly, i struggle with liking my own work too, i guess we're all our own biggest critics :( and i can only speak from my own experience so my word isn't law haha but ive compiled some of my thoughts on this + some citations i think could help add perspective:

read as much as you can and study the writing you like: goes a very long way. if you like distinctive styles of writing like with prose and such then find writers who are known for that, off the top of my head—proust, joyce, brontë, tolstoy, cervantes, etc etc. but always explore, read non-fiction, read a script, read poetry. analyze themes, characters, dialogue ...or don’t? sometimes reading is an experience, not mental gymnastics, but take in how you feel about the stuff you read and digest them. 

“The first, of course, is to read. It’s surprising how many people think they want to be writers but they don’t really like to read books… — From 'This is Octavia Butler’s best writing advice.' by Vanessa Willoughby. Read on LitHub / 'An Interview with Octavia E. Butler' by Randall Kenan. Read on JSTOR "You need to study what writing requires. Writing has rules, conventions, requirements. There is form. Writing is more than your thoughts about characters. Drama has structure. You can learn." — Excerpted from Miss Chloe: A Memoir of a Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison by A. J. Verdelle. Read on LitHub

observe: listen to conversations around you, the way people talk and react to things, the way they interact with one another. expressing and repressing. or watch films, what do images and scenes look like in your mind. i learned a lot about transitions and flow from movies. take things from the world around you. find what inspires you to write? i usually listen to music!

characters: if writing fanfic is your thing then take the time to think about the characters, their motives, desires, weaknesses, etc etc. read the source material or read hcs and form your own opinion.

"Events, in and of themselves, have no meaning. Lightning striking a vacant lot is pointless; lightning striking a vagrant matters. When an event adds a character, suddenly nature’s indifference fills with life." — Excerpted from CHARACTER: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee. Read on LitHub (read this once for a creative writing class and thought it was really helpful)

it’s all in the little things: have fun with the details, think about the way a room is lit in the afternoon, or the way a ripe mandarin orange tastes, smells, you could also describe it in action—citrus and pulp and a zesty rind that spits from beneath your fingernails—fill in the blanks with texture and colour and give them a life of their own.

"If you are going to describe a spoon or a chair or a tv set, you don’t want to simply set these things into the scene and let them go. You want to give them some weight, connecting these things to the lives around them." — From 'An Interview with Raymond Carver' by  Larry McCaffery and Sinda Gregory, 1985. Read on JSTOR. (finding the balance between vomiting out descriptions and knowing when to leave things as they are is a struggle for me haha, i get caught up way too much on crafting atmosphere when all the scene calls for is like a sentence or two... i guess its about knowing which is more important, keeping in mind pacing and such too. but im a big believer in instinct, you’ll know whats better for a scene when you read it like fifty times and think... 'maybe geto’s internal monologue and a valid ‘heart beating wildly in his chest’ is enough..’) <3

re: writing styles: ultimately has to do with your personality and how you see the world/the scene you're conveying to an audience. i suppose style stems from the way you weave and thread words together, how you place one word after the other. i think it’ll come to you the more you write, rather than aiming for style, start with the story and the way you look at things.

A unique and exact way of looking at things, and finding the right context for expressing that way of looking, that’s something else. . . . Every great, or even every very good writer, makes the world over according to his own specifications. It’s akin to style,... but it isn’t style alone. It is the writer’s particular and unmistakable signature on everything he writes. It is his world and no other. This is one of the things that distinguishes one writer from another. — From “A Storyteller’s Shoptalk,” by Raymond Carver published in The New York Times in 1981.

let your writing be something else, just not yours (in the best sense): sometimes the hardest thing is knowing that your writing will forever be tied to you, there’s a sense of ownership there, like a mother who’s birthed a child after a whole nine months, you’ll work on something for the longest time and not want to give it to anyone, but it has to sort of...get out there. and not every piece of writing will be a precious baby, sometimes it’s just an onion in your garden you found and thought to use in a stew, but the point is that eventually, it’ll belong to the world should you choose to post it. letting it go is catharsis. when i don’t have to look back on it, i can just write the next thing. even if you don’t intend on posting it, i find that i could always just leave things in the drafts, in a document folder, in scraps of paper, and move on to the next thing. i know i can always come back to it. 

i guess...you just have to write? one word after the next until you’ve filled up a page or more. the difference between crafting a beautiful sentence you’re satisfied with and a repetitive, simple one is a whole lot of trial and error + practice (and suffering).

“The only sentence that matters is the one you’re writing.” Do not look ahead two or three sentences, thinking, Oh, but wait, I have to get through two or three more of these sentences before I can get to the really good stuff. Make the sentence you are at the place you are at, and make it a place of stone and steel, not a place of sand and clay. Fashion this sentence out of what has gone before on your page, always moving forward by looking back. Turn, swerve, torque and twist upon what you have written, finding new ways to render your object, and through these maneuvers, finding the way to write your heart out. — From 'The Gordon Lish Notes' by Tetman Callis. Read here.

eventually, you’ll look at the stuff you hate and find ways to make it better, and even then maybe you won’t be completely happy with it but i think it’s important to note that it’s a rather harrowing thing because you’re staring at it wondering if it’s something to be shared...that’s a lot. ultimately i feel it’s perfectly fine to write because you enjoy it, of course, some might say it doesn’t have to be perfect, but because you want it to be good, there needs to be a sense of care and responsibility to make it so. 

You write as well as you can and hope for good readers. But I think you’re also writing for other writers to an extent—the dead writers whose work you admire, as well as the living writers you like to read. If they like it, the other writers, there’s a good chance other “intelligent, adult men and women” may like it, too. — From 'Raymond Carver, The Art of Fiction No. 76' by Mona Simpson & Lewis Buzbee for The Paris Review

sending you love and cheering you on! i hope you find this helpful in some way!

#thanks for sending this in i hope its helpful! #im not the best at this haha please do let me know what you think! #ask #anon

[tadpolesonalgae]

ive seeing these anons giving advice and im glad we're all wondering why you aren't more well known. ive been reading acotar but it took me a while to find your blog and i really was surprised i hadn't found it sooner because you're a great writer and you also write a lot, so you should be on searches and stuff a lot. i thought it was because you wrote a lot of dark fics at first and that's not for everyone but you also write a lot of others so im not sure how you don't get way more notes on your fics. i think what the other anon said about interacting with other writers and im not familiar with the examples they gave tbh but yeah there's a few blogs that interact with each other a lot so you know they're friends (azsazz and acourtofthristandmen and more) but if you don't know them or you're not really good at/ want to you don't have to try to interact with them, i think you should bet on interacting with your audience more because that's what keeps people coming back. dont be afraid to post stuff on here either, this is your blog so you can post, especially asks because we do love seeing our asks answered and if people don't see their asks answered they might not keep sending them bc they're basically being ignored.

I mean, is there some setting I might need to switch on or off? It took me months to figure out how to link posts and even longer to discover the whole ‘read more’ thing so I wonder if there’s just a really obvious button that’s labelled “share work” or something and i’ve just entirely missed it 😭

‘so im not sure how you don't get way more notes on your fics.’

Thank you so much??? That’s such??? A lovely thing to say???

Honestly I’m very happy with how things are at the moment, like having people write in if they enjoy a fic, offering ideas, giving advice—I’d much rather keep things as they are than maybe having more notes on a fic but less people knowing this blog well enough to want to send in requests or talk?

I hope that doesn’t sound ungrateful or anything, it’s just that I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining I might not be getting enough because I genuinely I love how things are at the moment 🧡💛

‘ i think you should bet on interacting with your audience more because that's what keeps people coming back.’

Okay okay!! So!! I don’t know if this is a common thing other blogs do, but there are people I see interacting and I was thinking it would be fun to include you too? I know some people might find that stressful though and I don’t want to scare anyone off, but I thought it might be fun to tag some of you guys in those tag games? Solely because before I started writing, people who wrote fanfics seemed so far off in the distance and that is genuinely not the case, so I thought it might help people feel more comfortable in this space?

That is just an idea though, and I don’t even do tag games that often, so it wouldn’t be a regular occurrence or anything! :)

‘especially asks because we do love seeing our asks answered and if people don't see their asks answered they might not keep sending them bc they're basically being ignored.’

I’d like to clarify it’s not only not spamming things that makes me nervous to respond, but also because I don’t always know how much free time I’ll have in a day, so I often only have mornings to get to talk to people? I really hope no one feels ignored—generally if I haven’t answered something it’ll be because I simply didn’t get to find the time that day to get around to it? But I completely get that it can be discouraging to manage to send an ask in then it doesn’t get answered :/

#anons <3 #🧡💛

[lemonluvgirl]

I feel like you are a legend in the THG fanfic community. I’ve started posting recently, but do you have any tips for writing fan fiction in this fandom? <3

Wait, I'm legendary?

When did this happen???? 😳 Did I miss a memo or something?

Lol I barely started writing fanfiction 2 years ago 😅 so I guess I don't feel qualified to be called legendary! But hey, thank you so much for the compliment!

Hopefully none of the OG thg fanfic authors will be offended, I just imagine people like:

But on a more serious note, you said you wanted advice for writing in the Fandom. Even though I'm still relatively new to this, I will try my best to give you the advice I would have liked to receive when I started writing and engaging with the Fandom community.

1. Write for yourself: Seriously. Don't write the majority of your stuff so you can get kudos and likes. Write what makes you happy, and invest time in writing stories you enjoy and love. Because at the end of the day social media and statistics are fickle and don't often accurately reflect the impact your writing can have on the world at large.

I learned this the hard way. It was an uncomfortable lesson, but suffice to say that these days I am definitely more focused on the stories that inspire me everyday, the ones that live rent free in my head and are just begging to be put down on paper, or typed out on my keyboard. And I am loads happier because of that choice.

2. You do not have to answer every prompt or ask that finds its way into your inbox. It's OK to leave some things on the backburner and focus on your priorities. Fanfiction is a hobby and most people aren’t getting paid for doing it. (Almost no one I know or have heard of) I personally try to answer all my asks, even if only to say I'm not interested in writing the story the reader is requesting. But I've also just flat out deleted some rude or offensive asks before. I do not obligate myself to respond to rude anons or their questions.

3. It's OK to take breaks from writing. For your mental health, for your well being, and also when you just don't have the time or energy to churn out a chapter every weekend. Again, fanfiction is a free gift, not an obligation. Don't get sucked into the pressure to perform or feel guilty if real life circumstances make it hard or impossible to write.

4. Don't delete your old/first fics. The better you get at writing the more you will be tempted to do this, but trust me, there will be people who love your early stuff, grammar errors and all. Don't deny them the privilege of reading your first story. Even if it is tropey or whatever. Let it stand as a testament to how much you've grown and how much you love this universe. The Fandom will love you for your authenticity and realness.

5. Take chances. Write that dark or slightly weird fic. Write that PWP smut fic. Publish your spotify inspiration playlist. Send your fave author a chat or inbox question. Make connections, laugh at the weirdness or mundane aspects of your hyperfixations. Write 10 stories about the one bed trope. Write 100 enemies to lovers fics. Just do whatever makes you happy and allows you to be creative. Make friends and reach out to your fellow writers. Literally 99% of people I've met in the Fandom are freaking awesome and I do not regret any of the connections I've made in the 2 years since I joined.

6. Just have fun. Real life is full of so much negativity and hardships, and fanfiction should be about enjoying the journey of the characters and the story. All of this is literally just for fun. Publishing on Ao3 or FFN or here on Tumblr, is simply for enjoyment, its not a job or a career. So enjoy it! 😉 Make memes and gifs and chapter covers and mood boards. Write drabbles and weird snippets of dialogue. Let it all out, and say what you want to say. Somewhere out there, there is a reader who will fall in love with your words if you just have the courage to set them free.

#lemonluvanswers #ask answered #my writting #advice #fandom #thg fandom #community #fanfiction

[olympiansally]

i tried to read fanfic after a long time, maybe like 2 years? i came across yours, and i have regrets, i'll be staying away from them for sure now thanks for ruining it for everyone :(

First of all: congratulation on being the first person ever to send me anon hate! I’m sure there’s a reward in there for you somewhere because yes, I’m so delightful no one else had ever done this before so yeah congrats on being the bitterest ever I guess?

Tbh it does say a bit about me that I’m answering this instead of my nice asks - and to the people who have send me sweet asks, I promise you they do mean so much more and they have filled my heart with joy even when I don’t answer them - however! I feel like there’s some points to be made here

To start, this is so? Vague?? Idek what I’m supposed to be insulted about? You didn’t even say which fic you read? Did you read more than one anon? Did you binge read my fics and then come give me shit about it? You did didn’t you? You secretly love me and my writing don’t you? LMAO

But in all seriousness, idk what you want me to take from this. Truly, whether or not you read fanfic has absolutely no impact on my life so uhh do whatever you want? And as for “ruining it for everyone” what does that even mean? Again, you are the first person ever to feel the need to express something negative about my stuff - and again, congrats!!

Besides, I’m not the owner of fanfics in general? People are out there writing and reading what they want and hopefully having fun - but you failed to see the point of it apparently and that’s kinda sad

I wouldn’t recommend turning away from fanfics entirely just because you didn’t enjoy one writer’s work though. Fanfics really are about finding your niche and while I might not fit into yours, there’s probably something out there to your liking.

Better yet, you could aways create content that caters to your whims and be the writer you want to see in the word - that is however much much harder and requires more effort and vulnerability than simply giving people shit for the content they give their community (for free, might I add, just because they’re nice enough to create things and let other ppl enjoy them!)

The entitlement of demanding any fan content creator meet your own personal standards screams delusional levels of spoiled child behavior to be perfectly honest and it is not a good look, so my reaction to this is simply? yikes??

I would like to add, also, that I’m under no obligation to entertain you and if you didn’t like my writing, well! You can always just close a tab! No one forced you to read it! Why waste your time and energy?

Though from the fact that you then found my tumblr and came here to send anon hate, I’m guessing you’re a fan of wasting your time.

Literally anything else would have been more productive than spending this much of your time on me if you weren’t enjoying it, so just get better soon I guess? Hot tip! You’ll probably be happier if you focus your efforts on things that bring you joy instead!

Lastly, while I’m not sure what you hoped to accomplish here, I can only sincerely hope you learn something from this irrelevant little nuisance.

That is all, bye!

Oh! And thank you for the anon hate life experience I guess?? lmao

#alright so #????? #this just happened lmao #ppl really are out there just saying things huh #I am kinda curious to know which fic it is because if I wrote smt offensive to ppl who behave like this I kinda? Want to know what it is??? #and maybe take some pride in it lmao #either way #the audacity? the nerve? sorry you didn’t have fun with my fics anon but I’m entertained as fuck #can we pretend I’m like hurt and wounded so everyone can come tell me how talented and awesome I am now #or is knowing I pissed someone off this much meant to be rewards enough? #if anything! my writing got a reaction so idk man meh? #ask tag

[demonslayedher]

Could you do a character analysis for everyone? im looking to write a kny fic and wanna make sure all the characters aren't ooc

‘Sup, Anon! While I’m flattered, ultimately I’m just one nerd on the internet, and the only true authority on what is and is not in character for any of the cast is our alligator mangaka, Gotouge. (Even then, Gotouge surprises me with characterization choices.) As I do not work for any of the companies that own the rights or work on the production of the manga or anime, I have zero authority whatsoever, and what’s more, I am a fangirl before I am a nerd. That means sometimes I make fanfic choices purely based on how I want the characters to act, or I choose to emphasize or ignore certain aspects of their character simply because I like them better that way. At some level, all fanfic authors do, so getting everyone 100% in character is an unnecessary amount of stress for something that should be fun!

That being said, I do envision most of my fics as fitting in believably with canon, so I do try to keep the details accurate and reflect a similar tone and make realistic characterization choices (hence, this blog). If that is also the style you want to write in, and it doesn’t have to be in order to be good fic, then I have the following advice:

***

Reread/rewatch canon. While extra fanbook details are great reference and all, knowing a character’s height in centimeters isn’t as important as knowing how they’d react to different situations they are put in. Instead of reading for plot, reading for what the characters are doing, how they are feeling, how they react to surprises or things that make them happy or angry or embarrassed is what will make it easier to pretend how they would react or what they would do in the scenarios in your fic.

Part of what's so fun with KnY is that there's a lot going on that's easy to miss the first time(s) around, like Giyuu being the one to reach out to Mitsuri when she practically faints at a Pillar Meeting or Murata having been the one to care for Giyuu when he was injured at the Final Selection.

And as previously stated, Gotouge is the ultimately authority! When in doubt, always go back to canon.

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References details and Taisho Secrets

The Kimetsu no Yaiba Wiki is a great resource for basic details and fun facts, especially ones from Taisho Secrets. Gotouge has thrown such bizarre facts in sometimes that those tidbits make great springboards for asking more questions!

For example, Fanbook #1 is the only place mention is made of Mitsuri’s pet rabbit, but in a Taisho Secret she tells Iguro about her four cats. How do the cats and rabbit get along? Who takes care of the rabbit while she’s gone? If the cats weren’t mentioned among her pets, as that because she counts them as friends instead of pets, like how Iguro sees Kaburamaru? (Or it could be continuity error, but whatever.)

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Setting research

As the circumstances in which characters grew up can have a lot of impact on their character choices, do research based on what will impact the characters’ outlook. There’s no need to understand all of Taisho society, as you’d never finish your research, there’s no end to how deep you can go. Focus instead on what will have an impact on the story you’re telling. (I have links to a lot of setting related analysis on my KnY Fanfic Reference compilation.)

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Brainstorm

There’s often no existing answer to how a character would act in a given situation, and any writer gets stuck sometimes. I’m copying and pasting from this post about my productivity methods, but these are some of the brainstorming methods I use when trying to work out a plot issue in a way that would be in-character.

I have another brainstorming method I use especially when working out plot holes and how to get from Point A to Point B: ORATING TO MYSELF on selfie mode and seeing where my babbling takes me. It’s a good thing my file sizes are too big to upload to Tumblr, nobody needs to watch me talking to myself while brushing my teeth, but some major takeaway:

–identifying goals, plot constraints, character motivations –if tossing out an idea right away, identifying why (i.e., OOC) –approaching from many angles –skipping over parts that I need to figure out later –if I like a solution, asking myself what needs to happen to enable that solution –allowing some extreme ideas, which I might use in a lesser extent –jumping into character POV to walk myself through a problem the way the character would approach the problem –coming back to it in several videos as I continue digesting the problem (On that note, I had thought the upload failed, but it turns out I did upload a sample video of one of my brainstorming videos for this Ask response. So there’s a real life example of how I go about trying to keep things in-character as I puzzle out a story and potential plot holes.)

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Practice!! You only get better at writing the characters by practicing with them. I feel much, much more comfortable writing the characters now than when I started, but I also have written, like, a lot by now.

If you don’t feel prepared to write a long fic yet, start with drabbles! Instead of worrying about plot, work with drabbles or short prompts that simply put the characters into situations. All you want to do is get inside their head, and once you feel you can find your way around inside their brains, it gets easier to manipulate them into doing what you want them to in service of your story’s plot.

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I hope that helps! I’ve written meta about a lot of the cast, and you can always use the search bar at the top of my blog to look for specific characters to see what I had to say. There’s also lots of other insightful meta writers right there, many of whom may focus especially on their favorite characters, but I want to specially promote @wynsnerdyrambles here for a whole bunch of really solid, insightful posts about a lot of characters’ arcs. My stuff tends to get into get into the marshy weeds, but those are very nice for getting to the core of the characters. ^_^

Ultimately, it’s up to how you want to write your story! Happy writing!

#kny fandom theories and meta #kind of but not really?

[marashi96art]

What are your thoughts on polyamorous Cleon? IF they had a third person, who would it be?

This is so unfair when you could hide behind anon and I'd risk losing 3247943534 followers from answering this question.

But……!!! I'm down for the ride! This is the type of question that allows us to expand our limits for fandom. So if it's not your thing, to the random person who saw this, keep scrolling.

OK, let's go!!! This is going to be fun. **cracking fingers**

WELL conclusion first, it won't work, in my opinion. And of course, the one person is the one and only Ada. That is canon, no point to deny that. But I also see a few fanfic writers pair up Claire/Piers, Claire/Neil, Claire/OC, Leon/Angela, Leon/OC bla bla bla…in FWB setting, and the ending will be Cleon eventually see that they are the perfect one for each other and finally confess and live happily ever after.

And the midterm drama will be coming from Claire most of the time, how she was jealous of Ada having Leon in her palms. I guess it's familiar for women to feel related to this, after all, every rom-com movie practically raised us to be this way. Now, I'm not going to elaborate on Feminism or judge any writers, just saying I don't see Claire or Ada to be the jealous type.

There are enough female role models that tell us when you have enough self-love and confidence, you don't need a man. You don't need to fight another woman for a man's attention or approval. It's a hard goal to achieve and requires experience to see that. I think both Claire and Ada have that kind of mindset.

OG Leon on the other hand, is a complete mess. I've mentioned previously how I love pathetic men, and I want to clarify it's not pathetic from the start, is time after time getting rejected and failing, so he's losing hope.

He's such a dog to me, which means, a good boy and an obedient soldier. He wouldn't know what to do without a leash on his neck. I'm talking about his love life and his career. (He was forced to join, still, putting in all of the hard work and in Vendetta, he's being all cynical but didn't quit.)And when I think about him, it's always that lyrics from the F+M song:

"And with one kiss, you inspired a fire of devotion that lasts for 20 years. what kind of man loves like this."

Capcom wanted to make him a sassy womanizer in OG4, but it didn't work, bc there are more games of Leon chasing after Ada, and RE6 still exists. (I don't read Leon/Reader fics and will never do self-insert in fandom but I imagine the majority of straight women want him to be Jerry Maguire.) I even saw a joke about how Leon flirts with all the other women cuz that's his coping mechanism of being heartbroken by Ada. So if anything jealous is involved, it must be coming from him.

He's such a pleaser/giver. Again with the dog metaphor, if there's a polyamorous situation, it's not started by him. He just accepts in a passive-aggressive way and fights for attention. I think in my opinion, Ada and Claire would quickly acknowledge each other in silent agreement and just go on with their lives while Leon got caught in his own feelings of "how can I make her choose me" and "Why can't I be the only one", maybe in his good days he be like "I don't deserve this" and go out to do some "woman hunting" to boost his ego, but he always comes crawling back to his masters.

He simply cannot let go, so he will suffer in this situation. If you're like me, enjoy seeing men drowning in sorrows, then grab a seat beside me and laugh.

I only talk about OG Leon here because in remake 4 Leon suddenly grows a brain and decides to move on from Ada and dropping bombs to the a3on cult. So I'm really looking forward to Death Island, not for Cleon content, just wondering if DI Leon follows the OG setting or remake setting. I think it will change my future concept of Cleon.

Thank you for sending this ask and to anyone who read this, lmao let me know your thoughts in the comment, or send me another anon ask if you're not comfortable.

#my ask #i wouldn't dare to tag ship names #but i think it's pretty solid #well what would i know #im good in my own little corner #living in the delulu land