#ao3 struggles

[bobaheadshark]

the feminine urge to post a wip even though it’s not edited it’s not complete it’s nothing like you envisioned, and yet — u want your three mutual blorbos to pls pat u on the head, to pls validate u, to tell u ur words are something and that you aren’t alone and that the words on the screen are worth the endeavour. and sometimes it’s about the one to one understanding of the words on the page. sometimes it’s about the story making it from head to paper. sometimes it’s just about being deranged in your DMs and making the idea happen just for your own sake, or the two of you. the snake eats itself but it sustains and sustains, and i just think that’s beautiful.

[octobers-veryown]

Happy Saturday peeps!

[fr3sh-c0rn]

vile tags I have seen on AO3 that are the reason God wants us dead

Not technically incest

Written in the style of doctor sues

Ikea sex

SLIIIIIDE TO THE LEFT SLIIIIIIDE TO THE RIGHT (in reference to a character's legs)

'and some other stuff but let's keep the tags PG'

[readreactrant]

I really wanted to put out a more in-depth analysis of the contrast I noticed between the representation of GoYuu and SukuIta in fics (mostly on ao3) but I've gotten so busy and the workload has yet to let me go so I'll be quick!!!

For those who gave a fuck to make it this far it's just something funny I kind of noticed. Maybe someone else did too but like why does SukuIta get more wholesome rep than GoYuu???

Sukuna is literally a mass murderer with most likely cannibalistic tendencies but in more fics than not the most he does is being a self centered jerk with possessive tendencies.

On the other hand, we've literally got jujutsu Jesus, but because (I'm kinda guessing here) it's a teacher x student situation, people tend to focus more on the fact that yeah, this is a pedo situation. No other interpretations, no softening or exploring, just make him a creep.

Which is okay, I don't yuck others yums, if creep Gojo does it for you then by all means go for it, cause god knows I happen to like it now and again myself.

Nevertheless the difference is crazy, I used to think it was the age gap thing but even then Sukuna's case is clearly still worse (cuz centuries year old curse) but again it's not paid much attention to since he's not in a position of power above Yuuji in what's represented as our structured society, so therefore it's less relatable...I guess.

Anyways, I love both ships to death, with GoYuu probably being a few points higher but the influx of creep Gojo fics (of the basement arc or other variety) has really started to become tiring to read.

Despite all that I'll still be reading, there's a hidden gem every seven or so pages they say (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

[themightyhumanbroom]

Fuck I forgot to put enough burn into this slow!

[brotrustmeicanwrite]

Using Schrödinger’s Mary Sue In Creative Writing

Every once in a while, out of nowhere, the idea of something like a cool fight scene, a witty exchange between the villain and hero or a very dramatic finale just ✨pop✨ into a writer’s head; usually accompanied with a sudden burst of inspiration. When those scenes involve established characters and stories, more often than not the writer regains consciousness several hours later having fully thought through the most epic thing they’ve ever written, contemplating weather or not they should rewrite the entire story to be able to properly include that scene.

But sometimes those scenes are just about A hero, A villain, A couple, not about someone specific. When that happens we often get stumped in the creative process because we have to sit down and actively create characters or fledge out vague character ideas we’ve had on the back burner to have material to continue the train of thought. And that usually kills that burst of inspiration.

That’s where what I call “Schrödinger’s Mary/Gary Sue” comes into play.

A SM/GS is a character concept for a specific archetype of character who possesses only the characteristics that you tend to give these archetypes, as well as all of the abilities for them that you came up with but weren’t able to include but wanted to.

To give an example, this is how my own SM/GS for the MC/Part Time Hero looks like:

- personality and appearance -

Vaguely Male

Light Hair

Kind (optional, might have been beaten out of them)

Intelligent

- abilities/roles -

Teleportation

Ghost sight

Half human / half spirit

Fox spirit

Dragon shifter

Follower of / reaper for the god of death

Genius magician and high priest

A planet throwing heavenly knight who helps the gods of creation fight evil gods from other dimensions

A literal god

Etc. etc. bc yes there is much more

That list on its own looks pretty Mary Suey. What makes that character a Schrödinger’s Mary Sue however is how to use them: Once that character has been placed into a scene their abilities are limited to just one, or if compatible and not over the top a few of those abilities.

This setup gives us the opportunity to experiment with not only that scene that originally came to mind but also old ideas that we didn’t want to abandon but couldn’t make work at that time. Basically what we’re doing is instead of playing with air, we play with an unpainted, unclothed, wig-less doll. It’s not concrete enough to just be copies of pre-existing characters but gives us enough substance to develop the scene; and if all goes well that doll won’t stay in that state for too long and become its own fully fledged out character.

(I used to really struggle with losing that burst of inspiration but since I’ve started using the SM/GS approach my brain has probably become the fastest and most effective recycling machine on the planet.)

Also, I you end up trying this for yourself, keep in mind to keep the SM/GS’s personality and characteristics as vague and basic as possible before going into the scene, else you risk writing the same character over and over again. Once you start working you can add proper personality traits and make a real character from that base concept. And of course, don’t be afraid to change those basic characteristics if you feel like it or the story develops into a direction that calls for it.

Happy writing :D

[plague-and-creatures]

Being subscribed to a couple dozen AO3 fics and having none of them updated for weeks is a hellish purgatory and I am foaming at the mouth and going insane because I don't have more of my blorbos

[wisteriagoesvroom]

me: don’t they know i’ve written soooo much fic about these blorbos

also me: literally never posts any of it

[tei-to-tei]

me, writing: I'm gonna be nice to everyone in this chapter

also me: whoops oh god oh fuck my hand slipped

[imightstealyourkneecaps]

I have more than 220 tabs of fanfiction open on my phone right now. Send help.

[bobaheadshark]

ao3 writers who are not on tumblr you’re honestly so brave... you’re happy to just post the fic and leave it alone? you do not care about ppl perceiving? living in the blissful quiet away from the burning hellfire that is social media on the daily? moving in silence. protecting your peace. that’s ninja shit.

[m00nagedreamin]

had one of those certified mental health moments and deleted an entire work because i didn’t like the flow

[thoughtsofagremlin]

My friend is trying to tell the coworkers who haven’t talked to me a lot about my ao3 (they’ve done this before). I want to die every time.

[readreactrant]

Being a goyuu fan is scrolling past at least three different versions of the basement arc every ao3 page like that's the one defining aspect of their relationship.

Because "OMG he kept yuuji locked up like a perv teehee~" yeah we know we all got the message.

(idk how a reblog took me out of context but I ship goyuu, now go away if you want to start an argument)

[denimaww]

Soo if you're a reader and awaiting my next Contractum ad Solis et Carnis chapter, I am sorry it's taking so long. University has been a lot and a lot of things have happened unexpectedly in my life the last two weeks. If I write, it's on my other series, Desire flowers wherever it finds purchase, with Halsin and Astarion, and that's because it's way less demanding of plot and research. Know however that I am scheming and plotting for Contractum. Fear not, there will be more debauched depictions of Astarion and Raphael in time.

[fr3sh-c0rn]

nothing is more brutal than the "no beta we die like" tags on ao3