#Does this even count as fanlore?

[lzrsaugust]

soooo, i felt like mseeing with water color today and this is the first sketch :D

and erm, so uhm, this is how it ended ╭( ๐_๐)╮

uhh idk man i think something went wrong ahaha, so more abt this piece(the sketch, the only reason i kept the water color was for the animals and the hair more abt that later) I was thinking of maybe Tamlin waking from a pretty bad nightmare pre acotar maybe 100-200 years old like his father just died and he just bacame high lord i personally think Lucien is 300 ish so hes not around yet, 100-200 fresh from his father's death, previous spring lord being canoncally (srry dont feel like spelling rn) worse than beron, i imagine his and his brothers having a somewhat zoldyck family situation. anyways back to the scene, something seomthing nightmare, seomthing something no one there to help, somethig seomthing Tamlin doesn't want to bother his only friend (Andras) and its maybe dawn-ish, super tired, barely anysleep for days from sorting out the absolute trainwreck of a court that is currently srping, and just then there in the absolute chaos of orverwhelming emotions, trauma and ridiculous amount of work, there is just a little pocket of peace and tranquility where he things oh, maybe things won't be this bad in the future, yada yada,

in the sketch the hair was smoother as there wasn't too much thought when i was doing it and the second one i thought of the scene and i wanted it to be messier cuz he just woke up from some nightmare. yada yada, can't remember what i wanted to put here, so uhm if you can actually draw and feel like it please please please try this i really wanted to capture, this dam feeling, but cant really like hes super tired physically and emotionally but there is like this tiny glimmer of hope and i can't freaking describe it but yeah if ya want to i really wanna see it visually 🥹 (did that word vomit make sense? i hope i didn't scare anyone aways :))

and finally the animals! they are his children, he birthed them your honour.

In all seriousness he could totally do it, but nah i like to think he found/saved them when he was young or something like that. they are some kind of fae animal i geuss, like not completly mindless but they don't really form cohesive thoughts much, like intelligent has magic and the fae don't eat them. Uhh I think the cat looking one in the sketch would be some kind of rose tailed lynx somewhere on the third or fourth trophic level in the fae ecosystem, is an carnivore, the flower on the tail is a result of their magic, they could use a bit of air and plant magic for hunting, their young only has a bud on the tail maturity depends on individuals in the species, when they do a new petal grows every decade. They are usually live alone and thus has a reclusive tendency, and they come and go as they please, occasionally they stick around for awhile if they like you. The bunny looking one has some kind of bug wing like ears and could fly, ears get bigger with each century, they live in colonies and could grow their own food in the wild, in captivity they are the companions of the agriculture inclined “lesser” fae, they help tend the ground and plants and stuff they arnt considered “lesser” fae. In the wild they that’s smaller colonies and are also know. As bush bunny because in addition to their wing like ears their fur often resemble leaves and their tails have small flowers that are different depending on colony and bloodline. A defence mechanism would be to gather up and pile on each other to camouflage as a bush of flowers. In the watercolour one, the one on his shoulder is some sort of a mix of a cat and a rabbit or I suppose the two previous fae animals? Long furry ears, but this time it the tail that elongates as they age, the fur along with the flower tip tail changes along with the animal’s mood and when they form a bond they will use it to express whatever, like in the scene I wanted it to be a purple hyacinth and hydrangea mix ish to show compassion for Tamlin’s situation. They are usually protectors of the miniature flower spirit “lesser” fae, they look cute and stuff but like the long ears when tense and stretched become sharp and wolf like ish, and tail grows thorns. Usually they are pretty shy but are super friendly when you gain their trust. The last one(birb) is a owl and deer ish mix, their feathers darken with age, are usually very calm but could be very playful. They live in large parliaments and they migrate from each seasonal court to avoid their more unfriendly phases (hurricane season in summer and spring. Blizzard in winter, rainstorms in spring and autumn ect), they form strong bonds though rarely with other species, they are protective of their young and Tamlin was taken under this one’s wing when he was ten.

wow you actually made it this far, despite how incoherent it was, thank you!! I have more ideas but my brain capacity has reached its end. As always hope you enjoyed and have a great day/night! :D

[tylejandro]

I had no idea there was a @totaldramaficrecweek until just now. To anyone who wants more recs, here's what I suggest for days 1 through 4.

Day 1 (15 July): Favourite Canon Divergence

Favorite by AyaWilliams, an Aletyler and Heatherra rewrite of TDI. I loved seeing how these two relationships could've developed in that season and I thought both were handled very well. I also liked Heather and Noah's alliance. Not to spoil anything, but I also loved the 'Mr. Coconut' equivalent AyaWilliams made for the fic and I thought it was very in character.

I also really enjoyed Slippery Slopes by courtney-deserved-better just like a whole lot of other TD fans. I'm happy it inspired many other people to make Alenoah fanworks. I even wrote about it on Fanlore along with the ship itself, both of which were super fun to make. I really liked how the fic explored Noah's family and how that's been carried over to other fics, since canon gives us so little information.

Day 2 (16 July): Favourite Canon Compliant Fic

7 Minutes in Heaven (It Feels Like 70) by elsleaze, a Tyzeke Playa Des Losers 7 Minutes in Heaven AU. Does this count as canon compliant? Probably not, but I wanted to share this one. It was interesting seeing all the eliminated characters up to Sadie interact with one another, and the actual kissing scene with Tyler and Ezekiel felt very natural. It's a very cozy fic with the steamy moments in the 7 Minutes closet, and it got me to like Ezekiel more.

New Beginnings by CerendaRoth, a Nowen AU that takes place from Greece's Pieces until Owen is eliminated during Niagara Brawls. Not exactly canon compliant, again, but I wanted to share this one. I love how Owen's thoughts in a Nowen AU were explored. It has a great sense of soul, and Team-Escope was great!

Day 3 (17 July): Favourite Alternate Universe - No Total Drama

The Perfect Resolution by Brick_bronze165, a High School AU Aletyler fic written for new years 2024. This is my go-to comfort fic. Alejandro and Tyler's relationship develops naturally and I love all the scenes in this fic, each one shows the stage of their relationship very well. They also have good characterizations, though Tyler's is stronger overall.

i don't hate you, i'm just passing the time by jasmine_sea, a High School AU Alenoah fic written for Alenoah Week 2024. This one is genuinely very well written and may be one of my top 10 favorite fics I've ever read. Seriously. Both Alejandro and Noah are characterized very well and I love the side characters. Their relationship develops naturally and it has amazing scenes. It has a great sense of groundedness, if that makes sense, and the world the characters live in is very believable without being boring.

Day 4 (18 July): Favourite Short Fic (Under 2k)

Solace by AyaWilliams, an Alecody fic where Alejandro hides Cody from Sierra when she tried to make him drink that love tea. I liked the imagery of Alejandro basically cuddling Cody under a table.

Ugly Doll by natalynsie, a solid Heather & Leshawna interaction fic that takes place just after Heather's head is shaved by Chef, but it's not all completely off yet. A very good take on both characters, and this fic also has a lot of soul to it. I once shaved my head so I related a little to Heather's pain here, even if I did it completely on my own terms.

[darkreflections-zine]

Dark Reflections is now accepting submissions!

Dark Reflections is an all-Trek zine focusing on the Mirror Universe and other dark universes. We welcome the dark, the macabre, the unsavoury and the morally dubious.

Please read the FAQ under the cut before submitting anything. Feel free to join our Discord server for quick answers to questions, hanging out with other submitters, beta reader requests, and work reminders.

Submissions close October 10th. Send submissions to ollieaster@gmail.com

FAQ

What counts as a mirror universe?

According to Fanlore, a mirror universe is any alternate universe which is a dark reflection (pun intended) of the original. Whether this is the mirror universe we see in the shows or in beta canon, or a completely new universe that is simply not as kind to our characters as the original is up to you. Keep in mind that this zine focuses on and embraces the more "evil" aspects of those universes.

What can I submit to the zine?

Writing (fic and poetry) and art (traditional or digital, including comics) can all be submitted. We don't accept manips, meta essays (essays written in-universe may be allowed), mood boards, or anything that can't be printed, such as vids and podfics. Fics must not exceed 25,000 words, though depending on quality and number of submissions we may choose more, shorter works over fewer, longer ones. There is no lower limit for writing. Art must be completed, which means no sketches. Traditional art should be scanned, 300p. Written files should be .docx or .pdf, and art files should be .png, .jpg or .tiff. Links to Google Docs are also accepted.

Is there anything I can't write about?

Despite this zine embracing and encouraging potentially controversial subject matters, there are a few things we won't accept. Generally speaking, though, unless you're writing nazi roleplay erotica (for example) we're not likely to reject your fic on subject matter alone.

What show/ship/characters does the zine focus on?

Ideally, all of them. We'd like for this to be an all-Trek zine. However, if we get an overwhelming majority of one series we may end up rejecting a single work from a different one, even if it normally would have gotten in, just to keep everything cohesive. Either way, we will not accept OC-centric works.

Can I submit a work that has been published somewhere else? e.g. AO3, another zine, ect.

No. We only accept new works.

Does my work need to be beta read before submission?

Preferably, yes. We will edit works which have been accepted and which require it. All works in the zine will match in editing style, though we'll try to keep the author's style intact.

If I submit multiple works, how many are likely to get in?

We would prefer to give as many creators an opportunity to participate as possible, but if there is room or your works are particularly fitting, we will include multiple.

Do I need experience to submit works?

No. We will gladly accept works from new creators.

Do I need to join the discord server to participate?

No. The server gives you easier access to the editor, granting quicker answers to any questions you may have, as well as general accountability and greater sense of community, but that is all.

How do you match fic and art?

Ideally, we will have some solid matches from the get-go. If necessary, we will ask submitters who have volunteered to pinch hit for fics with no art. Art with no matches will separate poems or end up on one of the covers.

Will there be merch?

Possibly.

After the zine is published, can I post my work to AO3/social media?

We reserve printing rights for six months after publication (the day printed zines will be shipped). After that, you may do with your work as you wish.

How much will the zine cost?

This depends on a number of factors. However, we will endeavour to keep the zine as cheap as possible. We cannot legally make money off of fanworks, nor do we wish to. A free pdf copy of the zine will be sent to everyone who has purchased a physical copy, and these digital copies will be available to purchase at a much discounted price.

I have another question that isn't listed here.

Shoot us an ask! All asks are tagged #qna to make finding them easier. Please check if we have answered your question there before sending a new one.

[brw]

Do you have any criticism towards the Magnus Family fans?

Anon, all I got is criticism, I'm a full time hater ❤️❤️

Okay unironically though, if you're looking for specifics, well my prevailing feeling about Magnetfam folks is that a lot of them feel like Batfam people who got lost. By that I mean it feels like a community built around fanlore and fan material, as opposed to actually engaging with the text itself, or if they do engage with the comics, it's often being read with those fan interpretations in mind. You see this with people making House of M to be this great AU thing that makes them a royal family, and not the deeply ableist, misogynistic, racist storyline that it is.

Equally, and I want to make it clear that there's no wrong way to get into comics, and this conversation is much more about how movie characterisations keep them from engaging with comics on their own, but a lot of them appear to have gotten into comics via the X-Men movies, and specifically via the prequel films, which offer a very warped view on Magneto, and especially one on Pietro, not that you can call that character Pietro in a meaningful way. It's in the way the focus is primarily on Magneto, with Wanda and Pietro (especially Pietro) being more accessories to him than actual characters.

Look, I hate the retcon as much as the next person, but Wanda and Pietro's mutant identities, while important, have never been a defining aspect of their characters, and you can easily make a recognisable Pietro and Wanda without making them children of Magneto. But then they wouldn't be related to the X-Men, and you can't expect us to read something that isn't the X-Men, right? It's interesting, because the bulk of the comics that discuss Wanda's mutant identity and her experience of being a Rromani mutant witch are Avengers comics, but those don't count because X isn't in the title. Pietro makes more sense to be related to the X-Men (he was in two different volumes of X-Factor after all), but even then, his character journey can never be contained to just what he does in X Books, and I feel like a lot of people ignore this because of the preoccupation with Magneto. It isn't a bad thing to have a favourite character–but it feels weird to position yourself as a fan of the whole "family" while Wanda and Pietro's relation to the family is only an nth of the total comics they've been in.

Also, I get frustrated with the blanketing of all the interesting dynamics in the family to be the same, "I choose you and I love you" relationship they seem to have now. This is going to be a controversial statement, but I don't think Lorna and Wanda should necessarily get along. I think they respect each other a great deal, but they have never grown up together in any way, and they've never enjoyed the same experience of being on the same team and building a solid dynamic like Lorna and Pietro. And that isn't a bad thing! As someone with family members I was estranged from my whole life and only met as an adult, sometimes you never gain the same level of intimacy and love that you do with people you've lived your whole life knowing, and sometimes you just don't really get on. And that's okay too! It's an awkward situation, but that's just family as a whole a lot of the time, and I would have appreciated seeing the different ways different people in those situations react to suddenly having an entire sister they never knew about. Plus, it would be an interesting spin on the norm, which is that Wanda is much more approachable and social than Pietro, but with Lorna she's suddenly the one struggling to make friends. I dunno, I just think a lot of the complexity of family dynamics gets sucked out and that's a big shame to me because one of the most interesting parts of this side of the Marvel Universe is the exploration of navigating new family as an adult, which is a difficult experience I rarely see represented in media.

Finally, and this is completely a me thing, but I don't like the way Vision and Crystal are excluded from the family. Regardless of your opinions on the healthiness of their respective relationships, objectively speaking they are incredibly important to the family as the reason why Wanda and Pietro each have children. There is no Tommy, Billy or Luna without Vision and Crystal, and it kind of shows how the emphasis really is on Magneto and Magneto alone, because everyone who doesn't have a relationship with him is excluded. As I've discussed before, Wanda objectively loves Crystal as a person, and she should be far more prominent as someone Wanda values as a sister in law than she is. Additionally, Vision and Pietro have a much closer and more mature relationship than they are depicted with in fanon, because people saw that one panel of Pietro calling Vision a watch out of context and have never read anything of them together since. Vision and Crystal ARE a part of their family, and if you can't accept that then I think you need to get into something else.

[tmntkiseki]

Oh goodness gracious, the last couple of days have been extremely stressful

So, as we all know, I am the admin of Turtles & Turnips, a TMNT 2003-focused server. It's been a little over a month since I made it and right now, it is pretty bustling most days; including myself, we have 60 - 65 members at this point and while we've had a few hiccups here and there, overall things have been running pretty smoothly.

That said, the last couple of days saw an extremely eye-opening situation unfold in the server, one that required not only a lot of active communication between the mods to solve, but also the questions and input of our current community, which I remain incredibly grateful for.

(Warnings for discussions relating to pseudo incest canon to TMNT as well as mentions of tcest.)

To explain what happened: Among our rules and restrictions, we have a very strict ban on any and all discussions of tcest. The reason is obvious; it's a massive squick for a lot of people, I myself do not support it, and I wanted to make sure people had a place to be able to discuss the relationships of the brothers without needing to deal with anything related to tcest shipping. However, despite having a total ban on tcest, we originally did not have any sort of rule addressing discussions of canon pseudo incest IE Leo/Karai in the 2012 series, as well as the stuff with Venus in The Next Mutation. At least to me, it made sense to ban these sorts of discussions too, seeing as these also fall into squick territory with people often being yucked out by pseudo incest as much as full blown incest. There were other reasons as well; there has been a lot of critique thrown at the 2012 iteration with Leo/Karai often being a part of it, and banning discussions of the pairing was lowkey an effort to try and lessen the amount of these critiques.

So the mods and I discussed this and we decided to adjust the 9th rule in our rulebook to include a ban on discussions of canon pseudo incest alongside tcest. I announced the update to the rules yesterday with the assumption that everyone would be okay with it and understand it. But then not too long afterwards, some of the members began asking questions and commenting on the update to Rule 9, and these questions and comments actually ended up exposing some objective flaws in the rule update.

The first of these: "Pseudo incest" is a very vague term. According to Fanlore, "Pseudo-incest refers to romantic pairings in which characters who consider each other family, but are not blood relatives." The thing is if you look at a lot of the shipping-related discourse in the TMNT fandom, not everyone agrees on what does and doesn't count as pseudo incest. For instance, many people do agree that 2012 Leo/Karai and any pairings involving Venus and TNM turtles do count as pseudo incest--however, some people have claimed that various pairings involving April and the turtles also count as pseudo incest due to the fact that she tends to be treated as a sort of sister to them in most iterations. Again, it's a very vague term and results in a lot of confusion as to what does and doesn't count as pseudo incest.

The second, and more worrying of the issues: It has the potential to greatly stifle discussions. This is something I was definitely aware of when we were discussing updating Rule 9 and as more people commented on it, the more obvious this flaw became. While tcest can easily be excluded from discussions to the fact that it is exclusively a fandom thing and thus not actually relevant to the franchise, like it or not, pseudo incest pairings did happen in a couple of TMNT iterations. By banning all discussions of these pairings, not only does it prevent people from offering constructive critique towards them, but it could even stop people from talking about the characters involved from a general/platonic standpoint.

Speaking from the perspective of the admin who had to weigh the decision of myself and my moderators with the concerns of those in the server, there really was not a right way to go about this. On one hand, yes, considering we literally have a rule that more or less says "do not even breathe a word about the existence of tcest," it seemed silly to allow discussions of pseudo incest, even if there are a couple of canon instances. But at the same time, the points of the term being vague and difficult to understand, as well as it potentially being too restrictive on the discussions, were incredibly valid. I couldn't simply dismiss these concerns.

Myself and my fellow moderator, Bee, spent a lot of time discussing what everyone said, suggestions that were made by the members, and ultimately came to our final decision: Rule 9 would be dialed back to only cover tcest and other full incestuous ships, and an additional rule would be added to explain our policy concerning the instances of canon pseudo incest; yes, discussion and critique of these pairings would be allowed in their appropriate iteration channels, but they need to be hidden behind a spoiler warning so that those who are squicked out can avoid them. Further communication with server members occurred in order to clarify any remaining questions, as well as to ensure that the rule concerning our policy on instances of pseudo incest canon to the franchise--listed as Rule 10--was clear and easy to understand.

This was definitely the best possible outcome for the server. Members expressed their concerns, the mods listened and discussed the matter, we continued to communicate with members in order to make necessary adjustments, and ultimately came to a decision that satisfied all parties involved. Most importantly, there wasn't any drama: everyone cooperated with each other and the server is really all the better for it.

For how good the outcome was, it was still an incredibly stressful situation to be in. Being the admin of such an active server is extremely tough some days--you can't please everyone, there will inevitably be conflicts and drama because of so many different personalities mingling in the same space, and no matter how much work you put into making the space as fun and welcoming for all who join as possible, some people will end up leaving for whatever reasons they may have. And mind you, I'm not getting paid for this; I'm doing this entirely out of love for TMNT 2003 and wanting to provide a space for people to chat about it and other iterations in the franchise.

But what made it all worth it was the amount of thanks myself and the other mods got afterwards for handling everything so well. Everyone was grateful that we listened and kept everyone informed, and it made me realize just how important input is from the community is. Yes, myself and the mods ultimately have the final say in what happens in the server, but we aren't the only ones utilizing that space; we have several dozen people in there and I suspect that we are going to continue slowly but surely growing. I want to make sure that the voices of the members are involved in developing the space we've made because if only the mods and I are allowed to say what goes down, then it might result in decisions that end up being of detriment to the community rather than improving it.

A very special thank you my mods @temunitu/@23-punnybee and @bleu-oscar, as well as everyone who has joined Turtles & Turnips and has chosen to stick around. I have many ideas and plans to further expand the server and make it even more of a fun, engaging place to be in, but I'm going to need help if I'm going to do it. We're all in this together!

[danpuff-ao3]

Writ, @writcraft, a creator I've long admired! Writer of excellent stories, thinker of excellent thoughts, human of excellent taste! They've written some of my favorite fics, such as How We Were Warriors and The Beating of this Fragile Heart. Oh and not to forget A Lion's Heart! (Not me sneakily sneaking in extra recs for you all.) (As if this list isn't stupidly long to begin with hahaha.) In fairness, I did strive to choose works I think need more attention and hype! Ones I love dearly that I need others to chat with about! Plenty of people know the above fics...it's the below fics I need to scream about!

But before we get there...Well, Writ is more than just a fabulous writer. They've modded many a fest and event over the years. In fact, you can check out their Fanlore page for more information about those! Not to mention their fantastic meta works (which...oh heck I'm gonna add some of those to the list too.) The point is, they've been in fandom for a very long time, and they've done so much for fandom in that time. The community is so important to them, and it shows. They are so dedicated and supportive. Even now, they manage so much in spite of how busy real life has kept them! They still care so deeply and it shows.

Thanks for being here, Writ. Thank you for all that you do for fandom. And for being so kind to me (even if I'm chatting your ear off! 😂)

Fics

Broken Promises, Shattered Dreams

Harry/Severus. Harry/Draco. Rated: E. Words: 6,995. Angst. Pining. Post-breakup.

This fic practically lives in an open tab on my phone, so often do I reread it.

Also AO3 keeps telling me I left kudos here, which: rude. Let me leave more!!!!

Draco left Harry and regrets it bitterly. He wants him back, but Harry is now in a relationship with Severus. As much as he wants to, Harry will not be able to make both men happy and someone is going to get hurt.

Dressed for Dinner

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 3,772. Formal wear kink. First time. Established relationship. PWP. Romance.

I did not have a thing for men in tuxedos until now. Hubba hubba!

Harry has a thing for men in tuxedos. Severus finds out.

Dirge Without Music

Albus Severus/Draco. Harry/Draco. Rated: E. Words: 6,029. MCD. Suicide. Dub-con. Knifeplay. Alcholism. Angst. Dark.

Ouch. But also: wow.

Albus is happy because everything seems to be coming together. He is captain of the Quidditch team and his father is getting married again – then one night the bottom falls out of his world. Written for the NextGen Darkfest on Livejournal (2012)

Forget Me Not

Harry/Severus. Draco/Harry. Draco/Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 8,219. PTSD. Threesome. Hurt/comfort.

One cleans, one collects and the other just wants to forget. Somehow, it works.

In the Palm of His Hand

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 6,969. (Wow what a word count 😉) Hand & finger kink (don't we all?) Glove kink. Getting together. Hot as all hell.

Harry has a thing for Snape’s hands. Snape indulges him.

Independent Love Song

Ginny/Millicent. Rated: E. Words: 6,255. Getting together. Matchmaker Hermione. Coming out. Queer themes.

I'm in love with tailor!Millicent and this does not disappoint.

Millicent Bulstrode is a tailor and Ginny is losing her mind over a woman in a tweed blazer and burgundy brogues.

Life Has Just Begun

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 6,230. Older characters. Internalized homophobia. Coming out. Romance. Salt and Pepper Fest 2018.

Harry has been carrying the weight of his secret desires for a long time. Severus is there when he’s finally ready to talk.

Stone Butch Blues

Minerva/Wilhelmina. Rated: T. Words: 1,019. Genderfluid character. Gender identity.

Will reminisces with Minerva.

Take Him to the Stars (Cut to the Feeling)

Harry/Scorpius. Rated: E. Words: 9,768. Age difference. Light bondage. Romance.

Scorpius has a thing for older men. For one older man, in particular.

Treading Water

James/Sirius. Rated: M. Words: 1,200. Implied/referenced homophobia. Angst. Closeted character. Ambiguous/open ending.

I’m sorry, Sirius wants to say. I’m sorry that people in this stupid world made you think loving me could only ever be a joke.

Meta

Albus Dumbledore: a Man More Sinned Against Than Sinning?

Comparing and Contrasting Snarry vs Drarry

Canon Critique and Creator Responsibility in Fandom

Fandom Platform Migration: Fandom History and Why It Matters

Tags, Warnings and Freedom of Content: On Non-Con, Dub-Con and Consent

Why dark fanworks matter to me

for an explanation about Mutuals March, or to figure out why i wrote you a thing, please check out this post.

[gratitude-hyjzine]

Hello, I'm interested in participating in the zine, in the writing section specifically. But it would be my first time, and I have some question because english isn't my first language, and I didn't understand everything.

First, like I said english isn't my first language. I write my story in French before translating them into english, but I cannot say that even if I correct the mistakes I see, it will be good enough for the submit, which I cite "Examples should have correct grammar and formatting, as well as in-character interactions." So is there something for that kind of problems?

Second; "The subject of your piece must be approved by the mods before you may start" Is this only for the art, or also the writing?

Third, in the application there is a segment mentioning "being a Pinch Hitter". I searched it online because I didn't know what it signified, and the only thing I found was an article from the wiki fanlore. And even then I don't completely understand what it means for the zine…

Last one, for the 1.5k excerpts, if I have a series in the same universe divided in multiple fics, does it count for one example or each fics proposed would be one? I don't know if I'm clear… Like one fic one example or one series one example?

Thank you in advance for your responses |･ω･)

(*⁰▿⁰*): Thank you for your question! I will do my best to answer it!

1.) In that case, it is okay. Please submit whatever you can. All final zine works will be beta’d by mods, so grammar will not be an issue. We are mostly looking for style and conciseness!

2.) All zine pieces must be approved before starting, and this applies to both art and fic. This is to ensure that there is an even spread of characters/no overlap.

3.) Pinch hitters are backup contributors who step in if a contributor is unable to fulfill their piece. Pinch hitters may or may not be contacted depending on the progress of the zine. Pinch hitters are not compensated unless they are asked to fill a prompt.

4.) Your three excerpts may belong to the same fic/universe. We are mostly looking at style and conciseness.

╰(*´︶`*)╯♡: I hope this helped! If it’s still unclear, you can send another ask or email us!

[mlsquaredance]

ML Square Dance — F.A.Q.

What is the theme of the event?

The theme is to remix each other’s fics by switching the sides of the Lovesquare you’re writing about! For more information on remixing, check out Fanlore’s page: https://fanlore.org/wiki/Remix

When and where can I apply?

You can apply here. Applications are open from 6/23-7/21.

What are the requirements to participate?

See our Rules and Application Guidelines.

Can I participate as a writer and a beta?

Yes, however, you must fill out both applications. 

Is there a minimum age?

Yes, we require all participants to be 13 or older as per Tumblr and Discord TOS.

Are we allowed to remix anything besides the side of the Lovesquare?

Yes! You must remix the side of the Lovesquare, but if you’d like to combine that with other types of remixes, such a POV flip, canon ↔ AU, genre change, etc., that is allowed!

Does it need to have a happy ending?

It does not need to have a happy ending. In fact, you should be prepared for the possibility that the ending of your own fic might be changed, should you decide to put it up for remixing. However, in the spirit of the event, we do ask that the ending remains Lovesquare. Even if they don’t get their happily ever after with each other, the fic should not end with a different pairing.

What about post-reveal Lovesquare?

For the purposes of the event, post-reveal counts as its own side if the fic is written entirely post-reveal. To remix it, you can pick any pre-reveal side. Likewise, a pre-reveal fic may be remixed as post-reveal if the entirety of the fic is rewritten as post-reveal (i.e., you cannot simply move the timeline of the reveal around).

What about salt?

While we are not a salt-friendly event, what counts as salt can be difficult to define. We have a zero-tolerance policy for salt on Adrien, Marinette, or any sides of the Lovesquare. Other than that, we ask that you not add salt to any remix. All remixes should have the same or lower sodium levels than the original.

For example, if you are remixing a work where Alya is a terrible friend to Marinette, you may write her as a terrible friend OR you may write her closer to her canon characterization. However, if you are remixing a work where Alya is a supportive friend, you must either keep that characterization or find a way to write the remix without Alya there.

What about NSFW?

NSFW fics are allowed for this event, however, since it is not an adults-only event, we will have some additional restrictions around NSFW fics. Adults participating in the Dance will be able to opt in to NSFW, which means you may put up a NSFW fic and/or you are okay with someone remixing your fics to a higher rating. Adults participating in the Buffet may request access to the Spicy Buffet and have the option to mark their fics as available for a Spicy Remix.

Do I have to get my fic betaed?

Using a beta is strongly recommended but not required. You may use your own beta or use a beta from the event.

What is your spoiler policy?

For all fics, including both fics submitted to the event and those posted as part of the event, we required that any fic containing content/references to season 5, season 6, and the upcoming movie be tagged by season/movie accordingly. Additionally, we require that any content/references to season 5 episodes 23-26 be tagged by specific episode. Leaked content of any kind is not permitted.

What if I don’t like the fics of the person I matched with?

Then remix them into something you do like! This is always a risk with a randomly matched event and we ask that everyone who participates in the Dance make sure they are okay with this possibility, as well as the possibility that you may not enjoy the remix of your own work. That said, if you receive your match and you realize there is no way you can remix these works, please reach out to a Mod as soon as possible.

What if I need to drop out of the event?

If you are participating in The Dance, please contact a moderator immediately so we can arrange for a pinch hitter. Failure to notify a moderator will result in disqualification for future events. If you are participating in the Buffet, we ask that you remove your claim from any fic you will not be able to complete so that it can be claimed by another participant. If you are a beta, please notify your writer so that they can find another beta.

For more information: Schedule || Mods || Rules

[fic-history]

Where to Find Fic: Archives New and Old

As long as the internet has been around, people have been posting fanfiction to their own sites. However, if you want to find more than one fic for a certain fandom or ship, you want to go to an archive. In this iteration of Fic History, we'll be exploring an abbreviated history of fanfiction archives from the beginning of the practice to the present day. Let's dive in!

Older Archives

Older fanfiction archives, even the digital ones, had to be compiled by hand. In the days when fanfiction was primarily circulated by zines or by individuals, archives were the personal collections of fans who managed to get ahold of copies of the works they wanted to collect (Jamison 2013). When fanfiction distribution began moving to the digital realm, archives still had to be compiled by hand, but instead of finding copies of zines, authors would email their fics to archivists, who would upload, code, and link each fic to the appropriate webpages by hand. Archives back in the day were more commonly limited to a single fandom or an even smaller subset of a fandom, such as a specific trope or ship. Additionally, archives were most commonly held on websites, FTP sites, and mailing lists. Since archives during this time weren’t self-serve operations like most are currently, getting permission to archive from authors who had posted fics to non-archive pages was a very important part of archiving etiquette.

Newer Archives

For the purposes of this post, I’m classifying “newer archives” as anything from the general time period around the early 2000’s onward. Nowadays, most fic archives are automated, so authors can upload their own fics without someone else having to do a bunch of coding to get it online. Niche archives for specific fandoms, pairings, tropes, etc. still exist, but from what I’ve seen online, most people prefer to archive sites that collect fics of all shapes and sizes in one big searchable pile. I’m going to explore some of these archives below.

FanFiction.net

While FanFiction.net isn’t exactly new (it was created in late 1998), it’s most likely the first automated multifandom fanfic archive according to FanLore, and was the main multifandom archive of the early 2000’s. When searching for fics on FF.net, you can filter by a lot of different attributes such as word count, characters, genre, and pairings, but the site doesn’t have a tagging system like AO3 does. Many fans stopped using the archive after it purged all NC-17 content in 2002 and 2012.

Archive of our Own

The current darling of the fandom world, created and maintained by the Organization for Transformative Works. The idea for this website was created by BNF Astolat in response to the non-fandom archive startup FanLib, which wanted to earn a profit off of fic. She posted An Archive Of One’s Own to her LiveJournal in May of 2007 (which is where the website got its name), and in mid-November of 2009, the site had entered open beta, allowing anyone on the internet to make an account via a first-come-first-serve invitation system. AO3 is probably most well-liked for its highly comprehensive tagging system where authors can select from already-created tags or create their own, but also other features like built-in bookmarking, easy fic orphaning, and the ability to choose to read a work chapter-by-chapter or all at once, among other features listed here.

Wattpad

The kid sibling of the fanfic archive family. This archive is unique to the other two we’ve discussed so far because it allows authors to upload both fanfiction and original fiction. Fanfic and original fic are also treated the same way in regards to contests hosted by the site and popularity ratings. In terms of content rating, Wattpad separates fic into 13+ All Audiences or 17+ Mature. Wattpad’s most unique feature is the fact that they have an in-house production/publishing company that publishes stories professionally, and creates movies and TV shows based off of popular works such as the After series by Anna Todd.

The wonderful thing about fanfiction archives is that there are so many that there’s something out there that will fit every individual’s needs. I hope this post was informative, and that it helps you find the archive for you!

Happy reading,

-KP

[cuchufletapl]

Personally I just rely on the tags and summary — that's usually enough to see at least if I vibe with the prose and the author knows what punctuation is.

And also. I don't really care about the stats in general, but also to be frank I don't think they're a particularly efficient measure for quality?

If you're going by highest number of kudos, bookmarks or comments, then it will skew in favour of older fics or fics that were posted at a height of fandom activity (simply because more people have read them) and long multichapter fics (because they periodically appear at the top of the feed, so more people come across them and they don't get buried like a one-shot might). A massive amount of readers logically leads to a large amount of kudos — it doesn't mean that the fic is bad, but it does mean its numbers are more due to exposure than quality. (It can be both but. Y'know. Sometimes popularity doesn't mean shit and sometimes it does. It's a bit of a toss-up, really.)

But most people who use stats as a guide figure that out so. Okay. What about what you suggest, OP, a kudos-hits ratio? That makes sense, right? For example, if a hundred people have read a fic and fifty liked it enough that they hit kudos, that seems to be a pretty good indicator that it's gonna be good. It's solid logic, I used to use it as a bit of an indicator of what to expect, too.

Except that's not how hits work.

From Archive of Our Own's Statistics FAQ page (emphasis added by me):

Hits are a counter of how many times a work has been accessed. A hit is registered every time a visitor navigates to a work's page, with the following exceptions:

• If two visits in a row come from the same IP address, only the first one is registered.

• Moving between chapters in a work will only register one hit in total, not one hit per chapter.

• If you're logged in, hits are not counted when you visit your own works.

A kudos-hits ratio is biased towards one-shots and fics with a lower chapter count, because hits ≠ readers.

Hits = visits, even if it's the same user returning to reread or read a new update (as long as it's not twice in a row).

But wait, there's more!

Admittedly, I'm not sure if this is true or just a rumour because I haven't seen anything alluding to this on AO3's info pages or even Fanlore, but looking at my own AO3 history, I think it tracks. Take it with a pinch of salt anyway, but it seems that for every 24 hours that you leave a tab with a fic open, it will also count as a hit.

So for example. There's this ongoing fic that I'm subscribed to — I have been since I first found it when it had nine chapters or so, and every time it updates I rush to go read it. The fic currently sits at 32 chapters.

Wanna take a guess how many times I've visited this particular work, according to my AO3 history?

Image Description: Text from a history entry on Archive of Our Own. It says: "Last visited: 30 Mar 2024 (Latest version.) Visited 99 times."

One single person equals ninety-nine hits in this case. And since I can only leave kudos once, if I were the only person reading it, that would mean this fic would have a 1:99 kudos-hits ratio. Which. Applying the misconception of hits = readers, does not sound great. It's way above the 1:10 ratio OP uses, at least.

I think a few dozen hits there must've been from leaving the tab open, but I know that I've returned to this fic over thirty times — not only for updates, but to reread chapters that I particularly liked. Clearly, this would signal that I think this fic is good (and it is, in my opinion)!

So when you use stats as the deciding factor on whether you read a fic or not, you're going to miss out on some hidden jewels out there. If you use the filters to sort by kudos, you'll probably miss out on one-shots and short fics that have been newly posted or were posted during a lull in fandom activity. If you take note of the kudos-hits ratio, you'll probably miss out on multichapter longfics whose regular readers have accessed it over a hundred times each.

Honestly, I think the best method to find quality fanfic is to check the bookmarks of the authors you like and follow the trail.

Another AO3 thing I’m curious about, how do yall decide if something is good enough to read? Usually I follow a rule of 1 kudos for every 10 hits. One because it’s easy math and two it’s yet to fail me. Thoughts? Do you just go for it and pray it’s good?

[amporella]

SOUTH PARK FANDOM ENTITLEMENT: or, how discourse (and entitlement) ruins things for everybody.

I’ve been wanting to write something like this for a while, and here it is; 4k words on the causes, effects, and dangers of discourse (headcanon discourse, in particular) within fandom. Discourse (and entitlement) is the primary killer of creativity and connection within fandom, and in order to stop provoking it, there needs to be a collective consciousness about what we, as a whole, actually want out of a fandom space. So, without further adieu, here’s my manifesto on fandom (but more specifically, South Park) entitlement, complete with five sections and eight subsections. Let’s get into it!

Part 1: So, what is discourse, and what is entitlement?

Discourse, as we all know, is a staple of the fandom experience. You would be extremely hard pressed to find a fandom entirely free of discourse, whether the explanation is unrealistic similarity in views or differing views with no desire to prove one as more “legitimate” than another. South Park is not one of these fandoms; in fact, its discourse is widespread in both time and space, occurring since the early 2000s and spreading throughout all social media sites with a South Park fandom presence. However, what counts as discourse is debatable (and IS frequently debated), and to be able to properly analyze the causes and effects it has on the fandom, we need to define it. 

Oxford Languages defines discourse as “written or spoken communication or debate”. This definition, while not specific to fandom, is relatively accurate to what I’ll be discussing in this post. However, for clarity, I’ll also be providing a fandom-specific definition, which comes from Fanlore. Fanlore defines discourse as “a fan term for discussion, debate, and/or arguments”.

Okay, great! We have our definitions of discourse. However, for the purpose of this argument, I’ll be narrowing the definitions down to the latter parts - namely, the parts relating to debate and argument. Communication, while relevant to the argument, is not the issue with discourse; actually, it often ends up being the solution. But really, discourse isn’t the main purpose of this post; discourse is simply the cause of the greater issue of entitlement. So, in order to analyze entitlement’s effect on the fandom, we need to define that too. I promise this post is more than just definitions.

Once again, we’re going to be using Oxford Languages and Fanlore for our definitions, to achieve both an outsider and insider perspective of what entitlement actually means. Oxford Languages defines entitlement as “the fact of having a right to something”. Fanlore, on the other hand, does not have a specific page for entitlement - but it does have one for fan entitlement, which we will be using instead. Fanlore defines fan entitlement as “words or actions by a fan that imply (or sometimes even outright state) that the creators of a canon or other fans owe that fan something.” The creators part isn’t really relevant here, so we’ll stick with the part relating to other fans.

Now we have our relevant definitions, and we can all be on the same page while exploring what these two terms actually mean for the fandom. However, the introductory sequence of this post isn’t done yet. Before we really get into this, we need to talk about some relevant examples of discourse, specifically in the South Park fandom. I promise the part discussing examples of entitlement will come later.

So, what counts as a debate/argument within the fandom? I can come up with a few off the top of my head;

Is Kyle short or tall?

Is Stan a jock, or is his sportiness played up by fandom?

Is Butters pure of heart, or is he secretly kind of a dick?

Is Tweek ‘soft’ or ‘feral’?

What the fuck is going on with Craig?

These debates (though most specifically, the first one) have been going on for a long time. I know the intricacies of the first two debates the best, so I’ll be using them and their commonly used arguments as examples throughout this piece. 

Now we can be done with the introductory sequence! We know what discourse is, we know what entitlement (and fan entitlement) is, and we’ve seen a few common examples of how discourse presents itself in the fandom. However, most of you already knew all of that. Now, we can actually get into the meatier part of all of this, namely, why is this a thing, and how does it actually lead into entitlement?

Part 2: How does discourse start?

The root of discourse in any fandom is hard to pin down, but we can narrow it down to two general categories; canon-led discourse, and fanon-led discourse. 

i. Canon-Led Discourse

In this section, I’m not going to be describing how people originally used canon to come up with their fanworks. I think the concept of headcanons is relatively well known to all of us. However, I am going to be describing how people use canon to facilitate discourse. There are two different ways this happens, and surprisingly enough, they both directly contradict each other. So, let’s get into the canon paradox.

Let’s start with the first way; weaponizing canon. For this example, we’ll be using the short Kyle vs tall Kyle debate, with Post-Covid being the canon we’re weaponizing. Post-Covid, much to the chagrin of much of the fandom, gave us canonical adult designs - or, at least, as canonical as designs as we have so far. There are many aspects of these designs that people began to dissect and discuss, but one of the more discourse-y ones was Kyle’s height. Heights in Post-Covid were often inconsistent, but in most scenes, Kyle was depicted to be taller than Stan. As such, there were many ‘I told you so's' among the fandom. Another example of this would be the trans Kyle headcanon; Kyle is canonically AMAB, and people in support of trans Kyle are relentlessly criticized and reminded of this in order to devalue their headcanon. This is one way that canon-led discourse is facilitated; canon is taken as absolute gospel, and those who defect from it are punished and criticized. 

The second way directly contradicts the first way, but is often used by the same people. The second way involves deviating drastically from canon in response to canon-based headcanons one doesn’t like. Let’s take jock Stan as an example of this. We all know that Stan is a sporty person, and his interest in sports isn’t exclusive to the first season. Evidence of this can be found all over his room. People who use this method of discourse will understate this in order to undermine the headcanon - for example, claiming that Stan’s interest in sports is exclusive to the first season, and those who support the headcanon are making a mountain out of a molehill. How do these two ways exist simultaneously, especially among the same people? How can you weaponize canon in one scenario and undermine it in the next? 

The answer is that it’s not really about what’s canon. It’s about stifling and undermining opposing views, and creators, in any way possible.

ii. Fanon-Led Discourse

Fanon-led discourse refers to ways that people in the fandom utilize their fellow fans, as well as fandom tropes, to create discourse and convey their displeasure about concepts and headcanons that they don’t like. 

One way in which this is common is the martyr-ization of ‘unpopular opinions’, in which those who share these controversial opinions (whether through Twitter threads, specific blogs, or any other variety of post) believe that they are ‘martyrs’ for doing so, and that it is honorable that they’re brave enough to risk fandom persecution in the process. This is obviously a ridiculous concept - we are, after all, discussing headcanons about South Park - but the effects of it are very real, and those effects are often what lead into entitlement. Finally, we’ve gotten to that part! So, let me introduce you to the discourse to entitlement pipeline.

This concept of fandom persecution is not uncommon in any fandom - those who deviate from the norm will always feel as though they are being inherently punished by the lack of content supporting their ideas. This is what causes the entitlement. Due to this ‘punishment’, those with ‘unpopular opinions’ believe that they deserve content catered to them. They deserve content that entertains them. They deserve content that adheres to their headcanons, and when met with a lack of this content despite their efforts, their frustration gets worse, and they believe they deserve the content even more. The frustration is normal. It sucks to be part of a fandom where very few people agree with you. But there are also better ways to handle it. This cycle occurs on all platforms, and it occurs in varying levels of severity - some are serious enough to engage others with hostility on their own posts. Others will post about “let’s leave [x] in the past” and “come on, artists and writers, change it up a little!” Some will try and lessen the effects of this entitlement by instead saying that “it’s fine to write whatever you want, but [x] is just less interesting…” or “this was good, but I wish there was a proper [x]...” 

These are different variations of entitlement, but they are entitlement, all the same. 

Part 3: So, why does this matter? 

i. Content is not made specifically for you. 

This is one of the main issues with entitlement, and the blatant violation of social norms that one commits by performing one of the above actions; when creators make their content, they don’t make it specifically for you. A creator has no obligation to adhere to your headcanons. They have no obligation to make their content more interesting for you. You don’t get to decide whether their works are appropriate, or close enough to canon, or even just outright good. This is not your job to decide that. To be entirely frank; your unsolicited opinion on someone else’s content or opinions does not matter unless they are explicitly comfortable with receiving constructive criticism, because IT WAS NOT MADE FOR YOU.

Art and writing can be a very personal experience. Some artists and writers do make content for the community, but many make it exclusively for themselves; because making that kind of content makes them happy. They aren’t asking for criticism just by putting their work out there. Publicizing their work, especially when that work doesn’t disparage anybody, doesn’t give you the right to decide whether it should have the right to exist. This is a very terminally online perspective. It’s very easy to lose sight of social norms and politeness when you don’t see the face of the person that you’re criticizing, but they’re there. They exist, and their works aren’t made exclusively for your criticism and consumption. 

In 99% of scenarios, you have absolutely no right to police someone else’s work. If you have enough of a functioning hand to type out a statement claiming that one work should be left in the past, you have enough of a functioning hand to type out or draw a work supporting your interpretation. If you want work of your own interpretation, do it yourself.

But aren’t these kinds of people in the small minority? Why does it matter?

ii. Bad behavior in one area of the fandom encourages it in others.

The reason it matters is that it doesn’t stay as the small minority. In social psychology, this is called deindividualization - the process in which one loses their self awareness while in groups. The reason this happens is the belief that if one person is doing it, it’s more socially acceptable to do it. It’s the same kind of process that leads to witch hunts. One person being disrespectful makes everyone feel as though they have the same right to do so.

That first kind of entitlement I mentioned up there - the entitlement in which people are bold enough to harass others on their posts - lead into the second and third kinds, and those lead into even more subtle kinds. Kinds that involve being rude on tags in an artist's posts, along the lines of ‘this is good, but…’. Kinds that involve going into an author’s comment section and criticizing a specific part of their work, but doing it in a ‘kind’ way. It doesn’t matter if you do it in a kind way. You are still displaying entitlement towards an author’s work - you are still making the claim that the work is not good because it is not created directly for you, and you are still claiming that you are ‘owed’ something by the author. It’s fine not to like a specific type of content. It’s not fine to give unsolicited criticism to someone’s headcanon, artwork, fic, under the ruse of constructive criticism or kindness. Someone else doing it in a worse manner doesn’t make it okay for you to do so; it’s still unnecessary and hurtful.

iii. Entitlement decreases motivation, which is needed to keep fandoms alive.

One comment directed towards an artist or a writer may not do much, but the deindividualization effect - in which many people start to join the fray - diminishes the motivation of a creator. It’s hard to get yourself to continue making content when you’re met with relentless criticism and entitlement, whether subtle or not. The way people treat creators in fandom has been an issue for a long time - creators are met with death threats, with entitlement, with praise to their faces and slandering of their headcanons in an area where the creator can still see it. This doesn’t make people want to keep creating. It makes them miserable.

By being this entitled, or facilitating entitlement through discourse, one ruins the fandom for everybody. Things get actively worse when discourse becomes common - people start to leave, and those who don’t become disillusioned with creating. It’s hard to be part of a fandom where your opinion is not as common. But this is not the way to handle it. Cruelty towards a creator will often make a mark more than positivity does, and as such, it doesn’t matter if you leave a kind comment first. It doesn’t matter if you make a disclaimer that ‘you can write whatever you want’, because that’s not actually what you’re saying, and that’s not what’s actually going to affect the creator’s decision to continue creating. 

To keep a fandom alive, people need to create content. Posting passive-aggressively about tropes you don’t like doesn’t count as content. Posts encouraging others to share the opinions they hate doesn’t count as content. Negativity is not enough to keep a fandom alive. Be grateful to fandom creators - they’re the ones who make fandom spaces the wonderful places they typically are. Allowing yourself to get caught up in the wave of discourse is the quickest way to ruin it.

Part 4; But isn’t there content that people shouldn’t be allowed to produce?

There are instances in which people will simply hate headcanons for no reason at all, but often, people feel the need to justify their hatred - and that hatred is often justified with the claim that the relevant headcanon/concept is inherently harmful. Content that directly harms people shouldn’t be encouraged in fandom, but doesn’t that contradict what I said up there? How do we reconcile these two points? 

i. ‘Problematic content’ differs significantly in severity.

The South Park fandom has its horrifying content; in fact, that content likely occurs at a higher frequency than most other fandoms just due to the nature of the show. Anyone participating in the fandom for more than a few weeks will inevitably learn about these horror stories, ranging from horrifically antisemitic WWII aus to blatant racism. And these things should not be allowed in the fandom. 

However, the term ‘problematic’ is broad, and applying it to the above tropes as well as less harmful ones (i.e. short Kyle, short Tweek and tall Craig, etc) dilutes the actual nature of problematic content, as well as promotes the idea that fandom as a whole needs to be cleansed. It doesn’t. There needs to be a more significant distinction between the above tropes before one can safely say that there is a subset of content that should not be produced under any circumstances - and a way to measure that is by asking yourself is this problematic, or could this be problematic? Is the content irredeemably bad, or can it be handled respectfully? Is the content unrealistic to the point where it could only be bigotry, or could it be a legitimate possible outcome for that character? Is it impossible to come to this conclusion without the influence of bigotry or stereotypes, or could that portrayal come with innocent intentions? 

And beyond that; is this portrayal agreed upon by the large majority of the potentially affected group to be legitimately problematic, or is there a split? If so, who do you align yourself with?

ii. One person’s view is not sufficient for determining whether content is problematic; other factors have to be considered.

Legitimately problematic tropes and ideas, including the specific ones I mentioned above, are agreed by the massive majority of the affected group to be genuinely horrific. However, more questionable ones aren’t; the split is often even less than equal, with those finding it problematic being a part of the loud minority. So, how do you address this situation? 

Firstly; not only is one person insufficient for determining whether content is problematic, but in a lot of cases, one group may even be insufficient. The conversation about feminine/gender nonconforming Kyle is particularly relevant here; the importance about the Jewish perspective on such an issue is impossible to overstate, but gender non-conforming people and feminine gay men also have a stake in the conversation. GNC people cannot determine what is antisemitic (unless they’re Jewish, of course) and Jewish people cannot determine what’s an anti-GNC stance (unless, again, they’re GNC), but both perspectives still must be considered. You can’t make a decision on how problematic a portrayal is without taking an intersectional approach, and as such, the perspective of one individual is not damning. It gets even more complicated when you consider that the perspective of a group is not necessarily cohesive - one person may find a portrayal offensive, while another may think it’s valuable. Both opinions are valid, but they’re also inherently contradictory - you can’t fully incorporate both into your belief system about the issue. Multiple perspectives are even more valuable in this situation.

Another factor to consider is sociopolitical context - or, more specifically in the context of this argument, how are these groups actually portrayed? Once again, the question of GNC Kyle is important here - how often are GNC Jewish characters portrayed on TV, or in media in general, especially in a positive light? Fighting against stereotypical portrayals (feminine, nerdy Jewish men) is important, but the fact of the matter is that people who fit into that exist, and what good does it do them to remove all fandom representation out of fear of buying into harmful stereotypes? Attacking content relating to these fandom portrayals doesn’t necessarily help them; it actually just limits the rare positive representation that they do get. In this paragraph, I’m speaking about GNC Kyle, but the same concept applies to other groups; by directing anger towards portrayals that could be considered stereotypical, one tears down the vastly important diversity of the relevant group, and limits what people are allowed to see down to the most palatable versions. And that’s not the only issue that comes from insisting on exclusively palatable portrayals.

iii. There is legitimate harm in letting outside bigotry cloud your concept of a problematic depiction.

This is a common perspective throughout the fandom, and it’s diverse enough that it ends up being used in many threads of discourse; feminine Kyle and short Tweek being notable ones. It comes from a place of good intentions and of dispelling bigoted views and portrayals - but in the process, it attacks those that also come from places of good intentions. Short Tweek and tall Craig may be the most common example of this; posts about infantilizing Tweek are endlessly common in an effort to limit the commonality of such a portrayal. But in the process, the attacks on such a portrayal actually DO infantilize Tweek, as well as any actual short men. Accusing a couple with height differences of being “heteronormative” due to inherent bias from the creator delegitimizes gay couples with height differences. A similar perspective is cast onto feminine Kyle and masculine Stan - accusing the portrayal of being born of fetishization harms real life gender nonconforming people, as well as gay people in feminine/masculine relationships. In the process of trying to prevent problematic content, one is legitimizing the perspective of the bigot.

I know this portrayal comes from good intentions, but it comes at a heavy cost - the cost of determining what’s an ‘acceptable’ way for a character of a marginalized group to look, present, behave. Hatred towards short Tweek and tall Craig reinforces the perspective that gay couples with height differences are really just heterosexual lite. Hatred towards feminine Kyle and masculine Stan reinforces the same. Some people who depict these portrayals do have bad intentions, but many do not. It’s easy to forget that most people, regardless of what the news will have you believe, do have good intentions. 

Entitlement on behalf of one’s own good intentions is still entitlement. You’re not entitled to someone else changing their portrayal because it offends you. It’s okay to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially when there is reasonable basis for their portrayal. A character having some aspects that fit into a stereotype doesn’t necessarily mean the portrayer believes that stereotype is legitimate. It doesn’t necessarily make the character out of character, either; some people have traits that do fall into stereotypes, and that’s okay too. There IS some content that should be struck down immediately, but if there’s a question on whether the content could be bad, it’s okay to assume the best of someone until further evidence comes up. It’ll probably make your fandom experience much more pleasant in the long run.

Part 5; So, how do we fix all of this?

Discourse is, as mentioned earlier, a part of fandom. It’s inescapable. But there are ways to make it kinder; namely, buying into the ‘communication’ and ‘discussion’ parts of the definitions I mentioned way back at the start. Discussion is fine. Disliking a headcanon is fine. We all have tropes that we dislike, or even hate. But falling into the rabbit hole of entitlement crosses the line. 

In order to decrease entitlement, we have to decrease discourse - and in order to decrease discourse, we need to stop providing opportunities for it. We need to stop providing opportunities to air out hatred for other peoples’ opinions, and we need to stop legitimizing and martyr-izing the suffering of those who don’t fall in line with the majority. It’s okay to have varying opinions. It doesn’t make you special. It doesn’t make you more deserving of content, because none of us inherently deserve special treatment from creators.

Getting involved in creating content is a great way to help fix the general issue of entitlement within the fandom. Draw art that falls exactly in line with your specific takes on the characters. Write fanfics and describe the characters and relationships in any way you want to. Everyone can draw, and everyone can write, with enough practice. Write meta. Make edits. Make playlists. All of these are valid forms of expressing your perspective on the characters - and all of them contribute much more to the fandom than posts striking at perspectives that may differ from your own.

The internet is a great place to say whatever the hell you want, and technically, you can. There’s nothing stopping you from typing out a hateful response to someone’s posts, or slipping a little criticism into the tags, or making a post intended to stir up controversy. But before you choose to do so, consider that everyone you’re attacking is a person, and consider that the large majority of them are genuinely good. The people with bad intentions are always the loudest, but that shouldn’t delegitimize any concept that they chose to back. Any interpretation can be pushed for unsavory reasons; it doesn’t mean other people who support those interpretations are inherently bad, nor that it’s your job to correct them.

It’s okay to have faith in your fellow South Parkie (lol), and when you don’t like something, it’s okay to keep it to yourself. Supporting the opinions you love and making content rather than trying to shut it down will make you a much happier person, and it’ll make the fandom a much healthier space.

[gallavichprompts]

Gallavich ‘Meta’ March

A Gallavich-themed trope challenge for March (or whenever you’d like to take part!) If you are new to writing or a writer who’s trying to get back into the swing of things - why not try writing some meta? (And you don’t have to be a writer, this is really a challenge that’s open to everyone!)

So, what does “meta” mean?

Fanlore: 

In fandom, meta (also meta essay) is used to describe a fan-authored piece of non-fiction writing discussing any aspect of fandom, fanworks, or the source text. This can include discussing characters and their motivations, fanfiction tropes and trends, fan activity, particular plot elements, choices by canon creators, alternate possibilities for canon and much more.

Meta [is] a blanket term to include things like headcanon, ship manifestos, theories, and character analysis.

Fandom talking about itself or its interests in a thoughtful way is the best description we can come up with. When it comes to intention, pretty much anything that isn't fictional or conversation would count. Meta can be very long (even a series!) or it could be just a few paragraphs. 

Meta is thoughtful, respectful discourse and analysis about characters and storylines. It is a thought, or a series of arguments with examples of the character’s actions that helped you draw a specific conclusion OR an analysis of the situation that you’ve focused on. Anything with detail, evidence, and explanation is a meta discussion.

What’s the challenge?

With 11 seasons and over 14000 fics on ao3, there’s a lot to discuss when it comes to Ian and Mickey and their relationship. So, whether it’s a topic or idea that’s been discussed many times before or something that hasn’t been analysed quite as much - try writing some meta!

It’s a casual challenge meant to encourage people to get writing more or try writing a different format. There’s no set time to submit fics, or a limit to how short (a paragraph) or long (an essay) the work can be. You can share your work anytime in or after March - tag it with #gallavichmetamarch and @gallavichprompts.

And don’t forget meta can be very casually written. There’s a lot of amazing meta that people put in the tags of posts that they may not realise is meta or may not feel confident sharing, but just know that you can and people would love to read it. You could even just share questions or ideas you think other people might like to explore.

There’s a list of Gallavich meta prompts under the cut, rounded up from previous prompt posts, as well as some new prompts!

Three lovely people who have written some excellent meta have very kindly shared some quotes:

@gallavictorious - “Sometimes you sit down with a finished observation or theory and you put that into words because you want to share it with others. But sometimes you only have this vague notion – something that tugs at you, an inconsistency or contradiction or hole in the text – and then the very act of writing becomes the act of exploration: as you put the words down, new ideas suddenly occur to you, new patterns become visible. By hashing it out on the page, you hash it out in your mind. Then you release it into the wild, and in the best of worlds someone pick up your tentative thoughts and take them further.

This process of shared discovery and discussion is what I love most about meta; I think that some people see excessive meta-ing as a compulsive need to explain away any and all inconsistencies in the text, but for me it’s not a pursuit born of frustration, but of curiosity and joy and a lust to engage with the text. For me, meta is an (often) intellectual game but it’s also, and more importantly, play: let’s pretend that all this is real. Let’s do it because it’s more fun if we do.” (meta)

@dreamylyfe-x - “When I finished binging Shameless and picked up the show live I was SO hungry to talk about it. I had this deep, insatiable thirst that fic couldn’t touch and the only thing that satisfied was reading meta. I just wanted to know what people THOUGHT. Really great meta reveals something you didn’t notice or think of. It brings a different perspective to the whole thing. It points out patterns, observes new details, or breaks down fandom ideas that maybe don’t have the deep roots you think they do. I love to write meta about Mickey and Ian because I love these characters down to their atoms. I am interested in the most granular details. So much of this story is in the subtext and meta is where you find people discussing that. One of my favourite things about this fandom is how deep people here go.” (meta)

@whaticameherefor - “I love reading and writing meta because there is so much to explore within these characters and storylines that simply wasn't addressed or presented as best as it could have been in the show. Especially with characters like Ian and Mickey who either hold things so close to the chest or need to present a false front -- it's really fun to get into their heads, figure out why they may have done something or what their thoughts were during a certain moment. Meta can help bring a better understanding of two people often misunderstood. I also really love the sharing of opinions and ideas. The sort of validation you feel when you see someone think the same way as you, or the lightbulb moment when reading someone else's meta like, "Wow, I've never thought about that before!" It's just another level of loving and appreciating these characters and their love story. I love meta!” (meta)

Resources: 

@you-are-so-much-better-than-that​ - Shameless Timeline

Ian Gallagher - Shameless Wiki

Mickey Milkovich - Shameless Wiki

Fanlore - Fandom Wiki for everything fandom related e.g. tropes, genres

Gallavich Meta Prompts - Part 1 // Part 2

What underrated tropes/genres would you like to see more of in Gallavich fanfic?

Do you have any headcanons about Mickey’s mother? What impact do you think she had on his life?

Are there any moments/scenes that you feel aren’t discussed or explored much when it comes to Ian and Mickey and/or their relationship?

What kind of relationship do you think Mickey has with his siblings post-finale?

When do you think Ian and Mickey realised they were in love with each other?

Do you think Ian stays working security with Mickey post-finale or do you think he decides to try a different job?

What kind of conversations do you think they had in early seasons that we didn’t see in canon?

Do you think they see themselves as best friends?

What things do you think they have learned from each other over the course of their relationship?

What songs or music do think worked well for their scenes? Or what songs or music do you think would have worked better?

How you think Ian and Mickey express themselves through their clothing/style?

Which serious issues do you think the show failed to explore when it comes to Ian and Mickey and/or their relationship?

How do you think Ian and/or Mickey see themselves at the beginning of the series versus the end? How have their opinions of themselves changed over time?

Which reunion do you think is the most important to them?

What sort of parallels do you see across the series - could be in terms of their behaviour, or their emotions, or things that happen to them?

Are there any underrated lines of dialogue or non-verbal actions that you think should be explored more? (Think about looking at gifsets and edits, you never know what you might not have noticed before that could be interesting!)

[prismatoxic]

actually, prev, if you don't mind, i wanna talk about your tags too:

#REAL SHIT#this makes me think about a post i saw the other day regarding chilaios#and the op was making fun of the ship talking about how it would never happen in canon because laios employed chilchuck#and people in the comments and tags were being so fucking mean it was depressing#acting like post canon doesn't exist or that their long lasted friendship rife with potential exploration doesn't exist#like you don't have to like chilaios obviously but as someone who does enjoy it i think i speak for fellow enjoyers when i say#please leave us be we all know it's a little goofy it's lowkey the point#tho personally it's so unironic too don't get me wrong

this is another one of the huge issues modern fandom has that, frankly, i'm fucking sick of. (all this hostility is not at all at you prev, i promise)

like, never mind that NO dunmeshi ships are canon--my best guess is people like this stick to things like farcille and chilchuck/his wife, maybe labru if they stretch the definition. or maybe they don't ship at all; maybe they're laughing at shippers. i've seen too many that justify their own ships while dismissing others, though, so i'm not counting on that. but for just a moment, let's disregard the fact that there are no canon ships (unless you count like... idk... the tansus???)

why the fuck is a ship only valid if it can be canon?

let me tell you something, dunmeshi fandom. i don't WANT chilaios to be canon. that is not my end goal. why the fuck would it be? it adds nothing to the story that ryoko kui was trying to tell. i like chilaios because i love chilchuck and laios's dynamic, their friendship and trust and the times when they're in opposition to each other as well. i like chilaios because i find it compelling. that's why i like any ship. shipping is not a petition for canon status, it's a fandom activity. i like dunmeshi just the way it is; what i do with it after is my business as a fan.

fandom has never been about strict canon adherence. it's not even about fixing canon, not always. it's about playing in the sandbox canon made for us. it's about picking the dolls out of the sandbox and putting them in a new one. it's about, and i cannot stress this enough, having fun. if you want to shackle yourself to canon, that's your right, but stop demanding other fans do the same--or looking down on those who don't. you are not as righteous as you think you are for not caring about traditional fandom activities. if anything, i wonder why you're even here. you sound fucking miserable.

if i may, allow me to redirect anyone who thinks this way to the fanlore page on shipping. you may learn some things.

there is always going to be something a little off-putting to me about claiming a definitive canon sexuality for a character that doesn't actually have one.

like, we all have our headcanons, of course. and that's fine. but there's a world of difference between "i headcanon this character as gay" and "this character is gay in canon", and so frequently the latter isn't even true. if it's not stated in the source material nor by the creator, then it isn't canon. and that's okay!!

like, okay, it doesn't affect me anyway because no listed sexuality could ever stop me from shipping what i want to, but also... this is so often just an excuse to be mad at people for shipping "the wrong thing". it also tends to dip really uncomfortably into biphobic/panphobic territory.

to use a relevant example, unless ryoko kui has officially stated marcille and/or falin are lesbians (i don't think she has?), you cannot act like they are canonically. not only do they have no in-canon definitive romance (because dunmeshi is not a romance story), but even if you interpret their bond as queer (and like, most of us do, i certainly do), that doesn't for sure mean they only like women. you can headcanon that they do, but you can't harass other fans for not treating them that way. you have to accept that they will both be shipped with men, and it's not homophobia unless the shipper in question is actually, you know, being homophobic about it.

nothing another fan does will ever change what happened in canon, nor alter your own fanwork. you can do whatever you want forever. if someone making your fave blorbo a sexuality you don't agree with pisses you off, block them. if they ship things you hate so much that it makes you mad, block them. you're allowed to. this is your space to curate as you please.

people on the other side do it, too. "ummm chilchuck has a wife" is something i've seen slung at m/m ships for him. not only does his canon wife (who, you know, left his ass, stop acting like shipping him with anyone else is unreasonable on that alone) not preclude headcanoning him as gay if you want to, but it ABSOLUTELY doesn't preclude him being bisexual. for fuck's sake. gay and straight are not the only sexualities. i'm going to drop the contents of a dirty litterbox on your head.

like... genuinely, headcanon whatever you want. you could make everyone in the cast the same exact sexuality if you wanted to. what you shouldn't be doing is acting like anyone else is beholden to your ideas. or, hell, even canon's ideas. fandom is about the freedom to do what you want with your blorbos. have fun with it and stop blaming other fans for not making the content YOU want.

[teashoptiramisu]

ATLA shipping stats on AO3

I was looking through the zukaang tag for Fanlore and seeing more explicit fics that I usually do in this fandom, so I got curious about the ratings trends for various popular-ish ships (as of today, 26 October 2021):

and yeah, zukaang and jetko have a noticeably higher proportion of fics marked explicit (though not an especially high % compared to some other fandoms, such as music RPF or Jujutsu Kaisen). Which tracks with AO3′s general interest in slash, and tending to be hornier about m/m than other categories of pairings. TBH I’m surprised zukka isn’t higher as well. The other ship that sticks out is Tyzula, though that’s more in Unrated & Mature categories, which often aren‘t actually sexually explicit (really depends on the fic and I haven’t read any of these ships so no idea how they tend to be used in these cases).

Although the biggest thing that sticks out to me is the overall numbers -- zukka still hasn’t quite beat out zutara (but give it time), and the ATLA fanwork corpus on ao3 has literally TRIPLED in size since the first time I checked on it a year and a half ago. Y’all have added over 20k fics to ao3 -- hows that for ATLA Renaissance!

(some further clarifications/data collection notes below the cut)

For each row except the first (”all”), I looked at all worked returned by AO3 for the canonical tag for that pairing. Therefore, a lot of fics are probably being double-counted. (While making this I noticed for the first time that ATLA seems to have almost as much of a “tagged background ships” problem as BNHA -- to fans of mailee and similar minor pairings, my condolences.)

However, the “all” row is literally all works tagged “Avatar: The Last Airbender” -- which includes many works with no ships or romance of any kind. That does show up in the lower percent breakdowns for the higher works -- not as dramatically as I was expecting, but keep in mind when comparing  the first row to the rest.

The gray and white columns on the left half are raw #s of works appearing in each ship tag with that rating, the blue-and-pink columns on the right hand side are percentages. Higher saturation = higher percentage, and I grouped [Not Rated, Explicit, Mature] together as one category (pink) and [Teen, Gen] as a second category (blue). The rightmost column is looking at the combined percentage of pink category (the “U” in “U+E+M” is because I keep accidentally calling the “Not Rated” category “Unrated”, woops) -- and then I made that it’s own pink/blue spectrum, which in hindsight is very confusing and I’m sorry. But basically: more pink = more fics in the “adult-ish ratings” bucket.

Finally, I tried to include all the “major” pairs (ended up going for ships with over ~500 works, and also Taang b/c I already recorded it before I picked that cutoff), but I was just checking through various tag searches by hand, so it’s possible I missed some.( Like, I totally forgot about some moderately popular Sokka het ships, but it’s fine they basically follow the trends above.)

All numbers were gathered by hand and typing things into an excel spreadsheet, apologies for any mistakes.

OK ACTUALLY FINALLY, this is an impartial survey, not an endorsement of or even opinions on any given ship. If you have theories about the ratings breakdowns of specific ships, or especially how people are using “not rated”, I’d love to hear it, but keep it respectful. Complaining about or bashing any ships on this post will get you blocked.

[lilydalexf]

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Sarah Ellen Parsons

Sarah Ellen Parsons has 18 X-Files stories at Gossamer and 19 at AO3. If you want high quality fic with interesting characters, go read her stories. Some of my favorites of her fics are The Crouching Thing and My Constant Touchstone Who Makes Me A Whole Person (which are two very different stories!). Big thanks to Sarah Ellen for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)?

With today's binge-watching culture, I'm not at all surprised. You can watch a bunch of eps and then seek out fic that is where you are in the series.

What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it?

I took away a writer's group Yes, Virginia, that is still together.  Mostly as friends, but whenever I write something, or someone else writes something, it's the first place we all run for machete beta. I have betad SO MANY novels.

We have a number of folks who are published writers since then and our time in X-Files fic brought us lifelong friendships IRL and made us all better at our craft. The majority of those folks were better writers than I am. And I make my living as a writer in my day-job.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)?

I belonged to a couple of the largest lists and posted there and bitched about the show on usenet with everyone else.  We had our own Yahoo group for beta.  We all had crappy GeoCities websites that we programmed the HTML for ourselves and hooked through various fandom link circles to get traffic to our stories.  But the main method of distribution was the lists.

Fun fact, I found a free page counter thing that I used at work one time through fandom. So fandom pays off in skillz.

Even without social media, we managed to get our stories in front of readers who would enjoy them. Where there's a will, there's always someone ready to step up and find a way.

What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general?

Again, I have lifelong friends IRL that I got solely from fanfiction. That's the best takeaway.

Fandom disappointed me because it, like everything else, is ruined by people's egos, backstabbing, and petty people who get in positions of power and then use those positions to punch down or dictate. I was young when I was writing X-Files and I still had hope that people would rise to their better natures, so I got involved in various futile efforts to try to make people behave the way I wanted them to behave, I guess. I did a lot of public bitching that didn't serve me or my friends well. I now put that effort into politics, where it does actual good.

What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show?

X-files was made for me. It combined science fiction, mystery, horror.  I love all of those genres. Plus there was Scully. No matter how sexist that writer's room was, Scully was awesome. But you kept seeing bad writing. Even in the heyday seasons, like Season 3, there were really terrible eps that made you want to fix things.

I'm a lifelong speculative fiction fan and a published feminist science fiction author. I actually was published before I fell down the fic hole. I got involved in fanfic due to getting my fantasy novel turned down from every major publisher for being "too dark". And I needed to get readers to see my stuff to prove to myself that I wasn't terrible at writing. I got a ton of feedback and it was like market research to see what people wanted to read.

My time in fanfiction made me 100% a better writer than I was.

What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

I went to the X-Files Expo to see if I could make contact with someone from Harper Collins because the tie-in novels sucked so hard.  I got rejected with my pitch as I didn't have a literary agent.

Around that time, a pal who I watched X-Files with IRL was looking for a free X-files wallpaper for her work computer when she found the website where fans in Pennsylvania had fic archived. She read some and wrote to me - "you need to see this, and you can do better."  So I started reading and was.... I probably CAN do better. So I wrote The Batman Plot. And made two friends I'm still friends with with that one story.

What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom?

Nonexistent.  I couldn't even watch the latest season and I saw only 2 of season one of whatever that was before I gave up. I have never watched the second movie.

X-files is my first fandom bad ex-husband. I loved it SO MUCH, but it betrayed me.

Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files?

I was deep into Harry Potter for a while, but I didn't end up publishing anything in it. All my stories were novel-length and I was writing so much for work, I never completed anything. I called Snape/Lily when Prisoner of Azkaban was published and got Jossed by Rowling in one of my big ideas. (This is bad fandom ex-husband 2. JKR will never get a dime of money from me again because of her hateful stance on transfolk. I have RL friends who are trans and NO.)

I wrote fic in Supernatural. It was the obvious next thing after X-Files. However, the misogyny and bringing in all the Angel/Devil Christofascist stuff lost me. The ep where they declared all other religions other than Christianity as invalid and killed a Hindu god made me stop watching for good. I know enough Christofascists IRL that I can't tolerate it in my fiction. (Bad fandom ex-husband 3)

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

This list is far too long to actually make.  But characters I spent time writing about include: Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Co. (I wrote three unpublished Star Trek novels before I found online fandom). King Arthur and Morgan Le Fay, Sherlock Holmes (I wrote a Sherlock Holmes play after seeing "Crucifer of Blood" and entered it in a national competition, where I got very nice comments back.), Mulder, Scully and Krycek, Rowling's Hermione and Snape (like him or not, its masterful characterization), Dean and Sam Winchester, John Winchester and Bobby Singer.  I wrote one comedy story starring Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  A couple of Roswell stories under a different name. Catwoman and Batman. I have some unpublished Avengers fanfic lying around as I'm an OG Marvel fan with a massive comic collection.

Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully?

I was on a business trip a few years ago and FX had a marathon and I watched part of it when I was in my hotel room. Early seasons are comforting, but I don't go back there now.

Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I don't read X-Files fic anymore. I read a tiny bit of Star Wars after the second movie because Rian Johnson had it right. Now I don't care. I love Mandalorian, but am content to watch.

Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

Too many to count.  All of YV. Which reminds me, I need to go update our entry at Fanlore. I promised Punk I'd do it a while back.  I need to at least get everyone linked.  Right now it's only Punk and Sab.

But it was a ton of us.  Marasmus, Maria Nicole, Cofax, CazQ, M. Sebasky, Livia Balaban, Kelly Keil, Wen, Ropobop, Jess Mabe, JET, fialka, and a bunch of others that I can't remember their fic names any more, just their real names because I know them all IRL. I need to go back and look up their fic names and link them up there.

In addition to my little group of pals, I loved reading Mustang Sally and Rivka T, Rachel Anton - I keep trying to find her to encourage her to write romance if she's not doing it already, but no dice, Dasha K., Anjou, there were so many great ones, but their names have slipped my mind in the past 20 years.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

I'm most known for Prone, and I'm proud of that story for all kinds of reasons, but I think my very best is The Crouching Thing.

I mostly didn't publish anything I didn't think was good and hadn't been machete betaed within an inch of its life, but I'm not sure much of the angsty romance stuff holds up as well. I think it worked when the show was still ON and we were all in that emotional headspace, but probably not now.

Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online?

Funny you ask. I am currently reworking a plot idea I had for an X-Files fic into a contemporary M/M novel, which I will publish under a different pen-name. The plot is the idea I had for X-Files, the characters are very, very different other than one is uptight and the other more easy-going. But no more Mulder and Scully.

Do you still write fic now? Or other creative work?

I have been making my living as a writer for 25 years. I write the word count equivalent of 5 Tolkein novels a year, just for my day-job.  I am turning back to original fiction, which is where I was before X-Files.  I'm working on the M/M thing, a high fantasy thing, a low fantasy historical thing and a bunch of M/F Regency romances as I get time and energy.  I publish Fantasy and SF under my real name. Romance has pen names as you don't want that getting back to your workplace, either.

SEP is fic only and here she will stay.

Where do you get ideas for stories?

I have too many ideas to count.  I try to write them down when they come, so I won't forget. At least the outline of the idea. Often a scene. I've been like this my entire life. I started writing novels seriously at 15. I wrote a 500 plus page one about Morgan Le Fay during breaks in high school because "Mists of Avalon" pissed me off so bad as I'd read the original source material and that was a Wicca recruitment polemic.

What's the story behind your pen name?

Sarah Ellen was my great-grandma, Parsons was her grandma's last name.

Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions?

Half my friends ARE fic friends. Most of my friends know as does my brother, who thinks writing for free is dumb. This is universally agreed on by non-fic friends who know. My mother still doesn't know about the fic. Just the "real" writing.  I write under a pen name to keep it away from my job and my published work.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now?

My X-files stuff is up on Gossamer mostly. I'm trying to get the stories all moved to AO3 for all the genres. I'm working on this now.  SEP is really not a living thing anymore, but there was a time when she was more me than me.

If you want to find my "real" non-fic writing, write to me at se_parsons at yahoo dot com and I will point you at it.

And PLEASE someone, hunt down Rachel Anton and get her writing something we all can BUY.  Where are my old Krycek bitches at?  Do any of you know where she is? [Lilydale note: I’ve tried contacting Rachel Anton for this Old School X project but have not had luck. I would love to find her too!]

Is there anything else you'd like to share with fans of X-Files fic?

The community I loved has mostly moved on, but I think we left a legacy of solid work crafted out of our love for the show.  Find a living community you love for a show you love.  There are great people out there creating and get involved.  It will be worth it.

(Posted by Lilydale on December 15, 2020)

[yahoo-geddon]

Yahoo Groups Will Be Shutting Down - What Each of You Can Do (Updated Nov 17, 2019)

This post will be frequently updated - check the Google Doc linked here for the latest version. Follow this Tumblr for more information in the days ahead.

Yahoo Groups will be shutting down key features and restricting access to Groups, with user-uploaded content being deleted on December 14, 2019. With this shutdown, decades of fandom history will vanish. But there is something that every member of the fandom community can do now - whether they’ve ever used Yahoo Groups before or not.

I am a member of a Yahoo group - what can I do?

Immediately contact the admins to find out what their plans are.

Submit a request to Yahoo for an export of your Yahoo Groups.  Do this before Dec 1, 2019 as it will take weeks to prepare. Don’t wait for your admins or other group members to act.

Tell your moderators and other Yahoo Group members about PGOffline, a Windows tool that will save the files, photos and messages. Any member of the Yahoo Group can use this tool - you do not have to be an admin to save the mailing list.  The trial version will download only 1000 messages...the license to do a full download is a one time fee of $25. If you cannot afford that fee, scroll down to Section 9 for a free Chrome tool that will download just the messages.

Since many admins are busy or inactive, install the PGOffline yourself and start downloading - focus on Files, Photos, Links, and Messages. A step-by-step walk through is available here and a video tutorial here.

 Export the messages and backup up the files and photos by copying them to another folder on your computer. Then contact Open Doors, the OTW preservation program. The OTW is open to providing storage of Yahoo Groups backups that are assembled by moderators and non-moderators alike. Details are here.

Let us know when you have downloaded the Groups: https://forms.gle/BHBGYT5qyvvynGyR9

If you are a member of a Yahoo Group and have downloaded the files and messages, and the admins do not respond, please contact your fellow mailing list members. Remember, any member can save a mailing list messages, files and photos and submit them to Open Doors.

If you need help from fellow fans, try asking on the “Save Yahoo Groups” Discord Channel

Mac Users (and PC users who cannot afford the $25 license for PGOffline):  try this Chrome based plugin which will download only messages   Instructions on how to use the Chrome plugin 

Alternatively, if you are familiar with Python, please experiment with the tools found at https://www.archiveteam.org/index.php?title=Yahoo!_Groups

I am Admin - what can I do?

Communicate with your Group members - let them know your plans

Download your Group messages, files, photos, and links using the tools above. Don’t forget to download your members list.

Decide if you want to simply archive the old posts and disband the mailing list or start up somewhere else.

Please take a look at setting up a Dreamwidth community - it allows explicit material, threaded conversations, privacy locks and is free. Image uploading is limited to 500MB for free accounts and 1.5GB paid accounts. Also, if you are considering Groups.io as an option, please note that it does not allow any material that depicts sexual activity, even implied sexual activity or anything that could be considered a fetish.

I am not certain I have time to help download? Is there something else I can do?

If you are a member of a mailing list, submit the mailing list for consideration. It will help volunteers focus their efforts. Don’t forget check here to see if your group is already being downloaded.

Even if you are not a mailing list member, consider creating a page for the mailing list on Fanlore, so that there will be a place for people to talk about the mailing list, its history. Details here.

I can download, but I am not a Yahoo Group member.

As we said before, anyone who is a member of a Yahoo Group  can help download. If you are looking for Yahoo Groups to join for downloading, we have a spreadsheet where you can claim a group. Many Yahoo Groups have automatic membership (click once and join), so look for those groups.

Login Problems?

Has your “inactive” email been purged? Is your email email address not linked to a Yahoo Group ID?

An "inactive" account is one where you haven't sent an email or logged in for the past year. Receiving emails does not count as activity. The email address is then released, and can be used by someone else.

If you used your Yahoo email to subscribe to a mailing list, your access to the Yahoo Group is gone (along with all your emails). If your account was deactivated within the past 90 days, you may be able to reactivate it. (more here). Alternatively, you can try contacting Yahoo Mail support.

Outside the 90 day window: you can try creating a new Yahoo email account using the same screen name as long as no one else has snapped it up. Simply sign up as you would for a 'new' email account. Reclaim an inactive mailbox. Then log into your Yahoo Group.