#We write fanfiction of them inspired by our own relationship and experiences

[tommyssupercoolblog]

My mom: why would you want to interact with your sources though? That's gotta be uncomfortable.

Seán, watching his source play a horror game while he eats snacks in the dark: what?

Me, kicking my feet in the air and doodling while listening to my source's videos like they're a podcast: what?

[kaelidascope]

Dude, I love this fanfic so much! I just wanted to ask where you got the idea from. Did you have any inspiration from anyone? Also, what's your favorite fanfic? And want do you recommend ?

AWE bless!! Thank you so much I'm glad you're enjoying it <33

So actually a good 80% of this is written from personal experience LOL I used to dance and was into drift building/racing in my late teens/early twenties! Most of the references or scenes in Midnight Menagerie are references to things I've seen or done in real life, OR stories friends have told me within the same field. (Nora is literally just a rebranding of this one mutual friend we had who just. Absolutely fucking unhinged) Like for example, the anticipated Hangover Chapter is just a retelling of an insane Summer weekend I had in 2017 ☠️ it's a personal delight being able to translate things into the narrative, even more so knowing people find my stupid, terrible decisions as amusing as I do in current times lol

My general rule of thumb is to write from experience. Things I understand either on a technical point or emotional connection. So, if you've read it in my work, it's probably something I've done LOL

Another reason I find drive in writing this type of narrative is that MM!Blake's type of dissociative PTSD is something I haven't seen much in media in general. I've seen people depict her in various ways (some of them good!), but none of them ever really apply directly to me, so I wanted to make something that I could relate to and how to properly navigate life, given the environmental circumstances. Plus some us need better examples on how to juggle mental illness as adults and also be in healthy long term relationships because damn I have zero reference LOL

For the fic recs, oh boy I have so many LOL time to be a pathetic fangirl on main but okay here's the ones that immediately jump to mind (also heads up most of these are mature or explicit rating);

Certified Kaeli Fresh Fics

Let You See My Wilder Side (If I Can See Your Bones)

We all know this one but it is, hands down, my favorite piece of literature of all time. Masterfully crafted and a timeless classic worth several rereads (and I have. Embarrassingly so)

Written by @/lucytara on tumblr || @/explosive_sky on twitter

honestly all her works are immaculate and beyond compare. Also a major fan of I Have A Bullet With Your Mouth On It (That was first RWBY fanfic I ever read LMAO a friend recommended it to me before I even watched the show) I aspire to write like her some day. It's what got me writing fanfiction in the first place. So, credit goes to Erin for inspiring me to post my manuscripts at all. Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation. I have two book series in the process of being published now and I wouldn't have had the nerve to do it had it not been for this specific fic.

2. One Day At A Time

Also one of the earlier fics I read before getting into the show LOL I love all of @/Frenchsoda 's work, the full list is also worth checking out. I'm a fan of disgruntled Blake who doesn't understand her attraction to Yang but it's so god damn sweet ugh

3. Fucking In Love

Written by @/Set_WingedWarrior and @/Softlight

This one circulates a lot in my social circles. Everyone I know LOVES this one and after reading it earlier this year, now I see why. As someone who worked in the sex industry for a brief period of time, this one's not only accurate but also A DELIGHT to read. The premise is fun, captivating, and worth the wait. I actually discovered a chapter update earlier this year and sent the gc into hysterics because we thought the fic was dead LMAO props to these authors!! They're doing an amazing job and deserve praise

4. You're A Mountain, Full Of Glory

written by champion author @/lescousinsdangereux

I should just preface already that every book Blake reads in MM is a fanfiction that exists because I love Easter eggs. Everyone knows I had Blake reference this in chapter 3 LOL but it's equally as immaculate as Erin's work. I LOVED especially the dynamic between Weiss, Yang, and Ruby in this one. Baby, we're complicated fucking murdered me 😭 also that fuckass Christmas scene, that's my favorite Christmas song LMAO

5. The Home Inside Your Head

Written by the ever skilled @/writeriguess . I found this fic by accident by seeing fanart for it floating around on this site. Got curious, picked at it, and. Oh, my god. It's not very often my brain gets scratched in the right way, but boy this one does it. This author does something specifically unique I haven't seen many do before, and I applaud them for it. There's great detail on the scenes that matter, and the fucking organic build up between Blake and Yang is just. God. Chef's kiss. Truly. It feels so god damn natural and healthy and it's already crossing off several of my agendas already. Give this one a read and give the author some love. SENSUAL FACE TOUCHING? CHAPTER 13????? BOOOOOOOYYYYYYY I'm normal about it

6. You'd Be Paranoid Too (If Everyone Was Out To Get You)

Written by @/WabaJaba_ on twitter

Okay so this one's completely different than what I've previously listed but HOLY FUCKING SHIT IS IT A THRILLER. It doesn't nearly have the amount of love and attention it truly deserves. A friend of mine recommended it to me because it shook them so fucking hard they were in total brainrot hell for a MONTH. NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY LMAO God I was obsessed with this for weeks myself. It obviously lives up to it's rating, horror fics aren't for everyone. But if you're able to read it, good lord you should. It's chilling, captivating, and had me on the edge of my fucking seat the entire time. Both endings are good, I still can't decide which one I prefer but RAH I will make sure this is seen god dammit

and last but certainly not least

7. You And Me and This Temptation

written by talented author @/ProfessorSpork

Okay this one was an accidental find as well. A friend sent it to me because THEY found it by accident, I clicked on it for later, went looking for a completely different fic that I mistook for this one, started skimming and realized 'wait a minute LMAO I don't recognize this'. But the thing you have to understand is I hate reading. I'm not a reader, I'm picky and it needs to be worth sitting down for long periods of time. This is one of the rare instances where I was so captivated by it I kept reading more and more from the middle where I landed, and eventually just said ykw let me just start from the beginning cus LMAO context.

This one is, by far, one the healthiest and loveliest depictions of first times I have ever seen. This shit was so inspiring to me that it literally kickstarted an essay in someone's DMs why depictions like this are so important. I didn't have this experience irl, and why MM is written the way it is is because its meant to serve as a lighthouse for those who, like me, haven't. This fic however I feel like should be a required read for anyone getting into relationships for the first time because if it's not like how these two interact, LEAVE IT. This is the standard. This is amazingly written, it's the closest I've ever seen canon Yang and Blake be written to date. The fucking souvenir bit 😭 NJKFGNFJKGNGJ killed me, I was kicking my feet laughing for a good minute. This is the kind of standard everyone should look at and go 'yeah, I want what they have' BECAUSE IT'S CORRECT. LOUD CORRECT BUZZER NOISES

Honestly everything in my bookmarks is certified Kaeli Fresh but these 7 are my top faves. They're probably also really commonly known I'm sure but LMAO like I said I don't read much 😭 which is heavily ironic considering I write myself. Anyway this ended up way longer than I intended but LOL <3 <3 go give these incredible authors love!!

[strapinandstraponyourstrapons]

puppy pack || thiam centric || completed || 5 chapters || 11k words || fluff and humor and a smidge of angst with a happy ending

summary:

Brett hosts a house party for the Puppy Pack. Liam and Theo get their clothes all wet.

---

“Whatever happened to all your brain cells, anyway?” Theo continues.

“My dad beat them out of me,” Liam answers without hesitation, several seconds before his brain-to-mouth filter in its current intoxicated state can keep up.

holy shit i finally finished this gargantuan (by my standards anyway) monstrosity. the first chapter is up!! and the rest is coming over the next few weeks.

this fic is pre-relationship because, although there’s a lot of cute thiam scenes (i hope), they are drunk, so i didn’t want to make them do anything too crazy. also this fic is kind of written so you can imagine slotting it in somewhere in a larger, slowest-of-slow-burns, overarching thiam story, so it’s not the right timing in my mind for them to get together just yet. this fic would be like a b-plot to an episode somewhere towards the end of the theoretical 7a that i like to imagine, intercut with scott and the older pack members Doing Plot Things like a bunch of losers.

if you want to know what sort of ride you’re getting into, this fic is mostly fluff and humour, just a happy little snapshot of the puppy pack being stupid kids and having fun. we take a brief dip into angst for chapters 3 & 4 but it has a happy ending and the angstiness doesn’t outweigh the shenaniganness too much imo. i wrote it to feel like some of the drinking experiences i have had as a youth, so hopefully it’s an authentic mix of dumbassery in a good way and dumbassery in an oh-my-god-you-could-have-died way. 

this fic is dedicated to

@thiamsxbitch for leaving a lovely comment on “i lost my heart under the bridge” a few weeks ago that got me thinking about writing again, and for encouraging me all throughout, inspiring me with her own writing, validating my choice to post it in chapters even though the poll said no, being a lovely ray of sunshine, and making this fandom a more welcoming place🖤

@pearlspouch for  gifting me a work that i decided to link this one to very slightly… it doesn't line up perfectly but at one point i mention liam and mason making a bet about skirts. if you want to know how that goes, you should read “You Look My Way And I Lose My Breath” by issawhatevah on ao3!!! i absolutely adore it, and it’s a brilliant read especially if you’re unsatisfied with thiam not (officially, anyway) getting together at the end of this. thanks again to sina for being an absolute legend🖤

@nuxmediocre for saying she would read this fic if i left it with its draft title (“weredickheads part four: why are you buying clothes at the soup store”). i did end up with a proper title, but i was just glad that someone appreciated my sense of humour, so thanks for that🖤

and to my real life friend and housemate who drank too much on the day i had literally just started planning to write this idea, for giving me first hand experience about dealing with someone who’s so sick from alcohol that you consider calling an ambulance. glad you survived bud, and your sacrifice contributed so much to gay fanfiction🙏

if you subject yourself to reading this, please leave me a comment with your thoughts and i will be eternally grateful🔥🖤🔥 tell me a song or songs that you think the puppy pack would absolutely thrive to (no, we do not care that it’s supposed to be 2014 in the timeline so don’t worry about that)

[hispillowprince]

not to "um akshully..." with my first post on my shiny new blog (that is exactly what i am doing),

but ao3 (and initially tumblr to an extent) is, to its core, a "proship" website. the funny thing about this more recent distinction between pro/antis, the terminology itself and the discourse surrounding it is that it's simply rebranding and packaging topics of censorship within spaces that exist for self expression by and for fans/nerds/outcasts/what have you.

the principle of using a tagging and filtering system to AVOID broader censorship (that more often targets marginalized groups and limits freedom of expression) is a progressive one. censorship that is out of the hands of the community is not. this does NOT mean that everyone should simply subject themselves to content that makes them uncomfortable, or that people shouldn't be held responsible for, you know, basic human decency and respecting boundaries with one another...which is why tagging and filtering systems are set in place for us to have the ability at our disposal without altering the experience for others. what it DOES mean is we know that understanding that distinction between fantasy and reality is often integral to our experience in fandom.

we are not spokespeople. we are not and should not be held to a standard of wholesome, squeaky clean representation in our own free time and space we have simply to have fun and find like-minded people. this isn't the writing room for a bloody disney channel program trying to make The Gays palatable to pearl clutching parents, and frankly, when websites like tumblr, fanfiction sites etc are hit with the banhammer, things tend to only go downhill from there and lose creativity and engagement (including sfw creatives!). censorship has always and will always target those that don't fit the marketing bill, aka unsavory "fans/nerds/outcasts/what have you," whom are often - you guessed it - marginalized people that utilize fandom as an outlet.

whether people use fiction to draw inspiration for their art, process and recontextualize things in their lives (like traumatic events, introspection, humanitarian issues and so on), find community or simply have a good time, it is something that makes the human experience so fascinating. we have always and likely WILL always fantasize, dream and create (and share in those things).

to me, the fundamentals of an anti-harassment or proship stance is not that fiction has NO bearing on people or their experience, but that without the ability to make our own decisions and boundaries for ourselves, we are inhibited from learning, progressing and breaking the barriers of what confines us. this includes - but is not limited to - sexuality and sexual content.

sexuality. sex. infamously a natural form of expression/communication that has been weaponized and stolen from people in a sickeningly long game of "if we can't sell it or use it to manipulate and instill fear into you, then we don't talk about it at all." this game is effective in its continued tired controversy over whether or not people are allowed to discuss icky, gross sex in ways that can sometimes challenge our relationship with it and how we've been socialized to approach it. WHY open discussion about these things is healthy and helps set a precedence for being safe and mindful with it.

how does this tie in with proshipping? it's an alignment of values with censorship in this way. it's symbolic, really. we reclaim power for ourselves, making our queer coded villains and monsters something to play with than to shut us out. giving our little faves toxicity as a treat because we know how harmful it is to navigate a world without anyone to guide us through the steps or understand our own history/ies. or, you know, just be horny and silly online and find people who want to do the same.

anyone who claims they're pro/anti and makes it solely about what they deem okay to harass others with earns them my opinion that they're an asshole. anyone who simply does not want to engage with/discuss something that may or may not be considered problematic or controversial is simply a person. we all have lines we draw for ourselves. much like how someone playing d&d or video games doesn't spawn evil cultists or violent criminals, exploring sexual themes through fiction does not a predator make.

so, on that note - the end, lol. i hope this drabble of not entirely coherent figurative fist shaking at the sky serves you, or doesn't. either way, you know what to do when you don't like something! it's called blocking, babeeey. gold star if you made it to the end of this fat essay lmao

drinking water is really important though fr like it's not just a memefied thing it's-

[taikouvember]

Taikouvember 2023 - Prompt Guideline

If you read about Taikouvember and are excited for the event, but don’t know how to interpret the prompts, let us give you a little bit of input about what was on our minds when we brainstormed them. Maybe it will give you some inspiration!

Any kind of medium is a allowed: Fanfiction, drabbles, poems, fanart & doodles, picture & gif sets, AMVs, meta analysis, rambles/rants... You name it!

Disclaimer: It is all up to you and you don’t have to follow any of the following ideas!

Day 1, November 6th: The Multiverse: Canon vs. AU:

Stories about different timelines and universes are very popular these days - and for good reason, Digimon is pretty open for the possibility of several timelines existing. When it comes to Taikou, what is your favourite "version" of them? Do you prefer to focus on them in their original anime timeline (Adventure, 02, Tri, Kizuna, The Beginning) or do you like to explore their dynamics in the 2020 reboot? Do you rather focus on other kinds of Digimon media, such as the novels, the manhua or the games? Or do you have your own “alternate universes” you like to focus on when it comes to the two of them? Inspired by other anime, manga, fairy tales, comics, cartoons, movies, TV show, superhero stories, tropes - the possibilities here are endless!

So feel free to show off which universes, versions, dynamics you enjoy the most. Do they intertwine? Does that mean these two may always find each other, regardless of the timeline?

Day 2, November 7th: Past & Future:

When it comes to all the Digimon Adventure mediums mentioned above, we can tell that Taichi and Koushiro already share quite a history with each other. So this prompt can be the perfect opportunity for you to share what your favourite moments between Taichi and Koushiro are, that may have influenced their relationship? Whether it’s by redrawing scenes, creating AMVs or picture and gifsets, writing fanfiction or interpreting their most vital moments... Again, that is completely up to you!

But if you don’t like to look back and would rather look forward instead - how do you imagine they will interact in the future, how will their bond develop? What happens between The Beginning and the Epilogue, what are the unknown puzzle pieces, milestones you would like to see? Career wise and in regards to the Digital World, domestically, romantically...

Day 3, November 8th: Habits & Change:

When it comes to your favourite characters and ships, there are usually reasons as to why you feel drawn to them. So what are typical characteristics (one might even want to say: stereotypes & tropes) you associate with Taichi and Koushiro? What are things they have always done, things they are familiar with about each other, things they have adjusted to, habits they adore about each other (or are even annoyed by)? Feel free to depict how you see them playing off of each other, how they complement each other or where and why they might clash.

Again, if reminiscing in the past is not for you, you may want to focus on what we haven’t actually seen yet: How can you imagine them to change? Where could they adjust to and for each other even more in order to make their bond work? Could it change for the better - or even for the worse?

Day 4, November 9th: Trauma & Healing:

Sad and traumatic experiences have always been part of Digimon and will always define how and why the characters act and behave the way they do in certain situations. Taichi and Koushiro aren’t an exception in that regard; between existential crisis and near death situations, they have seen a lot. So what are the things that (still) haunt them, that may put a strain on their relationship? What are certain memories and experiences they might not be able to let go of, still unable to open up towards each other? Whether it’s attachment issues, fear of loss, abandonment or inadequacy, miscommunication or (emotional) distance, self-sacrificing tendencies...

However, let us not only focus on the negative parts - because our bonds may also be able to help us. So what are ways they can help each other to actually heal, getting better and more open or even learn to live with their trauma? How can they overcome their barriers and actually be honest with each other about their deepest fears?

Day 5, November 10th: Visible & Invisible Signs of Affection:

People have different ways of interacting with different people - and depending on the type of relationship, the type of person, there are often very specific ways to show (and receive) affection. What are, in your opinion, the smaller and bigger gestures these two like to offer in order to show their love languages to one another?

How do they show their adoration, admiration and appreciation - physically, verbally, through their actions, knowing glances or endless patience...? Do they have any kinds of “inside jokes”, communication patterns, certain touches and words, habits, quirks and rituals they react to in specific ways?

Day 6, November 11th: Brave Knowledge & Curious Courage:

Thanks to them being the way they are, they are natural plot drivers - the adventurous protagonist and his knowledgable right hand. Thinking about it more closely, they share more of each other’s central attributes than one may anticipate at first glance. So - how do they mirror each other and their trademark traits in certain situations?

What are Koushiro's moments of hands on activity, how does he take the vital first steps forward, how does he overcome his struggles to do what matters to him? What are Taichi's brightest strategies, his most thoughtful moments, his smartest speeches or interests he wants to put his own research skills to the test to?

[heymacy]

Hiiiii yqhbr is one of my fave fanfictions ever and I’m thrilled ur back with more!! Do u have any real tumblr inspo while writing it? Love u 😘

hi my love! thank you so much, you're the absolute sweetest!

a lot of the inspiration for YQHBR comes from my personal journey on tumblr over the last 12+ years (and even before then, on other platforms like MySpace & such). i had a bit of a heyday back in 2012-2015 and now i'm in what i like to refer to as my "modern era" (this blog) so i've seen & done a lot. my friends are a huge inspiration for ian's little squad (Cassie, Zoe, Victor, Liv) and all of their interactions/activities. as far as the text posts go, i usually either a) think of "big" posts i've seen in the past and tweak them a little bit to fit the narrative, or b) just drop in a post (or a bit of yearning and/or horny musing) that i'd only ever have the courage to post on one of my lil secret sideblogs, lmao. in regards to the community aspect of things, that's also largely pulled from personal experience! i've come to learn that the formula for building online communities is pretty much the same across the board: ask games and surveys (tag games), picrews (or photo challenges), and personal posts/rants/etc. they manifest differently based on the platform but ultimately it's all the same. so for those, i just imagine what i'd post or what my friends would post if we were in ian or mickey or cassie's shoes and then tweak it to fit the character and story!

as far as the relationship aspect of things, i met my wife here almost ten years ago and we had our own little Moment so i admittedly pull a lot of inspiration from that! they started sending me anons then slid into my DMs and the rest is history, so that aspect of the story is very much pulled from my own life, which i think is super fun!

love YOU! 💛

spoiler alert for chapter 10 inspo below the cut:

back in 2014, a poem made by a writer and (i believe) tumblr user named Natalie Betancourt went viral on here. it was called "take me" and the opening lines were "take me to the art museum and kiss me by the paintings" which i'm sure you've seen somewhere before, whether it be here on tumblr, on pinterest, or maybe tiktok, or even on someone's t-shirt or totebag or laptop sticker. it spiraled off into a whole Thing and has sort of become synonymous with the Tumblr Aesthetic itself and was a huge inspiration for the end of the chapter!

[wander-wren]

on fanfic, original fic, and living on the boundary

most of the time, you hear about fanfic authors who eventually “make it” writing Real Books. very rarely, you might hear it the other way around. once upon a time, not too long ago, it was common for fanfic authors to aspire to write fic that mimicked Real Books, and very likely some of them still do. i’ve thought about it and realized the two were not separate experiences for me—something i suspect is becoming more common as fandom becomes more mainstream.

pretty much all of my earliest stories (elementary-age) were derivative. i loved multiple series about horses, and especially black beauty; the cats vs dogs movies, underdog, racing in the rain, and the whole dog’s life series. and more! those are just the ones i can distinctly identify as being stories i pulled from when i wrote about horses and dogs escaping abusive humans to go be spies. or wander the wilderness and be rescued by nice humans. i was also a big fan of dramatic angst, so not much has really changed. perhaps you could call those things fanfiction at a stretch, but i really wouldn’t.

once i hit 12-14, i started making things that were more original—all work is derivative, but this wasn’t consciously inspired by media i’d seen. i was, however, really big into ya dystopia, so that genre came up a lot alongside fantasy. i also found my way to fandom spaces and real fic at the start of this period. at the time, though, i didn’t even clock it as something different. i was simply writing “my warrior cat stories” right alongside my stories about kids in magic school and teens living underground post-nuclear war.

when i was around 13 i discovered the terms and community around fandom, moved to wattpad, then ao3, and more firmly separated origfic and fanfic in my mind. posted some more of both. finished like six things ever, all of them pretty short.

at 15, i started to Take Writing Seriously. i finally finished my first (original) novel, then my first longfic. wrote a few more fics. started a few more novels that didnt quite get off the ground. took a year-ish break from fic to really focus on original fiction, then wrote both at once again, and then in the last year or so, mostly abandoned original fic (except for editing) in order to throw myself back into the fandom sphere.

what i’m saying, in this very long-winded way, is that there is no ascending the writing ladder from lowly fic to super professional original work, to me. do i spend more time and energy on original stuff? sure! that’s the harder sell, and the one that, in theory, will eventually make me money. is my style exactly the same? no! they’re different mediums and i’ve honed each separately to reflect different strengths.

but my original work is still fanfic-y, in the sense of being extremely character driven, slim on the worldbuilding that’s not directly relevant, and emotional.

i think writing a first draft of something my own is a nearly identical process to writing a longfic, if that longfic actually has a plot (mine don’t always) and i know my audience is going in fandom blind. i still have to explain things like character backstory and how the world works, but it’s hardly the priority and i only need the bare minimum to get what’s going on. everything is focused on the high-emotion moments, skipping past all the boring bits in between. things happen with very flimsy justification, characters are ooc to serve the plot, and somehow we went on several tangents on our way to the end that didn’t all get resolved.

that makes my fanfic sound bad! but those things in fic are features, not bugs.

the second draft and beyond, then, is an effort to turn the story into a source material, rather than a fic based off the source in my head. features in fanfic are, unfortunately, bugs in novels, and they must be squished. but the core of the story is always the emotions, the character arcs, the relationships. they’re what i build around and what i follow like a compass when i revise.

i’m a very fannish person, i suppose. my silly little hope is that approaching my original stuff this way might entice a small fandom of its own to form around it.

this is also here as yet another reminder that you don’t have to use fanfic as “practice” for future, more legitimate works. it does not have to be a training ground until you’re good enough to move to the big leagues and push it aside. that’s not how this works for me. i would not have any kind of writing career without my fanfic. i would be such a wildly different human it is painful to think about. fanfiction is my heart, and it informs everything.

[mxchineherald]

➻　NAME　 : : 　Zigg , Ziggy , Z

➻　PRONOUNS　 : : 　it/its/they/them

➻　MOST ACTIVE MUSE(S)?　 : : 　my blog here @mxchineherald and my Silco blog @zaunseye, I have a muse list here, but most of them are on hiatus or very low activity.

➻　RP PET PEEVES?　 : : 　Having to lead a whole thread is up there, but I think being expected to match length gets to me too. Some days all I can manage is a two or three paragraphs, especially when I've run out of inner thoughts to express. I've have had old ex-partners imply to me that replying with a shorter length is rude or inconsiderate and I don't get it??? Like, I'm moving the plot along, just without as much inner monologue.

➻　EXPERIENCE / HOW MANY YEARS　 : : 　Technically, I've been roleplaying since I was very little. I learned to type early, and was online and roleplaying(with parental supervision, actually) by the time I was about 9. So I'd say about 21 years.

➻　FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT　 : : 　Hard to say! Depends on the plot itself, but I'm always down for some angst. Preferably angst revolving around injury, illness, and vulnerability. Something about my character either being in a vulnerable position or taking care of someone else in a vulnerable position just tickles me. I feel like it leads to a fair amount of development that may otherwise never happen between characters.

➻　PLOTS OR MEMES　 : : 　I like both! Plotting is a good way to establish a relationship between two muses, and also gives me an idea of the preferences of my partner, while memes are a great way to further flesh out that relationship and put it into difference scenarios we might not have thought of on our own. Sometimes it's straight up crack-rp which can be fun from time to time!

➻　LONG OR SHORT REPLIES　 : : 　It all depends on the current flow of roleplay. I'm up for something as long as 7-10 paragraphs, or as short as two or three sentences. This blog is meant for interaction of all forms, including long or short form roleplay. I used to try and force myself to pump out long replies every time, but that was leading to burnout and depression. It was making RP a job rather than a hobby. So now I just go with the flow of the thread and give what I feel is an appropriate response.

➻　TIME TO WRITE　 : : 　Whenever I get inspiration, honestly! My life has been hectic and sad lately, with some personal losses and a nasty cold rearing its ugly head. I might be a slower RPer at the moment, but it's what's balanced out for me with my IRL issues and other hobbies, like fanfiction and fanart.

➻　ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S)　 : : 　I relate to Viktor in a lot of ways, even down to having a bad leg on the same side as him. I connect to his want to leave a legacy, and his desire to help people in need. I share his pessimism toward the rich elite, as well as his short tempter with concepts like social climbing and masking. I, too, wish to just sit in the dark and work on my projects.

tagged by :: @runes-menagerie (ty!) tagging :: anyone who wants to do this, tag me so I can see

[zaunseye]

𓁿　NAME　 : : 　Zigg , Ziggy , Z

𓁿　PRONOUNS　 : : 　it/its/they/them

𓁿　MOST ACTIVE MUSE(S)?　 : : 　my blog here @zaunseye and my Viktor blog @mxchineherald, I have a muse list here, but most of them are on hiatus or very low activity.

𓁿　RP PET PEEVES?　 : : 　Having to lead a whole thread is up there, but I think being expected to match length gets to me too. Some days all I can manage is a two or three paragraphs, especially when I've run out of inner thoughts to express. I've have had old ex-partners imply to me that replying with a shorter length is rude or inconsiderate and I don't get it??? Like, I'm moving the plot along, just without as much inner monologue.

𓁿　EXPERIENCE / HOW MANY YEARS　 : : 　Technically, I've been roleplaying since I was very little. I learned to type early, and was online and roleplaying(with parental supervision, actually) by the time I was about 9. So I'd say about 21 years.

𓁿　FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT　 : : 　Hard to say! Depends on the plot itself, but I'm always down for some angst. Preferably angst revolving around injury, illness, and vulnerability. Something about my character either being in a vulnerable position or taking care of someone else in a vulnerable position just tickles me. I feel like it leads to a fair amount of development that may otherwise never happen between characters.

𓁿　PLOTS OR MEMES　 : : 　I like both! Plotting is a good way to establish a relationship between two muses, and also gives me an idea of the preferences of my partner, while memes are a great way to further flesh out that relationship and put it into difference scenarios we might not have thought of on our own. Sometimes it's straight up crack-rp which can be fun from time to time!

𓁿　LONG OR SHORT REPLIES　 : : 　It all depends on the current flow of roleplay. I'm up for something as long as 7-10 paragraphs, or as short as two or three sentences. This blog is meant for interaction of all forms, including long or short form roleplay. I used to try and force myself to pump out long replies every time, but that was leading to burnout and depression. It was making RP a job rather than a hobby. So now I just go with the flow of the thread and give what I feel is an appropriate response.

𓁿　TIME TO WRITE　 : : 　Whenever I get inspiration, honestly! My life has been hectic and sad lately, with some personal losses and a nasty cold rearing its ugly head. I might be a slower RPer at the moment, but it's what's balanced out for me with my IRL issues and other hobbies, like fanfiction and fanart.

𓁿　ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S)　 : : 　You know, I hope I'm not too much like Silco, outside of my determination and anti-authoritarianism. I do relate to him, in a way, otherwise I'm not sure I could properly portray him. It's just hard to put it into words. I think it's that anger at being forced into playing a game that's long since been rigged against me.

tagged by :: @ferinehuntress (ty) tagging :: anyone who wants to do this, tag me so I can see

[tcookies777]

I think a lot of your readers are just thinking that your fic is gonna be like other slow burn Kakashi/Sakura fics, where either of them or both will engage in sexual relationships with either people multiple times before actually getting together and I think they are scared that your fic is gonna be like that after reading one smut scene. I understand their sentiments because it’s quite tedious to read such things. I think the readers are just emotionally cautious. Tbh I rarely read Kakasaku fics because it’s difficult to actually find a good one that I would enjoy and finish because I would drop it half way. Don’t get me wrong I love and ship Kakasaku but there’s not alot of good fics about this ship. This ship is quite controversial so there’s not alot of fics for this ship compared to other Naruto ships (like sasusaku). Your fic is pretty good and I enjoy it but tbh I also thought your fic would end up like those other Kakasaku fics after reading about 20+ chapters. So I was glad to find out that you have tumblr and have answered some anon questions that were similar to my own questions about the fic.

Yes, I understood that too but I appreciate that you're trying to explain the situation. However, you guys are only seeing the whole situation from one angle. As the writer, I'm the one that's receiving private messages across my socials and moderating Tumblr Asks. So you guys are only seeing the AO3 comments and the Asks that I have publicly posted. You're not seeing the other gripes that other readers have shared with me (in a rude way too), which is why I am addressing everyone's concerns in general - not just the drama with the side character sex because that's not the only gripe people have with the fic.

And as I say in another recent ask - I don't think it's fair for these readers to compare fics with each other and assume writer D will write trope X in their fic just because writers A, B, and C from across the world wrote it in theirs. A small pool of writers/stories - no matter how popular they are - shouldn't have to represent everyone else's writing/stories. Going forward, we should not make assumptions of Writer D's work based off of Writer A's work. We should treat each writer's work as their own and view them independently.

Also, I gotta be honest here that in my personal experience I have read many KakaSaku fics (including slow burns) and not once have I seen a fic where either of them engage in sexual relationships with side characters first (or at all)? Before writing TAOL, I spent almost 2 years going through all of AO3's search results pages for KakaSaku and although I did not read every single fic, I read many fics and I have honestly never seen what you guys are talking about 🤨 But that's just my personal experience and of course you guys have experienced different.

Regardless, my point still stands that a small pool of fics - no matter how popular they and/or their writers are - shouldn't have to represent everyone else's fics or be compared in any manner. As said, I would treat each writer's work as their own and view them independently.

I have also been seeing quite a few people saying there are not many good KakaSaku fics, which actually perplexes me? In my humble opinion, I've read many a good KakaSaku fics which is why I was inspired to write my own after all these years of reading Naruto fanfiction. In fact, I was intimidated to even publish TAOL because I'm like "omg, all these KakaSaku writers are such eloquent storytellers - I can't compare to them". Even now, I'm still intimidated by all these wonderful writers in the KakaSaku community!

Yeah our community is smaller compared to SasuSaku, but I personally think the quality of KakaSaku fics is still on par. Popularity and/or quantity does not equate to quality.

But maybe it's because I'm new to the KakaSaku community, so I sincerely do not understand where this 'not many good KakaSaku fics' sentiment is coming from?

[the-ghost-king]

While not everyone does or will head cannon Nico di Angelo as a character with a variety of disabilities many people do, and it's important when writing any disabled character whether or not this be fanfiction or a published book that disabled characters are written in a non-ableist way free of negative stereotyping.

(I have been informed that I should have been sure to mention that Nico is canonically autistic coded and deals with PTSD as well as acknowledgment to other mental health issues and/or neurodivergencies he's coded as having and it's important to represent those aspects of him accurately as well since they are canonically present)

Here's a compilation on the 101 of writing characters with a disability in any form of media, it's important to do further research into the specific disabilities you're representing but this post hopes to provide a starting point for conducting your own research and common overarching themes when writing characters with a disability.

This post also includes references on writing abuse in hopes that people will recognize how abuse works and how to write and how not to write abuse in order to help people recognize toxic or harmful tropes, themes, or characterization in their work:

Writing disabled characters a 101 : a very simple baseline "how to" on writing disabled characters in any sort of media

Harmful tropes involving disabled characters (including avoiding the helplessness trope) :

"...the key to this is portraying disabled characters as people who are capable of actively responding when bad things happen to them. Not every action they take needs to be successful, but they should always be doing something to deal with the situation.."

A compilation post on writing neurodivergent characters in a non ableist way, ableism in relationships and forgiveness, and writing abusive relationships : includes writing characters with BPD, PTSD, Anxiety, Autistic characters, writing disabled villain characters and abuse apologism, as well as writing abuse.

Fanfiction and assuming you're in the wrong- proactive not reactive :

"I truly believe that if you’re going to write (e.g. write fanfic) about a sensitive topic, you should do some research. Ideally, involving talking to people who’ve experienced the thing you’re writing about. Sometimes that’s impossible, but then you should *at least* read things people have written. Don’t go on what you’ve heard from, say, the medical establishment. Assume the world is ableist (and racist and sexist and classist and…). That it hates different behaviour and wants to regulate it."

Writing an able-bodied savior character and the common issue in media appealing to able-bodied individuals (using "The Greatest Showman" as reference for many common ableist tropes and themes) :

"Maybe the film itself will present Barnum as a flawed figure; it could humanize those with disabilities and remove the stigmas of past features... hardly—if any—disabled directors or screenwriters making major motion pictures. This leaves most films removed from the disabled experience, with the few that do depict the disabled offering an overall message focused on inspiring an able-bodied audience."

As well as a good follow up read involving more discussion around commonly ableist tropes in media

An article about the movie "Wonder" and the ableism presented in it (“The existence of someone should not be considered ‘inspirational,’ just because they’re different.”)

A conversation about ableism from the perspective of someone living with a physical disability :

"What I’m circling around with all of these words layered on words – is this: Our work with “Disability Awareness” and “Disability Rights” can only go so far before we have to address the deep roots of ableism harvested in our culture. The majority of our communities are well-trained in “political correctness,” even as they are steeped in ableist thinking. The result of this confusing combination is a culture that says all the “right” things, while continuing to practice the marginalization of an entire people-group..."

Abuse in relationships with friends // A blog detailing red flags in medical care // A post discussing ND diagnosis, ableism, and gaslighting in the medical community // How to recognize abuse

(Recognizing medical abuse as well as relationship abuse is important because it's not uncommon for people to take ableist themes from canon when shipping Solangelo and interiors them into the fabric of their relationship and this is of course a negative way to represent a disabled character in a relationship)

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

hi! 👋🏻 Ur a really awesome writer! i was just wondering if I could ask for some tips? maybe some advice or insight on how to deal with it when you’re not receiving the response you wish for?

Dear Anon,

I'm afraid I'll be making a few assumptions in order to answer this, so please forgive me if I'm way off. I'm guessing you're speaking about fanfiction writing specifically, and perhaps are fairly new-ish to posting your fanfic? Or maybe you've been posting for awhile and are getting discouraged from a lack of response.

Fair warning, pretty much none of this advice is easy to follow, and I still struggle with it sometimes too, but I do think it has helped me. It may not help you, as everyone is different and most of this is pulled from my own personal experiences. I truly hope it does help you though, because posting something you've worked so hard on and put so much love into, only to get little to no response, really sucks.

Something to remember before I dive in is that all of this advice is based on the idea that everyone fandoms in their own way and at their own pace. This includes you the writer -- we're always talking about don't pressure writers to update or make them feel bad if they can't produce because there's a person on the other side of the screen who isn't getting paid for this and is dealing with their own life... But Fandom is a community and a relationship. So you have to allow them the readers the same courtesy.

So here we go:

1) Timing can have a HUGE impact on the response you get. Sometimes you post right before or right after an established writer posts a long awaited update. Sometimes literally everyone in the fandom is posting on the same day. It can often feel like feast or famine around here when it comes to fan created works. There's no giant publishing companies staggering our releases so everyone's gets some kind of attention. Instead, we're a milieu of posting and yours just... might get shuffled to the bottom. How do you deal with this? Give yourself permission to reblog your own stuff at different times. It's okay to plug yourself a little. You worked hard on it and maybe somebody just missed it.

2) Kind of goes with the first... Exposure. AO3 has a great tagging system, but it also shows things in the order of posting, newest at the top. This means that if you post something to AO3 and it gets buried under things that post after yours, then it is less likely to be seen. Now, there are readers who will scour the tags and read literally everything in them and still be ravenous for more. Bless those sainted readers for their time and enthusiasm. BUT most readers aren't like that. This means that you can't always just put it up on AO3 and be done with it, and the readers will pour in!!!! Maybe... but probably not. This is one of the reasons why I still have a tumblr. It's another source of exposure and I have a little more access to more eyeballs/ears. Post here about your work. People get intrigued if you have inspiration pictures, songs, little snippets up on your blog. Part of the fandom experience is that ability to interact with the creators in a way that the vast majority of us simply cannot do with the creators of the source material.

Participate in challenges or group blogs, if there are any available and you have the time. In terms of the Everlark and THG fandom... it's an older fandom with very little to zero new source content. Which means the activity will be in constant ebb and flow. Famine or feast... and this is going to include reader response. If the rate of creation of fanworks fluctuates, then people will wander away and return. Don't even try to find consistency in the level of response you get because you won't get it. For example, there was a drabble I posted well over a year ago that barely got any notes. Well, someone reblogged it recently and it's suddenly gaining notes, and not just from people who are new to the fandom either. From people who simply missed it the first time around for one reason or another.

Understand that even if you do this, even if you directly ask people to read your stuff, they might not do it. They might read it and not like it. Just like you are under no obligation to produce fanfiction at the rate the fandom wants, they are under no obligation to read and like your stuff at the rate you want. :/ The fandom door swings both ways.

3) And this one's not easy.... accept that sometimes... it is not about you. Everyone fandoms in their own way and at their own pace. This means there will be readers who read everything they can get their hands on. They might miss your works anyways for one reason or another because they're still human too. There will be readers who will not like your writing, either because there is something in the style or the content that just isn't their thing. This is not an insult towards you or your writing style. It is merely a reflection of the widely varying tastes we as readers have. Examples!

Someone once told me that they liked my fanfiction so much because there is something about the way I use the English language that made it easier for them (a non-native English speaker) to understand the story. I can't even tell you what it is about my writing that apparently gives it this quality, only that it worked for someone. I say this only to point out that for the most part, you have ZERO control over how people react to your writing.

Preferences are a BIG THING to fandom readers. I am not a big fan of huge age gaps or huge power differences. Student/teacher? Nope. Not my bag. Really not a fan of dubious consent being treated as romantic. Now I've read some of those pieces, but very sparingly because it's not something I really enjoy so finding one I do like is difficult. There are writers who I've tried and I just can't... either because of the tropes they frequently use or the way they characterize the characters just doesn't jive with me, or because they (SERIOUS PERSONAL PREFERENCE HERE) heavy load the exposition up front in their stories which leads to them telling us what's going on or what the world is like rather than SHOWING us. But that's my preference. I don't read anything that's even close to something I'm writing myself because we're already all playing with the same source material. The last thing I want to do is inadvertently pull inspiration from another fan writer and make them feel like crap for it. So right now... I read zero Olympics, zero witchcraft fics, zero shapeshifters... I can't say other people do that but hey, maybe they do.

These are my personal preferences in what I read. Does that mean that if you write those things, I think you're not worthy of recognition or response? Hell no. Because there are readers out there who want those things. But I am, as a reader, very unlikely to even spend the time reading your work if it falls into those categories. As a writer... this means that when I write anything that I know people might be averse to, I CANNOT TAKE OFFENSE. I have to, as the writer, accept that it isn't necessarily about me, acknowledge that there are A MILLION REASONS why someone might not be reading my writing and accept it as being OKAY. Does this make sense?

My point in speaking about my own preferences is merely to highlight that all of us are different and fandom differently. So chances are pretty good that someone out there will like what you write but you will never ever EVER please everyone. Don't even try. You might only appeal to a few people, but I'm willing to bet if you're writing niche then those people are going to be OVER THE MOON for it. But again... If I am allowed to have preferences in what I read, then I have to allow everyone else in the fandom that same right. I have to allow and accept that there WILL be people who don't like my writing. Who think it's awful or overrated or awkward or incomprehensible. That is their opinion and they are allowed to have it. Now, of course, fandom etiquette says you shouldn't SAY that to someone but that's a whole different post. ;)

Also... there are readers who do not read fics unless they are complete. That's their preference and you have to allow for it. Now, it makes it discouraging for a newbie writer who doesn't have a fic under their belt so... either try to spit out some drabbles or oneshots to garner interest in your writing or.... have some patience.

4) So... write for you. Yes yes I hear everyone groaning and complaining, really kdnfb? That cliche???? Yes. Really. So here's the thing. Let's say you've got a birthday coming up. You're stoked for this birthday. It's going to be EPIC! You've asked for this way cool jacket you saw in a thrift store and tickets to see your favorite band in concert. Your birthday rolls around and... your Mom gives you cash to go buy the jacket, but not the tickets. Is your birthday ruined? Is it the worst birthday ever? Heck no! Look at your bad self in that awesome sauce jacket! You rock!

What I'm saying is, find something in your writing that YOU like. That YOU are proud of. "I really love my world building in this piece." "I wasn't sure I could pull off that character alteration but I really think i did." "I actually posted smut *GASP!*" Whatever it is, bask in it. But don't hinge your happiness on other people on this one. I'm trying to say, want more than one thing out of your writing. Wanting something for yourself makes it easier to handle when you don't get something from anyone else. Is this easy to do? Nope. It sure as shit is not. But this is why we writers are always freaking complaining about how hard writing is. Onward!

5) Respond. Fandom is an interactive community and people can be shy, nervous, feel awkward, a thousand things. This is again a personal preference of mine, but I try very hard to respond to every comment left to me on AO3 and every ask sent to my inbox. The exceptions are the blatant bullshit hate and someone who is clearly trying to start a fight. Hopefully you're not dealing with that and never do. ff.net is a hot mess and I haven't even logged on in years because they never make anything easy, so I haven't answered those reviews in ages. And I always get turned around responding to comments left on tumblr posts and in the tags so I'm bad about that... But I will eventually, religiously answer every comment in my AO3 inbox. Anyways. My point!

You've already bravely put yourself out there by posting your work? Bravo! Somebody takes the brave step to comment on it? THANK THEM FOR IT. No seriously. I'm convinced I've got at least half a dozen regular commenters who stuck around in part because I THANKED THEM FOR IT. Community. Two way street. Show love to the readers who worked up the courage to give you the love and it will multiply. Now, not everyone does this, I know. Some people will say that posting your writing is showing enough love to the fandom, you shouldn't have to do this extra step... and they're not WRONG, I'm simply offering this as a piece of advice that I think has helped me gain an amazing level of response.

6) Nobody likes to feel guilty or like they're being guilted into reading something/liking something. It's okay to say that you're not getting the kind of response you want, or that you feel like you put a lot of effort into this and got very little traffic on it. Because it's a valid feeling and it sucks to feel that way. BUT if you're constantly posting about it or complaining about it, then that is going to drive people away... it is. I'm sorry. So maybe temper how often you do this. It's a balance between expressing your frustration and alienating people, and it's not simple. I wish I could tell you it was.

6) Try not to be jealous of other writers. I'll admit this is one of the top two hardest bits of advice I'm going to put on this list. There is always a bigger name writer. There is always someone out there for whom a lot of people in the fandom will drop everything to go read their updates. And it's frustrating to witness that and not have that kind of attention yourself. It's especially difficult if you're a fandom reader and you don't see the great things in those uber popular writers what everyone else seems to see. But again... everyone fandoms at their own pace, in their own way. Readers have preferences and that's not necessarily a reflection on you. You cannot expect them all to respond the way you want them to. Easy to do? Nope nope noooooope.

7) Expect exactly zero people to read your material. That's right I said zero.

ZERO. NONE. NADA. ZILCH! THE BIG FAT GOOSE EGG!!!!

Is this easy? ahahahahahahahhahahahahaha. This is probably the hardest piece on the list, and I'm sure a lot of people are going to be infuriated by my even suggesting it. But you asked my advice and this is an attitude that I have worked very hard to cultivate in myself. I'm still not always successful, and I'm also aware that I'm saying this from a position of extreme comfort in terms of reader response. I've been in this fandom a long ass time, through A LOT of ebbs and flows, and I'll be the first one to admit that I likely gained a large portion of faithful readers because when the initial dip of creator activity happened after the movies were done being released, I was still writing... A LOT. That era was perhaps one of my most prolific and since a lot of creators lost interest and moved on, readers flocked to the few writers still producing. So yep. I gained readership by fandom attrition. It's okay, it happens. Can't tell you how I kept so many of them for as long as I have...

EDIT TO ADD: If you expect nobody to read it, imagine how ecstatic you'll be when somebody does. But the point is, since so much of this is out of your control, and because there are a thousand reasons why you might not be getting the response you want, this attitude happened to work for me. Maybe it'll work for you too, maybe not. Worth a shot, though.

8) Give it time. You cannot cannot CANNOT expect immediate attention. And if you've been here awhile and you're still not gaining the response you want? Well... hopefully some the advice here helps you deal with that. Try to shift your attitude and perspective, as difficult as that might be. Because you can't force people to read, to like, to respond. You can't. So again, if you tie your happiness in fandom writing to the level of response you get, it's only going to end badly.

I hope this helps, Anon. I know it's not easy. Trust me. I started writing for Everlark in 2013, the year Catching Fire the movie was released. My god that was a chaotic time of just furious production. And I was one of the little newbie fish in a huge pond of Big Name creators. Hang in there, love. Because if it's something you love to do, then you can weather some discouragement.

Happy Writing!

<3 kdnfb

[spnfanficpond]

Pond Diving - thoughtslikeamindfield

Welcome to today’s Pond Diving Spotlight! We hope that you enjoy this little insight to our members and perhaps even find some useful tips for your own writing. Happy reading!

Want to volunteer, send us an ask! We’re looking forward to learning more about all of you! Not sure what PD is, you can learn more here.

“Don’t Be Koi About It” - All About You

Name: MJ

Age: 49

Location: Aspen, Colorado, USA

URL: @thoughtslikeaminefield

Why did you choose your URL: I’m a diehard Foo Fighters fan. When I came back to Tumblr after a 4yr hiatus, Foo’s album Concrete and Gold had just come out, and the first single was “The Sky Is A Neighborhood” with the verse:

Thoughts like a minefield I'm a ticking bomb Maybe you should watch your step Don't get lost

What inspired you to become a writer: I love telling stories, both verbally and written. What’s kept me motivated is connecting with people through shared experiences, making people laugh, and making life-long friends as a result of those connections.

How long have you been writing: I’ve been writing since I was 8- or 9-years-old!

What do you do when you are not writing i.e. Job/Hobbies etc? I sell mortgages for a living, laugh and enjoy life with my husband, hike with my dogs, talk smack with my friends and family. I recently hosted a group of fandom friends here in the Rocky Mountains in a big house, where we did all of the above at one point or another, and it was such a joy.

How long have you been in the SPN Fandom? It feels like I’ve been here forever. I was reading Dean/Faith Lehane fic back in 2008 and I’ve been laughing at memes on Tumblr since as long as I’ve been on Tumblr (this is my fourth blog), but I didn’t start actively watching the show until 2015 (-ish?). I truly joined SPN fandom when I started writing SPN fic in the spring of 2018, so a little over 3yrs.

Are you in any other fandoms and do you write for them? Yes! I was active in The X-Files fandom for years via forums, chat rooms, and geocites (it was the 90s and early aughts, after all lol), but never wrote for it; Buffy and Angel in the same manner as well as LiveJournal and wrote a little; I was active in Twilight fandom for a few years and wrote fic there, once sitting on a Twific panel at SDCC; I’ve been peripherally active in several of Norman Reedus’ fandoms and written for him and his roles; and currently, I’m active in SPN, The Boys, anything Jensen does, Ted Lasso (I have fic ideas), MCU and other Marvel media, Star Wars and all things associated (especially Din Djarin’s tiny green bebe Grogu), Lucifer, anything Keanu Reeves does, and super fucking excited for my boy Pattinson in The Batman.

Do you do any writing outside of fanfiction? If so, tell us about it? I am working on a sort of fictionalized memoir based on my family and my relationships throughout my life. My sister and I have a lot of stories to tell, so we’ve been piecing together a concept for the past couple of years!

Favorite published author: Carrie Fisher

Have you ever read a book that made an impact on your life? Which one and why?: Several. I will say, however, that neither Postcards from the Edge nor Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher ever leave my bedside.

Carrie had such a gift with words and expression. She struggled with mental illness, loss, and addiction; she was a soul sister.

Favorite genre of fanfic (smut, angst, fluff, crack, rpf, etc): I’ll read just about any genre, but I seem to gravitate toward explicit content, both to read and write.

Favorite piece of your own writing: This is Sophie’s Choice, so I’ll just go with something easy, fun, and sexy -- Plus One (for which I am currently working on a sequel!)

Most underrated fic you have written: Cactus - Dean Winchester x Meg Masters x Castiel

Idk if it’s underrated, but I don’t think a lot of people have seen it, and I don’t write Destiel very often!

Story of yours that you’d most like to see turned into a movie/tv show:

Run Me Like A River - AU Dean Winchester x AU Jessica Jones

Summary: AU wherein Jessica Jones is super-powered by gov’t experiments to create elite soldiers, the Winchesters are military officers in humanity’s War Against Evil, and they have all gone AWOL from their assigned roles. Dean and Jess embark in a relationship that ends abruptly and explosively until Dean calls her for help on a very personal case.

Warnings: explicit, this is not your mother’s dean winchester, major character death, unhealthy relationship dynamics, bondage, rough-sex, biting, bruising, blood, anal sex, ptsd

Favorite Tumblr Writer(s): @inkiestdawn @itmighthavebeenintentional @lastactiontricia @littlegreenplasticsoldier @mrswhozeewhatsis @rockhoochie @stusbunker @there-must-be-a-lock @wayward-and-worn

Favorite Fic from another writer: Heard, Seen, Believed by @stusbunker -- yes, I beta’d this fic, but I beta’d it because it was amazing. This is easily one of my Top 5 Favorite SPN fics ever. It’s sooooo sexy and relatable and UGH.

Favorite character to write: Dean Winchester

Favorite Pairing to write: I have a very soft spot for Megstiel.

Least favorite character to write (and why): I don’t write anyone I don’t thoroughly enjoy writing!

Do you have anyone you consider a mentor? Hmm, Idk about mentor, but I probably wouldn’t be writing fic and I certainly wouldn’t be sharing it without having @icemankazansky @mskathywriteswords and @cracksinthewalls in my life who have each supported and encouraged me through the years in ways that have been absolutely essential to my confidence and competence.

Do you have any aspirations involving your writing? Some day, I want to be able to tell My Story, if I can ever figure out what that is. lolllll

How many work-in-progress stories do you have: Oh, lord, a dozen? Maybe more.

What are you currently working on? The final installment for a 3-part FWB to lovers Dean x female reader AU, some Soldier Boy fuckery, and I’m trying to work up the gumption to get back to my Sam x female reader AU series. I also have a ton of AWESOME prompts from tumblr friends and from Bingos and Challenges that are just waiting for me to not be such a disaster.

“Pond Diving” - All About The Writing

What/who has had the biggest influence on your writing? Style-wise -- songwriters like Jim Morrison, Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan, Dave Grohl, Trent Reznor, and Josh Homme; content-wise -- the feelings and experiences of my life like love, loss, heartbreak, lust, and trauma.

Best writing advice you've been given: Just get the words down; you can edit it later!

Biggest obstacle you’ve faced in your writing: When I jump the gun and think I know where I’m headed but then hit a roadblock and have gotten too far ahead to figure out how to back up!

What aspects of writing do you find difficult when you write fanfiction? Series. I have shit patience so I post too soon sometimes and the next thing I know I’ve hit a wall and the damn thing is stalled.

Is there anything you want to write but are afraid to (and why)? There are things I want to write but haven’t figured out yet, but I’m not really afraid of writing anything.

What inspires/motivates you to write? Human connection, reader feedback, my friends.

How do you deal with self doubt? Go back and re-read things I’ve written that I remember loving and the feedback from readers that touched my heart. I talk to my friends, too.

How do you deal with writer's block? Walk it off, make graphics, ask for insight, read something fresh and different.

Do you plan/outline your story before you start? I try to and I want to get better at this, especially for series’, but I don’t do it enough!

Do you have any weird writing habits? Idk how weird it is per se, but my usual habits include making playlists and graphics and talking out my ass about anything and everything related to the concepts or themes. I’m all about the vibes and aesthetics.

Have you ever received hateful comments on your fic and how do you deal with it? Not really. I had a woman several years ago harass me for being “irresponsible” with the main characters because they had sex without contraception and it was a one-weekend stand, but I just listened to and talked it out with her.

Conversely: what’s been some of your favorite feedback on your fanfic? Most recently I received an incredibly in depth and thoughtful observation on one of my darker and more personal fics that was so spot on that it made me cry. But I can’t not mention my long-time beta here since she is my beta because of her consistently detailed and thoughtful feedback for more than 10 years. She’s been with me ever since.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new and/or struggling writer, what would it be? Surround yourself with people you trust and respect and who feel the same about you so that you are able to be vulnerable, try new things and fail, and grow.

[serpentstole]

Luciferian Challenge: Day 1

Who is Lucifer (or your Luciferian figure) and who are they to you? Feel free to include multiple answers if you have multiple figures.

This one is going to be a long answer, so I’m putting it under a cut for the sake of my followers. My thoughts on both halves of the question are below!

I do not feel equipped to say who Lucifer is. Much like the mantle of Satan, I think it’s a name or title that can be applied to a number of figures, whether they be spirit, deity, or demon; the Lucifer I know and build a relationship with might not even be the same entity that others approached, and given how illusive any concrete information on figures who have gone by that name can be, I think that’s fair. 

There’s Lucifer, the Roman personification of the Morningstar, which has led some dubiously informed people to claim that Lucifer is a Roman god. There’s Lucifer as demon emperor in the Grand Grimoire, among others. There’s the Lucifer we associate with the rebellion of Paradise Lost, or the Serpent in Eden. There’s whatever’s going on with Gnostic Luciferians. Lucifer and Sophia being the material vs spiritual aspects of the same being is one take I’ve seen (unless I’m badly misremembering Jeremy Christner’s writing) though I believe for others he simply replaces Jesus or other figures as the gnostic saviour striving for mankind’s freedom through enlightenment. 

I cannot begin to say if these are aspects of the same entity or completely separate beings, nor do I think it’s my place to try and make those claims. I think some of them are also going to be influenced somewhat by the attitudes or preconceptions of the individual... not so much Lucifer’s nature itself, but how they view it. 

There are also theories that link Lucifer to the ancient Canaanite god Attar, who was also Attar to the Aramaic and Ugarit people, Athtar in South Arabia, Astar to to the Aksum, Ashtar to the Moab, and if those names are starting to sound familiar it’s because he was is seen as the same general deity as the goddes Istar to the Mesopotamians (and Astarte by proxy when Hellenized), in the same way that the sun god Shamash is related to the goddess Shams. 

As you can probably tell, that is a subject that interests me greatly, and I’ve collected a number of papers and mythologies to study in relation to it. Even then I refrain from saying that my Lucifer and the god Attar are synonymous. We will likely never know how deep the connection goes, and while there are all manner of wonderful coincidences and similarities between the mythology surrounding Attar and our later perception of Lucifer, I don’t imagine there will come a day where I’ll be able to treat these theories as definitive, proven fact.  

And of course, there’s the fact that Lucifer doesn’t actually appear in the bible, as I’ve previously explained, which can complicate things. Some people do speculate that the language used in Isaiah was inspired by the story of Attar trying and failing to claim the throne of Baal after his demise, and it would be incredibly interesting to me if a passage about a Babylonian king that was misinterpreted as being about Lucifer the fallen angel was inspired by a god who suffered a similar failure brought about by his pride. However, as I previously mentioned, we may never know for certain.

To say who Lucifer is to me is still evolving, and may always be. Due to all the aforementioned reasons and variations, I think his nature can be hard to pin down, and may be intentionally elusive. I sometimes see him as very mercurial for that reason. 

The traits I associate with him are probably very similar to those that others do: a pursuit of knowledge and rejection of dogma, striving to better oneself and one’s situation, an adversarial and rebellious nature, and an emphasis on freedom (sometimes through enlightenment, sometimes more literal). In my experience, even those who take an atheistic approach to Luciferianism still use Lucifer as an archetype or symbol of these shared ideals.

Like many, the Satan of Paradise Lost is a major influence for me despite my tendency to affectionately dub it Biblical Fanfiction, and everything that’s come after can also resonate with my understanding and appreciation of him. His possible connection to Attar is one that’s interested me for some time and something I want to develop further, if only for the sake of my own Unverified Personal Gnosis. I wish to do more reading on Istar for similar reasons. I consider the Serpent in Eden to be an extension or emissary of Lucifer, rather than them being one in the same, though I have no text to point to for this beyond my own tastes and interpretations. 

Given my interest in Orphism, I’m also very interested to see if my research into Phanes will influence my view of Lucifer, as I have always felt that Lucifer has a strong feminine aspect, and Phanes is an epicene deity with a name that means to shine and an association with snakes. I am deeply allergic to the tendency to say “the god in this pantheon is secretly just this other god” since I find it reductive, and it usually doesn’t pay attention to the concept of syncretism or how these cultures might have shared and spread ideas. However, the similarities between the more traditionally Luciferian side of my beliefs and the Orphic tinged Greek side of my religious practices have a good deal of thematic overlap. 

And finally, to quote Jack Spicer’s fantastic poem for the umpteenth time on this blog…Imagine Lucifer. An angel without angelness. A poem that has revised itself out of sound, imagine, rhyme, concordance. Absent all of God spoke of, present everything a poem is. The law I say, the Law Is? What is Lucifer. An emperor with no clothes, no skin, no flesh, no heart. 

An emperor!

---

(This was already long enough without mentioning Azazel and Eve, so I’ve linked to recent posts explaining their roles in my practice if you click on their names. They’ll probably get more of a mention in future prompts where it’s appropriate.)

[wolfstar-in-color]

Creator’s spotlight: alifeincoffeespoons

It’s September and our fourth Creator’s Spotlight is here! We are so happy to share with you today the thoughts of a wonderful creator: @alifeincoffeespoons. We’ve rec’ed her fic Sirius and Harry go to Whitecastle here and we did the description for one of her artworks here (which includes the rec of some mitski songs!!).

As usual, here you have one of our favorite quotes of the interview, and under the cut you can read the full interview!

“Remus and Sirius understand each other on a level that few other characters in the series do. They have so many shared experiences and so much history, and there’s so many different ways to write them as a result. They are also foils, but somehow also a matched pair — they move in sync so easily.”

alifeincoffeespoons prompt: “It’s a rare sunny day when Remus sees Sirius, for the first time in three years, and he has to resist the urge to call emergency services immediately and announce that he needs to be hospitalized on account of a broken heart.”

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself

A: My Tumblr username is alifeincoffeespoons (inspired by Eliot’s “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock”) and I go by spellingmynamewrong on AO3. I’d probably be considered part of Gen Z, and I’m Asian-American, which inspires a lot of my work. I usually create works of writing, though I also dabble in fanart occasionally. I’m a fan of both modern and canon divergent AUs; I’ll write canon compliant content occasionally but not very often, given how tragic canon is. 

Q:How did you start creating in the fandom? What did you wish to bring into the fandom?

A: I started writing back in middle school, and I’ve been reading and writing fanworks on-and-off since then. My first work of fanfiction was for Harry Potter too, although I didn’t start writing for Wolfstar until later on. I want to write works that make people think more deeply about — and even critique — the existing world of Harry Potter. There are a lot of deeply problematic aspects of the original work, as we all know, and I think we have an obligation as creators to call them out and demonstrate why they are so problematic.

Q: What things about Sirius/Remus as characters or in their relationship inspire you to create around them?

A: Remus and Sirius understand each other on a level that few other characters in the series do. They have so many shared experiences and so much history, and there’s so many different ways to write them as a result. They are also foils, but somehow also a matched pair — they move in sync so easily.

Q: What things would you like to highlight about the Wolfstar fandom and your experience in it?

A: It’s such an expansive fandom! That’s one thing that’s dawned on me over time — it has so, so much history, and so many individuals are or have been involved in it. 

Q: What type of content do you wish you saw more in the fandom?

A: I’d love to see more content that deals with the historical circumstances of the wider world around them — I’m a big sucker for historical fiction and real-world context. If we’re going for a particular sort of story, I’d love to see more superhero AUs. Also, a Good Omens AU. I saw fanart for it once and it’s never left my mind. There are so, so many possibilities there. 

Q: What is your favourite wolfstar fan content (fic/fanart/gifset/etc) and how does it inspire you?

A: This is so hard to choose! Let’s go with some tropes instead — I love fix-it fics, and I also find canon divergent AUs very interesting, particularly ones that involve giving Harry a better life. I’m also a big fan of Modern AUs, though. I also love humor — whether that be a full-on humor fic or just one with humor interspersed lovingly throughout.

Q: Which of your own identities inform your creative processes? How has that process been for you?

A: My Asian-American identity likely informs my creative process the most. There are so few Asian characters represented in media still, particularly fan-created content, and I’d like to see that changed. What I usually do is incorporate small details that can feel universal but also give readers an insight into a particular culture — usually through food or similarly common experiences. It comes fairly naturally, actually, since I often write about Asian or Asian-American characters in my original fiction as well.

Q: What advice do you have for other content creators with diverse backgrounds in the fandom? What would you say to people that might feel they don’t have the “right” experience to participate in the creation of content related to Wolfstar?

A: If you’re comfortable, definitely share your experiences — we always need more diverse voices in fandom. I don’t think there’s any particular history or characteristic you need to be an active participant in Wolfstar fandom. 

Q: How could we build a more diverse fandom?

A: Firstly, by seeking out and supporting content that features characters with diverse backgrounds. Secondly, by calling out rhetoric that marginalizes diverse creators. Thirdly, by doing our best to do better ourselves.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to modify in Sirius’s or Remus’s characterizations to bring new perspectives to them?

A: I’ve often written Sirius as Asian, mostly because I think it truly does add another layer to his characterization. I’ve explained some of my reasoning behind that in this Tumblr post I wrote eons ago. I often also write Remus as Jewish — I saw this headcanon a long time ago and it’s stuck with me since. My characterizations of them are always shifting, though, and I’m sure they will continue to over time.

Q: What does diversity mean to you? What does that encompass in fannish spaces?

A: Diversity doesn’t just mean including a POC in your work or an LGBTQ character; it means giving them meaningful, non-stereotypical narratives and characterization. In fan spaces, that means supporting creators from diverse backgrounds and works featuring well-written, diverse characters. It also means, as a creator, doing research on the cultural backgrounds of characters you are writing about, particularly if you do not belong to that culture yourself.

Q: Is there a resource you would recommend for fans to read when it comes to learning about diversity?

A: If you’re interested in learning more about Asian-American culture and diversity in particular through literature, two memoirs I read recently and enjoyed were Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings and Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H-Mart. I think they give insight into the Asian-American experience and are also incredibly moving. There are lots of resources for writing out there, on Tumblr, Reddit, and elsewhere. Also, sensitivity readers, if you are a writer, are critical. 

Q: Is there a project/organization that you want to hype?

A: Given what’s been happening in Texas and in countless other states across the U.S. — horrific attacks on bodily autonomy and the right to choose — please donate to Planned Parenthood.

Q: Any cause that you want fans to know about so that they can support it?

A: Rental assistance — the Supreme Court recently struck down Biden’s eviction moratorium. If anyone you know is at risk of being evicted, please direct them to local and state rental assistance programs (a tool to search for them: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/mortgage-and-housing-assistance/renter-protections/find-help-with-rent-and-utilities/).

Q: Leave us with a quote or work of art that always inspires you.

A: Whenever I need to write, I’ll put on a Phoebe Bridgers song if it’s a sad section I’m writing, and if it’s a relatively happier section, I’ll put on a NIKI song. Other artists that inspire me: Mitski, Lorde, Lucy Dacus, Taylor Swift, Lily Allen, and Lizzo.

[zkfanworkweek]

ZFAW Fan Content Creator Interviews: HayleyNFoster

Hey everyone! We hope you’re all excited for ZFAW, and to honor (ha!) ZFAW’s commitment to supporting and celebrating fan content creators in the Zutara fandom, we’re going to be rolling out a series of interviews with well-known and widely-beloved content creators over the next few weeks. We’ve got artists and fanfiction authors, some names you recognize as well as a few phenomenal up-and-coming talents, and we can’t wait for you to meet them all!

For the second interview in this cycle, we have our best propaganda creator and this fandom’s hottest new artist/undisputed queen of the animatic, @hayleynfoster!

1. Tell us about how you came to ship Zutara. What does this ship mean to you?

When I was around 14 or 15 and caught Avatar: The Last Airbender on television, I was drawn in by the art style, the humor, and the wonderful characters. I caught the episodes out of order, and the first one I saw and wasn’t prepared to be sucked in by was The Waterbending Scroll. It intrigued me at that age, and the line “I’ll save you from the pirates” combined with the tension between Katara and Zuko in that whole scene was electrifying. I remember my teenage self thinking these two have so much chemistry! And when I saw a commercial on Nickelodeon that featured fanart submitted by fellow Avatar fans, I realized that I could do that to! So I set about making Zutara fanart for myself. I stumbled onto Youtube, practically in its infancy, and discovered that people set clips of Zuko and Katara set to music (And this was still in season 1 days… so people who made these amvs were the real mvps because they were able to make compelling narratives in their amvs with like practically nothing to work with!). The AMVs really spurred my interest in this couple, I remember distinctly one Zutara AMV using the Dido song White Flag utterly capturing my imagination. I found fandom shortly after, getting into deviantart and forums. But the ship really began to mean something to me when, as I was working on my drawings in the computer lab at school, a buoyant presence hovered over my shoulder noticing my Zutara art on the computer screen. The girl was someone I had never really talked to and had only seen from afar but she immediately started excitedly saying she shipped Zuko and Katara too! In this simple shared obsession, I made one of the best friends I’ve ever had and we’re still friends to this day. We would theorize and fangirl over Avatar like it was nobody’s business; we poured over bootleg San Diego Comic Con footage that showed spoilers for season 2 before it aired; we lost our freaking minds when we finally saw The Crossroads of Destiny. We had watch parties every week as Season 3 of A:TLA aired, and comforted each other when the show ended as it did (much ranting was shared). Those are some of my happiest memories from high school… all because this one pairing from this wonderful show. Even though Zutara didn’t happen, we still chat every now and then about it. Zutara will probably be a lifelong obsession, always bubbling under the surface. And without it, I would have never realized that animation was a viable career path. It really did inspire everything including the work I’m doing to this day in the animation industry. I owe a lot to this ship and to Avatar: the Last Airbender.

2. What inspires you to create zutara fanworks?

The resurgence of Avatar: The Last Airbender this year really helped sort of spark that dormant love I had for Zutara. The show’s ending still disappointed me on the rewatch, but Zuko and Katara’s relationship arc was as captivating as ever, so I turned to some fanfiction and looking at people’s pretty Zutara art and AMVs to just revel in fanon instead of getting to hung up on the actual ending of the show. But then I realized, with quarantine and my work load being pretty light, I had time to actually make all new Zutara art for myself, art I was never fully capable of making as a kid, but now could do with my 7 years of industry experience and just… life experience. And I was inspired to do some corrective animatics to satisfy my own desire for a different ending. I just really like exploring these two characters, doing different and interesting things with them, and frankly I’m inspired to make cute, fluffy, romantic art simply by virtue of living in a really sad and depressing world. Things are so crazy right now, creating art about two characters I love being in love, is comforting. And it helps to have inspiring music and amazing Zutara amvs to just sort of stir up my emotions and imagery in my head to make into animatics and art.

3. Be selfish - if you could request one fanwork based on your own art/fanfic, what would it be? What would you absolutely love to see someone create?

Ohhhh… Well, It’s always nice to have people write fanfiction that puts words to my animatics. I am not that great at coming up with dialog myself, so I’ve just chosen to indulge in visuals and emotions for my boards. But when I read things like RideBoldlyRide’s take on my Reunion Animatic, it makes me pretty giddy. (They finally have voices!) :) And this is the MOST selfish thing I could request, but I’m not shy about saying how much I love well done amvs, so I will literally kill for someone to make Zutara AMVs to songs I like… Like, most of AURORA’s songs but especially Exist for Love, Sunseeker by The Naked and Famous, Promises or Take Me by Aly & AJ, Adore You by Harry Styles, Human Enough by ONR, Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine, and/or Almost (Sweet Music) by Hozier just… I can see the AMVs so clearly to any of these songs in my head, but I don’t have the tools or skill set at my disposal to make a compelling fan video. When I was in high school, I originally thought I wanted to go into video editing simply because I loved making very crappy AMVs (they were so bad you guys), but I figured out being a storyboard artist was more in my wheelhouse. haha

4. Any words for people who are new to the fandom and/or nervous about sharing their work for the first time?

If you’re new to the Zutara fandom, just have a good time! Don’t waste too much time arguing with people over your shipping preferences. I wasted so much of my teen years having pointless shipping wars with people on DeviantArt, and I’m just so much happier nowadays because I’m just making Zutara art in my little corner of the internet, and honestly, in the politest of ways, I don’t give a shit if people don’t like my art or Zutara. haha I think that’s sort of a key thing for people thinking of posting creative works here in the fandom, just make art for yourself, satisfy your own desires for the pairing, get your creative sparks flying, and create just for the joy of creating. It’s always nice to get comments and such, but simply making the art should be what spurs you on, not the external validation. And have a good time, don’t worry too much - I say as someone who worries about EVERYTHING. But honestly, making art for A:TLA is some of the most relaxed I’ve been because I make it just for me. I’m lucky others seem to like it too!

5. What’s an idea for a fanwork that you have but haven't gotten around to making?

I have an idea for a second generation storyline with my Zutara kids that involves Kya (the eldest firebending daughter) falling in love with an airbender boy (tentatively named Gora in my headcanon who’s a bit of a rabble rouser and one of Aang’s kids he had with a Kyoshi Warrior), and then they start a socialist revolution in the Fire Nation in order to dismantle all of the hierarchical societies across the Avatar world… Together Kya and Gora Fan the Flames of revolution… ehhhhh... Get it?? Oh! Oh, and then Katara, who had put in legit liberal reforms in her time as Fire Lady listens to her daughter after resisting in the first part of the story, but then realizes she can actually play a part in the dissolution of the royalty and is also active in the revolution realizing that moderate liberal reforms are no substitute for a society free of serving royalty (which she had always been uncomfortable with but had rationalized with herself that she was doing good in her capacity as Fire Lady.) I just feel like there’s a lot of cool potential for discussing these ideas and also having some aspirational change in the Avatar world. lol For aesthetics and just happy fluffy times, I can indulge in Fire Lady and Fire Lord Zuko stuff, but really at the end of the day, I take issue with the structures in a society that have to exist for monarchies to exist. Soooo, I kind of want to do my own corrective story for that… if I ever have the time or guts. On a less ambitious note, I would love to do a Zutara sparring animatic to practice doing action, but I need a good story; I am not good at doing fights just for fighting’s sake. Those are just some things I have rattling around in my head.  

6. Are you participating in ZFAW? If so want to give us a hint as to your plans?

Yes! The most I can say is I have one animatic almost finished and one that’s still being thumbnailed. The rest are probably going to be comics or emotive single pieces based on the fanfics I really like right now. :)