#and i'm unrestricted in fanfic that's why i write it

[cloud-somersault]

it's kinda hard for me to discuss canon things because I always am like "oh yeah! in my AU--" and people are like "no...i meant in canon" and it's just

i don't wanna talk about canon LMFAO why would i do that when i've sunk all these hours into this fucking AU man

[lunerabo]

Okay, so in my opinion Fem y/n is so annoying because I'll be searching for something that has nothing to do with fem y/n and all I get is fem y/n and it really ticks me off. And the fact that fem y/n is always this defenseless and vulnerable girl is so annoying. There's hardly any gn or male reader fanfics of my favorite characters.. There's always ones with fem y/n. And the fanfics.. I swear, it's always incest with fem y/n or there's this huge age gap. It's like fem y/n is the only thing people can write, and I even read a gn fanfic where it wasn't even gn.. The characters were calling the reader princess and the reader was afab.. And at that point it's just fem y/n. And I'm sorry but the way people write fem y/n is just.. Ew. Like no, she's not a 4'5 girl who's weak and needs a big strong man to save her.. And she isn't white with long blonde hair. It's just so annoying.

That’s Wattpad y/n. You’re talking about Wattpad y/n. And Wattpad y/n is written by 13 year olds with completely unrestricted access to the internet far too early on, so of course it’s going to be dogshit. Don’t worry, fucking nobody likes Wattpad y/n. I’m right there with you on that one. But like… you reached into a pile of shit hoping to pull out something other than a handful of shit. Like that’s entirely on you, man. What did you think was going to happen?

But also, have you stopped to even wonder why fanfiction largely caters to a female audience? Romance as a whole tends to be eaten right up by women—mostly straight—because men irl don’t even meet the underground bar of basic human decency that they’ve had to lower the standard to. And then people like you come in and ridicule those women, because it must be just so outrageous and unrealistic that a man could ever have it in him to actually make an effort to genuinely love a woman in a way they both understand and are comfortable with. What a stupid idea, right?

I honestly don’t understand what you thought you were going to accomplish with this novel you put in my inbox, and I also don’t understand how you thought anon would hide who you are, @femreader1hater. Get outta here, man. Ain’t you 15 anyway?

[feedthepheasants]

Writing Interview Tag Game!! eeeeee!!!!

thank you thank you thank you for the tags @dr-demi-bee & @mothermoth92 !! ♥♥♥

When did you start writing?

I feel so silly saying I've always been a writer. As a kid, I loved telling stories and creating/performing as characters in a variety of facets. I remember in elementary school (foggy on what grade), I had a creative writing project where we had to write a short story based on a picture. My mom got a call home two weeks later when I hadn't turned it in - I just couldn't stop writing.

When I got into middle school and found ~the boundless wonders & horrors of unrestricted internet access~ I started writing even more - one shots, fanfics, short stories, play scripts, the beginnings of would-be novels. And I still have my first laptop, with all of that stuff still on it! I just can't remember my password. :')

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Absolutely!

As a reader, my top genres are fantasy/adventure, historical fiction and classics. That said, I enjoy romance/romantasy, sci-fi, mystery/thriller memoirs and contemporary novels more and more as I get older! But my first love has always been fantasy/adventure. One of my more unconventional tastes as a reader, however, are dissertations and research papers/articles on historical topics, and pre 13th-century plays/fables/short stories/poems!

My writing (especially in recent years) has primarily been in the fantasy/adventure genre. I've dabbled in others, mostly contemporary/romance stories and playwrighting, but I feel most comfortable in fantasy/adventure by a long run.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I think to be compared to any prolific writer would genuinely be an honor I would carry with me to my grave!

As a fantasy writer, I have taken many notes on GRRM's writing and world-building and applied it towards developing my own voice as a writer. Erin Morgenstern and Pierce Brown are two writers I would add to my 'aspire to be' list, though I have so many and it's so hard to choose!

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I write wherever and whenever I can.

Most of the time, that's my couch or my bed, but it's also been my work office, the car, my gate at the airport, the bathroom at a party, a creaky kitchen table at a pet/house-sitting gig..

However, my favorite place is definitely my couch with my autumn-scented candles, plethora of blankets, and my cushy headphones playing my 26 hour film score playlist. Add some fuzzy socks and Ghibli films on my TV and nobody will see me for a week. Bonus points if it's raining outside!

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Again, sounding silly here, but you know that one William Blake poem? "To see a world in a grain of sand / and heaven in a wildflower / hold infinity in the palm of your hand / and eternity in an hour" ? That's how I feel about mustering a muse.

Literally anything can spark an idea for me, be it a plot, a character, or a moment in a story. It's very important to me to write what I know, and to write about the world and people around me, so I base a lot of my characters and their backgrounds/stories around the experiences of myself and the people in my life - the close and the distant, the old and the new. Even a breeze can send me into a flurry that won't rest until I write whatever I'm thinking down, which is why I keep a mini notebook and my notes app accessible at all times!

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Most of the time, I find myself writing about characters who don't feel like they belong in one place. They're split between something; a decision, two people, two paths their lives could go down. In fact, the novel I've been working on and intend to submit for publishing in the near future is just that: the two primary characters are based off of myself, split in two. And boy has that been a rollercoaster ride!

Other general themes that have made their way into most of my writing are complex familial relationships, growing up (because we never really stop!), people coming and going in life, and the idea that you can never go back, no matter how much you try. Also, always the 'what could've been' of every choice. I think reflecting upon life-isms is one of my favorites, because it's something you see in literature through history and connects us with those who came before - again, realizing we're not alone.

What is your reason for writing?

Writing has always been an escape for me, and it was, for a very long time, the only thing I had that was ever mine.

Performative is a great word to describe my upbringing. Not going into too much detail, I often felt very 'on display' at family functions and other social gatherings when I felt uncomfortable or uneasy performing (I was an instrumentalist for 17 years, and was always forced 'asked' to entertain at functions). It had been a beloved hobby of mine, but I grew to resent it because of how often it was used against me.

So, when I got my first computer and began writing and posting stories, I didn't tell a single soul from my personal life. Especially not when I gained traction on the websites my writing was posted on, nor when I had earned a significant following. For years, the only people who knew were the internet friends I'd made through writing. Even now, there are only a handful of people in my outside life circles that know I write, and even fewer have ever actually read any of my creative writing. I think I still have a fear of losing something very dear to me. I like the anonymity - there's less pressure to exceed expectations, and there's fewer eyes to watch you fall.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Receiving comments in general is extremely motivating. I rarely share my work with people in my outside life circles, so I mostly rely on feedback/interactions with friends/readers online. Honestly, just knowing that people enjoy the work I produce means the world, whether it's through a like/kudos, reblog, or anything.

What really makes me crazy (in a good way!) is when people do character analysis or relation to my work. It's very rewarding (and quite frankly, very healing) to see when others identify with the experiences, thoughts or feelings that I write about. I tend to spiral and feel very isolated during difficult periods of life, and the reminder that I'm not the only one is very comforting.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I want to be someone who, when I post a project, at least one person is excited to read what I've created. I've been in a lot of rooms where I've felt like what I feel or have to say doesn't mean anything, so I think the idea of reaching one person who does want to hear/read what I have to say would absolutely rock my world.

What I don't want is to be the kind of writer where readers can't engage critically with what I've created. I think both positive and critical feedback are essential to me as an artist. If I write something that just isn't great, needs work, has plot holes or doesn't make sense for how I've led a character's development thus far, constructive feedback is more than welcomed. As I get older, I get better and better at separating my art from myself, which makes taking criticism easier, and makes me more receptive to making the necessary changes.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

It's been a controversial topic in the past, but I love creating flawed people who make mistakes. That's just a part of life - everyone does things they wish they could take back, things they regret, words they wish they'd never said. I put a lot of that into my characters (with original works predominantly) because I think it makes them more relatable. Nothing irks me more than when a main character always makes the dutiful choice, the sacrifice, and does everything right.

I LOVE when a character fails! I LOVE when they make a mistake, and lose a battle. It means they learn something. I LOVE when a character trusts, and is so egregiously betrayed that I'm doubled over on the floor, heaving for breath and about to be physically sick because I cannot believe what just happened (looking at you, Red Rising). Because I have a lot of my own regrets, I try to find closure through writing. It doesn't always work, but it helps.

When you write, are you influenced by what others enjoy might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I try to write a little bit of both. I want to write things that are personal and meaningful to me, but I also want to write things that people can relate to.

In regards to my novel-in-progress, I've taken a story that I really want to tell, and have polled so many readers and read so many forums and threads about what readers want and don't want in the older-y/a fantasy/adventure range, and have been adapting characters and plotlines to meet those. (For example: I love the heightened stakes of war and political drama, I love heavy lore and world building, I love devasting romance, and I also love smut. Still haven't found a book that hits the mark with all of these!)

How do you feel about your own writing?

Yikes!

I don't by any means think I'm a bad writer. All artists get self-conscious and doubt their work at times - I tend to do that more often than not, especially when I post something for people to read and react to. I definitely think I have a lot of room to grow, but I also recognize that I have come very far.

I also recognize, that I have strengths when it comes to writing styles, and I 100% have weaknesses. Unfortunately, my current fic is written in first person present tense - why, god why, did I do this to myself? I hate it! I love the character, the story is very close and personal to me, but the longer it's gone on, the harder it has been to push through - though there has been progress recently! After this, however, I'll stick to third person or narrative '_ x reader', because it's what I feel most comfortable with.

The biggest thing is that I enjoy the stories that I want to tell, but I'm so indecisive about how I want to tell them. Sometimes, none of the words feel right, and other times, all of the words feel right and I can't make a decision because they all feel different even when they mean the same thing!

As always, no pressure tagging @crimson-and-lavender , @waterdeep-weavemoss and @honeybee-bard !

[swifty-fox]

If i could add my random two cents about wider fandom culture as well that I've noticed is the almost commercialization of fanfic? Obviously not in the monetary sense, but in the idea that something like a fanfic is some sort of IP that can be plagiarized. It's a hot topic in the art community as well with things like closed species.

We're all effectively stealing from an IP and nothing of what we're doing belongs to us, once upon a time not too long ago people got sued for writing fanfiction (RIP Anne Rice you crazy bitch)

The fight has always been for this to be an unrestricted field of creation. That's why Ao3 exists. Do I think it's objectively nice to give credit? Sure usually because if I'm inspired by something I want to share that inspiration with everyone else but it's not any sort of fandom etiquette or requirement. We are creating for creations sake and fandom works best when it's a homogenization of ideas. I'm writing a bikeriders au and reading two other bikeriders au. My John Brady characterization is ENTIRELY ripped from Lily (with some changes)

Sure it's hard to see someone do something you're also doing. Envy is normal, the desire to be the only and the best is the way of the artist ego. But fandom thrives when there's a million versions of something. And this idea of stealing an idea or a concept for something already freely given is just capitalist brainrot oozing into something that should be disconnected from all that

Hey love, I posted a comment under Say It (like you’ll come back) that I admit was in poor taste to post publicly like that (I don’t believe I can delete it but you might want to). The responding comment goes on about not ‘owning the concept’ and that was not the intent of my original comment at all.

I have a half written fic on the same idea and I think it’s a killer concept. Clearly, people (you) are allowed to (and should, honestly) write their versions of it. I’m not sure there’s a particularly polite way to ask this, but did you get the idea from a different fic, perhaps called Eastbound and Down Bad, or did you come up with entirely independently? This isn’t meant to start a fight or anything of the sort, but is asked as a genuine good-faith question, and if it was your very own genius idea then high five for the genius idea (this is not meant as sarcasm), and I will absolutely read yours once I’m done writing mine. (And if you did you can tell me to fuck right off for essentially accusing you of idea theft. If you did get the idea from my fic all I’m asking is a little nod somewhere for inspiration.)

I’m really hoping I’ve got tumblr worked out correctly and only you will see this.

PS: I read All The Strangest Things Keep Happening, which you wrote with escrivoir, and loved it. Just devoured it. Whatever you take this as, don’t take it as a critisicm of your writing.

So "say it (like you'll come back)" is written by @euph0riacc (I'm doing the easy POV, not the original) and from conversations with her I'm pretty sure she started it because she hadn't read any BoB/MotA crossover, and wanted to explore the idea of the two companies coexisting.

I think I read the first chapter of your fic back when you first posted, but honestly I don't think there are a lot of similarities between the two pieces apart from the very basic premise that the two companies meet in Germany. I'm pretty sure euph0riacc hasn't read it at all.