#and niche fandoms are niche so youre more likely to connect with people but less likely to see a ton of engagement regularly -

[kelocitta]

Tangentially related to some of the discussion i posted earlier but quiet literally the first RW Art Month i participated I did it completely on whim like, one day before it started. And I mostly did it because I hadn't drawn a ton of rain world and wanted to draw more. Fandom presence was a lot smaller than and I was one of a handful of artists who did the entire thing. Fast forward and I still do Art Month and I've gotten to work with VC directly. But it was quite literally something I decided to do completely on whim that set the ball rolling, and for something a lil more niche and certainly with a lot more dev/fandom art involvement than most. It's really random how and why you might get noticed more than usual, especially with the "toss it into the search and hope it pays out' mechanism of Socmed

[sgiandubh]

The lonesome fitness girl - really?

This is a story about a nameless female fitness influencer somewhere in the world. She gives the impression of a lonely „ fighter“ in her business and in her life overall.

That is nonsense - she sells her "destiny" very skilfully. I am convinced she is not a lonely woman behind her influencer profile. But that is exactly the impression she wants to convey and she does so publicly with some success.  This is her unique selling point right now and whoever manages or advises her has recognised this very well. In other words, a narrative is created very carefully and very purposefully.  Sounds somehow familiar? 

There are thousands and thousands of fitness influencers, so it is important for everyone in this business to find the niche that generates followers, clicks and in the end it means an income. Simply performing an exercise is not enough. Every click or like on a post or a story generates a few dollars, euros or pounds in revenue.

And an increase in the number of followers by approx. 80,000-100,000 due to a connection to a famous person will raise the income as well. For the record: people like her are so called macro influencer and are a brand. That is a fact - you can find a lot more information about this in various publications by experts in business administration and marketing.

You have to attract attention, something that our nameless fitness girl has done in different ways over the years. Firstly with her partner at the time, later she created the image of a single fitness mum. And at the moment she is promoting the image of a woman who is finding her way back after an illness with a great deal of commitment and determination. 

But fitness girl was legitimately afraid of loosing her income if she was not able to work. And her body is her work. This led probably her and her team to the conclusion that she needed "visible support" at this point in order to continue operating her business model during the recovery.  And her job is being fitness model. No more and no less.

And right on time, a famous actor with a closeness to fitness programmes or probably rather his team came in. Now she seems to get into contact with his presumably more influential and well-connected fitness circles. And, purely by chance, she is building up an online fitness course. All on her own and while she looks after the rest of her business(es?) - and cares for her family. Hopefully she gets enough sleep? Probably not, which is hardly surprising considering her workload with all her duties and work obligations towards her partners. Fortunately, just like in fairy tales, there is a wonderful magic wand for this - Instagram filter.

The story really is getting better and better...

Add some well-planned (sometimes "almost") encounters at various competition venues between the two main characters.

The fitness girl, her business and her story truly seem impressive? Only if you believe in fairy tales.

Too many coincidences at once, it looks like a well established business deal, too scripted? No - just keep it simple to feed the narrative of the "lonely fitness girl"! Or is she "The girl who never sleeps"? Nobody knows for sure.

But she is most likely not the woman she pretends to be...

Dear Lonesome Fitness Girl Anon,

In an ocean of infantile, mendacious, shite-stirring Anons, your submission is absolutely STELLAR!

Whoever you are, I can tell by the ease of your logical deductions that you mean serious business and you are not easy to fool, either. Just what we happen to love, in this particular corner of this fandom.

I am totally thrilled to share with all of us this rare gem, Anon. Especially today.

You are more than welcome to hit this page anytime. It takes a pro to know a pro. Consider me a friend, Anon: you have instantly become one to me, and I bet not only to me.

Everyone, a round of applause for our unexpected guest!

[dharmasharks]

Heyyy hope you are good? Have an ask! ❤️❤️❤️ Ignore if interested but saying hi and that you are great!

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love! <3

Hello wonderful and great Zenaida! Thank you for asking. I can't seem to talk about my own fics without also talking about myself, which is horrifying! And why I took forever! Anyway!

Here are my personal favorites with just so, so much commentary (all stevebucky because that's what I do here!):

Keep a candle burning

A sweet and silly exes-to-lovers Hanukkah fic that was also a bright spot for me during an otherwise bummer of a time in my life. Basically, for the two straight weeks while I was posting, I pretty much stopped doing my actual job and wrote fic all day, because said job had just majorly screwed me over and I knew I was going to quit after the holidays. I had so much fun writing this to distract myself from dwelling too hard on the existential crisis of careers, what are they, why do I need one, what do I really want to do with my life, oh god, etc. No one was more surprised than me to learn what the fucking ~themes~ of this fic ended up being! Existential crisis avoidance aside, the holiday season can also be a pretty weird and lonely media consumption experience, because "holiday" almost always = Christmas. So sometimes you have to make the cute holiday = Hanukkah romcoms you wish to see in the world.

Always you

Part 3 of my canon-divergent shrinkyclinks series in which Steve and Bucky reunite in the mid-50s. I gave myself all my favorite SteveBucky flavors, ie the things that make me the most unwell about them: Steve n Bucky’s unshakable faith in one another, love as a choice you keep making, and the agony-hope of another chance to get it right. I also decided the best way to achieve all of that was via a nonlinear narrative and an amnesiac narrator, which was…really hard to do! I did not have fun writing this! I did, eventually, have a lot of fun trying to get it just right. It’s my favorite part of the series, so far.

Wanna do right, but not right now

A mid 50s (yes, again) no powers AU about peacetime Steve and purpose and restlessness. And also cheating on your wives at a cookout. I have written a fic for Steve's birthday every year since I started writing for this fandom but hooboyy was I scared to post this one. I'm glad I got over it, because the whole mood just really works for me. The problem though, is that I did all this world building for less than 4,000 words of story, so now I've got the rest of this whole ass world that I obviously find interesting rattling around in my brain forever, I guess! (What did I mean that Bucky was a POW in the Pacific Theater?? Why did I have to bring up the possibilities of stevebucky visiting mid-50s Miami?? Who the fuck is Dot?? Sigh. Ignore me. Ignore me!)

Till there were no more wolves in the West

It's a Civil War Western that I feel like I've talked about way too much already! But I was chatting in the comments of another fic about dealing with the loneliness that comes with toiling away on a historical fic and it made me think of this one. Look, eventually, some people found it and connected to this niche thing I was compelled to write. But in the beginning, I toiled so much, and it was really isolating. Where am I going with this? I have no idea. Writing is very lonely sometimes! But I guess I'm glad I didn't talk myself out of loving this, which is easy to do when you're alone in your google doc wilderness with all your ridiculous research notes.

The art of shadowboxing

Okay, I need more distance from this one to say anything coherent about it. So I'll just mention that the unifying thread of this whole bonkers list is "ambitions that exceeded my skillset, but I did it anyway, even if it took me way too long to figure out." Probably because there's nothing I wouldn't do for boxer violinist Bucky and union leader Steve!! I'm biased, but I think they just turned out so cute and sweet and brave.

[expanding-hyrule]

Hey there! Expanding Hyrule needs your help!

This is a budding community and I am only one person running it at the moment and I’ve only got so much energy in a day. Even less right now. No joke, I opened the EH Discord and then immediately got knocked out by con flu for two weeks, still pending recovery.

Which is where you come in! The Internet is massive and it’s impossible for me to get the whole thing archived for this niche all by myself. So if you know works in any medium or creators in any medium who would fit into the “Original Legends” niche, send them my way! The list currently compiled only got set up because of one post that happened to get some traction. Imagine what we can do with a community working together on it! There are way more creators in the space than I currently have on the list and I need your help to find them! This niche has never been organized before and it’s only going to get organized with a team effort! So let’s get to it, adventurers!

What is “Original Legends” as a LoZ niche?

The "Original Legends" tag is a temporary tag for stories about Hyrules thus unseen. So based on the franchise as a whole and not any particular game. The community is not yet big enough to run a vote on a final pick for a tag, which is where you all come in! We're currently gathering ideas on the Discord and off this blog, so if you have suggestions, let us know! The poll will run off this blog once we have a bigger following.

Does it include sequels or Links Meet?

So this is where I need to be a little pedantic. Because technically, yes, both could be Original Legends. But. Because right now this community needs to build a strong central identity for what the core of "Original Legends" means, there may be more scrutiny for whether they get added to the archives.

The thing about direct sequel and Links Meet works is that they have tags they can rely on, chiefly the game they're a sequel to or the Links Meet tags, those are both recognized tags across fandom. There is no tag currently for the full "Original Legends" niche, so for the time being it needs to become prominent enough in the fandom to stand on its own first and then we can add wider definitions. So not a full no, you're welcome to still use the tag if you think your work applies, but for the official archive lists here, it's a not yet while we establish what this tag is first.

Where do I send works I find?

You can send them as reblogs, asks, submissions, DMs, or just plain old @'s to this blog. Some of the lists do have to have manual additions (the blog archive, the Discord list, the Wattpad reading list), so it is better if you make sure I'm aware it's being added so I can update all lists accordingly.

For art, because we're trying to keep the archive list a little more manageable, be sure to see socials and tags you use for your project. I will try to include some pictures, but you will make my life a whole lot easier if you can send me the ones you want in the gallery specifically. Ones that scan scale down nicely are better so we can again keep that list more manageable to scroll through.

What if I’m a creator in this space?

Please reach out! I'm trying to follow everyone here on Tumblr to make sure I get updates, my main is @amelias-hart and my LoZ alt is @amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet. You can ping any three of those blogs when you have updates, sending them in asks, submissions, or DMs as I'm the only moderator on this blog at present and those are open. If that changes for this blog, then the other blogs listed will still have DMs.

We also have a Discord open if you'd like to connect with other creators in the space and you can share when you post there. I set up events for people who upload on a schedule as well for anyone who like reminders that way for when fics in our archive are updating.

Are there other ways I can help?

Share this blog! On and off of Tumblr. In order for us to organize a tag like this within the whole of such a massive community, we need eyes on it and I simply do not have the reach or budget to make that happen without help.

Long term, if you have Discord experience, I will need help running that eventually, as well as the blog. If I put too much of this work on myself, then I won't have time to write either! And I'd rather not get stuck in that again. Keep an eye on the blog for news on that, I've got not idea where or how that process will start.

But the biggest, check out the works in our archives! It's very hard to coordinate and share a work that falls into a niche like this without the use of the main community tags, so a lot of these creators have been struggling to find their audience for years. Community support changes that, which begins and ends with each of you. Be the kind of fan you would want for yourself. We're all just nerds on the Internet, so we gotta look out for each other, yeah?

What if I was added to this space and I’d like to be removed?

If for whatever reason you would like your work removed from the list, contact this blog or any of my alts if there's an issue getting in touch and I'll remove it. I will ask for some verification that a work is yours so people can't take other people's works off the list, but if you don't want to be in the archive, I'm not going to force anyone stay in it.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure can! Hi, I’m Amelia (she/they, 28), you might know me better as amelias-hart or, if you’ve been around my works a second, echosound. I started writing Original Legends fic back in 2012 with a work called Goddess of Secrecy, which I just managed to wrap up this summer (I may have gotten stuck in the Temple of Time in 2017). GoS got its start on Wattpad and I’m now expanding my horizons on AO3, so I’ve got a lot of learning left to do! Thank you for your patience while I am!

[cienie-isengardu]

The abusive Bi-Han headcanon is definitely causing a lot of suffering for Bi-Han fans, especially since it always there in fanon even in the prior timeline and it's now booming thanks to mk1.

I never saw prior timeline Bi-Han as abusive, mainly because Kuai never mentions this and neither does Smoke. The most charitable interpretation of this that I've seen in stories is that Bi-Han is under some terribly misguided impression he is toughening up Kuai and that he is 'protecting him' and keeping him alive. Which is probably the only interpretation that makes even a hint of sense given I don't think a young Bi-Han would be kicking Kuai down the stairs for the lolz.

Even then, that's not exactly the ideal view of their relationship. I always saw Bi-Han as cold, even to his brother, thought this mainly because of Lin Kuei teachings fucking up his ability to express himself in a caring manner and not out of malice. I always imagined there's this small pocket of love Bi-Han had for Kuai in that cold heart of his but he doesn't show it outwardly because 'Love is a weakness,' nonsense the Grandmaster was probably slamming full force on the clan.

That’s the charm of fandom, either our fav characters are popular and widely liked, or hated even for things they haven’t officially done. And with lore so old like Mortal Kombat, the positive and negative personal headcanons and interpretations creep into perception of characters, their canon personalities and reasoning one way or another. That is unavoidable and the less official source material is provided, the more fans fill the gap in their own way. Sometimes that leads to perpetuating some unkind opinions which understandably is upsetting if the character, like Bi-Han, is accused of things not hinted at by the tie-in material in the first place (i.e. abusing Kuai Liang in the childhood).

However I feel like in Bi-Han’s case, the problem lies only halfway in limited details about his and Kuai Liang’s past and brotherhood before elder Sub-Zero was turned into Wraith and twisted by dark magic. For me, the negative perception is connected to his naturally cold, abrasive behavior. I suspect if Bi-Han was a more emotionally driven character, the way Hanzo is, many fans would be more likely to think he was just sadly misled by Lin Kuei pathological doctrines if not outright the tragic hero. Bi-Han however is not that emotional kind of person, he has never been. Forgive me the metaphor, but I feel that the fan treatment of Bi-Han is similar to how people, who have never had a cat, perceive those animals and how frustrated it must be when they expect cats to behave like dogs but won’t get the desired results. It is not that the elder Sub-Zero or cats are evil by nature, they just communicate and behave in a very specific way. If people mistake it for them being mean, uncaring, even for being unable to love only because they expected - demanded - a different set of behavior that would fit their narrowed idea of normalcy, then they are bound to be disappointed one way or another. But that is not fault of fictional characters (and definitely not cats’ either).

That said, I too think Kuai Liang always had a special place in Bi-Han’s life and was no less important than Bi-Han was for him, and that Lin Kuei upbringing complicated expressing those emotions, however I don’t see a point of getting worked over different opinions of strangers. Is it hard sometimes to be a fan of characters like the elder Sub-Zero that feel widely mistreated by fandom over things there is no evidence he did in canon? Sure, but each person is entitled to their own opinion. Fandom is like that sometimes and in my book, usually the best solution is sticking to things that make you happy and if needed, to ignore negative things outside of your control. I know it is not easy, but sometimes it is good to agree to disagree and move on to a comfortable niche of personal headcanons.

It works for me most of time - and if I feel enough spiteful toward fandom at large, I will just create my own Bi-Han positive fanwork to balance things out 😈

[wajjs]

Do you have any tips or advice for how to find friends or a community in DC fandom when your blorbos are less well-known characters? I’d love to start writing and interacting, but everyone else seems to already have their friend groups with lots of private in-jokes, and any discords I can find seem exclusively Batfam-focused. I’d love to start participating, but I’m never the person who anyone in fandom reaches out to or wants to have around, and I’m worried DC fandom is just going end up being lonely and miserable for me. So far I’ve tried posting a couple of writing snippets, but no one cared, which I don’t think bodes all that well. But is there anything I can do to make sure it goes better and that I actually find people to connect with?

This is kind of an unpopular opinion, but if you ask me, writing is perhaps THE LEAST successful way to get people to talk to you. Writers aren't usually popular to begin with, unless you hit the fandom jackpot and become a BNF (big name fan) via having a super super popular fic. It's simply not something that happens often.

Leaving that aside, don't be discouraged. Tumblr in general is extremely Bat - centric to the point that unrelated DC character tags are regularly spammed with annoying Batman content; I know this is disappointing and disheartening, but it's not all there is to DC comics fandom.

When I started making the transition and slowly getting more into DC, my go to step was to... openly and honestly interact with the people that seemed to be equally as open, and friendly. I would leave lots of comments on ao3, follow them on tumblr, send asks off anon, interact in the notes, tag people in tag games. Everything that I could use to make friends, I used.

We all start as newbies and "breaking in" when you notice all these groups and cliques is hard. It is really hard. It took me a long time to form the friend group I have now (my polycule 💚) and that I wouldn't give up for anything.

My best advice is that, you gotta make yourself known to others by engaging with others. Starting things out by asking people to engage with you first is only going to make things feel harder and lonelier.

There ARE smaller groups of fans that are adamant about NOT being Bat exclusive. You gotta find your niche and go at it with love and respect, of course.

(There is the issue that DC comics fandom as a whole has a bit of a problem with puritanical/anti shipping fans, and these fans are more vocal in these smaller groups. Be on the lookout for that if that's not something you like.)

[quinloki]

You might not realize this, but you're basically my tumblr bestie. I talk to you more than anyone else and you're such a good sport you allow it. You have created a safe corner on not just tumblr but the Interwebs where not only can people be themselves truly without fear of judgment but you also made it safe enough for people to explore things they otherwise might not have.

You're patient, kind, and compassionate. If asked for advice you give it genuinely. If people want to vent or gush or both, you listen attentively and respond back. Your responses are real, not canned.

Your writing is not just creative, it's inspired. You encourage others, connect people together, and indulge our desires with stories that we may or may not have read/written otherwise.

Plus, you like puns! Cannot go wrong on a person who values puns. On top of allowing people to be themselves, you also allow them to be the fans they are. No matter what they're into or which character they love, you're down for it. You don't turn people away for liking a less desirable character or having a really niche kink or having no kinks at all.

😭

oh my god I have cracked - I can't not say anything! This is so sweet - THEY'VE ALL BEEN SO SWEET!

I'm so glad people feel safe coming to me, I'm honored folks feel comfortable to share their OCs and head canons and everything else. I love it - I love ALL of it - I don't even have to agree with it, I LOVE IT. I love the passion in the fandom, I love the joy and the expression.

I love the friends I've made, I love the friends I'm going to make, the support, the kindness - I swear I get more of it than I give I don't even know where to start.

I hope people never worry about what they come to me with. I hope the only thing that lasts longer than this desire to write are the friends I've found from it. I don't give a shit if that sounds corny or whatever, I mean it.

I have had such a rough start to this month, and it's always a hard month for me, and I'm just so touched. ALL of these asks that came in - I'mma keep doing my best, and not just the writing, but for people to feel comfortable being here. T-T

My heart's leaking out of my eyes. ❤️💖🥰

[rainbat]

Nowadays, a lot of people realize they’re queer online, and from that chunk of people, a lot of them explore their identity in a way that is solely connected to their identity on the internet, i.e. they do not extend their exploration to their real life. That’s not being said to minimize the journey of coming out or discovering yourself, it’s a difficult process that’s sometimes unsafe or impossible to navigate in real life, so coming out online by labelling yourself as queer and putting different pronouns in your bio is often the first and safest step in this day and age, but it’s not wholly representative of what it actually means to be visibly queer.

Extending your queerness to your real-life presentation (or, presenting as queer in real life before even existing in online spaces) opens you to being ‘visibly queer’ to the population at large, and when you do that, you very quickly realize that being strictly queer online shelters you from a large chunk of experiences you have when you’re visibly queer. Be it in your gender expression, the way your express your sexuality through your dress, how HRT physically changes you, or how being with your partner labels you to others as queer, a person who is visibly queer is immediately treated differently by society at large, in the streets, in the workplace, at school, etc., and is targeted ten times more than someone who is not. Since being visibly queer is, well, visible, it’s relatively easy to tell in person who falls into this marginalized group, and understand that when they speak on their experiences, they’re speaking from the experience of being queer.

The problem online, behind screen names and aliases and text posts, is that everyone and anyone exploring can add a label in their bio that makes them look visibly queer, even if they’re not actually visibly queer. These people are strictly queer online, and while that doesn’t make them any less queer, it does not expose them to the same experiences a visibly queer person has in real life, so their viewpoints are limited and the extent to which they can speak on the numerous issues visibly queer people face is short. But since the internet is its own space, where it’s nearly impossible to tell who presents the same in real life and who does not, you end up having no idea as to who’s speaking from the experience of being visibly queer, and who’s speaking from a strictly queer online viewpoint.

What’s been happening more and more with nuanced discussions on queer experiences online is that you have people who are strictly queer online speaking on topics and issues as if they’re coming from a place of being visibly queer, without disclosing that their opinions and views are not based in real life experience. These takes and opinions spread to other people who are strictly queer online, who interpret these arguments as if they’re coming from people who are visibly queer, and thus should be seen as definitive understandings of extremely nuanced issues. Then, when visibly queer people step in to challenge or question these ideas, they’re shot down or piled up against, because the majority, the loudest voices, are the people who spend their queer existence on the internet instead of interacting in real queer spaces, with their queer neighbors and elders, or with the partners in public spaces.

Constant arguments that no one is having in real life, insane opinions that any visibly queer person can tell you is based in homophobia, every voice being heard and applauded under thirty with extremely limited lived experience, have created a culture of online queerness that is fast and far removed from what it’s like to be visibly queer. And that culture is spreading like wildfire in spaces that have always been deemed queer-friendly: fandoms and niche interests, where people come together to create and talk, and share their experiences. All of a sudden trans and gay people are being pushed out because voicing their opinions based on being visibly queer has their own community trivializing, dismissing, or attacking them.

[olderthannetfic]

How do you make friends who share your interests/vibe irl? I don't really fit into any one subculture and my interests tend to be pretty niche (hence, tumblr). I know like, one person who likes a piece of media I genuinely enjoy and don't just watch so I have something to talk about with other Humans. But I can't befriend them since I know them through work and my work persona is totally different to who I am.

--

I find people who fit my vibe and who are interested in the same things broadly. Like... they care about fandom history or they're a big time reader of indie m/m novels or they're obsessed with fiber arts. They don't have to like the same specific canons I do.

Actual friendship involves a lot more going for coffee and a lot less only connecting over the minutia of canon, in my experience.

[alicenpai]

Hello! I really like your art style and I want to one day support and buy some of your merch! the thing is I haven't gotten around to watching/reading a lot of the fandoms you cover (yet!), so I'd like to ask if you would ever do original merch? just as a suggestion I don't mean anything rude by it! Thanks!!!

hey anon!

I totally get ya, some of the fandoms I make merch for are niche and I understand 😭😭 WAHAHAHA. my taste is actually pretty eclectic, I like a lot of popular stuff too! it's just that I tend to like rooting for the underdog series that have less fanart........ (thanks for being interested in my art regardless of fandom that's like. the highest compliment?!)

I do have original merch!! let me ... showcase them to yall... hehe...

The pins are from 2017, the stickers from 2022-now. I just don't post them, bc they're mostly for self indulgence/ don't really know how to post merch a lot of the time? (ive forgotten to post a lot of merch)/ gifts to friends/ for the few customers at cons who've asked if I have original merch. but if anyone's interested in these... to purchase 😳... by all means feel free to ask! (not the quicksand charm though I only have one bc it was a test print)

frankly, I don't think I'm popular enough with my OC art specifically to sell them right now. Originals are hard to market! It's easier to market fanart since people are already familiar with, and more importantly connect to, the characters and stories.

if you're asking if I'd ever draw like, original animal merch? like mascots i guess? on the other hand (and not OCs... LMAO) I don't know if I'm particularly interested, bc competition for that market is fierce. I don't tend to draw animals, so it'd be something I have to make a huge effort towards. or maybe I haven't found my niche yet!

for non-OC original merch, I took a huge gamble with these original enamel pins back in 2017! It was a fun experience but I went into the order with such little planning, and the girl design had a very last minute design, which I deeply regret. if I ever design original merch/enamel pins again I have to plan ahead... thanks for being interested, it's something I'll def think about!

^ here are some pretty recent OC stickers I designed and haven't had the chance to print yet!

[genericpuff]

Hi! I love your comic Lore Rekindled, it's pretty entertaining! (definetely planning on reading Time Gate when I finally have some time lol). I'm currently very early in the process of making a comic myself, and while I have the main idea down, and the planning sorta done (I'm busy with uni, so I've been working on it bit by bit), I can't seem to figure out how to grow an audience. I was wondering how you did it and how long it took?

oh god oh no y'all are asking me how to grow an audience UH-

so like, here's the thing, I can try and give you pointers, but I also like... don't consider myself as someone with an audience ?? Like obviously there's an audience for Lore Rekindled but up until that point, Time Gate's been running for like 10+ years and I think it only has 5-10 regular readers nowadays, it peaked in its audience numbers years ago when it was still on Tapas before their platform went downhill and I bailed and since then the industry has only become more and more saturated making it even harder to get seen. Rekindled, on the other hand, has been super refreshing to work on because of how much people have flocked to it (which was surprising af but I couldn't be happier about it ngl it's been great ;o; <3) but that's really because Rekindled had the advantage of a pre-existing audience to tap into (specifically the communities of ULO/antiLO/etc. who were looking for something to rejuvenate their love for what once was in LO). So that made it a bit easier to build an audience, but that's something that goes for a lot of fandoms.

Original stuff is definitely a bit of a harder sell because you have to go out and find the people who might like your stuff and then convince them to give it a try. Building an audience in an original market is just not something I've ever been good at, I can't stand social media, I don't like "playing the algorithm", I just want to tell a story with my own characters and because of that, it often feels like I'm posting to the void with only a couple cheerleaders rooting me on. Which like, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the readers I DO have, but it can make creating comics feel like an uphill slog when you're not seeing any growth at all every time you update and try your best to advertise. Original projects are my own personal boulder if y'know what I'm saying (￣y▽,￣)╭

At the very least, working on Rekindled has definitely helped open up the doors for Time Gate a couple more inches, because a lot of stuff in Rekindled is also in Time Gate so when people enjoy Rekindled, I can point them towards Time Gate and go "Oh, you like Persephone's hot and cold characterization? You like Charon's aloofness? You like the banter between Hades and Persephone? Go read Time Gate." (｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ

That said, I think the best experience I've had with marketing Time Gate so far actually happened this year - when I went to the Island Entertainment Expo, a gaming and media convention (similar to Comic Con but on a waaaaay smaller scale lmao). There I was actually able to talk to people face to face and draw them in with physical proof of my work, it was less posting and hoping and more connecting with others and showing them my work and giving them an elevator pitch. And considering it was a convention full of like-minded people cosplaying as video game and anime characters, Time Gate fit right in because that's the niche it was written for. I'm due to go to another convention in June and possibly one in October (if I get in) and I'm hoping they're just as successful as IEX was because it was so refreshing to actually get to market my comic on a playing ground catered to my work; rather than one that would bury it after 30 seconds just for not posting at the right time of day or using the exact right combination of hashtags or not using reels.

Of course, doing tables and stuff is something that you're likely not going to jump right into especially when you're starting out. So considering you're just starting, focus less on growing an audience and more on just making your comic. It's a lot better of a sell to an audience when you have proof of your work existing and your biggest struggle in the beginning isn't going to be building an audience, but building good habits. A lot of webcomics don't even make it past a year of regular publication because of how difficult it is in practice to maintain a regular schedule. Often times the people who don't make it past that year either get bored, overwhelmed, or burnt out from the work it requires, especially when they're drawing the same characters over and over and over again - and even more so when they're doing it by themselves, with next to no audience, and no return investment. No exaggeration, drawing comics is hard, but like going to the gym, it gets easier as you get into your groove and learn what works and doesn't work for you as a creator.

Most of all, while I do hope that anyone going into webcomics can build themselves an audience they can be proud of having, please please please don't go into making webcomics purely for building an audience, because it's hard and not guaranteed. As I had said above, I still don't even consider myself as someone with an audience in the traditional sense because when it comes to Time Gate, it's still a VERY small thing, and with Rekindled, I consider the people who read it less of "my audience" and more just the community that I came into who engages with my work because it's made specifically for the community. So please, for the love of god, do it for yourself first and foremost, don't get trapped in the grind of chasing an audience when you're still just getting your work off the ground <3

I hope that helps a little, sorry I don't have a more direct "do xyz and that'll do the trick!" answer (and it turned into another essay post) but to be perfectly honest, that straightforward answer just sorta doesn't exist in this industry. Sometimes you get an audience from catering to a niche, sometimes you get one from going viral on IG, sometimes you get one from climbing the ladder within the industry, it all depends. But the good news is, there's no surefire 100% way that you have to be obligated to stick to. It's okay if you try some things and they don't work, just as it's okay if you don't feel like doing things the way everyone else is telling you to. Just have fun, learn lots, and be open to putting yourself out there and trying new things! \(￣︶￣*\))

[bookoramaenderteeth]

Eithet songs or genders for the top 5 thing. I couldnt choose which one to ask you

(In retrospect I don't know why I did the ask game, I'm so bad at picking favorites) If I HAVE to choose five songs, and specifically selecting them so each fits a different niche/genre/space in my brain: 5. Rainbow Connection, by Kermit the Frog. I'm a big fan of the Muppets in general, and this song specifically is partially why. It's sincere, it's deep, and it feels like I can't listen to it without being filled with a sense of wonder, at the world and all its contents. When I listen to this song, the Muppets make perfect sense, with all the frogs and bears and chickens and whatever. They're part of the rainbow connection.

4. Talk About Bones, by Seeming. My boyfriend got me into Seeming. The first time I listened to their album Sol with him was the first time we met in person. We lay in the dark, listening to the whole thing together without speaking, ending with this. The whole album could honestly be on this list, I can't think of one song without thinking about how it flows perfectly from the rest. I can't recommend this album highly enough. It's not music - it's an experience. Dim the lights, listen closely, and open yourself to being banished.

3. Hopes and Dreams, by Toby Fox. Look, anyone who's known me for a while would know there was going to be an Undertale song on this list. Hopes and Dreams is the climax of one of the best storytelling experiences of my life. It ties it all up in a neat little bow, motifs bringing back character moments long forgotten in what feels like both a deadly boss battle and a tear jerking farewell to a world you invested your thoughts and emotions into. Or in my case, less a 'farewell' and more an 'Au revoir', since I will inevitably get sucked back into the game or fandom at some point (over 100 hours of it played on Steam, and at least five Youtube playthroughs watched in full).

2. Natsuki vs. Raven, by Freshy Kanal. Look. I know. This is not what most people would think of when asked to list their favorite songs. But I have a theory, as an English Literature student, that rap battles are the epitome of literature and stories in general:

Stories are based on conflict, and a rap battle is conflict distilled. Two or more characters enter the story, fight for the audience's amusement, and then the story ends, leaving the audience to determine the victor.

All literature and storytelling function based on the context it's in; to maximize the effectiveness of a story you need to understand the allusions and references of the time and make proper use of them. Rap battles are full of references, to pop culture, history, character backgrounds, etc.

Storytelling is all about language. Rap battles make incredible use of language, with intricate wordplay and double or triple meanings.

Also this one just has really good lyrics and an absolute boppin' beat.

Honorable Mentions: - Songs from the Hatchetfield musicals. Extremely good music, very good plays. - Homestuck music. Fell under the same umbrella as the Undertale song, so didn't look for specific ones. - This one song I made up as a kid called Hot Green Bananas. It is terrible. I'm using it for the theme song of the show I dream of making someday. 1. I'm Me, by Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. I dare you to listen to this song and tell me it doesn't deserve the number 1 spot. Pure self-actualization, distilled into a series of metaphors. I still listen to this one if I need a pick-me-up in the confidence department.

[slivensays]

🗣 + 📄

So, if I'm reading this right: Talk about your favourite WIP + What’s a WIP you never finished that you would like to go back and revisit?

Oh, this is just right up my alley.

So.

Ok.

My fav WIP right now is my current fanfic “Finding new words”, which ties right into the only fanfic (to date) that I never finished. Which I have been given (or taken) the opportunity to go back to, and which, by the general layout of storyline, I will finish this time around.

Right. So, starting the wrong way around, the WIP I never finished was “Lost dreams of Rohan”, a story in which I meant to dive into the past of Gríma Wormtongue to try to figure out why he became a man ready to betray his country and what his motivation was. I had a plan for a linear story, starting in childhood and leading up to a pompous, yet yearning sort of character that would evolve into the Wormtongue best known to the general audience.

I think I meant for the story to be somehow connected to dream sequences, as I wrote the first chapter as a kind of summary; Gríma recounting the people in his life to ever have had dreams (or hopes) for him;

“Coming back to my homeland after many years, finding it smaller, smellier, the wind more cold, the plains much less impressive… in my memory, it was never so. I nursed a dream then, of change and of glory. But dreams can be dangerous. Dreams deceive us. And, in the end, so few things manage to live up to our dreams.

I should know. I, who hardly ever lived up to anyone’s dreams. And there were those who held dreams and hopes for me, once. You may not believe it, but there were. As the first, and only son, there was a father’s dream. It spoke of legacy, of bravery and glory. Perhaps it was the hardest dream to live up to.

No, I tell a lie. There was a mother’s dream for me, it sang a soft song of affection, of a life full of love and acceptance. There were eyes resting on me once, asking nothing of me. And then those eyes were gone, forever closed, and the world asked everything of me, and I crumpled. This was the hardest dream to live up to.”

Ah. In fanfiction, writing in first person is a bit of a turn off for a lot of people. Dunno why. Anyway. One of the weaknesses in this storyline is that there is no conflict. Which may or may not be the reason I couldn’t finish it back when I started it, nor find the motivation to revisit it.

But.

But.

But.

But by the time I wrote “Lost dreams”, I had recently finished another fic (“Seeking Knowledge”) which I had left hanging because of life and stuff and what have ya (it has its strengths and weaknesses, but I’m proud to have finished it).

And I had written a fic for the Gríma/Éomer niche of the fandom (The King’s Mercy), which was in fact initiated as an iteration of the “Gríma lives”-branch of the fandom that I had found by then.

So. On to question no. 1: my favourite WIP: “Finding new words”

Gee. What to say. I’ve taken some of the premise of “Lost dreams” and reworked them into a “King’s mercy” storyline, and I think it’s working just fine.

It’s (selective parts of) Gríma’s childhood and youth. About what shaped him. About that vulnerability that Brad Dourif managed to bring to the character, and where it came from.

I had the urge to write a short piece as a sequel of “King’s mercy” and was asked about a detail in Gríma’s past. And there it was, as though “Lost dreams”, was urging to me; this. This is it. This is how it begins. And it was.

…I just needed to follow all the red flags down the road from there, honestly.   

I’ve had a real blast with the world building for this fic, though. I’ve developed a bit of a mania for Viking/Medieval board- or dice-games, so… feel free to add interesting links to such, if it so pleases you.

… If there is a discord for ancient board games, say hi!

Edited to say thanks for the ask! :D

[inquisitorius-sin-bin]

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

🕯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

Ohh bless thank you for this ask

I put so much work into Blowing Cover and it is super unpopular compared to all my other works. I really liked the character too and kind of thought they might be fun to bring back for another one shot (I mean, given the ending, they have a ton of one-shot potential).

But. The kinks/tags involved are certainly a bit edgier so I can see it getting less hits. I'm already writing for a very niche group, then this hits an even smaller category within that group. Ohh well. I enjoyed making it, at least.

As for feedback! Uh, your kind, lol. I love that you put so much time into selecting the lines that really stand out to you. That blows me away. It's like the best kind of annotations ❤️ and it helps me tailor what I do, I'm still learning what gets folk's hearts fluttering!

That said, literally just a like on a Tumblr post or a message or a keyboard smash also has the capacity to melt my heart. I've received PMs that I gush over for days and reread 1000x over. Back in the old old days of my elder fics, I got fan art and I still have them saved on a special folder on my phone. I drink out of mugs someone created of my OC's Fay and Tsiri. Just knowing people read and enjoyed it is great.

(And I'm one of those weird folks who also welcome criticism too, actually. I want to be better. I want to write good good fics that get people coming to the table and screaming for more. I want to know what you like and hate. What I could improve about my style for clarity. What was so cringey it made your skin crawl. I aim to please.)

Compliment?

I am almost done writing a fic longer than Return of the King that's literally all I'm going to be talking about for weeks. I hope it's good, lol.

In regards to engagement, in my experience I've created numerous connections with people all across the world from different experiences and backgrounds just through fandom culture. That's healthy for cultivating a good, open-minded worldview. Those connections give me so much joy and energy and help inspire me to create! When I get home, I can't wait to work on my projects, and I really want to finish something so that I can giddily hide behind my computer screen and hope you all see and enjoy it.

But beyond that, human connection is very important to me. I like seeing your personal ramblings about how y'alls days are going, your jobs, your day-to-day stuff. The people behind the blogs. And I like that on the internet, there isn't a huge expectation of availability like there is in person. I myself have a great deal of social anxiety, but online, I can choose when I have enough energy to reach out or start a conversation or message back, or when that reserve just isn't in me.

If you're really anxious, know that I still see you and am happy even if you just follow and lurk, even if I just get a kudos or a like and then you disappear. I know what I share is quite salacious and not everyone wants to have that on their blog, believe me lol. Being seen is also gratifying. If you ever have the energy for a word of an ecouragement, that means the world to me! But if not, be not afraid. I do not hate you for liking my posts.

Aaaaand for WIP stuff-

Nice try, you can't fish out more deets about the end of Ride or Die/Fly or Fall than I have already shared lol. I CANNOT spoil anything at this point. But I will say this: I feel more strongly about the theme and the arc for Volume 2 than I did for Volume 1. I have a more concrete plan overall than I did the first go round. And the message is kind of something I'm already working towards at the very end of this work, so they should flow together quite cohesively.

[franstastic-ideas]

The Pokemon fandom is ridiculously huge, and it often takes years for people to fall into niche circles and for those fans to start posting on their blogs, until then one is left poking around dead blogs trying to poke some life back into them bc at one point the OP cared about this topic and turns out, they still do! They just gave up from the silence of the void. It's also majorly teenagers everywhere. Very talented artists, great ideas, but Dear Lord Are They Opinionated. And nobody wants to feel shamed by a bunch of teenagers bc they're VERY strict on how someone should read characters and their relationships or darker topics/the villains/taxes (which are literally IN the game and spin-off series themselves) I mentioned taxes there bc I for the life of me cannot find that post talking about the men in black suit trying to collect taxes in ORAS. (I love ORAS it's so fun there is SO much going on. I'm very insane about Pokemon Lore across the first 3 Gen they're my playground. It all connects together, ALL OF IT. NPC dialogue my beloved.) All this to say, I am very happy to see someone just doing their thing online. I literally could care less what someone does but some people will burn you at the stake over it. Sending a bouquet of flowers to you and all your awesome mutuals. You've got an ally and future fan of your AU here for sure.

This unfortunately has been an ongoing issue, and not just in the Pokémon fandom either.

Many artists and writers have stated they practically have to beg for positive feedback on the works they've poured all their passion into, and more people have become entirely too comfortable being entitled and rude to creators.

I write the stories I want to read first and foremost, I am my target audience, but it truly can be disheartening when you've poured a countless amount of time and effort into an idea, and then receive either silence (likes are silence) or hatred.

And it is my deepest regret to inform you that it isn't just teenagers who are behaving this way.

I received harassment not long ago from someone in their twenties for shipping Volo with an aged up Akari. They demanded I pair him with a reader insert or OC instead, as though the protagonists aren't essentially player inserts or OCs with a preset design.

I refused to entertain their nonsense, they threw an even bigger tantrum in response, then I blocked them and happily continued to post about Wieldershipping.

On a lighter note, I was just speaking to a friend of mine the other day about Hikari/Akari being an adult woman in Sisterhood ("She does her Pokémon taxes"), and then we were saying how terrible it would be if not even the world of Pokémon were free from taxes.

It's been a few years since I've played ORAS, so the men in black demanding tax money slipped my mind. Now that it's been mentioned though, I have a vague memory of it being rent money they were trying to collect instead?

But thank you so much Talkative and Mysterious Anon for showing such interest in my ideas! I have plenty more.

[tlkmh]

Is Blogging Still Relevant in This Age of Tiktok and Instagram?

Blogging has been really popular for many years and a lot believe that it will continue to grow. Still, with the current rise of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, it begs us to question whether blogging is still relevant in today’s generation. I for one generally prefer posting a relatable picture to convey my feelings with a one-word caption or none and instantly, my friends get it, but hey, that’s just me.

Nowadays, people are more in favour of posting their pictures, videos, or experiences through social media apps with a more visual and interactive format than your typical traditional blogging websites like WordPress and Blogspot. Time and time again, social media platform has been constantly changing their layout, services, and such to what the owner likes to call ‘accommodate’ the users. Just take a look at X (Twitter), soon after Elon Musk took over, the app just started going downhill, nonetheless, people are still using it despite the rebranding and paywall.

Posting on social networking applications is akin to blogging in certain aspects. The difference is that unless users subscribe to the app's services, they cannot write a lengthy description, and even if they do post a long caption, some people will not care to read it; instead, they will focus on the photographs, videos, or even skip it. This shows our reading habits are changing. It means that most people are unlikely to read a blog from beginning to end. This type of person prefers to scan through the site and seek the information they require, ignoring the rest of the content.

Although blogging has lost its appeal among the younger gen, there are still some people who believe that blogging gives them joy and such cases, money. Blogging has become a reliable source where people like you and I will seek advice or any niche information. But it can't be all dependable unless, of course, they have credible sources and not from Wikipedia. According to a recent survey, about 77% of online users are still reading blogs (Adavelli, 2022) which gives hope for the blogging community. For some, blogging provides both flexibility and freedom of speech. The content itself can be anything of the sort. Ranging from politics to recipes and even fandom discourse. Other than that, blogging to some, allows for a more intimate connection between the writer and the reader. Readers may interact directly with the author, forming a community based on shared interests. Therefore, blogging became a digital diary to some. Moreover, businesses are using blogging as an efficient method to market their organization or product. According to a recent poll, about 48% of companies benefit from blogging as a content marketing tool. In other words, these companies can deliver value to their consumers by maintaining a blog.

Despite a steady rise in the number of people reading blogs, with the growing popularity of social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok, people now have more swift and creative methods to share their thoughts, experiences, and creativity with their friends. The most popular method of climbing the popularity ladder these days is creating a viral video or picture, with or without clickbait headlines or thumbnails, in the hopes of reaching a specific target group, if not everyone. On TikTok, there are countless videos of people attempting to get famous. Some even predict that social networking applications will ultimately put an end to blogging. Considering that with the growing presence of influencer culture, regular blogging may appear less attractive.

So, to answer the question, is blogging relevant nowadays? My answer is yes, it is still alive even though it is not that trendy among certain groups of people. But then again, it depends on whether the blog itself is interesting or not. All that matters for a blog to be useful is for the author to offer up-to-date information that people can depend on. Bloggers would have to cross the desert to look for an eye-catching title and a compelling story that makes the reader clench their teeth and anxiously wait for the next post.

References:

Adavelli, M. (2023, July 26). 29+ Important Blogging Statistics Every Blogger Should Know in 2023. techjury. Retrieved from https://techjury.net/blog/blogging-statistics/

Schaffer, N. (2023, August 16) Is Blogging Dead? You’re Reading This, Right? Here’s Why Blogging is NOT Dead! Neal Scaffer. Retrieved from https://nealschaffer.com/is-blogging-dead/#:~:text=In%20a%20word%2C%20no.,use%20a%20variety%20of%20techniques.

Reeve, E. (2016, February 17). The Secret Lives of Tumblr Teens. The New Republic. Retrieved from https://newrepublic.com/article/129002/secret-lives-tumblr-teens

Wijayarathne, M. (2023, May 20). Is Blogging Still Relevant? 5 Reasons Why the Answer is Yes! TalkBitz. Retrieved from https://talkbitz.com/is-blogging-still-relevant/#:~:text=Blogging%20is%20still%20relevant%20today,being%20an%20important%20marketing%20tool.