#anon if you're new to my blog then my 'writing tips' tag also has some more of my ~own~ advice when it comes to writing/fic

[zepskies]

hi! so I had a question, how long did it take you to build a following on tumblr? how long have you been writing for spn as a whole (I assume you started with it but I’m not sure I meant when did you start writing on the app mostly) and do you think it usually takes as long as it did for you for other people? (I hope the wuestion made sense)

Hi there, lovely anon!

Oh, these are great questions, and I'm happy to answer. I'm going to be referencing this post, as someone asked me a similar question.

I also talk a lot about my beginning fanfic/coming to Tumblr experience and building a following in this interview I did with the @idlingintheimpalapodcast.

That being said, here's how I got started in SPN fandom and on Tumblr, and 6 Tumblr Tips related to how I've tried to grow my blog:

Learn How Tumblr Functions

Create a Tag List

Posting Schedules, Announcements, and Sneak Previews

People are Visual (Use Images & Design Elements) + shoutouts to blogs I looked to for inspo

Support Your Fellow Writers! Reblog/Comment on What You Read & Enjoy

When I Do Get Engagement, I Reply to Comments and Reblogs

Deeper dive below the cut:

Writing for SPN & Starting on Tumblr

To be honest, I'm a bit late to the party when it comes to Tumblr. I've written for many different fandoms over the 15 years or so I've been writing fanfic, but I've been writing for Supernatural in particular since around 2015. I wrote on platforms like Fanfiction.net, and later I moved over to Ao3.

I dabbled with Tumblr starting in 2021 while I was working on a Billy Butcher x OC story for the Boys (And So It Goes). But after watching the last season of SPN, I got the SPN bug again, so I started dipping back into the fandom.

But I wasn't really that active on Tumblr until January 2023, when I wrote my first soulmate AU series for Dean Winchester, called Never Say Goodbye (Dean x soulmate!Reader).

That started a very fun journey for me in the Tumblr world, engaging with people and making friends here with awesome people! 💕

Now, here are a few tips on what I've learned in building my following. You don't have to do exactly what I did. This is just my advice based on my personal experience here:

Tip #1: Learn How Tumblr Functions

Everything has been a process of trial and error. I have a professional background in content and social media marketing, so that knowledge has helped me a lot with some elements I'll get into later.

But it took me time to learn the Tumblr landscape. I had to figure out:

Why it's important to reblog -- not just your own work in replying to people's comments, but what you read and enjoy. It's what makes Tumblr go 'round.

The different mobile vs. desktop views and functions.

How to format my posts and use hashtags that would best optimize my fics and posts, based on the most followed tags in the fandom I was writing for.

How to create design elements, like banners, dividers, and headers that matched my aesthetic and the fandom.

Make sure my blog is easy to read, visually, and easy to navigate, technically (links to my masterlists, series masterlists, tag list, my fic library side blog, Patreon, etc.).

I'm still adjusting all these things now and then as I figure out new ways to keep readers engaged, and make my blog as easy to navigate as possible.

Tip #2: Create a Tag List

A tag list is a list of blog users that request to be tagged in your upcoming fics. (See this post on tips for formatting tag lists and optimizing hashtags on posts.)

Some authors don't do tag lists anymore because they find it a hassle (and it can be), but even if you're just starting out, advertise your tag list -- I suggest at the end of a fic and in your bio, your masterlist, and/or navigation page. It will get more eyes on your posts, and hopefully more engagement.

I used Google Forms to build up my tag lists because it's easy to use and it creates a Google spreadsheet for you based on the responses you get (an idea I got from another writer who was doing the same thing). You can also create more sheets within the file to organize the responses by character, for example.

On my tag list, I gave readers options to choose which character they wanted to be tagged on based on the fandoms I write for. I also created tag lists for new series to go with the series masterlist. Like I said above, I created spreadsheets for each of these lists within my tag list form master sheet.

Now, you don't have to do it exactly this way. There are many ways to keep track of a tag list.

Some people may think my approach is too much work, but this was very successful for me in building up my tag lists and increasing my following. Staying organized is key! 🤓✌🏽

I have since created a side blog @zepskieswrites for people to follow with notifications on, since my character tag lists are full.

Tip #3: Posting Schedules, Announcements & Sneak Previews

When my blog started to gain traction from my first SPN series, I knew I wanted to post consistently to keep people's interests. For me, this meant once a week (sometimes more if the mood strikes me), to keep that momentum going. YouTube vloggers do the same thing for this reason. They have a set posting schedule and give announcements.

You don't have to post once a week. You don't even have to have a set schedule. That's just what I did last year to increase engagement, but also because I love to write, I was getting inspired, and I made the time for it!

Remember that writing and sharing your work and being a part of the fandom on Tumblr is supposed to be fun! At the same time, what you get out of something depends on how much time you have to put into it.

Basically what I’m saying is, I’ve put a lot of time and energy into my writing and my blog, but only because it’s been very fun to do it! 😉

Now, going back to being consistent. It can help you! When people know they have content waiting for them by a certain timeframe, and they see that you stick to that deadline, they're more likely to tune in and engage with your work.

Of course, real life comes first, always, and things can derail you, but on the whole I make sure that I keep my word when I say I'm going to post something. Tumblr has a scheduling feature that allows you to schedule posts ahead of time, which I use on a daily basis. That can help you as well.

To try and generate buzz around new stories, I give writing updates or announcements, often with sneak previews, and the dates when I plan to drop the upcoming story. When I'm writing a series, on each chapter I give a preview of the next one, so I can try to keep people invested and waiting for the next chapter.

Tip #4: People are Visual (Use Images & Design Elements)

A huge element of successful content and social media is visuals. The first thing people are often drawn to when they look at a web page, an ad, or any kind of digital content is the picture -- and any other visual elements. Then they look at the title/headline, followed by the rest of the story.

This is why I always lead with the title of the story/headline and a GIF or image at the top of the post for a story. Draw readers in with their eyes to the visual, and then the content. I now create my own design elements, including story headers.

When I got started here on Tumblr, I also took a closer look at how other popular blogs I admired were organizing their masterlists, formatting their stories with banners, dividers, tags/warnings, word count, creating tag lists, and more -- both to create their blog aesthetic and to make it easier for readers to enjoy their work on different levels -- the content itself, and the visual elements.

Shoutouts to some of those writers I looked to, who have a lovely blog aesthetic and organization: @luci-in-trenchcoats @deanwinchesterswitch @deanbrainrotwritings @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior

Form and function is a balance, and they should work together. For example, there are some design/post formatting elements that are getting popular now on Tumblr that I personally don't vibe with, because I think it takes away from the reader's experience.

Like making the entire post or story in small case. Readers that have trouble seeing small fonts won't want to read this.

or making everything in the story lower case. this just bothers me for grammatical reasons. guarantee i will be turned off from reading. 😂

Also, most people browse Tumblr on their phone rather than on desktop. (About 62% according to current Semrush statistics.) So certain things that are small in your desktop version will be even smaller on mobile.

If you have a custom blog design, some design elements may not transfer well visually on mobile vs. desktop, and vice versa. So you'll want to check both versions to see how it looks, and possibly make adjustments.

Now, this isn't to say you have to become a graphic designer if that's not your thing. There are plenty of people who share their lovely designs for free, as long as you make sure to credit them if you use one of their banners, dividers, etc. Check out @cafekitsune and @firefly-graphics, for example.

Some of them even take requests. Just make sure to check their bio to see if they state whether they're currently taking requests or not. (This also goes for writers on fic requests.)

Tip #5: Support Your Fellow Writers! Reblog/Comment on What You Read & Enjoy

This is part of the fun when you start truly engaging with the fandoms you love.

Likes are cool. Comments are wonderful. Reblogs with comments are awesome, because not only do they get that engagement/feedback that they can reply to, but the reblog helps your fellow writers get seen. And while they aren't obligated to, they might be more inclined to do the same for you.

You'll also start to develop relationships within your fandom community. This is how I've made many friends and gained new readers on Tumblr -- by reblogging, sharing, commenting on what I liked about the fics I read. 💜

I try my best to support my fellow writers, no matter how new or how popular they are. Just because a writer has a bigger following, doesn't mean they appreciate feedback any less.

Feedback gives us writers energy and fuels us to write more. It can lead to more inspiration, and to continue the series you might be so invested in.

So if I took the time to read something, if I enjoyed it, I'm usually reblogging it and sharing my thoughts, even if it's just a gif or a couple of lines, or a long raving review. 💖

Tip #6: When I Do Get Engagement, I Reply to Comments and Reblogs

Along with supporting my fellow writers, engaging with the lovely people who read my work is just good fun! It's the best part of sharing my work on here and on Ao3. And it lets them know that you value and appreciate them for taking the time to comment and/or comment in a reblog. 💓💓💓

I hope these tips are helpful! Now, to answer your last question...

Do you think it usually takes as long as it did for you

[to build a following] for other people?

Interesting, but the truth is, I'm not sure. My knowledge of content and social media marketing has probably given me a leg up, I think, even though it took me a while to learn the Tumblrscape. I've also been writing fanfic for a long time. Long before I ever heard about Tumblr.

I've spent years studying literature, creative writing, and screenwriting, and putting it into practice. I've spent years writing for other voices besides my own, outside of the fanfic world. Like anyone else, I can only go by what I've learned, my own instincts, my frame of reference, and what I want to write about next.

Like anyone else, I can only hope that what I put out there vibes with people and touches them in some way, enough that they feel comfortable letting me know what they thought about it. 💜

In the meantime, I'll just keep getting inspiration from this guy (and other characters):

[subsystems]

hope sending ask is ok rn, i have hard time looking resource. looking for book how to co-exist with independent dissociative parts (have system but not feel safe in saying DID yet). cannot do therapist addressing parts yet but want to cope in daily life. hope can help. or others comment/reblog and give. thank you 🍀

This ask was sent a while ago, I hope you're doing okay now anon. You say you can't talk to a therapist yet but I hope you have someone else in your life who is supportive and you can talk to about these things! You shouldn't have to face this alone.

Even though you don't have therapeutic support, it's still possible to build up communication and cooperation with your parts. I reblog a lot of tips and resources to my coping tag if you want to check that out. Here are some other resources that you might find helpful:

DID/OSDD Self-help Masterlist There are so many resources here, categorized by different topics. You'll find stuff here for both survivors and loved ones, and you don't need to have DID/OSDD to use them!

Beauty After Bruises Blog You'll find so many articles here on coping with daily life as a dissociative survivor. I love how they're written, they feel very approachable and almost calming to read.

Dissociative Living Admittedly, I haven't read many of these articles but the few I've seen have been good. I think their writing is very approachable for people who are new to all of this.

DIS-SOS Lots of advice and informative articles on living with DID here -- in both English and German! I've found some really interesting and unique coping tips here, I definitely recommend it. It's actually because of this blog that I discovered one of my favorite methods of system communication.

CTAD Clinic Youtube Channel A channel run by the director of this clinic which specializes in dissociation and trauma. I've watched probably all of his videos -- they're very good! Lots of the videos provide tools and self-help tips on coping with dissociation & dissociative parts!

Carolyn Spring's Blog You'll find amazing articles here about trauma and dissociation, but do be aware that the author is both a professional and a survivor with DID herself. She isn't afraid to talk about her lived experience, shining a light on the reality of trauma and dissociation which can be confronting but oh-so empowering to read.

System Speak Podcast A podcast run by a DID system. She talks about her own healing journey as well as interviews professionals and dives into the psychology behind trauma and dissociation. Personally, I think the website is a bit hard to navigate but every podcast I've listened to has been extremely informative and relatable!

Self-help books can also be extremely useful if you don't have access to a therapist. You can find a bunch of free downloads here! I would recommend starting with "Got Parts? An Insider's Guide to Managing Life Successfully with Dissociative Identity Disorder" by ATW. Personally, I think this is the best book to start with. It's a bit old and there are some outdated ideas in it, but I think it's a very gentle entry into learning system communication and coping with DID if you have never worked with a therapist.

Some other resources that might be useful:

Strategies for coping with distressing voices

FREE 100 page e-book for trauma survivors

Talk/vent to listeners on this non-crisis support chat line

Apply for a grant to receive financial help or a therapy box -> (Also learn about the Therapy Box Project! If anyone is able to donate, please do!)

- Sunflower

[fuckyeah-beringandwellsfics]

Hi! I'm not new to Myka and Helena, I remembered them from the 2010s and now watched the show just for them, but I am new to Myka and Helena fanfiction.

Do you know any more fics like this https://archiveofourown.org/works/957200?view_adult=true or vaguely like this?

Is there a big masterlist of good Myka and Helena fics? I've been reading through their tag on AO3, but there are 1600+ fics 😯 so it'll take me a while to read them. I'd like to read some good ones.

Hi and thank you for asking, anon! That fic is great, isn't it! (clickable version of the written-out link anon sent: Resigned to These Histories (We Exist) by journaliar/@snake-juice)

Anon, as far as I am aware, there is no *one* big masterlist.

Several people in this fandom have made their own rec lists over time, of course, from the very beginning. (The older they are, unfortunately, the higher the chance that some links might not work anymore, but you can still try them out!) I have a "fic rec" tag on my main blog (linked in case you want to know the source; that tag contains other fics too, not just Bering and Wells, but all of them femslash), and here are some Bering and Wells specific lists that I've found going through it:

styrofoamtokyo's list, from 2014

tracybering's list of Tracy Bering friendly fics and art, also from 2014

lonely-night's lists from 2017 and 2018

wibblywobblyida's list from 2021

There's also the Ballet AU, a collaboration with multiple fics and pieces of art, from several of this fandom's best authors and artists; highly recommended, masterpost here.

I'm sure there are more fic rec lists slumbering on people's blogs! So here's my call to anyone who sees this post: please link yours!

I myself am trying to assemble recs on an individual basis. Almost a year ago, I tried to make a list of what has been already recommended through this post, but now that is way out of date, of course.

Beyond these lists, the usual tips for AO3 and Tumblr apply (under a readmore for length):

when you found a fic you liked, click on the author's name and see what else they've written for the ship/fandom, see if you like those too

check if that author's bookmarks are public; those are fics that they liked, and maybe you'll like them too

and then with those fics, you can go to *those* authors' profiles and see what else *they* have written - and so on.

Don't forget to bookmark and/or download these fics so that you can find them again. You need to have a user profile yourself to bookmark fics (and that's not the only advantage; I highly recommend it - and remember, you can set your bookmarks to private if you want).

also, please please consider leaving kudos and comments on fics that you've liked - a lot of authors are still active in the fandom/for the ship, and kudos and comments always help us *stay* active, because they tell us that people still enjoy what we create. Even if the specific fic in question is from the early days of the fandom, kudos and comments are always welcome.

same goes for reblogs on Tumblr, be it the above lists, individual fic rec posts, or posts from the authors themselves with or about their stories.

some authors with a Tumblr blog also have a dedicated "my fics" tag or link on those blogs. Always worth clicking through from an individual Tumblr post to the author's blog, and seeing if something like that is on it - and if the author is still actively writing, consider giving them a follow (and reblogging their fic posts; I've heard from so many authors that their fic posts barely get any reblogs at all to spread the word)

I hope that all or at least some of these tips are helpful to you, Anon - there is a lot of great stuff out there, and you're right, it can be a bit daunting to figure out where to start. And hey, it's always okay to click back out of a fic you find you don't like. No harm no foul, even if the fic came recommended; everyone's taste is different! There is no "required reading" that you *have* to have done to be a fan. You already are, no matter how many fics you've read!

[elephant-in-the-pride-parade]

That Troll Accusing P/T fics and Trek Fic Writers Blogs (Including me) of Racism could be a Right-Wing Bot.

Edit (4/16): I would like to emphasize that i really hope this theory is not true. It stemmed from having had multiple friends and acquaintances in the voyager fandom (white and not) be suicide baited and otherwise harassed with vague accusations of racism over the past year, (for P/T primarily, but other ships and characters on occasion too) yah we did cycle through a lot of explanations. Ultimately our anon(s) being someone with either a malicious motive or an extremely ill thought out and unproductive approach, were the explanations that wound up making the most sense. the content of the anon asks and comments i am refering too has been both vague and painful, and further, never came from a real ao3 or tumblr account. these also came with no evidence based points for the fic writers to work on.

I do not believe this theory below to be anywhere near the most plausible. but it is the only conclusion we could make sense of for a slew of similar anon messages that, at the end of the day, did a lot of hurt without making any concrete points that writers could take action on. By making this analysis, my hope is not to convince you all that a right wing troll is out to get voyager fic writers. Instead, i hope it comforts writers who have gotten similar attacks and helps them to dismiss messages that come with harassment and suicide baiting, rather than evidence based points. And i hope if there are real people behind those anons that seeing this analysis helps them to reconsider the effect their approach is having.

Original Post from 3/2

At first I thought I was paranoid post-2016 and 2020, but now I've been hit a couple times and seen comments on more of the affected fics. And I'm seeing concerning themes.

I make a couple of assumptions here: 1. My anon (whom I will refer to throughout as "The Anon") is the same each time. 2. The Anon is the same actor or belongs to the same group as The Anon troll commenting on P/T and some J/C fics.

The Anon as a Bot Evidence:

1. The Anon accusations are sweeping, but generic. They do not use in-fic textual evidence to justify their comments. You write P/T: You're a Tom apologist. You think Belanna is his exotic wife. You justify your blatant anti-latina racism by casting her anger as an inherent a Klingon trait. You write J/C: You think Chakotay is a noble savage and fetishize him. You write Harry Kim: You're infantilizing him.

These tropes and stereotypes are legitimate concerns that fic writers should care about and should be mindful of. These accusations on the other hand are not legitimate. They are left as guest comments or anonymous asks on fics heedless of the fic content or writer's background or track record. The AO3 comments do not reference fic content. They are repeated across all impacted writers. They target new and veteran writers alike. They target fics regardless of rating.

2. Comments that appear to reference fic specifics go no farther fic tags.

This was harder to catch. But a P/T fic tipped me off last month. It was tagged "Tom & Belanna & Miral". The Anon's first comment on that fic dove in accusing the fic of incest. This showed both that the anon had not read the fic content - they also didn't understand the difference between a / tag and an & tag. (Which also means the programmer of the tag-reading bot or human actor creating tag-based comments is not literate in how fandom ship tags are structured - they may not be a fan at all!)

3. The Anon never replies. Not on AO3 or on Tumblr. (All AO3 comments from "The Anon" seem to stick to the automatically assigned Anon name or use a generic, short first name like "Sam").

Exceptions to this - the rare ocasions where someone sympathetic to the anon replies break from the distinctive patterns of The Anon. Replies come from either burner accounts or guests with more unique names. And these replies are both A - fewer and far between - suggesting they are a different actor - and B - by and large quite serious and thoughtful. I take them to be real people, legitimate fans concerned about racism, caught up in the crossfire.

4. The Anon uses language intended to engender right-wing sympathies and white-moderate anger.

The Anon sent this in their message to me the other day. I will bold the relevant passages.

"You’re the perfect example of the kind of white person who ruins fandom for everyone else, a nasty racist bitch who cares more about their shitty fanfiction than the feelings of actual people of color. Keep using your precious freedom of speech to fetishize brown men I guess

"The kind of white person": This anon has no proof of my race and proof doesn't matter to them. (They have targeted writers of color and white writers alike) They are indiscriminant because they are hoping some of their targets are white women. They are also attempting to out-group white women from the rest of fandom - trying to engender in me feelings of being alienated from my community.

"Nasty racist bitch" "Nasty woman" incidentally is what Trump famously called Hilary Clinton during a 2016 debate. Calling me a racist is there to put me on the defensive (and to alienate me from my coalition) Im meant to feel shocked and disheartened by this accusation. And in a way, keeping this generic serves a purpose. A lack of specificity makes it harder for me to defend myself. "Bitch" is there to trigger my fear/anger response. It is also assuming my gender - again. The anon doesnt care if they accidentally sent this hate to a man or nonbinary person or a person of color. they are betting that at least a plurality of targets will be their key white woman demographic.

"people of color" - while it is correct terminology - is also terminology of the US left/democratic wing. By using this term the Anon is in-grouping themselves with the left - trying again to make me feel like an outsider.

Finally, the kicker is the Freedom of Speech part of this ask.

The Anon is using the concept of free speech here in the same way that the MAGA crowd does, to mean that I ought to be able to say whatever I want regardless of how it hurts others, rather than the legal term's actual definition - the right to critique one's government without being jailed or killed.

By accusing me of caring about Freedom of Speech this way they're not trying to make me feel guilt - theyre trying to hurt me, make me angry, and guide me to sympathize with Republicans. They are using the term this way to push me to think of my fanfic in terms of free speech and thus to agree with Republican freedom of speech talking points. Or if I reject the accusation - to feel torn between Left and Right.

The Anon is trying to sow discord. Theyre employing the same tactics that broke the Womens March movement in 2021, and that pervaded so many Facebook groups and twitter in the last two US election cycles. They are using tactics honed to cleave apart progressives and moderates.

My only question after all those realizations was: why the fuck are they doing this to such a niche group as star trek fanfiction writers.

And then it hit me.

The Anon's Motive: Trek Fic Writers are a Target Election Demographic.

By and large, US fan writers of ships from 90s star trek are women, often millenial and gen x women, many likely to be suburban. And yes - more likely to be white. In short we are part of the same demographic Trump lost in 2020 and needs to either win back this year, or try keep from going to the polls.

You can tell me I sound ridiculous - I think this whole stinking situation is ridiculous. I'm not unaware of how fringe a theory this is. I've been taught to always assume incompetence before malice. And for a while I considered that maybe The Anon was genuine. Maybe they had good intentions and poor execution. I'm sure I could write characters of color better (I am not afraid to admit that I'm still learning. Being wrong isnt something to be afraid of). I wanted this to be the case actually, but I have too much evidence and motive in favor of malicious bot tactics to ignore.

I have tried so hard to think of a reason I'm wrong. Except that all the pieces make sense. No fic / writer specific grievances have been aired by The Anon. They hit the same points every time, again, without textual evidence. They never reply. They chose words that wound and inflame but that never say anything specific about the fic or writer.

And wouldn't it be damn convenient for the Trump camp if a bunch of progressive and moderate US star trek fans decided not to vote because they were disheartened by being accused of racism and felt alienated from the democratic coalition.

This is a niche community. But we likely arent the only targets. And as a friend reminded me tonight, it doesnt take much to move the needle.

[feline17ff]

I posted 3,859 times in 2022

My comments are in pink

That's 1,670 more posts than 2021!

161 posts created (4%)

3,698 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@creativemercinary

@the-lavender-creator

@managerie76

@broadwaytheanimatedseries

@hydepotions

*tips my hat* m'bloggers 🎩

I tagged 3,784 of my posts in 2022

Only 2% of my posts had no tags

#ever after high - 567 posts

#lol - 382 posts

#funny - 342 posts

#made me giggle - 240 posts

#my friends - 220 posts

#eah - 216 posts

#my asks - 169 posts

#writing prompts - 156 posts

#monster high - 149 posts

#incorrect quotes - 148 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and what does the first passage say about maddie? how can she *not* know she's a character in a book? (she can hear the narrator after all)

I wonder if the tags and links are working for me to find this post

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Sparrow: Babygirl, I know video game lore you wouldn't even care about

Ramona: Babyboy, I know true crime facts you should be scared about

Source

88 notes - Posted January 18, 2022

#4

Hey, just a heads up, archive.org needs your help!

I mostly use openlibrary.org which is already AWESOME. They're part of archive.org and an actual legal digital library - AND INTERNATIONAL

Right now (till 31st Dec 2022), archive.org has matching campaign that will TRIPLE the impact of each donation

Do donate! And then borrow a book from this library, or watch an old Film Noir movie!

Donate and, if you'd like, let other users know how archive.org has helped you! Or how you've helped it!

Mine's below! 💖

I found out about it during my Hero Academia phase so cleaned up and create pages for the mangas

And then, some time later, there were borrowable books for them! 🤩

I've watched 12 Angry Men — my first, and as of yet only, black and white movie.

I've read Freakonomics in its entirety thanks to it. I was so obsessed with the book I even read it on my phone in a very user unfriendly way because I still don't know what app works with archive.org.

For an assignment, I borrowed What You Must Think of Me: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Social Anxiety Disorder. It's actually not that long or boring. Unlike what books my classmates chose.

150 notes - Posted December 4, 2022

#3

How do you think the "main" crew (Apple, Raven, Cerise, Briar, Ashlynn, etc) would react to being able to hear the Narrators?- Narrator Headcanon Anon

How indeed, lol

Apple: *Very concerned about what this means but trying to remain polite as ever*

Raven:"...WHAT? Huh. Cool."

Cerise: "Wait, they know all our secrets?" *pulls hood closer. But I would love if when she's alone she just talks with someone other than family with her ears out

Briar: "OMG, that's ridonculous!"

Ashlynn: *sweet about it and tells them about the next shoe sale*

Blondie: "You're reporters just like me! Know of any juicy news happening around Ever After?"

Dexter: *existential crisis aka the thinking maths meme* "I'm so confused. I-I-I don't feel so good."

Daring: "The more the merrier, more awesome viewers for awesome Daring Charming" *winks and finger guns at the camera where the narrators are*

Hunter: "Uhhh, cool, cool" *concerned they'll spill the beans about the gift he's working on for Ashlynn*

Lizzie: "Well, of course they exist! Just because you can't hear someone doesn't mean they're not there."

Alistair, Bunny, Chase, even Courtly: *Agree with Lizzie*

Also, everyone who isn't a Wonderlandian, and I mean EVERYONE, would be wondering what other "mad" or Wonderlandian things they were wrong about

167 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

I think this is the post that started my friendship with Narrator Headcanon Anon iirc 🥰🥰🥰

#2

The kind of friendship these 3 would have:

Sparrow: *crying after spilling something on his new Nikes*

Humphrey: get me baking soda, vinegar, and a toothbrush, stat!

Alistair: *with tears in his eyes and consoling a sobbing Sparrow* I'm here bro, we'll get through this together

Based on a post I can't find "whoever thinks only girls are obsessed with shoes has never met a teenage boy"

221 notes - Posted February 4, 2022

I really love this 😂🥰

My #1 post of 2022

Writers be like:

Angst, my beloved

263 notes - Posted January 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

Lol. You writers and your beloved.

[katierosefun]

Hello! I'm kinda new to the fandom side of tumblr and just wanted to ask: what made you start writing fanfic? I kinda want to get into it, but I'm not sure what I would write exactly or how much work it would take.

hello! thanks for dropping by!! 

ooph, i guess in terms of what made me start writing fanfic--’tis a long story, but it basically boils down to i watched a series finale and decided that nope, i’m going to continue the story in any way i can. really, i just wanted to stay in the universe for a little while longer and create stories that filled in more of the gaps of episodes that i loved/was intrigued by. 

as for what you should write/how much work it would take--that is entirely up to you! the cool thing about fic is that it’s simultaneously diverse and unifying, if that makes sense. like, there are people who will write about the same episode/use the same tropes, and yet each story will be so unique because of the author’s personal style/particular characterizations and etc. (ie. you want a gazillion stories that’s just,,,idk, hurt/comfort? someone cries? congratulations, you probably have an array of so many stories that tick those exact boxes and yet are so incredibly unique!) 

so what i’m basically saying is that you can really do whatever the heck you want, and chances are, there’ll be some people who are interested. if you prefer to write in canonverse (ie. write in the direct timeline of the world you want to write about), then that’s totally you’re call! if you want to do a bunch of AUs with time travel/fantasy/coffeeshop/university/high school/whatever, then that is also totally your call! write what you enjoy! write what interests you, because that way, you’ll be excited about what you’re writing, and being excited about what you’re writing = better content! 

as for how much work it would take--that is also something that’s totally up to you. some fic writers write almost exclusively in one-shots, and others write almost exclusively in novel-length multichapter fic. some writers (like me!) do a mix of both. some writers maybe write like, a few stories a year, while other writers write a few stories per month. it really just depends on your own schedule and your own comfort levels! 

so, bottom line: get into fanfic if that’s what you wanna do! have fun! go bonkers! unleash your imagination, write as little or as much as you want! hope that helps!

[albino-whumpee]

do you have any advice for younger / newere writers? you write so much and you're very skilled! i'm inspired by you

Aww thanks! Maybe I write a bit too much ahaha.

Well, idrk what you’re searching advice for so I will give general tips.

Before writing:

Do your research. Not only about the subject, but if there’s people out there who have also thought about the idea and have a tag for it.

Set a goal. I suck at this myself, but having a not-rigid word count goal (with timer if it makes you feel more motivated) really get your gears going. There’s a few pages that make it more entertaining too!

Warm up Drabbles. Nothing better than writing something adjacent to what you really want to write just to warm up and get a bit more creative so you hit the zone quicker.

This is optional but if you have time, make a page for your characters and setting. Like a reference page so you don’t go write someone is 160 cm when you have already said they’re 178.

While writing:

Limit your editing. It’s tempting to correct in the moment, (more if you’re unsure about grammar) but sometimes while fixing something you lose your pace and in the worst cases, forget where you were going. Editing can come later.

If you’re gonna have CW at the top, highlight the key words so it’s easier to go through it later.

After writing:

Don’t delete your scrapped ideas. You don’t know when you might wanna use that idea, so even if it’s never used having an scrap document for them is great.

If you didn’t like the end product altogether, it’s fine to put it aside for a while and come back to it later to see if it really should be abandoned in the scrap document or tossed away. Sometimes a little bit of time makes the errors look less severe and fixable and the good things to pop out more. Let it brew!

Pass your text through a beta reader and a program that allows you to correct your grammar and spot typos.

To gain attention:

Quick note here, don’t get discouraged if you don’t receive millions of likes in your first chapter. Sometimes it takes two projects or more to get traction. Keep going regardless of numbers! They don’t dictate how good you are!

Interact with others. Slide into inboxes, participate in ask and tag games, reblog other people’s fics, make collabs. most people are cool with being tagged in games even if you’re not mutuales with them so don’t be shy! Although, Don’t just talk to people to use their following.

Take part in writing/drawing challenges. July has the @whumpmasinjuly event with a prompt list, as there is events like the month of writers, nanowrimo, whumptober, etc.

Keep writing and explore other ideas besides your comfort zone. This started as a whump writing blog, but evolved into positivity, some art and writing (even occasional thoughts and poetry) The variety lends itself to grow your range of public and to expand your creative library.

Promote yourself. Shamelessly self reblog your favorite fics, or just reblog it for the timezone difference. You’re proud of what you wrote and I’m proud of you for writing it, but sometimes tumblr sucks and I won’t see it immediately. So don’t be afraid of reblogging your own things!

Make your own events and ask games. DTIYS, requests, giveaways when you hit a follower milestone. If you have the time for it and have fun doing it, go for it!

This is my personal opinion, but having visuals for your story such as mood boards, picrews, illustrations, etc. Makes me more interested in a story. It’s also an easy way to present your characters to your readers.

Have fun. It’s noticeable when an author is having fun writing it and when it feels like a chore. I’m not telling you to absolutely love it, just to trust in yourself and what you’re doing a bit. If it doesn’t feel right, revision it. If you can’t find it, hand it to someone and ask for their opinion. Not having fun doing what you love hurts like a bitch, and it just rubs salt in the wound when it flops or you can’t stand reading through it. So, explore ideas, maybe go back to your comfort to come back to the new a bit less scared. Or maybe find new inspirations so you can go rush and add new stuff and weed out what doesn’t seem right.

Overall that’s it I think. @ashintheairlikesnow has a great tag for new writers in her blog so I advice to check that out and ask more people. @thewritershandbook is also a good resource place!

Good luck anon! I’ll be cheering on you.

[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

[citrinesparkles]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you have any tips for anyone starting their own x reader(s) blog/doing requests? If not, I hope you have a nice day either way. :)

hey lovely!! this is such an interesting question omg. i don't mind at all!!

i do have some thoughts based on my own personal experience (i, in true citrine fashion, went full babble mode on this so that'll be under the cut!) but i think the tl;dr of it is have fun and be willing to experiment. (also if any of you lovely folks reading along at home want to drop your two cents in the replies or otherwise add to the conversation please feel free! i can only offer my perspective and i love hearing others)

if you have any follow up questions or want more specific advice, feel free to shoot me a dm! i don't bite, i promise.

okay. hi.

first thing's first: starting an x readers blog!

right off the bat, my absolute most important advice is this: be gentle with yourself. you're trying something new. even if you've been writing your whole life and been on tumblr since it was founded, this is a new way to combine those things. new adventures have bumps and blocks and you'll have trial and error before you really find your way (and likely after you find your way, too!) and that is fine. take your time, try to enjoy the process, and be kind to yourself.

for me, a lot of finding my way- and i mean A Lot- was just looking at other imagines blogs and asking myself what i liked about them. for example, for me, i get inspired by angelz-dust's incredible dialogue and use of details in her writing, beautiful desktop theme, a super user friendly masterlist, and clear and concise rules page. i also love unmotivatedwrit3r's intro post with both masterlist and rules, grounded stories, and that their blog is super easy to navigate. (i could go on and on, but my point is, look at your favorite writers. why does their writing appeal to you? why does their blog appeal to you? how can you incorporate parts of how they run their blog into how you run yours (obviously without stealing other people's work, haha.))

shaping your blog takes time, but can be a really fun process if you let it!

some of the things i find most useful for my blog are a good desktop theme, a useful pinned post, a masterlist, a mobile masterlist, and a tagging system i'm very comfortable with.

(idk how tumblr savvy you are, anon, so if you would like advice on any of those things specifically please let me know!)

technical tidbits

something i've found super helpful as both a writer and a reader of imagines is when a fic has an intro. as an example, i'll use my fic cat. the section at the top tells the reader what they're getting into; in my case, i like to list any qualities i've written the reader with (in this case, the reader is not referred to by gender!) so the person reading knows if it's something they can relate to (or, if not, if it's something they're interested in anyway). i also include what character i'm writing about, how long the piece is, any fun facts or relevant information i think the audience should know (like thanking my darling angel for being my beta reader/enabler/cheerleader), and also any content warnings i think apply. in this case, i also linked the next chapter of the fic.

if the post is long, throw a read more/cut on there! (i do this for posts that are longer than 1000 words, but you can use any measurement.) it makes navigating your blog (and any tags you post in!) muchhhhh easier.

back up your work. no, seriously, save often, and save your fics in a secondary location. i use google docs, but you could use word, a private discord server, your notes app- just make sure to save it! and just a heads' up, tumblr drafts can be a bit of a gamble. i've had posts post themselves prematurely, posts disappear entirely, and formatting glitch. (also? be prepared to reformat your posts.)

(i also save drafts i hate or can't get to work. sometimes i find a way to recycle them later on!)

don't be afraid to use tags, but try to stick to relevant ones. tagging your fics with unrelated characters or fandoms is unlikely to get your work any extra attention- and if it does, it's not likely to be good. i use several different imagines tags (because people call imagines lots of different things- [character] imagine, [character] x reader, [character] x you, and [character] x y/n are my go to tags.).

i also find it really helpful to use consistent content warning tags (such as "fire cw" or "blood cw").

self reblogs are a great thing. i have a queue i maintain almost religiously, so i queue mine, but you don't have to! but don't be afraid to reblog your work. people follow you to read what you post, and they may not see it the first time around! (i usually post at night, reblog the following morning, and once again the following night.)

accepting requests.

disclaimer: requests aren't my main source of inspiration. i write from movies, music, things i see irl, my literal dreams- i say this because i've seen a lot of writers get discouraged by a lack of requests (especially early on) or frustrated because they can't complete requests as quickly as they'd like. i think it can be really refreshing to take a break from them occasionally and write from another source of inspiration, if you can.

that being said! to answer your actual question, the biggest suggestion i have is to set basic rules. if you are asking for requests, what are you willing to write? what's a hard no?

it's okay if those things take time to figure out- or if they change with time! but having some basics down can be a huge help for requesters.

also! you're more likely to get requests if you allow anonymous asks. (this was, last i checked, not allowed by default. i would recommend switching them on in your tumblr settings if you would like to take requests.)

i really hope some of this helps- and again, if you have any questions or would like any other input, please feel free to send another ask or dm me <3

[lowkeyorloki]

You're generally thought of to have really good characterization of Loki in this fandom (I'd say that's what you're known for???), so I was wondering if you could give some tips on how to write Loki? And maybe some general tips on writing imagines/x readers?

Hi there anon! First, thank you very much for such a high compliment. I think any fanfiction author would agree when I say being told we get our muse’s characterization correct is one of the highest compliments we can be given, so THANK YOU! 

I would be happy to give you some advice, but keep in mind, this is just my interpretation of Loki. You, and any other author, are allowed to take creative control and do with his character what you will. This is just what works for me!

For Imagines/X Reader Fics

This is my third imagines blog, so I have been doing x readers for a long time. If you’re looking to expand your following, I would start out doing preferences. This is when you take a group of people from the same piece of media (in Marvel, a good example would be the whole team of The Avengers) and basically write a little drabble for each of them in one post. This will allow you to use multiple character tags, which means your posts are more likely to circulate. From there, you can totally branch off and have an emphasis on one character, or create a whole new sideblog for one character that people from your already-established following can find. I used this method twice and it worked really well- it also lets people see you can write for different types of characters, which is always a plus.

Tags! Use as many tags as you can, because that’s how people find your work. Make sure to use some with your muse’s first name, and some with their first and last. For imagines specifically, I would always make sure you have “(name) x reader”, “(name) x you”, and “(name) imagine”, because those are what people usually search for.

Avoid physical descriptions. “Reader” is just that: the reader. Not everyone has blue eyes, not everyone has long hair, not everyone is white, etc. etc. If you really want to write a character with specific physical traits, then you should develop an OC. It rips your readers out of your fics when they’re described in a way that doesn’t fit them, and can also really harm their confidence- the only descriptions of someone’s appearance I’ve ever seen in x readers are features that are considered conventionally attractive, so it’s important to be mindful of any implicit biases you may have.

...You also have to keep the reader as a character somewhat neutral, because they are supposed to be whoever is consuming your fic. If you’re going to give them character traits, justify them with your story. You want your reader to be trained in hand-to-hand combat? They took martial arts as a kid. You want your reader to be the smartest in their field? Give them a backstory that made them that way. It’s personality traits you have to look out for, because if someone’s personality doesn’t match with “y/n’s”, that person isn’t going to be able to read your works. 

Speaking of y/n, I would suggest not using it at all. I’ve recently stopped using it due to my own experience and feedback from my followers. Most people don’t see y/n and replace it with their name, it just becomes a reminder they’re reading something. Your goal is to immerse your readers in your fics, and I’ve found this often has the opposite effect. There are a lot of ways to avoid y/n, such as pet names (darling, baby, love) or creative phrasing (”your name passed over his lips, whispered softly like he had never heard it before”). It can be a challenge, but writing always is!

If possible, keep your reader gender neutral. This sounds a lot harder than it is. Especially in the Loki fandom, there are a lot more male readers than you think, and there are people who don’t conform to either gender. Not assigning pronouns makes your reading more accessible (which also means more exposure!!!) and also allows everyone to find a place in fandom. The only times it becomes a problem is when other characters are talking about the reader behind their back, or when writing smut. In my case, I do my best avoid the first option and, until I find a solution, I do use gender and everything associated with it in smut. However, if none of these appeal to you, you can also copy and paste your fics to have different pronouns. 

Strategically place that “keep reading”, it’s a good way to get readers hooked!

For Loki’s Character

In my opinion, Loki is all about a balance of vulnerability. We all love to see him be loving and open and intimately intwined with someone, but it would take a lot of time to get there with him. For that reason, if you’re wanting to write that side of the Trickster, I would make your fic an established relationship or slow burn. If that doesn’t sound like something you want to do, a lot of faults in writing can be forgiven if you call them out yourself. Does something feel too random? Say it was sudden or unexpected. This shifts blame from you and actually becomes a characterization choice: now, instead of you possibly misinterpreting Loki’s character, he and the reader have so much chemistry with each other they’re acting differently than they normally would. 

Loki (and Thor’s) way of speaking is a HUGE factor of any fics with him. Loki has a different colloquial than we do, and thanks to Tom Hiddleston’s really sexy voice, it’s something closely associated with the character. So, we have to walk a line of Loki’s words being formal, but not being out of touch. He was able to assimilate easily (that’s part of the reason he was such a threat in Avengers), and is super clever and picks up on a lot of things. Therefore, Loki is more likely to address Tony as “Stark” rather than “Man of Iron”, and I think it’s fair to say he knows the name “Coulson” doesn’t refer to the SHIELD agent’s lineage (he’s probably not going to call him “Son of Coul”). But phrasing is also a part of this. I try to avoid contractions coming out of his mouth, so “you are” instead of “you’re”, “he is” instead of “he’s”, etc. etc. 

Loki also isn’t going to say things we normally would: As humans, we tend to exclaim “Oh my god!” or something along those lines. But Loki was brought being told he was a god, so that isn’t going to be in his vocabulary. It’s little things like this I keep an eye on when I’m writing for him.

A good way to accomplish Loki’s speech is just... adding words the modern world has deemed unnecessary. A recent example of mine is in one of my fics, Loki is asking the reader what a group of characters want from her. Originally, I had him saying “What do they want?”, and while editing, I changed it to “What is it that they want?.” It’s subtle, but when this is how most of the Loki’s sentences are structured, it calls back to the Loki we saw in earlier Thor films (regardless of your opinion on Ragnarak, the Shakespearean-esque language is gone by the film) and creates a simulation of sorts that makes your reader feel more in tune with your story. Not to keep using this word, but it’s a technique that immerses your reader.

Make sure your style matches Loki! I have a very dramatic and articulate style, lots commas, lots of (carefully placed) repetition, and paragraph breaks. This works for Loki because he’s such an emotional and complex character, and my style compliments and emphasizes that. 

Readers respond well to your style correlating with your character: Compare my fics Aftermath or Wounds to A Mortal Occurance. Aftermath and Wounds are written in the style I described above, and are approaching 500 and 400 notes respectively; whereas I tried a more domestic and conversational style in A Mortal Occurance, which has yet to reach even 150 notes. While there’s definitely something to be said about people subscribing to you for one specific form of writing, it would be impossible for me to deny one style is not only more true to me, but more true and realistic to Loki. Think of if I wrote in my style for Ant-Man or Sam Wilson. It wouldn’t really work because their characters aren’t as high-stakes as Loki.

I hope this all helps! Remember this is just my opinion and is what has worked for me. You’re free to take all this to heart or completely reject it. I’m honored you came to me in the first place <3