#as a non-native English writer some of these are very helpful

[froidefille]

Day 8: rec a fic that was recced to you

📚 The Bolthole by aideomai, Tepre and GallaPlacidia

Draco/Harry, 54k, E

Summary:

Harry is a hoarder, Draco is grief-stricken, and both are capable human adults who can definitely spend a month in a cottage in the Cotswolds together without ever talking about the time they slept together in eighth year. Yeah, no, totally.

Lil story time to kick things off so I can properly convey how excited I am to rec you this fic! Here goes: I was freshly after reading Tepre’s Grounds for Divorce (which made me want board first plane to Luxor) and aideomai’s Far From the Tree (the way I screamed when I realised the final twist) when @sitp-recs reblogged the post with @haxkattpress’s georgeous bind for The Bolthole. Coincidentally, I was also in my Gallapod era at the time (and what an era that was 😭) so just now please take a minute to imagine just how exactly the stars have aligned for my poor fangirling heart at the time when I realised there’s a podfic of The Bolthole narrated by no other than Galla herself, who has co-authored this story IT’S JUST THAT AO3 DOES NOT SAY THAT because Galla went and became a successful published writer. How rude of her :D

So that was more of an inspiration than a rec? But hey, is there a better rec than taking your time and money to create a piece for the text? 🤍

About the story

First things first for us non-native speakers of English:

In this fic Draco escapes London to Harry's cottage in Gloucestershire, where the authors invite us to spend 50k words with them. There is a Major Misunderstanding™ theme which is very enjoyable indeed and the prose is, of course, exquisite.

Still, this fic's best feature in my opinion is how it tells the story of heartbroken, guilt-ridden characters and how they slowly heal. Oh, the way this story has broken my heart into a hundred pieces, only to put it back again in the most delicious way!

Exibit A: Harry has never had the opportunity to actually own much possesions so once he can have his own things he gets so lost in owning stuff that it gets completly out of control. . Draco helps him to get it a bit less out of control and I love it for them. I symphasize with this character so much, because I myself am very attached to objects: I like how they remind me of things, I like how pretty they are and I like having them in my own version of order (which is far from the typical understanding of tidiness, or so my husband keeps telling me 😅).

Exibit B: Draco has lost an OC parental figure and isn’t coping very well. (Harry is not great company at the time either but he is some company and the change of scenery helps Draco manage his grief and I love it for them as well.) The way Harry’s mental state is painted by his house. The contrast of Draco’s need to organize his sourroundings for comfort while Harry needs them to stay just the way they are.

And don’t even get me started on the cupboard under the stairs. Which Harry has barricaded. So Draco just took a crowbar and a hammer and kicked the door open. Which is such a beautiful metaphor for what he actually does here: literally stripping down the walls Harry has created around himself and one box after another makes an order out of Harry’s life.

All the while the feelings between the boys boil, the tension grows. Just look at the emotions in the scene when Draco realizes what the cupboard symbolizes to Harry:

“It’s only a cupboard,” he said. “It can’t hurt you.” Harry looked up at him, then. His eyes were blood-shot. He wasn’t upset, or angry: this one, Draco knew. This one was despair. He’d tried to board something up and the damn thing wouldn’t stay closed. “Ah,” said Draco, delicately. He knew his own despair was self-indulgent, ridiculous, but somehow it seemed wrong to suggest that the same was true of Harry’s. He wasn’t like Ron and Hermione, he couldn’t call Harry out, his instincts were all wrong, and he couldn’t leave him alone, either. He’d never had the knack for that. He took two faltering steps forward and went to his knees before Harry. “I see,” he said, and almost touched Harry—hands hovering. “One of those rare, malignant cupboards. The ones that can hurt you.” Harry’s eyes dropped to the ground, such a small movement, and yet so desperately, so horribly hopeless that Draco was overwhelmed with the dizzying rush of wanting to soothe, to take away all bad things. He couldn’t help himself: he took Harry’s face in his hands. “No, Harry,” he said. “You can’t be this sad. You’re supposed to be angry at me, not sad, this is not the right reaction at all.” And Harry, with a bad failed attempt at a smile: “I’m trying.” “Try harder ,” Draco said, and his hands were moving: over Harry’s face, his neck, restless. To his knees, squeezing him. “You see,” he said, and now his voice shook. “You see, if you keep on being so sad I won’t have any choice but to make violent love to you. It’s really the only option; I don’t make the rules.”

Spoiler: They do make violent love later on. It’s amazing. The intimacy between them and the power dynamics is just so ... I don't actually have words. I’m pretty sure I will remember this one particular scene for a long time (IYKYK😅). If you are into gentle D/s relationships, you are going to melt. Just like Draco did.

To sum up – an amazing read, a gorgeous listen, 12/10. I've put a few quotes under the cut for your heartbreak enjoyment.

Thank you for today @hprecfest and see you in the next one!

That night at the cottage, he found an old desk in the shed, and broke it to use the pieces to board up the cupboard under the stairs. He knew, while he was doing it, how mad he must seem—how mad he was. But the only thought he had was, it’s too small and nothing should be in a place so small. Not boxes, or pets, or food for the pets, or food at all, or anything alive. Not children. Especially not children.

Can someone get baby Harry from the cupboard please? 😭

“Sometimes you need a push,” Draco snapped, looking up. “Instead of a request.” 

That’s what Draco says which I personally hate because I can’t stand other people enforcing their ideas on my order of things (my skin literally crawls as I write these words) but let’s face it – sometimes you do need a push. So then Draco reorganizes the cupboard (oh and almost dies) and it is a breaking point for Harry.

This is terrible,” said Draco into his mug. “Yeah,” said Harry. “Wait. The tea?” “No,” said Draco. He looked at Harry. “This. D’you want to, I don’t know, should we punch each other, or something? Make it more normal?”

Sure, punch your way out of trouble, Steve Rogers would be proud 😅

“We’ve hung out before without punching each other,” said Harry. “It was fine, we had a nice time.” He meant the long, quiet nights in the eighth year common room, that last year in Hogwarts, with Hermione drowsing by the fire over a book and Ron teaching Draco chess—he was very bad at it—and Harry just sort of sitting with them, his whole head echoing with the resounding shock of peace. Sometimes when Ron went to the bathroom or to go make cocoa in the corner Neville had set up or to gently lift Hermione’s hair and sheepishly kiss the nape of her neck, Draco would wave Harry over to the chess board and say in a panicked whisper, “Fix it, Potter!” and Harry would inevitably give him bad advice. “Now you’ve done it,” Draco said, and once, “Well, at least he’s beating both of us now. At last, Harry and I are in the same boat.” It was the first time he’d ever called Harry by his first name.

The warmth of this scene!!

Wait, have I already mentioned that Draco has a crush on Ron in this fic? In a bit platonic way, but anyway, it’s super cute:

In eighth year, Draco had been horrified to discover that he had a crush on Ron Weasley. His solution had been to flirt outrageously so that no one would ever suspect him. It had worked remarkably well. 

[poppysunderthestars]

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─ introduction and masterlist ─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

hello dear ones!

as i am an avid reader and writer of the amazing art of erotic and sensual fandom fiction literature also known as smutty fanfics, i've decided to reinstate a new segment of writings in this blog. i will be letting you know which characters and personas i could write about, which kinks and fetishes i'm most comfortable with, which ones i could potentially write and i will also include the ones i'm NOT INTO; which are not many because i'm a very kinky girl ;)

characters and personas

hayden christensen & anakin skywalker

obi wan kenobi

darth vader

tokio hotel (bill & tom)

nct 127's nakamoto yuta & jung jaehyun

this could def be updated!

kinks and categories

i've divided them intro three categories

☾ green as a lucky charm

dom/sub reader

daddy/ mommy kink

infidelity

agegap (the parties are all of age and consenting adults)

bdsm

noncon/dubcon (free use)

voyeurism

breeding kink

stepcest (non incestuous)

bloodplay

pregnant kink

knifeplay

period sex

cockwarming

roleplaying

overstimulation and edging

polyam

threesomes

bondage

choking

sensation play

enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, strangers to lovers, etc. im

vampire

omg! that was a long list...

☾ yellow, as a sunny day

breastfeeding kink

foot fetish

pollen

omegaverse

☾ red as blood through my hands

tentacles

incest

rape

furry

golden showers

vampire sex (period oral)

ageplay(no sexualizing children plss)

on another topic, some things you should know

₊ ⊹ my native language is not english, i consider myself very fluent in writing and speaking therefore if i make any mistakes, please let me know!

₊ ⊹ although i've been to much into fanfictions and smutty content since i was young, i have never been comfortable writing for those kind of audiences, so i ask of you to mantain this account and all interactions for +18. minors please do not interact. enjoy your youth, you'll get there when you'll get there.

₊ ⊹ yes, i am a writer. however, in the erotic and smut content i don´t have much expertise. i beg of you, to be mindful of your comments, i am open to helpful feedback, comments and opinions to improve. thanks!

now to the real deal...

masterlist

୨ৎ - smut ☾ - fluff ⟢ - angst

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────⋆⋅☆⋅

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ hayden christensen

୨ৎ obsession (soon!)

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ anakin skywalker

୨ৎ heartless

୨ৎ supernova (soon!)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────⋆⋅☆⋅

other stuff:

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ letters about a couple men that broke my heart:

act i

any comments, requests or just anything you would like for me to try you can let me know! same with tags, if you'd like to be tagged in anything, tell me!

-with much love, poppy

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─ ─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

[thenameswinterfics]

Just an introduction post.

I just realized I haven't made an introduction post yet. How silly I am...

Well... Greetings, beautiful people!

Few things to know about me: I'm Winter, I'm 25 years old and I'm from Italy. I'm studying Graphic, Visual and Multimedia Communication at the univeristy and I'm currently in my final year. I'm an INFP, my zodiac sign is Pisces and I'm bisexual.

For a long time I was always on the silent side of fandom, in constant lurking mode. If you see a silent shadow watching over your work, that's basically me.

This is a short list of the fandom I'm in (most actively): The Last Kingdom, Vikings, Vikings: Valhalla, The Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones (with A Song of Ice and Fire content), House of the Dragon, The Witcher, Shadow and Bone, Spartacus, ATLA (the cartoon) Legend of Korra, Merlin, Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate.

In my spare time I also play a role-playing game called "Dungeons and Dragons". I'm mostly a player, although I'm thinking about planning my first campaign as a Dungeon Master. My favourite thing is writing backgrounds for my OC's, maybe I can share them with you in the future.

Just for your personal information, this is exclusively a writing blog. If you want to see my ramblings about fandoms, you can find me on my main blog here (I know, it's quite messy but... hey! That's me, a messy girl!)

A special thanks to my beloved @zaldritzosrose for the icon, banner, mini banners, personal dividers and headers and dividers for my current and future fics! 💜

FIC SECTION

I'm currently writing for Sihtric Kjartansson, a character from the Netflix and BBC show The Last Kingdom. It cannot be ruled out that in the future there may arrive fics from the other characters from the show, as well as from other characters from different fandoms.

I will cross publish my fics on AO3, you can find the links below.

Due to university and personal commitments, and the fact that I'm a terribly slow writer, I haven't planned a regular posting schedule.

If you want to be tagged in my taglist, just send me a DM or leave a comment!

English is not my first language. You may find some grammar and vocabulary mistakes. I'm sorry for this, I swear I'm practicing!

It will happen that some of my fics will contain NSFW contents. So, if you are a minor under the age of 18, please DNI.

I never, NEVER give the permission for my works to be translated (I can translate on my own in my native language whenever I feel the need to) or to be reposted in sites outside Tumblr or used in AI chatbots sites.

SIHTRIC KJARTANSSON X READER

THE BLUE BUTTERFLY || Words: 4K || Warnings: Fluff, missing scenes, mention of word "whore" || AO3 LINK

After returning from Datchet, Sihtric spends some free time with you, and a group of blue butterflies catch your attention.

VISIONS OF HELHEIM || Words: 6,1K || Warnings: Fluff, angst, missing scenes, mention of past abuse, mention on non-consensual relationship (not described in detail), mention of character death, mention of graphic violence (not described in detail). || AO3 LINK

Sihtric has never forgotten his mother, whose presence continues to haunt his dreams. And as the Battle of Dunholm draws to a close, you help Sihtric mourn her.

HEARTS OF STEEL, LOVE OF SILK || Words: 3,9K || Warnings: Fluff, domestic fluff, smut, bad smut, very very bad smut, p in v sex, fingering, oral (f receiving), breeding kink, Daddy Sihtric is a warning itself. || AO3 LINK || 18 + ; MINORS DNI

While you and your children enjoy a peaceful, domestic life in Rumcofa, Sihtric comes up with a pleasant surprise for you.

BOUND TO YOU || Words: 4,6K || Warnings: SMUT, mention of death, monsterfucking, oral (m receiving), fingering, p in v sex. || AO3 LINK || 18 + ; MINORS DNI

Since becoming the new lord of Dunholm, Sihtric has ruled alone, with no woman at his side to call "wife". Things begin to change when you begin to appear in his dreams, a human so perfect that he believes he has finally found the one, a blessing from the gods. Little does he know that behind your appearance lies a devil in disguise.

SIHTRIC KJARTANSSON X OC

Coming soon...

SIHTRIC KJARTANSSON CROSSOVERS

Coming soon...

MISCELLANEOUS

Characters

SCIAMACHY || Pairing: Cregan Stark x DragonDreamer!Reader || Words: 4,4 K || Warnings: Angst, mention of death, mention of grief, mention of character(s) death(s), mention of child loss, mention of sibling loss, major spoilers from the book "Fire and Blood" || AO3 LINK || 18 + ; MINORS DNI

As the second child of King Viserys Targaryen and Queen Aemma Arryn, your father arranged your marriage to the young Lord of Winterfell, Cregan Stark, in the guise of an arranged marriage that would strengthen the bond between your Houses. But you are haunted by visions of a bloody war shaking the Seven Kingdoms, and the seeds of your doubt are sown when your sister's claim to the throne is challenged.

AGAPE || Pairing: Osferth x Reader || Words: 2,9 K || Warnings: Fluff, mild smut, mention of religious guilt, mention of male mansturbation || AO3 LINK || 18 + ; MINORS DNI

Torn between the desire to feel you and the sacredness of his vows, Osferth gives you flowers as a token of his love and devotion, the meaning of his love hidden behind the flower's language. But a scouting expedition beyond Rumcofa's borders forces him to confront the devil who tempts him.

COLLABS

THE LIVES OF FRIENDS || w/ @foxyanon, @legitalicat and @zaldritzosrose || Social Media AU || Warnings: Language, sexually charged conversations, mentions of weed usage, occasional alcohol usage, chaotic family dynamics. || 18 + ; MINORS DNI

Rhaenerys Targaryen has perfectly crafted her life to be everything she's ever wanted, becoming a doctor of history at 26. Her husband, Sihtric, is the most supportive man for her and the pride he has cannot be overstated. Through him, she became friends with his adopted family. Lyanna Stark became a model at 18, and loves fun, her family, and Aemond Targaryen. Then you have Cregan Stark, the "eldest" Stark sibling who runs the family animal sanctuary in Winterfell and has found himself falling for Daenyra Velaryon, Rhaenerys' cousin who dreams of becoming a renowned artist who at times feels her Targaryen heritage more than her Velaryon. And then, there's Alisanne Stark, Cregan's twin, who owns and operates her own bakery and is known for being a workaholic until Aegon Targaryen comes and breaks and changes everything she knows to be true. And these are their lives.

Character used: Daenyra Velaryon (OC)

[olderthannetfic]

I'm in my late twenties and only started writing a couple of years ago. I have a small but dedicated base of readers who enjoy what I write and who say my writing is great. I appreciate them very much, but to me, it sounds like I am writing for genres and tropes they like while the writing quality is secondary. This is great! I'm happy to fill a niche and entertain people. But I also know that being such a green writer means that my writing will need a lot more years to be good. Not being a native English speaker also gives me a lot of trouble with grammar. Because I started so late, I feel like I have both managed to avoid many of the mistakes younger authors make and missed out on valuable learning experiences that won't come so easily after one's teenage years.

Any tips for how I can meaningfully set aside my anxiety about getting into the game so late and worrying that because my brain ain't so endlessly malleable anymore, I've missed out on important skill development? I'm fine with accepting my writing as it currently is while working on it, but that's the one thing I can't shake.

--

Heh. Well, I don't know if this will help, but what you've just implied about brain development is complete nonsense.

Our critical periods for learning language are mostly before age 2, and they're for learning language at all, not for learning creative writing.

Most of the popular ideas about learning non-native languages aren't very well backed up by science. It's likely that plenty of the effects we see (where kids learn better than adults) are social and not due to brain development. There was some recent finding about young people being impulsive and not overthinking things (essentially) and how that contributes to better language learning. But, again, being a teen only has so much positive effect, and this is on language learning, not creative writing skill building.

The reality is that authors get started at all kinds of ages. We only think of it as a young person's game because "Gasp! Newest author under 30!" has been a popular marketing strategy of late.

It's completely normal for famous authors to have gotten started in middle age.

Writing practice is also only one aspect of getting better. It's a big one, but general life experience matters some and reading other people's writing matters a lot. You didn't cease absorbing language as a teen just because you weren't actively producing creative writing. (And sure, maybe not every lesson you learned was from English, but plenty of authors take inspiration from multiple languages even if they write in only one.)

I guess if there's one lesson we can take from other language skills it's that being willing to humiliate yourself in public is often the key component to learning.

Most writers' main problem is self doubt.

[thinkinginscripts]

you know, it's a strange feeling not having english as your first language but to frequently consume content in this context because most of the fanbase is part of it.

thinking in English is easy (being on tumblr for a long time helps you to get used to it) so understanding stories has never been a problem for me. but i'm starting to wonder if it doesn't mean that i don't know A & C only in this standard, with all those words that we know are always addressed to each of them, the universe and the personality that are developed over and over again. sometimes, through words that i know what they mean, but that don't exist in my language so precisely. even more often, when i feel that these identities could easily be registered in something that my language knows very well.

i know it's a silly thought, given the language that the canon is told, but i love this universe and it would be a lie to say that i don't think much about things related to it.

however, l wrote this big ass text to exchange ideas and contextualize my point, which is to ask you if you also have any particular feelings about the identities of A&C in the fanfics and canon. do you feel strange reading about both of them in a context of personality that goes far beyond what the fandom usually proposes in fanfics?

i apologize in advance for the out of nowhere question, and feel free to ignore it absolutely if you want. you had a question for me once and i know you talk a lot about fanfic reading, so i thought about passing by and sharing this thought i had. hello!

Hello, this took me a few day to respond to as i've been mulling it over. It's an interesting point you make at the start of your ask, and not one I've considered before, about distinct language. I think this is probably because English is my first language, I am actually English, and from London. So the language used to describe A&C (their features, personality and so on) is so close to my own, that I'm not conscious of it being a "distinct" register. But when I think about it, I can recognise a distinct vocabulary, even a grammar and syntax - which we read repeatedly in GO fanfiction which is part of the English language, but is subtly different when used in a GO context. And that links to your actual question - I read a lot of human AU, and there is, without doubt, a consensus developing among writers around how A&C's personalities present in human form (with some variation based on creative interpretation, and of course, some exceptions to this rule - i'm talking in for the most part).

I think it's wonderful how fans/fic writers have developed an AU 'standard' simply through discussion on here (or perhaps reddit), and through multiple fic iterations, where we have recognisable non-cannon traits we can all agree belong to either A or C.

This, in turn, has created a form of language which fans understand and agree on, which has obviously taken inspiration from cannon but it is clearly not cannon. Aziraphale's excessive use in fic, but not in cannon, of "my dear/dearest/darling/dear boy" is an obvious case in point. And as I say above, it is English, but with subtle differences in emphasis. I can think for example of the word "saunter", which when used in fic to describe Crowley feels slightly different to when I might hear the word "saunter" in everyday life.

I hadn't considered it before but it is possible that people who extend their English language skills through reading GO fanfiction might come to understand the meanings of some words slightly differently to how they are usually used in everyday English. Or they might learn vocabularly that is actually quite unusual (no one says 'scrumptious' anymore, no matter how many times you might read human Az say it).

Thankyou for asking me something i've not really reflected on before, reading as I do with my own native bias! I don't know how common it is for a fandom to develop its own non-cannon standards for AU and cannon-adjacent fics, but I do think it's wonderful we have and are still doing so, and another sign of how the GO fandom has a presence and nature intependent of its creators (which is more important than every now).

[demigodpolls]

May I ask how fics are being evaluated? Like in order to be included in the collection, what are they being "graded" on? Thank you for hosting the project I think it's great!!!

that's a great question! click here if you don't know what this ask is talking about. my answer is pretty lengthy, but I hope that you'll find something useful in its contents!

grammar is definitely going to be a big thing. certainly, grammar isn't everything. I've read many excellent works from non-native english speakers who occasionally struggle with grammar conventions, but still succeed in expressing ideas and emotions in an engaging way; however, the collection isn't being made solely with the intention of promoting fanfic writers - it's also to recommend quality works to readers! so if the story has noticeably poor grammar, then unfortunately, it probably won't end up in the collection.

sentence flow and structure is also going to be a big consideration. have you guys ever read a fanfic where it's written like, "Leo walked to the park. He had always loved going to the park. His mom would bring him to the park on Sundays. He was really excited to be going there again." there's nothing grammatically incorrect within a sentence like this, but it lacks rhythm and creates a dull reading experience. again, this is not the sole criteria being considered, but fanfics that excel in the nitty-gritty sentence/paragraph construction will definitely have a leg up on those that don't.

to help convey what I mean, I'll show you this famous piece of writing advice from gary provost:

character writing is definitely a big consideration. now, here's my thing: I actually have more disdain for people who operate with an attitude of, "I perfectly understand this character. my way of conceptualizing them is best. all of you are so wrong, stop writing them like that and start doing it like this," than I have disdain for people who gleefully enjoy their own configurations of the characters in their own way. I think it's really lame to tell people what to do with their own headcanons and interpretations, and that doing so makes fandom much less fun.

at the same time, we have to acknowledge how fanon (or canon) transforms characters into oversimplified versions of themselves. I think all of us have witnessed percy being written by others into some big dumb himbo guy (when he's actually very clever and solves problems with his brain all the time), but this stylization of his character does gets criticized a lot on tumblr. what about other characters, though? what about hazel being written as a soft, ultra-shy cinnamon roll, when she quite possibly has the most egregious pottymouth on the argo ii? what about her short temper and barely-held-back aggression towards people who offend her and her friends? or what about piper, so often portrayed as a flirty, fashionable party girl, when in canon, she hates attention, avoids it like the plague, goes out of her way to make herself "less" attractive, and never really had any friends growing up?

I am definitely not the end-all-be-all judge of "correct" portrayals of PJO characters - but when I say that character writing is going to be considered, I'm saying that I'm looking for nuanced portrayals of characters that don't reduce them to exaggerated representations of their "core" traits. I'm not really going to care if a person has small conflicts with canon in their writing (i.e., saying that frank has ADHD, when all he's got is lactose-intolerance), because the broader portrayal of who they are is what I'll be looking at.

I will also be looking for good plot progression. let me tell you guys the story of the worst fanfic I've ever read in my life: it's a slice-of-life modern day AU. two characters who don't know each other well had a one night stand, resulting in one of them getting pregnant. they decided to keep the baby, and the father decided to work hard, turn their life around, and become a better person for their upcoming child. while all of this was happening, they began to feel real affection for each other and started to fall in love. and then, after twenty-ish chapters of cute slow burn--you're not ready for this--the baby was born, and then the mother was assassinated. apparently, the father had an evil stalker all along, who was extremely jealous of the mother and wanted to be the baby's parent instead. the assassin was an OC. none of this was set up prior, just no hint whatsoever over the course of a 100k word low-stakes story. this was a normal world AU where assassins don't even belong in average, everyday life. the story ended a few chapters later, and the father went on to raise the child alone.

fanfiction is a medium where people usually don't have a firmly-structured plan for lengthy stories. a lot of the time, writers have a handful of story beats in their head to start with, and then they make up the rest as they go along. generally, I don't think this is a big deal - but sometimes, the lack of planning really shows, and it's of severe detriment to the overall story. the core issue of the above fanfic wasn't even the assassination itself (although it was tonally dissonant), it was the fact that it didn't make any sense for the story to escalate to that extreme level when nothing had been done to set it up first. you might think that the aforementioned fanfic is a rarity, but I'm actually very biased towards long, 80k+ word fanfictions. I read them a lot, and I see stuff like this more often than you'd think.

I really don't need anyone to reinvent the wheel with their story plots! a simple, predictable flower shop au is genuinely fine with me, because as long as it progresses in a sensible way, it can be a fun time! but if you're selling me a cutesy flower shop au and then, completely out of nowhere, a love interest gets assassinated by an evil stalker that's been obsessed with one of the characters for years, I will have NO choice but to launch a petition to have AO3 delete your account /j

lastly, I'd say that I'm looking for the emotions within the work. why do people go out of their way to read angst, even though it can be so depressing? it's because emotions are powerful, and so often, we crave stories that make us feel something. this applies to fluffy romance, angst, comedies, stories about friendship/platonic love, action/adventure, character studies, and so on. at the same, there's definitely a distinction to be made between properly emotional works and stories that """try too hard""" (I don't know how else to phrase this) to be emotional. for the most part, it's a setup and payoff thing!

all of this probably sounds like really harsh grading - to be clear, I don't think that fanfiction needs to be anything other than fiction created by fans. I know that everyone has to start somewhere, some people are just doing it for fun, and not everyone is confident in their writing skills - but they try, anyway, and that is always admirable. I swear I'm not some literary elitist - however, with this collection, I want to give acclaim to exceptional fanfic writers, as well as make it easier for readers who have trouble finding works that fit the above specifications.

I'm thinking that the collection will probably have a top 3 or top 5 of 2024 overall (not ranked, just a general categorization), and then everything else will be sorted by ships/lack thereof. I really appreciate your interest in the project, so thank you for asking!

- demigodpolls

[bottomlouisficfest]

So i'm thinking about writing this year and I feel like i can do a good job especially bc I read fanfic every single day but english isnt my first language and I know that the fest have betas but I'm scared that is going to be way to much job for them. Do mods usually have time to fix a lot of things? I'll try to correct it myself and put the app in English so it can correct automatically, but I can't guarantee that everything will be right.

Mods don't do any editing of the fics, so we won't be able to fix them up for you. It would be too much for the mods to help edit any fics when there are so many writers in the fest.

However, there are some other options:

Ask the beta for help very early in the process (like now) and see if they're up for the task based on how much you expect to write. While some may not be able to help, others may be willing. You won't know if you don't ask - and don't be afraid to ask a few different betas to see if they're willing to help.

If you're really struggling to find one beta to help, see if you can ask more than one beta to help and allow each to help with a different section. For example, if you have a fic that's 100 pages in Google docs, while it may be too much for one writer to do extensive editing to the entire thing, maybe one could do the first 50 pages and another could the next 50 pages.

Keep in mind that fics don't have to be perfect. While we encourage people to use betas to help ensure that their fics are as strong and easy to read as possible, this is still fanfiction, not a school essay or a professional novel. A few mistakes here or there will not ruin a fic and there's no way to improve your English and writing unless you try. Most readers are really supportive of non-native speakers who write in English and can overlook small mistakes. All you can do is do your best, keep practicing, and ask for help when you need it. We'll all be cheerleading you through it.

We hope this helps!

[emeritus-fuckers]

Hey yall, just a heads up, and I really dont mean this in a harsh way, but in one of your latest posts (the terzo helping the reader with a nightmare one), the request asked for a male reader and it was asked what difference the gender makes here and while I agree that ofc it doesnt change anything, you cant just say that and then use female terms of endearments in the fic (dolcezza for example)

Now ofc I am not a native italian speaker and I imagine most readers wont know the difference anyway and its especially difficult to ask the internet/translators (esp google translate) for help when translating stuff from a non-gendered language (english) into a gendered one (italian), but I just thought that you might wanted to know?

hi, i'm a european with a heavily gendered language, so i get where you're coming from. the others are native english speakers.

italian, similarily to polish, has little to no gender-neutral terms of endearment (tho i'd argue that polish has more than italian does because it's a very flexible language).

to clarify, anon means this ask for amab (not specified that it's for a male) reader.

the "what difference does a penis make" was a reference to a post i made some time ago, about how unless the reader's genitals affect anything, we're gonna keep the reader gender neutral.

death themself is female-leaning and we do take most asks in a self-indulgent way, so it most likely stems from this. we mix up the terms between fics (feminine in one, masculine in other), but for a more fem-aligned person, usage of fem-aligned words is much more naturally flowing and in all honesty, we just don't really have a good way to write it in a more gender neutral fashion.

primarily, the terms used depend on the writer. death will use feminine terms more often than masculine because they're fem-aligned. zenith will use masculine terms because he's a trans man. i will mix up the terms because my gender i have multiple genders and i like using funky terms.

in the end, i don't think it matters all that much? i'm not trying to dismiss your concerns and i will think about how to make it better in the future, but based on my own experience (again, my own experience, doesn't have to be the same for everyone), it's not really a big deal? it's not hard to just swap the "a" and the "o" in your mind. and i was a hetalia fangirl, so i read things with multiple languages and gendered terms. in my mind, as long as it's grammatically correct, it doesn't really impact the fanfic.

however, just to get some feedback (because i realize i am fairly biased as a polish person) i'd like to include a quick poll here.

- Nosferatu

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

So, with all the horrid stuff coming your way, Ange, I'm going to sit and counter it all.

Now, to those of you who seem to be convinced that she owes you interaction, know this: Nobody helped her get any interaction when she started. She did it all on her own. Ange is a phenomenal writer, and a lot of us in the fandom know it.

Now despite this, she chooses to be supportive of new writers that she happens across.

Exhibit A: ME.

I started writing here in the fag end of March, so that's like 3-4 months that I've been here. Now I need you guys to know this - I'm 21 and I've just started my career as a writer [I plan, curate and write content in the digital marketing space in ENGLISH] and there have been many times over the last few months where I've been ridiculously insecure about my capabilities, and I've doubted whether or not I'm good at my job many times.

This has to do with the fact that I come from a non-English speaking country. I speak three different languages a lot more than I speak english - meaning, I'm bound to make mistakes. But there's not a lot of room for that when you're a professional.

Now, my english is not shitty by any means. Some may say it is really good. But here's the thing - there is a lot of colloquialism in the way I speak. There is the Indian way of speaking, and there's the native, international way of speaking. The Indian way of speaking is not far off - but I am a professional who writes content for an international digital space. I'll have to better myself. That's why I came here. I wanted a fun way to practice writing!

Now, enter Ange - for those of you who may not know, she's a native english speaker who writes for a living too, with considerable experience if I'm not wrong. She's my beta. She proofreads the ever-loving shit out of my work, and whatever you guys read - believe me. It was not that great when I sent it to her.

With every correction you make, you makes my writing better. I learn from you each time, and I freak about my stories with you. I literally do by side-by-sides for fun, just to see what you've changed and mentally kick myself coz "HOW THE HECK DID I NOT SEE THIS SOONER?"

I was hired at my job because my employer saw potential, but it was under the promise that I get better with each day. And you have no idea how much of an impact the kinks you iron out in my work have had on me and my writing. I trembled about posting here when I did for the first time, and now I'm confident enough not to beat myself and actually feel proud. Not just here, but at work too. A lot of it has to do with you, and I'm so glad that I write here because this was supposed to be a silly little hobby - but now it's more.

So NO. You guys are wrong. Not only is she insanely supportive of new writers on the block, she also goes above and beyond for anyone who wants help with their fics. She always takes care to give my work her very best, because I believe it's just who she is.

But you know what I had to do for it? I had to approach her. Nicely. Because what you give is what you get. I was nice enough to her, and she's given it back to me. There are many writers apart from me who'd gladly talk about how she's supported them too. Nice people, who were good to her.

So no, you don't get to feel entitled to her time and expect good treatment from her. Not when you never tried.

Now, to those of you who seem to be intent on being mean to her for no reason, saying stuff like she may not be cool IRL-

I have been ridiculously anxious and painfully self-conscious my whole life (thanks mum and dad.) It has seriously affected my outwardness, which is why I keep to myself here unless I have something nice to say about someone's writing.

I only regularly talk to a handful of people here because I like sticking to those I'm comfortable with, and Ange is easily one of those few. She's insanely understanding my timidness and makes it very easy for me to talk to her. She's part of the reason why tumblr is a safe space for me, and she is one of the few that I seek out to talk to here. She supported me when I had fandom drama, and I am more than thankful that I have her in my corner here.

Now I like to think that if she's that nice here, she could only be a 1000 times better IRL.❤️

So yeah, that's my piece. I'm glad you turned anon off ange. You deserve a happy space here, and I hope all the way to the moon and back that you get it. For all that you've been put through here, you deserve nothing else. Ilysm bb, have the day you deserve. You are so loved here.❤️🫂

Sam, this made me tear up. Thank you so much for your sweet words. You are truly one of the kindest souls I have ever had the pleasure of meeting on this hellsite, and I will gladly be your beta for as long as you're happy to put up with the glacial pace I edit at. I love you <3

[gakriele-lvs-blog]

Recently, I decided to start watching videos about how to write engaging dialogue and interesting descriptions. As a non-native English writer, there have been many times I ended up facing a wall, incapable of finding a way around it, normally resulting in losing my motivation. Which also motivate me to try and find some additional tools to help: YOUTUBER:

-Tale Fundry has helped me see many tropes in a different light, providing alternates, and expanding my mindset around the possibilities that each one offers

-Ellen Brock provides simple, yet very necessary lessons for the most basic aspects of writing.

-Diane Callahan goes extremely in deep at explaining the most crucial steps when creating a story, from vocabulary, plotting, character traits, and similars.

TOOLS:

-Grammarly assistance to deal with basic mistakes in both grammar and logic is highly appreciated

Hemingway is extremely helpful to get into the readers' Pov and grasp what is easy to understand and what isn't.

-Quillbot is A very easy-to-use paraphrasing tool. As a non-native English writer, this helps immensely when writing some complex sentences

-Character AI. Yes, that one, not joking here. Just having a universal source of information, whatever be in searching for specific words or concepts, describing expressions and environments, or just getting a little help plotting a particular scene. I just can't negate its usefulness

[alex-the-moss]

Two days ago I’ve posted my analysis of the children in need special and changes regarding Davros character.

Now I feel the need to talk about what’s going to happen next. Me, because there aren’t a lot of artists actively interested in the "Davros audio-s" and at least half of my blog relies on said prequels.

First of all, I’m not sure if there’s a point in writing a letter to the bosses of DW, but I’m considering it. Maybe a petition could also change something, but I have no experiences organising those. If you are concerned about what’s happened to the iconic villain of Doctor Who your suggestions are more than welcomed! If you know or follow any other people who are actively concerned about this please let me know pls help

Second, I want to focus on how we can deal with the changes emotionally and what’s going to happen to the blog. The best way to keep the character alive is for their fans to stick together. So I’m going to be active online and I encourage you to do the same and be chatty. It will at least be fun if we’re in this together. One of the few good things about this situation is that our fandom has the rule saying we can that choose our own canon and after "the timeless child" people have already started applying it not only to the audio dramas and books but also to the filmed series. And I suggest we just do the same for the Davros retcon. Additionally fiction is not a real life, so some self-induced neglect of reality or self-deceiving won’t harm anyone nor anything. We can convince ourselves those changes have never occurred. Davros doesn’t appear in the show that often but when the new "Davros" does we can use our imagination (and a bit of my drawing skills🌚👌) to perceive him like he is the Davros we know. Because, you know, our minds are only ours to operate. And I’ll continue posting pics of characters we love as usual.

Next I’d like to recommend an additional coping strategy, which is fanfiction. Note: I’m not a native speaker of English language, so I can’t review on the use of language in fanfiction. And I know very well how poor use of words and grammar ruins the experience. So if English is your first language - take my advice with caution)) I present you the one and only fanfiction at least of those I found dedicated to the kaled nation: Damnatio Memoriae series by Mary Pseud + some other works of the same author.

This series was written after the "Davros" audio drama have been released but before the "I, Davros" was. The Author has strange attitude to sex, but if you’re able to choose for yourself you can find nice stories that have nothing to do with it (also sex scenes I’ve read were good). The Author has some interesting ideas and from the very beginning you feel like they’re onto something. It’s also pretty obvious how much Author respects the original universe and how they cherish each character they get to work with. And they have some great non-au fanfiction!

I used to be too insecure to recommend it to you, but now, no matter how strange and cringy stories of the series may seem from time to time, they feel much more home-like than the "original universe”. And Davros’ trauma is treated there with much more respect than it is by official writers, even tho Davros eventually "gets his legs back". Also I’m planning to do fan-illustrations for some of those fanfics, so you might want to know what’s going on there)

I advise you to give it a try because it’s an au fanfiction, and thanks to some of its stories, viewing the mini episode through the lense of this au can be useful for easing the emotional damage!

Take care everyone🩵

[demonstars]

nunki you're saying you're not good at writing in english is baffling to me because your narrative flows very well imo??? as someone who also writes dnf in her second language some of your works really stood up to me and the fact you also can draw?? like leave some talent to other people 😭

unfortunately I cannot draw but I write pretty well if I do say so myself. maybe

well i just wanted to let anon know that i wouldn't be able to do what i mostly expect from betaing - what helps me the most is correction of grammar and tense changes, i want to be very clear on what i can or can't do for anon to do a fair judgement i guess ? thank you for the narrative thing, but i think that's just because i'm a writer on both my languages, i'm way better writing in spanish 😭

i bet you write very well! it's not unusual for non-native english writers to be excellent there's this whole subgenre of memes about it it's just me myself think i'm still on a Point of my Journey where i struggle with basic english stuff

[letswritestories101]

How to deal with the fact that nobody is reading your story? Unfortunately, English is not my first language, I can write my fan fictions in my native language-only. I write for a not-so-popular fandom wich I am fond of, and I have plenty of ideas. I spend pratically every hour of my free time writing, editing, reserarching, sharing my WIP on AO3, and my last saga is nearly 400k words. But I'm... lonely. (continue...)

Hi Anon 👋🏽 and welcome to my blog.

No need to apologize, I don't mind answering your question one bit and I'll do what I can to help. I'm delighted that you think I can help :) Well, let's get started.

The good old question that plagues you, plagues me and many other writers: How to deal with the fact that nobody is reading your story?

There's nothing more frustrating than writing into a vacuum. And I'm not going to come here saying that we write for ourselves, because we do, but we share with others. And wanting validation is normal and a very strong desire. We write and share because we want to discuss our ideas with the world, we want these ideas to talk to others and we can engage. We are social beings and there's nothing wrong with being sad because you feel like no one cares. Of course, there are writers who make entire sagas just for themselves and feel satisfied and that's fine. They are also not wrong.

But, some of us want engagement. Conversations.

And in your situation, you still have the aggravating factor of being a non-English language in a little-known fandom. I understand your pain. English is not my first language either. And here's what I can say, what I've learned from my own experience:

Look for a fanfic site in your language (if any) - AO3 is amazing, the best fanfic site I've seen in my life. But, ingably, it is for a mostly English-speaking readership. Which makes it difficult to read in other languages, making it worse in more obscure fandoms. In my mother tongue, there are at least two famous fanfic websites. See if they have any in your language too. It may even have little engagement at first, but AO3 also has this difficulty so it might be a good try. But, don't forget to read the copyright.

Look for fandom communities in your language - Here on tumblr we have a writeblr and specific fandoms. Search in your native language for groups in that fandom! There must be fans of your fandom in your language besides you, there were in mine. Tumblr is worldwide so try to write things related to your fandom in your native language! Or similar websites in your native language! REblog posts with comments in their native language, I've found many minh speakers thus lost in various English tags.

Publicize your work - It differs a little from the tip above because in this case, you will originally publicize your work in English. But, that's the trick, warning that the language of your fic is in your native language. Many people speak other languages but interact in English because it is more common. So talk about your fic here on tumblr in English, emphasizing that the fic is in your native language.

Translate your work - Honestly speaking, the world of fanfiction and fandom is… English. And like it or not, that's where most of the public is. I publish my work in English, but I can also only write in my native language. So one of my tips is translate. Write your work as you always have and translate it into English. It is more laborious and complicated, but there is a lot of support today. There are entire programs for translation and you can only make small corrections, like for some idioms. Looking for a beta can also help. And of course, you don't have to abandon fics written in native languages. You can publish both at the same time.

Remember why you write - While wanting validation is not wrong, writing for the sake of it makes us suffer. The secret is balance and patience and that in the end, we start with ourselves and share with others.

I hope it helped you. I hope you don't give up, writing is a satisfying hobby and one that we can create so much. A hug and only the best for you anon.

[patricia-von-arundel]

Is english your first language? If so I would say you are privileged. Korean is mine, and neither of my parents are english speakers so I had to learn as I go and I still find myself making mistakes, because english is hard. It is one of the hardest languages to learn especially when you are learning a new alphabet but I still write, and I have people edit for me (people who have kindness for my situation, fortunately). So I would encourage you to show some patience for non english writers.

So che è difficile - ma lo faccio la maestra! 🤣 Non sai? (Sto solo scherzando.)

я изучал русский язык. Я могу читать и написать кириллицу!

Mistakes in informal situations (like this one) are fine. I almost certainly made some in that Italian.

But if I'm attempting to write a story, an essay, a formal letter, an application?

If I don't know, I'll look it up or ask a native speaker (as you do). I'd do that in any language! I've been helping my girlfriend with that on her applications and articles - often just taking what is technically correct, and making it more "standard."

Sono molto privilegiato! Though on the opposite side, most native English speakers, unless lucky enough to have a bilingual parent or live abroad, get no exposure to other languages until about age 14. It sucks! Privilege can go both ways, n'est-ce pas? It was highly interesting to try to handle things when I wound up, my first time in Italy and with very little Italian, in a hospital in Bologna! 🤣 Certainly kicked my butt into trying harder to learn. Though I did appreciate the old woman who, in case I was not clear from the tone, wanted to make sure this stupid American understood she did not like the doctors. "Dick! Dick!" Yes, ma'am, I'm sure they are!

I wasn't being entirely serious, but I'm also tired and so may have come across as harsh rather than somewhat facetious. Apologies in that case. Grazie per aver scritto!

(And I totally had to check 75% of that Russian. I haven't studied it since 2004!)

[factorialrabbits]

Updated end of statement (links and copy of the text itself below the read more):

Which to me feels like an extremely bad faith clarification. They know that most people asking this question are not talking about the feedback stage, or AI-powered grammar checks, or AI-assisted speech-to-text systems, or using some translation software. They are well aware this is not what people mean, and to throw it on lower class, disabled, and non-native English speaking folk using tools to assist in writing not to generate the writing itself is trash of them.

Also I note that to my reading they seem to be implying that writing in a foreign language is a disability? Which is also extremely gross in multiple directions.

There is, yes, the point that NaNo is an honor system and so they cannot police against it. This would be a very reasonable stance. It is not what they chose to say, however. Neither did they simply point out that "AI" tools other than generative "AI" exist, nor did they actually list examples.

Full text of their response:

NaNoWriMo does not explicitly support any specific approach to writing, nor does it explicitly condemn any approach, including the use of AI. NaNoWriMo's mission is to "provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people use their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page." We fulfill our mission by supporting the humans doing the writing. Please see this related post that speaks to our overall position on nondiscrimination with respect to approaches to creativity, writer's resources, and personal choice. 

Note: we have edited this post by adding this paragraph to reflect our acknowledgment that there are bad actors in the AI space who are doing harm to writers and who are acting unethically. We want to make clear that, though we find the categorical condemnation for AI to be problematic for the reasons stated below, we are troubled by situational abuse of AI, and that certain situational abuses clearly conflict with our values. We also want to make clear that AI is a large umbrella technology and that the size and complexity of that category (which includes both non-generative and generative AI, among other uses) contributes to our belief that it is simply too big to categorically endorse or not endorse. 

We believe that to categorically condemn AI would be to ignore classist and ableist issues surrounding the use of the technology, and that questions around the use of AI tie to questions around privilege. 

Classism. Not all writers have the financial ability to hire humans to help at certain phases of their writing. For some writers, the decision to use AI is a practical, not an ideological, one. The financial ability to engage a human for feedback and review assumes a level of privilege that not all community members possess.

Ableism. Not all brains have same abilities and not all writers function at the same level of education or proficiency in the language in which they are writing. Some brains and ability levels require outside help or accommodations to achieve certain goals. The notion that all writers “should“ be able to perform certain functions independently or is a position that we disagree with wholeheartedly. There is a wealth of reasons why individuals can't "see" the issues in their writing without help. 

General Access Issues. All of these considerations exist within a larger system in which writers don't always have equal access to resources along the chain. For example, underrepresented minorities are less likely to be offered traditional publishing contracts, which places some, by default, into the indie author space, which inequitably creates upfront cost burdens that authors who do not suffer from systemic discrimination may have to incur. 

Beyond that, we see value in sharing resources and information about AI and any emerging technology, issue, or discussion that is relevant to the writing community as a whole. It's healthy for writers to be curious about what's new and forthcoming, and what might impact their career space or their pursuit of the craft. Our events with a connection to AI have been extremely well-attended, further-proof that this programming is serving Wrimos who want to know more. 

For all of those reasons, we absolutely do not condemn AI, and we recognize and respect writers who believe that AI tools are right for them. We recognize that some members of our community stand staunchly against AI for themselves, and that's perfectly fine. As individuals, we have the freedom to make our own decisions.

Article link: https://nanowrimo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/29933455931412-What-is-NaNoWriMo-s-position-on-Artificial-Intelligence-AI

Wayback machine archive of link, accurate as of 2nd September 2024 UK time: https://web.archive.org/web/20240902144333/https://nanowrimo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/29933455931412-What-is-NaNoWriMo-s-position-on-Artificial-Intelligence-AI

I will also link this: https://nanowrimo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/29929627478804--I-can-t-believe-NaNoWriMo-is-endorsing-a-person-company-who-does

So it looks like NaNoWriMo are happy to have AI as part of their community. Miss me with that bullshit. Generative artificial intelligence is an active threat to creativity and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in creative fields.

Please signal boost this so writers can make an informed choice about whether to continue to take part in such a community.

[cherimoyatea]

Hello! I'm writing you anonymously out of embarrassment because the subject is quite sensitive for me. You don't need to reply, I just want to share with you the comfort that your words answering a post accusing people who receive a high % of AI content in the quillbot detector gave me (note that I say people who receive a high %, not people who actually use AI…).

I'll tell you my case. I'm a person who has always liked English a lot, but I'm not a native. I'm not a native by a long shot. I've recently found myself in a very stressful period of my life and I've found a lot of comfort writing fanfiction and sharing it in this community. I don't publish in my original language because it would mean reaching a very small community, and it's a real challenge for me to do it in English and that way I learn a lot.

The thing is that I write in the following way: I write ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING in my language. Then I translate with google translator (pretty dull), and I use chatgpt to look up single words. Yes. I search in chatgpt. Because for me, it's not so clear if scowl is more aggressive than frown, and I need that help. But the help I ask for is that, some vocabulary. I have never, ever asked for help to create the story itself. In fact, each fic takes me a lot of time and work. I've spent up to a month editing some because I'm a perfectionist.

When I saw the post yesterday criticizing ai, I launched the bot out of curiosity… and when I received percentages of between 25-50% on some fics, I started to cry. How was it possible that after all the work behind it, that tool makes me feel like a fraud? I thought about deleting everything. I was ashamed and thought about deleting my tumblr account… and then, I saw your post. And I understood many things.

So, THANK YOU.

PS: I'm using Google Translate right now :P

Hello Annonie!

First of all, thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your feelings with me. I'm so sorry to hear that you cried and even thought about deleting your blog. There is nothing wrong with using tools to improve your English or to check your grammar and sentence structure.

You did nothing wrong 🫂

People need to understand that these AI detectors, including Quillbot, are easy to manipulate and can be easily confused by a combination of factors, such as typos, commas, non-native writing patterns and so on...

Even Quillbot itself includes a disclaimer on their page, stating that their detector is not 100% reliable so please don't think too much about the results it gives you.

There's a huge difference between 25-50% and 50-80%

But this is exactly why @chaos-in-deepspace and others need to reconsider their approach to this subject. They're effectively harming people's mental health under the guise of spreading awareness. Even if unintentionally. (I tagged you to have a look at this, not to call you out, mind you).

In fact, you are not the first person to reach out to me about this. My inbox is flooded with messages from users who are terrified of being falsely accused, and my heart goes out to each and every one of you.

I'm sharing this publicly now because you wrote me anonymously; I hope that's okay.

For clarification: I'm not enabling AI writers. This is a matter that should be discussed, but not by throwing people under the bus.

Anyway.

Annonie, if you're reading this: Please promise me you'll take care of your health, alright? Log out, spend time with loved ones, do something that feels good to you. And if you feel like talking, you can always reach out to me anonymously 🩷✨

Remember: This is not the real world. This is just the internet, with a bunch of strangers sharing their insights on a game that's supposed to be fun.

Don't stop doing what you love. Share your stories, keep working on improving your English skills. You don't need to be perfect; just be patient with yourself, and someday you won't even need to rely on translators. 😊

Love, Cheri 🍒