#but i'm struggling to understand what kind of content people want to see or engage with

[nothorses]

You've made a lot of really great posts about transmasc experiences and struggles, and they really resonate with me! So I guess I want to in complete earnest ask: why the push for 'transandrophobia' when anti-transmasculinity as a term has been around for longer and faces little friction by comparison? I don't really *dislike* transandrophobia, but its meaning gets muddied everywhere from different directions, while ATM is pretty direct and succinct I feel. It's very clear that it's about TRANSmasculine oppression. I'm not against having a dedicated term at all, but the content of our struggles gets lost in the weeds of attaching kind of understandably divisive terms like misandry and androphobia in an attempt to mirror a phenomenon very specifically about misogyny; it seems more trouble than it's worth considering ATM is right there

I'll be honest, this ask is confusing to me for a few reasons.

When I started talking about transandrophobia around the summer of 2020, the conversations I was encountering were very much, like, a handful of people across Twitter and Tumblr (literally, a handfull!). I picked up "transandrophobia" because it was one of two words I saw in use, and the other- "transmisandry"- felt much less clear and much more contentious. It seemed super obvious to me that people would draw a line from "men's rights activists" trying to push this idea that "misandry", as a systemic oppression of men by women, to "transmisandry", and assume some ill intent where there was none. It's confusing!

"Transandrophobia" was the better of two options being floated at the time, at least in any conversation I saw. "Anti-transmasculinity" was not really a term I'd been made aware of, if anyone at all was talking about it at the time.

I have seen people pick up "anti-transmasculinity" more recently (maybe in the last year?), and this is definitely the first I've seen someone shorten it to "ATM". The people I've seen use that term have been mostly people who seem really new to the conversation, and the vibe I've gotten has been very, like, "we're the Good Transmascs, our word isn't dirty and gross like those other Bad Transmascs everyone hates. you'll listen to us now that our word is Good and Pure, right?"

Which is like... kind of frustrating, and kind of sad, honestly. I think these people honestly believe that if they just choose the right word, all the people who've been dragging me and every other transmasc talking about these issues through the mud for the last 4 years or so will really just stop & listen. If they can just say it right, these people- who have been relentlessly harassing and spreading lies about every single transmasc who came before them for years now- will care what they have to say, and will be willing to engage with them in earnest, compassionate dialogue.

If you just find the right word, all of these people will care about your hurt, your pain, and the suffering of your community.

It kind of breaks my heart. It's an incredibly hopeful, kind, loving way to view the world. It's compassion and patience and forgiveness that these folks are not being given, but that they so badly want to offer to others.

And at the same time, it sucks to be the Bad Transmasc. It sucks to have fought so hard for so long, and for the people I've been fighting for all this time to turn around and say, "you're gross, and dirty, and evil, and everything you've done is a mistake." It sucks to see the people I've been fighting for agree with the people I've been fighting against, and shove me under the bus in an effort to appeal to the people running me over with it. Knowing that the bus is going to aim for them once it's done with me just makes it sadder, yknow?

@saint-speaks wasn't the first person to ever speak the word "transandrophobia", but he is the one who coined and popularized it in its current form. And then he was dragged through the mud so hard and so brutally that some people think I coined it, just because when I defended him (too little and too late, imo) I withstood the mud-dragging better than he did (and gee, I wonder white.)

And now people take for granted that everything everyone said about hymn to justify that frankly fucking evil harassment campaign was true, actually, and we should abandon the word he coined and find one with purer origins.

If you honestly think "anti-transmasculinity" is just a more practical word, that's fine. I don't care what word we use. But they're going to cover it in mud, too. They're going to cover every one of you in mud.

Will you keep fighting for "ATM" once they make it the new dirty, gross, bad, evil word? Will you keep fighting when they drag you and everyone else through the mud for using it? Or will you agree with them, make up a new word, and never look back?

Please don't let us drown in the mud. We've been fighting for you, and we want to fight with you. Please.

[wowcatboys]

Hello! :)

First, I'd like to say that I've been enjoying your works so much! They're so well-written and fun to read ^^ I especially loved the one with Kayn and a cute partner, it was so sweet! <3

If it's alright (and there's no worries if not!), may I ask for either Sett or Yone with a shy, soft-spoken partner? Both seem like they'd make a cute pairing! Just completely sfw please.

Tysm! 🩷💫

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

HEARTSTEEL SETT/ SHY READER ♡ Gender Neutral ♡ SFW ♡ No TWs ♡ YESSSS I'm so excited to write for Sett ! While the amount of Kayn content might indicate otherwise I have ALWAYS been a Sett main and I will ALWAYS maintain he is BEST BOI ♡ Thank you for your kind words anon! Hope you enjoy ~

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

SETT

Wonderful, sweet Sett—he can tell exactly when you're worried about a social situation. All it takes is a look, and he knows that you're stuck in your own head, stressed about meeting new people or replaying the last conversation you stumbled through. "Hey," he says gently, bumping you with his shoulder. "You okay?" Sett listens as you talk through your concerns, rubbing a comforting thumb over your knuckles. He's silent until you finish. "I know other people can be rough" he says once you've expressed your struggles. "But honestly? Screw what anyone else thinks about you. You're sweet, kind, cute..." Sett continues the list until he coaxes a smile out of you. "But for real," he says, once you feel better. "I think you're the greatest. If someone else can't see that just because you're a little shy, that's their loss."

Sett knows he's got those Scary Boyfriend Privileges and he's not afraid to put them to work for you. Trapped in a conversation? He'll stand behind you, arms crossed, and glare. Usually the other person says their goodbyes pretty quickly. Need to confront someone? Any disagreement, big or small; say less. Sett is there, definitely not flexing menacingly. And asserting yourself? Well, telling your roommate to do their own dishes is a hell of a lot easier with over six feet of solid muscle backing you up.

Whenever you've got something to say, Sett shushes everyone so that you can speak. It's a little embarrassing, suddenly having all the attention suddenly on you. You do have to admit, though, it's nice to have people actually listen to you for once.

Obviously he can't avoid fans approaching him, but Sett feels so bad whenever you're out together and someone recognizes him. You've already got limited social energy, and now you have to waste it playing nice with heart-eyed fangirls ogling your boyfriend? He understands it's not pleasant. "Sorry, baby," he says to you. "I'll make it quick, I promise." After taking a selfie or two with them, he politely but insistently makes an excuse to leave. "Awesome to meet you," he smiles, winding his fingers through yours, "but we gotta go. Heartsteel schedules, man!" After you make your escape, Sett bends down to kiss your forehead and apologizes for the unwanted attention.

The best way Sett supports you in social situations is through his body language. He comforts you with the soft pressure of a hand on your back, or a reassuring thumb rubbing circles over your knuckles. When you speak, he turns his head to you, fully engaged. And, if you're in a group, he always makes sure to angle his body so that you're included in the circle.

When introducing you to his mom, Sett sticks to you like velcro. The two people he cares about most, finally meeting? Of course he wants it to go well! He practically hovers over you, trying to give you as much support as he can. You can barely go to the bathroom without him chaperoning. Bless his heart, though—he's so nervous and eager to please both his mom and you that it actually ends up making you more withdrawn. Thankfully, his mom—angel that she is—notices how nervous you are. She gives you a comforting smile (the exact same one her son often offers you, you note) and tells you both to relax. "Don't pressure yourself, my dear," she says to you. "My son adores you, which means I do, too. You've already got my approval." Her kindness and warmth is incredibly disarming, and you find it's very easy to come out of your shell around her.

God help the poor soul who tries to speak over you. Sett gets so pissed whenever anyone cuts you off. It doesn't matter if it's a Heartsteel member, or one of your friends, or, fuck it, your own damn mother—Sett's jaw locks and he gives them the dirtiest of dirty looks. "Uh, hey? I think they were trying to say something," he interrupts them, voice firm and eyes hard. And with Sett glaring down at them like that, all bulging muscles and barely-concealed growls and pissed-off-boyfriend energy? They usually quiet down pretty quick, and you're free to continue. They're on Sett's shit-list for the next couple of days, though. He's giving them a glare every time your back is turned.

While Sett loves his bros in Heartsteel, he knows that they all have really big, loud personalities. It can be a lot to deal with, especially for someone so shy. So, he invites you to everything—music video filming, birthday parties, movie nights— but he makes it clear that he completely understands if you don't want to come. Oh, but if you do show up? He's over the moon, and he'll do anything to make sure you're as comfortable as possible. Feeling overwhelmed and need a social break? He'll step outside for a walk with you. Kayn's teasing you? Sett's got him in a 'friendly' headlock in .2 seconds. Said something embarrassing? Don't worry. Sett will immediately distract everyone, even if he's got to say something twice as embarrassing to change the subject. Whatever you need, he's got you.

[randomthefox]

Why do some people dislike the characterization from Frontiers?

They will say stuff like:

"But Amy already shares love with the world! It doesn't make sense for this moment to be sad!"

Me: You don't get it. Amy is going to be own hero and not rely on Sonic entirely anymore. She will help and heal others, even if that means she won't see Sonic that much anymore.

"Knuckles HAS been off of his island to do fun things! It doesn't make sense!"

Me: You don't get it. He's struggling between duty, and happiness. How can you live your own life and not be selfish? He is the last of his kind, but does that mean he won't get the chance to live how he wants? This next chapter for Knuckles is going to be interesting.

"Tails did stuff on his own! He defeated Chaos and Eggman! It doesn't make any sense!"

Me: You don't get it. Tails is going to find out what he'll be without Sonic. He called himself a "burden" to his best friend; now he needs to find the confidence to let go of that pain by proving to himself he is amazing. Overcome the fear of failure he had in Forces, and realize he isn't a "side kick" but a best friend who is the coolest. He is going to find out who to be without Sonic, because there might be a day....when his best friend won't be there.

But nope. SEGA and Sonic Team and IIzuka are stupid. They wouldn't put ANY god damn thought into the story and characters, right? Why do they think this? BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET IT.

Yeah honestly the complaints about the writing in Frontiers always seem really stupid to me. Like they're inventing things to complain about for lack of anything genuine that's bad about it.

I can understand not really jiving with the way Frontiers is handling its story. The game is very slow paced and dialog heavy and introspective, it's characters mostly just talking about their feelings. If that's boring to you I totally get that. If you prefer the more story light and action oriented plots of Sonic Heroes or Sonic Colors, or if you prefer the more theme focused stories of Sonic Adventure and Adventure 2, or if you'd rather be along a roller coaster that's more about the situation the characters are in like with the storybook games or Sonic Forces, or if you're more down for the vibes of an experience like you get out of Sonic Unleashed. Then that's totally fair.

Personally I'm up for whatever Sonic wants to do regardless of what it is lol. And Frontiers being more navel gazing and dialog oriented is something I can be very engaged by. If it doesn't engage you then I get that - we all have different tastes. But when you say it isn't a matter of taste and start acting like the writing of the story itself is lacking, that's when I'm gonna be holding your reasoning to scrutiny and often the complaints about Frontiers do not hold up under that scrutiny.

Amy and Tails's character stories in Frontiers are about them wanting to set out on their own and figure out how to define themselves separately from Sonic. And you can't really argue against the fact that they're both very much satellite characters who are defined almost entirely by their relationship with Sonic. Realizing due to the experience of cyberspace that they kind of don't like that about themselves and wanting to strike out on their own to figure out who they are when Sonic isn't in the room seems like a reasonable character conflict to explore from where I'm sitting.

Knuckles' story as far as I'm concerned is addressing a hole that has existed with his character ever since the ending of Sonic Adventure, where his story concluded with him deciding ignorance was bliss and he was content with just living as a guardian for the master emerald without getting embroiled in the wider world around him. There was never really a direct in text explanation for why he's going and running around doing stuff with Sonic instead of guarding the master emerald after that. You could argue that them finally addressing that is too little too late but I say better late than never.

You could nitpick by saying that Tails and Amy spend PLENTY of time on their own without Sonic around so realistically this shouldn't be a question they're burdened by and that Knuckles obviously DOES leave his island to go on adventures so having him address the limitations of his guardian duty is a moot point. Obviously it's very meta writing, it's the characters sort of confronting their narrative roles rather than acting like three dimensional individuals who continue to exist whenever the camera isn't looking at them. But since when has being meta automatically been a bad thing? Sonic has always been meta from the very beginning. And going in a different direction with the narrative to have the characters confronting the way they're conventionally written as an in universe attribute of their characterization is a fun experiment for them to take to coincide with a video game that is experimenting with a new system of gameplay.

If that experiment didn't really work out for you, then that's okay

But that isn't a problem with the story.

[some-teeth-in-a-trench-coat]

please tell us more about moth wizard

With pleasure!!! (Although I have to keep it short because I need to sleep pretty soon BUT I can add more tomorrow)

Moth Wizard is one of my OCs and also the (temporary) name of the setting in which he is the main character.

Moth Wizard the character is a Jewish trans man who has learned magic and specializes exclusively in controlling moths. He is likely autistic and loves lepidopterans (moths and butterflies) and struggles with social cues and understanding what other people are thinking or able to infer from a situation. My boyfriend has recently been reading me the Discworld books (focusing on the Watch recently finishing Feet of Clay, which was amazing btw but I think my favorite scene was Dorfl's last one... reminds me of a certain story from the Talmud teehee) so if you're familiar, I find that Moth Wizard is a lot like Carrot Ironfoundersson. He's kind and humble and just wants to help, but can sometimes be totally oblivious to how others interpret a situation. The main difference being that Moth Wizard is not quite so charismatic, both in his social awkwardness and in his humble appearance.

The idea is that he's only the main character in the sense that we take his point of view and that he is in every "episode" (I think of the story in terms of a TV show, I'll probably never get that far but the IDEA is that I'm gonna do it all in Blender), but every story is actually about someone else, it's like he just walks in and becomes a side character to someone else's adventure, with a different adventure each episode.

Moth Wizard the setting is a post apocalyptic fantasy world. Essentially, although humans and most of the Earth survived, war and climate change and the hunger of capitalism escalated until most established power structures crumbled, and then on top of all that, suddenly humans could do magic! Basically, chaos. But not the end of humanity. And the survivors built new communities and generally speaking there is peace, or at least no group is large or organized or armed enough to engage in anything that can be called "war" and still seeing the smoke from the last time war happened, few are eager to change it. But that's politics, not what I meant to talk about.

People who decide to pursue magic are called wizards, and generally they will specialize around some concept, because it's just a lot more convenient. It was originally teenagers who discovered magic, because the way magic works is that you need to do it on purpose. You need to focus and genuinely try, in that special way that you stop doing as you grow older, because you learn that all you'll achieve is making yourself look stupid. To use magic in the world of Moth Wizard, you need to be vulnerable and put your faith in what you're doing, enough that you might cry if it doesn't work because of disappointment and/or embarrassment. And teens are great at that. Children have imagination, yes, but they're not vulnerable in the same way (and also I need some way to make sure children aren't going around summoning dragons or raising the dead), and usually they're not as desperately hopeless as someone experiencing puberty and all the horrors that come with it. Teens are perfect because (generally) they have pride to hurt and hopes to crush, but still haven't "grown up" to the point where they don't believe in magic enough to be truly vulnerable about it.

That's all I've got time to say right now, but if you want more Right Now, here's a link to a list of my most developed characters, each with a brief description!

And you can also join the "Moth Wizard fandom" community if you'd like, where I will occasionally post bonus content, and I'm hoping if more people join we can have discussions about it! Totally optional but here's the invite link for anyone interested!

Thank you so much for the ask, anon!!!

[summerongrand]

Some thoughts on fandom curation ... fueled by caffeine ...

I'm all about curating fandom like I curate my coffee. Both can be deeply personal and communal at the same time. I have an entire pantry cabinet dedicated to coffee: coffee beans, grounds, sauces and syrups, all different kinds of gadgets, different types of coffee, and the different devices used to make a good mason jar of coffee. I'm also the type of person that will go out of the way to try an Instagrammable coffee place.

By all means, curate your Tumblr feed. Fudge with the algo. Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it. If blocking or muting is your cup of joe, then do it!

Where I find this selective curation a bit troubling is what causes people to block. Blocking, again, is great if there's a disconnect between what a blogger writes and what you want to see on your feed. But it can be troubling if the content that causes them to hit the block button is one that calls out inequality against a character they love.

I found out that someone (an active someone in the Chenford space) blocked me because I wrote this post about starting more fandom discussions about gender in the workplace, specifically the challenges that WOC face. I’m baffled that this post about Lucy's struggles triggered them to hit that block button. Nearly 50% of girls and women aged 15-44 in the United States are women of color. That number increases to 100% on The Rookie.

I can understand if someone doesn't know how to participate in this kind of discourse or if they're hesitant to chime in because they don't want to accidentally say something that may be perceived differently than their intentions. We all come from different walks of life and our experiences with people shape who we are. If you do want to engage but don't know how, my DMs are open and they're a safe and judgment-free zone.

It is both eye-opening though and disheartening to see someone actively object to seeing discourse about inequality, discrimination, and racism. This isn't about "wokeness" at all ("woke" and its synonyms are not words that anyone has ever used to describe me). This is about how societal institutions affect a fictional character that you, my blocker, purport to love. It's about engaging in thoughtful discourse to ensure that we don't ignore that same character's identity - again, a character that you purport to love. How can you claim to love a character and actively choose to ignore her struggles?

Anyway, if I spent more time thinking about how I wanted to write this post, it would read a bit differently than it does now. I've also learned that if I spend more time thinking about things, then I lose some of the potency of what I wanted to say.

So I'm just gonna post this thing under the tags, prepare for more misplaced anti-woke blocks, and make some craft coffee.

[acapelladitty]

Can I ask for some writing and fandom advice? This might be kind of long, so I hope that’s OK.

I recently started writing my own fanfics but I’m scared to actually publish because a lot of them deal with dark topics (noncon, dubcon, abuse, forced captivity, that kind of stuff).

I’m a big DC and Marvel fan (I’m in other phantoms too, but those are my main ones) and I particularly like villains, so I’m usually reading and writing about characters where it makes sense to explore those dark topics. For reasons I don’t totally understand, I find dark fic hot and cathartic.

I know there are others like me who are villain fans and who like dark fic so I know there would be a target audience and part of me wants to share it with them…but I’m very wary of the purity culture push in fandom spaces. I know that sometimes people who write darker content can get very hateful messages, or mass blocked, or even doxxed in the worst cases, and I’m scared of the possibility of that backlash.

Have you ever had to deal with that kind of backlash? And if so, how do you manage it? Do you ever struggle with guilt over liking dark fiction?

I've not really had any backlash with my writing and I like to think it's because I'm respectful of the things I'm portraying. I don't condone or defend any of the actions, I only portray them in the way I could see them occurring as part of that canon.

I think people catch hate because they revel in underage content and incest (which gives me the fear) as well as non-con elements. Non-con is generally more 'accepted' but won't be when they're mixed with those other topics as it leaves a really bad taste in people's mouths.

I don't struggle with engaging with works which have some darker elements (hard bdsm, non-con, toxic relationships etc) because these are things I know are interesting to explore in fiction but would repulse me irl. If I ever did catch flak for my writing then I would wait to see what the person's problem was and if it was something that required discussion or an explanation.

[wraithdance]

I’m glad you made a post talking about how it’s okay for non poc to reblog those posts & stories. I’m a white cis woman and I always hesitate to do that because I know it’s not meant for me.

A creator here blocked me because I liked one of their fics & their content “wasn’t for me to like.” I’ve also been told that I shouldn’t listen to the song “Black Barbie” because it’s not meant for me.

This absolutely is not a “woe is me” thing, I just always have a hard time with interacting with poc or the lgbtq+ communities because I’ve seen so many of them talk about how much they hate when white people try to interact with their content (which is fair, I guess?).

I really struggle to navigate what I’m allowed to do and what I’m not. I’m a little older so I try to be sensitive and attentive to how other people feel about people like me, it just gets a little discouraging to get blocked & told to fuck off because I’m white. I can’t really be mad about it, obviously.

Hi! So again, I in no way claim to be an expert on all things black/poc or marginalized, we don't all share the same boundaries and what not, so a good rule of thumb would be to check out the blog for a 'Do not interact' list that states explicitly ‘x’ ppl don't engage. (More thoughts below the cut but that's the main take away to this ask.)

If you do all that and still get blocked that's kinda a meh oh well situation because at least you did your due diligence. Personally I 10000% curate my irl spaces to not center white people or non queer, non fat people as much as I can, because it is exhausting being considerate of others who don't understand the core of how I have to navigate my life. I'm a little more lax online because I do really like engaging with everyone and unfortunately theres very few poc people in this fandom in general. But it's why you'll never see me say the N-word on here or make posts that I really would only feel comfortable with black people engaging with because I know I have a mixed following.

For the music thing for me personally I'm not the most comfortable when non black people interact with really, really culturally specific rap music without knowing their anti-racist views first. because there's a history of tokenizing, colonizing and meme-fying black music and our artists. If you can enjoy the song with efforts to be respectful I personally don't give a fuck, ask the next black person and they say something different so its case by case.

When LGBTQ+ people and POC people say they don't want white/straight people to interact its probably because the internet is the one space they don't have to curate or mask their person-hood. So, you should absolutely respect that and kanye shrug if you ever see a request for white/straight people to DNI with fics. I know you said this isn't a woe is me thing but I'm a little concerned about you having a hard time interacting with the LGBT/POC communities bit. Could you possibly explain further?

Because in my experience where one marginalized person does not want to engage with a privileged party, there's like ten more marginalized people who are open to conversations or friendship with someone outside of their experience. So you absolutely should not be deterred from engaging with LGBT/POC people or anyone not like you and their works.

It's fine that it hurts your feelings but I'm telling you now, with more kindness than another person may be able to afford, your hurt feelings about being blocked is minuscule when you're able to exist in spaces that disregard us/are violent towards us in and off the internet. Just do what you can to research and unpack what you can, that's all you can do!

[tailoroffates]

Author Ask Tag Game

I don't usually like to talk about myself, but if that's how you play then I'll play along. Thanks for the tag @doublegoblin!

I'm interested to learn about @winterandwords @toribookworm22 @turnthemasunder-if and @comicgoblinart so I'm tagging them with a non-obligatory participation offer. If anyone else would like to participate then join on in!

The Garden that Burned series is what I choose to answer with.

(1) What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

To be honest my story didn't start out with an underlying meaning. It took me a while to grow and build as an author before I realized I'd unintentionally included little "moral to the story" arcs within my plot and character arcs. Some of the points I touch on are resolving racism, accepting people for who they are not who you want them to be, learning to understand your emotions, fighting and/or coping with anxiety, learning to accept death and manage grief, war is a cycle of hatred, forgiveness despite biases, and there are likely a few other things I can't recall at this very moment.

(2) What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

Well, I really like Elder Scrolls, Tolkien's works, and Avatar the Last Airbender, so I'd have to say my magic systems are inspired by those, however, I've put my own twist on them so they fit better with the lore. The flora and fauna I've created are mostly chimeras of existing real-life plants and animals.

(3) What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

My MC was initially trying to become the leader of his village, but fate had different plans for him. Now his goal is to end the Divine war between the mortals and their gods. What am I trying to achieve? Nothing too deep. I just wanna share some stories :D If someone learns something or grows by reading my series then all the better. It would actually make me very happy.

(4) How many chapters is your story going to have?

My first book has 24 chapters, but I have no idea how many the second, third, fourth, or fifth will have. Your guess is as good as mine. I suppose I'll try to aim for that same 24 mark, but who knows.

(5) Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

The series is made up of original content and I intend to publish each book.

(6) When and why did you start writing?

I started as a wee tot but picked it up as an actual habit when it became therapeutic to me. Writing helps me work through my anxieties.

(7) Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

The best I can say is if writing is a passion of yours but you struggle putting pen to paper try setting a daily word count for yourself. It doesn't have to be a large count, but I promise you will improve by practicing every day. If you can't think of anything to write for the day, look up writing prompts and I'm sure you'll find a few that pique your interest.

As for other Writers of Tumblr I follow, I typically follow the creatives. People who show their passion by posting their works. It inspires me to see so many others writing their stories and participating in the writing community, so I aim to join in on the fun!

[craske]

I don't want to sound pretentious when i say all this (and this ended up being really long??), but i really do think you don't need to uphold your online presence so consciously, or even at all. There's nothing wrong with being "inactive" because trying to show up for everything is some sick standard social media made up. Maybe it might be difficult to uphold an idgaf personality, but i can say from my experience it could be better to try a little bit at a time. I can say that they really do mean it when you can have quiet admirers, from my experience all the more. Maybe they're too shy to put silly tags when they reblog or just put a like on your post. And I don't think you have to worry too much about sticking to one piece of media and be afraid the people following you won't like you anymore for posting different content. At most, I just believe they won't really care enough to unfollow you or stop engaging entirely. The most important thing to me is that you stick around doing the things you actually want to do, even if you're just showing up every month or so, or black out for a year or more. Because the people who do care will be overjoyed to see you whatever you post or share, especially when you come back after a long time. It really is discouraging when you don't see that actively, maybe because we're so used to seeing numbers that relate to our worth. But i like to imagine we're waving at each other from a distance or smiling through a window, as horrid as online landscapes can be nowadays. I know i'm running my mouth here but i just wanted to share my experience because i um. 🙋 also think youre really cool and awesome and i love whatever work you do and the fact you share it is an amazing thing enough i feel privelaged and youre humor is funny and whatever new stuff you post is just introducing me to things i'll also think is cool down the line and i really do wish i can share my appericiation more and evolve from being a quiet admirer /inhales/ 👍 i would say this is a sort of love letter from the gas station but i also mean it as kai 👋 i hope you're doing well in uni or that it gets better soon or in whatever it is youre doing now. and whether or not youre online, i hope youre doing the things you enjoy 🫶

okay i needed some time to figure out how to respond to this ask because theres a lot (in a /pos way dont worry) so ill start off with saying that i really really and i do mean it Really appreciate what you said here. Especially lately, ive been struggling with being active online outside of small spaces where there are just me and a few other people. might be me feeling overwhelmed when i say something into the void with a high chance of no response, though i wont fault anyone for that. i myself know interaction is scary so i do get it. ever since i started using the internet ive stuck to my small online bubbles so yeah interaction kind of intimidating online

and though i agree it does feel discouraging to sometimes see no feedback or much of a reaction, i try not to be bummed out about it myself because im also a silent admirer of many artists online. so like ive said before i do understand that sometimes people are shy and dont interact directly and theres no pressure really to change that. just the idea that there are people that like what i make is really nice, even though i suffer from the same issue that maaany other artists have and i need to actively remind myself of that.

about sticking to one fandom its a very recent but big issue to me because ive been DEEP in the persona pit for like 4 years, and i certainly built an audience around that. i know there will always be people that stick around no matter what but despite that theres always that nagging feeling that maaybe things will crumble. obviously thats not true but human mind fucking SUCKS

as the final note ill say it again that your message means a lot to me and i thank you a lot for it <333 im soo flattered by your words and they made my past two days, thank you soo much

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

"this is a discussion blog and we're all allowed to have our own opinion on the matter"

Here is a point where I find it conflicting.

There are a lot of anonymous women who have made a big deal out of it (including you at times). To the point, and I saw it in your blog, that they even took it for granted that Evan is going to marry Haley. That she is perfect -in general- and that everything Evan does, something has to do with her (for example, the comment on Amazon about the anti-allergic).

Then you allow the issue to get bigger. When there is only one photo and, at most, they are dating and haven't seen each other for a long time (at least in public).

So, you have a little responsibility for the blog to enter into discussion. When you can easily answer to every repetitive question about Haley that you are asked with a "nothing is confirmed, time will tell".

My opinion.

i'm not exactly sure what you mean when you say a ''big deal''. i know i harp on this at times, but i have to reiterate: this is a gossip blog. if celebrity gossip makes you uneasy, then it is best you do not engage with this content. the very first post i ever made stated this and that no reasonable topic would be off-limits, and i let my readers guide the discussions we have. the messages i get define the flow of our conversation. some days all we do is bemoan the emma roberts gremlins, other days we talk about haley lu, or fran and her bait-y ways.. sometimes it's just folks having an outlet for their horny thoughts. sometimes i have nothing to add and other times i write paragraphs. this blog belongs to the readers just as much as it belongs to me - if they do not engage, this is just an empty blog where dust would collect.

also, if you saw the posts you're referencing, because lord knows i remember.. then you already know i tempered the expectations of the people who thought that evan and haley should have already been meeting each others families and planning for marriage 2 weeks after potentially meeting the first time. it was whiplash inducing going from ask to ask. but outside of managing trolls, i tried to do this in a civil way and understand that not everyone is as old as i am and it's natural that some people may get over-excited. likewise, i dealt with people who came to share legitimate feelings of sadness and conflict over evan dating someone, and i tried to talk with them in a human way to understand that our feelings can be complex and irrational, and it doesn't always mean someone is ill-intentioned or stupid; just struggling with their emotions.

this is the nature of a discussion blog - as the admin, outside of sharing my own opinions, i feel like my only responsibility is to keep conversations from going off the rails and being destructive or overly negative. i am not here to police anybody for reasonable conversation on a gossip discussion blog! i do not resent those who disagree with me, but i do kind of resent stupid people who litter my ask box with petty or downright delusional baloney. sorry if that makes me a grump.

and this is where you lose me. the comment re: the amazon review for nasal spray was obviously done jokingly. please remove the stick from betwixt the cheeks of your buttocks, ma'am. no tumblr users were hurt by me and a tweam member joking about evan's allergy to felines, when haley lu has a beloved cat! no one, and i really mean no one because i can never recall it, has said haley is perfect or everything she does is related to evan. where were you the other day when we literally belabored the fact that not everything haley (or anyone) posts on social media is about their SO? c'mon..

and what kind of a gossip/discussion blog would this be if every time someone wanted to chat about something unverified, i simply copy and pasted an auto-response about how ''nothing is confirmed''? it's not like we're over here discussing evan's tax documents or racing to see who can find his social security number first. TEA is in the username, TEA is slang for GOSSIP. and what purpose does this response to all haley/evan relationship questions serve other than to spare your feelings when you apparently have to read my discussion blog and see that we're discussing who evan is dating? friend, click away! blacklist haley's name! it's just not that deep. this is supposed to be fun; if you're not having fun, you should not be here.

also, evan and haley dating is not an ''issue'' that gets bigger. him dating a girl who is causing no problems should not be an issue to you, or anyone else. evan peters is a stranger to you, me, and everyone else reading this blog unless something's going on i don't know about lmao

[abcd-em]

Talk Shop Tuesday: because you are a marketing girlie, eye would love your thoughts on the idea of fanfic marketability as it relates to popularity/traction. It’s one of those things that’s rarely ever gets put into words (except to be derogatory) and is undersold as a part of what makes a fic “take off” I’ve known plenty of fantastically written fics that never get their time to shine just as I’ve know abjectly terribly written things become the most kudos and recommended fic ever.

How much of marketing are /you/ thinking of, if you’re thinking of it at all, when it comes to publishing a fic?

(And bonus: what’s the reason you think your underrated WIPs aren’t doing as well as the others?)

As the second person to ask me that, of course I can!!!!!

Fandom, as with any other community on the Internet, goes through trends of what they like to see and how they like to read. I'd argue that it's impossible to truly predict when a fic will 'take off' bc of this but there's definitely things you can assume.

The marketability of a fic rarely stops me from writing what i want (obviously there are exceptions), but its something i keep in mind when planning to ensure theres little hooks here or there. There's things that I know in the back of my mind, that I know almost for certain (for my writing and what's I've observed at least):

- kid fics will do well (or more low stakes, domestic fics)

- fast paced [blank] to lovers will do well vs. A slower burn (I could say this has smt to do with fear of fic abandonment and maybe attention span)

- MCD will not (at least in mcu petermj)

- platonic or character driven stuff can be a mixed bag

- etc.

Your fandom, your tropes, the bare bones of your fic (not the actual words just the vibes/direction) can definitely have an impact on reach and inevitable audience size - not forgetting that HOW ur fandom interacts with content should be considered. Example:

My Insomniac fics didn't get many hits bc it's a smaller audience (though i tend to find more of those hits also equal comments). From that, My Peter/Harry centric fic got more engagement and interaction VS. My peter/MJ centric fic - I knew this would happen when I was writing it BECAUSE the main thing talked about after the release of the second game was Parksborn. (Understandable I was also consumed by the brainrot)

Not to get SEO about it but tags and summary are also going to impact these things. Themes and tropes all have their own popularity innit. Your tags are there to give an overview (AND WARNING!!!) about the contents of your fic. Boiling all your plans down to the right tags will help it appear to the right people that WANT that kind of story, and exclude it from others. Your summary will also help with that (and from my experience main characters & romantic hook/tease is what gets most attention). This is probably where I consider marketability the most tbh and why I struggle so much with summaries bc why am I thinking of work when I'm writing fic???

But tags and summary definitely impacted Forever: there's a big tilt towards 'sadder' tags bc I want to be transparent about the topic. And the summary is very focused on Peter and Gwen (which is why I added the little line about MJ and Peter at the end).

The focus on Peter and Gwen also impacted the divorce AU. I didn't anticipate that fic getting as much traction as it did, but It wasn't until chapter 8 or something that it really began to take off.

Also. As with anything on the Internet. There's the 'right time, right place' effect where something just CLICKS, the perfect storm of a few small things that gets swept up to huge numbers and its difficult to pinpoint a single one.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: creating content for the sole purpose of marketability will make it less fun and kill your joy

Talk shop tuesday

[spookyboywhump]

How would you recommend someone who's been here awhile as a whump blogger get more... engagement? I will post ask games and get virtually no ask or such. :( when I first started I had crazy engagement but now it's just gone. Makes me feel a little bad like I did something wrong? Aaa I'm sorry xx

Ahahaa anon this is an interesting ask to get at an interesting time. I’m going to do my best to help and give advice with what I’ve been wanting to try out as this is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately as well. I’m going to put this below a cut as I often feel. Weird talking about things regarding engagement and I understand some people don’t like those conversations but y know it is what it is

Let me start off with, I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong friend! I have noticed engagement has gone down a lot lately, not just in myself but in blogs that I follow that were VERY active and got lots of engagement back when they first started posting, and while they’re still very active and absolutely fantastic and talented writers, they still aren’t getting the attention they used to. I want to add a quick disclaimer that I understand engagement and attention is not everything, that we are supposed to create for ourselves, we are not simply content machines here to please an audience but also. When you go from having constant engagement with your work to what feels like none, it does feel a little discouraging, if not a lot discouraging and leave you wondering what changed. I think that’s normal. While we should create with ourselves in mind, it’s also just human nature to want to connect and interact with others who also enjoy our creations!

Onto the next thing, I have a few theories as to why engagement in general may have gone down. Obviously, I don’t know who you are or what your specific situation is so these may not apply! But they are things I think about when I think about this

Personally, I joined as a whump blog in 2019 and gained a bit of a following RIGHT before Covid lockdowns. Around this time a lot of people were home, a lot of people had way more time to write, to read, to interact with each other, I recall this time as being very active for everybody, between the Whump community online and whump discord servers, nobody had anywhere to go or anything else to do so we were all online indulging in what may have been a new hobby and new and exciting space for some people.

Following that, Covid lockdowns ended. People went back to work, back to school, and suddenly a lot of us just. Can’t be as active as we used to. This community seems to be full of neurodivergent people, I imagine a lot of us are struggling to balance school/work, household responsibilities, and our hobbies and things like writing or keeping up with our favorite series may fall to the side unfortunately. People graduated high school, started college, started jobs, these will take up a lot of time so I’m not really surprised to see a decrease in general activity.

So just like those things mean a lot less people are likely to be active as much as they used to, it may also mean you aren’t as active as you used to be. Again, I don’t know your situation personally, but I went back to work in February of 2021 and since then I have written. Less and less. It’s actually kind of depressing when I see time stamps on things and realize how little I wrote at all in 2022 because work was such a drain on me and even now, I struggle to have the time, energy, and inspiration all at the same time to write when I have other things that need to be done as well. My own engagement has gone down significantly since when I first started, so I understand exactly what your talking about, I post about my oc’s constantly but I struggle to really write and it’s very rare to get asks about them the way that I used to (that’s not to say it never happens and I love seeing the ones I do get in my inbox but I have noticed a change that I don’t think is exactly significant to just myself)

(Split this up cuz it was too long for one lmao) I mostly assume it’s due to less people being active as per the reasons mentioned above, there are names I used to see often that have since disappeared and I think about often, but also I know it’s partly on me because I just. Don’t write as much as I used to. People engaged when I had writing for them to engage with. I don’t have that very often any more so they don’t have anything to work with. That’s understandable. I often find myself getting in a mood where I’ve convinced myself everyone has lost interest and if I’m being completely honest that poll I posted was to see if something I was wondering about was correct because I have always noticed a slight uptick in asks or requests regarding one OC but unfortunately I still write primarily for myself and that one OC just. Isn’t the one I want to focus on all the time and I worried I was failing a lot of people by focusing on what I liked.

Anyways that’s all to say. I understand what you mean and this has also been on my mind a lot lately. But I’ve also been thinking about what to do about it.

For one thing, for the same reasons I don’t write as much as I used to, I also don’t read as much as I used to, I miss connecting with other people over THEIR work as well. That doesn’t always mean they’ll be into my stuff, they don’t have to be! I love that they’re creating at all and I want to enjoy it and engage with them over their creations as well! Of course I understand we shouldn’t be interacting just in the hopes it’ll draw attention to ourselves, but it’s also the natural outcome of things. If we aren’t able to reach out to others, they likely won’t reach out to us or look into what we’re doing. There’s quite a few of us, it’s easy to miss some really awesome blogs and really awesome work just because we end up in our own little circles.

Posting your writing or art or whatever it may be regularly, especially being sure to put it in the Whump community tags allows for more people to keep up with it or new people to find and support you and potentially garner new interest if you feel like people have lost interest in what you make. Personally, my goal with doing whumptober is to start writing and posting somewhat regularly again, in a way that more and new people may see it. This is also something I need to fix up but having a good master list is great for people who are new and want to catch up!

And not to sound like hopelessly optimistic but like. Don’t give up. And focus on creating with yourself in mind. You didn’t do something wrong, things have just changed, I forgot to mention this above as it just came to me but I remembered tumblr started doing that thing where you need an account to send anon asks which will have axed a lot of people who were lurking without an account and didn’t want to make one. I know it feels disheartening and discouraging because we want people to enjoy our work but the only way to get that is to keep working. Your work still has value even if people aren’t engaging the way they used to and I’m sure that it’s great! The people who love it the same as you do will find it I’m sure, and I’m wishing you the best of luck!

[avaantares]

I might be a bit whiny, but I’m seeking for advise after what I’ve learned about art and writing thieves, and not just from your case, but others too. How do you continue posting your work knowing that a thief can just take it and try make the credit theirs? After all I’ve learned, I find myself in a slump and ask, “What’s the point of showing anything?”

That's a valid question, and the answer for each individual is going to stem from the question, "Why do I create?"

For some people, the primary motivation for creating art (of whatever kind -- visual art, writing, music, whatever) is external. That means they are making things with the goal of receiving some kind of response from other people, whether that's in the form of reactions from friends, Tumblr notes, AO3 comments, awards from a competition, revenue from sales, etc. For these creators, art is a vector for connecting with others in some way.

For other people, the primary motivation is internal -- they have an image they want to create, a story they want to tell, a mood they want to express, a struggle they want to work through, or some other personal desire that they can achieve through creating something. Recognition from others is a nice bonus, but these people are creating for themselves first, and others second.

It's important to understand that neither of these motivation types is a more "pure" or morally superior approach to art! They're equally valid but different, in the same way that some people are introverts who are recharged by alone time, while others are extroverts who are recharged by social contact. And most creators have some mix of these two motivations. (In my case, I tend to create content that I have a personal passion for, but I also want to share it with others and get excited about their response, so I'm about 60% internal/40% external.)

Now, for those creators who are externally motivated, something like art theft or piracy is a massive blow to their creative motivation, because the whole reason they're making the thing in the first place is so people will engage with it and connect with them. Having that engagement/feedback/revenue go to someone else is robbing the artist of their incentive, just like robbing someone of a paycheck they've earned by working hard. (In the case of commercial artists/writers/musicians, the paycheck theft is literal.)

That's not to say that creators who are internally motivated aren't also hurt by piracy; in their case, the theft might feel extremely personal, because the thing they made was for them, and someone else took it. Rather than entirely killing their creative impulse, though, an internally-motivated artist might still create, but will be more reluctant to share their work in a venue/format where it could be stolen.

All of that can help you recognize why you're in a slump, which might help you decide what approach you want to take with your creative works in the future. For someone whose work is therapeutic or deeply personal, piracy might be extremely hurtful, and it might not be worth the risk to share it publicly. For someone who thrives on feedback but is upset by the thought of someone else taking credit for their work, there are options to create and share works in smaller communities (such as a focused Discord server or to Patreon followers). For someone who just wants the most people possible to see their work, posting publicly but monitoring more frequently for piracy might be the way to go. The answer might be different for every artist.

Preventing piracy in the digital age is difficult. Posting in places where visibility is high carries increased risk of theft. Paywalls like Patreon, et al. can slow bot scraping, but also drastically reduce the number of people who can see your work. Some visual artists use watermarks and low-resolution images to prevent theft, but speaking as an artist, it's very frustrating to have to obscure parts of or reduce the quality of something I spent dozens of hours on when it's meant to be seen in glorious high definition. As a writer, I've just had to accept that posting publicly on a site like AO3 or publishing my work professionally carries risk, and address it when it happens. (To be honest, my commercial writing is at just as much or even more risk; piracy is a huge issue in the publishing industry, too.)

Ultimately, the choice is up to you. If you want to take some time off from creating to think about it, there's nothing wrong with that. If you want to throw yourself into something creative to try to overcome the slump, that's also a valid approach. If you want to change how (or if) you share your work online to reduce risk, that's fine. But as a fellow creator, I'd urge you not to let the existence of a handful of thieves discourage you from creating art -- for whatever reason -- if making things is what makes you happy. (EDIT: Apparently when I tried to save this as a draft it posted a half-finished version. I think I've fixed it now, but Asks are a weird thing.)

[petrichoraline]

only friends hasn't even started yet and people are already ruining for me...

I understand, though it might be cause of different reasons I get the overall issue :')

in my opinion the best way to deal with this is to engage in fandom through gifs and more straightforward analysis, if you see that a post contains theories or fanon stuff you don't enjoy just scroll away, assuming that's the issue; if you're just annoyed with how much ppl are talking about it or maybe how everyone is praying it's as toxic as possible but you want it do be smth else, then maybe filtering the tag as a whole may do you good? I personally don't agree with every single thing I see (I'm more exposed to it now that the show is around the corner, the OF posts mostly flew past me before that) but because I don't care that much I kind of tune most of it out haha

there are so many posts out there that all of the buzz turns into white noise if I don't care for a show as much; if the hype or certain takes ruin the experience for you, you don't have to force yourself to engage with OF related content on here, yknow? make yourself a clean slate, watch the show, maybe even write out your own thoughts and theories to give them structure and make them feel like your own (I say this because I sometimes struggle with differentiating others' arguments from my own); having a clear sense of your own view of the show (before you delve into the tag and the dash and all the various points ppl make) can help you feel less affected and irritated from others' takes that may clash with your pov. it's good to challenge the takeaways you have from a piece of media, that's the fun of discussion, you can learn a lot but sometimes the way you experience smth is nice and good as it is and others' speculations can be overwhelming, leave you with a bad feeling about an aspect of the show etc.etc.

so all in all, I feel you, it's okay to filter out what part of the fandom you engage with especially if you're excited bout the show :) remember this is entertainment, you're supposed to have fun with it 💕

[lets-talk-spirituality]

It’s the collective energy of his rabid fan base that comes and asks intrusive questions and gets mad when I don’t share things I know and says I’m gatekeeping. I tried to be open to talking about him for like a week and I immediately banned him as a topic. He will forever be banned as a topic. ///

i agree. that's a good decision, unfortunately his fanbase sees different opinion from theirs as hate (i guess they may have done this to you at some point, if don't, i'm surprised lol) also some spiritual things cannot be shared. Almost every tarot blog about him suffered wave of negativity, projection, intrusive people...

Thanks nonnie! I really appreciate you sending this ask in and giving me an opportunity to elaborate some.

It wasn’t necessarily hate I received but blatant disrespect. And I do not tolerate disrespect. I know I’m open on my blog about my struggles and opinions and beliefs but at the end of the day, that doesn’t mean you know how I am IRL and what sort of things trigger and upset me. As someone who spent years being gaslit by an alcoholic mother and then abusive partner, it was very frustrating to have anons constantly questioning everything I said and pick it apart to twist my words to fit their pre-conceived notions. I spent enough years having people twist my thoughts and words and it led to me deeply being unable to trust my own self. To this day, I immediately assume that whatever I’m feeling is just out of my own issues before I even entertain the thought that the other person is actually doing something and I’m picking it up intuitively.

I partially made this blog out of a leap of faith to trust my instincts and insights. This blog has been a practice in learning to trust myself more and to practice my spiritual gifts. It was not created for me to be subjected to more of the toxicity I already survived. Some anons didn’t understand why I was responding aggressively in asks towards the end of that experiment in discussing him, and this is why. I am highly defensive of my mental health. Like I have worked my ass off to work through this. I still am! I have been in weekly therapy since April 2018, and that doesn’t include the times I tried therapy before throughout my life. It is extremely triggering to me when people attempt to manipulate me or to manipulate what I have said and it does make me react aggressively because I fucking refuse to go back down that road. I am very kind and sweet but don’t get it twisted, there are sides to me I had to develop. You don’t survive things like that without an edge.

Furthermore, if I know something from spirit and have been told it’s dangerous or not good to share with the collective, you pressuring me and saying I’m gatekeeping information is highly disrespectful. I’ve been given gifts not to appease obsessive behavior but to help the collective and if I think information is harmful for collective knowledge, yeah I’m not gonna share it. Why? Exactly what I explained in my collective energy post. If I know something about him that, say, is energetically dangerous to expose because it may attract negative energy to him, then you begging me to go against that and hurt him for your rabid curiosity and obsession shows you truly don’t care about his well-being and are caught up in an illusion of who you think he is that meets some internal need you project onto him.

I also want people to be here and come here to genuinely engage with spirituality and not just him. I think the people who have stayed or found me since have been amazing. I truly do appreciate all the people I interact with here. I want this to feel like a safe space, and to feel like a community where people can find connection and acceptance. And I really appreciate the anons who do want to occasionally ask about him not using his name and keeping it down low. But I am not a “him blog.” I am a spirituality blog first and foremost and want to keep my content focused on that. I have no issue talking in my DMs and have talked with people about him there and all have been very respectful, which I deeply appreciate. And I really don’t mind the occasional ask, some of the ones I’ve answered you can see what kind of questions were put forward. I know I shared my blog to tarot blogs that focus on him because as a fan of his I saw a lot of conversations on these other blogs talking about topics I felt needed in depth explanation and here we are a few months later.

Anyway that was a lot but all day, I feel like I’ve needed to assert that I can share from this perspective now but it wasn’t easy to get here. I think sometimes people see me in this light that almost negates how hard I’ve worked. So I guess that’s why I spilled like this.

[dittolicous]

Hello, different anon; I come from the perspective of always seeing the kinky and fetish fic as the canary in the coal mine. I’ve seen the rise and fall of many online platforms, and usually onces the canary dies, it becomes open season on whoever else doesn’t reach the agreed stranded. Which usually results is sweeping bans that hurt allot of folks who aren’t even involved.

I completely understand folks not wanting to engage and interact with that kind of fic or that side of fandom, which is why having tags/filters/blacklist to help manage one’s internet experience is so important.

Content warnings are clearly stated at the start is the most important thing.

Yeah, I can definitely see that perspective too. It's kinda similar to the whole dividing the LGBTQA+ idea, in a way, where a they try to divide us and use in-fighting to weaken us. And then the leopards eat our faces too.

Course thats a huge over-simplication (and again works on good faith that no ones trying to groom or genuinely support IRL taboos). And in defense, proper tagging can be a real issue, with like Tumblr/Twitter being HORRID about showing you things you don't wanna see, and certain topics can intersect in very troubling ways (ex. how do you avoid creating fan content for sibling characters without incest fans projecting on to it, and handling feeling gross that someone saw incest in a thing you made? what if you based it off your own sibling interaction, how would that make you feel? this can leave one not wanting to create for that anymore from squick. but if you make a point of them not interacting with it/creating a dni, you may get mocked or hated on as well, with people doing so anyhow, making a *point* to do so, or what if you interact with incest piece without knowing, and if you find out... how do you feel? art is subjective but you made personal art and the interpretation directly contradicts your point. how do you interact going forward? of course, this can happen anyways for many topics, with varying levels of general ok-ness). There's Dead Dove and sometimes theres just improperly tagged squick/triggers flooding a tag because it's almost considered the 'norm' (I see so much untagged incest in the Batfam tag and I've raged on that in the past). AO3 is getting better, but filtering out things you don't wanna see can still be tricky (I have never found a way to fully filter out highschool aus - its not a squick, I just find them boring XD but things can get tagged so differently! I have the same struggle with ABO, it seems to sneak by all the time).

(I don't use many other sites so I'm not sure how tagging systems work on like... pintrist or tiktok. Is DeviantArt still a thing? And YouTube tagging is useless, you search something and the third video down and on are all like completely irrelevant)

Hence why it's a complicated thing for me. Cuz I can see points from both sides and I don't want my general disgust with certain issues to lead me to make a rash or uniformed decision.

(this is a problem I have in everyday life, sometimes, where I become indecisive because I keep trying to see other points of view, and end up losing MY pov... I spent so much of my childhood be a little brat, I may of overcorrected)