#fan archives

[edzephyr]

Destination: Trek debrief in link above !

[mostly-funnytwittertweets]

[shyjusticewarrior]

At some point "fanfic can be as good as professional writing" became "fanfic should be as good as professional writing" and that's caused major damage to fandom spaces.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Me at age 13, exhausted at school after staying up all night to read fanfic: I can’t wait until I’m an adult and I can stay up reading without any consequences!

Me, an adult, exhausted at work after staying up all night reading fanfic: Fuck.

[kriz-smthn]

[innerenigma]

•Normalize Fanart for Fanfics Again You Fools•

It's not cringe anymore (it SHOULDN'T be cringe anymore), just do it. You're doing something you enjoy, who cares what anybody else says! So spread the words my fellow internet brethren.

Spread the Word :)

[the-bar-sinister]

This is your signal to let yourself write the deranged, uncomfortable, disgusting fiction that you've been thinking about.

[dekuboya]

Short Jon gender euphoria comic for the soul :,)

[not-mary-sue]

Alright, to ao3's soon to be arriving Wattpad Refugees, a basic guide to general user culture:

1.) Unlike Wattpads vote system that let's you like each chapter, the ao3 equivalent kudos only allows one per work. Everyone is generally quietly annoyed about this. To engage with each chapter, you're heavily encouraged to comment. Trust me, it makes people's day.

2.) Ao3 has no algorithm. By default it's latest updated work first. You can find things to your taste through searches, filters and tags.

3.) 'No archive warnings apply' and 'user has chosen not to use archive warnings' mean two very different things. No archives warnings means the work is free from any content that could require a warning tag (character death, graphic depictions of violence, non-con, etc). User has chosen not to use archive warnings means it could contain any of the warning content, be it hasn't been explicitly tagged. Treat it like an allergen. No archive warnings apply is allergen free. User has chosen not to use archive warnings, may contain traces or whole chunks of the allergen. If you're likely to have a bad reaction, maybe don't take the risk.

4.) Speaking of warnings, ao3 has very few restrictions on the type of work that's allowed. Whatever your personal thoughts or feelings on that are, thats how the site is. You're likely to run across some dark subject matters and a lot of people are uncomfortable with reading that. You're well within your rights not like these works and have your opinion on whether they should be allowed, but harassing the authors of such works (or any works) is more likely to come back on you than them. Ao3 operates on a strong policy of 'don't like, don't read'. Use the tagging system to your full advantage to only engage with the kind of works you want to see.

We look forward to welcoming you all and seeing the fantastic works you create. Happy writing!

[creativitycache]

EDIT: 5/18/24 Lore.fm has deleted its app, its website, and all prior TikToks. They uploaded a TikTok apologizing for the stress they caused EDIT: Update Lore.fm’s current version has been shut down! 5/17/24

Hey I don’t know if this is being talked about on Tumblr but thankfully the AO3 subreddit has a conversation going about this app that just went live.

TikTok user unravel.me.now has just launch an app (lore.fm) she is calling “Audible for AO3”. It’s an app that uses AI voices to read out fics.

🚨She is requiring any authors who do not want their fics to be on this app to OPT OUT by emailing team@lore.fm 🚨 🚨She has not given an actual template or how you’re supposed to prove you’re the author or said how her team will process this or how she will keep these requests secure🚨

I do not have this app. I haven’t seen anyone use it yet. According to Reddit users, unravel.me.now’s earlier TikToks stated she envisions the app being able to create libraries stored on that app and to have version of “Spotify wrapped”. That implies that eventually data collection must happen, if it’s not happening currently.

I don’t know the actual capabilities of this app. I don’t know the legalities. I do know that it personally feels like this app is trying to turn AO3 into a content generation source and I haven’t heard of the app allowing you to leave a comment or kudos or interact with the original work.

I’m just sad about this.

[edzephyr]

How did you go about finding all the original artwork etc., for your preservation project?

Did you start searching for it and then others started sending you stuff?

When I was just getting into Star Trek I was gifted 3 boxes of fanzines by an ex-convention organizer. I had started to write a book (/extended thesis; the PhD I never did) on Kirk and Spock's characterization and relationship, and as part of my research I realised that a lot of physical fandom history was in danger of disappearing, or already had, as original generation fans were dying and their collections - art, written/publishing materials, and fannish ephemera - was becoming lost (e.g. disposed of by disinterested parties). I saw a lot of art in zines and newsletters and wondered where the original work had all gone. I was gifted the two giant Shelley Butler pieces, that so moved me, that (also as an artist myself) I decided to create the first archive dedicated to Kirk and Spock (and the Enterprise) that prioritized collecting, preserving and sharing original art pieces related to them. Shelley, for example, does not know where most of her originals are now. It would be great to find more of hers, and provide her with scans.

The biggest challenge is when collections including art and fanworks pop up that have come from estate sales and third parties try to cash in; finding funds and negotiating is tricky, and I am glad of the team stateside who help with that in the immediate term. It leaves the challenge of fundraising to cover these costs. Unfortunately my industry is fickle and terrifically difficult to tame, and my income is not a lot to write home about. It would be much easier if I were doing the work I'm capable of, and earning accordingly!

I make it a point to support fellow artists whenever I can, and so the collection is a mixture of contemporary and vintage. Every artists' take has a story to tell. There is also some official and production related art but it is not easy to find, nor often affordable. I missed a TMP concept sketch of Spock on Vulcan due to hesitating over cost, and regret that greatly. There is a set of TAS animation cels to share that was offered at modest cost by a friendly trader at my local comic con, and this is a terrific piece, but requires a custom display that has not yet been addressed (time and cost).

I do wish more vintage pieces would come out of the woodwork and simply land on the doorstep, so to speak, but it's not an expectation; it's a lucky and generous thing if it happens, and always so encouraging. I have also acquired art from other fandoms and gifted that to appropriate fans/archivists - it all works best by supporting each others' efforts.

[lonionjon]

The Archivist

[mostly-funnytwittertweets]

[wolfythewitch]

not entirely happy with it haha, didn't have enough time to polish the concept but wahoo jarchivist moment

[frontmansdefender]

shaming and making fun of people for still engaging in fandom activities once they reach a certain age is so embarrassing because why are you giving yourself an expiration date of time you have fun? why are you not-so-indirectly saying you will stop having fun once you reach a certain age? or do you really believe you have to stop engaging in fandom activities and having fun once you turn (x)? do you not think you will, what, live that long and turn that age too? do you think fun will suddenly stop for you and life will all of a sudden lose its meaning once you reach a certain age? how sad to be giving yourself an hourglass and just waiting for your time of having fun to run out.

adults can and should engage in fandom activities if it's what makes them happy.

adults can and should continue doing whatever they like doing as teenagers if it's what makes them happy.

age is just... part of life. it's a part of me and it's a part of you. shaming people for something you will have to go through (unless you don't think you will live that long) is such a loser behavior. indirectly saying you will stop having fun once you reach a certain age isn't the flex you think it is. it doesn't make you look "cool and edgy", it makes you look miserable.