#fandom is a community

[stellar-solar-flare]

I am seeing a lot of posts that have to do with 'I want to read things other than smut'. This is definitely not a call-out post because the sentiment is something I certainly understand (as someone whose #1 fic preference - if I had to read only one thing for the rest of my days - is long, plot-heavy multi-parter fics with romance and slow burn, and eventual smut).

But I wanted to point out two things:

1: Smut gets notes, both because people seek it, and because smut writers stick together and interact with each other's fics. If you want to see more non-smut, interact with fics that contain the elements you like. If you want silly, whimsical fics, read, comment, share, and write those. If you want tooth-rotting fluff, seek it out and interact with them and make your own!

2: Even as I will always hold that a writer should always first write for themselves because the story brings them joy, it can get very lonely if you're writing a longfic and it's crickets out there until it is finished. If you want there to be long, multi-parter fics, you need to read and interact with WIPs. It takes time to do setup and establish characterization in a long fic, and it is also hard work (I am by no means implying that writing smut isn't hard work). It is the constant fear that the next chapter will make everyone dislike the fic, or that I'm not doing a good enough job with pacing/character/and so on. So there needs to be some sort of incentive to share the story in a finalized form and accept that vulnerability that maybe no one cares, or worse, maybe I actively drive away the people who do care because their expectations weren't met.

It is so important to remember that YOU (and us all) have the power to be the change you want to see in fandom and create your own lovely corner of exactly what you want. You do this by participating via comments and sharing fics, so the author knows someone wants to read this, and creating your own fics. In the end, fandom is a community. Fandom is us.

[maukree]

Every ship is valid.

A ship that isn’t your thing is valid. A ship that gives you ewwww vibes is still valid. That one crack ship that only one person wrote about, posted on AO3, and has 23 views in four years—also valid.

What isn’t valid is spending more time hating a ship than enjoying your own—and ruining it for others with negativity. I don’t understand the point of putting more effort into tearing down a ship than its actual shippers do building it up. At this point, if that’s your thing, your OTP isn’t your OTP—it’s hating a ship, making sure the boat you don’t even like sinks.

Ship what you love. Ignore what you don’t. Write fanfics, make art, memes and moodboards, record podfics, make fan videos and craft, daydream up your headcanons. Whatever keeps your boat afloat, as long as it’s not ruining someone else’s fun.

Let people enjoy things. Fandom is meant to be fun.

[fouralignments]

didn't mean anything pro-AI or pro-capitalism with the term content in my previous post. I've since removed the word from the post entirely, so you can delete your post/reblog if you'd like.

I understand that mate. I just don't want to come across as a bully.

But there's just been a vibe shift away from calling art, art, to content in the last couple of years due to algorithm, now accelerating due to AI coming into fandom spaces. It just seem so at odds with fandom---a communal online space.

I can't put my finger on it, but it feels so wrong to say: fanart, fanfics, metas, headcanons, whole posts with lectures of a topic that take time to scroll through---is that.

Is just content.

When fandom is so much more than that.

I hope I'm making sense?

[uncleasad]

I’ve spent the last ~24 hours interacting with readers/fellow writers—in comments on one of my fics (some of the nicest fanmail ever), on idea posts here, “meeting” a fellow fic author, and so on—and it’s been wonderful. On days like this, this little community we’ve constructed out of words, electrons, and twine feels like a dynamo.

Even though I’ve been stuck for a while, all of the discussions, comments, sharing ideas, have left me feeling energized, and all the things simmering in my head have released some endorphins or something. (I know that won’t magically make words appear on things I’ve been writing, but having energy, and ideas flowing about something, is certainly a prerequisite for it.)

(Maybe this is what extroverts feel like when they go to a party? 😳)

I can’t recommend it highly enough! 🙏

[paradox-insanity]

If you feel personally victimised by a simple post reminding everyone to tag their posts and reblogs

do better

[bellaxgiornata]

I used to be so awkward about writing and sharing smut publicly, especially because most people really are too nervous or awkward to interact with it. But it's thanks to those of you who ever even just left me emojis in response that I'm ringing the goddamn dinner bell letting y'all know I posted some new porn. I got no shame anymore. Even my husband kisses me on the forehead and tells me to enjoy my smut writing.

I've got a lot of respect for smut writers. you write something incredibly sexual, it's probably somewhat of a look into your own soul, and then bitches are too scared to leave kudos of comments half the time, so it looks as though everyone hates your work. And yet yall still do it, and I love that

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

writing is hard but coming up with a cunty title and catchy summary will slay even god's strongest soldier

[bebx]

[001x456]

“ships should at least make sense.” no. ships can make sense, sure. but they’re just fictional characters we play with for fun. they’re fantasies, not a fucking thesis paper. so no, they don’t always have to make sense. they just have to make you happy (or horny).

let people enjoy (fictional) things however they want to enjoy.

[andr33yy]

Being in fandom spaces is so surreal-

Bc once your age hits a 'serious' number, you start to think - "damn, I should probably stop geeking and get more serious." But then you scroll and see a 34y/o woman writing fics after driving her kids to school, a 40y/o dude making fanart of his fav super heroes and you realize - "nah, I'm actually good"

[khalixascorner]

I love it every time this happens. It's so easy to get bogged down in creating as a solo act that it's nice to have the reminder that it matters.

Apparently, my decision to be silly and make fanart of someone's writing (because I genuinely enjoy the story the person is writing and I was struck with inspiration upon reading a particular scene) has benevolent and wildly unforeseen consequences.

I apparently gained a bit of control of the canon because said writer really loved the art and decided what I drew/draw is canon.

2. Writer put said artwork into the document of his story right below the scene, so now it's IN the story where people who read the story will see it (with a link to me)

3. He sent the artwork to all his friends and people he knows because he was so excited

Wholesome interaction and I watched him do all that in real time, good stuff. However...there are two more consequences I was notified of today...nearly a full week after I gave the artwork.

Seeing the artwork caused his friends to become interested in reading and hearing about his story, which means more people are reading what he's writing and giving him critique on the story (which he actively asks for).

Apparently, upon seeing the art, his writer friends got a sudden second wind to pick back up writing they'd abandoned for a few months. Because, I quote, "seeing that someone enjoyed {his} writing enough to take the time to make art of it gave them the motivation that maybe THEY can write something that will inspire someone to also create something." I have accidentally caused a writing frenzy among his writer friends and my silly idea to make art for someone has had a butterfly effect for people who I don't even know.

Uhh...I'm pretty sure there's a moral here but I am tired and have a great deal of emotions about this.

[frankierotwinkdeath]

Y’all want Taylor Swift to be gay so bad but you won’t even write femslash about her

[lemonwrap]

[frontmansdefender]

sometimes you’re hit with a friendly realization that yes, life is good. you have your comfort characters and you have archive of our own. life is actually beautiful

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

fanfic writers are so fucking awesome man. they write novel length fics that are sometimes even better than some published bestselling books written by professional writers. like fanfic writers are professional writers to me and they gift us their masterpieces for free. they give us something we can look forward to after a long day. something from which we can seek comfort when life is hard. something that can be our own little getaway. in a world of capitalism, despite everything, they give us all of these for free. like holy fuck. shout out to every fanfic writer. I wish all fanfic writers a very ‘I love you with all my heart and soul. I thank you from the bottom of my heart’