#fanfic blog advice

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

let's talk Dead Dove: Do Not Eat tag.

since this has been debated a lot, here's what the tag actually means;

before we begin, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat tag originated from the 2003 sitcom 'Arrested Development' — in one of the scenes, a character opened a fridge and found a brown paper bag with 'dead dove, do not eat' written on it. he opened the bag and surprise! inside was a dead dove (a literal dead dove). the character then said "I don't know what I expected."

thus the beginning of Dead Dove: Do Not Eat tag on Archive of Our Own; the tag is basically to tell potential readers that the work they're about to read contains topics that are considered disturbing, offensive, violent, morally messed up, etc.

it's also to tell potential readers that they cannot be offended, they cannot get mad and blame the author for writing such a disturbing thing, because they have been warned beforehand.

so yes, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat tag translates to 'hey, this work you're about to read is fucked up. if you choose to read it and it triggered your trauma, then you cannot be mad at the writer because they did warn you that it was gonna be fucked up.'

that being said, writers are also expected to tag other tags besides Dead Dove that will give their potential readers an idea of what the actual warnings are about. because Dead Dove tag alone is not enough to tell potential readers what they will find in a story they're about to read; as previously stated, Dead Dove tag is just to warn potential readers that the work might be offensive and triggering to them, but the tag alone does not say why it can be offensive and triggering.

for instance, if your work contains graphic details of human trafficking, then you should tag 'Dead Dove: Do Not Eat' and 'human trafficking', 'rape/non-con' and other tags that might be applied to the nature of your work, so that your potential readers know what, exactly, the Dead Dove tag is for. don't just tag it as Dead Dove without any further explanation.

also, Dead Dove does not equal tragic ending. a story that is tagged as 'Dead Dove: Do Not Eat' can still have fluff and/or happy ending. it's up to the author if they want their entire work to be Dead Dove or if they only want some parts of the work to be Dead Dove.

and I think that's it for 'Dead Dove: Do Not Eat' tag! remember to always tag your works properly! if you have any further question, my inbox is always open.

[coffeetank]

Opposing Qualities for your Characters!

I always advocate the concept of Traits and their Inverses when making characters. If you're familiar with my blog, you'll know that in one of my posts, I've told you to use opposing qualities when you make a character to make them real. Here's a link to that post if you haven't come across it yet so you can understand this better: https://www.tumblr.com/coffeetank/747126821111447552/build-characters?source=share ~ List of more opposing qualities to give your characters: persuasive :: manipulative (your character has a way with words and sometimes uses this to get away with things)

humble :: underconfident (your character does not have an ego at all, but they are in actuality always underconfident - show how this can affect their surroundings especially in a situation where others depend on them)

independent :: alienated (your character can do everything on their own and quite literally does not need anyone around, show how this can crossover over with alienation - dig into the emotional background of this supposed crossover)

curious :: invasive (your character has an appetite for knowledge, but they forget boundaries - show how this can get them into trouble)

daring :: reckless (your character has a strong spirit and isn't scared of taking risks, but this can always incline to the bad side and cause them harm - use this to especially add event and conflict in the story)

neutral :: retracted (your character prefers to see both sides before coming to a conclusion and stays neutral 99% of the times, but then when one side needs them more than the other they refuse to acknowledge that need and pull themselves out of that situation - show how this this can affect their relationships with other people especially on a moral ground)

emotional :: irrational (it's always good for your character to have emotional capacity, but it can hinder with their practical side for sure - show how this plays out)

unique :: aberrant (your character has a very solid personality but then some their quirks are too odd to be normal - this is good for revealing an undercover villain/agent/supernatural being later in the story as a twist)

optimistic :: unserious (your character is a positive person, but they take life too lightly sometimes - play with it!)

appealing :: deceptive (your character is absolute delight to be around and wins hearts in an instant - show how they use this power of their to deceive people for their own benefit)

hopeful :: expectant (your character wishes for the bright side - show how this can transverse into having unfulfilled expectations thus making them act out wrongly due to disappointment)

clever :: cunning (as obvious as it sounds, your character uses their intelligence for the wrong - bonus if you mix this with another set of opposing qualities to add depth and layers to your characters)

short-tempered :: violent (easy, simple and impactful; your character loses temper quickly but they damage things around them with every small/big outburst)

Feel free to use these as you'd like! I'll bring you more soon.

-ashlee

[autumn2may]

GUYS DO NOT GIVE YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO AN AI THIS IS A BAD IDEA ON EVERY LEVEL DON'T DO IT

original tweet from @jamesjyu reads: "We launch Shrink Ray today on Sudowrite! Upload your manuscript and get loglines, blurbs, synopsis, and full outlines automatically. Takes a ton of legwork out of book marketing. Below the tweet are two images of the program."

original quote tweet from @sudowrite reads: "New in Sudowrite: Upload your whole novel/script, get instant longlines (sic), blurbs, synopsis, and outline!"

tweet from @FantasyFaction reads: "Oh jeez! Bad bad, very bad! Writers DO NOT willingly give your manuscript to an AI so it can "learn" by stealing your work! I know blurbs and synopses are hard, but PLEASE do not do this! - JI 🐉

(stolen from ML Brennan & Sravani Hotha so I can include alt text)"

[rheas-chaos-motivation]

YOU— YEAH YOU! DO THIS THING WITH ME!

THIS IS YOUR AGGRESSIVE SIGN TO CREAT EVERY DAY FOR ONE YEAR.

Okokokokok so the goal is essentially what I said above. Write/draw something every day for a year. I know that sounds like A LOT but even if you can spare 2 minutes in your day to quickly scrible something into your notes app that's perfect.

Why should you bother with this?

You will end up at 365 pieces by the end of the year

you will improve your skills

you are bound to find some gold

even if you miss 1/3 of the days you will still have 243 things!!!

helps you be more in tune with your feeling (especially if you treat it like a journal)

you can try out different styles in a judgement free zone

uhhhh you love me

you will learn how to be more creative

you will have content to post on your blog/publish/submit to contests

you will have something to keep you going/motivated

you won't be alone

AND LOTS OF OTHERS I DONT HAVE TIME FOR

So this is your sign to write with me

(don't worry about starting on the same day just start making stuff)

I will be posting the things I write on @rheas-poetry-motivation

JOIN ME 🫵

Tagging people for reach and cause i love my moots:

@mister-dirty-hands, @bamb1fawn, @outromoony, @themortalityofundyingstars, @garden-of-runar

@ancientpokemonrock, @ang3lic-t3ars, @justiceforplutoo, @albatris, @gayafaaryn

@lorelangdon, @imastoryteller, @chaoticcandle, @gildy-locks, @jamespotterbbg

@seekmemystar, @tequilaqueen, @picklerab23, @a-k-oblackhat, @leahnardo-da-veggie

[erinwantstowrite]

erinwantstowrite on tumblr dot com how do you get the motivation to plan & outline & write & finish ur fics

well, anon on tumblr dot com, motivation comes in waves, and i've simply learned how to ride it

we're all in different boats of many colors, shapes, designs, and sails, so we all have different ways to ride our waves safely, creatively, and while having fun. my methods might not work for you (i hope they do!) but they could give you an idea. however, there are basic fundamentals that every sailor (writer) should know:

taking care of yourself, body and mind

going outside to enjoy the sun and live and breathe

taking time to learn new things

outside of the box thinking

your motivation will come to you better when you figure out what helps you feel good. create a schedule or set out a certain time of day to write, and don't beat yourself up if you find that your writing isn't coming to you on certain days. it'll come back, it always does

when planning, i like to use notebooks. i have two notebooks (so far) for LoF, notebooks for my original works, etc. I treat them like it's an extension of my brain (or like a journal). it has all my brainstorming, lists and facts, timelines, calendars, etc. i have research notes in here too! the notebook is a conglomeration of everything all together, and some things don't end up looking pretty or end up in the fic at all

outlining is different. outlining is taking your brainstorms, figuring out what is "needed" to drive the plot forward, what is "wanted" to fill in spaces between plots (example: i wanted tim and peter to meet, and i decided it makes the most sense if tim was stalking him, and what was needed for the plot was for tim to figure things out from that conversation). put it in a chronological order and try to make it read like an episode or "mini-book" each chapter, if you can. no pressure on that last part.

your outline will constantly change (think like how the wind and currents in a boat could shift and you have to adjust so you can get where you're going). do not fret about it, just continue forward. make a new outline with your new ideas, reflect and keep the old one around. you might scrap a scene and then find out you can fit it in somewhere else later on

when writing, you want to know what you can handle within a day. on average, i can set aside 80 minutes a day, and write about 2000 words. but it entirely depends on my mood, if i slept right, if i have plans that day, etc. sometimes i write 2000, other times i write 20 or nothing at all. do not push yourself to write every day or write a certain word count, it will come to you naturally. you'll also get better over time and with practice, and when you find and get comfortable with your writing style, you'll be able to make your plans, outlines, and write with no problem at all

and with finishing... i'll admit that i have an issue with that. i find that endings are the most important part of a story, and sometimes i don't want it to end. but alas, it must. endings are never "endings", because there will always be a set up to what comes later, even if you don't write it. you want your characters to finish their arc, but also have room for growth once the reader has stopped following their journey. it's satisfying to get to that end and see your characters off. it's on you to figure out your way over that hill

[tigers1o1]

Sit with me for a moment while I talk about writing, and growth. (And if you're a beginner to any creative hobby, I urge you to listen)

A few years ago, at the start of my fanfiction writing journey, I joined a discord server that was for fans of a specific fairly popular fanfiction. There were many writers in the server, not just the one that created the server. I didn't really write fanfiction upon joining this server, but it only took a month and a half for them to encourage and convince me to start writing. This was almost 4 years ago and I've been writing fic ever since (I've been writing for much longer, though)

One of the things I most vividly remember from my time on this server was when I was talking to the creator about how she was writing this absolutely massive fic (i believe its currently at 500k words, but at the time of this conversation it was still around 80k). And I remember asking her, "How do you write such long fics? No matter how hard I try, I can only barely manage to pass 10k." and she said,

"I don't know. One day I just did it, and now I can't stop writing long fics."

For 2 and a half years, I never really understood. I didn't get how a switch could just flip and suddenly you can do it. That is until November of last year, when I started writing a silly little modern au that suddenly surpassed 10k. And I was 2/5 chapters done. And then the third chapter alone was 12k. And the 4th? 16k on its own. The fic ended up being 47k words total. I have no idea how I did it, and I'm not here to brag, but it's also one of my proudest works.

What I am here to talk about is how it happened just like how my old friend described it. One day, the fucking spirit of little gay boys possessed me and I wrote way more than I ever had previously. And now? I'm currently writing my 4th planned longfic. It just surpassed 10k, but I'm expecting it to be 60k. And after this, I'm going to finish another long fic that's already my favorite thing I've ever written (it's about half finished at the moment). I haven't written anything under 10k in a while.

And something very similar happened with my art. I've been drawing for nearly 10 years. And one day, I drew something that suddenly, after years of what I thought was shit, I was proud of. And sure, I've made shitty drawings since then and my skill has regressed at times, but I woke up one day with the ability to make something I was proud of.

I'm not trying to give you the impression that one day you'll just magically have the ability to do what you're dreaming of. However, if you work at something and you don't stop, even when it sucks and you can only write a few hundred words, one day, you'll be able to look at your work and see something you're proud of. And you'll think, "Now how did that happen?" because at some point you stopped trying to get to your goal, and you just started enjoying the process.

That 47k fic was born of a pairing I loved, and it was written for someone I loved. And I started enjoying the process of creation, rather than thinking about how good I wished I was.

If I leave you with nothing else, I hope that one day you'll wake up and find that you are capable of the things you want to achieve.

[daisyvramien]

Okay so, I've been waving the Google Drive and Docs flag like it's my own personal banner for ages. I mean, it's been my ride or die, my trusty sidekick through countless projects and late-night writing sessions for over +6 years now. But in November last year, during Nanowrimo, I decided to get the trial for Scrivener after I saw the add when I completed the challenge. I installed it and chose to let it live in my computer but never "really" dipped toes in it cause Google Docs and Drive ARE my jam (and I hate changes but that's another topic for another day). So I decide to open it, you know, this april (I know it's ate but hey) ? But not gonna lie, I was skeptical.

I mean, the interface alone looked like it could swallow me whole, and my poor scattered attention span was already shaking in its boots. I would rather face a haunted house than an application full of features because me and technology ? When it works, I like it but when it doesn't, good God and pancakes above- But I did try. And went from skeptical to pleasantly surprised. Sure the interface looks scary af, too much stuff you gotta check out BUT-.... It's like the fairy godmother of organization swooped in and blessed my writing life. I'm talking files for days, characters and places neatly tucked away, notes that actually make sense, and research that feels like a breeze to manage. And the formatting? Don't even get me started. It's like having a magic wand that just waves away all my worries about how my writing should look. As someone who has spent way too much time fiddling with font sizes and margins, discovering that Scrivener takes care of that for me? It's like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Now, instead of obsessing over the perfect font, I can focus on what really matters – telling my story.

You can add files, images, pages links, anything really (not sure about videos yet though or music, gotta check this out). I hate organization because it means clearing up my ideas, maybe throwing some away but this is necessary and just because one doesn't make it in this one, doesn't mean she won't be there in another.

Like, seriously. I know, I know, it looks like a lot (and let's be real, it is), but I promise it's worth-it. So, if you're anything like me, drowning in a sea of half-baked ideas and forgotten plotlines with an attention span shorter than a butterfly's lifespan, do yourself a favor and give Scrivener a shot. Trust me, your future self will thank you for it.

[mnichpustelnik]

i need someone to tell me that shifting is real and i will shift, because i believe in it 100% but its been 3 whole years and i try every day, there is no second when i don’t think about shifting and my dr, but if i try i never end up there, and i am so frustrated i don’t know what to do anymore

please help🙏🙏

[dr3amer-boy]

[evereverest2]

i like that half of my drabbles notes are just comments from the same three people who i always respond to shoutout to u guys ur adorable

anyway. little monster part 6 later today. only bc i felt bad for teasing too much. and certainly not bc im so fucking excited u have no idea

[chocfrog-enjoyer]

Things I hate in Harry Potter Fanfictions

This are the tropes I found multiple times in lots of different fanfictions and I got fed up with how illogical, overused and badly written they are :/

Completely changing the story to the point where I’m starting to wonder if it’s even Harry Potter because the only thing that stayed the same are the names.

( If it’s ships ) When one or both sides are already in love with each other ( in this cringy “I always loved him/her ) especially on what normally would be considered enemies to lovers. If I’m reading a story especially with a non canon ship I’d want to know how they’ve came to be, how the love blossomed. Or at least a reasonable explanation of why the character loves the other from the start of the story.

( If it’s Dark Harry ) The: One morning Harry wakes up and decides ah fuck it I’m changing sides “I care not for your good side anymore, now I’m going to be evil” and Voldemort is like “Oh well- guess I won’t kill him then, never mind that it was my obsession for the last decade and more, It changed today”

Evil-Good Harry…? Honestly I hate this trope soooo much. The: Voldemort was good from the start and it was Dumbledore that was truly evil and he manipulated Harry and/or he was the one who killed Harry’s parents. “Yeah, no like Voldemort is a pretty good guy. He can even be considered as a role model of being good if we ignore all of his other/earlier victims and people he tortured. I mean- I don’t see any evil right?”

Ron, Ginny and Hermione bashing because why not ( this happens especially often with Slytherin Harry fanfics). I don’t mind if some characters get their negative traits explored but make it real people, I can’t read a story where those characters act so bad and OOC for no actual reason. And no Harry being in Slytherin isn’t a reason because those characters never bullied and harassed anyone purely because they were a Slytherin. Yes they did not like this house ( for a good reason might I say ) but they never even acted out on Malfoy who was openly bullying them, the only situations we get where Malfoy and his friends got attacked by Ron and/or Hermione were deserved, and were responses to his provocations.

( If it’s not in order to hide his identity ) Changing Harry’s name. I can understand using Hadrian or Harris as the elongated versions of Harry but when someone straight up changes his name and now I’m reading a story about Daniel or Bob or something for no apparent reason then the whole thing seems stupid and illogical for me.

When Draco and Snape liked Harry from the start. Draco was a narcissistic, spoiled little child and he wasn’t nice to Harry both when he knew who he was ( train ride ) and when he didn’t ( Madam Malkin - their first meeting ). He expected admiration and friendship from Harry like if he had earned it. Making him be like a best friend from the very start is non sense, those boys would need time to come together, and with Harry’s personality I bet they’d still have a silly rivalry if they were in the same house. Same with Snape, like there’s no way he would tolerate Harry let alone like him. He hated Harry from the moment he saw him in the great hall and even before the boy went to Hogwarts. For Snape and Harry to like each other there would need to be a very good reason and it wouldn’t come immediately, but with lots of time and more interactions between each other.

Too much muggle stuff in the magical world. I don’t mind it if a lot of the story plays out in the muggle world or some muggle stuff is crucial for the story point but when I read a fan fiction where Harry was in St.Mungos and he was being treated the muggle way I lost it and dropped the fic. Like are you really going to put full on muggle medical equipment in a gigantic wizard hospital and make your healers use almost only muggle diagnostic methods? Most Wizards barely have any proper knowledge on muggles, and even muggleborns don’t know that much since they are introduced into wizarding world at a young age and basically spend the rest of their life in it. They have a lot more knowledge about muggles than pureblood wizards but it’s still not THAT much.

Overpowered Harry. The „Lord Potter; Black; Peverel; Gryfindor; Slytherin; etc… etc.. :/ nothing wrong with powerful Harry. I like powerful Harry. But it’s ridiculous that a child, a 11-15 yo boy would just instantly have more magical power than Merlin himself, and he would immediately know what to do with it

Gringotts knows everything about you. The „heritage tests” and all. Making a good use of Gringotts is amazing in fanfiction and I love exploring ideas people have on it but this trope is not only overused but also dumb. I’m not talking about simple family linking that people use or like blood checking. I mean the young Harry goes to Gringotts and just with a drop of his blood it is instantly known that he is meant to be a lord of this and that and he owns such and such properties and he is hella rich because of all the vaults that were left to him. And also goblins being friendly. These creatures do not like wizards.

Know it all Hermione. But like literally. Hermione being so overglorified and being literally smarter than Dumbledore and basically all Hogwarts staff often at age 11-16. She’s smart but let’s be real this is not possible. Like her being able to do anything in the world after “reading a book/going to the library for a bit”

Harry being the most handsome, ripped and freaking amazing Hogwarts student while literally being like 14 or 15.

Harem… Nothing bad with Harry having a flock of girls that are attracted to him ( this is canon ) but oversexualizing women in order to make Harry the girl-magnet that has 7 girlfriends and like all the „conventionaly attractive” witches around him - Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, Daphne etc.”

Harry hating Dumbledore from the beginning, blaming everything on the poor old man, being annoyed by the most stupid thing like: “Dumbledore smiled at him, and Harry went utterly furious” :// and generally Dumbledore bashing

Child Harry behaving like an adult and teenage/mature Harry behaving like a child. Why would a 11 yo go to Hogwarts and suddenly be a master manipulator, know exactly what to say to get out of difficult situation and can outsmart his peers and/or adults to show „how much better he is”. And the other situation: Harry being completely clueless, using childish language, being referred to by others as “little one, pup etc.”

All Slytherins are misunderstood angels. No they aren’t! As a Slyhetin myself I can recognize Draco’s ( and his friends ) bullshit when I see it! Yes stop the stereotype of “All Slytherins are bad” but do not excuse actually bad Slytherins.

Fics gloryfing toxic pureblood culture. Exploring different aspects of the culture, the better and worse ones is cool and creative but I’ve seen a lot of fics gloryfing what is just abusive and toxic and romanticizing it in the name of “pureblood customs/traditions”

Guns… just no… like what? It’s like how to tell you’re American without telling you’re American. I hate seeing guns in HP and the wizarding world, and the often following glorification of this weapon

Excessive American English. I don’t mind it much if it’s just some words but please all the slang and common words from American English are annoying. It’s not that hard to do a little bit of reaserch of the common differences in some words. The story is played ( mainly ) in the United Kingdom, the language used by characters should be British English ( like Harry & Hermione ) and Scottish English ( like McGonagall )

Excessive ( and especially if heavily described ) abuse from Dursleys that would have killed Harry at least 5 times before he would be 10. Like heavy beating, breaking bones, stabbing. I do not like reading such things and I found this in fanfics quite a lot….

Oversexualization of children 11-15. While exploring the sexual side of romance/life is okay in a teenager, it is a part of life, I hate seeing fics that oversexualize ships that at the time have characters aged 11-15 - literal children, especially oversexualizing young Hermione, in some Harmony fics ( where she was 14 ), or Ginny, with fics calling her a slut/whore because she had a crush on Harry, or when she’s a bit older because she dated a few boys.

Illogical use of Parseltongue. First of all Parseltongue is a language and Parselmouth is the speaker ( pls I beg don’t describe Harry as a Parseltongue ). But suddenly this language being like all powerful, and you can do wandless magic with it and basically perform any spell without ever using it before.

Luna being bullied by every Ravenclaw, ( like most of those ppl - especially the older ones or younger ones - do not actually care ) and her being like a super mega seer that knows all about the future and is actually super mega smart in her weirdness.

Feel free to add your points to this list!

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

HOW TO AO3

the difference between "orphaning" a fic and posting/making a fic under "anonymous" section.

orphaning a fic

once you've orphaned a fic, it means the work is no longer yours and there is no way you can "unorphan" the work once it has been orphaned. what does it mean? — it means your name will not be attached to the work, you cannot edit the work, you cannot delete the work and you cannot reclaim the work. you will lose the ownership of your work forever once you've orphaned it.

posting a fic under "anonymous" section

by posting or making your published work "anonymous", your name will not be publicly attached to said work (but will still appear in "my works" section where only you can see). the big difference between orphaning a work and posting/turning a work under anonymous section is that — unlike an orphaned work — you can edit, delete or even reclaim a work under anonymous section anytime you want. you will also still be receiving an email alerting you when someone gives kudos or comments on an anonymous work of yours.

if you don't want your name associated with some specific works you wrote, but at the same time still want to have ownership of them, I suggest you turn them "anonymous" instead of orphaning them.

remember: orphaning a fic is permanent. once you've done it, you cannot undo it. whereas posting or making published work "anonymous" can be undone.

[legendary-guest]

Commenting/reviewing fanfiction is a sure fire way to ensure that a fandom develops a community, which in turns encourages authors, from beginners to veterans, to continue writing. So, how do you engage with fanfic authors in a way that's meaningful and reflective of your appreciation for their work? - Read a fic more than once: Perhaps the best piece of advice I can provide to prep anyone for reviewing. You don't have to do it right after a first read (but hey, some stories are just that good!), you can wait and come back to it. A few hours, a day, a week, maybe longer depending on the time you have. When you return, read again or skim through, and jot down your thoughts. You will find they are much more coherent, and potentially constructive, than on your first reading. - Whatever sticks out to you, mention in your review: This will naturally happen in your time away from a fic, even if you forget the whole story. This is a pretty good sign that you enjoyed it! You should share this enjoyment, and with wild abandon, in your review! - Speculate and ask: If you have questions, ask them! If you are speculating, if you have a particular reading that you have lifted from a story, mention it! Authors, on the whole, tend to be very receptive to alternative views of their work. The exciting part in reviewing publicly is seeing what other readers have noticed that you haven't. It helps to generate a buzz, a hype, especially for multi-chapter fanfics. - Improvement doesn't happen in a vacuum, provide constructive criticism: Now, con. crit. has been deemed a social faux pas in the past decade or so in fandom that originates from this website. However, if you enjoy a story from an author but they have spelling errors, grammatical errors, even something more 'serious' like aspects of a story that aren't working, you should mention it, because it will stop them making similar mistakes in future. They can improve faster with your input. It also shows other fans that it is okay to make mistakes. Some authors take con. crit. poorly, either due to their age or other factors. You can usually tell the general maturity of an author by their writing and if they have responded to other commenters. Either way, their reaction to your con. crit. is their own, not yours. - Only review what you like: Reviewing should be enjoyable for you, the reader. Just like rambling on your Tumblr blog about character of the week, reviewing/commenting is your opportunity to do this on the website the fic is hosted on, whether that's AO3, FF.Net, or, reblogging a fic and adding your comment/review in your reblog. For you, the reader, it is there to develop a deeper appreciation for the story that you have read. You provide a knock-on effect in helping out the author, helping out other readers and fostering a community of people who can be open with their opinions, viewpoints, which in turn, generates more public discussion, more fan work, etc. Who should be reviewing fanfic? Everyone that reads fanfic! A more realistic answer would be people who have time to read fanfic but not write their own. Reviewing is a good way to engage in community without devoting a lot of your own creativity to it - you can even remain totally anonymous, depending on the platform. Reviewing can take a long time, or a short time, depending on the story. It's fun to find out! But remember, you shouldn't rush to get a review out for anyone, you work on it in your time and on your terms. Reviewing is for you, too! This is your chance to talk about what you love with someone who will be receptive to your enthusiasm - the author. If you want to get into fanfic, but have no idea where to start, I would suggest reviewing first! You will develop an eye for the style of writing that you like, particular characterisations you enjoy, amongst many other things. You might be inspired by other fanfics, too! Have an idea for a prequel, sequel, midquel for a fic you've read? What about an idea you saw in a fic that you'd love to explore more?

Or an alternative path/story that you saw but the author didn't take? Reviewing will help you to realise this.

You will enjoy fanfiction a lot more this way, too. Legacy fandoms, such as that of Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. have more staying power due to, not just the constant influx of official content, but because the people that write fanfiction have people who review them, and who review and critique them, respectfully.

I would love to see more people review! It's a really powerful gift that is at your disposal, dear reader. Who else can claim to bring those back from the dead? It could be you, it could be you…

[rheas-chaos-motivation]

Oh no! My magic system has taken my soul! (why you are working too hard on your magic system)

I don't say this a lot, but the ideas around creating magic systems are way too strict. People will go to writing checklists and follow "writing experts" advice. It'll be something like "what is the cost of using magic?" or "who can use it", which are fine. If that helps you, continue doing it.

In my humble opinion—

YOU DO NOT NEED TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT SET OF RULES FOR THIS PART OF YOUR STORY! Honestly, that's probably going to make it a lot harder.

What type of magic/supernatural occurrence works for the story you are telling?

Do that.

If you need less of a power imbalance, create costs of using magic. If you need limitations, add limitations. If your story works better without them, don't include them.

All you need to do is make sure you are consistent.

DO WHATEVER SERVES YOUR STORY, NOTHING MORE OR LESS IS NEEDED!

[erinwantstowrite]

How do you write, if i may ask? On your phone? Laptop? What programs do you use? I'm super curious!

I used to write on my phone when I was in middle school (and sometimes I still do, but it's not nearly as efficient), then I switched to a laptop. Said laptop was so, so, so bad but it was all I had until I was able to get a proper computer, and now I write far more often.

I also used to use Google Docs to write, but now I'm aware that they use it to feed their AI, and I'm not for that. At the moment I use Reedsy (it does not have a mobile app as far as I'm aware). It is still working out some bugs it has but it also has a lot of amazing features that make it worth it!

[starsh0cked]

Do you have any tips on writing fanfics? And also what's your favorite trope that you see in fanfics?

ooh, fanfic writing tips! i have quite a few, really:

reading books is quite useful! everyone has their own writing style, and if you want to develop or change yours, figuring out what you like most in the styles of other writers can help you decide what you want in yours.

for larger, longer works, it helps to have a decent idea of what you're writing! and when i say 'decent idea,' i mean a vague concept of the beginning and end of your fic. even if you don't entirely know where you're going, as long as you know where you start and end, you should be able to work out the rest of the fic.

planning beforehand is super good, too! this mostly applies to chaptered fics, but if it's something long, it makes sense to take your start and end and slowly flesh out the body of your fic.

make sure your spelling, punctuation and grammar is as correct as you can make it! and use paragraphs correctly! no large, chunky blocks of text, or having two different people talking in the same paragraph. while slip-ups are fine, poor paragraphing and incorrect use of punctuation and weak grammar make the fic harder and somewhat unpleasant to read.

having fun is important! i've noticed that a lot of passion goes into fanfiction - if the author is enjoying themself, the readers (usually) are too. if an author isn't enjoying themself, it's best to take a break and come back to it later. that way, you can return with a renewed drive and the same passion as before!

these are the ones i could shake out of my little head at the moment! of course, these shouldn't be taken as law, but these are some of the things i apply to my fics when i'm writing.

as for favourite tropes, i wouldn't say i really have any? i have a spot reserved in my brain for characters acting like idiots outside of canon, but i'm fine with most tropes!