#fanfic blog advice

[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.

[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-anthology]

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

[fangdokja]

I recently got a wholesome comment for my Yandere! Author story, and I wanted to share my reply with you guys because of the substance in the comment. Very casual for me, but it still has lessons and substance you can pick up. I edited it out the pleasantries and causal talking from the original reply. But I wanted to share my key takeaways as an author and human being. No worries, I didn't edit away the content itself.

WARNING: May contain controversial content and opinions that may offend you. But, this is how I write my content. Something that I will NEVER change nor compromise, because this concerns my own morals as a human and author.

1. Well, actually my weakest genres are romance and erotica. It's why I'm practicing it right now. I specialize in the psychological genre, includes both horror and thriller.

And, I genuinely enjoy writing gore of any kind. I've written a lot of it over the years, and I enjoy it. It's relaxing for me to do. Writing gore is a past time for me, so it makes sense that I've got all kinds of ideas. And, it's a hobby of mine to consume true crime content, so a lot of my gore ideas come from that. I just make things more creative and such lol haha.

2. Also, I'm glad you got disturbed :)). When I write, I make sure to trigger the emotions of Readers, whatever the emotion that I'm targeting would be. Disgust, affection, laughter, despair, etc.

Whatever it may be, I write to impact Readers. It's one of the reasons why I despise braindead writing, like most mindless smut stories.

To me, it's a degradation of the art.

When you write brainless content for traction, it's not only encouraging pornography; but also actively discouraging people to think for themselves, it's turning brains into mush.

People use it to relax and such, but for me, it's wasted talent.

There's more to writing than simply pleasing your audience, or satisfying base desires and emotions. When I write, I write for lasting impact. Because it's meant to make people think and ponder deeply about their morals, their lives, thoughts, and such. This is how I operate when writing anything.

3. When I write "true yanderes", actual horror and psychological genres, I NEVER hold back. I myself have been starved for content for YEARS.

I agree people hold back because of a number of factors, whether it's censorship, lack of guts, or wanting to coddle readers.

To me, there are a lot of stories like that already. I personally write for God and my husband, then myself. So I honestly don't prioritize the comfort or mere feelings of readers.

Which probably explains why I have this mindset of creation and freedom, aside from simply being hungry for actual black flag yandere content. Like seriously.

Note: Actually I wrote another good black flag on a similar level to Yandere! Author. He's Yandere! Russian! Mafia Boss, if you haven't read it. These two yanderes are part of my "Unhinged Yanderes" collection so far. There's a third one, but those are major spoilers so lol.

Yandere! Russian! Mafia Boss

♡ Main Story. 🔞"I trusted you, wife, and now I'll teach you what betrayal feels like."

Headcanons 1 : The Bride of Blood (General)

To him, you're perfect. To you, he's just a mission.

🔞"I don't need your love, I need your submission."

4. Anyways, haha. I'm not one to comfort Readers in actual horror. It's called "horror" for a reason. Those in my 'Unhinged Yanderes" collection are my favorites to write tbh. I really like writing actual horror yanderes lol.

If they disturb or frighten Readers, well, good. It's supposed to be like that. And I enjoy writing these yanderes most. Literally yanderes I've wanted to read about but NEVER found. It's always censored or bait stuff, or other reasons. So literally no food. I have to cook for myself.

5. I also agree with your points. Usually when explaining characters, the yanderes still want love and affection returned from the darling.

The difference with my Unhinged (and actually most of my actual true yandere characters) Yanderes? Simple. They're so confident in themselves that they don't need the VALIDATION from the darling.

So what if you don't love him back? He doesn't care.

It's about absolute possession and domination. Those are one of the major differences.

These Yanderes don't crave validation as much as other yanderes, written by others. This isn't just about being yandere, it's about their core personalities as individuals. Confidence in oneself.

7. As for authors and artists, usually they hold back because they have restrictions. Whether it be their social platforms and financial concerns, personal fears and morals (or biases, etc.), or just a general drawing of the line that they won't cross.

Too bad I don't have those wahaha. To me, what's most important is not the money, traction, success, etc. It's about the "art" itself.

I refuse to compromise the art itself in favor of catering to other people's wants, or wanting to earn from my work.

These are my personal values though. But I do understand that everyone else has their own reasons.

8. I agree with that quote too. For me, true art is about creation.

To create something you both love and have fun in it without holding yourself back. Because when you're most comfortable, you can create anything you desire and want.

As for Readers, well, they will find you. It's best to focus on your passion for the art; because in the end, that's what will drive you. Especially when the silence is there, when you're feeling like giving up, when you have no motivation, etc.

It's the internal drive, that passion and love for the art of creation itself.

9. Sex without horror and plot especially is boring. I want my writing to be impactful. Others may have different motivations for writing. But, for me? I want it to leave a lasting impact on Readers.

Otherwise, what's the point. You're basically mass producing content without even thinking about the well-being of Readers.

What of their emotional, mental, spiritual, and even physical states? They can't keep consuming content passively like fast food. It's unhealthy.

To me, as writers, it's also a responsibility of ours to leave impact on Readers. For me, whether I'm writing dark humor or erotic horror, it's about making Readers THINK. To contemplate, to ponder, and to appreciate art beyond the surface level.

Ok, now a message for my fellow readers:

Hope this message makes sense, and is understandable for all of you. Why did I post this? Simple. I know we all learn from each other.

Me, as a writer, even if it's simple liking or even lurking about. Admittedly, I do psychoanalyze a lot. I'm a huge thinker. 24/7 actually. It's also why I overthink a lot like crazy. My mind is rarely in rest mode, it's always working. And I tend to analyze everything from all perspectives, it's both a blessing and hassle at times. My brain is basically on hyperdrive almost all the time.

Anyways, I said this because I also analyze you, Readers. Yes, even if you are silent. Not to be intrusive, I won't share anything uncomfortable. But it's just me observing people's silent reactions, behaviors, and the like. Beyond what I can see and hear. Every action tells something about someone, and as a writer I'm always seeking ways to make new content, so it really does happen.

I rambled, but basically I'm just saying, I learn from all of you as well. You don't have to speak out for me to learn something about you, or gain insight or improve my general skills. Hm, I guess it does sound intrusive, but I don't mean to make any of you uncomfortable.

I just think. A LOT. I won't say such thoughts though if it makes people uncomfy so don't worry.

Anyways, I wanted to share all of this; because I believe whether you're a Reader, Author, or even future Writer. We can all learn from each other. I share my thoughts not to seem like some higher, arrogant being or something. It's simply because I want all of you to improve not just as Readers, but people as well. Human beings, individuals with their own thoughts, passions, personalities, and various stories to tell.

Honestly, I don't handle social interactions well, I'm not extroverted at all. I can work, do business, socialize. But I tend to offend people unknowingly because of the way I say my thoughts honestly. No malice or anything, it's simply stating my opinions or actual facts.

I can't prevent offense, but if I did offend. I apologize. But, the main point of me posting this is to share both insight and tips on how I'm able to write such realistic and relatable stories across several usually-clashing genres. It's not just about skills and talents.

It's about who you are as a person. Cliche? Yes.

But, that's reality. What you read and write speaks about yourself, it shapes both your thinking and readers involved. It's why I have never once written something braindead. Because I trust readers that they have the intelligence enough to grasp complexity. And even if they do have trouble, I want people to actually think and exercise their brains.

I refuse to be part of a system meant to slowly erode one's sense of self. I don't really want to philosophize or something, but braindead content honestly makes me sick. Why? Simply because I heavily dislike the idea of degrading the minds of others. Whether anyone realizes it's happening or not.

You're basically not caring for what happens to the well-being of your audience. Or. You're acting like a blind guide for blind people. I literally write dark content; because in actuality, it's healing for a lot of people, including me.

My stand as an author? It's about creating art meant to impact people long-term.

Hm, I don't know if I explained this well, probably offended people again. But, regardless, I'm always open to sharing how I write my stories especially since some of you are writers as well.

Remember, it's not just in writing, but you always have to ask yourself.

What do you want to do? Why are you doing this? How will this impact you and others?

It always starts with yourself first. Without a proper foundation for anything, you're essentially setting yourself up for failure. We don't want that. I don't want that for you.

Always build your foundation on a sturdy rock. So when the waves come crashing, you won't collapse like a sandcastle.

I rambled, but I guess it's because it did make me kind of sad seeing several creators get discouraged because of hate mail, personal hardships, etc.

Admittedly, I don't network or talk to anyone really. I do enough of that in real life. But, I know simply saying things will get better or some bull, things like that aren't enough.

For me, only answer is Jesus. No one will ever satisfy you or help you the way Jesus can. That's the truth. And that's a truth that will remain absolute.

Well, regardless, if you read this, thank you. And even if you didn't, thank you to all of you for being so patient, kind, and supportive with me. I cannot express my gratitude enough.

And, I hope all of you, whatever you may be going through, well just know, "In this world, hearts will still break, bones will still break, but in the end, the light will overcome darkness." --- The Chosen Series.

I like that quote a lot. I'm still debating on sharing part of my testimony as a Christian, but pondering on it. It's a sensitive topic and it does expose me a lot, but if it will help anyone. Well, I won't mind at all.

Please do continue to enjoy our library, and take care of yourself. :))

────────────

❤︎ Fang Dokja's Books.

♡ Book 1. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology ♡ Book 2. Forbidden Fruits (FF): Intimate Obsessions, Unhinged Desires. ♡ Book 3. World Ablaze (WA) : For You, I'd Burn the World. ♡ Book 4. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows. ♡ Book 5 [you are here]. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams. ♡ Library MASTERPOST 1. The Librarian’s Ledger: A Map to The Library of Forbidden Texts.

♡ Disclaimer. Not all stories are included in the masterpost due to Tumblr’s link limitations. However, most long-form stories can be found here. If you're searching for a specific yandere or theme, this guide will help you navigate The Library of Forbidden Texts. Proceed with caution—these tales explore obsession, madness, and devotion in their rawest forms.

[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

[monzterreincarnate]

snowed in

im praying my uni classes get canceled, maybe then I can finally write

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

advice on writing character death scenes from the official Warrior Cats app. if you care

[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.

[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🙏🙏

[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.

[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

[rheas-chaos-anthology]

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!

[fangdokja]

Woahhh. Your page is very pretty! Very aesthetically pleasing. That must have taken a lot of energy and effort.

Your writing is also soo mind stimulating. I'm flabbergasted 💕.

Your blog deserves to look as good as your writing—here's how to do it.

❤︎ Synopsis. Discover quick and easy tips to elevate your Tumblr blog and fic aesthetics with cohesive designs, color coding, and formatting tricks—consider this your warm-up for the ultimate design guide!

♡ Book. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams.

♡ Word Count. 2,237

♡ Series. The Aesthetic Tumblr Blog Starter Pack - Part 1

♡ Banner's Story. Trust no one. Not even yourself.

♡ A/N. Actually, it's "casual"; but it's full of tutorials on how to achieve stuff like the picture below (and more), especially when designing your blog and fics. I only called it casual because it's not really formally organized like my usual. I literally typed all of this while I'm in a meeting, haha. Anyways, I'll show you how I design my blog and content.

designs + gradient texts + banner images like this: I love my Daddy Dom husband.

OK! START!

Aw, thank you, Anon. That’s the first time someone has commented about the aesthetics on the page. Thank you :)) And, yeahhh. Bro. You have no idea. Of course, the page didn’t always look like that.

I’m also glad you love the writing. I’m curious about which one’s your favorite so far, or what stories you like haha. It’s always interesting to see what content attracts people in general, just plain curious. But no pressure in answering though, just have fun and relax here. That’s all I want for you, Readers. Yes, even if it’s the erotic horror books and stories haha.

Glad to have flabbergasted you. Haha. Now! Story time! Since, I always like to reply as comprehensive as possible to each of your efforts in commenting, reblogging, or even just reading. I’m extremely thankful for the support :))

Actually, even the older stories in “A Heart Devoured” looked different aesthetically before. I experimented with a lot of things in this blog, even aesthetically.

Force of habit, but when I really enjoy something, I get into it full force. I’m usually lazy and such haha. But I can write like 7+ hours without breaks at all. Yes, even food and sleep. Would not recommend though.

My husband takes care of me usually. When I get “hyper focused”, I really have this mental space to just keep writing (or working in general). As long as I have fun, I can really commit to it whatever time of day. Though… of course, when adrenaline runs out, I get really tired after. But nothing that can’t be fixed.

Anyways. Back to the topic at hand.

Tumblr blog recommendations. If you want to start your own blog in general.

Based on general research and experience (e.g. searching top fanfics or posts), it solidifies that Tumblr really is heavy on visual content. It’s why art and short form, easily consumed, content does better here.

Usually, fanfics not as much. Again. My mindset (and the truth) is that Tumblr is a very VISUAL platform.

So, I made the effort to create pictures, and see in both in the phone and laptop on how it looks. Phone especially, since most users scroll on mobile. Convenient and easily accessible.

Anyways. I guess “business mindset”? I don’t know. Weird.

But, I always look at statistics, especially before. It’s something measurable and to see if there's more I can improve on in general. Aside from the fact people LOVE smut, and anything sex in Tumblr.

Until now, unfortunately, I don't know what post will blow up or not. To be completely honest. It's like sometimes I think this work is shiz (e.g. the recent Yandere! Nerd story), and that's doing extremely well. I'm shocked. Other times, stories that I think would do well didn't do as well in terms of stats.

So, honestly, I don't know how the system works. I'm still learning the ropes as well. Technically I know how it goes about, but on what content actually does well?

Well, even word count sometimes doesn't come into play. The Yandere! Ex-boyfriend story (could also low key because Gojo-like personality? idk)? That had a higher word count than average posts, at 9k words! But that story also did extremely well. That wasn't even a smut fanfic! I've posted drabbles and even 1k-2k (or even average 4k-5k) words stories and works that performed less than that.

In Tumblr, it's recommended to post shorter fics. The average for smut fics for instance is around 5k words, for example.

BUT. For some ODD reason. When it comes to my audience, you supportive Readers, it's like longer fics work better for you all jsfklfsdk. So, that's that...

At first, it would be good to experiment with anything from aesthetics to word count, beyond just your writing style and story content. That's what I did. Anything under the sun that I enjoyed, and by looking at top posts and seeing what they did.

I got a lot of aesthetic ideas from JJK smut fics. I don't read those haha. But my current formatting for fics? Those ideas were adapted from JJK smut fics, like this:

Do you want to know what's ironic? I don't read smut fics at all, like even back then. I tried it before, but the brain dead stuff wasn't working for me. If I were to read sex, it can't be the main point. Like my current writing style, there has to be plot, usually yandere non-con in general helped. Of course, never encountered a yandere author (or can't find any yet) that actually willingly kills the Reader or MC. It's due to circumstances or stresses at most, but never voluntary. No actual danger. Oh well. Rambled.

See the similarities in aesthetics for my work? It's pretty obvious, yeah? haha

These are the following similarities:

ALWAYS have a Banner image. Think of this like the cover page of your book, it has to be eye-catching and tell Readers a vibe of what's in the story. The rest of the design and text has to be color-coded with the banner image to create synergy and cohesiveness in design. Symmetry or concepts related to it makes your work appear neat. Yes, you have to consider this to add to your professionalism when presenting to your Readers.

ALWAYS have a Hook Statement. This isn't necessarily your fic's title, it's a single statement usually, concise and meant to incite interest among readers. Think of it like the first 3-5 seconds of a TikTok video or short-form videos. These hooks are meant to capture your interest straight away or you'll just scroll past.

ALWAYS have a Synopsis or summary of your content. This is especially needed for longer works or prose that are in traditional narrative forms. Gives a taste to the readers, so they know what they're getting into or before they commit.

ALWAYS have a Word Count. So your readers know what they're getting into. People are busy and have their own lives, some want to have a quick read of serotonin. Others are in a relaxed state and can afford to read long works. So, don't worry, your works will attract its readers naturally. Just be consistent in writing and posting. That's key. Show up even if you don't want to, if you really are committed to your blog and work.

ALWAYS have Trigger Warnings. As a Dead Dove author, it's a requirement for me to do so, especially for explicit works. It's not a weakness, it's respect to your readers. Also, it will help drive away people who get turned off or triggered by certain works. Don't make your life harder later, just be transparent now, so people don't annoy or send hate mail to you.

ALWAYS have a Divider. This was made by me, like majority of my graphic design works for my fics. This divider is simply to make your work more neat as well, and to VISUALLY show what people are getting into. It can both advertise your name, and also warn Readers if they don't read trigger warnings. Yes, some people don't bother with the details.

ALWAYS have "Ads". Yes, I technically advertise my other works. How? Through connecting the Masterlist link, the book where the work they're reading is located in. If they want to read more, they can read more "here". It's the equivalent of how social media recommends content that you may like. Look at the examples below, it's like that.

In these ASKS, I also link my works when casually chatting. And it works. Why do I ramble and do these Asks? It's not just to create a sense of community, but also to "advertise" my works. Look at this example ask.

The person talked about Paternal Privilege and commented on it, saying how the yandere is like this character from Love and Deepspace. So people who are interested in the game or have not heard about my work yet (like if you're a new reader and haven't read my old works), they can check out my work. See? I linked my work at the end. Yes, in each masterlist, I even "advertise". Can be annoying to others, but it does help spread awareness about my works in general. Every piece of interaction is cherished and crucial in building your audience.

This is an example of how what usual formatting looks like:

I also put author notes just for fun. This one isn't really a recommendation, but just for personal preferences. To communicate with readers about my writing processes and other matters or updates. But, again, it's just a personal thing.

Now, how do I make this? CANVA. This is how part of my workspace in Canva looks like:

Actually, for me, it's still kind of messy. I haven't fixed a lot of things yet for my work since I'm also busy. But this is a general idea.

I've been using Canva for years, even before it blew up. When it first came out, I've been using it already, so I've gotten a lot of practice with it. Though, I do use Canvas Teams; because I also use Canva for work, so a lot of features are available already to help me.

While working on my blog, I never considered myself a graphic designer even before my blog. But, to be honest, I ate my words again. My husband already said before I am also a graphic designer, not just an artist, so.... yeah.... I generally improved a lot more as well because I'm constantly churning out new content. Basically even if I think it's shiz, I still continue, post, work. Same concept with fics. Just keep working, even if you don't see it, with each work (even if it's unfinished), you're improving.

If you notice, I have 3 different covers for "World Ablaze." I had to repeat the finished product 3 times, because the cover was shiz compared to the others. And these weren't drafts. But, hey, got to use the other covers for my posts.

For Tumblr posts in general, I just pick two sizes and upscale it for higher image quality:

Tumblr Banner

Wattpad Book Cover

For the divider, it's 1350 x 80 px.

For my usual formatting in Tumblr banners, I usually go for this formatting. I just use grids on a new project:

And then choose the 4 picture grids, before looking at Pinterest and getting pictures.

I ALWAYS add filters, and upscale the image:

And, for texts, I just pick, usually gothic texts since it's my personal fav. I just substitute already preset design texts usually, just changing the actual text.

Like if you see "Recently Used", I just press the given text and place my title. Then, I do edit the "text effects" usually; mostly Neon so it pops out the title, since people usually use phones with smaller texts.

Just with those steps, I'm able to make covers like this:

♡ Ink & Insight. The writer's essential to fictional writing, no matter what genre you may be in. Though, if you're a dark content writer, then you're in for a treat.

And, for color coding texts. I use these two sites:

The uiGradients is for getting easy color codes to paste the code in the Fiddle. Then just paste the generated HTML code in your Tumblr post.

For the Fiddle, paste the color codes in the corresponding HTML line 3 and 4, where it says "first" and "last".

I picked a red color from uiGradients:

Then I paste it here:

Then, place your text or whatever title you want here:

Press run, and copy the text generated.

Then go to your Tumblr Post:

Change the "Text Editor" into HTML:

Switch to the HTML tab, then copy your text from the Fiddle:

It's supposed to be long, and that's fine. It's because of the gradient code required in the text:

Final Output looks like this:

I love my Daddy Dom husband.

Hope that was an easy tutorial to follow, haha.

Anyways.

Hope this post helps people! Whether you're a writing blog or another kind of blog, I hope these tips will help you! :))

P.S. As I'm writing this, I just realized something. I'm actually in a lecture for Brand Positioning. And, it actually fits well with this topic, haha. Is it obvious I come from business? hahahahah. Also I just realized, I have a lot to say on this topic.... huh.

[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!

[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!