#i am so self-conscious about my online presence and i don't want to like... idk make the experience worse for people?

[dogearedheart]

when you want to reblog a post but you can't :(

[purplehoodiesimon]

Do you ever write something and get excited about it and then realize it is 100% not something you ever want to publish?

Anon, allow me to introduce you to my embarrassing fanfic folder on my notes app vs my regular fanfic folder

Short answer: yes all the fucking time

Long answer: Generally, stuff that goes in the ✏️ folder is stuff that I generally wouldn't want tied to my name (ie embarrassing kinks, some darkfic ideas, my SG-1 Sam/Daniel fic that should never see the light of day, etc etc you get the idea). Usually I'll write out the ideas I get excited about anyways, just to get them out of my head, and sometimes I'll post stuff anonymously, but most of the time it just kinda sits there unpublished. Idk your reasons for not publishing your fic(s) Anon, but I will tell you that 1. There is almost always an audience for anything. I've been surprised at the positive feedback I've received on anon fics, especially on some of the embarrassing kink fics I've posted in various fandoms. And idk if it's because the fandoms I'm in are generally pretty nice and accepting, but I have never received a single hate comment on fics I felt self conscious about posting for whatever reason, anon or otherwise (like my fic autumn leaves falling down, I was scared to post something so personal and debated making it anon but things turned out fine). And 2. You never have to post anything you don't want to. You do not have an obligation to share anything you write. You write for you. And it's nice to have a positive audience, but if you don't want to post something? Don't. There is no contract with becoming a fic writer that says you have to post everything you write. If you want to make your own ✏️ folder and write your ideas you're excited about, and never publish them? Do it. And lastly 3. AO3's anonymous feature exists for a reason. Multiple emails to sign up for multiple accounts exist for a reason. You can do either or both if you do want to publish your ideas. The AO3 I have tied to my name and my online presence is ASkyOfKai, but it is certainly not my only AO3 account and certainly not the only way I post fics. I'd be happy to give you a tutorial on how to post fics anonymously if you want. 💜

*Disclaimer because I am slightly worried: My anon fics are anon for a reason. Do not try to track down any fics I have written, YR or otherwise, that I have not posted under my AO3. I am only sharing that I have written fics anonymously here because it is relevant to answering this ask. Thank you.