#please please just curate your own experience

[theotherbuckley]

Just a reminder that people can write whatever they like! If you don’t like it don’t read it! It’s so simple. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s bad. It’s fanFICTION. Which people do for free. If you don’t like it don’t interact. You can ever block or mute them!! But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. As long as they’re tagged correctly they’re giving you the tag you need to decide if you don’t want to read it.

[louisirl]

“Thespiad”: Proposing a New Term for Fictionkin Who Involuntarily Identify as Fictional Characters (Under Discussion...)

This proposal contains extensive research and thoughts that I have spent considerable time processing and organizing. It is still in the early stages despite hours poured in, and I am finally opening it up for public feedback. I value your perspectives, as they will help me identify areas I may have overlooked while developing this terminology. If you have suggestions for a more fitting term or wish to share your own experiences, please feel free to contact me.

Purpose

While the term “Fictionkin” is predominately used, it is often now associated with fandom culture and the 'voluntary' exploration of new identities. The community no longer fully captures the complex experiences of those of us who view our fictional identities as intrinsic rather than chosen.

The current community primarily emphasizes exploration and acquisition of new fictional identities, much more than the further development and understanding of existing ones. As a result, I have struggled to find a sense of belonging within community spaces in recent years as I actively seek to express my fictotype in my daily life as that is who I am. My fictotype expands beyond just online expression and would exist regardless as to my involvement in the community.

For those who involuntarily identify as fictional characters and have a desire to live them out physically, I believe we deserve our own distinct community. The fictionkin community faces challenges in being taken seriously, both internally and externally, and it is crucial that we begin to assert our identities with the seriousness it deserves.

The “New Term”: Thespiad (Θεσπιάδης)

Pronunciation: /THES·PI·AD/ Etymology: The prefix "Thes-" is derived from Thespis, the ancient Greek actor who is often credited as the first person to perform as an actor in the context of Greek theater. The suffix "-iad" is a classical suffix used to denote a group of people with shared characteristics or traits.

Usage:

Thespiad: A person who involuntarily identifies as a fictional character and actively desires to express it.

Thespic: An adjective to describe traits or actions related to being a Thespiad.

Thesp/Thespiotype: A specific fictional character that an individual identifies with (e.g., Pikachu from Pokémon).

Thespiades: Plural form of Thespiad.

This term, though rooted in the Greek language, is not synonymous with the modern term “Thespian” (actor), which has become more generalized.

Who This Term Is For?

The term “Thespiad” is intended for those who experience an involuntary identification as a fictional character; When you are a Thespiad you identify 'as' that character. This distinction is critical: it is not merely an identification or connection with a character, but a deeply felt, intrinsic sense of self. In contrast to the broader Fictionkin label, “Thespiad” emphasizes the desire for active transformation and alignment with one’s fictional self physically.

This can involve actions such as changing one's name, relocating to a place reminiscent of your source's setting/location, or altering one's appearance to match that of the fictional character. These practices reflect an attempt to embody the fictional identity in real life.

The Process of Development

In developing a new term, I explored various linguistic roots from Latin, Greek, and Old English. However, many of the terms I curated with this method were too vague or didn't come across as practical. These terms didn't feel inclusive and seemed shaky in definition.

So, I turned to researching about historical people who showcased a similar nature to that of fictionkin (though maybe not exactly) or significantly influenced the storytelling we create and consume today.

Historical Origins

Thespis (Θέσπις) could provide a meaningful historical precedent for this term. Often considered the first actor in the context of Greek theater, Thespis revolutionized storytelling by stepping out of the chorus to portray individual roles, thus creating the idea of the actor as someone who "becomes" the character they portray. His contributions laid the groundwork for modern theater, in which performers transform themselves into characters, not merely to portray them but to bring life to them.

This historical figure could serve as a metaphor for our experiences as Thespiades—individuals who identify with fictional characters not as an act of fan admiration, but as a form of personal and transformative expression.

Metafiction and Fictional Identity

Fictionkin identities often intersect with the concept of metafiction, which explores the boundary between fiction and reality. For Thespiades, the experience of identifying with a fictional character is not purely imaginative but is an essential part of our reality. By acknowledging the gap between the real and the fictional, we can better understand the nuances of this identity. This intersection underscores the need for a term that encompasses the lived reality of these individuals—one that acknowledges both the fictional nature of the identity and its deep roots in personal experience.

Our Symbol: The Drama Masks 🎭

As part of this proposal, I suggest adopting the drama masks—symbols of comedy and tragedy—as a unifying emblem for the Thespiad identity. These masks have long been associated with theater, transformation, and self-expression, making them an apt symbol for those who seek to align their real-world selves with their fictional counterparts. Just as these masks convey the performative nature of theater, they also reflect the process of self-discovery and transformation that many Thespiades undergo.

If you find that this new terminology resonates with your experience, I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Similarly, if it does not fully align with your perspective, I welcome your input as well. Please note that this post is still a work in progress, and I will continue to refine and update it over time. Thank you for taking the time to read and engage with this content.

[mhaynoot]

i seriously thought we were over this dumb fuckig discourse about ship dynamics and that we can actually let people ship and do whatever the fuck they want in fanworks beacuse its fanworks

[clownsheepartsies]

tag yourself im a stage 1 little freak that grew up on rainbow factory and the luna game

do you guys think there´s a connection between the two?

[the-woman-upstairs]

It’s just…so painful to watch Armand readily submit in order to obtain the love he so desperately craves. And while it’s most assuredly a manipulative tactic, it’s still one borne out of fear and desperation. He cannot lose this person he’s come to love and so will become whatever they want, do whatever they want just so they’ll stay with him. But it won’t be enough. No matter how much he acquiesces or seeks to control (himself, others, the environment), he won’t be able to make Louis stay with him in the perfect life, perfect self he built in the hopes of finally being loved. It will all crumble with Armand left alone in the rubble of what he created, the author of his own abandonment.

[petpetpinixy]

i truly am not trying to start something by saying this but i find it kind of funny when people say dsaf/dialtown have these exceptionally toxic fanbases when like. i dunno. all fandoms have people who suck. sometimes you can't stop them from being on the internet. shrugs

[crescenthistory]

is this a safe space to vent our frustrations about other writers on this app? because you truly outdo all of them

no ❤️

[anbaisai]

you keep appear on my dashboard man, that creepy

Well… that’s either because

1. You follow me, or

2. You don’t follow me, but people you follow or the algorithm is putting my posts on your dash

But either way, you can easily solve this by using the block button. You’re not being forced by anyone to look at my posts nor will I take it personally, so please go ahead.

If this was meant as a joke, then I’d advise against sending messages like this to people you’re not familiar with, because it can be pretty hard to read your intention 😅

[benkeibear]

I think you focus way too much on the negative on tumblr and interaction on here. Whether it be hate, reblogs, or anything else concerning discourse. You can curate your own experience and turn off anon with hate messages and also just not read or reply to them when you get them. I think a lot of people fall victim to this and it would be a lot more positive of a space if you and others just decided to not engage with hateful content like anon hate and discourse.

I didn't want to explain myself and just take the criticism but I genuinely don't interact with discourse. There's people literally having one sided beef with me and I really don't care about them or their made up issues. There is no discourse going on here at all.

And the rest... well I'm a pessimistic person. The anon hate I get on the daily is yeeted and deleted and I won't turn off anon since there's enough nice people out there who aren't shit. And trust me, I do not engage with my anon hate. At this point it's gotten so out of hand that it would be a full time job but that's a them issue 🤷‍♀️

[eerieangels]

re this post. ive deleted my archangelnun gender, but i think thats all the genders i have related to nuns/priests or sacred religious practices? (im not sure if saintancient counts but if it does just shoot me an ask!!)

on that note, i will not be taking down my angelgenders nor will i stop making them. i will be careful not to include certain sacred practices in my genders and if i do please tell me, but the disconnect from angels to religion has been happening far longer than the mogai community has been established (see: fantasy media for a plain example) not to mention the countless amounts of fiction and art that use angels in a non-religious or even metaphorical context. you can argue wether this is wrong or right, but because of this a lot of people get their distinct connection to angels from these medias and how the general public perceives angels has shifted. this applies to more things in modern day than anyone thinks.

alongside people having an insanely personal and complex relationship with religion which is . too much to get into in one post ..

the whole point of this post was to say that my entire blog is angel-themed, and i will continue to make angelgenders because of my personal relationship with “angels” as we know them. but!! i also want my blog to be a safe space for anyone with a connection to these creatures, be it religious or not. if my content is ever making anyone uncomfortable, please tell me and i will edit or delete the post as to not cause anyone discomfort. sorry for the long post, ty for reading through this if you did!

[kentocidal]

i’m starting to really need some of you to start tagging things with the general fandom tags so i can block them easier and im being so serious when i say this /nbh

[k9effect]

i just found out that one of my favorite authors reads smut written by a 14 year old and i’m horrified. they’re almost 25. do you also find it super exhausting being an adult in fandom? there are so many weird adults that it’s impossible to know who’s responsible.

Okay so I just woke up, I am very exhausted as I am moving house and this is quite literally the first thing I saw on tumblr, so I might be a little short with you but:

You must be new to fandom spaces.

Minors have been writing smut since the dawn of time. The only reason you know about it these days is because no one preaches internet safety like they used to and people are happy to display their real ages online. Yes, it is exhausting, but the only way to ensure that you aren't reading smut written by a minor is to never read any smut again. Especially in places like Ao3 or Wattpad where, if the author is actually decent at writing and there are no real bios or anything to be able to vet them and find out their ages, you have practically no way of knowing. It's going to happen whether you like it or not. There is a 100% chance you have read smut written by an underaged author.

So don't go thinking people are horrible and irredeemable and perverted because they read something written by a minor. Most of the time, they don't even know. And if they do it's not the end of the world. People get so caught up in wanting to be perfect with everything but the tough truth is we are human, we make mistakes, we do dumb things.

It's REALLY not that deep.

[spotsupstuff]

ur grading people and if they get an f theyre blocked? my main you aint a kindergarten teacher this is a microblogging platform

yeah, that's why there's that function called blocking! :) cuz this is a microblogging site! that's what microblogging platforms have! :) so you don't have to put up with people's shit! :) interesting that kindergarten teachers where you live are capable of blocking people in real life, hope you had fun with that

[mhaynoot]

i think we have to understand again that fandom is inherently what we make of it. sometimes, people are so caught up in analysing the state of other fans and their own nebulous and rather vague idea of a fandom that they forget their own power of being a fan and that they too are fandom. like looking up at the sky and seeing the vast expanse of the milky way and forgetting you too are a part of that greatness. i implore you - when you stare at fandom from your observation chair and only see the side of emptiness, fill up the emptiness. if you are disastisfied with the state of things, change it. being caught up in the void, you forget your own autonomy and your ability. if you do not find the in depth analysis you want to find, or omly see bad hcs that conflict with your own, or the shallowness of a puddle instead of the pool you want to drown yourself in, fill it up yourself. seek out the parts of fandom you do love, curate it, and drown the world and tags with your own creation. everyone can roll up their sleeves and pick up a pen - the greats are not born greats. i admire the people who have filled a shallow puddle more than the people who simply stare at it from their chair, voicing complaints but never raising their hands. do not simply become the very same consumer you complain about. stand up from your chair and roll up your sleeves and dream. we are all building up our own space stations in the sky, your spot is just waiting to be filled.

[danny-chase]

The people who followed me for Titans content watching me devolve back into batfam nonsense:

[autumnrory]

swifties being all "bullying is unacceptable" when it comes to someone they like while they encouraged and partook in all the bullying of kaylors for years lmao just another hypocritical moment here on tumblr dot com!