#so if anyone wants to comment or reblog with some recs - any genre - for everyone that could be fun 💙

[kindahoping4forever]

queen do you have any fic recs to hold us over until you make your writing return

I'd actually appreciate some myself! A large number of the authors I had been following (both slash and reader insert) have either gone inactive or on hiatus. I'll occasionally peruse the latest AO3 offerings (Tumblr searches are often fruitless for a number of reasons, that's an entirely different topic tbh) but the fact is, the fic world is so scattershot in our fandom right now, I haven't been reading much lately 🥲

[samuel-de-champagne-problems]

It's Delicate: Part II

Summary: Spencer Reid finds himself at a gas station at 2:00 am, thinking he’s only leaving with a cup of crappy coffee. But something taped to the door catches his eye. Spencer leaves the gas station with more than he intended: the chance at a friend, and maybe something more along the way.

Word Count: 3.6 k

Author’s Note: Here's the second part in It's Delicate, my first chapter fic. I've planned out kind of where I see this eventually going! Thank you to anyone who reads, likes, comments, and reblogs. It really means the world to me.

Content Warnings: Expletive language (3 uses), mentions of drug use, sexual innuendo

READ PART I

It's Delicate Masterlist

It's Delicate

Sitting on the plane, Spencer looks out from the little window. For hours, there’s been nothing but corn fields and clouds. It’s eerily peaceful, being there high above the clouds. His whole life Spencer has felt this distance between him and everyone else, but nothing makes that feeling more prominent than being strapped in a glorified metal box 35,000 feet off the Earth’s surface. But the thing is, Spencer does need to be flying above the trees to feel lonely. He can do that with two feet on the ground.

Luke sits across Spencer, the table between them and a deck of playing cards are spread out across its surface. He has to nudge Spencer’s leg from under the table, trying to bring him back to reality as he stares out the window.

“Whatcha thinking,” Luke asks, Spencer has been noticing more and more that Luke is one of the few people that actually listens to him.

Spencer, whose mind is racing too fast to even formulate an articulate thought, attempts to dodge Luke’s question with a noncommittal shrug.

“Reid, these cases are hard for all of us, you gotta know that man,” Luke says, laying down a four of a kind.

Spencer narrows his eyes, shocked that it hasn’t clicked yet for the rest of the team. He cracks his neck, preparing to answer Luke.

“We almost locked up an innocent man, Alvez. I almost sent another man to the same fate as myself. What kind of fucked up message is that?” Spencer says, throwing down the cards on the table. He doesn’t wait for Luke to respond.

“I fold,”

Spencer walks off into the small kitchenette to make a cup of coffee. He doesn’t want to think about his increased reliance on coffee, because he knows it’s a hot cup of coffee or a cold needle of Dilaudid in his veins. Spencer checks his watch, it’s 10:17 pm, maybe too late to find a meeting at a church or rec center somewhere.

He sneaks a peak at his phone, which was still unfortunately on Airplane Mode, he hasn’t even gotten a chance to see if Y/N has responded. He doesn’t know much about her, just as much as she knows about him.

It’s a brave new world for Spencer and he’s knee deep into the unknown.

Spencer can feel Luke’s eyes on him. He just knows that the minute he gets home, a certain tech expert will be ringing him. He knows that it’s Luke’s way of caring, but for someone who’s been alone for so long, having people that actually care is almost drowning.

Walking back to his seat, Spencer hands Luke a coffee. He smiles slightly; it’s the awkward smile that he used to make when intimating police chiefs and idiot cops would look him up and down like he’s a TA. It’s a peace offering for Luke, who despite his tough looking exterior, is one of the kindest people Spencer knows.

“Look, Reid. I’m sorry that we didn’t put it together. It’s just that man that we caught, he’s not like you. He’s not innocent of crimes, he’s just innocent of this crime,” Luke says in an attempt to make Spencer feel a little bit better.

“The thing is Luke, I’m exactly like that man,”

Spencer returns to staring out the window. The cards and the coffee on the table are long ignored for the silence that is found when you’re high above the clouds.

--

Spencer hears Tara and Emily murmur quietly about going out for a round of drinks. Luke accepts, while JJ and Matt decline, eager to get home to their families. Emily looks over at Spencer, her eyes silently scanning him, his body language. Spencer knows that there’s nothing he can hide from Emily, so there’s no use in trying to pretend he’s alright when she can take one look at him and know that nothing is right.

“You guys have fun, I’m going to head home and get some sleep. I plan on visiting my mom tomorrow and mornings are usually better for her,” Spencer says, slinging his go bag around his shoulders and making the trek back to the security to check out.

He walks slowly, enjoying the sound of the crickets chirping as he trudges along. Spencer tries not to think about the man, Richard, who was almost locked up for a crime that he didn’t commit. Spencer is pretty sure that being the person to throw an innocent man in jail is worse than being the innocent man in jail.

Spencer’s phone buzzes loudly, disturbing the silence of his walk. He looks at the phone to see a couple of messages from Y/N. Spencer slides open the lock to his phone and hits the button to read her messages.

Y/N: Spencer...that has a nice ring to it. So tell me a little bit about yourself. Your big three, but as books. Go! 🌞🌙⬆️

Furrowing his brow, Spencer reads the message over again. He does not have a clue what “big three” means, but it seems like some sort of pop culture thing that he’s not skilled in. He wants to text Garcia for a translation, but he’s also not too keen on telling her how he came across Y/N’s number.

Y/N: I assume you’re working, but I'm kind of impatient so I’ll give you mine 🙃 I’m a Little Women sun, an Emma moon, and an In Cold Blood rising.

Y/N: Oh no….I hope my astrology didn’t turn you off

Y/N: Not that I was trying to turn you on

Y/N: omg Y/N please shut the fuck up

Astrology? Spencer isn’t one to judge, but he’s a scientist first and foremost. The idea that there is something written about him in the stars seems like ludicrous. He decided to ignore the other messages, particularly the ones with a little more than slight innuendo.

Spencer: Y/N- I’m sorry I just got out of work. As for my big three, I’m not sure about astrology. I don’t particularly believe in pseudoscience. But those are good choices. In Cold Blood is an excellent choice. Capote spent years researching the case. In fact his prose and technique inspired the entire “Nonfiction novel” genre. The world of journalism and true crime would not be where it is without Capote’s work.

Y/N: Oh my god. You are a total nerd. 🙀

That stops Spencer right in his tracks. He’s only a couple of yards away from the Volvo at this point, but somehow it feels a million miles away. You are a total nerd. The words replay in his mind as the small gray bubbles pop up again. Spencer can feel his heart constrict at Y/N’s words. It’s ridiculous, he’s nearly 34 and is getting upset that a stranger called him a nerd. Spencer unlocks his car and tosses his go bag, phone included onto the passenger seat.

After a couple of minutes his phone buzzes again. He’s half tempted to answer it, but the way his heart seems to beat faster tells him to ignore it.

Y/N: I fucking love it and I think you’ll love this too

Spencer’s entire demeanor changes as he reads the message. He’s always had difficulties reading emotion in writing, especially when he can’t analyze the handwriting. Sometimes, it’s even harder to judge inflection during conversations. Maybe that is why Spencer has spent all this time studying people, studying the way that their minds work. Before he can get too lost in his thoughts, another message pops up.

Y/N: Meet Capote and Second Cat

Y/N: They are the loves of my life

Spencer: They are very...distinguished looking. Capote is an excellent name choice then. Second Cat is also quite catchy.

Spencer hesitates before sending the message, he notices that Y/N uses what Garcia calls “emojis” quite frequently. He assumes that it’s some sort of “texting lingo” that expresses emotion in small graphics. Great, he thinks. He already has a difficult time deciphering Y/N’s cryptic wording and now he’s got to analyze these emojis.

Maybe he should profile her. He re-reads the message and settles on a “😄” because he figures that he can’t go wrong with offering Y/N a smile.

Spencer: I don’t have a cat, but when I was a kid I always wanted one, they’re quite good companions for those that live several different kinds of lifestyles. From active to sedentary, they are adaptable and independent. Honestly they are the perfect pet.

Y/N: Is this your way of telling you’re a crazy cat man? 😜 🙀

Spencer, still sitting in his car that’s parked in the parking lot, chuckles at Y/N’s response to his message. Maybe it’s just easier to ignore his rambling when it’s done through 1s and 0s and there isn’t a face to the words.

Spencer: I’m actually more of a fish guy

Y/N: Like a “I-like-to-go-fishing-and-post-picture-of-myself-kissing-my-catch-on-Tinder” kind of fish guy or...I can’t think of any other kind of fish men

Spencer, not totally understanding the obvious joke that Y/N is trying to make, settles on something that he hasn’t really ever tried: being himself.

Spencer: Not quite sure what a Tinder is, but I think fishing is terrifying and kissing a fish is something out of nightmares. But his name is Leo

Y/N: DiCaprio?

Spencer: Uhh, Tolstoy

Y/N: Good😉 ⚔️🕊️ 🇷🇺

Spencer glances at his clock on the control panel, it tells him that he’s been messaging with Y/N back and forth for nearly 22 minutes. He nearly forgot how tired he was.

Spencer: Y/N- I’m so sorry but, I just got to my car to drive home from work. I’ll text you tomorrow morning about the book club, maybe we can figure out some things.

Y/N: OMG Spencer!! you should have told me. I’ve been talking ur ear off. sleep well and yes please tomorrow we can talk about the book club

Y/N: Good night, Book Buddy 😴

Spencer wants to respond to Y/N, but he doesn’t know what to say. She seems to text so easily, and judging by that, she must be around Spencer’s age or a little bit younger. Besides JJ and Penelope, Spencer has never had a friend close to his age. It’s a strange new territory for him and he’s walking in head first into No Man’s Land.

He starts his Volvo, the check engine still lights but, reminding him once again to go get it fixed. Driving away from the parking lot, Spencer hands over his ID to Gina, the security guard. She checks his ID and gives him a tired smile. Spencer, as he drives home to his apartment, thinking about what books he and Y/N will read together. He wonders what kind of books are her favorite, if they have any authors that they can obsess over together, or if what she thinks a poet’s prose is.

The summer air rushing in through the window is nowhere as warm and as comforting as thought of Spencer finally having a friend that isn’t able to read the scars of his past in the text bubbles that pop up on her screen.

--

When Spencer opens his eyes for the first time that morning, he isn’t sure where he is. Sometimes, before he can stop his thoughts from travelling there, Spencer thinks he’s still in jail. He hates the feeling of terror that rushes over him but he hates the idea of being vulnerable a little bit more. But the softness of his pillows and the coolness of his cotton sheets remind him that he’s not sleeping on a hard cot with only a layer of fabric over his body. The light streams in through the half closed blinds, and Spencer judges by how brightly the sun shines in, it must be around 9:45 am.

He supposes that he prefers the way the sun’s rays paint horizontal bars across his face more than the vertical bars that cast gray shadows over his cell at Milburn Penitentiary.

It’s a day off from work, so Spencer didn’t set an alarm, instead allowing his mind and his body to catch up on some much needed rest. The nightmares have been getting better, but his dreams are still haunted by the way that he hardly recognizes himself anymore. Deciding that it will be a day spent in pajamas, Spencer goes to his bookshelf in his bedroom to pick out a couple of novels to read while he drinks his morning coffee and defrosts some of Luke’s strawberry pastries.

Before heading out of his room, Spencer stops himself in the doorway. He replays the events of last night. He declined to go out with the rest of the team, while he walked to his car he thought about the crickets telling the temperature, and he read over Y/N’s messages.

Y/N.

He promised he’d text her back in the morning about their book club. Last night, she didn’t seem to mind Spencer’s long messages and awkward phrasing. He still doesn’t really know how this Book Buddy thing would work, but since he found Y/N’s number on the flyer, he can only assume that she knows what to do. He leaps on his bed, landing with thud on his belly, to grab his phone that charges on his nightstand.

Spencer settles at his kitchen table, a cup of steaming hot Dark Roast coffee in a Captain Spock mug in one hand and, surprisingly, his phone in the other. He scrolls through the messages from last night, Y/N’s cat and emojis tempt a smile to Spencer’s face.

Not entirely sure how to start the conversation again, Spencer looks around for inspiration until his eyes land on a certain fish tank in the corner of his apartment. He snaps a quick picture of Leo and attaches it to the message.

Spencer: Good Morning from Leo & Spencer

Spencer sets down his phone after a moment when he realizes that Y/N is probably not going to answer him back in a couple of seconds. He takes out a strawberry pastry from his freezer and puts it into the toaster oven on a non-stick baking sheet. His thumbs run across the texture of the book he started on the plane ride after his and Luke’s ill fated poker game. It's a thin book of collected essays on the meaning of life. Camus, to Spencer, is a little pessimistic with his droning on about the meaninglessness of life. Though Spence has seen the absolute worst that humanity has to offer, he still has to believe that there’s a deeper meaning behind it all.

His toaster oven rings, altering him so that his toasted strawberry pastry is cooked. He plates his breakfast and pours himself another cup of coffee- he’ll need it to get through Camus’s section on Absurdism this early in the morning. But the flash of Spencer’s phone screen sends him reaching for his phone. Y/N replied to his message.

Y/N: hi leo!!!

Y/N: and you too Spencer :) Did you get a good night’s sleep. You got back late it seems.

Spencer, taking a bite of the strawberry pastry, ignores the burning sensation in his mouth. He types out a response to Y/N as he washes down the bite with a swing of coffee.

Spencer: I did, thank you. Can you tell me a little bit more about this book buddy thing. From what I gathered from the flyer it’s like a little book club of our own and we meet at the bookstore?

It doesn’t take long for Y/N to respond. The little gray dots pop up almost immediately after Spencer’s message is delivered.

Y/N: That’s about right! Is it okay if I call you? Kinda easier to talk that way 🤷‍♀️

Spencer reads over the message a couple of times. He doesn’t really like to talk on the phone and only does it out of necessity. He’s pretty sure that his voice is grating and his vocal fry is quite irritating. Yet, he finds himself replying “yes” to Y/N. Soon enough, his phone buzzes in his hand and Spencer has to remind himself how to pick up a call.

“Spencer? Um, this is Spencer Reid, right?” the voice says. It’s a woman’s voice and he can only assume that it’s Y/N, considering it is her phone number calling him.

“Y/N, uh hi. This is Dr. Spencer- I mean this is Spencer,” he says, nearly forgetting that Y/N doesn’t know him as Dr. Reid, but as just Spencer. It’s been a long time since someone has known him as Spencer.

“Oh great! It’s wonderful to finally have a voice to your name. So about these buddy reads. You seem to have a good grasp of what they are,” Y/N’s voice trails off a little bit at the end and Spencer finds it natural to fill in the silence.

“Yes, the flyer was quite informative. But I was wondering, do we read the same books or do we read different books?” Spencer asks, trying to restrain himself from scaring Y/N off. But something about her made him think that she didn’t scare easily.

Y/N chuckles lightly in the speaker of her phone, “that’s a good question, uh, I was actually going to ask you what you would rather. We can read the same books, or if it’s okay with you we can choose what the other would read for that week,”

“Oh really?” Spencer says, very much aware how his voice rises a couple of octaves. He can’t trust himself to hold back on rambling over the phone Y/N, so he resorts to using his strained, brittle voice that’s full of hesitation and restraint.

“That’s the plan, so whatcha thinking, Spencer,” Y/N says playfully, like she can sense that phone conversations maybe not make him feel at ease. There’s something so natural and silvery about her voice; it reminds Spencer of an audiobook reader. While he’s not too keen on audiobooks, he’s sure that he’d listen to anything she reads or has to say.

“Um, I think it sounds interesting to pick out books for each other. I tend to gravitate towards more technical books or even books that aren’t in English so, uh, I think it would be interesting to get out of my comfort zone,” Spencer says, cringing internally at using the word “interesting” twice in a couple of sentences.

“Well, as long as you don’t pick out something in physics or anything by Ayn Rand then I’d say we’re good,” Y/N says. Spencer thinks it’s a joke, but he’s not too sure how to respond.

“Will you still be my Book Buddy if I read 1 out of 2 of those?” Spencer asks, hoping she’d get that he is trying to continue the joke.

“Oh no Spencer please don’t tell me you’re an Ayn Rand fanboy,” she says, and by the airy way she laughs, Spencer ventures to guess his joke landed successfully.

“So,” Spencer starts, he never has made plans with people outside of his team, and on top of that, there’s something about Y/N’s quickness that makes him a little nervous to meet her.

“I’m talking your ear off, aren’t I? Please Spencer, if you’re going to be my Book Buddy, you’re going to have to get used to me talking a lot, especially you pick out good books, which, I already have a feeling you’re going to be favorite Book Buddy,”

For once in his life, Spencer doesn’t really know how to respond. He lets out something in between a strangled laughter and a noncommittal chuckle.

“So,” Y/N says, mirroring Spencer’s earlier words, “so are you free tonight, I can meet you at the bookstore..”

Y/N’s voice trails off and Spencer leaps to finish her sentences. It doesn’t feel like his interjecting or interrupting, but like he’s snapping a puzzle piece together.

“Does 7 work?” “7 is great, Spencer. It’s a date,”

Those three little words send Spencer’s eyes flying wide open. He scrambles to come up with answer to louden the silence that falls, but he swears he can hear a string of quiet curses before Y/N manages to squeak out a small “goodbye,”

Y/N’s last words play back in Spencer’s ears. He scolds himself for being so weird and awkward that the very idea of going on a date with him would send Y/N in a tizzy. It’s not a date, because Spencer can’t think about it being a date. It’s not a date because of the looming photo above his mantle that freezes his future in the past. It’s not a date because of the nightmare of vertical bars that haunt his dreams

It’s not a date. It’s so not a date because Spencer would call Luke to come over to help him if it was.

“Hey Luke,” Spencer says, trying to control the nervous waves in his voice, “no man, I’m fine, it’s uh, easier if you just come over. I’m fine, really,”

Y/N: I really hope you're not an Ayn Rand fanboy 😉

It’s so not a date.

--THANK YOU FOR READING--

TAGLIST

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More Amazing People I Want to Share This With :)

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[oikawaplssteponme]

Willow’s 800 Followers Event

before you order: hello!! words cannot even begin to describe how thankful i am for 800 of you! that is truly amazing and you all have a very special place in my heart! thank you for allowing me to be creative and share my writing, it means more than you know.

so for this event, you all will be doing the writing! you’ll be creating your perfect boba drink with as many (or as little) ingredients as you’d like! let’s check out the menu, shall we?

pick your base (fandom)

1.) milk tea

•this is a Haikyuu fic ! write about your favorite volleyball players !

2.) fruit tea

•this is a My Hero Academia fic ! write about your favorite students, teachers, pro heroes, or villains !

pick your flavor (prompt)

1.) strawberry

• keep things classic and write about a first date ! include something about the outdoors or nature. maybe you’re visiting a farmers market, going strawberry picking, or a sunset hike !

2.) mango

• a perfect tropical destination ! write about visiting the beach or a vacation with your chosen character ! make sure to pack some sunglasses !

3.) passion fruit

• be passionate ! write about a confession ! whether it’s a love confession at just the right time or one that changes everything...

4.) coconut

• just like the coconut shreds, shred our hearts with a breakup story ! it can start sweet and hit us with that tough flavor unexpectedly! or one that you know won’t have a happy ending

5.) green tea

• not feeling any of the flavors above? no worries ! write whatever you’d like ! be creative ! this unique flavor will be perfect for your unique writing !

6.) honeydew (can be paired with one of the flavors above)

•pick whatever AU you’d like ! high school AU, college AU, coffee shop AU, fantasy AU, you name it !

pick your boba (pairing)

1.) classic tapioca pearls

•this will be a character x reader fic ! you may choose any kind of reader you’d like (fem! , masc!, gender neutral!) it’s up to you !

2.) popping boba

•this will be an character x oc fic ! use one of your very own characters and create a story for them with a character of your chosen fandom !

3.) fruit jellies

•this will be a self ship fic ! now is your chance to write whatever self-indulgent work you’d like ! make your dreams come true !

*all pairings must be LEGAL

pick your size (genre)

1.) small

•fluff, fluff, fluff! keep us smiling from ear to ear with some tooth-rotting fluff !

2.) medium

•angst and nothing but angst! break our hearts into a million pieces. please, it would be an honor

3.) large

•your fic has room for everything ? no problem ! pick a variety of genres to make your drink so good that you can’t put it down !

now that you’ve created the perfect boba, you’ll need to check out!

before checking out:

•this event is SFW. many of my followers are minors so when i try (reblog) your drinks (fics), i dont want them to come across any NSFW content. however, suggestive themes are allowed (but you should know where to draw the line)

•please do not use these ingredients to create dark content for this event

•please give a description of your drink. that must include your ingredients from above (genre, prompt, fandom, pairing, etc.)

•please state any allergens that your drink could contain. you must include a ratings/warnings section on your fic

•general guidelines still apply (same with off limit characters) check them here

•make sure to grab two straws ! (please tag me @/oikawaplssteponme so i don’t miss them)

•also ask for a receipt ! (tag your delicious creations under the tag #willow’s boba shop.🌸)

•i will be making a signature menu of all your drinks ! (i will make a rec list of all your fics. if you would prefer to not be on that list, just let me know !)

check out:

•this event will last from April 3rd to April 30th

•there is no word count minimum or maximum :)) but if your fics are longer than 500 words, please add the :readmore: tab

•know someone who might like some boba as well? wonderful! anyone and everyone is welcome to stop by the shop and create something magical !

•please let me know if you are planning to participate either with a reblog+a comment or send an ask :))

•never tried boba before? no worries! this event is a perfect opportunity to try out writing. you don’t have to be amazing at writing, as long as you enjoy it and have an idea or two, it’s worth trying! you might even like it :))

•couldn’t decide between a milk tea and a fruit tea? or you wanted to try one of everything? go right ahead! feel free to make multiple drinks :)) do what makes you happy !!

final thoughts before leaving the shop:

•once again, thank you so so much for 800, it’s truly mind blowing

•im really excited for this event so please please participate! id hate for this to flop :((

•i can’t wait to try all your wonderful drinks <3 ! love you all and thank you again !

Once again, this event will last from April 3rd to April 30th

[bearseokie]

dear readers and writers

— a little advice i wish i would have heard before i started this blog and writing in general. sorry i’m that writer that makes post like these, i just want you to understand that things like this change everything. if this looks like a lot, just find the ones that pertain to you.

writers

➤ 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝

there are so many good works that come from you focusing on the genres you are most comfortable with, and only writing those is not a bad thing. it’s not a “you’re not growing as a writer” situation, it’s a comfort zone situation. just because smuts do well doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to write them. just because angsts come in bulk because you can never ignore the emotional bits of writing doesn’t mean that has to be the main focus of every work. just because fluffs are the most reblogged content doesn’t mean it’s the only genre people will enjoy from you. focus on what you love, others will follow!

➤ 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥

if you don’t consistently open your inbox, do it at least once. close it when you feel overwhelmed or at any time you feel necessary. don’t believe that you have to write them all in a short period of time. be statistical about it: only open it for a short game or blurbs. use the requests to fill in blanks or practice writing in different ways. play with the word counts. change up the tone. delete a few, you’re not obligated to actually write them, this is your free time and your work. but sometimes doing requests can change how you write, maybe even give you a breakthrough you wouldn’t have had with writing things from your own mind. and have fun.

➤ 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

filling the warnings up with silly little comments or parts from the story is important, too. even if it’s a paragraph’s worth of potential warnings or triggers, never skip adding them. even if you think it’s something not worth mentioning, it will be to someone. add as many as necessary.

➤ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟏𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞

word counts don’t determine how good of a writer you are. from brilliant blurbs with two paragraphs and one line of dialogue, drabbles with less than a thousand words, or full on double digits fics: what counts is that you enjoyed writing it. it made you excited. you paused just to mention to a friend how much you love writing it. you got chills piecing together that one line. that energy gets put through your work and into your reader, seriously.

➤ 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭?

everyone reads. anything. everything. you name it, one person’s read it. whether your confidence in your writing ability is low or not, the process will only benefit you. and you get to spend time writing about some of your favorite people/characters, it’s a win-win. it’s no competition, only a fun time that you get to create and share with the world. try it.

➤ 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

the more detail, the better the mental picture. if you read something and love visualizing every scene, hearing every line, then you should work for the same within your stories. close your eyes and put your scene into your surroundings, every little detail counts. and although i said word counts don’t mean anything, if your brain does focus on you having large word counts (it happens to every writer, big word counts make you feel cool for writing so much), then this is a sexy step to use because it heightens that number pretty quickly.

short sentences look weird, but are better than run-ons.

vocabulary is sexy and thesaurus dot com is your best friend. need a word but can only think of something similar, you’ll find it there. used the same word three times now and think you’re starting to look insane, you are, use your sources.

you don’t need a banner or aesthetics for everything you write. the writing does all of the work itself. don’t stress about the accessories.

burnt out on writing the same thing / can’t think of what else to put down? break time. take a tangent, write something else, cut it off there (maybe post it) and leave the rest for the future, the cliffhanger or abrupt ending will have everyone on the edge of their seats. you’re still doing well.

if you’re writing to gain a following or have extensive amounts of notes to brag about, you’re into writing fanfics for the wrong reasons. hoping for feedback is one thing, feasting for it as your only source of inspiration for writing is just hurting yourself and other writers in the long run. write for yourself and no one else.

writer’s block? hell if i know, i’ve had it since before i started writing.

readers

➤ 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤

a little feedback goes a mile. a simple emoji as a reaction, keyboard smashes, even tagging topical things can make a fanfic writer smile.

but long paragraphs also go a long way. imagine watching a movie you love to bits, so much so that you go online and read reviews of it. that commentary can shift the way you look at the movie forever, and stick with you during other films. it’s the same with receiving and reading feedback on fanfics. I’m not saying go crazy critical with your feedback, do not do that unless the writer says they want criticism, but maybe writing why you love one particular line so much could change the way the writer feels about the entire work or make a reader begin to love the same line so much that they quote it or recommend it. it makes a difference!

➤ 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬?

tell the writer. this isn’t an “i wrote this and it mentions all of these other things, so you should have expected this” game. if it bothered you, it will probably bother someone else, and that needs to be told to the writer. i don’t know what to tell you if a writer writes back being degrading or negative about your concern for that warning, but i promise you that most writers will not argue with whether it should be a warning or not and will just add it. do not be scared to mention something that triggered you if it was not mentioned in the warnings. also, please remember writers are humans and cannot think of everything all the time. we might miss one or two warnings within the work when writing the description, so please tell us.

➤ “𝐈 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠.”

pain. straight pain. your reblog shares that post with your followers. you like it, why wouldn’t they? that reblog stays on your page, it’ll be seen. the tags you put in could help others find more works on your blog, essentially helping more works be found. maybe they’re old and haven’t seen the light of the recent tags in months, but your reblog could help more people still see it, and that makes a difference. we all have those lazy moments where we don’t want to do all of the steps, but even doing them sometimes helps.

➤ 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐜 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?

readers can scroll through the list for their preferences, find new writers that amaze them, maybe they gain the courage to put together their own fic recs list. all of those recommended fics are still floating around and being shared, they don’t get lost in the tags or the writer’s masterlists. you find/make a recs list: congratulations, you’re contributing to helping fanfics thrive (as they deserve). also, who doesn’t love an entire list right in front of them so they don’t have to go on a scavenger hunt to find new things to read? answer: no one.

➤ 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐞?

tags to organize, fics to go through/find/read, oh my. let me let you in on a little secret:

have you ever had that moment where you suddenly remember one line or scene from a fic you read months ago, and you have the vaguest details to go off of in order to search and find it? your fics recs blog would have you covered, just scroll through the feed or the tags and boom, it’s at your fingertips.

now imagine someone else looking for more fics to read stumbling upon your blog. might look a little strange and coded to them, but eventually they navigate and find a new fic they’ll be talking about for months. they reblog it, add their own feedback, their followers see it and join in, and that writer feels immensely appreciated all because you started a recs blog and just-so-happened to reblog their fic. tah dah.

➤ 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐩?

well, so did i. i asked my followers on this blog and my recs blog to send in their favorite fics with some extra details and feedback thinking i wouldn’t get anything, but i got an entire list! guess what’s even better? that list went straight into the tags (thanks to tumblr working properly for once) and now anyone that searches up ‘kpop fic recs’ can find it at any time. same goes for your own. there’s no specific way of organizing a recs list, just make sure the links work and the writers are credited! it helps.

read more! it’s a vast world in your hands, enjoy the words that go along with it.

sorry for this technical rant/advice post, this has just been in me for a while and i wanted to talk about it. I might add more to this as things come up, but for now i hope this helps! <3

[manggojooz]

Take My Hands Now (Part 12 - Final)

pairing: Jungkook x reader

word count: approx. 3,250

genre: drama, angst, romance, fluff

summary: You were born with a condition that allowed you to feel the pain someone else was going through when you touched them. Jungkook, on the other hand, looked like he could not be any less bothered with other people’s feelings and was a well known playboy of the school. One night, at a party, while he attempted to turn you into his toy for the night, he grabbed your hand and pain crashed through you, making you wonder whether behind the facade of this pleasure seeker, he could also be hiding something.

warnings: none

Song rec: Euphoria - by Jeon Jungkook

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6| Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 

Taglist: @competativekook @flamingorosette  

Comments: it’s been a little under four months since I started this series. To everyone who has read, liked, commented on or reblogged it during this time; thank you so much for holding my hand in this journey. This will always remain a special story to me personally and I hope this ending is befitting enough.

“Ok, so basically all of your suggestions revolve around buying her something pretty? That seems a little lacking, doesn’t it? In terms of like creativity or sincerity…”, Jungkook complained as he sat next to Hoseok, mindlessly flipping through that same Winnie-the-Pooh book, ignoring Hoseok’s judgmental stares.  

“Why are you even asking me when you aren’t going to accept any suggestions from me?”, Hoseok was increasingly annoyed at the relentless questioning.  

“Because you are the only person I know who barely had a serious-ish relationsh -”, Jungkook managed to cut himself off before he went any further.  

Hoseok looks up briefly, his mouth turning into an inverted triangle, evident of his downturned mood.  

“Sorry man, I didn’t mean to bring it up again… it’s just that I have no one else to ask…”, Jungkook stammers. Hoseok looks back down at the pen he was twirling in his hand to occupy himself.  

“Just do what your heart wants to, she’ll like anything you get for her anyway”, Hoseok muttered without looking up again at Jungkook.  

Seeing his best friend now, Jungkook wonders, will there be someone who could share his pain too?

“Hoseok, it’s been so long, don’t you think you should -”, before he could finish speaking, his phone rings. He glances at the screen, reluctant to pick up but knowing that rejecting this call was not an option.  

“I gotta go, catch you later”, Jungkook waves to Hoseok as he leaves the room. Hoseok saunters over to where Jungkook had left the book lying on the table, the words on the pages sending a pinch to his heart:  

“Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.”

—

Jungkook walks into his grandfather’s office. He always disliked the place. He would never visit unless he was called up here.  

“Are you seeing someone?”, his grandfather asks pointedly, without even looking away from the document that he was reading.

“I see a lot of people��”, despite the distaste he has for his grandfather, this was the only person who could truly struck some fear within Jungkook.  

“If you see a lot of people it is not of concern, but if you get serious about one person then it becomes a concern”, his grandfather always displayed the utmost disdain for feelings of any nature.  

“She’s -”, Jungkook opened his mouth to retort but the door bursts open, startling him.  

Her heels clicked with a determination that was new.  

“Father, let them be”, she walks past Jungkook and threw down a number of photographs on the table. Jungkook was not surprised, he always knew his grandfather kept a watch on everyone. Just seeing the silhouette of you in those photographs reminded him of how much he wanted to protect you even though he felt entirely powerless.  

“What are you doing here?”, his grandfather snorted.  

“To stop you from making the same mistake twice.”  

The stern elder scoffs, “What mistake?”  

She stares at him stoically.

“Am I not enough evidence that you made a mistake?”, there could have been a tear or two twirling in her eyes but she would never have admitted it. She steels herself to table a deal instead, “Are you really prepared to hand your company over to that man? He’s not your blood. But Jungkook is. I still hold ten percent of the shares and I can -”  

“Jungkook’s far from ready. And if he’s going to let his emotions for one girl get in the way, then he’ll never be ready”, his grandfather stops his mother’s pitch before tilting his head to look straight at Jungkook. His mother stood between him and the aged chairman, it somehow looked like Jungkook was being sheltered by her in this moment.  

“That was what you said to me too, twenty-three years ago. And look where we are today. The empire which you spent your entire life building… on the verge of being overtaken by your hand-picked son-in-law. Do you really trust him that much?”, she knew she was provoking a beast but there was hardly any other way.  

“And do you really think I don’t know all of that? Two years ago, I set up a trust for all the shares I own in the group. Who do you think the beneficiary is?”, he taunted the mother and son pair. “It will keep my shares away from him, in case something happens to me. But… there’s a condition to obtaining these shares, Jungkook has to prove that he is capable of holding them, he has to become the CEO first”, his grandfather declares.  

The poised lady felt a wave of relief mixed with disgust as she realises the ruthlessness of her own father. Even if she hated her husband, time has so passed, and she has watched him sacrifice everything for this company, yet at the end of the day, what did he gain?  

“As my only grandson, do you know how powerful your marriage is, Jungkook? Do you understand the amount of benefits it can bring if you choose to marry the right person? The question isn’t whether you are prepared to lose all of this… it is what you are prepared to do to protect it”, Jungkook’s grandfather challenged him.  

“I never had anything even when everyone told me I had everything. Maybe we are just different. Maybe you don’t feel it. But I do. And she does”, referring to his own mother. He took a few seconds to look at his family wistfully, understanding that he should also bear the burden of being born into such a position.  

“Let me be with her, she is all I have. And I promise to do my best to become what you want me to be. I will do anything to protect her… please… otherwise I really don’t know if I might -”, Jungkook’s voice was shaking discreetly.  

“Otherwise he might end up like me… then you will truly have no one left, Father. What are you prepared to do to protect all of this?”, his mother backed Jungkook up as she senses his need.

The two of them emerged silently from the dreaded office. For the first time since she could remember, he called out to her first.  

“Mum…”, she turns around at his word, stunned, the term so endearing yet so estranged, “… thanks”, Jungkook mumbles, finding it difficult to meet her eyes.  

And for the first time in his recollection, she smiled at him soberly and earnestly. “I just wanted to make up for all the wrongs I made in the past, to you. Don’t make the same mistakes I did”, she lamented.  

—

“I’ll be starting to work in the company in summer, Dad”, Jungkook stood in front of his father’s wide mahogany office table. The desk plaque bore his father’s name and the designation of CEO.  

“I heard”, his father replied coldly, typing away on his laptop.  

“You must really hate me now, right? You must think that Grandfather wants me to replace you?”, Jungkook carefully probed.  

The older man’s hands stopped abruptly on the keyboard, lifting his eyes up threateningly to look at his “son”.  

“It still turned out this way in the end, didn’t it? No matter how hard water tries, it can never become thicker than blood…”, he looks down again, away from Jungkook. “You are his grandson and you are not my son…”, he spoke sternly, “… even if you were the one person I thought was mine...”, he thought internally.

“… now we will become enemies”, his father concluded.  

Jungkook felt that awfulness budding in his chest upon hearing those words. He flashes back to his elementary school days. His grandfather often came to fetch him from school, but the old man never once left the backseat of that posh-looking car. Jungkook would always walk out through the school gates himself, towards the chauffeur who held the car door open for him. Everyone would marvel at the lavish sedan but all Jungkook could see was how the other parents walked their kids home while holding their hands, talking, laughing.  

That was why he always looked forward to the days his father would come and pick him up. His father would wait for him inside the gates, greeting him with the warmest voice, and then lead him by his hand to their favourite ice cream hangout. Even if that all stopped when he was eight, those memories had kept him going.

Now, he stood here, hearing the same man declaring them as adversaries. Jungkook lets the nasty feeling settle in the pit of his stomach, bracing himself before responding, “I used to think that everyone were my enemies too. But then I only ended up hating myself more than anyone.  

     Maybe you don’t think of me as your son, maybe you hated me all these years, maybe you used me to bargain for what you have now… but you were the only person who held my hand back then. You are not my enemy.  

     You can choose to fight everyone now. But if ever you feel like you can’t do it anymore, if ever you feel like you have drifted too far away… I hope you know that I’ll always be here holding out my hand. You can take it anytime, Dad.”  

He doesn’t know if his father will think it preposterous of him to be saying all this, but Jungkook is finally starting to understand…

We are all mirrors to some extent; the more resentment he had for everyone else, the more resentment he had for himself.  

—

“So I guess you aren’t coming to the movie with us after your class?”, Mirae asked, Namjoon also turned to look at you.  

“Uhh… Jungkook said there’s something important today so I gotta meet him after class…”, you smiled awkwardly.

Namjoon slow-nods while tossing a rhetorical question at you, “And you have no idea what is so important about today, right?”

“Mmm…”, you were just generally very bad with remembering dates.  

“For ditching us on movie night again, tell us… how’s the progress with Jungkook? I’m surprised you guys even lasted this long”, Namjoon spoke sarcastically.  

At his question, you felt a pang of guilt. To say that there was limited progress would be an understatement, and the reason is probably your stupid condition. There must have been a thousand times where Jungkook’s hands would brush your fingers but he never seemed to have enough courage to even hold your hand, let alone do anything else.  

During the weekend that just passed, you had gone home to spend time with your family. That was when your grandfather had once again sensed something was bothering you. You were always certain he had superpowers in this aspect. After some probing you finally let on that you didn’t want to think of your hereditary condition as something negative but you also couldn’t help feeling bad towards Jungkook for all of this.  

“Don’t just feel with your body, Y/N, feel with your heart”, that was all he advised you, his wrinkled eyes calming and smile reassuring as always.  

“Kim Namjoon”, Mirae chided and gently hits him on his back, “can you be any less encouraging?” You were also jolted back to the present from your thoughts.

“Woman, this is known as reverse psychology”, Namjoon quips.  

“Just ignore him Y/N, run on your own timeline, don’t rush it if you aren’t comfortable”, Mirae was in fact the one who had been more concerned when you first told the two of them that you were going out with Jungkook. But once she accepted that you were sure of your decision, she is and always will be your strongest supporter.  

“But Namjoon’s not wrong Mirae… I’m surprised too, that Jungkook is still sticking around, despite… despite our lack of physical contact… you know what I mean”, you cringe in embarrassment having to say it yourself. Leaning back into the chair, you stared into space thoughtfully as the professor entered the room to start the lesson.  

—

You hopped down a huge step that overlooked the school’s running tracks, towards the back-view that was now more than familiar to you.  

“Jungkook-ah!”, you called out.  

He stood up from the step he was sitting on, immediately turning around to beam at you. It still fascinates him that just hearing your voice was enough to lift his mood.  

“Sorry for making you wait, some smart ass in class just wouldn’t give up on arguing with the prof about a totally inconsequential point”, you explained yourself.  

“It’s not the first time anyway, I think I’m getting used to waiting for you…”, he jokingly griped.  

It’s been a little more than three months. He would wait for you to finish your classes, he would wait for you to finish work, and he is still waiting for that nasty feeling within him to go away completely. But it was getting increasingly tormenting. Patience is a virtue, however, he was never a particularly virtuous person to begin with.  

“Sorry, how should I make it up to you?”, you apologised again while sticking your tongue out a little at him, knowing that he is not truly angry.  

Jungkook didn’t answer you and instead he took out a dainty box from his pocket, revealing a silver necklace bearing a tiny hedgehog pendant with a heart shape engraved on it.  

“It’s for me? What’s the occasion?”, you gasped in delight.  

“I knew you wouldn’t remember”, he was pouting slightly now, “we’ve been together for 100 days.”  

You grow wide-eyed, partly surprised that he actually bothers about such milestones and partly because you felt even more guilty for not even remembering.  

“Jungkook, I… I’m so sorry. I’m seriously bad with dates. That’s not an excuse, I know, I’ll definitely make it up to you…”, your words stumbled around as you tried your best to make him feel better.  

His pout turns into a comforted smile and he removes the necklace from the velvet casing. He cuts short your awkward apology by leaning in to put the jewellery around your neck. You stopped breathing for a moment. You must have been blushing intensely given how your cheeks felt like they were on fire, your nose was almost touching his neck and you could feel his breath at the tip of your ears.  

“That’s a lot that you have to make up to me…”, he whispers as he finishes fastening the necklace, cocking up an eyebrow while admiring it resting between your collar bones.

The distance between the both of you was probably measurable only in millimetres. His eyes fleetingly glancing between your eyes and your lips. You could hear his heart beating, or was it yours?  

Jungkook thought he must be losing his mind. He has been wanting to do this since he started dating you. No, he must have wanted to do it even before that. There was but one thread of sanity holding him back from closing the gap between the two of you – he cannot hurt you again. He honestly had no idea whether that dreadful pain is gone or not, since he has grown so accustomed to it that he barely notices it sometimes.  

He huffed the tiniest sigh as he looked away, and he started to yank himself backwards. In that split second when you notice that he was giving up, you tip-toed so that you could reach his lips, grazing it with a gentle peck. It startles the boy so much that every movement in him stopped, even his breathing.  

No thanks to your sudden action, that one thread holding him back completely snaps. He puts one arm around your waist and pulled you towards him, his mouth pressing adamantly against yours. You couldn’t help but close your eyes, amplifying the fuzzy feelings. It was a strange mix of everything, a tinge of pain where he was supporting you, a tenderness where your lips met, and a fervor in the cavity where your heart pounded.  

Through all of it, you reached out to hold onto his other hand which wasn’t snaking around your waist. As you grasped his hand, you felt it again, the feeling that started it all. It wasn’t as strong as you remembered it to be, but it was still strong enough to cause a reaction in you.  

Jungkook felt you wince into the kiss and he immediately let go of your waist to back away, breaking the kiss. But this time, you used your free hand to pull him back to you by his jacket.  

“No, Y/N… stop. I don’t want to hurt you again”, he murmurs, reprimanding himself for getting this far, the rim of his eyes turning a hue of red.  

“No, you stop. Stop thinking about it. I will learn to feel you with my heart, so you do it too, feel it with your heart”, you encouraged him soothingly.  

You strained your neck to place your lips gingerly on his again, and you could sense his will to separate from you slowly withering as he eventually returned your kiss. You focused on the exhilarating sensation, gradually drowning out your awareness of all other feelings.  

Your hand that still held onto his moved to intertwine his fingers with your own. You felt him draw you in closer, his other hand moving to caress your face as his soft lips continued to moved slightly, eliciting an urge within you. You shifted your other hand which held onto the collar of his jacket to circle around his torso, bringing your bodies close together.  

For the first time since you have known him, there were no thoughts and there was no pain. Maybe your own feelings overrode it, or maybe he just felt none in this moment.  

And for the first time, there was no place for lust within him, for it never truly killed those detestable feelings anyway. With you it was all different, there were no feelings to kill, there was only a feeling to grow, a feeling which could probably only be described as… euphoria.

He didn’t even deepen the kiss any further. He was the one who was afraid, that it might be too fast, that he might not be able to handle all of the emotions. This much was enough for now, he will learn all of it anew, step by step, with you.  

As he parted from you, you gave him the biggest smile ever, showing no signs of discomfort, much to his relief. He is always concerned about every feeling you had, more than his own. That is how much he cares about you; some people call it love. And thus, he learns…  

People in love will become mirrors to each other; the more he loved you, the more he was able to love himself.

He squeezes your hand tightly and tugs you into a hug determinedly, “I don’t think I’ll be able to let you go now, there’s nothing you can do about it. Since you have so much to compensate me for, just let me keep holding your hand”, his voice was a mesh of querulousness and sweetness. It was the cutest threat you have ever heard.  

“I’m not planning to do anything about it. I’ll be here, whenever you need it, take my hands.”  

—

♫ Across the dream, over the horizon

I’m going to the place that’s getting clearer

Take my hands now

You are the cause of my euphoria ♫

[kaylewiswrites]

Happy Thursday everyone! It’s officially ‘curl up next to the fire with a good book’ season here in the northern hemisphere, and with some people lucky enough to have time off of school or work for the holiday season, they’ll need some books to read. 

I’d love everyone to give a recommendation (or two, or three) of the next book people should read and why! Make sure to include author and genre so people know what they’re getting into! This won’t be the last time I do one of these book rec type questions, so don’t worry if you can’t fit all your favorites in this time. 

All you have to do is reblog, comment, or send an ask with your book recommendations! Anyone and everyone is free to participate. 

I’m really looking forward to seeing what you guys recommend! If you don’t want to miss any titles, or if you don’t want to see me reblog the same post over and over again, the tag is ‘writeblr conversations’. If you want to join the conversation every Thursday, let me know and I’ll add you to the tag list:  @elybydarkness @tjswritingstuff​  @gettingitwrite​@gooseandcaboose​ @julesruleswrites​ @dawnhorizons​ @kd-holloman​  @reininginthefirewriting​ @writingonesdreams​ @brb-writing​ @celstefani​  @kirstenmcwriter​ @no-negativity-writes @bardicfool​ @nemowritesstuff​ @wortfinder​ @katekyo-bitch-reborn​ @weareallfallengods​ @carnationwrites​ @seylaaurora​

[spnfanficpond]

Survey results and responses

A couple of weeks ago, we put out a survey to get a feel for some things, and we got over a dozen responses! Thanks to everyone who responded and told us what you’re looking for! 

There were some responses that we would like to get some clarification on, and some responses that requested things we’ve already got out there. Below the cut is a rundown of some of the questions and responses, along with links to things that already exist and plans to enact some of the things you’ve suggested. 

If you responded to the survey, please read below! We need your input!

1. What things related to posting your works on Tumblr or other sites would you like to learn more about? For example, Keep Reading cuts, finding gifs, giving credit to gif and edit creators, etc.

A tutorial for adding Keep Reading to fics, both on a computer and on the app, would be helpful.

How far down should I put a keep reading?

Anything related to gifs

Best apps or sites to use for making gifs.

Finding gifs and giving credit to creators

when should I give someone credit for being a beta (for example: I bounced ideas with someone for a minute or two but they didn't technically beta read it; I can't decide between X and Y (with no context), pick one)

linking posts to blog bios

The facts on the search issues (re: links, tags, and anything else that keeps a fic from being "searchable") - I see people saying various things, so sourced facts would be nice, if possible

These are great requests, and we’ll do our best to address them in the next LiveChat Event!! There were some requests that we’ve already addressed, so here’s some links to those:

What should I be including for reader info, eg: Warnings? Word Count? Summary? Characters...? - Suggested Format for Fics

Feedback - December 2018 LiveChat Recap (Feedback and Beta Reading)

Building an audience/gaining exposure - November 2018 LiveChat Recap (Reader involvement)

There was one request for “troubleshooting”, but we’re not sure exactly what’s meant by that, so if you requested this, please send us an ask or an IM and clarify what kind of troubleshooting you’re curious about!

2.  What tags would you like to see our "#writer resources" tag broken down into? For example, grammar, publishing, etc. (Currently, we only have a couple of tags that are used consistently to tag posts that are reblogged from other blogs, like writing prompts and reference posts we think might be useful for our members. We would like to make finding information easier by refining our tags so posts about grammar aren't mixed in with posts about publishing, for example.) Please list below any tags that you think would be helpful for us to use to make these posts easier to find when you're looking for them.

Word choice/vocabulary

Grammar

Synonyms

Spelling

Punctuation

Editing

Tutorials

Challenges

Tips

Inspiration

Publishing

Plot

Characterization/character development

World building

Genre tags like romance, action, horror, etc.

Dialogue

All of these are great! We’ve got some questions about some of the others that were suggested, though. If you can send us an ask or an IM and clarify about these, we’d love to hear from you!

Writing Prompts - This tag is already in use. 

How to format - How to format what? Need some clarification on this.

Getting started - With what? Is this like inspiration or something different?

Brainstorming - What kinds of posts would be under this tag?

Comments - What kinds of posts would be under this tag?

Awards - We already have a tag for the AFA’s, so is this for something different?

We’d love your feedback on these ones we’re unsure of, so let us know!

3.  Is there anything you wish was easier to find on the blog?

Maybe a list of frequently used tags on the FAQ page so I'm not blindly trying tags when I try to search for something.

Once we get a set list of tags we’ll be using, there will be a post or page listing them with links. First step is setting up the list, which is why we asked question #2. We’re on the right track!

New pond member stories. 

By stories, do you mean fics they’ve written, or info about who they are? We post a list of new Pond members with links to their work every month. You can check them out here. If this isn’t what you’re looking for, please send us an ask with some examples!

The submit box!

Are you on desktop, mobile, or the app? Please send an IM to @mrswhozeewhatsis or @manawhaat about this so we can help you and figure out why it’s not easily accessible for you!

I wish ships and pairings were tagged so I can easily filter and find fics submitted to the pond.

This is something we’ve considered, but it’s been on the back burner while we focus on other issues. Someday, we would like to be a blog for readers, not just writers, and instituting a tagging system for fics would be part of that. Setting that up, though, will be a big project, since there are so many ships and tags to consider. How to do it without making the submit page four miles long with tag options is another hurdle. This is on our radar, but it might be a while.

I wish some things like pond members, tag list, and writing resources were easier to find on mobile./ Links are difficult to find on mobile.

The problem with the member lists is that they are pages, not posts, because pages are easier to manage than posts. Posts are slippery things that can be lost if we’re not careful, whereas pages are rooted in the blog where we can’t lose them. Sadly, the app can’t read pages, for some reason.

Another problem is that the app can’t handle a navigation block. Short of filling the bio with a ton of links, which gets very messy and hard to read, there’s no way to make these links available on the app.

That being said, if you access Tumblr via a browser app like Chrome on your phone, all of these links are available at the top of the blog! Not only are they available, the member rolls and everything you can’t see on the app are completely accessible!

Mobile friendly versions of beta and tag lists? The spreadsheets are awesome, but a little hard to read.

Spreadsheets are the only way we know to allow users to filter, which is a major part of the functionality of both lists.  If you’ve got suggestions for how to do this, we’re open to them!

4.  Is there anything you'd like to see more or less of on the blog?

More thesaurus/synonym like posts. For those that struggle to use other words for_____ and want to.

Interesting! We don’t see many posts like that out there, so this might be content we’d have to create. Perhaps we could solicit words from our members and create posts like this based on those suggestions? What do you think?

I think it would be good to expand the tags for submissions to include more info, like more specific other trigger categories, things that are typically taboo that a reader should know about, if the story is smut/angst/fluff, etc.

This was mentioned and addressed above, so we won’t repeat it all here.

I'd like to see more writing prompts.

More than just what’s in the #writing prompt tag? We’ll need more clarification on this one!

More things about the community like fic recs, nominations, maybe get-to-know pond member posts.

Since we’ve already got the Angel Fish Awards and the monthly New Members posts, which both include fic recs, we’ll need some clarification on what you’re looking for there. As for posts about getting to know individual pond members, this sounds like a great idea! We’re open to suggestions on how to choose what members get chosen!! Send us an ask with your ideas!!

I wish there were more active big fish in the pond.

Being a Big Fish is a big responsibility, and we understand that not everyone is up to it. We ask that our Big Fish be consistently kind and generous with other members, spend some time every month in the chat room so Guppies and Jellies can ask them for help, signal boost posts when asked, assist with Pond projects when requested, be involved with the Angel Fish Awards, and like/reblog fics by other Pond members. Doing all of that AND having a life outside of Tumblr can be a lot. 

Because of all of that, we don’t usually approach Jellies and ask them if they’d be interested. We wait for Jellies to come to us. It’s a big thing, and we don’t want to pressure folks. If someone is interested, they should read this post about how Big Fish are chosen, and let us know that they are interested!

5. What kinds of prizes would you like to see more of in the monthly Angel Fish raffle?

Not sure what's currently being given away.

It changes slightly every month, and we make a post with the list of prizes. The post for June hasn’t gone up, yet, so keep an eye out on the blog!

I think it would be fun to incorporate Pond members that create stuff (like that have etsy shops or stuff like that) into the raffle.

If members would like to donate things from their shops as prizes, we would welcome them! 

Hmm maybe a fic commission from a big fish? (If they’re open. Or anyone the winner might want to commission, not just big fish. Also specifically one where the writer’d still get paid in lieu of buying another physical prize lol.)

This is an interesting idea, and we’re considering it from a few different angles!

6. Are there any topics you would like to see discussed in the monthly LiveChat events?

There was only one response to this one that we need some clarification on: 

Outlining series, how to give feedback, how to make your fanfics flow

We talked about Planning vs. Pantsing back in March, so check that out, and if it doesn’t give you what you’re looking for about outlining, let us know! As for feedback, we talked about Feedback and Beta Reading in December. Your last suggestion sounds interesting, but we need maybe an example of what you’re talking about to be sure we know what you’re looking for. Send us an ask and tell us more about your flow questions!

7. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? Suggestions for improvement? Let us know here!

I love the Pond and I love the community that has been built from SPN. I feel like Big Fish are active (which they should be) and then a handful of people (category unknown, but I suspect they are Guppies) seem to be kind of active, but based on the descriptions Jellyfish seem like they should have a role as well. Could we do something with Live Chat where a Jellyfish helps answer questions or host with a BF maybe? JF should be approachable too but if we don't know them then it's hard to ask them anything and they seem just as intimidating as a BF. (BF are less intimidating to me because they interact with everyone more often actually). *shrugs* I don't know, maybe that's just me.

This is a tough one. Jelly Fish are basically Big Fish without the responsibility. (See above about Big Fish and our expectations of them.) We’ve focused on Big Fish with the LiveChats, but we aren’t against the idea of having Jelly Fish chat with us, too. (In fact, three of our events have featured Jellies.) This will take some thought to find ways to encourage Jelly Fish interaction. All suggestions are welcome!

I feel like a quarterly raffle would give more people time to vote/enter. Doing it every month feels a bit over saturated. Unrelated, but a Discord server would be nice. In my experience, those feel more open to community than a Skype chat bc there are different chats that people can interact in and it’s easier to moderate.

A quarterly raffle is totally doable, though the AFA’s will remain monthly. Would that still sound good?

Michelle has had learning Discord and setting up a server as the next thing on her to do list for three months, but just hasn’t had the time to sit down and learn (you know, when normal people are available to teach her, not the crazy hours she keeps). Kale is on Discord for other things, but is also just a beginner. We’re working on it! Discord is coming!!

If answering questions from surveys or comments or submissions in the live chat (or even interesting questions) could you post the question and answer on the blog for those that miss the chat and don’t want to/can’t scroll through it all to read everything.

You mean like the Recaps to the Monthly LiveChat Events?

I think it's great you put out these surveys. Maybe a designated suggestion option? You have the list for betas, how about a list of those that create aesthetics or art for fics?

These are awesome ideas!! Putting them on the to-do list!!

I think the Pond is really good, I just wish I knew/interacted with more people who are in it.

Tell us what would better enable you to interact, and we’ll see what we can do!

I'd suggest something to motivate people to take the time to submit to the pond? I feel like nobody hardly does it anymore, including myself, because it feels like nobody really interacts through the pond anymore.

The admins have discussed some ideas about this, but haven’t found a solution they can all agree on, yet. One admin suggested limiting Angel Fish nominations to fics that were submitted to the blog. Don’t submit, you can’t be nominated. One of the other admins hated the idea, and the third abstained. The only other suggestion has been to increase readers of the blog so writers have more incentive to submit to reach a larger audience. As mentioned above, we’re working on ideas towards that goal. What suggestions might you guys have? Another raffle for prizes? 

Just maybe add a few more big fish? If that's possible? Maybe more interaction with everyone to make them feel like a part of the pond. 

See above about adding more Big Fish. We need volunteers who are willing and able to keep up! Beyond trying to keep the chat room active, we could use some suggestions about how to increase interaction! Give us your ideas!!

That’s a lot to read, and kudos to you if you made it this far!! Thanks to everyone who responded to the survey, and we look forward to hearing more from you all!!

[mischiefiswritten]

The Care and Keeping of Your Writeblr | Pt. 1 - Getting Started

Hello all, and welcome to my guide of possibly-useful, possibly-not advice for creating and maintaining your own writing blog and connecting with the online writing community.

I'm in no way an expert, nor am I the best, most popular writeblr out there. Not all the advice I post will work for or even appeal to everybody, but I'd like to share what I've observed and found useful in my own time running this writeblr sideblog.

This installment will be covering the basics of GETTING STARTED.

So you've decided you want to start a writeblr. Good for you! The writeblr community is a great place for motivation, inspiration, sharing ideas, getting feedback, collecting resources, and just having good old fashioned fun with other writers. It can be intimidating to try and enter into an established community, and it's okay to be nervous. But with few exceptions, this is a very friendly place.

Choosing your URL:

This is the first thing you're going to be asked to do when starting a new blog, whether it be a main blog or a sideblog. You'll want to put a fair amount of thought into this as it can influence the amount of traffic on your blog and changing it later can confuse your followers. This is the simplest, most straightforward piece of advice anyone can give you - put something about writing in your URL. It doesn't have to be some variant of 'writing' if you don't want it to, but consider different ideas related to the craft. Images of typewriters, pens, ink, etc. all bring writing instantly to mind. Also consider your genre. You could use an offshoot of that such as "name-does-scifi."

If you're making a sideblog, consider whether you want your writeblr url to be similar to your main URL. (That's what I did.) Remember that likes, follows, and comments will all show up as coming from your main blog's URL. It may help other writeblrs make the connection between the two, especially in your early days. This is of course just a matter of personal preference. Food for thought.

An effective URL will make it easier for others to find and connect with you!

Writing a Title and Description/Bio:

Once you've fired up that shiny new URL, you'll find a lovely white void awaiting you, yearning for all those lovely words you've got inside your head. First and foremost, you'll see big block letters that probably say 'Untitled' at the top of the page, right under the header image. Again, I suggest putting something about writing in your blog title. This is the first thing someone sees when they open your blog, and again it lets them know if it's likely to have the kind of content they're after. This isn't mandatory by any means - you do you - but it may help you gain traffic in the beginning. Some writers, like myself, simply use their URL as the title, others use the title of their WIP, and others put any phrase that strikes their fancy.

Under the title, there's a space for a description. Use this space to introduce yourself, your WIP (if you want) and your blog. It can be as vague, specific, serious, humorous, long, or minimalist as you like. Browse some other writeblrs to get an idea for what appeals to you. Remember you are under no obligation to share any personal information including name, age, or location. Your privacy is yours to protect in whatever ways you see fit.

As far as content goes, here are some things you may want to mention in your description depending on the kinds of posts you plan on sharing.

genres (young/new adult, adult, children's, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, etc.)

original works or fanfiction?

are you open to participation in tag games?

WIP titles

writing tips, humor, encouragement

liveblogging your writing process/journey

guides, resources, and references

will you be posting much original content or mostly reblogs?

links to other accounts/pages (hyperlinks are supported)

If your writeblr is a sideblog, consider listing your main URL in the bio and your writeblr URL in the bio of your main. Many people like to follow back, but since they were notified of likes, follows, and comments via your main URL, they may not put two and two together without some assistance.

Makin' it Pretty:

It's what's on the inside that counts, that much is true. But we can't help but be attracted to polished looking blogs. Don't worry about being fancy right away (or ever)! Just think about making your blog look well cared for. How? Choose an avatar/profile picture, a header, colors and fonts, and a theme. (Also note that lacking all of the above, including title and bio, can make your blog look suspicious to cautious users.)

The mobile/in-dash version of your blog and your in-browser blog can be customized separately, but your avatar, title and description will appear in both. The mobile version will look much the same as everyone else's, with variations in font, colors, and pictures. Fonts and colors can be selected from the settings/edit appearance menu. You'll want to upload a jpeg for the avatar (which can be square or round) and header (which you can reposition). It doesn't matter much what these pictures are - just have them in mind so you can get them in right away!

The easiest way to make your in-browser blog look nice is to select a theme. There are several free ones available with an array of different features so you can get the most bang for your zero bucks. Many are color and font customizable as well and support links, pages, and widgets. If you install pages for your characters, your WIP, or whatever you want one for, people will be seeing those through the in-browser version of your blog. Themes make it easy for them to navigate! (Click on the paint palette icon to change your theme.)

Writeblr Lingo:

Writers are pretty much a subculture, and we speak our own jargon. Here on Tumblr, there are also extra terms you may want to be familiar with as you get started. Here's a basic glossary for your reference. (Some may seem obvious, but I make no assumptions.)

Writeblr: Write + Tumblr = writeblr; a Tumblr account focused on writing

OC: original character

WIP: work-in-progress

Ref: reference

Sci-Fi: science fiction

YA: young adult; a genre typically considered well-suited for an audience of ages 13-18 and/or centered around protagonists of ages 13-18

NA: new adult; a genre considered geared toward an audience of 18-30 and/or centered around protagonists of this age range (note that this is a fairly new genre and the associated age range is somewhat variable); often associated with transitions from young adulthood to 'real' adulthood in terms of lifestyle, personality, etc.

Mutuals: people who are following each other; ie you follow them AND they follow you

Tag(ging) Game: a game passed around via tagging other writers in the post; played in the text body; most have the name and how to play within the text body

Tagging: typing the @ symbol followed by the account's URL; typing @ will pull up a menu of suggested URLs that display the blogs' avatars and will update as you type

Bookblr: a close cousin of writeblr; this blog type focuses on reading published books and often includes reviews and recommendations

Rec: recommendation

Comments? Suggestions? Corrections? Additions? Let me know what you thought about this guide and if you have any ideas for future installments, which are coming soon. Happy writing, everybody.

[bughead-fic-request]

I would like to thank @leaalda for making these amazing banners.

This is an effort to spread the word about all fan fiction writers in our little fandom. If you would like to be featured or nominate a writer, please contact me. Please reblog this post if you can and check out some of @findingbetty work!

1. First things first, if someone wanted to read your stories where can they find them.

Find findingbetty on AO3.

2. Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Annabel and I'm in the twenties club. I hail from the far reaches of New Zealand, a place every bit as green and beautiful they tell you. I’m technically a lawyer, though recently I retired at the ripe old age of 24 and ran away to Australia. Beyond examining the intricacies of my existential crisis, I’m a competitive rower. I also really like bagels.

3. What do you never leave home without?

I suppose my phone...depressing though that is. I wish I could at least say, like, my keys - if only to imply I can live a fulfilling life without my phone - but I locked myself out of my apartment twice last week. So that would be a lie.

4. Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Extra early bird. The kind that loves to hate getting up at 6am every morning to do a 20km training row before second breakfast.

5. If you could live in any fictional world which one would you choose and why?

I’m still waiting for my letter. I remain convinced my Owl just got a little lost on the way to New Zealand. There’s still time, though.

6. Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met.

Lorde. In the supermarket, back when she was still New Zealand’s best kept secret.

7. What are some of your favorite movies/TV?

I will never get tired of watching Friends. It’s the ultimate comfort for me. I also have a high level of appreciation for Girls, and I do like some Parks and Rec.  

I really like the familiarity and continuity of watching a series. As such, I don’t watch very many movies, but some favourites include Mistress America and Silver Linings Playbook.

I just like things that feel real.

8. What are some of your favorite bands/musicians?

Haim ❤️ Fleetwood Mac and John Mayer. Drake! I also like Kodaline, particularly their album In a Perfect World. I went to see Adele in March. It was the very last night of her tour and it rained torrentially. I was probably the least dry I have ever been in my entire life, but setting fire to the rain in a downpour was a glorious thing.

9. Favorite Books?

From a place of nostalgia, Harry Potter. Such a quintessential part of my childhood. Beyond that, I try to read quite broadly. I have one particular favourite that isn’t really representative of my preferred genre, but caters well to my particularly dry sense of humour - How to Be Good, by Nick Hornby.  

10. Favorite Food?

Pancakes.

11. Biggest pet peeve?

When people walk extra slowly and take up the entire footpath and won’t let me pass.  

12. What did you want to be when you were little? What do you want to be now?

As a child, I apparently professed wanting to be a writer. I used to think that was because some well-meaning adult told me that was what I wanted and I just believed them. But of late, I’ve wondered if perhaps I did actually dream that up myself.

I have since learned an affinity for writing can easily translate to a career in law, be that accidental or intentional. What is less easy is working out a more enjoyable alternative - I’m conscious running away to Australia is not a long term solution.

13. What are your biggest fears? Do you have any strange fears?

Failure. Regression toward the mean. Refreshing websites everyday for the rest of my life! Talking on the phone. All of these are the kind of inconvenient fears that will infiltrate and taint every aspect of your life if you let them.

More tangibly speaking, e a r t h q u a k e s. I feel like, statistically speaking, one is not likely to experience more than one major seismic event in a lifetime, but that doesn’t make going back to what’s left of my hometown any easier.

14. When you are on your deathbed what would be the one thing you’d regret not doing?

Anything I avoided out of fear of failure. See, it’s a vicious cycle!

For anyone else suffering this particular plight, I recommend reading/viewing The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by JK Rowling.

Okay… lets talk about your writing!

15. Which is your favorite of the fics you've written for the Bughead fandom?

I’ve only written one story thus far, and it’s called Something to Tell You.

16. Which was the hardest to write, in terms of plot?

Well I have nothing to compare it to, but did struggle with writing Something to Tell You. Looking back, I kind of attribute that to the lack of plot. I wanted the characters to undergo reasonable change, but not in an especially dramatic way, and I didn't want it to be overshadowed by their circumstances. It was a hard balance to find.

I received mixed feedback about this particular aspect of the story. Many people liked the simplicity, but equally there were those that thought I rambled on for 20 chapters and that “nothing happened”. I appreciate there is no such thing as universal popularity, and having overcome the struggle of actually writing it I am now content with how everything unfolded.

17. How do you come up with the ideas for you fic(s)? Do you people watch? Listen to music? Get inspired by TV/movies?

Something to Tell You was founded heavily in experiences I had living with a group of friends who were every bit as quirky and interesting as the characters I tried to portray. I suppose I tend to write about what I know. I’ve largely made peace with that, but do worry it is fairly limiting and a somewhat insular approach.

18. Idea that you always wanted to write but could never make work?

Anything from Something to Tell You Jughead’s point of view. The entire story revolves around Betty not really knowing quite what to make of him, and his character is a construct of that to the extent that I just cannot find his voice.

19. Least favorite plot point/chapter/moment you’ve written?

Clunky chapters. There were a few of them, but I’m not going to go back and look for them because it’s bad for my #complexes.

20. Favorite plot point/chapter/moment you’ve written?

The Flowers and The Cheesecakes, and that’s largely because it was fun for me to write. It was also based on true events, memories of which evoke the best kind of nostalgia.

21.Favorite character to write?

Betty Cooper. It’s not too much of a stretch for me to see the world through her eyes.

22. Favorite line or lines of dialogue that you've written?

“He trades in intellect and wit.”

23. Best comment/review you’ve ever received?

When I started writing, it never really occurred to me that people would a) read it, b) like it or c) tell me so. Honestly, all your kind words make my heart sing. I've never been able to bring myself to actually read Something to Tell You in full, but I do go back and read your comments!

Those who reached out via private message to tell me how much Betty’s struggles meant to them were really special. I never expected that kind of a response, and was somewhat overwhelmed by it.

More specifically, I still remember and refer back to a comment by the lovely @village-skeptic, who I remain convinced understands my characters far better than I do. Below is an extract -

“Your version of this character is so multi-layered and distinctive, and yet it makes me think - this is what "I'm weird; I'm a weirdo" looks like without canon-Jughead's precise complications of self-loathing, trauma, deprivation, and precarity (or maybe with other off-setting factors?). It's just being quirky af, but also forthrightly kind, confident, ambitious, perceptive, and also part of a community.”

Sometimes I wish @village-skeptic was my high school English teacher.

24. How do you handle bad reviews or comments?

By refusing to ‘reblog Bughead’ and rearranging all of Veronica’s furniture.

25. If you could change anything in any of your stories, what would it be?

I try not to think this way, again because #complexes… but the first chapter of Something to Tell You. The one where nothing of substance really happened, because I truly didn’t think anyone was going to read it. Thanks to everyone who set aside that very obvious flaw and persisted.

26. What is your favorite story you’ve ever written? Any fandom?

I’m going to be optimistic and say I hope it will be something I write in the future. My magnum opus, or something.

27. What are you reading right now? Both fan fiction and general fiction?

I’m heavily invested in Vespertine by @yavannies, it’s absolutely wonderful. Please go and read it and leave a comment - I’m a big believer in always thanking the author for their efforts.

Out in the real world, How to Be Both by Ali Smith is sitting on my bedside table.

28. Do you have any advice for writers that want to get into this fandom but might be scared?

What is is that you're scared of?

I don't at all mean that to be dismissive - quite the contrary. I entertained a lifelong fear of writing before sitting down to write Something to Tell You. I was scared of expectations and judgement (be them real or imagined, my own or those of others).

I am still scared of both of these things, but I have also discovered that anonymity is wonderfully liberating. It allows you to write whatever you want, whenever you want. The more you do it, the easier it gets. And as long as you write for yourself, you can’t really go wrong.

Also, believe me when I say that people are wonderfully nice around here.

[eng553s18unessay]

Tumblr - The Integrated Fandom Experience

Welcome to Tumblr - the current platform utilized by different fandoms around the globe. Here, you’ll find RP (roleplaying) blogs, the circulation of GIF sets (that tell their own story via manipulate captions), fan art, fan fiction (and links to it on other sites), and fandom discussions about the fandom itself, headcanons about the media, meta, rhetoric, etc.

The Tumblr platform makes it incredibly easy to create all types of posts on your blog, as evidenced in the screencap below:

The blue chat bubble isn’t where you go to chat with fellow blogs, but instead create chat posts. Usually in fandom, these are dialogues between certain characters. In the last few years, it has led to the creation of “incorrectXquotes” blogs, with the X representing the fandom. For example, this post is from an incorrect Avengers posts blog and the post is a reference to the TV show Parks and Rec. These mashup chats and quotes are highly reminiscent of Kuhn’s “The Rhetoric of Remix”.

Kuhn specifically analyzes fan-made videos, such as the “Closer” video of Spock and Kirk from Star Trek as a way to illustrate the culture of mashup in fandom and digital communities. Tumblr is filled with mashup videos as well, including ones like this Pride & Prejudice mashup and this Star Wars mashup. However, GIF sets are utilized more often on Tumblr for mashups. The GIF format is easy to manipulate, especially if using footage with captions. Often, this format is used to create alternate universe (“AU” in fandom lexicon) narratives. One great example of this is this GIF set that utilizes filmed footage and outtakes from Captain America: Civil War to create an AU where Captain America and Iron Man get together romantically (with a little help from Nick Fury). Another version of the mashup culture evident on Tumblr is through photo manipulation. For instance, using Photoshop to edit readily available photos means that anyone can create art for any fandom idea. A popular example is the movie poster trope - such as this mocked up poster for an AU of Aquaman and Superman becoming romantically involved. 

One aspect of mashups on Tumblr relies on temporality, a key trait of the genre as outlined by Booth in his article “Mashup as temporal amalgam: Time, taste, and textuality”. (If you mention temporality or time to any Doctor Who fan on Tumblr, you’ll get some variation of the GIF below, which is an iconic Doctor Who moment.)

So what was that about temporality and Tumblr? Generally, in any given fandom, you will see an explosion of content and interaction around the release of new mainstream media in the fandom. When new content is released, it means more fans, more interactions, and more fan-generated content because time is of the essence. Everyone wants to get involved with the fandom before lack of content or ennui takes hold. For example, let’s look at the Marvel franchise. Every year when a new movie is released, there is a high uptick in GIF sets, photo manips, art, fic, and discussion around the new movie. There is also discussion of how this new movie (and its new characters) fits into the wider Marvel universe. Over the last seven years, there have been three Captain America films. Content has been generated before, during, and for about six months after the release of each film. After that, during the lull between Captain America films, content slows down. Yet, despite the slow generation, there is still fandom interaction and usually it tends toward deeper discussions about meta and rhetoric of the films and its characters. One example is the ongoing discourse around the evolution of Bucky Barnes (Captain America’s righthand man) into the Winter Soldier and then into a member of the Avengers. Every frame of film he appears in is minutely analyzed and discussed, including his body language, expressions, word choice, etc.

While temporality holds sway over massive content generation in fandom, it has no effect on the deeper discussions evident in fandom (it’s been 11 years since the last Harry Potter book was released, yet you’ll still find high-level discourse around the series occurring on Tumblr), but it does affect the initial content generation and sustained content generation within fandoms. The same is true with fandoms centered around TV shows (the gap between seasons can be difficult for fans) and sports teams (the offseason can be slow unless broken up by international sporting tournaments). 

Yet, despite the lulls between released content, the fandom is still bound together and often friendships and even relationships are formed through the bond. Jenkins touched upon this in his discussion on participatory culture: “What holds a knowledge community together is not the possession of knowledge -- which can be relatively static -- but the social process of acquiring knowledge -- which is dynamic and participatory, continually testing and reaffirming the group's social ties.”

The collaborative interaction between fans is a central element of Tumblr. One fan will post a headcanon (an accepted idea, theory, or scene by fans about a show, movie, etc.) as a text post on Tumblr. Other fans will reblog it and either comment on it in the tags of the post or as an add-on. It’s common for text posts to have multiple add-ons as it circulates and some posts even become widely accepted within the fandom as part of the lore around the content. This text post about the Avengers in comics and the headcanon of how they fight as a group in battle is an excellent example of this communal collaboration and dialogue. Jenkins also discusses this community interaction and dialogue in his paper on the community of Wikipedia. He writes that “Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy training from individual expression onto community involvement: the new literacies are almost all social skills which have to do with collaboration and networking.”

Overall, Tumblr has become the one-stop shop for all fandoms and all fandom needs. Even references to famous fanfics have become a part of Tumblr. The platform has become the preeminent expression of collaborative, interactive participatory culture, especially through the medium of mashups, whether in video, photo, chat, or GIF mode. Often, text post discourse and headcanons on Tumblr give rise to mashup fanfic (where two fandoms collide within a fic). Speaking of which, fanfic is our next destination in this unessay. Ready for the final fandom stop? Click here for the post on AO3 - the current fanfic database (and much improved version of FF.net).