#the amount of 500-2k word drafts I love but have no idea what to do with is actually criminal

[stllmnstr]

Looking through my drafts and omg I was onto something here

[itwoodbeprefect]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 🤍

thank you!! ❤ i decided to make this five fics from five different fandoms, in no particular order:

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How To Build A Triangle (or accidentally fall headlong into one, or whatever the fuck) [ted lasso, roy/jamie/keeley]

i wrote this one in a ridiculously short amount of time for how many words it turned out to be, and i had SO much fun doing it. it was the perfect storm of an idea grabbing you and also having the time to let it grab you, and i think the results are great, too, which is even better. (not to mention that seeing it tick past the 1000 kudos mark with ease within i think two months was completely hilarious, used as i currently am to thinking of 50 kudos as a smash hit with the reading public. i won't lie, a massive wave of nice comments IS fun, especially if it's for something you were excited to post!)

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John Sheppard vs. The Magic Ball of Love [sga, john/rodney]

most of the fandoms i write for these days are not fantasy or sci-fi, but once in a while i'll remember how great it can be to make up some complete nonsense and go "it's magic! i mean, uh, science!", and sga is the perfect sort of setting for that. i wrote this while i should have been writing a paper, which instantly makes anything better, and i still think the core of it is very simple and very silly and very fun, and i always enjoy a good days of the week fic. i also like the way john sounds in this one.

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Five times Frank was frankly too Frank to notice what Hawkeye and Trapper were up to [mash, frank pov trapper/hawkeye]

i've posted five MASH fics to ao3 and four of them are mainly angst, and that's fine and i love writing that, but at the end of the day what i really like is when it just says Click while writing comedy. i think that happened with this one! frank is (frankly) very frank, hawkeye and trapper are very hawkeye and trapper, and i had a hoot with it, and still have every time i reread it now. frank is an unusual perspective for me to write from, but that just makes it all the more fun.

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Your hands in my back pockets [starsky/hutch]

these days i do this thing where sometimes i forget that not every fic has to be 2k minimum and convey some deep meaning about something somehow, and that's unfortunate because it obviously makes writing a lot more difficult than it needs to be. this fic was a glorious little moment of breaking through that - the "hey handsome, are you looking for a fun time?" line had been lingering in my drafts meant for some s/h thing for a long time, and then i took that and wrote the entire fic in one sitting, and i think it flows nicely and it's very them and it still accidentally paints that deep picture i keep angling for, just in less than 500 words. a lesson i need to remember! and also just fun, a fun little fic.

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And I need you more than I want you (And I want you for all time) [h50, steve/danny]

romance! and all of the other kinds of love, and all of it domestic and sure and steve-and-danny. i just like this one and the ways that it worked out and the things it ended up saying a lot, and i enjoy rereading it. easy domestic happy endings in which everyone gets to relax and settle in are my favorite.

[letitrainathousandflames-archive]

How do you get to the point where you can take commissions for writing? Any helpful advice for a fellow fanfic writer? I write a lot and people seem to like it but I don't really know how that all works w/commissions and such. Thank you in advance and I love your writing!

Hi there anon!

Well, here’s the deal, I never thought I was good enough to open commissions until I did and people started commissioning me, haha. I actually saw a couple of people making fic commision guide posts and after I reblogged them I was like, wait... can I do this too?

So first things first: you’re already a writer (say it out loud! it gives a confidence boost, after all, writing is the only thing you need to do to be called a writer and yes, fic are included, this is a fact, no take backs). And people like your stuff! Awesome!

I actually used the posts I had reblogged as guidelines to write my own commission guide as they divided their prices for amount of money per 1.000 words (1k) and I used the same system. Since I am living in an abusive home and in much need of money, I set my price to$5 - 500 words / $10 - 1k-1.5K / $12 - 2k-2.5Kand I was even a little scared that people might not want to commission me, but to my very happy surprise, I’ve had like five commissions so far! (thank you guys!

Thas is my price table as I made it, but you can either use it or set one of your own for the price you want. It’s really complicated, to set a price on art, but just go with how you feel (how long does it take for you to finish, how tiring it is to get to that 1K, etc).

As to how to improve... Just read and write a lot really. There’s not much more to that than it. Reading other people’s work (books and fics) allows you to see different styles and improve your vocabulary, and writing allows you to see which style is more comfortable for you, and is good practice.

Never forget that, when it comes to art, you are always learning. There is not a highest point - there will be always more to be learned, so don’t feel demotivated for not knowing everything now - instead of aiming to know everything and being constantly upset because you don’t, accept that you’ll always be learning, and have fun in doing so.

Also, as an advice for writing in general, ditch the delete button. Write the crappy draft. Hate it. But dont delete it. Close it and reread it on the next day. Squint at it and see what is not “absolute garbage” (yeah I know how we look at our own work and say its garbage). Fix something here and there, but don’t delete like, entire paragraphs. Don’t delete it. Get off the computer and stretch your legs, drink some water, think about how your reader is not you and has zero idea that you are gonna write what you wrote. It only looks bad for you because you were the one to write and it’s predictable to you.

Come back to it and check it again. Is it good? Maybe it is (give yourself some goddamn credit!). Pat yourself on the back for the good job. Post it on your preferred fic site (AO3, FF.net) and put a link on Tumblr too so ppl can see it. Wait for comments, rinse and repeat.

Since you already have some nice fics, link them on a post like the one I made, so that people can see if they like your stuff. Add the price range and use the platform that suits your best - some people use Patreon, others use Ko-Fi, or direct paypal transfer (since my country doesn’t allow it, I use Ko-Fi).

Like art commissions, you can have half the arranged price sent to you before you start working and the rest as you deliver the commission, or have the full price paid at the moment of the arrangement. This is all I can think for now, anon, sorry if I failed to cover anything. Now go forth and good luck! :D