#the struggles of a fanfiction author

[rentumblsstuff]

Daily affirmations but it’s just “I WILL finish the last chapter of my fic today”

[cowboylikeyouu]

writing fanfiction on paper is so fucking therapeutic

[elleldoe]

first drafts are a necessary evil, but that knowledge doesn't make it hurt any less. like, what do you mean it can't be perfect on the first try? what do you mean I wrote all this just to rewrite the whole thing? rude.

[swordymacaroni]

🎀Screw a breakup, you ever write 5000 words of a fanfic and realize you kept switching between tenses every two paragraphs?

[marsplastic13]

No one knows I read/write fanfictions, right? But at the same time I don't know anyone who reads/writes fanfictions.

Maybe my roommate or my cousin, my professor, or someone I pass on the street is waiting for my update, can you believe that?

[wickjump]

im gonna start posting fanfic recs btw whenever i find good ones. both here and my (awfully barren) 18+ account. because there are so many good fics out there with so few hits and fewer kudos and sometimes no comments period and it SUCKS because i REALLY LIKE THEM A LOT.. and i hope that by linking them here and yelling at everyone to COMMENT DAMMIT they might actually do it

seriously though any comment means a lot. most people who read a fic don’t even give a kudos. even if the fic wasn’t top tier, if you didn’t dislike it, hand over some kudos!! and if you liked it, comment!!!! even if the comment is one singular heart emoji it will be appreciated. if the comment just says “great fic!” the author will be happy. your comment doesn’t have to be this long winded gushing or analysis.

so many authors quit writing or lose motivation because the comments are few and far in between or just sometimes nonexistent. trust me when i say authors don’t care about how long or cool or smart sounding your comment is i promise!!!

i hope that mmmaybe recommending fics and telling people to comment might help fics i really like get more support maybe. and i, points at you reading this, hope that you will listen!!!at least a little….at least sum kudos….

[abstractpenny]

for all my writer friends:

whatever your word count, it's okay.

a small word count means you got your words across quickly and sweetly, while a large word count means more content for your readers.

sometimes chapters are big, sometimes they're small. whatever it is, it doesn't dictate your value.

you're doing so well, keep it up :D

[iamyourdailydoseofbi]

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BEING KIND TO THOSE PUBLISHING FANFICS? Like, we publish FREE fanfics, on our own time / cost / etc. We don't have to do this. And people as of late, have just been so hateful. What happened to the fandoms?

This is a legit convo I had in my dm's over one of my fanfics on wattpad.

Reader : Your character cries too much!

Me : Oh, well, she's literally undergoing stressful situations and it's natural that she will break down. Not to mention, she's not been given any real time to cope with the loss of her loved ones. Besides, I have only posted a few chapter's so her growth has not yet been posted / explored.

Reader : She's just a cry baby!

Me : Oh, well, if you don't like the way she copes, you don't have to read the book. I am sure there are other books out there with main character's you may like.

Reader : You can't tell me what I can and can't read! Your a horrible author for not trying to please your fans-

Me :

EDIT TO POST!

It's the cruelty of the fandom's / mean fans / how they treat each other, that causes most author's / fans to stop loving a fandom. And it sucks! I remember when fandom's used to hype each other up and gust over character's / fanfics. Now, it just feels like pool of negativity.

----

@lovelykhaleesiii

@danytar

[bobaheadshark]

my gender? former english literature student who uses their powers for good (writing gay fanfiction)

[kidicaruslover911]

how it feels to beg and ask your readers for any kind of feedback regarding your work ESPECIALLY on tumblr

i hope this reaches the right audience but lately (it’s been forever), it just feels like i’m fighting for my mothers attention and her not gaf which is honestly so exhausting omd

i know i’m not the first one to address it and neither will i be the last but readers, please do try and interact with the ff, one shots etc that you love and consume which all these talented people put out on here and other platforms (ao3, wattpad etc.).

For free.

you don’t know how much a reblog, a like, especially a comment can make a writers day, boost their confidence in their abilities, motivate them to continue writing, lets them know they’re on the right path etc.

idk why everyone wants to act too nonchalant, stuck up or too pressed to take the time out of their busy day to acknowledge the person behind the work they like so much.

i’d like to remind you that most of these authors give their work their all and it just goes completely unnoticed.

ppl just want to hop from ff to ff (i understand but still) and have their fill for the night.

readers just try, sit and stay for a second to even thank, encourage or just recognize the author and their work.

i’m saying this as an ff writer who’s been experiencing this kind of treatment lately and who’s on the brink of not posting anymore at all TBH -

LET YOUR AUTHORS KNOW YOU APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO please and thank you.

this goes for all the creatives (painters, musicians etc. ik ik we are all artists🗣️) and their art that you consume.

let them know you like it, speak to them-

you get my point.

it’s seriously the least you can do.

it doesn’t matter if you’re too shy or scared you’ll say the wrong thing, i promise you it will make them smile and they’ll absolutely take notice of it.

even an emoji yall idk but please be more considerate 🙏🏾🙏🏾😭

[spacealligator]

I'm plagued by grandiose ideas beyond my capacity

(I wanna see my fav ship fucking in so many scenarios but I can't write cause I gotta work and pay bills)

[rentumblsstuff]

[stellorao3]

What I think is going to happen when I ask my friends to proofread my fic

[elleldoe]

*looking at something off-screen, sweating profusely, left eye twitching* writing is fun. I am having so much fun. the words are treating me well. the characters are very kind. I am hydrated and well rested and totally not suffer- *camera topples over, video abruptly cuts off*

[blackbeeno3569]

HOW TO KEEP YOUR PRIVACY AS A FANFIC AUTHOR

Want to write a fanfic but terrified someone might actually read it?

Keep your hits and likes in manageable numbers that won't cause you a panic attack. Here are my 6 guaranteed tips for how to be as low-key writer as possible:

NUKE THEM SHIPS All fandom loves a handful of ships? Sink them all. Especially the most popular ones. Create your own, give it all the love and be sure it will be an exclusive cruise.

ORIGINAL CHARACTER That one always works. Mary Sues and self-inserts are a very sure path to choose but there are still some weirdos who like that stuff (you know who you are). Create an OC who doesn't fit expected boxes neatly and watch all the normal people take a cautionary step away. Scare them with the unknown.

NO SMUT Yes, they have a very nice sex life, thanks for asking. No, you'll never see much of it. We are here for a story, not an anatomy lesson.

SUBVERT TROPES TO THE POINT WHERE TAGGING BECOMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE Enemies to lovers are ever popular… But eh, they never were much of enemies in the first place? Redemption stories are beloved, only… there's not much of redemption there, just some kind of a healing and a selfdiscovery… Make tagging as complicated as humanly possible.

BRING OTHER POPULAR CANON CHARACTERS TO THE STORY ONLY WHEN IT MAKES SENSE NARRATIVELY …which can be very later on. Don't pander to general expectations, be loyal to the story and solely the story. Good luck putting them in the tags then (see point 4).

KEEP THINGS INTERCONNECTED Thinking of writing one-shots and short stories as an easy gateway to your work? Don't. Everything has to fit neatly into intricate web of preestablished relationships and complicated history. Make sure every story belongs somewhere specific on the timeline. Make them confused, make them feel like watching 6th season of a serie they've never heard of.

(Written with infinite love for those brave souls who found my work, overcame all 6 points and stayed. You are my heroes.)

[marsplastic13]

I started writing bits of this idea that was bugging me, and the main thing of this is that two characters have the same name.

Somehow it didn't occur to me that, for pretty clear reasons, it's HELL to write when they interact (which is constantly).

Send help