#writing fanfics

[cosette141]

Write and Create for Yourself First | thoughts on fanfiction, art and external validation

When it comes to fanfiction, or any creation for that matter, so many people judge their own fics, art and talent by the amount of interaction with it.

I only know because I recently used to be one of them.

For people who seek external validation, if they have a story that has a thousand kudos or notes, they consider it worthy.

But if it has only 2, or god forbid none, then they feel like it wasn’t good or they “wasted their time” writing it. But that’s just not true, and it’s such a hurtful way of thinking about yourself and your own work. It’s only human to feel drawn towards external validation, but it’s your choice whether or not to chase it.

I implore you to think about it a different way, and hopefully make you feel a little better if you are the kind of person who thinks this way. Because in most cases, kudos, likes, comments, interaction—it’s a reflection of exposure, your current following, the luck of an algorithm, the traffic to that specific corner of the internet, or just how niche of a genre you’re creating in.

Not talent.

Think about this: imagine someone you idolize, respect or even envy the talent and success of. It could be a famous musician, author, a fellow fic writer—anyone who is successful and talented.

Now ask yourself: if no one in the world, not one single soul, ever saw any creation this person ever made…

Would it make that person any less talented?

If that famous musician never shared their music with anyone, are they no longer talented? Are they any less worthy of feeling confident in themselves and their work? Should they feel any less about themselves because they don’t have anyone validating their talent and ability?

If your favorite book writer kept their stories to themselves and never shared them, are they any less brilliant?

No.

But society makes it seem like it.

Think about your favorite books or movies or fanfics—(not your own, but someone else’s work that you love)—that don’t have a lot of kudos or likes or engagement. You love this story/creation. It touched you and you can see how incredible it is. Does it matter that the rest of the world doesn’t? Does it make you love it any less? Do you look at the kudos count and then say “Oh, wait, now it isn’t good anymore.” How many times are you commenting on something saying “I can’t believe this doesn’t have more comments/likes/etc!”

Do you realize how many people say that about the fics you’ve written that have little engagement? Even if they don’t tell you, there are people who are thinking it. There are countless posts and comments on tumblr from people who admit they don't comment because they simply are shy or don't know what to say.

External validation is a dangerous hole to fall into. Because the more you reach for it, the more you rely on it, the deeper you fall.

The easiest way to avoid falling into that hole is to look at your creation the moment you’ve created it, and capture the feeling you have right then and there. What does it make you feel? Did it help you cope? Did it make you smile or laugh? Did it make you cry and ease some of your emotional weight? Did you just feel that you created an incredible thing, and that you love it so much?

Someone liking it or not liking it doesn’t change what you feel in that moment.

Sometimes, you just have to wait for your time. Maybe your creation needs a few years and then it’ll get noticed and you’ll be rolling in success.

Does that mean you’re supposed to feel sad and invalidated until that happens?

If you currently have a creation that’s seen some external validation already, what would you tell your past-self who just posted it, and is waiting for engagement, thinking it isn’t good enough until they get some?

Think of all the time you spent sad, waiting for everyone else to change your mind. Think about how much power you’re giving them! Imagine that person whose underappreciated fic you love. If they were sad about it, what would you tell them?

Because sometimes, there are just things that won’t get exposure. There are just tv shows that won’t get picked up or movie deals that fall through and never get made, books that never get published and fics that never get read.

And if that is devastating to you, I ask you why you’re writing them in the first place.

Of course we all want to share our creations and get comments and positive reviews. And they are wonderful and fulfilling and inspiring and motivating! But if they are the only reason you are creating, if you always feel you wasted your time on a story that receives little interaction, you will feel empty so much of the time. You will always be wanting more, because you are focused on the quantity of them. When you are in this mindset, the moment after you finish reading the most heartfelt review you’ve ever gotten... you’re already waiting to get the next one.

But instead, if you create for yourself, if you sit in that moment of creation and you feel incredible about it, just between you and yourself… and you remember that feeling and that fact even after posting it publicly, everything else is just extra. It’s just the cherry on top. If you wrote that story because you needed to get something off your chest and you did, it doesn’t matter what someone else thinks of it.

If you felt incredible when creating art, then that art is incredible.

Hopefully, you are sharing your work with people, rather than writing it for them. Or, more accurately, for their positive feedback and compliments. Comments are sweeter when they aren’t viewed as payment to you or validation, and are instead like a gift to you.

You are always happy with your work if you view it this way.

You are sometimes happy with your work, depending on the actions of other people, if you rely on external validation.

Obviously you can do whatever you want! It’s your life and it’s your creations. But I can at least tell you that you will be a lot happier if you create for yourself first and take everything else as a wonderful surprise addition.

Because as someone who has climbed back out of that external validation hole and saw the sun for the first time in a long time, I can at least tell you that it has been so much happier for me.

.

I wrote an addition to this post to answer this question: How do you write for yourself first when you are making writing a professional career? That post is here!

[arkynwolf]

i need someone to come and shake me, i'm going insane over the tiny little treebark crumbs we got

[jnece-maharlika]

Crack treated seriously.

That tag really fits Music monkey. It was supposed to a fic where it's just "yo! Let's have porty do this crazy thing! For no reason!" But then I find my self sitting in class, with a notebook, desperately trying to make sense of the weird "plot" I have.

I just have this, several scenes that I want to do in the fic but I have no idea how. So I've dragged my Friend into my problem so now we're both stressing over it. (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

The joys and woes of writing fanfics

[neverenoughmarauders]

Not all stories about love have to be love stories

[austinstyles]

Hey. Just wanted to come on and say that I am going to post a new fanfic again when it is fully finished. Took some time off writing to figure out the story in my head. So will finish it some time in the future. But before December I promise you. And my request are open.

Have a great day and stay safe everyone.

😄🩷😊🙂🌸👍🏻🖤

Grace

[loganwritesprobably]

"He's so fanonised"

"She wouldn't say that"

"They'd never do that"

"This isn't canon"

No it's not canon

This is MY toy box and I'M the child with the sticky fingers shoving the figures together

They'll be as fanon as I like!

If you don't like it then I'm sticking my tongue out at you

[sleepylawr]

Me, writing Touya’s pov: ok this is fine, emotionally draining but fine

Me, writing Hawks’ pov: fuck you you are a mess go get some therapy

[animeluvr1000]

Ive posted some of my headcannons and one shots on wattpad lately,so i was wondering if you guys wanna see my tf2 x reader stuff?

you guys can make requests too! If you do that i can put it in my wattpad tf2 x reader story!

Btw my @ is @animeluvr1001 on wattpad

[santacoppelia]

Just published THE CHAPTER.

It is not "the chapter that solves the plot" or "the chapter where all the stakes are ramped up". It is not "the chapter where our heroes are finally reunited". It is not even "the chapter that made me start writing this wretched long fic" or "the chapter that makes me giddy when I read it again".

It is the "I didn't know I had it in me to write this" chapter. The "oh, well. This is where the story, the music, the character and the story have taken me, so I have to rise up to the challenge" chapter.

It isn't an action packed chapter (what I write rarely is), but a fascinating trip inside the brain and the thought process of my human version of Aziraphale, who is as intelligent as a non-angelic entity can be (and please remember, Aziraphale is canonically VERY intelligent).

Not sure if I'm "proud" of it, but I'm satisfied with the general effect. That's as much as I could ask, really.

Now I have to speed up, because I've almost published my whole reserve, and March is looking positively hellish for writing... And we are about to enter the third act of the fic.

Leaving it here, just in case: Under the Fold, Chapter 22 - The Art of Building a Fugue, By Mr. A.Z.Fell.

[twisted-nox-sidus]

Me: FINALLY my semester is over I can finally get back to my side projects

The side projects staring at me unblinkingly in the face:

Me: oh no. Which one of you am I supposed to prioritize first

[greygullhaven]

Fanfic Stories Game!

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason. <3

First fic published on Ao3: Kissing Scars for the Haven Fandom. <3

Last fic published: Last *completed* one was a Primeval short I just published yesterday – Dinner Time Shenanigans

Fandom/ship I only wrote once: I tend to obsess and hyperfixate on shows or fandoms or pairings, even when I am in dead fandoms or rare pairs. So right NOW I only have one for the Shetland fandom, though I fully intend to write more soon. So for now it is What We Have Right Before Us.

Favorite fic in most popular fandom/ship: Popular as far as how fast I am getting views, how many subscribers, and comments, and all is Death in Paradise and that would be my WIP Solving Your Own Murder.

Fic I wish more people read: It’s a WIP so I know that throws some people off but I really love the story behind my Primeval fic – Echoes of the Past, Sounds of the Future.  

Fic I agonized over: I don’t write a lot of character death fics and even my most angsty and whumppy ones eventually have a happy/hopeful ending for the most part. But Time of Death is the one fic where the character doesn’t come back and while there is a happy ending of sorts it's not the one people expect or likely want. And this one took a lot out of me because it is so rare for me to write this kind of story- but the idea came to me and I had to write it!

Fic that popped out fully-formed:  Collab I did with a friend of mine. We wrote it out together in a series of google doc chats basically and took about a week only to write. It’s still one of my fave Haven stories I have ever written/helped write. So please check out Life House if you want!

Fic I'm proud of: The one I am most proud of isn’t live yet cuz my bestie and I are still writing it. So be on the lookout for new Primeval stuff to drop soon!  Out of what I have published so far, I really love the Haven story I wrote Love Lost, Love Found- for a long time it was my longest, most read, most kudoed and most followed story! It will always have s soft spot in my heart even if I no longer write for the fandom.

Tags- whoever sees this and feels like playing along :D

[neverenoughmarauders]

I always wonder if I will find more self-loathing internal monologues for when I write Remus and I always surprise myself when I find that I am not in short supply.

Should I be worried? Where is all this self-loathing stuff coming from?! I am a fairly happy person as far as I know XD

[austinstyles]

Just wanted to come on here and stay send all requests to my inbox please and give the information of what you want in the fanfic request I appreciate it.

Have a great day everyone.

😄🌸👍🏻🖤😊🩷

[elephant-in-the-pride-parade]

For the ask meme, 🤲what do YOU get out of writing? & 💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

Thank you for the writing asks! These are great!

🤲what do you get out of writing?

i do get a lot of joy out of storytelling, imagining all the characters and plots, exploring complex emotions or issues... But the best and most surprising plus has been the connections i've built to new friends through writing fanfic. I know so many people my age who feel like it is hard to built strong friendships and I feel really grateful that, thanks to writing, thats not the case for me. I owe writing a lot. I owe my writing friends even more.

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

I have an upcoming Denzit Janeway/Q, HoloJaneway/Maquis Chakotay fic that straddles 3 versions of the Trek multiverse to pull in characters from the books and from the shows. What I'm most excited about is how the characters in it are very different from the typical versions of their character:

A version of Q who's been humbled and exiled from the continuum.

A hologram Janeway who rather than sacrifice herself to absolve her guilt about the living construct, is revived and forced to make peace with her fears and guilt.

Denzit Janeway, who never traveled through the Delta Quadrant and all her hard feelings about that and the circumstances she wound up in instead: the anger, bitterness, shame, and self doubt that might plague her as a result.

A version of Chakotay who never encounters Voyager and then has to take up the mantle of a captain in the Delta Quadrant, effectively put in the impossible situation  Janeway was, with fewer means on a Maquis raider than on state-of-the-art Voyager.

It's all really fun so far! I'm getting the chance to fix the character arc from the books that annoyed me the most and to take these characters to places I dont usually get to see them. I am really enjoying how it is evolving.