wannabeewriterbee

[wannabeewriterbee]

So Elon bought Twitter. I'm honestly not gonna push away Twitter newcomers, but if you're in the MCYT fandom you need to understand that the social etiquette and expectations and culture here are very different than over on Twitter. So as someone who's been an active part of mcytblr for two years now, I'd like to offer some thoughts and advice!

One: Shipping. MCYT communities on Tumblr have always tended to lean more tolerant towards shipping of roleplay characters due to the idea that this is a space for fans primarily. The creators who visit or actively use Tumblr like Eret and Martyn understand that this is a fan space primarily, and don't bother us for the content we make, and we don't bother them with it.

The number one worst thing you could do is share shipping content with creators who have not asked for it. This is a huge social faux pas here. Secondly, on the other end — writing callout posts for shippers here isn't gonna fly. Even for RPF shippers and people who may ship boundary-breaking pairings, our default is usually to not engage with these people rather than publicly call them out. It makes the space a healthier place for everyone and makes it much less likely that CCs may come across content they are uncomfortable with. It's also considered a social faux pas to ask CCs their opinions and boundaries on shipping, since that's bringing it up when they didn't ask!

Speaking of shipping, people typically don't mind you maintagging ship content so long as you also tag it as shipping so people can filter it. For Hermitcraft the tag is hermitshipping, Life Series has trafficshipping, and the lesser known DSMP tag is dsmpshipping.

Two: Reblogging. This is something a lot of newer users tend to struggle with. There is no algorithm on Tumblr, at least not one that works, so content creators rely on you reblogging their work in order for it to spread. If you see a fic or piece of art you enjoy, please reblog it! I often reblog art for MCYT fandoms I'm not even personally in.

Three: Tagging (again). There are a wide variety of tags you can use for your content! The most common tags you'll want to use are "mcyt" and "mcytblr", and any relevant series, pairing/group or character/CC names. However, please don't use the tag "minecraft"! Minecraft has an entirely separate fanbase on Tumblr that we co-exist with and have some overlap with, but don't necessarily appreciate seeing MCYT content in their tags. Any tag with "minecraft" in it is also a no-no, such as "minecraft youtubers" or "minecraft championships". Please use shorthands!

Four: Opinions on MCYT drama tend to be very different here than they are on Twitter. For instance, you should assume by default that most bloggers here either like or are completely neutral towards "problematic CCs" like Schlatt. But also, we tend to be very against spreading anything originating from leakers, and we also tend to not be fond of making posts "holding CCs accountable" for things they did years ago. Generally, mcytblr prefers to be a more drama-free community, and if you do engage in discourse, many would appreciate you tagging it as such!

Five: CCs do not need you to babysit them.

Generally speaking you will see a lot of jokes and memes on mcytblr that wouldn't fly on Twitter, and it is generally looked down upon to try to speak on behalf of CCs personal boundaries — they are grown adults, and you are a stranger! Calling out or harassing people for "breaking boundaries" is mostly just going to get you looked at strangely, especially if you don't have a source for your claims. Most of us will stop doing something if asked, but we don't need stans to tell us to! CCs can speak for themselves when uncomfortable.

Six: Most mcytblr blogs don't want CC notices. There are quite a few CCs who are active here, but the community is chill with them as they don't tend to talk about us elsewhere and allow us to do our own thing. We do not, however, like encouraging CCs to join Tumblr or to follow us or reblog our posts — many people here actually prefer being out of sight of CCs and many of us consider it rude to seek out attention from CCs outside of sending the occasional ask.

Please treat CCs kindly and don't gawk at them like you just saw a celebrity on the street — the ones who are active here are just Tumblr users like the rest of you! Seeing Eret reblog fanart or respond to an ask isn't something to point out.

While we joke about Twitter users joining, we don't actually have anything against you guys, it's just that we've built a very different community here and ask that you respect it and the etiquette we've come to establish! Thank you, and I hope you enjoy your stay on mcytblr ^_^

[wannabeewriterbee]

this is for the people recently following me from twitter: i headcanon c!phil and c!technoblade in a queerplatonic relationship with explicit and informed permission from both cc!phil and his wife, kristin, both of whom i am in semi-regular contact with and who have read my queerplatonic works.

don’t like it? just fuck off and go back to twitter.

[wannabeewriterbee]

fuck you *makes your ship be a qpr instead of a romantic relationship*

[wannabeewriterbee]

a little farewell to the characters and fandom that have made the last two years one of the craziest (and most wonderful) rollercoasters of my life

read here

[wannabeewriterbee]

that one story of two lovers: one a bird by day and the other a wolf by night

[wannabeewriterbee]

It is Finished!

The Dance of Death! It is finished! If you have read it, please let me know what you've thought!

[wannabeewriterbee]

Only one more to go after this!

The Dance of Death Ch 7 is out! Go enjoy it!

[wannabeewriterbee]

Ch6 Is Up!

Ch6 just went up for The Dance of Death! Only two more to go after this! Enjoy!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39351366

[wannabeewriterbee]

Ch5!

The Dance of Death- CH5 just dropped! Go read it!

[wannabeewriterbee]

Ch4 Released!

Chapter 4 has been posted! It's picking up a bit!

[wannabeewriterbee]

Ch3 is released! Hope you enjoy it!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39351366

[wannabeewriterbee]

wip!!

[wannabeewriterbee]

I forgot to share that I actually posted the first chapter to my story, but now I also have the second chapter as well!

[wannabeewriterbee]

I’ve got some question for people that write on ao3!

So I’ve been working on a book that I would like to put out on ao3 once I get done with edits/revisions and I wanted some suggestions on a few things! I know I’ve asked a lot below and wrote a ton! But I want to cover all my bases! Thanks for taking the time to even glance at this.

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1. What’s a good word count for chapters?

I know I want to shoot for a minimum 1,000 words a chapter but what’s the average that you try and get to that still keeps readers entertained? For me personally I think hitting around 1,500 or more would be great, but I’m also the weirdo that can read a 200,000+ word competed work in a day, so I don’t know a good average. I know that they typically story have around 90,000 words in it, but those are 250+ page books with tons of chapters. Short stories can span in total anywhere from 1,000-15,000 words but the average is 3,000-5,000 words and this is already beyond that in the first draft. Novella’s start at about 20,000 and cap at 50,000 and it would be super cool to get the story that big, but I don’t think I have the attention span, nor that much to put into it. I know in the end, this book will be what it will be, no matter the length, but it’s nice to see what people try and push themselves to do in their writing.

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2. How do you typically format the layout of your story in ao3?

This would be my first time posting a story and I don’t really know the best/easiest format for readers. I’ve been looking at a bunch of my favorite ao3 writers and I’ve picked up on some of their styles (some of them just being common sense like start a new line when a character talks or when a scene shifts) but I see paragraphs that are just 1-3 sentences and I don’t know if that feels too choppy or if that’s easier for reading on ao3. I know those paragraphs will look different devices, phones make it appear longer and tablets and computers tend to stretch it out to thinner lines. I’m also curious, do you write it with the HTML or Rich Text? I don’t fully understand the HTML but I’d be totally willing to learn it if it’s better than just the rich text.

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3. How do you write a 3rd person pov that shows multiple characters thoughts/feelings?

I’m trying to make sure that my characters have distinct tell signs that they’re talking or thinking, either by how they actually speak or by body language, but I have a few chapters where they’re all together and all are being affected by different things at the same time and I don’t want to just say there names ever single time. They all use the same pronouns so it feels harder to make distinctions between who they interact with just that.

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4. How do you decide when a chapter ends?

What makes you think “cool, this is a good spot to start a new section!” With my story, I have some chapters (minimum 2 chapters, maybe up to 4 though) where they split into pairs and explore and I don’t know if I should make separate chapters for each pair or try to blend them all together since everything’s happening at the same time, but they’re in completely different areas. I have one other chapter where one pair is exploring together and then they even split up and then I have 3 different povs all the same time and a major event is triggered. Would it be easier to make the final place they all explore a separate chapter and show all 3 povs in that chapter? (I think this would be the right thing, I just don’t want to confuse people and think that it’s all happening at different times)

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5. Titles! What do you do?! Chapter Titles and Story titles!

Do you make them funny like the Percy Jackson series, or do you just put Chapter #? Do you slightly give away who is in it and what they do “Exploring with Dave!” Or do you mix it all to get her and make “Ch5- In this chapter we make a bunch of Dad Jokes and piss off the guy we call dad!” Story title for this story I’m writing is pretty easy for how I’ve written it and I have it set (I think) but do you try and make it a vague title, something simple and to the point, or something in between!

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6. Notes, Tags and Summaries, Oh My!

For your notes, beginning or end of chapter? Short and to the point, or make it long and sappy?

For the tags, I know the more you put, the easier it can be found. But is there such a thing as too many tags or even not enough tags? I think it would be cool to actually have my story seen, but I don’t want the wrong audience to see it and then get shit on by people who are just looking to be trashy. I see the max is 75 tags including relationships, characters, and other things, is it hard to hit that max limit or pretty easy if you tag your story right?

For the summary, what’s better, a lil blurb of something that happens in the chapter, bonus if it’s angsty and feels like a cliffhanger. OR a sentence or two saying, “the idiots in the chapter go do this and something happens!” I want the attention to be caught, but I really don’t want to fully give away what happens.

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7. Comments, do you filter them, let them have free reign, or just take it all away?

I’m leaning towards filtered comments, but who am I kidding, I don’t even know if people will read this, and I honestly don’t expect anyone to, this is more just for me to put it out there cause I can and I’ve been bored the past 24 hours and in a first draft have written like 7,000 words and I’m not even done writing. I don’t know how attentive I’ll be to the fic after posting it, I’ve hopefully left the ending open enough to make a second story if I wanted to, but I have no clue what I would write! Also, do you leave it open to guests and registered users for comments or do you only let people who are registered comment. I’m totally fine having guest accounts read my story, but I don’t know if that’s a safe thing to also let them comment, but if it’s moderated then I guess it doesn’t really matter.

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8. The writing process! HOW DO YOU DO IT?!

My usual problem is that I come up with a great story and my outline is like 10+ pages and then I start writing and it’s all written in like, a page. This is the first one that I actually was able to write fully fleshed out chapters. Do you write it a chapter at a time and as soon as it’s edited (if you edit/revise) do you immediately just publish and go to the next, or do you write the whole story before you even think of edits/revisions and posting it? Also, do you write it directly in ao3, or do you use something simple like Word or Docs? Or are you fancy and have a super cool and probably expensive writing program?!

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9. ANXIETY! STRESS!!

Do you have anxiety about posting a chapter? Wondering how it’s going to be received, or if it even will? Do you worry what people think or if it’s good enough to even be seen out in daylight? Do you ever get over this feeling?! I think this is what has always stopped me in the past 5 or so years in writing and posting works. When I was in middle school I didn’t really have this fear and I posted a few things on Wattpad that never got finished and I’ve always thought about taking it down but then I get excited when I see it had like 500+ reads on it and it always stopped me from deleting it, but not enough motivation to continue writing it because I know that I’ve (hopefully) gotten better at writing and I would probably need to rewrite everything else and make it better.

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Okay! I think I covered all of my questions… I’m so sorry it’s such a long post! I’m just nervous and curious! I really want to do this right. Seriously though, if you read all of this, thank you. And if you actually responded to even just one of my questions, you’re amazing and I really value your input!

You may see this pop up in some other places, I’ve already posted it on my Twitter as a thread and I think I may also post it on my Ao3 account and see if people reply.

-WannaBeeWriter

On ao3 and Twitter!

[wannabeewriterbee]

Figured I needed to get back on tumblr because of the dumpster fire that the bird app has become.