#I've got to do a feedback write up to sent to tumblr

[aceofwhump]

Question is the legacy editor any good? I've never used it because I'm paranoid about it messing my posts up lmao but I'm curious

The short answer is yes. Legacy editor, the older way tumblr did posting, is in my opinion, the superior editor. I love the legacy editor. A lot. It is definitely superior and I'm sad staff has decided to slowly get rid of it.

However! With that said I've been pretty much exclusively using the beta post editor for the last like year when staff announced that they'd be eliminating the legacy editor eventually so I thought it'd be a good idea to get used to the beta editor. Which I suppose I did. I've gotten used to it and don't use legacy much at all anymore. I also wanted to use it because I got really tired of not being able to edit in mobile the posts I made on web using the legacy editor. With the beta editor you can edit across platforms which is soooo nice. (although it appears that in one of the apps many updates I can now edit a gifset I made today via legacy editor but not the posts I've made in the past using the legacy editor so who knows what's going with that).

But there's a lot of annoying things about the new beta editor that make it inferior to the legacy editor and I'm praying that staff will improve it. For starters, and probably my biggest complaint, is how awful it is to upload and rearrange images. It's so much easier in legacy editor to move images around. In beta the page moves when you start to move the image and it drives me CRAZY!!! I always end up putting the image in the wrong place because the page won't stop moving! Legacy is wonderful to arrange images. I do think the upload is slightly better in beta purely because it uploads multiple images in the order I select them where the legacy just puts them in whatever order it wants to and I have to remember what order I wanted my gifs in.

Legacy is also better because it actually differentiates between an image post and a text post. With the beta editor everything is technically a test post. So my gifsets are not considered an "image post". Some people have noted that the beta, since it's not an image post, it resizes the images a little and sometimes decreases the quality of the gif by doing that. I haven't really noticed that myself with my own gifs but doesn't mean it isnt happening.

The legacy editor also allows me to upload my gifs without stupid errors for no reason. Lately any time I upload more than 6 gifs at once I get an error message and have to upload them one by one. Its not because of size because they're always under 7mbs so I don't know why I can't upload them all at once. I hate it actually. And sometimes my gif will be under 10mbs (like 9.7mbs) and it'll tell me that the gif is too big. Excuse me tumblr but 9.7 is smaller than 10! I never had this problem in legacy.

The legacy editor is also better when it comes to using html, inserting links as text and not the stupid thing beta does where you paste the link and it becomes that stupid post preview thing that I hate, and oh my god is it awful for text blocks! When it first came out you couldnt select multiple texts blocks at all. You can now but it isn't the easiest. And it like expands when you do and makes it weird. Idk it's hard to describe. In legacy you can just...select all the text with no problems. Text blocks are treated like individual sections in the beta and make editing a major pain in the ass.

I also don't like thst apparently new xkit won't work in beta and you have to use xkit rewritten because fuck I don't want to learn how to use that one when I've been using new xkit for years but I guess I'm gonna have to now. I haven't been having any problems with xkit yet but who knows....

So yeah I think overall legacy is better. Beta Post Editor has some good things (I like the increased image upload limit, the editing tags is good) about it but there's so many problems. Unfortunately we're stuck with it so I've been sticking to using it exclusively to make the transition easier on myself. I do suggest becoming used to how it works and to just continue to provide feedback to staff about features we dislike or bugs we come across. Hopefully they'll listen and improve it.

#this got long #i'm so sorry #apparently i have thoughts about this whole legacy vs beta post editor thing going on right now #I've got to do a feedback write up to sent to tumblr #hopefully they can continue to edit and improve the beta post editor to make it more like the legacy editor #especially for us making gifsets #mod post #mod replies #ask #anon

[the-lunar-warrior]

just wrote a Very Salty feedback ticket and idk, i feel like posting the whole thing here too. enjoy, or something

I usually refrain from being this crass when writing feedback, but the direction tumblr seems to be heading is directly detrimental to theplatform. And the new mobile lightbox frankly ssuck, among other things.

I have been using tumblr for close to 10 years. For much of it, I did not use the mobile app — nowadays I've been using it a lot more, and while sometimes annoying and buggy, it was an okay experience. Some of the recent changes, and the much more open communication has been very nice, but some are honestly making me question whether I shouldn't just quit.

I'm on tumblr to use tumblr. If I wanted to use tiktok, I'd open the tiktok app.

The new lightbox, and the way it takes you to a random freaking post if you swipe wrong is atrocious. Sometimes it happens when I'm trying to zoom in. Sometimes when im swiping to the side and I guess it wasn't to the side enough. It's infuriating. It would be infuriating if it only took you to a random post once there is no more photos in the current one, but no — if you swipe wrong at any point bye bye whatever you were viewing, please look at this unrelated post you don't want to see! And don't tell me they are related. I don't care. They are by a random person I don't follow. I don't want an algorithm showing things in my face. Stop it.

In the light of the recent changes, if I was not already a user, I would not become one. And I don't mean it in a "oh changes bad" way, I mean that the way I discovered tumblr has been actively cut off. Back when I first discovered tumblr, sometime in 2012/13, one could view the http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/tag even without account — I scrolled on it for hours by accident. I didn't know what tumblr was, I barely spoke english. I ended up doing that a second time, just to find a specific post — it was an upload of Phoenix by Fall Out Boys, sped up by 10%. I don't know if was uploaded directly to tumblr, but I know it did not force me to go and open spotify, or soundcloud, or any third party website to actually listen to the song. It stayed on tumblr.

Then I found some blogs I liked. I stalked them for months without an account, had them bookmarked. Today tumblr automatically tries to take you to the tumblr.com/username instead of url.tumblr.com, and when it does, it obscures the page and tries to force you to sign up. I would have never gotten invested in tumblr, in the community, if that was the case. If I couldn't freely browse peoples blogs, see their pages — remember pages? Remember that functionality that is becoming obscure instead of you promoting it? People now have a single pinned post where they often have a link to something like linktree or other third party website that lets them to what *tumblr was originally for*. To have a separate about page, or a page with their ships, or interests, their fic they are hosting here, that's *not a post that you have to link* but a url.tumblr.com/about or url.tumblr.com/fic or anything they desire bc it was a BLOG they are hosting on tumblr, not just an account on a social media site.

Remember webcomics hosted on tumblr? People used to do that. As a teen I wanted to do that. But tumblr is silently moving away from that functionality. Is making it harder and harder to use it as I thought intended.

I made an account after months of using tumblr. I sent asks without an account — and after I made one, an irl friend sent me some too, before she got her account. I browsed and read and learned english *without an account*. And when I made one, I made silly pages on my blog, like "people you should follow", or info pages about my ocs, or one that still exists but cannot be accessed from mobile app at all — my about page.

I understand many of the changes. I understand the monetization, and frankly think most of it is very fun and well done. But overall? You're shooting yourself in the foot. You're alienating existing, often long time users, and making it impossible to get into tumblr for possible new ones.

I know one bitter feedback ticket probably won't to anything. But I feel like I need to say all this somewhere. I loved tumblr for so so long, I recommended it to other people — the only way right now for you to get new users other than forcing people — but I don't anymore. I'm considering getting rid of the app from my phone — going back to using tumblr once every couple weeks when I open it on desktop, because... I'm tired. I'm so so tired of seeing things I lovef about tumblr disintegrate in front of me.

Thanks to whoever has gotten this far reading this. Have a nice day.

#tumblr thoughts #i talk sometimes #idk i know that a lot of ppl have been talking about how tumblr is a collaborative social media and how thats its essence or whatever #but i miss when the essence of tumblr was. to have a BLOG #with added perks

[carlos-in-glasses]

Fic Origin Story

Thank you so much for the tag @welcometololaland <3

What was your first fandom (reading and/or writing)?

9-1-1 Lone Star/Tarlos! I’d never given much thought to reading or writing fanfic, but then I fell in love with Tarlos and my entire life was over. Suddenly I needed it like air. I checked out ao3 and was blown away by what I found. I thought...maybe I can do this?...

2. What was the first story you ever wrote (even if it was never posted) and what made you decide to write it?

Sensitivity, which is about Carlos and TK getting to know each other on a deeper level in the early days. But I only wrote and shared what was in my head because the fanfic I’d read gave me the confidence to try. Thank you beautiful writers who are so skilled and inspiring.

3. What's a piece of advice you would give to your younger fic-writing self?

I started writing fic in September, but I’d tell that young whippersnapper that I’m not actually an interloper just because I didn’t discover 911LS sooner. Imposter syndrome should not impact your hobbies. (Also I’d tell myself to write in first person, present tense from the first fic onwards instead of the fourth...)

4. What's an early fandom interaction that stuck with you (be it a nice comment, a friend you made, a fic that got a lot of feedback etc.)?

The lovely and vastly talented @cinnaluminum read Sensitivity and sent me such a kind message on tumblr (I probably had three followers at the time). I was so touched by it, and remain so. As it was my first fanfic and first piece of non-poetry I’d written in years, it meant an awful lot to know that I was on the right track.

Post a sentence or two from one of your older fics, and a sentence or two from a newer one (if you want).

From the OG, Sensitivity:

"Can I get you a drink or something now?" Carlos asked, trying not to sound flustered.

"I've actually never had a lavender-chamomile tea before," TK said with a wry smile, "reminds me of my grandma but I'm willing to give it a try."

This made Carlos laugh – half-embarrassed, half-delighted – and TK chuckled, creasing up and hugging into Carlos a little. Somewhere inside Carlos, the roof was blown clean off the butterfly house, and he had to jump up and pull himself together. "Ok, I'll be right back."

 From the fic I’ve just posted, Man to Man:

Carlos nods. A memory is sparking. “Your heart is what you take out there with you,” he says. “Your dad told me that. It was the day you were kidnapped. Before we knew you were missing.”

“Yeah. I remember you telling me.”

“I loved him for it.” Carlos swells with emotion and tears come again, but he doesn’t much mind – it soothes the lingering sting in his eyes from the smoke. He looks at TK and it’s like looking through a kaleidoscope. TK’s blurry shape and the white light around him breaks into segments and slowly spins. Carlos blinks to correct his vision, and then TK is much closer, wiping Carlos’ face with his hands.

A sentence or two becomes a sentence or nine sorry!!!

This was fun to do. I'm weirdly nostalgic for just six months ago when I started doing this.

I'm tagging you back @welcometololaland, and @cinnaluminum, @paperstorm, @tailoredshirt, @reyesstrand, @ladytessa74, @flickerthenflare with no pressure whatsoever of course.

#Tagged #Fic origin story

[underthetree845]

ask game

😅✍🛒🛠💖👀🤗

Hello darling! Thank you for the ask (<3)

😅 (What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?)- God, um, I have this one x reader thing I wrote, and it was the very first piece of fanfiction I ever came up with. I wrote it in eighth grade (T-T). It wasn't super terrible and I didn't say "orbs" instead of eyes even once, I just kind of didn't know what I was doing. No planning took place, it was just a little forced, but I'm kind of proud of myself for just getting it out. It was an Armin/fem reader thing where they were going to a party dance thing and there was a confession. Kind of like a less evolved version of my recent masquerade fic, actually. I guess I enjoy writing dancing. I know I was young and everything but I'm so thankful that I hadn't figured out that I could actually post on fanfiction websites yet, I kept writing and thankfully (at least I believe/hope) that I got better. ✍ (Do you have a beta reader?)- I do not. I'm not against it or anything, I just don't. I do have this one friend that I send e v e r y t h i n g I write to though, albeit after it's published because she's not really an experienced writer (not that she's bad, just not the right person to ask for feedback). She's even read that dance fic I mentioned in the previous question.

🛒 (What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.)- Mutual pining is a big one for me 😭. Whether it's friends to lovers (which is what I mostly write), strangers to lovers, enemies, coworkers, etc. etc. there will always be mutual pining at some point. Even if one has had feelings for longer and I depict the growth of the other's feelings (which I find really interesting). Also- random- but I feel like hand holding/focus on hand touches is always a light thing I find myself wanting to incorporate. Not sure why.

🛠 (What tools/programs/apps do you use to write?)- I like to use google docs. It syncs to my phone too so I can write on the way to school or in public if I'm bored, stuff like that. Straight up writing in the tumblr drafts scares me, it's too easy to delete O.o. I oftentimes keep one doc for notes (if it's a longer fic) and write the fic separately. Fun fact though, when I started out, I was actually using the notes app on my phone. That didn't last long, but I still have my first few unpublished 8th grade fics on there.

💖 (What made you start writing?)- Okay so what made me REALIZE that I liked writing was my English classes in school. I've always been a bookworm- ever since I was a little kid- so it was amazing to me that I was able to create stories and show them to people in the same way real authors could. So middle school me loved doing creative writing assignments, I always went way over the wordcount, I loved reading books, etc. etc. Eventually I start getting into fandom, and through internet browsing, I come across fanfiction for the first time. I have to say, it kind of blew my mind. It's hard to explain that I never really stopped reading as much as I did in middle school and elementary school, I just read a lot more ~digital works by unpublished authors~ now (and I still do read books, I'm currently reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson and I love it). The rest I kind of already explained. I tried my hand at it for awhile in the notes app, eventually made an account, read, liked, etc., started posting, and the rest is history. :)

👀 (Tell me about an up and coming wip please!)- *Rubs hands together.* Okay, so: First of all, I'm ALMOST, almost I swear! I'm almost done with the next chapter for my ongoing fic. I'll probably post it sometime next weekend (I don't know if you follow it but there's that). I'm currently working on a Dazai oneshot with the pocky game (you know what that is, right?) And then someone sent me a jealous Chuuya request which I plan on completing after my other two wips since they won't take long.

🤗 (What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?)- EEEE! Okay okay!

Dear new writers, WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. Please don't be shy! Reach out, interact, share your work (if you want to) and there will be people who say hello back! Remember, don't compare yourself to other writers. We all started at some point. We all had a first post, we all make mistakes, we're all human. On that note, don't beat yourself up about making it perfect! Getting out a first draft is a great first step. It can include notes, errors, run on sentences, and that's fine because it's a draft! You do not have to be perfect, none of us are. Do not feel bad about not having the time to write, or even if you do have the time but lack the energy. Take care of yourself first always! Remember to have confidence in yourself. You created something that wasn't there before and put it out into the world and it's a story and it's yours and that is amazing in every aspect. Don't give up on yourself, take care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and you will slowly but surely find your place in the writers' community! <3

Thank you again for the asks! I hope all of you sleep well tonight. <33

#answered #ask game #sorry this was so long oh my god #emoji asks

[elizmanderson]

Wondering about how to find beta readers? Especially finding those who would understand what your writing. The previous question you answered was SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL LIKE OIGHSODPIHGDL K - Especially about how to respond and work with beta reader feedback.

because my family had been my previous 'beta readers' which... the 'best' time was when I got into a huge slump and hated my comfort writing because my parents said my MC was too 'overdramtic' when I was just... describing and trying to process feelings that I've felt before with characters? It did not feel nice whatsoever and sent me spiraling. Another time I got kicked out of the house for the day for not wanting my NON-HUMAN characters to be gendered... but I digress.

Which brings me to my next question, how would I find people (preferably online) who can give me feedback and beta read? It's been difficult to find people IRL who are as excited/understand what I'm trying to write with my plant fairy escapism comfort.

Thanks for answering my questions! It means a lot to me. :)

this is, alas, a tricky question, because...guess where I used to meet beta readers? if you answered "Twitter," you are correct! and that's obviously considerably less viable than it once was (and less viable every day).

with that in mind: if anyone else reads this and has suggestions for similar events/hashtags/ways of connecting on other platforms (including Tumblr), please rb or comment!

at any rate, in general social media can be helpful for finding betas because there are often hashtags to use when you're looking for readers. sometimes there are even specific events to help writers connect with each other for critique purposes! again I'm unfortunately most familiar with this on Twitter, but for example there's been an event there called like CPmatch or something like that where folks would pitch their books and then interested people would comment like "wow yes I'd love to read this!"

personally most of my virtual beta readers are friends I met online just by talking about my books and learning about their books! while several of us are agented and/or published now, we all started in the same place: writers finishing up projects and hoping for good luck in the query trenches. so we'd all just shout excitedly about our books on Twitter, and that's how we found each other.

(hashtag events for writers - weekly, semi-weekly, or monthly events at a set time where the host asks questions/provides prompts and writers answer them and comment on others' answers. I'm sure they exist somewhere other than Twitter, but that's the only place I've seen them. not to be a broken record lol but I fear my knowledge about connecting with people online is more useless day by day because of the incompetent grapefruit now destroying my favorite platform.)

anyway, sometimes you'll be more excited about someone's book than they are about yours or vice-versa, but overall being genuinely interested in other writers' work and making friends with them over your shared interest is the best way to find future virtual betas, particularly betas who will understand what your books are trying to do (as opposed to what you described coming from your family).

and I know you said "preferably online," but just in case you ever have interest in in-person meet-ups: depending on your location, you may have a home region on NaNoWriMo (dot) Org, the official site for National Novel Writing Month. (I think I mentioned that in my last post, but if you're like "what the hell is that," lmk and I'll explain.) various regions may have in-person events in November, which is a great way to meet people irl!

(actually, speaking of NaNoWriMo, it's a great time to meet other writers virtually, too! use the tags "NaNo," "NaNoWriMo," or "National Novel Writing Month" to declare your participation and find other writers who are also doing it. the official site also allows group chats - I think there's a maximum of 20 people per chat - and don't quote me but I think you can request to be sorted randomly into one in case you don't already know anyone there.)

additionally, try googling writing groups in your area. there may not be any (and I have zero tips on how to start one, as I am much happier joining an existing group), but it's worth taking a look. in my area, we have an unofficial NaNoWriMo group that chats throughout the year on Discord (so online even though we're also close enough to see each other in person!), plus a weekly critique group that meets up at a Panera to share feedback, plus a weekly writing group that meets up at a local coffee shop to chat and get some writing done! even if your area doesn't have a critique-specific group, you can meet other writers in your area if that's something you're comfortable with and able to do.

(of course you should always meet people in a public place until and unless you get to know them well enough to feel comfortable meeting them somewhere private.)

I feel like this was basically no help at all because all my virtual meeting-other-writers experience came from Twitter, but:

tl;dr

use hashtags to indicate that you're looking for beta readers (don't ask me which hashtags; I've never personally done it this way)

join hashtag and beta-matching events on social media to meet people

connect with other writers on social media by shouting excitedly about your projects and theirs

if you participate in NaNoWriMo, meet people using relevant hashtags or on the NaNoWriMo website

to meet other writers in person, google writing groups in your area or check your NaNoWriMo home region to see if a group is active near you

#answered #beta reader #critique partners #writing tips #writing group #more info needed because I hail from twitter

[gurugirl]

A Good Boy Review

++ FIRST OF ALL!! You guys! Do not hesitate to read this. I was not going to read it because of the trope but I'm so glad I did. This is one of the best things I've ever read on Tumblr. Hell, anywhere. A forbidden romance that's actually kind of soft and sweet and so wrong and so hot. If you like anything by Guru you will like this.

(i feel like i'm leaving an amazon review on a product i'd die for)

I CAVED I CAVED

I kept seeing the notes go up and all the comments and it kept showing up on my dash and I just caved. I was gonna read a little and just see. Just a bit to figure out how I'd feel about it. Because in all honesty, this was a big no from me from the beginning. I prefer older harry and I'm not into the stepmom thing at all. Plus I just like softer fluffier stuff in general and I imagined this might be a bit not fluffy.

But when I tell you that as soon as I got to the part where they're dancing together in the club and the way you describe their feelings and the moment **** I was hooked. I didn't stop reading until the last words.

So you totally changed my mind about this. I cannot believe I even questioned whether or not I'd like this fic because I love your writing and your ideas. But this one? I actually think this might be my favorite one shot (maybe series? if you'd oblige us?). Ever. I'm still recovering as I type this.

It was actually kind of soft and nice. While also being super hot and the build up to them finally giving in. I'm spiraling guru. I'm astonished at how good this one is. You wrote this and you ATE as you always do. Oh my god.

Please give us more of this if you would. I'm already like imagining other scenarios and the way they feel about this whole thing. God you really did this and it's flawless. Exceptional.

Thank you for writing this and sharing it with us. I'm changed after that. Who knew I'd be into this? I definitely didn't know. But I've seen the light and it's stepmom!reader x stepson!harry. I actually do think I need more of this because I'm already fiending.

I saw this late last night before going to bed and I needed a while to respond to it because your feedback is like... I can't even pinpoint the level of joy this has given me.

First is that this fic has gotten some amazing feedback and I'm still surprised by it given the trope. I knew this wasn't gonna be everyone's cup of tea but I wrote something I liked and figured why the hell not? I am overwhelmed by the response.

You. YOU Anon! I'm flooded with emotions and fluffy feelings after reading this over and over again. I can't stop coming back to this to read it and I really don't even know what to say.

I'm glad you caved. I'm glad it met your expectations. I'm grateful you took the time to tell me this because this makes me so very happy to know these things.

The fact that you put this review together on your own time and sent it to me is such a delight.

I will write more for them. Because not only did I want to do more with the one shot (I had so many ideas I didn't get to) so many of you have requested more. 🥹 and that's just 😭 I’m overwhelmed is all I can say.

me trying to grasp all the sweetness while you all continue to surround me with so much love 💕

#ask #a good boy feedback

[ronanception]

ao3 wrapped any 5 of your choice (unsure if I sent you an ask already)

You did not ask me before this!

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

Чуть помедленнее кони чуть помедленнее - it was gory, it was sad, it was visceral. I was surprised how many people followed me over and enjoyed it! I still need to finish up the second part of it.

10. What work was the quickest to write?

Peanut Butter - It's a story based on a story my friend Senya told me about being a child in the soviet union/russia immediately after the fall of the USSR. It was fun and easy to write and I like how silly it is.

12. How many WIP's do you have in your docs for the year?

I have 3 WIPs that will go into next year. Lilies, Russian Robin and MAYBE the Addams Family universe/Nancy and mike crossover I gushed about on my tumblr. I have about 4 different WIPs for art pieces, one is from DitM, the one I posted some rough plans of earlier, Robin and Nancy making out in the car with Nancy planning on shooting Robin - I just can't leave it alone. Then there's a Vampire!Nancy/Werewolf!Robin piece I've been sketching and also a flayed!Robin/flayed!Will piece I've been salivating over for months that I can't stop sketching. Last one I want to do is uh, confidential because it's a response to an earlier ask

I'm going to cut it off here because i am eepy and I have more of this meme to answer in the AM. No wait - speed round.

2. How many works did you publish this year?

4! I've never posted fic before. NEXT.

4. What work o yours has the most hits?

That Girl is Like an Architect, And I am Just the New Invention - 10666 hits as of now, noice

#sorry for cheating on the last two #more answers in the morning #ask game #ask #answers #answer

[witch-hazels-musings]

Hey there Hazel! I've found myself in a bit of a..predicament. Recently, I decided to revisit the new account of a writer whose old account I'm currently following only to realize that I had been blocked on their new account. Confused by this, I sent them a message pointing it out and apologizing in case I did something to upset them (i.e spam liking since they are one of the few authors I've come across to not exactly be fond of that, and I've been guilty of such in the past) but then I realized I had only interacted with their new account once, which made me even more bewildered. So I decided to ask what another author may have thought about this and they said that it may have been because I have a "blank blog" and that I shouldn't reach out to anyone to ask why I've been blocked (keeping in mind, I never did ask why. Just apologized.) because it can make someone uncomfortable and they "don't owe me an explanation for protecting their own space" which I completely understand. It is never EVER my intention to make anyone uncomfortable.

I had not the faintest clue that a blank blog can be seen as..offensive somehow? In reality, I had been building the courage to start reblogging and even possibly writing one day, but I've been moving at my own pace since I'm a generally nervous person in almost everything I do. Just recently I've been quite proud of myself for being able to send in asks/messages without being as nervous as the first time (I was an nervous wreck that time) but now because of this situation, I feel like I've moved 10 steps back. I've been overthinking this for almost the entire day and it's honestly extremely overwhelming since on one hand "wow, I can be blocked for a blank blog?" And the other "wow, now I've upset 2 of my favorite writers".

This has been weighing so heavy on my mind that truly, I feel quite deterred from interacting with anyone because of it but I want to keep trying since one day, I would like people to read my stories and I wouldn't want reblogs or anything in return, just to know that people are content with my writing. You are the only person that I've thought about reaching out to since you're so understanding and give amazing feedback and I hope to be as mature as you one day(once I get past my anxiousness).

TLDR: In case of anyone being in the same boat as me, do you have any advice on publicly writing and handling the anxiety that comes with putting out that first piece? I'm deeply sorry for the ramble and hope I was as clear and concise as possible. (And as you can see this whole thing was exhausting to the point that I'm not bothering with any anonymity)

This got a little long so read more below the cut! (Also I'm on mobile so I'm not gonna italics below... because ...work)

I can't imagine the confusion of returning to check out an author you love only to find out they've blocked you. Especially if you aren't sure what happened to cause the block.

So you've asked a question here, but your comments are of a different issue so I wanna answer both

There are so many reasons why a blog might block another. I've seen all sorts of rules posted, so I want to explain some perspectives as to why. --

Don't spam like :: some people get overwhelmed by notifications, others believe it'll lead them to being shadowbanned (this isn't true, idk why people think that), lastly - and in my opinion the most important - likes do nothing for creators. They are nice, but they don't help creators get their work seen

I know you said your working up the courage to reblog and interact, so think about your blog as a little scrapbook that you want to save and look at later. That's what Tumblr is.

Creators need your reblogs or their posts die. That's it, that's how Tumblr works.

Ageless and blank blogs :: these are more comfort level for creators. They are different person to person. Ageless is scary for adult vs minor interactions, and blank blogs are often bots (spam accounts) - so some blogs block all of them

My advice is make your blog your home before you go out into the world..it's your safe space, your happy place, so make it how you want!

DNI/BYF :: DNI (do not interact), BYF (before you follow) are great things to check out when first encountering a blog. It'll outline the rules of the author and it's possible you did something on that list that they didn't like (it can be hard to know, so check for those before interacting)

These are just a few reasons why, and I know it doesn't tell you what happened but maybe it'll bring a little background.

I'll also say that while people are allowed to set their rules, of course, still I'm sorry you were treated the way you were when figuring out why. No wonder your nervous to interact with people. Some of the interactions I've seen are ... Kinda not nice.

You're always welcome here to practice and grow more comfortable! I'm happy to help and encourage you!!

As for your second question, honestly, you just have to go for it!! If you've written something and you love it, you have to rip off the band-aid and post it.

See how it goes and learn from everything around you. I made plenty of mistakes when I first started so ask if you get lost, be open to feedback if you've made an error, and stick to your values ♥️♥️

Check out my pinned post on my blog for some writing blog 101 guides if you want more info!! And reach out if you need something.

Here's another thing, if those blogs are not going to give you a chance, there are others that will and who want you to succeed. Shrine bright firekeeper, you got this 🔥🔥

#hazelmail #coffee elixir #hazel aid #cw long post #long post

[jonathanbiers]

3, 7, + 15 for the fic asks!

fic writer asks!

3. what fic are you emotionally attached to?

oh god. it's another that never got finished, again because i abandoned it halfway through (it was too ambitious it was going to be over 100k and i got burnout on it) and it's not stranger things, it's cyberpunk 2077 river/male v, and boy was it going to be tragic. i mean TRAGIC. i still look through that mess of an outline doc and fucking cry sometimes. it was going to be exes/enemies to lovers and there was character death and addiction and codependency and, of course, threesomes because obviously

7. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

i'm like fully aware that a lack of feedback does NOT mean the quality of a work is bad, but i can't help it, i've got a raging case of rejection-sensitive dysphoria and this is probably the main reason i abandoned the above fic. it was a small fandom and a less popular ship so there was little engagement (i mean when i deleted it it had 8 chapters and 32k words and literally 3 comments. and one of them was me) and i felt so discouraged i couldn't write for months.

but conversely when there's positive feedback it makes me SO happy and is so motivating. like today i woke up to like 5 new comments and i was smiling for like an hour. i've been rereading them all day actually

15. How do you think your writing as improved over time?

i actually just yesterday logged into my old personal tumblr from 2012-16 and went through my inbox (this was a self-destructive behavior and a bad idea but anyway) and i found where i had sent someone a link to a fanfic i wrote back then, so naturally i went and read the few i had on that profile. and reading it was equal parts cringe (not just because the writing was objectively not good. but also because i was in the kpop fandom for fucks sake) and proud of myself because i have improved, like i knew i had but now it's like. tangible and measurable and i have proof!!! because here's these shitty old one-shots i wrote when i was 15 and they fucking sucked! and i don't suck as bad anymore! was eye opening. i have to stop deleting the things i write. i will not

#thefreakandthehair #thank you for sending these!! #i kind of rambled

[fkinavocado]

Dreea I am so sorry that you are getting mean anons. I hope it is not because of me. I didn't say anything mean, salty or disrespectful I hope my asks didn't bother you, tbh I think people are right there was no need for me to announce that I won't be reading the fic anymore, I should have kept it to myself, however I hope you know that my intention was not to hurt you, I feel so guilty, you don't deserve this treatment. You deserve only good things. Please do not let this make you sad.

🍟

this got long ☠️

hun, please don't feel responsible for others' penchant for drama. i understand where you come from and i respect everyone's decision because at the end of the day you should only read what you want to! lord knows i gave up reading lots of fics mid way. but the way some have come for me using "constructive criticism" as a guise for hateful passive-aggressive comments is typical for tumblr unfortunately. some ppl really just love going on anon and being mean for no reason

i'm not gonna change a damn thing abt the storyline of the fic that i'm writing. that was never debatable. when you offer constructive criticism (and i'm gonna be addressing this in general, not to 🍟 anon) it shouldn't be about where the story is heading because the creative process belongs to the writer alone. the other things some anons brought up i'd down right answered multiple times already- which- shouldn't even have to be addressed if i'm being honest- like, will the whole trial thing ever come to a conclusion- i must've answered that tons of time by now, and of course it will! like of course i wasn't gonna drop a major part of the story without bringing it to a conclusion, i am deliberately putting it off, and now that we're reading harry's pov is when everything will come to light

i know it's taking long because i don't update super frequently (even though some have had the audacity to question how i have time to come here and post fics if i'm a doctor ☠️). which is why it seems like it's taking forever. but if you're reading it in one sitting it actually has a linearity. that's the thing with WIPS- if you know you haven't got the patience for it, please only read completed works and stop bullying the writer! i have fics i've been waiting on updates for literal YEARS

anyway- i wanna wrap this subject up, wasn't gonna answer because i just didn't wanna bring it up again, i'm beyond fed up. and hurt because some people really are beyond ungrateful and have really sent me obnoxious things, along the lines of "you demand 500 notes on your chapters to update but you don't give people what they want" like-- i'm just speechless. people really feel entitled to come on tumblr dot com and be handed out completely free quality content and on top of that the writer should he writing the story they expect, otherwise off with their head. like. maybe write your own fics then???! and 500 notes is just a way to encourage ppl to interact with the fic. i've seen someone make a comment about posting fics for notes, and that's absolutely not what this is about (and they're a writer too, so i was unpleasantly surprised to say the least...)

again, 🍟 anon i am not at all upset with you, i'm sad you'll not be reading and giving up on the story because i think you're wrong to do so obviously, but i can't force anyone to have faith in the process

to anyone saying i don't accept negative feedback, i urge you to really analyze what has been going on. so many ppl called those anons out on it- like if you're not gonna pay attention to the story and what i reply to other anons, of course i'm gonna be defensive if you're down right wrong. if i wanted to, i could've easily just ignored any and every negative comment i've gotten. for the sake of transparency i posted those, and instead, some anons took that as a window of opportunity to come spill some hate in my inbox which i will not tolerate, because i can see clearly who sets out with good intentions and who is just after some hateful drama

and with this i'm closing up this subject

#ask #🍟 anon

[imagining-in-the-margins]

Hey friends! I desperately need to answer some anons now that I am a little more caught up on things 😅 I have a TON to get through, so get ready for multiple posts! I keep getting overwhelmed whenever I try so I am gonna push through... hopefully!

(1) Thank you (and everyone else who has sent love) so much for your kind words. I promise I've been reading and rereading them all. Everything that I do on here is for people like you who take time out of their day to say kind things to strangers. I wish you luck with writing, friend. I'm sure you won't need it.

(2) I'm so happy to hear that I helped reinvigorate your love for fanfic! I hope things are easy for you, too. We're gonna get through whatever is in front of us ❤️

(3) I sent this message to all of my friends immediately after you sent it. It's saved on my phone. It's my favorite thing I've ever been told. I love you and I hope you are having a wonderful day and month and year and life.

(4) I'm going to give you the lawyer answer of "it depends." I work on a lot of cases that involve Bioethics, but for the most part it's something I research in my free time. Obviously, I've had a lot to read lately. I did have to do a lot of work interpreting Dobbs (the SCOTUS case overturning Roe v. Wade) for my job recently. It was very draining.

(5) You should get a Tumblr! They're fun! But I'm also on AO3 or Wattpad if you prefer. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. You are always welcome here ☺️

(6) What the hell this is the nicest thing I've ever heard 😭 I'm glad I can make you feel things. I definitely feel every emotion I'm writing - I am a deeply empathetic person (to a fault, lol). I'm glad I'm not suffering alone 😝

(7) Honestly, I don't know. I ask myself every day. Angst is just so much fun. I love mess.

(8) I don't, I'm sorry. Based on their last few posts, it sounds like they got a new job and are just living their best life. It's sad to see friends in fandom leave. I wish I had a better update for you, but I like to imagine they're happy.

(9) [Kitten Love] Thank you for the feedback! I had fun writing it. It's actually based loosely on something that happened to me 😅 I never said I was bright.

(10) Oh no! Hahah, that's so sad. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be around. I'm glad you found your way back ☺️

I made it through the first 10! See you soon (hopefully) for the next!

#answer #answered

[storiesofsvu]

DEEP FIC ASKS

6, 7 ,8, 14

6. whats the hardest part of the writing process for you?

coming up with fucking titles!! jeeze. they're the damn worst. I'm usually pretty okay with series, or at least, i find them easier than one shots but lort those one shot titles...take me AGES, or they just end up really shitty lol.

7. how does recieving not not recieving feedback/support impact you?

it definitely does lololol. as much as I do write for myself, I still want engagement with my works. it's also annoying as ALL FUCK that people will sign up to be on a taglist, like, go out of their way to click through the links, go to the google form fill it out, and then NOT like or reblog the things they're tagged in. like, bruh, i pay attention to my notifs and i will delete people on taglists who aren't interacting.

getting feedback is wonderful, whether it's a keyboard smash, a gif, some screaming in the tags or a text/ask from someone yelling about it or discussing theories on longer fics. it helps me get motivated and inspried to do more writing or to write more for said character/fandom.

like, i finished Under Over suuuper quick because of the amount of support i got on it. Velasco only had like 6 people on his taglist but each chapter, every single person tagged commented, liked and reblogged, and were all discussing the story as I was writing it and that really helped me feel better about the story as a whole and i enjoyed writing it more because of that.

when i don't get interaction on a fic it's usually like, disapointment right away after posting, it makes me feel like it wasn't as good as I thought it was? but i do know that people are busy, people flit in and out of fandom all the time so i don't really let it get to me long term, fi that makes sense?

8. does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not would you tell anyone?

oh fuck yes they do. like, basically all of my friends. I've sent links to many of them, i have no shame lol, and I'm also proud of what I've been writing. Like, one of the girls i work with is very innocent and mormon and i've been sending her links to specific stories and just warned her to skip the smut parts 🤣 it's a good thing my stuff is all colour coded. a lot of my work friends have links to my tumblr and have all enjoyed what they've read. one of my ba's last week gave me a super big compliment saying something along the lines of "some people can come up with really good ideas but they're shit writers, and some people can write whatever they want and it's fantastic. they don't need a good idea to create a good story, and that's what kind of writer you are."

14.do you compare yourselves to other writers? in a positive or negative way?

oh absolutely, sometimes it's completely subconcious, and sometimes it's very apparent that i'm doing it. mostly it's positive. i don't pit myself against anyone, we're all a community on here, we all have incredible stories and i'm sure we all have one or two rotten eggs in there too lol

thanks for asking!!😊❤️

DEEP FIC ASKS!

[excitingpropertychronicles]

09-25-23

Writing this in the tub the day after about my amazing first date. And how it went from starting conversation to where we are currently now. I told him that I'm really excited about this and don't want to forget or a miss a moment.

Welcome to my stream of consciousness with not much structure or rhyme or reason.

I'm not sure if I want to show him these immediately or wait and save them up. I want him to have untapped access into my thoughts. Like he's reading my journal because that's exactly what this is. This Tumblr will help our potential dynamic thrive through the feedback I communicate and the ease of reading my thoughts, unfiltered. Good. Bad. It'll all be here.

So let's get started...

So I'll call this person M..

We've met mostly in passing at many kink parties and I didn't think much of it. M sent me a friendship a month or two ago and I never thought much of that either. We interacted briefly on posts. So I decided to reach out finally the night before last. We ended up just really connecting and messaging until 3am. And decided to plan a date very fast and soon within a day..

So I went into it knowing I've been carrying hurt over losing my last Dom J.. and feeling scared and closed off a bit... with this new fresh fear of abandonment.

We agreed to meet up for burgers. And he started talking about his career choice and I found my thoughts wandering in awe of how amazing of a human was sitting in front of me. And how inspiring he is. Potentially a good role model..

He made me feel instantly comfortable.

We both got chicken bites and I was raw with him from the get go. Open about learning about my new eating disorder and how it made things click. And he just made me feel safe ..

We left and walked back to my place because I had met him in public many times and felt safe doing so. Had an amazing game of Mario party. I'll note I did win. 😉 I know looking back at this bit will make me giggle and smile some day..

Things professed into more..

Starting with spanking.. progressing into more intimate. Hair pulling. Biting. Fingering. Sex.

He accidentally made me red by hitting my pussy really hard when I was really sensitive from him taking orgasms from me so many times. And he was so sweet and remorseful and it spoke volumes to my heart. And made me feel incredibly safe. To feel comfortable in communicating my reds and yellows and all the in betweens...

He brought up conversation about how he was happy he found me. He was taking tonight as an interview of sorts. He was gonna about to be at a point in his life where he wanted to look into owning a slave. And thought I would have a strong negative reaction. I was a little unsure at first but they didn't last long... the idea of it.. serving him.. exploring that.. it just clicked and unlocked something in me.. I had just said not even a day earlier how I was not sure I would ever do or even consider M/s again. And here comes this sexy human bodly proclaiming very early into interactions that potentially I could be a good fit for that. Regardless of what the intent was or that response he expected. I weirdly found myself wanting.. more than anything in my body and soul to just be his. To serve him. Call it an immediate connection. A positive gut reaction.. whatever you will. Neither of us are even sure.. but having a first date with someone and knowing hey this could potential be my Master. My last one. Or last one for a long time. Where ever the cards may fall. I found myself wanting and craving this more than I've ever craved serving a human. And I've been in a lot of dynamics in my life. He just lights my fire. I want him to control me. On deep intimate levels... I want him to help me a better slave but more importantly a better person for myself and for him.

The idea of wearing his collar. Kneeling at his feet. I just want nothing more. The idea of giving him the key to my place with unlimited access. CNC. Being his. It just feels so organic and right and I'm not going to fight it..the idea of being in his cage.. in his dungeon. Being his. Him feeding me by hand and a bowl at his feet it just feels perfect. And I've never been happier than at this prospect. He's going to be here soon for a brief visit which I'm sure will be my next post. Ttys journal btw should I show him this at the meet? Leaning yes. 😈 also rip my poor cervix for the indefinite future. 🤣

[asirensrage]

Nobody is reading my X reader stuff on here it seems and all I get is likes. But my friends say I don't have the right to complain about not getting reblogs and sent me this amongst other posts

https://www.tumblr.com/sirowsky/722014650737295360/personally-i-dont-much-care-about-numbers-what?source=share

I feel like they're not getting what I'm feeling and explaining it is a waste of time and just makes them send passive aggressive posts to me or what feels like it anyway. If my X reader got reblogged then I might get more readers it makes sense

Hmmm, I understand where you're coming from. I don't write reader fics often (I usually write long oc fics) but I hold that same frustration. It's hard to want to build the sense of community that the post you sent references when there's no interaction, and by that I mean the back and forth communication of someone commenting and the author responding.

At the same time, I hold the belief that it's most important to create for yourself, that as long as you're enjoying what you're making, that's the most important thing. So I kind of see both sides, but you're right. Reblogs help build traction and expose your work to others who may not see it on their own. Personally, I like reblogs more when people also comment on it or go crazy in the tags because I think seeing people's reactions is a ton of fun. It's part of why I like sharing my work so much.

I don't really have any solutions though. I mean, I advocate for people to reblog things all the time. I build up my reblog queue based on my likes. If it's any consolation, you're not alone in that frustration. I know many people who share it, who struggle with the motivation to continue to create things when they're not getting any feedback. I have those days myself. It definitely is frustrating though because I've seen the way it's changed over the years in terms of interaction. I can say that if you're getting likes, that generally means that people are enjoying your work.

I hope you continue writing because you're only going to improve and eventually you'll find your audience. I hope people will start reblogging more to share the things they like (it's not like people are really going to judge. it's tumblr) but all we can do is just support each other, reblog things we enjoy on our own blogs (and comment on fics) and hope that it spreads. That others will share our work in return.

Sorry I don't have better answers lol, but I hope it helps to know you're not alone in those feelings. Don't worry.

#anon #asks #tumblr interaction #or the lack thereof

[catt-nuevenor]

hey! I’ve bumped into your demo and just wanted to gushed how awesome it is :0🤍🤍 The plot is so wholesome and captivating and i know you’ve got even more under your wing in the future im just so fascinated 🤍🤍

But then I read through your blog and wow... I have never encountered such thorough explanations and mature attitude to the story you write and things you want to express through it. As i said - wow. I can’t even imagine how much effort you put into it or maybe it comes naturally? Anyhow your blog is not any less interesting and enlightening than the story you write and that’s so wonderful 🤍🤍🤍 Thank you marvelous person🎋

First of all, thank you so much! Both for your appreciation of the story, and your appreciation of the blog! It's wonderful to hear that you're enjoying both, and that you are also enjoying my way of answering the asks and messages that get sent in.

I'll let you all in on something I don't think I've expressly stated so far on any of the platforms. While at first I was writing as a side project, most of the prologue was written while I was sorting out the tail end of a project for a client. It was a well-paid endeavour, and I'm fortunate enough to live in circumstances that mean my outgoing expenses are minimal. So, once the project was completed, and I'd tied up all loose ends with the client, I decided to embark on a little bit of an adventure.

I decided to start treating Myrk Mire like a full-time job.

Let me state straight away that I'm not in any way trying to garner sympathy, admiration, or accolades. It was an arguably foolish decision, and I'd certainly not recommend it without many good and sensible self assessments on the subject. But, I do hope that by telling you all this, you can better understand how and why the content appears in the manner it does.

Myrk Mire is a passion project for me, but I'm also treating it as a job. Of course, I don't really get paid for it (though the Patrons are an enormous help in that regard and I openly state that I adore each and every one of you lovely, generous people), and it's not like I have a manager or a boss glaring at me if I happen to take a few extra minutes for a lunch break, but I am treating it as a professional job.

Myrk Mire is also an enormous story. Currently, projecting forward from the length of the prologue, chapter 1, and the unreleased chapter 2, the eventual story will likely end up being around the 1 million word mark (code included). There are days where I seriously question my own sanity... But it is the story I want to tell, and unfortunately the way I want to tell it entails a lot of writing.

I got off-topic a bit there, sorry about that, but I hope my somewhat rambling piece helps to explain my approach to the asks, and the story. I want to do this right, and when it's done I want it to be a piece of work that I can be proud of. But I never want to give any prospective writers the impression that they can bash out a couple of thousand words a day, juggle a tumblr blog, patron, discord, and forum, by scraping away with limited energy in the wee small hours of the morning by just trying hard enough.

Respect what time you have, and never let someone else's work habits negatively affect your sense of worth or your health.

So, in conclusion, yes, it takes a lot of work, but it's work that I'm enjoying immensely, and one of the greatest joys of that work so far is receiving the feedback from the community. Do keep sending me in messages, comment queries and feedback, even when the updates to the demo or the snippets go quiet for a while. I love hearing from you!

#MyrkMire #asks #interactive fiction #choice of games #hosted games #technical stuff #writers rants

[redwinterroses]

Hey so uhh. Does "please reblog I'm begging you I need feedback" fall under guilt tripping? Idk I'm just very very very insecure about literally no one reblogging my stuff when it's not sent to you (also for the record me sending my stuff to you isn't me using you for exposure, I send them to you bc I know if I send it to you then at least one person on this hellsite is seeing my writing and giving me any kind of feedback)

I don't know I guess us writers have it so much harder than the artists do lol

To be brutally honest? I don't come to tumblr for feedback on my writing. I'm aware that this is a visually-orientated site, and that there's a veeeerrrry narrow band of text-based content that will take off here. Ficlets of a couple hundred words, meta that edges into fic territory, that sort of thing -- yeah, people will sometimes latch onto that. But anything longer and I know I'm going to get way more interaction over on AO3. I only post here so that people know "Hey! There's new content!"

And like with anything, it takes a while to get off the ground. I was actually just thinking about how I need to go back and reblog some of my early posts because at the time I was thrilled with the eight notes I got on them but now I think they'd go a lot further, simply because I've got more eyes on my blog.

And I don't know if I'd say writers have it worse than artists -- I mean, at least I'm not likely to find my fics stolen and put up on some cheap merch site. (art theft is real, and it's bad, y'all. don't repost, don't reupload and for the love of Boatem don't sell someone else's art.) But yeah -- not getting feedback is stressful.

It's like making pancakes, lol. You know how when you make pancakes, there's always that first one or two that are like, "sacrificial pancakes"? They're ugly and flat and they taste fine but they're not all fluffy and golden like the rest of the batch? That's how it feels to start posting content. XD It may be perfectly good stuff! But you have to have something out there to start getting people's attention before you can hope to get much interaction on posts. It's like I've been saying a lot lately: you have to make connections to have connections. Give interaction to get interaction.

#and for the record: I don't mind you sending me your writing bits! #redwinteranswers