#and you're still interested in the fandom but too much of the fics are focused on these characters who you didn't like in the begging

[ao3commentoftheday]

i find myself lately frustrated with my writing; it feels like nothing i am producing is right....im not liking any of it, and its frustrating and sad because i used to really like it but dont know where stuff went wrong. im trying to take a break but its hard because trying to fill the times where im usually writing with something else makes me feel empty :/

I'm sorry you're going through all of this, anon. This feels like a lot to deal with.

In a situation like this, it can be helpful to look at each piece of the puzzle and see which one you're able to deal with right now and which ones you'll need to come back to later when you're up to it.

You're frustrated because it feels like nothing you're creating is right. The key here is figuring out what's wrong with it. Is it a story that you're not interested in anymore? Is there a plot point that you wrote out that you don't like anymore but it feels like a lot of work to go back and revise the story to take it out? Are characters feeling "off" in some way? Does it feel like it's missing something and you can't figure out what? Depending on your answers, the way to resolve this might be putting the story aside. But it might also be abandoning the story altogether or gutting it fairly significantly in order to keep the parts that you do like in order to get rid of the stuff that you don't.

You used to like it and you don't know where it went wrong. It might be that plot point issue I mentioned above, or it could be another factor. How are you feeling about the fandom in general? About your life external to fandom? Unhappiness in other areas of our lives can cause frustration in the places where we used to find happiness. Are you feeling sadness, frustration, and discontent about other things you used to enjoy? Do you have stresses in your life that might be affecting you? This one might require you to talk to someone about what's going on.

You're trying to take a break but it's hard. Fandom is a wonderful community full of joy and giving. But it's also a community where we can sometimes pressure ourselves too much. Sometimes taking a break can feel like you'll lose your audience - like they'll forget you when you're gone. Sometimes taking a break can make you feel guilty because all you can think about are the people who are waiting on the next story or the next chapter. When you're tired and frustrated and sad, you need to stop thinking about others and start focusing on yourself. There's no shame in needing a rest. Everyone does sometimes. And as for losing your audience, a lot of them will still be there when you return and the ones who left might be replaced by new people who will just be discovering your art.

You feel empty when you're not writing, so you can't think of another way to fill your time. What parts of writing fill you up? What about it gives you energy or inspiration or happiness? Is it the moments where you're imagining? The moments when you're crafting sentences? Is it the moments when you're talking to a friend about the next plot point or cackling over how people will react to your cliffhanger? Is it seeing kudos and comments come into your inbox? Seeing your fic get talked about on tumblr? Depending on what parts of writing satisfy a need inside of you, the way you fill that time will differ. If you need the creative outlet, doing something else creative like painting or baking or gardening etc. might help. If it's the parts surrounding friendships, then spending time doing things with people you care about might help. If it's about the attention you get from your fellow fans, look into some kind of performance outlet - either in person or via social media. Figure out what you need first and it'll be that much easier to get it.

You might only have to look at one of these items. You might need to consider them all. Either way, you can't really solve the problem until you figure out what it actually is.

It's been a long time since you sent this in, anon, and i'm so sorry for the delay. I hope you're in a better mental place now and that you're found your way to whatever your next joyful moment might be.

#asks and answers #long post

[professorspork]

I hope this doesn’t come across as like a pushy “update pls” I promise that’s not how I mean it. I’m curious at what point you feel like a multi-chapter fic is ready to post? Do you write it in its entirety and then edit chapters in between updates, write and edit it in its entirety, write most of it and continue writing the rest between updates? I’m very curious about your process since you’ve been writing some monster word count fics

I really appreciate you asking!

The short version is that I've learned over time that what works best for me is completing a work in its entirety before I start posting; above all I like posting on a reliable schedule for my audience, and I simply do not write quickly enough (or coherently enough) to do that any other way. There are a lot of reasons for that and I WILL ELABORATE ON THEM AT LENGTH:

I have several multi-chapter WIPs from the Glee days-- when I was in college-- that I never finished because I'm a delicate hothouse flower when it comes to maintaining hyperfocus, and I found a new fandom to be in before I could complete them. Back then especially, I was much less disciplined about writing sequentially: I would write parts of the story wildly out of order, focusing on whatever interested me most at the time. That means my hard drive is a graveyard of unpublished content, which sucks-- not only did I never give my audience the resolutions they were looking for, but I never got to receive feedback on parts of the story I was really proud of. I found that really dispiriting.

Going to grad school for screenwriting really helped me focus on telling a story in order, because there is literally no other way to write a screenplay than one scene at a time; it's far too reliant on momentum and consistency to jump ahead to "the good bits" and come back. I also did several projects-- writing my multi-chap Frozen&Tangled polyamory epic for a friend's birthday; pre-writing all my 2015 Cartinelli Week one shots far in advance so I knew they'd be perfect come posting day-- where I had a deadline I wanted everything Done By, which got me in the habit of writing to completion before posting. It wasn't something I thought I was going to be capable of because I'm like Tinkerbell, Finn, I need applause to live feedback is incredibly motivating to me, but having the ability to go back and change things in chapter 2 if I realized they weren't adequately setting up what I wanted to do in chapter 5, or whatever, proved to be just as powerful a motivator in a different way-- it meant I could tell the stories RIGHT, if I took my time with them. I also learned to get at least one cheerleader I could leak snippets to as I went, so that I still got the dopamine hit of the feedback even though I'm ages away from posting for real.

I also found that, as a reader, I always really appreciated when authors could stick to an update schedule so I could look forward to new chapters like I would episodes of television. It's not a standard I expect from anyone, but it is something that makes me really happy-- and the two ways to do it are to either write fast enough that you're just constantly churning out new content (not an option for me, especially on the occasions when I'm actually employed and can only write on weekends) or to pre-write and then slow release. it gives me a feeling of... mastery, I guess? Like "hey everyone here's a gift I'm giving you," as opposed to writing and updating when I can, which makes me feel like I'm always chasing something (BEING chased by something?) and risking losing my audience/my own fickle concentration if I were to wait too long.

My "ONLY post after everything is done" rule is a new one, because I burned myself on rely on certain certainties, the last D/s epic I wrote (lmao can you tell this topic interests me). I worked on that for a year and was 132k in with no end in sight when I started posting, but I was part of a Kristanna discord at the time, and I wanted to seize the audience I had before it disappeared-- which is always the danger of movie fandoms, which never have as much staying power. I had hoped that because I had such a big buffer I could keep writing ahead of the updates as they came up from behind, but I tapped out at 172k when I finished the end of an arc. That kills me, because I have SO MUCH unreleased content for that story which will never see the light of day, because-- again-- I'd let temptation win and wrote ahead to The Juicy Bits instead of forcing myself to go in order.

So, two things I've learned:

Only ever outlining the juicy bits that come late in the game, instead of lovingly finessing their every word, is a great way to trick motivate myself into continuing to write in order so that I can GET to the juicy bits, full stop; if I don't exorcise them they keep haunting me and that helps me stick it out until the end

By holding stories back until they're complete, I give myself the ability to complete them because I'm able to dig myself out of holes I've written myself into. In the old days, if I got stuck because I realized the real root of my issue had come chapters earlier and that's why it's not working now, I'd just... be stuck at that wall, unable to move forward, and that would be that. The idea of going back and editing a published story for narrative content is mortifying to me and something I personally could never do, so-- this way I'm giving myself more tools and options, so that I can tell the story I want to tell and tell it right.

In terms of my actual process, I tend to work like this: my most productive time is when my ADHD meds are at full power, so in an ideal world I am writing new content from like 10am to 3pm or so, getting as far as I can in New Content. Evenings, when I'm no longer in Hyperfocus Productivity Mode, I'll go back and reread things-- sometimes chapters from much earlier-- both to entertain myself and to make edits and changes. Often, that's just moving words around here and there for cadence and flow; rarely, it's adding whole new moments or thoughts to the chapters. I try to write In Order as much as possible, getting chapters beta'd as they're completed. I'm a nitpicky perfectionist, so keeping a hold on my early chapters until everything is posted means I can change them over and over and over again without anyone knowing but me, which I love-- and those changes are getting made right down to the wire. even when the fic is "complete" and I'm "only posting" I'm still making edits; some of people's absolute favorite parts of Newsbees were added literally the night before, when it was the "get everything into AO3 and do the final pass for typos and formatting" stage. Like, Penny writing sudokus on the fly for Ruby at the hospital? Ruby thinking in Adam Font? Those were 11th hour strokes of genius.

So yeah-- that's a very long-winded way of saying that I've found writing to completion first not only makes me more likely to actually finish my WIPs, but it makes my WIPs BETTER because it gives me far, far more time with them. I know it's not something that works for everyone, but in terms of my own sense of like, duty and responsibility and goal-setting, it keeps me on track without risking Guilt completely paralyzing me-- which is what happens when I post as I go and then get interrupted.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY RAMBLE.

#on writing

[evilwickedme]

I saw in the tags you mentioned spideypool fic recs 👂 I'm listening

breaking the DC streak to go to Marvel because fun fact I've been into DC for six months and into Marvel comics for eight years so

anyway a majority of my spideypool bookmarks are from 2015 and I have no idea if most of them are any good which is an interesting problem to have but I still have a solid list for y'all

Say Anything...Except That - I was following this from the first chapter and I'm now mutuals with the author which was very fanboy moment for me (if you're seeing this, hi!). it has a lot of old school fanfiction.net quirks to it which might be a bit difficult to swallow if you've only been reading fic for a few years, but honestly I think this fic is really good and holds up to this day. it's been a while since I read it last but iirc Deadpool has to protect Spider-Man or Peter from assassination attempts and there's a lot of pining involved. also mattfoggy ended up having a nice arc because this was 2015 and Daredevil had just aired (this is technically incomplete there's one chapter left but if I had to reread it multiple times when there were only like ten chapters you can handle it)

under attack - more fics by people who are wayyy too cool to have followed me back and yet somehow did? anyway this is part of stackthedeck's team red slash series (ELITE ship fyi) but this one is spideypool focused and has some nice fluff. fighting as flirting idk what else to say it's golden

#NoPlaceLikeHome - do y'all know ask-spiderpool? you should it's one of the best blogs on this damn website and a must-read for spideypool shippers. anyway this is that version of spideypool's first time together which is cute :D short and sweet basically. sciderman has a lot of fics for the spiderman fandom in general and their ask-spiderpool au in particular and they're all worth reading

Dissonance - another longfic that took half a decade to write about deadpool protecting spider-man from harm. I actually don't know why this trope is so good peter really can defend himself but there you go

Perfect Enough - ohm y gOD this fic series is so good. this au hinges on such a tiny difference in peter's history but it makes ALL the difference. anyway in this world basically nobody has a functional secret identity anymore except for spider-man. meanwhile, wade wilson and peter parker start dating. so much plot, two separate longfics each around 140k, good luck this CONSUMED my life

speaking of consumed, rippling - this is part of a series called Into the Multiverse and is based on the Spiderverse film so it's Peter B. which I LOVE (spideybpool FUCKS). the series spun out of the authors' other series and it is, in fact, a pain to read the main entries in the series without reading the other serieses which means that I did spend two weeks doing little to nothing except reading deniigiq's work, but a. it was worth b. this one can be read as a standalone! wade jumps in front of a bullet for peter b and he angsts about it I love it

finally ahem speaking of Peter B, did you know I've been writing spideypool fic since 2015 and I wrote one specifically for spiderverse? I'm a mess (but I'm the mess that you wanted) is really a mix of spiderverse and comic canon like, five years into the future, and deals mostly with like, depression and suicidal ideation on Peter's behalf, but hey there's also a plot AND a happy polyam ending which, what else could you want really

anyway sorry the list isn't longer I didn't bookmark so many of my favorite spideypool fics and now they're lost in the void forever :/

#my team red or defenders folder is massive but so much of it is just daredevil #randomly I have five separate fics saved for jessica jones/matt murdock and I don't even know their ship name #anyway I accidentally clicked post instead of schedule so have fun with this like three hours earlier than intended #spideypool #spideybpool #marvel #marvel comics #spiderverse #fic recs #marvel fic #gail speaks #ask #anonymous

[nobodysdaydreams]

Bods! Random question for ya:

If you had someone wanting to get into our little fandom, what fics on AO3 would you recommend to them and why? Positivity for your fellow authors is encouraged!

Fantastic question! I actually think that this entirely depends on what genre they like:

Do they prefer fluff, angst, crack, romance, friendship, what is the vibe they are going for?

Do they not have a book or show preference or do they have a strong preference?

Do they have specific characters or relationships they like to read about?

Do they want a quick one shot or a longer fic and are they okay reading a fic if the fic is in progress? This question might be more optional or mood dependent, but I thought I'd add it.

Another optional question: is there a specific type of AU they like?

Going through all the characters and possibilities might be a bit much, so I went through my bookmarks on AO3 as well as some of my mutuals works to highlight some personal favorites of mine, though that is heavily based on my preferences, so keep that in mind. If this person or indeed if anyone needs specific recommendation (e.g., "fluff featuring the four main kids book version only" or "angst involving the twins in the show" etc.) then I’d be happy to provide those, but as it is, there’s just too many wonderful author’s in the fandom and too many wonderful works to list here.

With that in mind, here is a list of some of my favorites and the genres they correspond to, while trying to provide a wide variety of authors, genres, book vs. show fics and characters. I tried to include fics I recently bookmarks so some of the newer less well-known stuff can get some attention:

nicholas and company destroy the prison industrial complex! by @mysteriouseggsbenedict: A book related crack fic about Nicholas and the mbs adults destroying the prison industrial complex. I laughed out loud while reading this, it's hilarious.

Innocent or not, you're not a bet I care to take by @sophieswundergarten: A book related angst/fluff piece about the relationships between the executives in the aftermath of canon events. It was an honor to have this gifted to me; I reread it all the time.

“There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men” by @myfairkatiecat: A show related fic that revolves around a magic AU that honest fits the show really really well and is criminally underrated. The way the element of magic is worked into the character dynamics really sells it.

here's to (never) growing up by @mollyhats: Between show and book canon (could go either way). Classic bonding and fluff with the kiddos, mostly hurt/comfort.

The Best Decision by @heyitsthatonesmolgay: the show versions of Nathaniel and Nicholas talk to their past selves. Great if you like one shots that you can read quickly, but then think about literally forever. Again, it was an honor to have this gifted to me, and I reread it all the time.

I can feel all my bones coming back and I'm craving motion by @oflightningandstars: A book fic about the Wetheralls focusing on elements of neurodivergency (which I love) that is really well written. Also includes Moocho, of course.

capture the sun by @mahpotatoequeen: A book centered fic about the life of Kate Wetherall that is really a deep dive into her character through the years. Beautifully written, a lot of hurt/comfort.

Food for Thought by @phtalogreenpoison: A book fic about Milligan and Number Two, once again focusing on hurt/comfort and disability head canons (you see now what I meant about my bookmarks reflecting my interests). Incredible read, highly recommend.

The Interview by @acollectionofcuriousreblogs: A book fic about Sticky Washington that's very good if you like angst. Super unsettling, but an amazing read.

someone only you could want by @kneeslapworthy: A show fic about SQ and Curtain's relationship healing post canon. This one is an older fic, but once again, underrated and still one of my favorites.

It's still raining by @sqenthusiast: A book fic about the executives and the shared hurt and trauma they suffer through under Curtain. Includes a lot of Jillson's POV, which is a rare one, so I really appreciated that.

Lifeline by @mvshortcut: A combination book and show fic about Constance and Nathaniel post canon. Amazing visuals, some great stuff in regards to the complexity of Nathaniel's character and brilliant utilization of Constance's psychic powers.

Fairytale by @fandom-queen-13: A book fic that is an fairytale retelling using the mbs characters (mostly the Wetheralls) that is extremely well done. I don't want to spoil anything, but if you like AUs, you should read this one.

The Alpaca by @lizardwoman-from-earths-core-2: An amazing fic that show how the show alpaca became a member of the Wetherall family.

Let all the singing follow them, and bring them comfort by @crow-in-springtime: Show Curtain takes the family to see Hades Town to make up for his many crimes. It's a fun time!

I'm sure there's a lot that I'm forgetting, again, I tried to provide a bit of a variety here, but if any of you ever have specific requests, I would be happy to dig those out for you.

And feel free to add onto this post if you want!

#Bods Answers #the mysterious benedict society #mysterious benedict society #tmbs #tmbs disney #mbs disney #mbs fanfic #tmbs fanfic #I hope this helps!

[apocalyptichearts]

So, hi! I hope this message finds you well!

I know you might’ve moved on from the AoS fandom, but I’ve come from your TikTok, and I love your May & Daisy edits! The fics that accompany a few of them as well are simply glorious! And the captions are mini fics in and of themselves as well so they’re lovely (if heart wrenching at times) to read, too!

I was hoping, if you wouldn’t mind, could you rec some of your favourite May & Daisy fics? Doesn’t matter whether it’s complete or how long it is :)

Thank you for your time! And for your wonderful edits and works!

Have a nice day/night!

thank you so much for your kind words anon, they really do mean a lot :))

as for maydaisy fic recs, boy do i have some for you!!

now for the sake of not making this post too long here are some of my favourite maydaisy authors:

Book_freak I don't think we can talk about maydaisy fics without mentioning them; of they're 90 or so maydaisy fics, you're bound to find your cup of tea!!

PanicMoon15 for when you need a little fluff and lightheartedness. also, they're Baby Mine, Rest Your Head Close To My Heart series? a must read, no one does AU like they do.

cassiopluto for when you want something a little darker and want to read some insanely good writing <3

daisyqiaolianmay they have so many good fics to choose from and I think I mention The Framework later in this post, but others worth checking out are A Daisy By Any Other Name  and The Parts That Make A Whole Series!!

Inkquillery i can't express in words how beautiful her writing is, all of her maydaisy fics are such joys to read <33

marvelthismarvelthat would've ended up listing all their fics in the following section so I listed them here. they write so many cool concepts it's hard to summarize them, but each and every one is incredible

agentmmayy a lot of sweet philindaisy content as well as a handful of maydaisy angst bcus sometimes that's just what you need.

here are some more specific fics that I (obviously) love:

It’s a Long Road Out to Recovery From Here by PanicMoon15 I enjoy most fics that deal with their relationship post the season 2 finale, but this one is quite something else. the writing and the themes and the characterization and just omg I cannot stress how good this fic is!!

Hold Her Close by StillTryingToWrite I'm a sucker for character studies and introspections and this one is just so beautiful.

silent secret sacred ground by Inkspinner a post-coulson's s5 death fic that is just so sweet and so gentle and I lose my cool a little whenever I think about it.

In Kasias' arena, no one wins… by Axolotl7 read this so long ago but I remember it being just jawdroppingly tragic and such a cool concept. insanely vivid writing <3

Mother’s Day/Father’s Day Series by agentquakingskye philinda becoming grandparents?? yes please. this series is so fluffy and so happy and even if you aren't into daisy x sousa, i think it's still worth reading.

Exposure by agentquakingskye now this isn't maydaisy focused, but they do have quite a few scenes and honestly, I'll take any opportunity to recommend this fic because oh my god. life-changing, I'm telling you.

and if you're into AU's that deal with baby/younger daisy some of my favs are:

from your head down to your toes (and your tiny nose) by agentmmayy of all the "daisy getting turned into a baby somehow" fics, this one is my absolute favourite. sadly I think it was discontinued but I think it's worth reading the 18 chapters posted!

Just a Walk in the Park by Bdoyle1807 I remember lovinggg the dynamic between May and (a much younger) Daisy in this and I'm pretty sure I read it in one sitting so.

The Framework by daisyqiaolianmay such an interesting take on the whole Framework stuff, I can't recommend it enough.

honestly, despite going through my bookmarks pretty meticulously, I'm probably missing some I would absolutely recommend as well, but I hope you find something you like out of the ones listed :))

#i love rambling about my favourite fics ty sm for the ask #maydaisy #fanfiction recommendation #fic rec #ask #agents of shield #melinda may #daisy johnson #mama may #marvel #aos

[bellaxgiornata]

Hi...do you have any suggestions for a beginner fanfic writer?? Maybe some tips?? Love your work btw....i absolutely love your falling for the devil series

Ahhh, thank you so much!! 💖I'm glad you enjoy FFTD!! That series also tends to be my favorite of everything I've written, too. There's just something about FFTD Matty...

I could certainly give you some tips/suggestions that I've learned along the way! I've been writing and reading fanfic since 2005 so I've been around for a bit 😅 Though if there is something more specific that I didn't address--like something more specific with writing or editing or something--you (or anyone else who's curious) can certainly always send me an ask and I will always answer when I have a few minutes! But I'm not going to claim I'm remotely an expert on all of this, either. This is just from my experience and talking with other fic writers.

As always, the answer is below the cut!

First, I think it's always important to keep in mind that the more you write, the better your skill will grow with writing. Which goes for everyone, no matter how long you've been writing for or whatever your age is. I always see an improvement in my writing when I read something from even just a few months ago. And I even cringe at things like the very first Matt fic I wrote or even some early FFTD installments. So don't be too hard on yourself!

I think it's also important to remember to not compare yourself to others. We all have different styles and voices and that's a wonderful thing in writing. If everyone wrote the same or had the same ideas, there'd be nothing interesting to read. Everything would sound the same which would be boring. Personally, I didn't find my writing style/voice and grow comfortable with it until almost a year and a half ago when I started writing for the Daredevil fandom, so it's completely okay if you are still searching for yours.

Don't let any negative comments you might ever receive writing fanfic drag you down. Everyone gets them, and some fandoms have different dynamics than others where it may happen more often than in another one (though come on y'all, can we please practice the don't like don't read rule??). I think anyone who writes fanfic long enough will receive at least some hate. I've certainly gotten plenty over the years, and yes, it sucks and it can hurt or piss you off, but you have to remember to brush it off. There are likely many others enjoying your story to make up for that one person who's being rude. Block buttons can be your friend if you need them.

If you're having trouble writing a character that already exists in the fandom, studying them in the source material is always a good route. The amount of times I've gone and re-watched Daredevil, Punisher, or Kin in order to feel like I capture any of the characters in there just right is absurd, but it really does help to see their mannerisms, speech patterns, and to begin to get a feel of how they'd react in different situations based on how they've reacted in the show.

Lastly, when you write chapters for your fics and it begins to feel daunting, know that you can always break things down into more manageable chunks. I used to struggle to write much at a time until I learned to focus on the story in this way as opposed to focusing on everything that I still needed to make happen. Just focus scene by scene or even line by line. How to get Character A to do this or get to that point, for example, and it should hopefully seem significantly less terrifying. If you try to think of everything that needs to happen in a chapter all at once, it might begin to feel overwhelming and you may have the urge to give up. Try breaking things down and focusing on one thing at a time.

I could absolutely go on but I don't want to ramble! If there's something more specific you're curious about that I didn't touch on, or maybe you'd like more detail about, absolutely feel free to send me another ask! And this goes for anyone who made it through all of this! I always love chatting, sometimes it just takes me a moment to have time to sit down and answer. Hopefully any of this was useful/helpful though! I am always happy to help encourage others to write!!💕

#bella answers #tips for beginner fanfic writers #i could go into more depth on specific topics but i didn't want to ramble on #feel free to send me more specific asks if i didn't cover something!

[misc-obeyme]

The anon's point about the Mc's presence and how it could be more representative of a wider range of players if the character had an independent goal or mission is definitely a valid one.

But just like you said, a lot of otome games often focus on romance and relationships, with the Mc' s main motivation being to connect with and date the "main" love interests. But there is potential to introduce more complexity and appeal to players if the Mc has their own goals, motivations or missions that are separate from the romance aspect of the game.

Personally, I do think the idea of exploring the more "plot-based" angles and incorporating more elements of action-adventure into the story is a great suggestion and one that could make the narrative more engaging and relatable for us/players.

While the focus of the game may still be on romance aspects and character relationships, adding more depth and complexity through plot-driven angles can definitely add an extra layer of interest and appeal.

And I would love a buff mommy Mc or love interest by the way

I absolutely agree with everything you're saying.

The thing is, that is what you would get from something that is well written.

You are not going to get that level of consideration or good writing from a mobile otome game. Especially one that regularly rotates writers and also has a whole translation team that also mangles the story when they put it into other languages.

I love Obey Me, I really do. But the writing leaves a lot to be desired. I think it's inevitable. And honestly I think that right there is the only reason I decided to write fanfiction for it.

Because the characters have so much potential that's wasted. So why wouldn't I feel the urge to elaborate on them myself? I haven't written fic for a fandom in ages because I never felt compelled to until Obey Me came into my life. I couldn't possibly fuck it up, right?? LOL okay I'm exaggerating, it's not that bad. But they definitely have more characters than they can actually develop effectively.

So I would argue that the main story is more focused on MC's goals independent of their relationships with the characters. In the first season of OG, MC's whole goal is to get pacts, eventually the reason for this is to free Belphie from the attic. But none of that really has anything to do with MC's love story with any of the characters. You can go through that whole season and give them only platonic responses. Season two is similar in that MC's whole thing is figuring out how to deal with their "ring."

In fact, I would say that after season one, the events of each season don't even have an impact on MC's relationship with the seven brothers. The main thing that connects them and deepens their relationships in season one are the pacts. But in subsequent seasons, it doesn't seem to matter what happens, the brothers always see MC as family.

So I actually feel like the romance of the game is a side plot and even then, you can still choose to go through all of it without choosing lovey options for any of the characters.

However, they are expecting you to want to romance the characters. So they have to make MC someone that all the characters can fall in love with, whether their romance is front and center of the story or not.

Would it be more compelling for all of us if MC had a more interesting personality? Yeah, probably! But do I think these guys could pull off something like that? No, not really.

I'm not trying to bash the game or anything, obviously I totally love it. Look at my blog lol. I'm obsessed with it. But I've never found the writing to be especially good.

I've seen complaints that it's not romantic enough. I've seen complaints that it forces romance on the players. I've seen complaints that MC is too generic. I've seen complaints that MC is not generic enough. I'm sure they're doing the best they can, but I highly doubt writing quality is high on their list of concerns.

All that is to say that of course every anon that has come to my ask box about this particular topic has valid opinions on it! And you can certainly discuss what would improve the overall story. I just generally choose not to think about it too deeply because I'm not expecting anything of higher quality than what we've been getting all along. Which is just quality enough to keep me hooked lol.

Lastly, all I want in life is a buff mommy love interest asdlkfkjf not at all holding my breath, but SHEESH. Just gimme a stunning muscular demon lady, huh? I would die on the spot.

#hmm sorry I feel like I rambled again #I just have thoughts about this apparently #obey me #anon asks #misc answers

[caelum-in-the-avatarverse]

Hello! I’m trying to collect seminal fanworks for different fandoms, and figured that it would be a good idea to ask you for any for atla since you said that you’ve been involved in writing fanfic for the show for so long. Basically, I’m hoping to find any fics that are widely popular within the fandom and/or have laid the groundwork for certain aspects of fanon. I’ve already got Embers by Vathara down for this since I’ve seen influence from it pop up pretty often, but I’m a bit new to the fic side of the fandom so I wanted to know which other ones were out there. Thank you!

Hmmm. Well, I can probably point you in the right direction, BUT there's a few things about me you'll want to take into account.

I have always had incredibly niche tastes. Even back in 2009 I was way more interested in reading about minor characters than I was reading about the main cast, and I preferred genfic over shipping. So the fics I read didn't tend to get popular, and the fics that did get popular were usually shipfic and thus I didn't read them and wouldn't be able to track their effects on the fandom. I also haven't regularly read ATLA fic in years; I write it, but I'm way more interested in my own OCs and worldbuilding and headcanon sandbox than most fic these days, so I'm not sure what the current trends are or where they came from. Most of the things I point you towards are going to be very old and possibly forgotten.

That said, I think your best bet is going to be figuring out where the hangout spaces were and who the major players were in old ATLA fandom and going from there. @loopy777 and @piandaoist may be able to help us out here too, especially since I only joined the fandom after the finale aired; they were around long before that.

So, where did the original ATLA fandom and its fic live? Well, for the fic, mostly on FanFiction.Net. You're lucky in this regard--I don't think there were any big independent fanfic archives for ATLA. Harry Potter was around at the same time and had several big fic sites, but HP was older than ATLA, so places like Sugar Quill and FictionAlley were founded around 2001. FFdotnet was founded in 1998, but back then it was pretty commonplace to build your own personal place on the internet. By the time ATLA aired, though, I think FFdotnet was becoming the go-to fic place. And old ATLA fandom never seemed to have much of a slash fandom; if it had that would've been more incentive to start up a separate slash-focused archive, since m/m would be especially vulnerable to purges. So as far as I know, no one felt a need to establish an ATLA-focused fic website, and if they did it never got very big. You'll probably have some good luck seeing what was popular if you just go to the FFdotnet ATLA section and sort by number of reviews and check the dates on what you find.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are going to go looking for this stuff, you need to keep in mind that you are looking at a past internet that is very different from what you might be used to today. For all that purity culture wankers like to complain, AO3 is a dream compared to the olden days. Now, you can see a fic's tags and warnings (or that the author chose NOT to warn) before you even open it. That was not possible or expected on many other fic archives. FFdotnet only gave you so many characters to write your fic summary, that was precious real estate. Sometimes people warned for things in author's notes, sometimes they did not. The culture and etiquette around warnings was different; in many fandoms back then, failing to warn for character death was seen as way more upsetting than failing to warn for rape. Check the rating, the summary, the author's notes--and then understand that you might still run into a completely random sex scene halfway through the fic. Was every fic like this? No, of course not. Most of them weren't. But you have to understand that this is an unavoidable risk. If you can't handle the idea of stumbling across some underage Zutara smut, this might not be the project for you.

Oh, and mind the citrus scale--lemons mean sex, limes mean the characters don't go as far as having sex.

And FYI, it's been ages since I've read anything I'm about to go over and I can't remember the details, so yes, this warning applies to anything I recommend here, too.

Other places to check...well, fandom lived on LiveJournal back then. I'm not sure if ATLA fandom was very affected by Strikethrough and Boldthrough; like I said, there didn't seem to be a lot of slash fans back then. But you could probably go trawling through old journals and communities and see if you find anything interesting... Oh, and back then all fanart would've been posted on DeviantArt, that was pretty much where fanart lived back then. LJ didn't have native image hosting, you had to use Photobucket if you wanted to post any images on there, and why do that when DeviantArt was RIGHT THERE for your fanart.

Ooooh, here you go, FanLore has some lists of ATLA fan spaces, lots of which are on LJ and DA!

There was also AvatarSpirit.Net, but they shut down ages ago. I archived a lot of the threads before it went, but I basically skipped the whole fanfic forum--everything in there was probably on FFdotnet, and no one really left comments on the fic threads, so it seemed pointless since I was pressed for time.

I think that pretty much covers the places. So what about the people?

Well, off the top of my head, I think one fan you might find useful is AvocadoLove (haha your names match). She wrote a lot of fic, but her most popular by far was Another Brother, which I believe was the original Zuko Joins The Water Tribe story, so that trope can be traced back to her. AvocadoLove also kept what might've been the fandom's most prestigious fic reclist, which you can still see on both her LiveJournal and her DreamWidth:

LJ 1 | LJ 2 ||| DW 1 | DW 2

There's a lot of popular fics on this list. Be warned, though, that a lot of them have disappeared, especially if they were posted on someone's LJ instead of on FFdotnet. A few years back I went down this list archiving everything I could, and the number of error pages I hit was saddening. It's possible some have been reposted to AO3 so you can go check there.

Going off this list...

Enslaved by sharkflip--This was a popular Zutara fic, Zuko's the one who got enslaved lol. Extremely different worldbuilding from canon, I gave it a read once and it was interesting.

Mai's Ramblings by @loopy777--Oh my GOD I forgot this existed but it's great. Unfortunately ASN is gone and I have no idea if they're posted anywhere else, LOOPY TELL US, but these were just hilariously stupid rambles by Mai on every ATLA ship imaginable. Did they have a big effect on fanon? Unsure. Were they beloved by the ASN community? YES.

Stormbenders by Fandomme--Another super-popular Zutara fic, people loved it, so it's possible it might've affected Zutara fanon?

Water Tribe by Rufftoon on NoSelfControl--Okay, so this is a long webcomic about "what if Zhao survived the Siege of the North, got amnesia, and the NWT begrudgingly took him in?" Very popular with Zhao fans back in the day. The really cool thing about this is that Rufftoon was actually an ATLA storyboard artist, so her artwork looks a LOT like the show. I believe she made Water Tribe as a sort of personal practice for long-term visual storytelling or something. She did lots of other ATLA art too, you should check her out.

Oh, speaking of webcomics...

Plight of the Freedom Fighters by SioUte and PFFbySIO--The first webcomic was a "how to make Jet survive" story, the second followed the Freedom Fighters after the war as adults. SioUte was the Freedom Fighters BNF back in the day.

And while I'm thinking of it, not a webcomic, but sylvacoer had this whole not-really-Zutara story going on that was literally Blue Spirit/Painted Lady.

*thinks* Look, when it comes right down to it, unless there's stuff going on in the shipping subfandoms that I'm not aware of, I don't think you're going to find anything that directly established as much fanon as Embers did. There were plenty of other super-popular fics, sure, but most of them focused on shipping, and worldbuilding wasn't quite as important. Embers put worldbuilding first and foremost, and therefore it was easier for the fandom to pull from as a whole.

Uhhh let's see what else...at this point I'm basically just throwing whatever I can remember being interesting at you, lol, idk how much of an effect any of this really had.

DJNS wrote a bunch of fic with interesting premises, some shippy, some not. The Zuko/Aang roleswap AU was pretty cool.

For me personally, the biggest influences on my writing were Dark Puck and Rebecca Hb, specifically their Dai Li fics. They had a circle of friends on LJ who put out some good stuff.

*thinks* Yeah, I think that's all I've got for now. Hope that gives you a starting point! I'd also recommend, as you trawl through FFdotnet, checking out the authors' favorited fics in their profiles, you could probably find more interesting stuff that way.

Idk, I'll add more later if I think of anything. But if you start with AvocadoLove, I think that's an excellent starting point.

#asks #fandom history #ancient fanfiction #fanfiction #fandom #caelum rambles

[nube55]

Hey lovely Nube 💕

Finally, finally, I have the opportunity to jump into your ask box & get to know you better!!! We're both huge fans of fanfiction so this ask game was made for us! As usual, I can't stick to one question only so, if you're ok with that, may I ask you: A8 | B5 | C2 | D8?

Looking forward to reading your reply 👀

Lots of love 💕

<><><><><><>

PS: your comment/reblog of Lucy's post about this stinky comment on her fic was perfect 👏

Hello Val!! 🎊 awwww thanks for stopping by!!! Hahaha don't worry, we'll get to all of them!

(Adding a read more cause this got LONG sorry I'm physically incapable of summarising)

What was your first fandom? Are you still in that fandom now?

My first fandom was Harry Potter. I am not in that fandom still and do not wish to engage in it anymore for a number of reasons, but it was my gateway to reading from an early age and it was an excuse to bond with someone I cherished a lot and who sadly isn't here anymore. I met some awesome friends through it too, friends that put up with me to this day! Hahaha

Which story have you read more than any other? How many times?

You know... come to think of it, I haven't read an entire fic all over! 🤔 (regarding multichapter fics). I do want to highlight the ones I've been going back for certain chapters/scenes that I love! This list shows a variety of writing styles that leave me on the ground swooning (Warning!! no concrete spoilers buuuut references to scenes):

Holy Ground by @lucysarah-c (ongoing): Lucy can pretty much give a masterclass on poetic writing and I'm not exaggerating. I come back to it for my faves: chapter 9 (aka Levi's quiet morning gets interrupted in the funniest of ways - for us readers, not for him lmao), chapter 11 (aka not knowing how to play Scrabble leads to interesting outcomes), chapter 15 (one OF THE BEST LEVI POV I'VE LAID MY EYES ON), and chapter 17 (when you can feel yourself in the scene, it's just that amazing)

North Star by @sixpennydame (ongoing): such SUCH a special story. I love coming back to chapters 6 & 7, the whole Mount Aspe arc is exquisitely written.

Spectrum by @19941117 (finished): I have nothing but praise for this story and the incredible talent of its author. It focuses on an AoT character I've never seen explored before, and has the most breathtaking of endings.

Silver Underground by @amywritesthings (ongoing): this girrrrl leaves Easter eggs everywhere so I had to go back an re-read many parts to come up with theories lmao. I really enjoy the first chapter, the pace in it, the dialogue, the tension. And the whoooole bit on the Underground arc makes my heart become pudding.

Please tell me I didn't f*** up any link hahaha.

What word or expression always makes you cringe when you read it?

Usually I cringe when I see a sustained behaviour that feels excesively out of character to me (in those cases I choose to opt out). I also feel cringe-y in NSFW scenes when intimate parts are refered to overly poetically for my taste. I'd rather have them refered to in a filthy way tbh 😂

Which fandoms do you read fic for?

Currently I'm 99% dedicated to AoT (had a YoI phase a couple years ago!). Buuuut I wouldn't mind reading some Vinland Saga stories 😏 (@atruewarrior I'm looking at you)

.

.

Well I think that's it!! Thanks for the questions Val, have a wonderful week! 🌻🌻

Ask a reader meme

#seriously people go read this top notch writers #ask game #ask response #moots.val #these*

[alastairstom]

Re Follow up to Wessa spicy and loving ur work > CC and long fits Q

I CANNOT WAIT FOR WESSA SPICY, U WRITE SPICY SO FREAKING WELL! I also have never thought about historical spicy stuff. which obviously happened cuz hello folks back then did it as well, it's not just a present day thing haha.

I think I just feel ur engagement is way more motivating and higher than CC's. Obv CC has mad kudos for creating this Universe, but like any author who has made It so clear that she wants to move on from the universe, the fun part is playing within it YK? Not just creating plots and marriages just so that the union and the good ending is the telos of it. The pay off is now seeing them banter about together, have the dynamics shift as they age, see how they view the world and how they continue to problem solve yk? And it gets even more fun when you create ensemble casts, bc THATS why Downton abbey is so long! It's so much fun to see it through, throughout!

An example I use is I follow these two authors who LOVEE their book universes, and also write generational fun family (modern day) ensamble casts with friends, and they spend normally 3-4 books focused on one character's OTP, seeing it through, throughout, and than moving onto another. Not the traditional stickler predictable "one book per pairing" in a series we see too often. AND THAN, when they move on, they continue to write publish 2 bonus chapters, update their interests boards, and talk about everything on their Patreon for like less than 3 dollars a month. there are over 100+ chapters now at this point!

Not to say that's what CC wants to do, but when you have amounted such a huge fandom, a lot of it is not just about making annual deliverables and canon events occur, but having fun just domestically and I feel like she doesn't want to do that. Which is totally fine! I respect that. But obviously the type of fan I am, as you can see, I gravitate towards the way you produce, engage and write (u write for yourself and ur fans, yes u have fans and I am one) more so than her. That's kind of what I was trying to get at in my initial post :-). Bc when CC wants to move on, it feel so lovely and safe, to know my safe space won't go, because ur still leading it. <3 <3 So again, from the bottom to the top of my heart, thank you <3

This made me tear up. Thank you so much, friend.

Messages like this make me feel extremely motivated to write. I really hope you enjoy my Valentine's fic as much as I am liking writing it.

I think I understand what you're saying - Cassie does a really good job of creating characters and telling their stories. I consider her to be one of the best creators of our time, specifically in TID and TLH as well as Sword Catcher (even if that one has less of a hold on me, it's inarguably one of her best works world-building and plot-wise.) But yes, sometimes you just want little fluffy post-canon stories of the characters, which is not always possible for a world-famous writer with tons of ongoing projects. I'm looking forward to Better in Black a lot because of this.

I just write what I want to see and roll with it. I am glad that it's what you want to see, too.

Dear God, I am tearing up a lot. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I truly appreciate everyone who has read one of my fics and given me a chance to play with their blorbos.

[ya-killin-me-smalls]

i apologize for the text wall you are about to recieve i'm facing my fears of being an annoyance in the inbox

hey what do i do when i have several fixations happening all at once

my madcom keeps coming into the house because its cold but then goes back out because yay snow

the funkin won't leave the pantry because i keep coming back to the Tall Modded Men

deltarune deltarune deltarune deltarune

undertale is returning with a baseball bat because it refuses to be left behind in my elementary days (i promise you my AU content won't be based on fanon i've been tracking little details in the game i'm not cring pleas e don't sentence me to the swamp of sin)

im not sure if i'm going back to my fnaf phase i'm just very fond of the sundrop models i find on VRChat

MINECRAFT!!1!1!1!!!

and it doesn't help that i want (personally i have to i live off making silly little worlds with different stories and flavors) to make AU content the neurodivergent courses through my veins it will never end

this is a really good question that I don't see a lot of people asking so it's hard to find good advice for this

best advice I can give as a neurospicy individual is to not fight your attention span when it comes to hobbies. with school and work you don't have much of a choice but remember there are no deadlines or consequences in fandom

like I feel kinda bad for not having updated my two big fics in 2-3 months but y'know the juice just isn't there. I like quality and if I'm not interested it won't be quality. I try to keep my blog madcom focused because that's what people followed me for but trust me right now I'm all about my gta dude, sonic, batfam, mw2, and others I can't remember on top of madness combat

I can't give advice for artblock because I don't draw unless I absolutely want to, but for writing at least I find that outlining costs way less mental energy so even if I'm not putting together a new fic/chapter, I can still plan to with relative ease

but yeah neurodivergence doesn't always mean there's something wrong, sometimes it just means your brain works different and I don't think it's productive to try and force it to work another way. do what sparks joy. if your ideas are cringe, kill the cop in your brain because the entire premise of madcom would sound cringe if a 12 year old described it as their superhero backstory. what makes or breaks a story is the presentation of it, not the idea itself

also feel free to combine things you're fixating on. I was on a horror kick, decided to incorporate it with fandom (have not finished it because oh my god horror is so hard to write)

having people to bounce ideas off of is really helpful too because it can help you focus more on that one thing, as I'm sure you saw with the AU I'm working on right now. feel free to yell about stuff in my inbox if you'd like, don't know all those fandoms but I'm happy to listen

music also helps with focus, find a song that fits the vibe of what you want out of your work and set it to repeat. normal behavior I know but it worked for me

ultimately, don't stress. the mojo comes and goes, it's more cooperative if you are. fandom isn't a job or any sort of obligation and you can write, draw, headcanon whatever you want. sometimes multitasking is helpful because you can step back from something and then come back refreshed after working on another thing

hope this makes sense because it feels all over the place but yeah that's basically what I've learned to do

#don't obligate yourself and don't let others obligate you #fandom is for funsies. no other reasons unless you want there to be #asks #writing advice

[missr3n3]

I can't put this in your AO3 book cut down the altar because I don't have an account (and refuse to make one for now) but I really need to say this. Even as an anon.

Your book is a masterpiece, I really liked it. I loved how you described every emotion of the characters, how you described every scene. Your writing style in general, don't make me start with the inclusion of your OCs and the whole "mental link" thing with Adam, the Type 6s and the alternates in general. How Adam comes to terms he is not alone. Jonah worrying for his friend really touched me.

I could ramble all day about your book and how incredible it is, specially the scene of Adam and Sarah where the sentence "I won't make it out alive" goes. It stuck in my head for weeks days. And I liked your book a lot. So mark my works, one day in a year or so I will be scrolling through the Mandela Catalogue tag trying to find content to cure my boredom, and I will find your book again. I believe me, I'm going to click and read it again with a smile on my face. Remembering each emotion with such a touch like I did the first time.

If you're planning on making more content, even if it's not Mandela Catalogue, believe me I'm really really interested. And I will look into it (I have seen your others projects too and they're such masterpieces like this book)

I will also see if I can reblog or do fanart (I'm not sure though). I'm planning of making content on my own Mandela Catalogue AUs even if I do content of other fandom- but believe me you really inspired me.

With nothing more to say I go.

I still don't know if you will see this but...

Congratulations on creating such a masterpiece.

been sitting with this ask for a while because im just. floored. n so so happy that this fic resonated so much!!!

if im being totally honest, while this is going to be the end of main cut down the altar story, idk if this will be the end of the au forever. already ive got a couple more cdta drawings in the pipeline for cringetober, and i may or may not have a word document with a couple possible side stories for the au floating around... >>; don't expect anything to come out about them any time soon tho lol

the main thing im planning on focusing on for at least the next few weeks is my analog/digital horror thing, Access Animus Healing Archives, and so while any cdta continuations get spun on the pottery wheel of my brain, i hope every1 will show that some support!

#ask the skeleton #cut down the altar au #fave #do not lose

[firesign23]

Fandom Trumps Hate 2023

I'm participating in Fandom Trumps Hate (@fandomtrumpshate) this year, and like I should probably promote it so y'all are getting a too wordy post on the topic and I apologise for that.

What is FTH?

FTH is a cross-fandom charity auction that has been running since 2016, focused on supporting small-scale non-profits on a series of progressive issues in the US. Why the US? Because the auction began as a direct response to the results of the 2016 elections there. This year's supported organisations cover a variety of issues.

How does it work?

This is not a commission. The FTH tumblr goes into this more in-depth, but in essence: creators such as myself decide which organisations they would like to support, and bidders bid the amount they are willing to donate. The highest bidder at closing donates to one of the chosen causes, then receives a thank you gift for their donation, tailored to their preferences.

Important dates and details?

Auctions are currently open for browsing! This will give you an opportunity to see what fanworks are on offer before bidding opens. The easiest way to do this is by browsing the tagsets for fandoms that interest you.

Bidding opens March 1st (08:00 EST) and closes March 5th (20:00 EST). Proof of donations are due March 12th.

Why are you doing this?

Because I can.

Nah, participating in a fandom auction is one of those things I've said I'd like to do once and never actually managed, and I got sweet talked into it this year.

What are you offering?

Ohhh, this is the fun question, isn't it? I've officially offered a story of up to 5K words in one of three fandoms, but if you are interested in a fandom I've not offered but previously written for that may be negotiable. As for length, I have found that fics will be precisely as long as they want to be--I'd much rather say up to 5K and write 10K than say 5-10K and write 3K.

Examples of my work Game of Thrones and Wheel of Time fic can be found here and my Miss Fisher fic here, but in general my work leans towards character-driven and bittersweet fics, competence kink, and the mortifying ordeal of being known. (Are the cool kids still saying that? Probably not.) My smut leans into soft horny even when kinky, which tends to be either very much someone's tastes or very much not. I love writing so many classic fic tropes and kinks, so if there's something you're interested in but are uncertain, feel free to ask!

Unwilling to address: Scat/watersports, ageplay including usage of daddy/mommy/girl, underage/high school AUs or college AUs where focus is on the college element, casual misogyny or sexual violence (narratively relevant is fine), dubious/non-consensual sex that is not treated as such, revenge porn (literal revenge porn or the "Punish character X" type), power dynamics where there’s a potential abuse of power, humiliation.

Now, onto the fandom specific details:

Game of Thrones: Jaime/Brienne, other pairings with discussion. Prefer to avoid Brienne with major body image issues, ESPECIALLY when phrased about feeling like a “real woman”--insecurities, yes, but not as the driving narrative force. Not interested in Cersei-bashing fics--she's awful, I'm happy to make her awful, but I don't want to make her one dimensional. While happy to incorporate elements of the book canon, this story would be primarily driven by show canon dynamics/characterisation. Happy to write in a canon or AU setting. Into this fandom, but what I offer isn't quite to your taste? Check out other asoiaf/GoT creators here.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: TV/film canon. Any pairing, canon or fanon. I primarily write Phrack, but as my ao3 will tell you there's very little I've not dipped my toe into. If you are interested in Dot/Hugh fluff, I'll do it but it's not a strength. I strongly prefer canon set stories for this fandom. Into this fandom, but what I offer isn't quite to your taste? Check out other MFMM creators here.

Wheel of Time: I am offering anything centred around Lan, Nynaeve, and/or Moiraine, whether it's platonic or romantic or pre-romantic. I have read the books many times, but this offer is for TV canon only due to other commitments. If, however, you want something like a missing scene from the first few books, that can be discussed during the bidding process. I strongly prefer canon set stories for this fandom. Into this fandom, but what I offer isn't quite to your taste? Check out other WoT creators here.

Anything else?

Not really! My offerings page can be found here. When auctions go live on March 1st you will be able to access the bidding page from there. If you have any questions, whether that's about how this works or what I am/am not willing to write or something else entirely, my Tumblr inbox is always open and I'm happy to answer publicly or privately. If you prefer the answer be private, please ensure you have not selected to make it anonymous and mention it in the message!

#Fandom trumps hate 2023 #miss fisher's murder mysteries #wheel of time #game of thrones #phryne x jack #jaime x brienne #lan x nynaeve #man this needs like five billion more tags but they'd also be pointless so...

[fallloverfic]

FG anon here! I hadn’t thought of him potentially being Ares! I didn’t get that vibe from him. I could never figure out which “pantheon” or which myth he’s from. But yeah I feel like whatever his intentions for Seth, I think he needs some resource relating to war— whether it’s for the sake of his homeland or for himself.

Also I didn’t know the fandom didn’t like him haha. He’s one of my favorite characters. This fandom is so tiny, I have actually heard nearly nothing about him positive or negative 💀 or maybe I’m on the wrong platform for Ennead fandom?

Hallo again! (this got long so putting it under a read more)

Yeah I still lean towards Apollo because of the golden eye thing. It's just strange to me that both Ra and FG are like the only two known god characters with golden eyes, and Ra is a sun god (so maybe FG is a sun god, too, hence, Apollo, plus the medicine thing, and his focus on getting laid). But most of his actions, particularly leading an army, make sense for him to be Ares. His personality otherwise matches Apollo. But also why would Apollo be leading an army, or be ready to declare war? Ares is the god of war. It also makes sense that a god of war would focus on how "weak" another god of war is, and the way he talks about Egypt as a weak country and sizing up their gods for their abilities kind of matches someone with a martial background. So he could be Ares! He could be Apollo! He could be neither of them!

I'm glad he's one of your favorites! FG is a very fun character! I find his relationship with Seth entertaining and engaging, and I'm curious about what power Maat is going to grant him. I also feel like he's going to be involved somehow in the final battle with Osiris, and I'm curious how that'll play out. But also, there are plenty of FG fans, FGSeth fans, and fans of him with other characters! Tumblr is generally a dead place for this fandom, though it's more active than like... deviantart, pillowfort, and kind of Blue Sky Social. There's a lot of really lovely fanworks of him, though not as much fic on places like here or Archive of Our Own. International fandom is still most active on twitter, so you're going to see way more stuff with him and other characters (along with the vitriol, unfortunately) there. The second best place to go for stuff with him is probably pixiv. Then maybe instagram. There were some active folks on tiktok for him but I avoid tiktok for this fandom cause it's mostly art theft and bad edits.

Some artists I'd recommend to follow for works with him:

おぜ | oze__0 (twitter) (pixiv)

GSY_DM (twitter)

くろいうさぎ | emm_usagi (twitter)

ぽん𓃩2/3大阪オンリーC19 | pondiru_3 (twitter) (pixiv)

ヒユウ | hi_you_2 (twitter) (poipiku)

kumorkumo (twitter) (pixiv)

leejun35 (twitter) (instagram)

いと | knito110 (twitter) (pixiv)

りょう | wwvsand (twitter)

nab𓃩ﾅﾌﾞ | nab_003 (twitter) (pixiv)

ginger_ennead (twitter) (they're sort of focusing on a different fandom right now, but if you browse back through their stuff, they made a lot of lovely FGSeth comics)

ナツメ (pixiv)

りょう (pixiv)

hako_enad (twitter)

よみの | yominofox (twitter)

おかや | okaya_enad (twitter)

And there's way more of that. FG fanartists are some of the most dedicated in the fandom, and produce a lot of the fanworks. If you're browsing, I would look under these tags on different sites: FGSeth (English), FG/Seth, FGxSeth, FG x Seth / 이국세트 (Korean = Exotic Set) / 髭セト (Japanese = mustache Set). Also a lot of multishippers do lovely art of him, so just look around if you're interested!

And to be fair, every character in the fandom is hated by somebody lol There are people who hate Horus (he's the main reason the Seth x happiness "ship" exists, because people don't even want him to end up with Horus for a dozen reasons), and there are plenty of people who hate Seth. FG is probably about on par with being hated as Isis? But I don't recall any situation where people sent their hate about Isis to Mojito, which people have done with FG. It kind of fluctuates. But yeah, top hated characters in the fandom are probably... any of the mob characters (including Kuentamen, Fenu, the older enslaved person Seth helped escape), Osiris/Isis/FG/Nephthys, I think Hathor and then Horus and Anubis, then Seth. The awful side of fandom kind of rotates on its "villain of the week" vitriol. When FG was in the spotlight, it was FG, and there were harassment campaigns against FG fanartists, doxxing, one person was stealing artwork and redrawing it as Horuseth, another person was editing FG into Horus from comic panels and spamming Mojito about them, but they did it a little with Osiris and Anubis as well. But when FG went away and Anubis came back, it was sort of Anubis, and then when the spotlight went back onto Horus, it was Horus. Now it's kind of back to FG cause he's back again and Horus is leaving Seth to go to Heliopolis while Seth and FG go to Khemenu/Hermopolis. I imagine when Osiris comes back for more than flashbacks, it'll be Osiris again. Who knows? People have too much time on their hands.

But who cares? Mojito loves all her characters, and has repeatedly said so. That thread I posted in the last ask was about her expressing her love, and she's talked about a planned FGSeth extra after the story is over. And here's some nice art by her of him with Horus, Seth, and the camel on the hiatus announcement.

#fg #fg ennead #asks #people will hate anyone in a fandom #cause boredom or 10000 other reasons who knows #rather than idk focus on the things they like they focus on stuff they hate #there are entire “fandoms” dedicated to hatred #I cannot understand it at all #I think FG ends up at the bottom because at least Osiris is beloved in Korea in particular #and Osiseth is or at least was the most popular Korean ship #but everyone in this fandom is at the bottom for someone #everyone #except maybe grape kid idk I think everyone likes him #and probably Ra #ennead #fallfthoughts

[crows-murder]

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

sorry this took me so long to get to asfjsfkd. ty for the ask krow!! 💕

i already made one of these here so now i just gotta find five other favorite fics asjdsksk (who knew this could be so hard lmao)

the spillways of your soul

She trips over a root hidden by the snow and swears loudly. “Do you want them to hear us?” Damian grouses. She sends him a vicious glare. “You try running in the woods in the dead of winter wearing high heels.” Damian wrinkles his nose, but thankfully doesn’t make any further comments. Steph doesn’t move for a few minutes and instead focuses on catching her breath. - day 9: sleeping in shifts

i just really love writing Damian and Steph centric fics, because their dynamic is so fun and so interesting to write.

firebrander

A look into Tim's life from the day his fire magic first manifests up until he becomes Bruce Wayne's third Robin.

this is from my urban fantasy batfam au!! my most beloved. it's SO indulgent and its so much fun to write. i hope to write something else for this series sometime soon <3

you're just a little bit too much like me

Steph had reluctantly agreed to pick up Damian after school because Dick was busy. She absolutely did not agree to get kidnapped and ransomed with Damian of all people.

another steph and damian centric fic!

Bury Me Facedown

Tim wakes up buried six feet under the ground.

another buried alive fic, because they're just far too much fun to write. it's such a good angsty trope and i eat it up every time

Late Night Encounters

Not long after Jason comes back to Gotham and asserts himself as the Red Hood, Tim meets Jason in a diner late at night and by some miracle he doesn't recognize him. After another chance meeting where Jason still doesn't make the connection between him and Robin, Tim decides that this might just his chance to get to know Jason Todd.

this fic is my baby, but different from all the other fics i call "my baby". this one truly holds a special place in my heart no other fic will hold, because it was inspired by my other writer friends for this fandom, and i remember all the excitement surrounding this fic as i was writing it and sharing snippets of it. i've grown a lot as a writer since i wrote this one, but i'm still really proud of this fic <3

#ty again for the ask krow!! 💜 #ask #my writing

[pigeonwit]

do you have any javey fic recs for a poor starving child? (the longer the better)

[willem dafoe voice] you know im something of a Javey Connoisseur myself-

i'm gonna try not to name too many of like. The Big Ones since you've probably read those already but. i am probably going to have a few in there. there is a reason the writers in every fic rec list are in every fic rec list you know? (also i have a poor understanding of tumblr boundaries so just to be safe i'm not gonna tag anyone outright. dont wanna annoy anyone) okay then! fic recs under the cut:

when we were younger by @/we-are-inevitable (also we-are-inevitable on ao3) - sentimental backstory: i was wayyy too early to work cause i live in the middle of nowhere and my buses get me there with at least an hour to spare, so i was looking to kill time and found this! and i thought about it for the rest of the day. so technically it is this fic and this author's fault for making me break a sundae glass. it's just the sweetest tenderest fic i've ever read; jack and davey are high school exes who stumble back into each others lives by complete chance, except now jack's a single father. i've read a few 'single parent' javey fics and they're all lovely, but this one stuck out to me because jack's daughter is actually a teenager. which works really well because we-are-inevitable does a wonderful job at capturing davey's Vibe of displacement in his everyday life (something i especially love about davey as a character) so it's really nice seeing him be able to naturally connect with jack's daughter and jack's life as a whole. it makes the moments of everything all coming together for davey - him finally feeling like he Belongs somewhere naturally, in a way that makes sense - it makes it all feel much more wholesome. it has enough angst to keep things interesting but it focuses much more on jack and davey reconnecting and being able to care for one another the way they weren't able to before, all while maintaining this heartwarmingly domestic family dynamic that i just adore. so it's lovely soft reading for a cozy afternoon (or you can just chug it in under an hour at a garden centre cafe if you're like me - but it's much better if you go slow with it and really let all the sweetness sink in :) )

tied together by @/penzyroamin (or PenzyRome on ao3) - penzy has so many BANGER multichaps and my claim to newsies fandom fame is that i actually helped a little bit when she was developing this one!! it's a beautiful and heartwrenching jack character study told through a soulmate/red string of fate au which works just,,, SO well with jack's issues with being seen and loved and loving others. it's also southern! there's farmers markets! and chubby jack/buff davey supremacy. it's angsty and messy and poignant and beautiful and all about learing to love yourself enough to let yourself be seen entirely ,and letting others make the choice to look at you and say 'this is what i want' - but also learning that it's not a reflection on you if it turns out that you weren't what they wanted. if i'm feeling down about myself i'll read the scene where jack and davey reunite in chapter 4 and just,,, Feel It. something about someone seeing the ugliest parts of you and still not wanting to forget you... ough. love it. gorgeous. mwah.

keeping promises by JewishDavidJacobs on ao3 - an FBI au where davey replaces denton at jack's agency, and jack is furious about it. 32 chapters and almost 90k of found family, enemies-to-fwb-to-lovers, recovering from abusive relationships, learning to be loved, learning you're ALLOWED love despite whatever flaws you have, and davey's patented inability to maintain a healthy work-life balance. it's everything i want as a davey stan. it's got a meaty white-collar crime subplot that keeps the conflict and tension going, and really adds to the friction between jack and davey as they navigate their very complicated relationship with each other. it's messy but it doesn't overstay it's welcome on the messiness - you get just as much of davey and jack being a healthy, loving, functioning unit as you do of them being disasters. that being said, be careful with the content warnings; past abusive relationships of both familial and romantic natures, and terminal illness/background character death.

across enemy lines by JewishDavidJacobs on ao3 - davey and jack are in an established relationship, but when davey gets hired as pulitzer's assistant, it creates a divide between him, jack, davey's family, and the newsboy union as a whole. it's VERY heavy on the davey whump and scratches the itch i have as a davey kinnie to make davey suffer as much as humanly possible. it focuses a lot on davey's homelife, the antisemitism he faces every day, his feelings of displacement in all the units he's meant to be a part of (school, the newsies, his family, etc), and again, davey's patented inability to maintain a work-life balance. as much angst and whump as there is, the final few chapters more than make up for it in terms of sweetness and catharsis and all that found family goodness. it also does a really great job of humanizing pulitzer and acknowledging the progressive aspects of him as a person while still being aware that this dude was a wealthy victorian capitalist and not actually some secret good-guy.

lovely bitter water by illinoise on ao3 - fairytale au javid where davey is a fairy sent to help pirate!jack find his happiness, which jack does NOT want him to do. it's got a wonderful stardust vibe that really makes you feel like you're reading an actual queer fairytale, which filled a void i wasn't even aware that i had. it's a wonderful exploration of both davey and jack's self-sacrificial natures and how they clash agains each other in that respect, which creates this fun enemies-to-lovers dynamic where they learn to understand and respect and pine for each other. the world is wonderfully set up and it incorporates the other newsies characters (including katherine, there is SO much respect for katherine in this fic) in really fun ways!

like real people do by @/loving-jack-kelly (AsperJasper on ao3) - now i know you specified 'the longer the better. full disclosure, this fic a oneshot of around 4.5k. HOWEVER, it does such a fantastic job of capturing this otherworldly ambience that makes it feel like the story just keep stretching onwards that i can't NOT recommend it. to summarize, davey lives in a small medievial-esque village and seeks out a fae (jack) to wish to alter his life. the world is so well-defined, and the rules of magic and jack's backstory are all so interesting that you just want to read it forever. if 'lovely bitter water' is a classic fairytale, this is a CELTIC faerytale, and i am nothing if not a devout welshman. it's raw and abstract and poetic, it draws beautifully on davey's desperation to make his family proud while still wanting to live his own life as just Himself, and it actually inspired a little babie au i'm noodling on! highly recommend.

these are the ones i could think of off the top of my head; i didn't want to pick too much of the same or pick too many that you'd probably read already, although it's possible you might've. read all of these already. they are REALLY good. if that's the case feel free to ask for more!! but if not i hope you like these fics like i did :))

#newsies #javid #javey #davey jacobs #david jacobs #jack kelly #anon #ask #fic recs #fic hoard