#ao3 manners

[otaku6337]

Comments

I know I post a lot about meh comments, and also about how grateful I am for lovely comments, but I feel like it’s worth saying -

As long as I know you enjoyed, I don’t really care about anything else.

That’s literally all I want or need from a comment, and I’d daresay most authors feel this way. I don’t mind if you just leave a smiley face, or if you pick out a dozen quotes to tell me why you loved those specific bits so much. Both of those mean the world. I don’t mind if you say “I really enjoyed this chapter, but xyz confused me /gen” or if you say “OMG YES that is exactly what I was hoping would happen” or “cool chpt thanks for posting” or “char A’s reaction made me laugh enough that I woke my sister up”.

There are so, so many comments out there that are wonderful, and there is no set “right way” to comment - be polite, be kind, be encouraging. If you’re worried about how something might come across, then try tone indicators or a disclaimer of intentions or just asking before actually saying it, whatever works best for you.

And yes some authors prefer certain types of comments. Some people love quote-pullers over single-emojis, some people are the opposite, but at the end of the day most of us will just be happy so long as it’s positive.

If I know that you liked this thing that I’ve spent hours and hours working on, then that’s enough for me. If you just acknowledge that this was something that was worth the time spent, both reading on your end and writing on mine, for you, then that means the world.

You don’t have to write the perfect comment. You just have to be there.

Don’t feel like your comment has to be perfect, has to have some super deep meaning, or can’t be the same everytime. The fact that you bothered to type that and hit submit, that you read what we spend hours on and enjoyed it enough for that, is all I need.

#ao3 #ao3 comments #ao3 etiquette #fandom etiquette #yall I don't need the perfect comment #I just need a kind one #and I think all the writers I know would agree with me #even if a comment isn't a preferred type it's still appreciated #you still bothered to reciprocate the effort and thought I put into writing in the first place #and I couldn't be more grateful #fic writing #fic reading #comments #fandom manners #ao3 manners

[vodkassassin]

Y’all need to stop commenting on fics like the author is dead or something. The author sees those comments bro it’s like saying to someone’s face “sorry to hear about your passing. The only reason I’m sad about it is bc you won’t be making me any more sandwiches for free” like can you see how that might be insensitive? So what if they haven’t made a sandwhich in a month or a year or five. It’s not your place to announce their death lmao

#ao3 etiquette #learn some FUCKING manners guys pls I’m begging you #fanfiction social

[her-soliloquies]

Why are they like this

(Didn't know which picture of Jack to use, so have both)

#Utopia the source of my joy and agony #jack reminding the doctor his manners #doctor who #tenjack #dw #tenth doctor #the tenth doctor #10th doctor #david tennant #jack harkness #captain jack harkness #john barrowman #the doctor #the 10th doctor #ao3 #captain jack

[ksbbb]

PSA:

OK so I feel that this needs to be said again and I am not talking to everyone. Please don’t think I’m talking to my followers or most of my mutuals on here, but I do think it’s something that should be addressed again. If you don’t like a story, you are under no obligation to read it, and you can easily click out of it or completely find a way to never read my stories again.

Just because you don’t like Theo, doesn’t mean you should be coming onto a story and trashing him as a character and in doing so, trash me as a writer in my story because of some issues you have with the way Jeff Davis wrote a character.

We all write stories for free, and in our own personal time for fun. I understand everyone’s story is not for every single individual, and I think it’s important that we understand to be a productive member of society and not trash people on the website because you feel some type of way about a character.

I will not be taking my story scenting down. Thank you.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk .

I am a Theo Stan until the day I die 

Here’s the story in case other people would rather read it and don’t worry I did delete those comments.



#psa #ksbbb chats #ksbbb talks #ao3 #teen wolf #thiam #Theo raeken #good manners #stories #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #ao3 link #ao3 stuff #ao3 author #ao3 comments

[this-should-do]

Losing your identity in favor of survival

#gordon freeman #half life #was thinking about my headcanon on why gordon looses his mullet by hl2 in which he gets grabbed by the ponytail too many times and cuts it #of course in a very emotional manner before he hardens as he goes from gordon to freeman in accordance with my chracterization of him from #my fic which u should go read on ao3 #its called could gordon ever be clean #but yeah looove tying chara dev to hair and having it be so significant that gordon cuts his hair cuz i think he has a complex relationship #w his hair becuz hes so trans #i wont get into it cuz its kinda long but trust me its good #fun fact to get the subtle static texture u can barely see i used the sonic . exe static lol #eyestrain tw #<just in case these colors are kinda bright #anyways i love really messy haircuts cuz theyre having a breakdown and using a knife. it feels like in movies their hair always looks good #which is WRONG it would not look good like that u rlying to me #idoindeeddraw #anyways feeling artsy with the caption today lol #but thats like the theme of this comic and i wanted to ensure it was understood lol

[lololollywrites]

Let's pretend WIP *Friday* is a thing, okay?

I may or may not have sat down today and written almost 1000 words of a WIP that came to me in a dream last night and demanded to be written. I think it'll be a oneshot; somewhere between 4-6k (though, knowing me, it could be longer).

I'm still vacillating between a few titles, but the premise is that Sherlock's death is announced a bit too *prematurely* to John by a doctor who left the operating room a bit too early; there are also some flashes of thoughts and dialogue to the moments immediately after Sherlock was shot in Magnussen's office. Ultimately - it's an HLV fix-it with an abundance of additional angst thrown in.

We'll see how it goes! I'm really only posting here so I'm motivated enough to finish writing, hopefully this weekend. Stay tuned. :)

Here's a little snippet from a random spot somewhere in the middle, though the text is liable to change as I edit and revise:

____

John stared down at his shoes.

And kept staring.

He couldn’t quite remember how he’d gotten… wherever it was he now found himself. The A&E department of a hospital. Yes. The problem was that he wasn’t sure which one. Modern. Nice. Unfamiliar. Though that probably wasn’t right; chances were he’d been there at least once before. His memories were muddled; smashed beneath a grinding pestle.

Shock. (Obviously, Sherlock’s voice drifted from nowhere).

John was intimately familiar with the sensation. With shock. Autopilot had taken over so quickly that he’d not been consciously paying attention to anything at all. He vaguely recalled shouting obscenities at Magnussen – injured and hunched over onto himself, face pale, and dubiously claiming to have already called 999 prior to John’s arrival on the 33rd floor. As uncharacteristically weak as Magnussen had appeared, he’d steadfastly refused to divulge the identity of Sherlock’s assailant. His murderer.

Hence the shouting of obscenities.

___

@johnlocky, @totallysilvergirl, @discordantwords, @jrow, @missdeliadili, @battledress, @helloliriels, @mxster-jocale, @cortinita, @calaisreno, @englandwouldfall, @kettykika78, @algyswinburne, @7-percent, @naefelldaurk

#my fics #wip wednesday #wips #bbc sherlock #aO3 #i hope i actually finish this in a timely manner please hold me to it

[hyp3rfixation-h3ll]

not to get into discourse mode on here but the recent shit w/ ao3 being once again called out for being run by racists/genocide supporters and seeing so many fucking Absolute Gormless Shitheads blindly defend OTW and going " dOn'T bRiNg FiCtIoNaL PoLiTicS iNtO tHis!!!111!1 " as if they are not immune to propaganda is wild . my siblings in sin , ao3 is literally The Racism Fetish Fanfiction site , and propaganda via fictional work is exactly how racism perpetuates. ao3 and the otw are a part of the problem whether you choose to acknowledge it or not because they contribute to the cycle of violence , fetishisation and colonisation of marginalised groups via complacency (and sometimes even blatant PASSIVE ENCOURAGEMENT) , and then they cover it up by using soft cutesy buzzwords like " anti-censorship " and " free speech " and their dumb ass complex tagging system to appeal to white people , so when Actual Minorities and people affected by the shit they put on there speak up about it they're met with all kinds of bullcrap about "jUsT bLoCk ThE tAg If It'S a PrObLem1111!111" or "YoU'rE jUsT bEiNg a fAnDoM cOp!11!!"

You're a part of the problem if you support ao3 and actively continue to use it & donate to them , especially in the wake of the OTW being actively chockful of zionists who will , ironically , silence those who speak up and rally with Palestine for liberation . And If you decide to take this as me being hostile towards you or trying to " bring fiction into real world issues " , remember that at Any point in time you can go on ao3 for yourself and find thousands and thousands of raceplay fics and other various works that glorify and condone racism , and that the otw and their large userbase (primarily composed of white people!) has a track record of trying to shut up POC when this issue is brought to light .

Idgaf if ao3 is for " anti-censorship " , because there's a difference between anti-censorship and HIDING BEHIND the concept of free speech and the 1st amendment to do and say awful , horrendous things and believe you're above critique , punishment or consequences for it .

tl;dr: fuck ao3, fuck the otw, free palestine, and most importantly: you are NOT and will NEVER be immune to propaganda if you choose to ignore it because it benefits you.

#the captain's rambles #ao3 #archive of our own #racism cw #free palestine #🍉 #otw #ask to tag #also its dumb to request not bringing politics into the topic of ao3 #the concept of anti / pro-censorship Is a political statement #anyways. this isnt even touching on the nasty shit ao3 will let you put on their site about Real People (INCLUDING REAL CHILDREN) #mfs be like “you guys are so worried about fictional kids!11!!” yeah cuz if thats what youre willing to write about fictional kids #then how the Fuck am i supposed to trust Your bitch ass with writing about Real Children in a Normal manner #btw ao3 / otw bootlickers who try n come in here and go ERM ACKSHUALLY will be shot at on sight by my rocket launcher #fiction bleeds into reality and can and DOES influence it you dickless jabronies . that's Literally why The Jaws Effect is a phenomenon #and why racist propaganda (like what the IOF spreads) is so effective #you cannot rally against the oppressor and side with them at the same time because “muh fanfic site” #pick a side or get out you spineless fucks #oh and btw. if you try to equate this with just mindless discourse you're incorrect and undermining the larger issue here #which is Literally #otw and ao3 are built off of racist and arguably white supremacist values and THAT is why they fire people -- #-- for having the oh so heinous opinion of “hey. racism is Bad.” and allow fics that condone racism and fetishise it on their site. #and post. this has been your once in a lifetime tumblr rant from sonic t hedgehog about why white people in fandom more often than not #fucking suck Butt Ass & absolute Balls #im gonna go shower and get some tuna now

[jedi-enthusiast]

Long Post Ahead

Ok yesterday and today I've been busy, so I haven't had time to write up that "ongoing codywan fic recs" post yet, but I promise it'll be up soon (that shit takes a surprisingly long time).

Right now, though, I just want to say something--and yes, I know I said some of it in the reblog of another post, but I was pissed when I wrote that and now want to expand on what I said a bit better.

-----

Everyone and their mother knows, by now, that Glimmer deleted all of their fics off of Ao3 because some asshole decided to harass them and make them feel like shit. Glimmer isn't the only creator that's been harassed off their platform before and I highly doubt they'll be the last, especially if things continue like they are, but I think a wake-up call is in order.

Everyone has been talking about supporting creators you like and making sure they know they're appreciated, which you absolutely should be doing, but I the bigger issue is entitlement.

Let me spell it out for some of y'all:

Creators don't owe you shit.

I think a lot of people harass creators for liking things they don't because they feel entitled to having their opinions validated by their peers--and having their peers not validate their opinions, whether that be by shipping a different pairing or not agreeing with some of their theories or whatever, makes them angry and feel like they've been personally wronged.

They also feel entitled to interacting with everyone and everything, so they think other people should change what they post rather than just filtering out tags, blocking people, etc--because they want to reap the benefits of creators without having to engage with things they might disagree with.

They don't want to give something they like up so they don't have to interact with something that makes them uncomfortable, but they also don't want to have to interact with (read: see) things they don't like in order to see the stuff they do.

Like I said: entitlement.

But here's the thing: people are going, and are allowed, to disagree with you.

That's life.

It is your responsibility, and your responsibility alone, to cultivate your feed and keep yourself from seeing shit you don't want to. No one else's.

You don't like a certain ship? Filter out the tag.

You don't like someone's opinion on the fandom media? Block them.

A post popped up that you didn't like? Hit "not interested."

If you like one thing from a creator but not something else then that is on you to decide whether or not to keep interacting with them/their works, it is not their responsibility to cater to you.

Again: creators don't owe you shit.

Not their art, not their fics, not their recs, not their theories, not their time, not their responses, not anything. Getting to interact with them and their works is a privilege, not a right, and y'all need to start acting like it.

You do not get to harass them for not agreeing with you on everything or validating your opinions.

And if you do harass others? Then you are a shit person and you don't deserve to ever interact with another creator's work again, because you are the reason we're losing so many talented and genuinely kind people to fandom toxicity.

And if one of your favorite creators gets harassed off a platform and you've harassed others? Then I feel sorry for them, but you don't have a single fucking right to complain about losing them when you are the one who's created a space where harassing creators for their work is ok.

Start minding your own fucking business and leave creators alone.

#ao3 fanfic #fanfic #star wars #fandom #fandom etiquette #codywan #some of y'all need to learn how to behave #get out of fandom spaces until you've learnt some fucking manners

[pokimoko]

The One-Way Waltz of the Moth and the Wild Flame (and the Incident of the Authorial Intrusion) - A Good Omens Fic

Written by pokimoko

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: ~25K

Fandom: Good Omens (TV)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley & Muriel (Good Omens), Crowley & Nina (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens) & Original Character(s)

Characters: Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale (Good Omens), Muriel (Good Omens), Original Characters, (who is technically not an original character but I've got to keep some secrets ;) ), Nina (Good Omens), Background & Cameo Characters

Summary: A story in which Crowley does not prevent forest fires, a radio sends out thoughts and prayers, an angel misuses the emergency contact, the local duck population invents socialism, trees are threatened to varying degrees of success, a waltz is indeed played, and an author considers the nature of tragedies.

Tags: Ineffable Divorce | Aziraphale and Crowley Break Up (Good Omens), Post-Break Up, POV Crowley (Good Omens), Emotional Hurt, He/Him Pronouns For Crowley (Good Omens), They/Them Pronouns for Muriel (Good Omens), Crowley & Muriel Friendship (Good Omens), Angst and Humor, Crowley-centric (Good Omens), Canon Continuation, Post-Season/Series 02, Post-Episode: s02e06 Every Day (Good Omens), Pre-Season/Series 03, No Aziraphale Slander Here but it is also Crowley's POV so expect at least some Thoughts, Angry Crowley (Good Omens), Running Away, Both in the Emotional and Literal Sense, Because You Don't Have to Deal with Your Romantic and Personal Issues in Washington State. Obviously, (incorrect: you very much do), Crowley is a Mess (Good Omens), (even if he won't admit it), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), (another thing he won't admit), Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), They're just being stupid, Not A Fix-It, References to God(s), Romantic Angst, America, United States, Fire Lookout, Remember Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires (Unless You Are Anthony J. Crowley), hey is it healthy to repeatedly relive a past trauma to deal with a breakup? asking for a friend, Scene: The Bookshop Fire (Good Omens), Fire, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Isolation, When You're Trying to Cope Badly in the American Wilderness but People Keep Talking to You, Radio, Inspired by Firewatch (Video Game), Character Study, Crowley and the Woes of Being In a Narrative That Won't Let You Go, (Fleabag voice) This is a Tragedy, But oh? What's this?, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ambiguous/Open Ending

#good omens #crowley #crowley good omens #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #aziraphale x crowley #fanfic #my fanfic #my fic #ao3 fanfic #my writing #good omens fic #good omens fanfiction #good omens fanfic #gomens #gomens fic #hey good omens fandom. long time listener. first time caller. i thought i'd dip my toes in writing one of my fav characters #going from a 14th doctor fic straight to this was very funny because like. it's the same actor. similar mannerisms. almost the same voice #but they couldn't be any more different. move over 'weeelll' we've got 'ngk' and 'ngh' now #this story was an absolute joy to write. it was so fun getting to write in a style somewhat similar to the good omens book #like the fic is still perfectly angsty trust me but boy was it fun to be a little bit funny with it #also apologies for the long arse title. my brain decided that a good omens fic needed a really long and ridiculous name #to everyone who already knows me: yep. i'm writing a story with radios again. it's either ghosts or radios or both guys i'm sorry #different fandom. same old ideas #i am also furthering my brand that is writing long as heck oneshot fics. chapters? haven't heard of 'em #fyi crowley is literally the only character who shows up in this fic in person. everyone else is pure audio baby #'tis the isolated life of a fire lookout. even if that's the only part of the job that crowley's doing correctly #(the demon is...going through it folks. don't try this at home)

[pirateonastick]

current mood (ao3 is down)

#i was in the middle of something :( #was abt to reach the comfort part of the hurt/comfort could you have waited 20 min #no manners these days smh #ao3

[otaku6337]

The Entitlement, and the Appreciation, in Fandom

Imma just shove in a quick “this is a generalisation/ a trend I happen to have personally seen for my friends and I/not meant as a personal attack or lecture” disclaimer etc etc, because it isn’t always the case and definitely isn’t all of this demographic of readers, most of them are lovely-

But why does it seem as though the entitled readers are almost always the ones who don’t post fics themselves?

I feel like every time I get a shitty comment offering unasked for criticism or complaining about my choices or being demanding about something, I always click on the account and there it is, yet again, the “0 works”.

You don’t know what it’s like to spend hours, days, weeks, of your life writing something, and then mustering up the confidence and courage to post it online, where it might not get any attention, or where people with too much time on their hands and too much emphasis on their opinion might try to tear it apart, or where, and this is the bit you hope for, at least one person might just enjoy it, maybe even enough to tell you that they did.

We’re not magicking up some “product” for you to “review” like this is Amazon or some new restaurant in your town. We’re not machines, we’re not being paid, we’re not here for you.

If you have never posted a fic and you decide to try and criticise my work, I will never respect your criticism on it. It’s as simple as that. You’re not achieving anything. I’m not going to change my writing to suit you, particularly if you’re an arsehole about it.

If a regular reader asked me a respectful question, I would happily explain. If a new username asks me a respectful question, I will explain.

If some random person comes in with passive aggressive comments, demeaning jokes, or criticism in general, thinking that they have any right to try and tell me what writing should be, they will be ignored at best, or refuted at worst. If you haven’t written, then you have no idea.

To the readers who don’t write and who are lovely - keep doing you. You’re wonderful.

Being a positive, encouraging reader is just as big a part of fandom as being a creator, in many ways, and I will always appreciate a kind reader no matter what perspective or fandom background they come from. You don’t have to have written fics to be able to appreciate someone else’s writing, and I’m lucky that so many of my readers and those in my fandom circles embody that.

And if me saying this upset you, then perhaps examine your own previous fandom experiences. Consider what perspective you come into fandom with - do you create, are you a reader/watcher etc, are you both? How do you treat people in fandom whose views or creation differ to your own? Are you, intentionally or not, giving pointless, mean, and unasked for criticism, “constructive” or otherwise?

Do you appreciate what the other people in fandom do for you?

If the answer is no, then it’s probably time to think about that. To remember that fandom is a hobby, not the be-all and end-all of your life, or anyone else’s.

It’s okay not to like something. It’s not okay to be entitled or cruel because of that difference.

And so here endeth the ramble, or whatever. Just, please, consider what the writers and artists in fandom do for you, how much time and effort they put in, and how your complaint is never going to “fix” whatever your personal issue with their stuff is.

If you don’t like, don’t interact.

And if you haven’t written and posted fics? I’m never going to take your criticism seriously. I don’t need to either. It’s not like I’m trying to sell a product  ;)

#it really is almost always the 0-workers lol #it's almost funny at this point #ao3 #fandom #fandom etiquette #fandom ramble #ao3 etiquette #fandom manners #fic writing #fic reading #ao3 manners #fandom interactions #that end sentence is a joke lol #or well it's true but it's still a joke

[jacksprostate]

hey i was thinking about uploading a bunch of my snippets to ao3 for storage/ease of access since tumblr sucks. figured i'd ask yall your preferences before i spam the shit out of you

#im leaning towards all the same + every few days #id put f fc seperately regardless i think. not sure thats ready for ao3 yet #point blank #but yk the rest of it #obv downside to all one fic means it would be relatively untagged #but i dont tag my stuff in a very detailed manner anyway #idk! if u have more in depth thoughts for some reason feel free to comment #ive never had to navigate bringing over a bunch of 500-1500 word drabbles before #i might also separate out my more crackish little drabbles too. though tbh there may not be enough to bother. idk need to review #all of them will have few to no changes #just a quick beta for misspellings #my thought with the upload every few days is yeah it increases the spam (unfortunate) but it does feel a bit fun... nice little treat #both for myself and yall lmao

[vodkassassin]

If you are new to my fics, you need to at least know this:

Do not leave comments asking for updates, asking when it will be updated, or asking if it’s discontinued because it’s been (gasp) more than a month since it last updated oh noooo

If you do leave a comment looking like the ones above; I will be replying. And I will be curt. Perhaps even, by some’s standards, rude.

But know that it’s only because you were rude first. That comment you made, that’s rude.

Because the story that you’re reading and leaving that comment on is not something you have any right to critique or make demands regarding. The author writing it has a life, a job outside of it. The story is not providing them income, and you are not paying to read it. It’s free, a privilege given to you.

I have known fellow authors that have taken the entire story down forever because they kept getting badgered and nagged by readers that posted comments that only asked for the next update, never even saying what they liked about the story or their writing or anything.

As an author, I can tell you this; it is exhausting, it’s annoying, it’s draining. It makes us not want to write anymore.

It is fucking insulting, and we hate it.

Don’t be the reason that nobody else will ever get to read the fic at all ;D That is so selfish of you : )

Have some manners, maybe? Your parents were supposed to teach you those, maybe ask them.

#ao3 etiquette #to all fanfic readers #fanfic etiquette #fandom etiquette #have some manners #vodblogging

[t1meslayer]

Busy with important family events over the next couple of days, and so I thought it would be good to get a day-and-date release for this Debrief on the latest entry in my Sapphic Valley series, "How You Get The Girl." Be sure to read the story before jumping in!

Did you do it? Did you read the story?

Alright, I'm trusting you. Go ahead and hit that 'Keep Reading' button you scamp.

It only seems appropriate to start this Debrief off by addressing the elephant in the room. I haven't posted anything in over a month, and "By Moonlight" came about a month after its predecessor, the conclusion to "Stone-Cold Lovers."

Work, naturally, has been a major factor.

You can see me talk about that almost two weeks ago in this Tumblr post I made about writing in a coffee shop, which came weeks after I actually started writing during a trip to a friend's house.

===

Side note:

Just wanted to take a moment and acknowledge my beautiful Haley and Emily keychains. My friend who's responsible for the affairs of one ghostly farmer named Jizzabelle (Gisabelle to the laymen) got them for me! Only appropriate after I commissioned some art of her and Abigail.

Emily was my first Stardew wife, and Haley currently holds the biggest place in my heart. They make a lovely duo!

And I'll avoid any sister-wife jokes

===

While I've had some other projects like Zine writing to take care of, work and life can't explain the full absence.

The best way I can think to explain things is that:

I had the general writer's block, and

Despite the best intentions and advice of my irl friends and online pals like @alchemicallymoon and @duelbraids, I couldn't force myself to "break" that block by just... Writing something else.

This is entirely the result of my own psychosis. I have a tendency to carefully plot things out and impose a timetable that really doesn't need to exist. When I feel the cause is righteous enough, it's hard to get around that. In this case, I knew I needed to get my poll-winning idea out after dawdling for holidays like Valentine's Day, and then I knew I only wanted to post one more story before jumping on a very special event for my upcoming 30th AO3 post.

Thus, here we are: arbitrarily forcing myself into a spiral of writer's block misery because of a silly promise on Tumblr and my own sense of ordered chaos.

At the very least, this meant it's coming out not long after my AO3 pal InsertACatchyPennameHere also emerged from the woodwork to tell me they're working on something INSPIRED by my four-person friend group farm adaptations.

Much love to them, wherever they may be.

I'll probably start writing more eclectically now that my shoulders are unweighed, but don't expect my next publication to hit until I'm finished working on teasing the big event. All you Pokemon fans better get hype!

And oh how sweet this publication feels. Between my great set of recent ceramics, the figure drawing class I've been attending, and creative writing, I've felt more fulfilled than ever.

You're here to talk about Stardew, though. So let us talk.

This idea began less with any one event as it did a desire to advance the Alexis/Haley relationship, and Haley's characterization in particular. It was always going to end with watercolor painting reference, but 2 Willow Lane was what I really wanted to dig into.

As I see it, a lot of what keeps people invested in Stardew when its comfy vibes becoming routine is the air of mystery in Eric Barone's worldbuilding. Haley and Emily's parents being some world-traveling duo who left their home in the siblings' care for who knows how long (and who knows how many times over their lifetime) really piqued my interest. So much so that the new writing challenge I set for myself in "How You Get The Girl" was crafting a particularly long set of descriptions that emphasize how overwhelming the parents' influence feels — without creating an impenetrable wall of text.

Hopefully I succeeded in that. Let me know!

I tried to include some vaguely real world-adjacent references into that description of the house, as happens with the magical-realism world of Stardew Valley. For example:

The computer sitting next to their bonsai tree is an iMac G3, the kind of old 'futuristic' tech that my dad loves!

A Speedwell refrigerator is based on even more vintage tech, the Mayflower fridge, but named after a different ship ridden by Pilgrims coming to America.

That city that the family visited in an old photograph with a "monument of arching, interlocking steel" is, of course, Paris — with the statue bookends referencing any number of statues in the Louvre.

Haley's FAD magazine could be referencing any number of publications, but Vogue is probably the closest analogue to what I imagine her reading.

Furthermore, I took some notes on describing the home's layout off of my sister's apartment building, and I asked my bestie @trybard for input on what kind of hanging plant should be used in the transitional hallway. Hanging pothos, philodendron, and spider plants were the three options provided, and my response was appropriate:

They know so much about plants.

Go bug them about it.

I drew on other friends' knowledge to help decorate the house. Specifically, I asked one of my witchiest friends what kinds of protective wards someone like Emily would leave around doorways and windows. She had... A lot of reference material.

I picked Hazel given it purportedly "protects against evil; encourages abundance and inspiration." I also picked Amethyst as one of Emily's loved gifts, one that purportedly "absorbs negative energy, promotes harmony."

My witchy friend is the same one who provided the TikTok that I referenced in my advertisement post:

Perhaps the most important thing about 2 Willow Lane was the recurring motif of Barbie's Dream House.

As a surface-level reference, I think the groundwork is clear. Blondie's love of fashion and general queen bee demeanor fits comparisons to Barbie well, and she lives in a big ol' house full of stuff. We all saw Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie last year. It's still in the cultural zeitgeist.

I'm hip with the kids.

Yet, early on I also tried to make it clear that if this is a "dream" house, it's neither Haley's nor Emily's dream. Haley is a Barbie in that stereotypical sense, but also there's much to be mined from the analogy of a sort of powerless doll in an immutable house, constrained by social obligation to her family rather than literal plastic and stickers.

The cold open of Jodi and Sam was meant to stand alone, but in execution I also think drawing Kent's absence into the conversation makes for a more thematically rich comparison to these sisters who appear to have themselves more put together.

My beta reader said this wound up being one of my stronger stories because of how all of that intertwined, which I appreciated given how down on myself I was following the whole writer's block thing.

But also.

Also.

Alexis gets to be horny. She's hitting on lonely MILFs and watching girls shake their asses to the tune of bad reality TV.

We love a buff dommy mommy farm girl in this house.

Haley is probably horny too, she just doesn't realize it yet. For now I think it's fun enough to play into her being coy about building excuses for Alexis to come over, and then getting incensed when Emily barges in on their private time meant to learn more about this farm girl she just can't get out of her head.

===

Fun fact:

Every story in this series is named after a Taylor Swift song, but I know next-to nothing about her discography. All of them are suggestions by my friend whose house I was at when starting this story — the same one who controls Gardenia on the farm.

While I went with "How You Get The Girl," her alternative suggestion was "The Man."

===

All that w|w talk aside, I also want to give Sam the loveable idiot a shoutout. Had to do a fair bit of research into how skateboards are constructed for his failed ollie, and I slipped in a reference to shitty old technology that's exclusively for my beta reader to enjoy.

I also tried doing some agricultural research to figure out how the folks at Kevin Farm could have grown cucumbers so there'd be a jar of legitimate pickles... But that was getting too in the weeds.

Insert laugh track here

Decided to just go with pickled artichoke hearts to save everyone a lot of trouble.

And where does "Kevin Farm" come from, you may be asking yourself. Or the fabulous "Kevin's Special" with its definitely not innuendo tagline.

That story will have to wait for another day, my friends.

#I really went in on this one #Moreso than I was expecting #But I guess that's what happens when you get very anxious about how people on the internet are judging your ability to do things well #And in a timely manner #Not that I think any of you are judging me #My fans are great <3 #Anyway thanks so much for reading! #I promise the Kevin Farm story isn't all that interesting but one day I'll make it relevant to a piece #Fanfiction Debrief #fanfiction #fanfic #companion piece #author's commentary #ao3 #stardew valley #stardew haley #writing #creative writing #struggle #macintosh #vintage technology #paris france #louvre #vogue #plants #tiktok #witchcraft #protection #barbie #metaphors

[daydadahlias]

you can't reclaim a word that's never been used against you

#if you've never been called fat before please dont use that word #as someone who has been called fat a lot in my life in very painful ways... y'all dont get it #and i dont want people within a hundred feet of a word they dont understand the connotation/power of #im really just sad and tired of seeing non-fat people call ashton fat. because it just Keeps happening a *lot* and i just like #cannot stomach it at this point. i mean i literally see it FREQUENTLY and now ive just seen some stuff about it on my dash tonight and like #it brings me to tears literally every single time i see it. and i *never* see fat people call ashton fat ever. it is *only* non-fat people #and it's because they just simply do not understand how that word feels. and i shouldn't necessarily fault people for it BC they dont get i #but people writing feeder fics about him?? and going out of their way to describe his body in a way they never would a thin person's... #and more than that. like. he's not *fat*???? that's just not the right word. sure he HAS fat. everyone does #but calling him fat pointblank is just like... i do not see the benefit in it. he's Big. he's Muscular. but he's not *fat* #and it makes me think that you dont know any fat people. when that word has only ever been used in a derogatory manner by the majority #i mean that is NOT a neutral word. at this point in history. and if you have never experienced the harm that it can bring i just #i mean i dont know why you *want* to be using it #so yeah uh saying my bit on that bc y'all know me #im a little blabber box chatter mouth #and it's just something that i see a lot of especially on ao3 and one of the primary reasons actually that #i dont really read new fics by authors i dont know #because the way people treat ashton's body is very different than how they treat others' #and it's usually not fat people creating that content SO! #please uh consider maybe the words you're using... and how they could affect others! #ok i have a lot of homework to do tonight so im gonna. hunker down and do that #and feel Not Good about my body because if you think *ashton irwin* is *fat* then #i dont really want to know what you think about an actual fat person

[fag-medic]

started writing a spydad fic that deals with the horrors of cloning, cheating, divorce, absent parents and coming out as a trans person later in life. we at 3.3k rn

#mobtxt #i intend on putting it on ao3 unless i stop writing it for some reason #also the usage of spydad instead of spymom is intentional #that woman interacts with her gender in a bizarre manner #and i love it