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frownyalfred · 2 years

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Alcohol tips for newbie writers (or non drinkers!):

At bars, people who order “chasers” after their shots are ordering something to wash down the taste of their shot with. This can be juice, soda, more alcohol, or even pickle juice

Hard liquor is generally sold in stores as shots (tiny bottles), fifths, liters, and handles or in ml (50, 100, 200 etc)

Most people can’t finish an entire fifth of hard liquor (vodka, etc) on their own without being very ill

Conversely, many people can finish an entire bottle of wine on their own without being ill

Liquor can be “bottom shelf” or “rail” or “well” -- all synonyms for the cheapest version of alcohol a bartender has. Bars generally keep several “levels” of alcohol stocked

You order a drink with the alcohol first, then the mix -- e.g., a “vodka soda” or a “Tito’s and tonic”

When you “close out a tab”, you pay for all of the drinks you’ve had that night. Either the bartender already has your card (you “opened a tab” earlier) or it was quiet enough that they just kept an eye on you and tallied your bill up at the end

“Doubles” are drinks or shots with double the standard pour of alcohol

In the US, most shots (pours) are 1.5 oz by default.

Mixed drinks (gin and tonic, vodka lemonade, cosmos, etc) are generally made up of 1-2 shots and a mixer

If you don’t specify which type of alcohol you’d like in a mixed drink (vodka cranberry, for example) the bartender will put whatever the “house” liquor is -- and this depends entirely on the establishment. A dive bar will pour rail by default, whereas a nicer tavern might make all vodka cranberries with Tito’s

PLEASE TIP YOUR BARTENDERS THEY WILL REMEMBER YOU I PROMISE

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pastafossa · 1 year

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Using Tarot To Help You Write

Right ok, so I’ve wanted to do this for a bit - there are vague references to tarot in my story TRT and I’ve answered a few questions about how I use the RWS-style tarot to write but now I have a little bit of time while I wait for my laundry to dry. So let’s get into it.

If you’re looking for another tool in your writer’s kit, you could strongly consider adding a box of tarot cards to the bag. Set aside, for a minute, what you’ve heard about it. Set aside any spiritual aspect, telling the future, the ‘OoOOOooOOh evil’, or even the ‘DRAW DEATH MEANS DEATH’ you see in movies. Instead, strip it down to its base.

Tarot is about telling a story.

(Below: Oak, Ash, & Thorn Tarot)

From a storytelling perspective, the first 18 cards of the RWS style tarot, known as the Major Arcana, essentially tell the Hero’s Journey as the Hero sets out on an adventure and searches for knowledge. There’s disaster, love, temptation, and wise people they meet along the way before eventually finding enlightenment at the end of their journey. The Major Arcana contains major archetypes and themes present through so many stories. When you add in the rest of the cards in the Minor Arcana - the other 56 cards, encompassing a variety of emotions, archetypes, figures, and various life events you might run into - you’ve got something perfect when you want to introduce new elements to your story. I keep a small deck on my desk and use it frequently when creating random OCs, plotlines, or problems for characters to solve.

And before you go, holy shit Pasta that’s a lot to take in, using tarot for your story doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to have 20 years of tarot experiences, you don’t need to be an expert, you don’t need A Great Gift. You don’t have to know about tarot at all, really. You just need one thing:

The right storytelling deck.

More below the cut.

Look, there are a million styles out there, some that focus heavily on storytelling imagery and some that focus more on symbols; some that feature animals or nature, and some that focus on people. I generally lean towards animal-based decks since I’m more familiar with animal/nature imagery, body language, and symbolism, but in reality the best deck to use for writing is simply the one you’ll actually use. If you’re drawn to one, go for it. That being said, if you’re looking for something to use without needing to get into all the symbolism of each card, I generally recommend using a deck in which all cards, including the Minor Arcana, depict a scene you can examine - aka, one that plays up a story rather than a straight up symbol. Let me show you an example with three decks.

Left: Mystical Cats tarot; Middle: Oriens tarot; Right: Children of Litha tarot

These all depict the same card: the Seven of Swords, meant to depict deceit, theft, betrayal, lies, and trickery. The middle card relies a little more heavily on symbolic meaning (the black widow spider, which ‘betrays’ when mating and uses a sticky web - symbolizing a potential trap), whereas the other two cards show an active scene (Card 1: OH NO HE’S GONNA STEAL YER MOUSE WHILE YOU’RE NOT LOOKING; Card 3: YOU LOVESTRUCK DIPSHITS, TURN AROUND, THE SNAKE’S EATING YOUR EGGS). I’ve found cards like Card 1 and Card 3 are faster and more convenient for storytelling, because you’re basically presented with a scenario/characters/a situation right off the bat, whereas a symbolic card is more open-ended and might require some digging unless you’re already fairly familiar with the symbolism. If you’re going to get a deck that depicts people instead, I recommend looking for a deck that’s diverse. Humans come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and having a deck that reflects that (something like the Modern Witch tarot) is valuable for storytelling. So if you’re picking a deck to help you write, look for:

Decks that use scenes/storytelling imagery for all cards

Decks with imagery/body language you can easily read at a glance

If you’re looking for a deck with people - decks with a diverse range of body types, ethnicities, sexualities, and genders

A deck with imagery you actually like, otherwise you won’t want to use it

‘Ok, so let’s say I’ve found a deck, or I already have one. What does using tarot for fic even look like?’

Let’s do two quick readings for two writing scenarios you might use this for! This will also show you can be as complex or as simple as you need to be. These are also the two scenarios I use tarot for most when writing - character construction, and plotline construction. First I’ll use the Children of Litha tarot, which uses a moderate amount of storytelling imagery. Then I’ll use the Mystical Cats tarot, which is probably the most story-heavy deck I have, imagery-wise. That way, you can see how construction gets a bit easier depending on how scene-heavy a deck is.

Scenario: I need an original character for this chapter or scene! Quick, draw three cards!

Quick reading: she’s very gentle but there are also two tigers inside her and one of them wants to kill you, especially if you fuck with her pet birds

More complex reading - Personality, Flaw, Backstory:

Card 1 - Personality: This character is someone who’s unafraid and bold in their kindness even when faced with danger, and they know when a gentle touch is needed. They believe strength is found not in being cruel or violent but in responding with love. This usually works out for them, to the point that even Scary People (TM) seek this character out, knowing they’ll find love and affection. Alternatively, this character is one half of the Brooding Rough One Loves The Gentle Soft One trope. Whatever works for you!

Card 2 - Flaw: Despite all that, the gentle character’s got a temper, and it exists in direct conflict to what they believe about strength, thus producing cognitive dissonance. This is someone who’ll dodge conflict to avoid showing their temper, but eventually that repression’s going to blow up into a real fight and it’ll be messy.

Card 3 - backstory: This temper and conflict avoidance is due to some tragic incident in their past that left them deeply wounded. It’s one reason they’re so gentle, but there’s a lot of lingering anger and trauma. These wounds are not healed, and if you look deep enough, you’re going to find blood.

Depending on how important this character is, you could add even more: a card for a strength, a card for a challenge they need to overcome to grow as a person, their family dynamic, etc. Again, you can make it as detailed or as simple as you need.

PASTA NOW I NEED A LITTLE PLOTLINE FOR CHARACTERS TO SOLVE. Quick, draw four!

Quick reading: holy SHIT your characters gotta move fast, cause there’s a pissed off dude out there who wants revenge NOW and is ready to fuck up a *shuffles cards and draws* religious temple of peaceful cat loving monks, one of whom is the one that fucked up Angry Dude in the first place WHEN HE WAS A BABY WITH HIS MAMA, PLOT TWIST OH NO, IT’S PROBABLY THAT ASSHOLE STEVE IN THE BACK OF THE THIRD CARD, LOOK AT HIM LOOKING OFF INTO THE DISTANCE.

More complex reading - Theme, Problem, Setting, Solution:

Card 1 - Theme: As you can tell from our cat with zoomies, your protagonists are on a clock. The theme here is urgency, it’s speed. Things will start off with a bang and they won’t have much time to slow down. This’d be good for a one shot or a chapter.

Card 2 - Problem: look at that cat, they’re so ANGRY, they are PISSED, someone did them dirty and they’ve been stewing over it for a while. They can’t stop feeling that betrayal no matter how much they try to lick it off shake it off forget about it. They want REVENGE for what was done to them and they’re gonna cut someone up.

Card 3 - Setting: Ah, a peaceful, sunny place where everyone’s just chilling. Everyone’s happy. Maybe a religious place, say, a church or a convent or hell, a nudist retreat. Either way, no one knows what’s coming. Except (and this is why scene cards are so fun)... for STEVE there in the back. Look at him. Everyone’s relaxing in the sun but he’s staring out into the distance. He knows. And just like that, Steve’s the In Hiding person who betrayed our Problem - Steve the Asshole isn’t a part of the Sun card’s meaning, but a storytelling scene card lets you stretch like this and have fun.

Card 4 - solution: Clearly the only person who can stop Bad Person... is their MAMA (or potentially his siblings). Maybe a character goes to find the Problem’s mother and brings her to the church to talk the Problem into giving up. Maybe the protagonists desperately tell the Problem that your family wouldn’t have wanted this, even if that family was hurt - the Empress is generally very nurturing and loving, so that’s a fair bet. Either way, the solution to the Problem is their family.

Once you get the hang of this, you’ll start to find other ways you can use it. I’ve used it for creating quick or more complex or more randomized characters, for creating plotlines and character arcs, for a few of Jane’s cases in TRT. You can use it for backstories, for settings, for problems and solutions, for deeper themes to explore with your characters. Hell, if you want some practice, you could literally go through the Major Arcana and write one-shots dealing with each card’s theme. Ultimately the possibilities are endless, whether you want to construct a detailed plotline or if you just have a new character you want to randomize or flesh out a bit.

In short: go get yourself a deck and have some fun!

#tarot #writing #writing advice #fanfic advice #fanfic #fic advice #writing tips #fic tips #tarot for writing #basically look for a deck that tells a good story and then you won't have to to know anything about tarot for it to work #you can just go 'oh cat has zoomies in this card so this character is a hyperactive wild child always on the move and is amusing'#you can make it as deep or as hilarious or as shallow as you want #decks used here: oriens tarot - children of litha tarot - mystical cats tarot - oak ash and thorn tarot #honestly the mystical cats tarot is prime storytelling material

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hadesfucks · 1 year

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Fencing Informational for fic writers!

Guys please do some research on fencing before you write it into your Wednesday fics like please….

Foil, Sabre, and Épée, are all different styles named after the sword used in the style. No one is fencing with an Épée against a Sabre.

Foil has specific rules like Right Of Way, and touches only count if they’re in the upper torso section covered by a fencing jacket.

Sabre also has right of way but a point can be made by the tip and side of the blade, as well as being able to score a touch anywhere waist up (excluding the hands).

Épée is for psychopaths and masochists (aka anyone who knows how to have fun). A touch can only be scored with the tip of the blade BUT there is no right of way and the entire body is game. From the head to the hands to the little toe, even if you just straight crotch shot them. I personally think it would be wednesdays favorite.

Sorry for the big block of text, happy writing!

#wednesday #enid sinclair #wednesday netflix #wenclair #gay #netflix #wednesday addams #the addams family #they’re lesbians your honor #fencing #writing #fic tips #fanfic

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sailoryooons · 2 years

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WRITING RESOURCES

Hi frens - a recent conversation with one of my fave mutuals brought steered us to a conversation about writers being gatekeepers for how they make their content or what resources they use for their stories etc. etc. and it just got me thinking how I literally never want to gatekeep anything I used to write my stories. Below is a list of resources / websites that I often use when world building or trying to find some inspiration for fics (largely fantasy). I will definitely plan on updating this as I find re-sources and will additionally add writing tools - I will also link this post in my FAQ so it lives somewhere findable.

If you're a writer and you also use a tool or writing resource that you find helpful and want to share with the world - pls respond to this thread or send me a message and I will add it! My goal is to share as many tools as possible, even if it's how-tos like how to make a master list, how to make a banner etc!!

WORLD BUILDING TOOLS:

These websites are free and though they are limited, you don't necessarily need to use the actual world building as much as you can just use the questions and formatting. These sites will ask you EVERYTHING you might need to know about your world.

world anvil | kanka |

MYTHOLOGICAL RESOURCES:

These are websites that store mass amounts of mythological and theological stories and histories of multiple cultures.

god checker | pantheon | mythopedia |

MASTERLIST TOOLS:

→ If you mainly manage a masterlist on a computer and don't have an Apple interface where you can quickly use keys for emojis for keys and navigations, use: emojipedia

→ If you are someone who doesn't have a lot of skill in graphic design but you don't have someone to ask for a banner / don't feel comfortable asking for a banner, most Canva templates are free but also Photo Pea is essentially a free version of Photoshop and has the same tools!

→ If you have a Tumblr theme / layout that does not let you but your masterlist links in your bio that show up on mobile, here is how.

FREE WORD PROCESSORS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE MICROSOFT WORD:

Google Docs | LibreOffice | WPS Office

FREE FILE TRANSFERS IF YOU ARE SENDING DOCS BACK AND FORTH FROM COMPUTERS:

WeTransfer

#fic resources #writing resources #fic how tos #fic tips

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whiskey-bumblebee · 1 year

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tips to make your fanfic more accessible (1/?)

When it comes to writing reader insert characters, or even original characters that are meant to be broadly relevant to your audience, it's important to write in a way that doesn't exclude people with marginalized identities from reading and connecting with your work. Everyone deserves to feel loved and represented! Since fanfic is an escape for so many of us, it's so crucial that the language we use is accessible and embraces the variety of people who might be reading your fic.

Disclaimer! I am a white, cis, plus size woman, and I would hate to misrepresent something, or leave things out, so I would LOVE to hear from some Black, BIPOC, trans, and/or minority readers about things that make you uncomfy/take you out of the story. I can add them to this post w/ credit, or you can comment below :)

Physical appearance:

-A big one here is hair. Not everyone has a hair texture or style that someone can lovingly comb their fingers through. Some readers (for extremely valid reasons, including the fact that in some contexts it can be rooted in racism) might not like the idea of a fictional character putting their hands in the reader's hair!

-The fix: think about what you're trying to convey with the action of hair-touching. Is it affection? Closeness? Foreplay? Could the character stroke the reader's hair instead of running their fingers through it? Could they trace the reader's ears?

-Another big one! Body ody ody! There's so much to say here, but I'll start with shape and size. Not everyone will be able to fit into their favourite fictional character's clothes. And for some plus size folks, it is just not realistic for a character to pick them up and throw them around. I love my body, and I don't know a single fictional character who would be able to lift me! This isn't embarrassing or asking for compliments, it's just my bodily reality.

-The fix: what terms do you use to describe the reader's body? Are they exclusive or implicitly biased? Is your reader lithe, with long legs and "a handful" of breast tissue? Is someone throwing your reader around like a sack of potatoes, or pinning them up against a wall, with no additional support?

Ability:

-This is a self call-out as well, but I've noticed that there aren't a lot of multi-chapter fanfics which include characters with disabilities. This is tricky, as I think a lot of writers might not necessarily have lived experience with needing mobility aids, or things like blindness and deafness, etc. I don't necessarily think that able-bodied writers should be attempting this, but it's something to think about.

-The fix: Could your character achieve their movements with a prosthetic limb? How might they experience things differently if they're overstimulated? Uplift fic writers with disabilities and diverse lived experiences! Reblog their work!

Sex and gender:

-This one is also a bit complex because writers might not know exactly where to start when it comes to writing someone with a different gender identity, or mode of presentation. Especially when you're writing explicit sex scenes, I think it's okay to write things with a specific anatomy in mind, as long as you're clear about who you're writing for from the outset (e.g. character x fem!reader in the chapter notes or A/N).

-Not everyone who likes being called "good girl" has breasts and a vagina. Some men don't have penises. Trans and intersex people exist and are incredibly LOVED and CHERISHED on this blog. <3

-The fix: If you're writing a fic where anatomy is less important, go for gender neutral terms of endearment, and gender neutral pronouns. Maybe switch things up and try writing a reader character with a different gender identity to your own!

_________________________________________________

TL;DR- 1) Uplift fanfic by underrepresented communities (this can vary by fandom, but queer/LGBTQ+, BIPOC, disabled, and neurodivergent authors are a great place to start!)

2) Do an accessibility proofread- does your reader have any characteristics that aren't broadly applicable to readers? Are these characteristics essential to the plot?

3) If you're part of a minority community, embrace the things that make you unique! Let writers know if they're excluding you. Or as a writer, write yourself down. Produce some of the representation that you can't find elsewhere (if you feel up to it).

4) Write from a place of love. We love what we write about, whether it's characters, story worlds, or one bed tropes. Extend that love to all of your readers :) <3

#fic tips #okay to reblog!#<3 #not a call out! just something I've been wanting to share #fanfic #fanfiction #criminal minds #star wars

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sbzpruiosnejre · 1 year

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Fanfic length terms (disputed)

Certain fanfic terms are disputed based on personal preference, fandom, and where the fanfic is, but I've put together this list of fanfic terms regarding fic length to help guide people new to them!

Drabble - exactly 100 words

Double drabble - exactly 200 words

Flashfic - under 500 words

Ficlet - between 100 and 1000 words

Vignette - between 100 and 1000 words, focusing on a specific character or scene with lots of description

One-shot - any fic with only one chapter, traditionally longer than a drabble

Multi-chapter - any fic with multiple chapters

Longfic - lengthy fics, of either more than 30k+ words or more than 70k+ words

Epic(fic) - more than 100k words

#ao3 #fic tips #fic advice #ao3 advice #fanfiction

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top-tier-tickles · 2 years

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Hi! I love your work so much could I use some tips from you? I don't mind if you don't wanna also keep up the great work! :)

OMG THANK YOU!!! No one's ever asked for tips from me before 😭❤️💕

I don't know of you'd like art tips or fic tips, so I'll give you both:

For art:

Dont be afraid to draw things in your style, add some things that would fit and make how you draw a character unique to you. It doesn't matter if it's "not canon"

You wanna give someone top scars? Do it!

Wanna give someone a ponytail? Do it!

Wanna make someone wear a pride pin? Do it!

Secondly, if you have an idea, throw it out there! This is the internet, someone will love it!

Okay. Now for fics:

Write what you know. If you don't know enough about something, that's okay. You can always benefit from doing research for your fic.

Second, if you see an idea that wasn't mentioned or talked about, write about it! Many people have many different views and often see things that someone else doesn't. Writing about it could open someone up to a new point of view!

I hope you like these!

BONUS:

How to draw Bendy

#hopefully these help #tips #art tips #fic tips

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roanniom · 2 years

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Issa your writing tips are top notch. I love for the times when people ask you for fic advice because I feel like I’m getting to sit in on a class I should have paid for 🧡

Oh my gosh that’s so sweet of you! I am by NO means any type of expert. I barely know what I’m doing most times. But I do love writing fic and I have a degree in creative writing but I promise that doesn’t factor in at all because I haven’t proof read one thing I’ve posted and I love helping anyone who asks.

So yeah, always happy to pass on tips or advice! ♥️♥️♥️

#anon #fic writing #writing tips #fic tips

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jinkookspencil · 1 year

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hey hey! i plan to FINALLY share the beginning of my longer jin fic once i hit my next follower milestone! i’m still not totally confident in it so i need your advice!

any tips for longer fics for the first time someone reads it? any series fic recs? (preferably within the BTS fandom) stuff that’s like 2/3 parts max nothing too long 🙇🏻‍♀️

#BTS fic #BTS fanfic #BTS fan fiction #fic rec #fic tips #fanfiction tips #fanfiction advice #fanfic advice #fanfic tips

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heywriters · 11 months

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If you want to write a dumb little story with a dumb little plot and ridiculously silly characters. No one's stopping you. Genuinely, no one should be allowed to stop you. Write that dumb story with your whole heart and don't hold back.

#look I've deleted fics that made me feel awful #There's a time and a place #A good idea will come back to you again #But some things should be given time to settle #writeblr #writing tips #writing #writer advice #writers on tumblr

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crazywolf828 · 9 months

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To all my writers who have a tough time with smut terms and not knowing which ones to use, I have found the holy grail for us.

This reddit user, who I've recently found out is @kjscottwrites here on tumblr, took a poll of 3,500 people and went really in depth with asking their favorite terminology, along with actual pie charts on what the readers preferred to see in their smut.

Check out their post with the link to the Google doc here!

#hope yall enjoy😌#share to save a life because god smut is so hard to write😭#fics #fan fiction #fanfiction #writing #writing tips #smut #write #don't mind me #i dunno what else to tag this as

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frownyalfred · 1 year

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Words/phrases I often see from British/Australian writers while writing American characters (and some American alternatives because I know it’s tricky!):

Bugger (American: fuck/fucker)

Flat (American: apartment, “my place”)

Bloke (American: guy, asshole, dude)

Queue (American: line, checkout line)

Cuppa (American: cup of tea, hot tea)

Shite (American: bullshit, shit, crap)

Some of these are regional, like all of the various American words for the British “trolley” (American: shopping cart, buggy, cart, etc) but most of the above words are pretty ubiquitous.

#writing tips #this is meant with the most respect ever #because writing in a different culture is HARD #mad respect #but I see these pop up a lot #and they sometimes take me out of the story briefly #add to this?#writing #fic #fic tips #writing things

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pastafossa · 1 year

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how long did it take for your fanfiction to start getting some recognition? did you "advertise" it or "promote" it in any way?

i know that people say this doesn't matter, but i feel like even if you love writing the feeling that you're just talking to yourself gets pretty exhausting at some point. so i'm not talking about having thousands of readers but rather like. what's your advice to have readers at least?

- someone who hasn't even started writing their ideas yet...

LONG POST INCOMING.

First I want you (and everyone else reading who may be struggling with this) to know I'm absolutely with you and generally think 'it doesn't matter' is a horseshit answer. It's this weird thing we do in fanfic that we generally don't apply to other artforms that I've seen. If you're a painter, a playwriter, a novel writer, and you say, 'I want at least a few people to love my paintings, I want some people to come see my play, I want my novel to be published and do at least ok' we all support them, we nod, we agree, we talk about how they can do that successfully. It's considered normal to want some amount of success. But hold up fanfic instead and it becomes, 'how dare you want that praise, you're being egotistical, you should be writing only for yourself'. I'm not saying you can't do that - there are some who do - but it's definitely this bizarre switchup to say there's this single artform in which we can't want attention on our work and that there's something wrong with us if we do. That can be an absolute creativity killer depending on what kind of writer you are (hi, extrovert writer here who only gets writy writy juice from social interaction - aka comments and discussion. So I totally get it being exhausting just doing this on your own).

So let me say this categorically: you're allowed to want things. You're allowed to want kudos, comments, and hits. You're allowed to want messages and asks. You're allowed to want some readers you can talk with about your story.

You. Are. Allowed.

Ok, now that that's out of the way.

Edit: more below the cut cause I didn't realize the length of this on mobile

TRT definitely didn't get popular overnight. The first four chapters were sporadic, and then I took a hiatus due to life things for a couple years. During that time, it kept slowly ticking up bit by bit on AO3, with occasional comments. Iirc it was hovering somewhere around 700 kudos by the time I came back in Jan 2021 - and that's a awesome! It's big! But it's also a number that was gained over a few years, to put it in perspective. It absolutely took off after I came back though, and over the past 2 years both TRT's popularity and the stats of my one-shots in the fandom have grown. Part of that's just the time frame (TRT's been up about 6 years), but it's also due to a couple things that I think built up TRT's popularity.

Building a tumblr presence was huge. Ironically I didn't really intend to do it for advertising; I just wanted a place readers could ask questions or we could all freak out about Matt or I could post some drabbles or updates on the fic. But considering the fact that AO3 and tumblr are the top fic sites online, I wound up promoting my fics unintentionally just by being a friendly, happy tumblr user and fandom goer. All I did was follow the courtesy rules I knew - post stuff regularly, reblog, comment, make friends with other writers, just be friendly in your neighborhood because you love the lady with the gif flower shop on the corner or the wise old pizza maker who serves hot fandom takes all day long. I built familiarity with my writing and name by posting short fics, and by taking part in challenges and prompt lists and short requests for drabbles if I saw them, though that's something that's hard to do if you don't have time (I've got less time now, but I started this blog in the early pandemic so I had aaaaall the time in the world to write and was using it to stay sane). I tagged religiously because I LOVE tags, but that helped, too. Tumblr's search system is half broken but the half that works means people CAN find your writing even if they aren't following. Doing all this over here got me a huge boost over on AO3.

I will say that if you can have a fandom tiktok presence, there's a lot of fic reviewers, edits, and good stuff that can get your fic some readers (I've had some people do this on tiktok for TRT and it sent a surge over). I personally haven't done anything there yet, in part because while I'm on tiktok I try to keep my actual, real person accounts separate from my fic/fandom accounts and i haven't bothered to make a second account solely dedicated to the Pasta name yet.

Longfics on AO3 have the advantage in fic stats in the sense that every time you add a chapter, it gets bumped to the top of the front page and you get seen again. Eventually a lot of people will click out of curiosity. They may not, however, give you a lot of user subs or add to your other fic stats at first, whereas if you do a bunch of oneshots you're more likely to get user subs but less hits on each fic. This is a decision you'll have to make, and I know folks in both camps who built their followings using different methods on each. Either way, it helps if you're posting regularly, either in a long fic or one-shots. I call this the Stephen King method, who said he just writes a ton and throws it all at the wall, and eventually you get enough good despite the bad that you start building a following.

Learn learn learn. This is standard fic advice I always give, but it's still relevant. I think one of the reasons imo TRT has done so well is that I've spent a lot of time over the years learning how to write and edit - I read a ton of books (sometimes just to figure out HOW good authors structure their stories), I took a lot of English classes, I've taken some creative writing courses in my spare time. That two year hiatus was heavily spent doing a lot of research and practice around an original novel I want published one day. And I used ALL of that in TRT, just to see what it was like to put it all together. Be hungry for knowledge, be hungry to learn. The more you learn, the better your fic will be, and the more people that will click.

That learning also includes a looooong string of fanfics that started at a very novice level (hello 12 year old me), to fics that were ok and did moderately well but weren't anything huge. Hell, I had a tumblr account for my previous fandoms before I wandered over to Pastafossa, and while those fics did decently, I never had the huge reaction I've gotten here. But I used each and every one of those fics to learn and grow and adapt. Treat your own fics the same way. If it doesn't get hits, try to learn from it before moving on to the next idea a little wiser and a slightly better writer than before. There will always be people who start to follow you along the way.

A small one, but important: I swear to god, do not shit-talk yourself. Not in the summary, not in the tags, not in the A/Ns. I'm not talking, 'this is my first fic!' That's fine. I mean trashing your own work. Shit like, 'ha ha this sucks, it's terrible but oh well' will absolutely lower your stats, because people will believe you and will ditch your fic. On top of that, it's just mean to yourself, and as I said above, you want to be a good person in the fandom neighborhood. That means not breaking the windows of your own house.

People generally think of summaries as a side note, but a shitty summary can absolutely tank your stats. Treat it like the rest of your fic - this is the trailer before the movie, and it's a huge element of what gets people interested in the first place.

Lastly, like I said at the top, the biggest factor is time. There are people who post one fic and explode in popularity, absolutely. But far, far more little followings are built on the bones of time, of abandoned fics, of muttering and highlighting phrases in books in the middle of the night, of trying and trying and trying until we have at last have a breakthrough and then drag that breakthrough forward with us to the next fic. TRT is absolutely one part lightning in a bottle - the biggest success I've ever had anywhere with my writing, a confluence of fandom factors and world events that gave people (and me!) time to write and read. But it's also standing on the back of whole lot of fics I wrote that look like everyone else's: ones with no comments, low interaction, insults; ones where I had precisely zero idea of what I was doing, but wanted to try anyway. And the way I got through that, as a writer who needs interaction in order to create, was by building friendships in fandom so that even when a fic didn't do all that well, I still had friends I could talk to about the characters, the world, the fandom itself. I asked friends to look them over and give advice. I had friends being my cheerleaders. And if you're an extrovert like me, or just a writer who needs that to create, then those connections are vital as you build up a following.

That's a lot of what I've done. I know there are other ways to build a following, but this is generally what I've done, what I've learned to do, and it seems to have worked. Just remember that there are no bad fics - just learning opportunities. Learn something, and that fic's a success, and work as hard as you can to make those fandom connections to carry you through the process.

I absolutely hope to see your work around one day, so that I can be on of those followers!

#writing advice #fic advice #fic tips #building a following #fanfic #fic #writing tips #tbh i was shocked and still kind of am by how popular trt's become #because i have had ZERO previous experiences in my fic writing time that aligned #BUT #there are absolutely things I did in hindsight I think that helped a ton #and all of the practice and writing fic including the ones with zero interaction helped #i learned how to be a good fandom goer even when i didn't write #because i genuinely loved my little neighborhoods #and i used a lot of that when i started writing again cause why wouldn't i???#also avoid petty fandom drama you don't need to waste your energy on it #i WANT my blog to generally be a positive space cause i've got shit going on elsewhere and i don't need more #but that also means i think that people like wandering through cause they know there's a lot of happy things here #be the person in the neighborhood watering your daisies and putting out a rainbow pinwheel even when ted down the block #is feuding with susan up the block over the height of ted's fence

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anabanana-romanova · 7 months

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💡 (for the fic question thing)

What inspires your fic ideas?

There are many things that inspire me. I often take ideas from my own day or my own world and think about it enough for it to form. Oneshots and dabbles are usually like this (it might be someone dancing around a kitchen or having a really nice bath after a long day), but for the longer fics I find that I tend to get inspiration from other media, such as a tv show or movie I'm watching, or, if it's a more historical character I'm writing like Anastasia & Dmitri or Tintin, I do a bunch of research on what was going on at the time.

An example of this is that I have a fic idea floating around my head of Tintin getting too injured to continue being a reporter, so he goes to England to become a doctor, which is inspired by the tv show "Call The Midwife" that ive been watching recently. I have a whole bunch of ideas for it, one of them being that Chang moves in with his uncle after managing to escape the Maoist regime in China (he nearly get a sent to a labour camp but manages to escape) and soon enrolls at the University with Tintin and the help each other. Tintin stands up for Chang when people try and bully him about his race and Chang saves Tintin a bunch of times from his enemies lurking about. I got that idea about Chang by doing some internet reading on China at that time and looking at the beginnings of the Maoist regime.

Then the final thing I do is just think about it. I don't really know, but I just think. I'll often have a few big scenes that I know I want (they're generally big milestones in some sort of character development or major points in the plot) and so I simply think about how to link them together. A lot of times it's just easier to let the story go where it wants it to go and to come back and piece it together properly. If you ever get and idea for your fic, just play around with it. Explore it, see if you can manipulate it to work and if not, that's ok because it might spark other ideas.

Also, music helps a lot.

Hope that helps!

#fic #fic asks #fanfiction #writing advice #fic tips

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