#on fanfic

[the-pen-pot]

Don't you think you owe it to readers to give them what they want?

No? What an odd take. Read my fic or don't.

#On fanfic

[mylittleredgirl]

the thing about cracking open a long-established popular ship tag on ao3 is that it allows you to be extraordinarily picky, and i think it must be the closest thing i will ever experience to being filthy rich. i scroll along at super speed like no today i am only interested in fics with this precise range of words and one of these three tags. only authors i’ve heard of, please. hmm, i suppose i could consider an unknown quantity given its apparent popularity with the people, but… no, no, this summary doesn’t do it for me. no particular reason, it’s just… eh, i don’t need to explain myself. bring me 50 more like this for me to choose from and we’ll see.

#the modern day evolution of the dicks doth touch bard is a harried personal shopper #on fanfic #anyway i’m like 20 pages deep into the sam/jack tag by kudos and continuing to live my best life #i can’t even imagine how picky some of y’all get to be #ao3

[plainblackcanvas56]

I'm staying away from cell shading in the future... (Fan art of Bibliothecaria_D's Tinyformers - please read the fic, it's so fun!

#queue #tf #tf shitpost #my art #mtmte #tf fanart #on fanfic #tinyformers #tarn #djd #canvasdraws

[hellhoundmaggie]

Finish Your Fics Friday Saturday Sunday

Got challenged by @kris-mage-fics for my sins! Thank you Kris.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Ask me about the fanfic WIP you want me to work on.

My mission: Write or edit five sentences for the the Asked-about fic and post them in the answer.

Here are your choices:

Scarlet Hollow:

-Wayne/MC: Wayne and lady MC have consensual adult fun times post-Episode 4. The fic will be explicit, but the sentences I post won’t be.

-Reeneeka: Kaneeka gets her portrait painted by Reese. Romantic and angsty feelings surface. Probably not going to be explicit, but there’s definitely going to be mutual pining.

Stardew Valley:

-Shane/Farmer: Shane notices Haley putting down lady Farmer for wearing overalls to the Flower Dance. He decides to be chivalrous in his own gruff way. A little angsty, but mostly sweet.

Challenging @maylilithreign and @the-defiant-heiress. No pressure — I mean it!

#Ask game #scarlet hollow #scarlet hollow mc #wayne scarlet hollow #Wayne/mc #reese kelly #kaneeka forsyth #reneeka #reeneeka #Stardew valley #shane stardew valley #shane x farmer #stardew valley #on fanfic

[mariana-oconnor]

People who post multichapter fic a chapter at a time as they write them are so fucking brave. Like 50% of my long-fic writing process is realising as I write word 75,620 that I was an idiot 60k words ago and I need to add in two scenes, write a character in who previously wasn't in the fic at all, and move words 30k-35k to an unspecified point in the future that I haven't written yet. The idea of being stuck into what I have already written is anathema to me. I don't even really know what the story is actually about until I'm 5k from the end.

#Cleaning out my drafts #on writing #on fanfic #Qd

[onewomancitadel]

One of my many opinions is that the problem with published fanfiction is not that fanfiction is bleeding into the mainstream publishing industry (the two have always been symbiotic to some degree - fanfic is informed by published genres/standards) but rather that I think if you can retool a fanfic as a published work then I'm not sure it really should have been a fanfic of that canonical work.

If one character can easily become another, if one plot can be so wholly divorced from canonical inference/interpretation, if all of this is so totally fluid, then what was it very good at in the first place? Recognisable character, recognisable canon, is the bread and butter of fanfic. This is the root of criticism of Migratory Slash Fandom - which is a misdirection, because this is the root of my criticism of fanon in general within panfandom - that is, that fandom has its own discrete practices fandom to fandom which persist through expected and inserted archetypes and narrative practices.

In which case I say, there are very different issues there. From my own perspective, my fanfic and original work practices are so very distinct from each other that it would not feel right to ever take anything I've written fanfic-wise and retool it, because every single choice I have made - from prose composition to plot - is informed by canon. That isn't to say I am aspirational on this point in any way - and I want people to see success of their published works - but it seems to me that the prevailing criticism of fic authors going pro that I see outside fandom (gross, fanfic getting published?) is actually the wrong way around.

It is even more eerie when you read a published fanfic and are familiar with the original fandom, and the ghost of that work echoes throughout it in divorced mimicry. It is hollow - beyond in-joke.

Even more awkward is the question of what it means when a fanspace becomes a professional one - now we are not surrounded by fannish peers but people who have actual careers hinged on the reviews of their work and word-of-mouth. Are you allowed to criticise their work and profane the rule of don't-like-don't-read? Are you allowed to question the monetising of fanbases? I'm not even going so far as to say it's a bad thing, and I'd point my finger here at 'content creators' who monetise fandom too - it's fair to say that out of everybody, fic authors are really the ones who cop the short end of the stick in that it seems like everybody is profiting off an ostensibly love-driven hobby except us.

But to circle back to my real point here, which is that the published fanfic? Gross refrain speaks to a backwards relationship, and the usual strain of antipathy directed towards the fic author - the most deviant, talentless, oversexed hack, who is writing on her phone a Hades/Persephone Reylo AU, ignoring her children like the bad wife she is, donating her entertainment budget to an Internet archive instead of charity.

And to be honest I'd rather talk to her than somebody who hasn't read enough to know schlock gets published all the time, and people used to like it. It was called pulp fiction for a reason.

#on fanfic

[insomnikat-mused]

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. spread the self-love ❤

Thank you for the ask! TBH I both hoped and dreaded this one coming my way. I don't usually like looking back but, in the end, this was actually more positive than painful.

1. The roles we play

(KakaSaku, 45.6K) Do you remember what you thought an ideal love would be like in your teens VS. what your ideal love (after love) would be like as an adult? Anyway, this was the fic that brought me back to writing. Fun fact: I was not a KakaSaku fan starting this. I just made myself one by the end.

2. Regret is the secret you keep

(Kirigan/Alina, 1.9K) - That one-shot that comes once in a sleepless blue moon, in a fandom you've never written for, and likely never will again (unless Ben Barnes makes a comeback). I still love it because it was so inspired, so effortless to write, so perfectly compact and complete when it was released less than 24 hours later. I have yet to recapture this kind of writing magic.

3. Mantis, Shadow, Wolf

(ItaSaku, KakaSaku, 49K) - At some point, we all crave something darkly beautiful. This was my point. I explored AU-building and a more visually symbolic writing style. It's intimate-- a Sakura character-study and journey about healing that's actually quite personal. And I'll always be proud of the amount of "raw" and "haunting" comments this receives.

4. Pretty hate machine

(Felix/Byleth -> Byleth/Dimitri -> Felix/Byleth/Dimitri, 13.9K) - A Felix character study which led me to conclude that the one true happy ending for him is a love triangle that stays a love triangle. Because something something triangles are the sturdiest shape. I admit the implied M/F + M/F + M/M = M/F/M doesn't sit well with everyone and every character interpretation, but I'm so SO happy with the friends I did gain through this fic.

5. You missed the ending (love)

(KakaSaku, 15.3K) - I honestly thought I wrote all I could write for KakaSaku before this. But as it turned out, I just got tired of angst. There was a very conscious effort to make this one feel-good and funny, with splashes of humor, generous sprinkles of romance, and an indulgently smutty finish. Essentially, a rom-com with an unquestionably happy ending. I was pretty pleased with the result (except for the going over my self-imposed word limit by +10K 🙈).

#my writing #kakasaku #darklina #felileth #felix x byleth x dimitri #itasaku #ao3 #you asked i answered #on fanfic

[aurora-australis-tumbles]

First Lines!

@firesign23 tagged me in this and I have learned to always listen to her, so here we go. 😂 

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

And a Promise to Look Before You - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 3k, in progress

Jack, much to his personal horror, was driving like Phryne. Too fast, too reckless, too single bloody minded. But there was nothing for it — he had lives to save. Specifically, his and Phryne’s.

Sunday in the Parked with St. George - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 2.6k

“If you believe this to be a waste of time, Jack, you’re welcome to leave.” “Did I say this was a waste of time?" "No, but you’re thinking it loudly enough to give me a headache." “Well I’d offer you some of my powders, Miss Fisher, but there’s just something about us being in close proximity that seems to rapidly deplete my stock.”

Misc. Tape, Chapter 61: Origins - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 49k

Elizabeth raced through the nearly empty streets, almost tripping when her hem caught on a loose board in front of the grocer’s. Stupid skirts! Just what she needed, too, what with the snow already causing her problems. It was falling heavier now, not enough to impede her vision, but enough to create issues with friction and she skidded and slid her way the last two blocks, cursing the weather the whole time.

Pieces - How to Train Your Dragon, 64k

The great cacophony of noise that had just moments ago rung through every corner of the Great Hall abruptly vanished, the voices around him seeming to have quieted ever so gradually and then all at once, like a wave cresting and crashing, as exponentially more people realized what was happening and fell silent.

All eyes on the Chief.

Three Dimensional Pawnography - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 1.7k

Oh for fuck’s sake.

That’s all he could think, the only sentence that came to mind. The only sentence appropriate in this particular situation.

Yes, And..., Chapter 47: Simple - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 22k

“It's a very simple question, Jack, and one a skilled investigator such as yourself should really have no trouble answering so I will ask again: what colour was my dress?”

“No idea.”

Sunday Afternoon Negotiations - Agent Carter, 1.8k

There were many unexpected benefits to being one third of an… unconventional relationship.

Tactical assignment distribution, for instance.

You and Me, Part II - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 2k

Phryne’s whisky is very good. It's smooth and fortifying and currently the only reason she still has the will to deal with the mess her father has made half a world away.

Shared Custody - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 2.6k

The subject of Jack comes up less often than he thinks it will. Or, at least, that's what the ladies tell him.

Fic Off 2021 - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, 26k

With one last, long stroke, Phryne reached the edge of the pool and gracefully excited the water, pulling herself up to sit on the ledge. She didn’t immediately leave, though. Dipping her red toes back under the surface, she swirled them around and contemplated a few more laps despite the late hour; she was actually a bit tired from her vigorous impromptu swim but found she also had no great urge to leave the aquatic sanctuary she had found down here. 

Tagging, in case they also want to play, @arlome @galadriel1010 @thetideseternaltune @per4mancecheck @ljf613 @cuppatealove @lechatnoir1918 and anyone else who is interested!

#ask game #tag game #on fanfic #long post #it's kind of fun to go back and see how each of these start!

[gingerteaonthetardis]

okay i was just talking to thinky about this, and now i want to ask the question to my tumblr buddies more broadly: if you've written a long fic (75-100k+ is what i'd consider long) or perhaps several long fics, or you are familiar with the process of writing one (like you've beta-read or co-written), what's your secret? how do you do it?

#how do you maintain inspiration? what does your writing schedule/rhythm look like? what motivates you??? tell me your secrets #i want your wisdom because i am a total fucking long fic flop!!! i can't keep anything going for over 30k words #so tell me in the replies or send me an ask if you have any hot tips for me!! #abbey.txt #on writing #on fanfic

[ljandersen]

hey girl 😭,

I just finished reading ur fanfic sideways and i was just wondering when part 5 is coming out, cos that cliffhanger left me ispeechless and i NEED more 😭😭😭💔

I'm so glad you enjoyed Sideways! I wrote it with so much love and emotion. I'm so gratified when readers are moved by it too!

For an update on Sideways Part 5, it's not currently on my front burner. That's not to say I'm no longer writing, and I haven't forgotten about it. In fact, my current project is distantly connected, so Sideways is never far from my mind.

There were many factors that influenced my decision to shift priorities. I spent two years writing Sideways. I spent an additional two years, not writing anything new, simply editing. And I hate editing.

Each part of Sideways has become progressively more labor-intensive. Part 5 will require the most work by far. It requires adjusting storylines, writing new scenes, and rewriting old scenes. I have to type it up from handwritten notebooks.

As the editing has grown more demanding, the fandom has grown more quiet (broadly speaking). It's only natural post-lockdown and MELE hype, but it's discouraging.

I came to the point where I was burned out. Having my work stolen and published on Amazon pushed me past the tipping point. I needed a break.

On the flip side, with the AI revolution, it felt like I needed to follow my dreams. If it's not now, it will literally be never.

Who knows where we'll be in five years or even just one? Will authors be displaced by prompt writers? Instead of devotion to craft and intricate storytelling, someone will push a key and churn out hundreds of novels from an algorithm? Quality is easily overwhelmed by quantity in the marketplace.

I've dreamed of being an author since before I knew how to write my first word. It's upsetting to fail at a dream, but what happens when that dream simply ceases to exist?

For those reasons, I chose to reprioritize my project. While I love Sideways and the readers who support me -- I miss them! -- I knew it was time to shift focus. I need a chance to write something new instead of only editing. Most important of all, the window for my dream is closing and I need to be there for it.

I have my first draft of Part 5 in a safe. It's waiting for me, and I'll be back for it soon. For now, I think about it every day and have every intention of finishing it.

#anon ask #sideways update #my writing #Thank you for the ask! #Sorry it took me a few days to respond #Hopefully you still see this anon #Additionally I am working on how to protect my work from theft #Theft from a person #I don't think I or anyone else knows how to protect it from corporations and their AI #I applaud the actors and screenwriters standing against exploitation by AI (in addition to others points of course) #I wish as creatives we all had a way to push back #To protect our work #To prevent being replaced by a system that exploited us as individuals to ultimately exploit us again as a community #Anyway answering this question wasn't focused on AI but it's definitely a factor in making choices as a writers right now #on AI writing #on fandom #on fanfic #on plagarism

[glendover]

should I ever learn again how to write shorter fanfics I can guarantee you guys I’ll write more

#how come my lates one shots were all over 6k words 😭 #I truly don’t know how to shut up once I get the chance to talk freely #aka writing #personal #fanfic #on fanfic #ao3 #woe.begone #aftg #malevolent

[the-pen-pot]

I am begging people who use their bookmarks to keep track of what they've read/don't like etc to make their bookmarks private.

#AO3 #On Fanfic

[mylittleredgirl]

you know those tropes where you come across them and are like Hard No Thank You but then you see the author’s name and are like… 😒 i will read this FOR YOU 😒…

#found this in the drafts untagged but it was probably about #missparker #on fanfic #containment breach

[charmsandtealeaves]

Why do you reblog fics you haven’t read? Why not just save the post as a draft until you’ve read it and can comment?

The short answer to that is this: because I can.

The long answer is this:

- It can take me a while to get around to reading things. It’s not because I’m not interested, it’s just I don’t have the time or headspace when I see the post. So I’ll reblog it with “charms tbr” to go back to later and 9/10 I’ll add it to my marked for later list if it’s on AO3.

- I like to keep my drafts free for my own posts. Otherwise my drafts would be pretty full.

- Authors put a lot of time and effort into works. As an author myself I know how disheartening it is to have low engagement when you post about something… and that engagement tends to drop off fairly quickly within a week of posting something new. So I’ll reblog something I have every intention of kudos and commenting on at a later point. That way the author gets double the engagement when I eventually do get around to it.

- Besides while I might not have time right now, someone who follows me might and they might then go read it having seen my reblog if they don’t follow the OP.

Does that make sense?

#ask answered #on reblogs #on writing #on fanfic

[hellhoundmaggie]

Can we have a bit of Reeneeka for Finish Your Fics Friday Saturday Sunday, please? They are such a good paring and I'm excited to see more for them! (Also I like how we are having fun replacing the day we actually post, lol!)

Thanks again, Kris! I will give you the five sentences requested and raise you an extra ten. Hope you enjoy!

 “Man, you’ve always been smarter than me.”

“Come on, Reese, you’re an artistic genius.” Kaneeka straightened into what she hoped was a “regal” enough posture for the portrait. “Besides, the idea that people are ‘smart’ or ‘stupid’ is an ableist social construct that’s used to deny poor folks and BIPOC the chance to improve their situations for –“

“—that sounds exactly like what a smart person would say.” Reese's voice cut across the old familiar scritcha-scritcha-scritcha of his sketch pencil. The fringe falling in his face only partially hid a rueful smile. “Come on, Kaneeka. Let me say a nice thing about my friend.”

“Oh, fine.” Kaneeka waved her hand in mock exasperation. “But you have to do it without putting yourself down. Deal?”

Reese chuckled. When was the last time Kaneeka had heard him laugh? “Deal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To request more writing, please see the Ask challenge here:

#ask game #finish your fics friday #kaneeka forsyth #reese kelly #reeneeka #reneeka #scarlet hollow #on fanfic

[theleafpile]

the thing about fanfic that has utterly spoiled me is that you can read so many different what-if scenarios but as a writer writing an original story you have to choose one to be canon! what do you mean I can't explore all of these alternate endings I don't want to stick to one option!!

#on writing #on fanfic