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reallygoodplants · 3 months

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Low-Effort Tasks to help save OFMD

Writing emails, crafting posts, pestering friends and collegagues to sign the petition... These can be hard some days (or all of the days).

If you're low on spoons but still want to help, here are some things you can do.

Most only take a few seconds and can be done on half a working braincell.

You can do them any day, no matter what else is going on with the campaign.

Do as few or as many of these as you like. Every bit helps.

🖱 Click some links

This boosts stats and metrics that streaming platforms look at.

Google

Wikipedia

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

TV Stats

✏ Vote for OFMD and Vico in the Queerties

No login required. You can vote once a day on multiple devices.

Our Flag Means Death for TV Comedy

Vico Ortiz for TV Performance

💜 Like/Reblog others' posts on Twitter, Insta, Youtube etc.

These are just examples for our hashtags on some platforms - go wherever you feel comfortable.

Twitter: #SaveOFMD - #AdoptOurCrew

Instagram: #saveofmd - #ourflagmeansdeath - #adoptourcrew

Facebook: #saveofmd - #adoptourcrew - #ourflagmeansdeath

🔔 Follow SaveOFMDCrew and AdoptOurCrew on Social Media. Like/Reblog their posts.

This gives their accounts more weight and the campaign more impact/visibility.

SaveOFMDCrew: YouTube - TikTok - Instagram - Mastodon - Facebook - Tumblr - Twitter

AdoptOurCrew: Twitter - Instagram

📺 Watch Our Flag Means Death

This boosts streaming and audience interest numbers.

if you don't have a Max-subscription, both seasons are now available on iPlayer. Other streaming platforms like Prime also work.

rumour has it that torrenting numbers are also counted by analytics sites...

📺 Watch Related Shows on Netflix, Prime & Apple TV

This helps to show those streaming platforms that there is interest in those themes/actors.

go to a platform you're subscribed to and search for "Our Flag Means Death", then watch one of the suggested shows. Give it a like.

Also look for shows/movies that feature any of the OFMD actors

📜 Enjoy OFMD Fic and Art - Kudos, Like, Reblog

Art and stories are important, and artists/writers need support. That's why we're doing all this in the first place.

Read a fic. Give kudos (or leave a 🧡 or "second kudos" in the comments).

Reblog your favourite fanart (again).

🍵 Take Care of Yourself

We're in it for the long haul and you should never feel bad about doing "too little".

Eat, hydrate, sleep, take your meds.

Take breaks from the campaign. We'll be there when you come back 💜

---

ETA: One more thing I forgot to add

🙏 Request OFMD on Netflix

No text needed, just type in the title of the show.

#save our flag means death #ofmd #our flag means death fandom #renew our flag means death

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bethdutten · 2 years

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think of me

bucky x temporarily enhanced!reader

summary: a mission gone wrong transfers wanda’s powers to you. now that you can read minds, you find out all sorts of things bucky has been keeping to himself.

words: 2k

a/n: another random fic no one asked for!

It happened so quickly, you didn’t have a chance to stop it.

The villain-of-the-week appeared beside you, grabbing your arm. You flinched, a hand immediately flying out to shove Wanda back and safely out of the way before you kicked this guy’s ass, but—

The second you hand touched her, you felt a wave of power ripple between you, and you hit the ground as everything went black.

—-

“How’s she doin’?”

“Same as yesterday.”

“Yeah? Shit. It’s been, what, a week? What if she—“

“Don’t say it.”

“… Jesus, I didn’t mean—“

“Man, if you’re going to be an ass, just get out of here.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean— she’s gonna be fine.”

“Yeah.”

There was silence for a really long time, your brain registering the voices as Bucky and Sam before it drifted off into sleep again. When you woke again, it was to Bucky’s voice, panicked and scared.

“What if she doesn’t wake up? Fuck, why wasn’t I there? I’m so useless, if I can’t protect her why am I even on the team? Why didn’t I tell her? I should have told her—“

“Buck?” you mumbled, eyes fluttering open as you searched him out. You expected to see him pacing the room, that angry look on his face he always got when he was putting himself down, anxiously running his hands through his hair maybe—

Instead, your eyes met soft slate-blue ones sitting by the side of your bed, a book in his left hand and his right one holding yours. His face was filled with relief for a moment, settling into one of ease.

“Thank fuck. You’re okay.”

You frowned, the light pouring in from the window hurting your head, giving you a headache. “Are you?”

Bucky tilted his head, watching you strangely. “Why are you asking me that? You’re the one that’s been out cold for week.”

“She’s got a concussion, great. I should call the doctor.”

You froze. Bucky’s voice, only Bucky wasn’t speaking. But—

“You probably have a concussion,” he sighed, squeezing your hand gently before he let it go and stood up, “I’ll get a doctor.”

As he left the room, you blinked and tried to figure out what was going on. Did you just… read Bucky’s mind?

When he came back with a doctor in tow, you knew for sure something was seriously wrong. There was a voice in the room you didn’t recognize until after the doctor introduced himself, then it was vitals and confusing stats being repeated but he wasn’t speaking them. Bucky’s voice was all around the room, although he was silent.

Is she okay? Why isn’t he saying anything? Of course she’s not okay, but what’s wrong with her? I’m going to strangle this guy if he doesn’t do something to help my girl—

Suddenly your heart monitor was beeping a lot faster, the doctor furrowing his brow and focusing on your pulse now. His girl? Since when did Bucky think of you like that?

“Are you feeling dizzy?” The doctor asked, but you turned to Bucky instead.

“Um, where’s Wanda? Is she okay?” you squeaked, allowing yourself to be prodded as the doctor’s thoughts lingered on a low-grade concussion.

“She’s here with Sam. No injuries, but her powers are gone,” Bucky explained, his thoughts still on various ways to injure the doctor if he didn’t give him an update on how you were. You just nodded, partially zoning out as the doctor finally told you it was definitely a concussion, and the broken ankle you got when you fell was already healing when you were out.

Did you somehow get Wanda’s powers? You didn’t have time to think too long on it before the woman herself was bursting in, quickly pushing out Bucky and the doctor, ignoring the scowl and practically a snarl of warning from the former.

“You’re wake, dulceață.” And you can hear me, right?

You gasped, nodding. “Wanda, what’s going on? Why can I hear what you’re thinking, and Bucky’s—“

Wanda gave a knowing smile, but shook her head. “The latest bad guy. He was able to transfer my powers to you, when we all had a point of contact. When you pushed me out of the way.”

“Oh, shit. I’m so sorry—“

“Stop, you were protecting me, you have no way of knowing,” she soothed, her accent coming out stronger when she was like this.

You bit your lip, sitting up carefully. “Is this… permanent?”

She considered it for a moment, then shrugged. “We should probably go to Bruce, get checked out once they release you. But until then, I don’t think we should worry anyone by saying anything.”

You frown, staring at you. There was silence-- both in the room and in her head. She was blocking you out, because she knew you could read her thoughts. Yeah, you could see how people knowing would get annoying for you. “Okay. But--”

“And a bit of advice?” she began, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t act on anything people think but don’t say. They keep it to themselves for a reason.” She gave you another knowing smile, which only made you think back to Bucky, and how he called you his girl--

“What do you know?”

“Nothing you won’t know soon,” she answered, leaning in and pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “He will tell you when he is ready,” she said quietly, then pulled back with smile. “Shall we get you home?”

You didn’t know what she meant, but it was already killing you.

---

It was torturous, knowing what everyone was thinking and not being able to do anything about it. No wonder Wanda was always on edge-- hearing things like how miserable on Earth Thor was all the time, how horny Natasha really was, all the pointless facts Clint remembered throughout the day that made you forget why you walked into the room-- it was driving you insane.

But the worst was Bucky.

Once you were released from the hospital, he insisted he stayed with you. No matter the weird looks everyone gave him, he was relentless.

It didn’t help that his thoughts were making you want to either punch him or kiss him.

You’d always had a huge crush on Bucky. He’d been stuck with you as a partner when you joined the team, and by some miracle, you worked well together. He was always there when you needed him, and you tried to do the same for him. You never thought that he would be thinking of you that way.

You loved him, let’s be honest. It was impossible not to. Hearing him think about you like this was driving you insane when you couldn’t let him know.

I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks, what if she doesn’t wake up? It’s my fault, the least I can do is stay up and make sure she’s okay.

“Bucky, it wasn’t your fault--”

He stopped from where he was making up a bed on the couch (which he refused to let you take, no, you had to have the bed) and gave you a funny look. “What?”

You felt your cheeks heat up, realizing you were responding to things in his head, not anything he’d said. This was going to be harder than you thought. “I just... don’t want you to feel guilty. About what happened. If that’s why you’re doing all this.”

I’m doing it because I love you.

“I’m doing it because you’re my partner, and I don’t want you to have a stroke and leave me without someone on my six, idiot.”

You almost choked, what he was thinking taking you by surprise, and what he said being so nonchalant. He just rolled his eyes. “I’m kidding.” I love you so much, damn in.

What the fuck was going on?

He ushered you into his bedroom, giving you a death glare and reassuring you he was just outside, then he left you to panic on your own.

What were you supposed to do with that information? Bucky loves you? Since when? And why wouldn’t he say anything? Now you had to just keep this to yourself knowing he could have you if he would just--

You reached for your phone, quickly texting the one person who would understand this whole fucked up situation.

what the hell? u could have warned me? bucky????

w: took longer than I thought

???

w: what’s he thinking now

how much he loves me? since when?? I'm freaking out

w: ha. ya he does that a lot. since forever?? you love him too, shut up

ok but... why doesn't he say anything? what am I supposed to do with this information?

w: TELL HIM U IDIOT. its not like he won’t love you back ;)

You threw your phone to the foot of the bed, trying to talk yourself down from a panic attack. She was right. You may not be able to confront Bucky and tell him you know he loves you, but you could probably tell him you liked him, too, and there was a guarantee he wouldn’t reject you.

But did you want that? Wouldn’t that change the dynamic of your partnership?

Or was it already too late?

You fell into a fitful sleep, dreams of Bucky while his scent surrounded you tormenting your mind all night.

---

“Hey, time to wake up. Come on, you’ve been asleep too long, don’t make me drag you out of bed.” Is she okay? Shit, I should have woken her up earlier, do I call a doctor? God damn it--

You groaned, letting Bucky know you were awake before you felt a hand on your cheek, turning your face towards him. You were half asleep still, mumbling, “I’m fine, calm down.”

I am calm, I’m fine, sorry I care if you’re alive or not, sweetheart.

You let out a huff of a laugh, burrowing further into the blankets that still smelled of Bucky. “I’m alive, sweetheart.”

You felt the hand on your cheek suddenly pull away, a sharp intake of breath startling you to full awakeness.

“What did you say?”

You blinked, sitting up slightly. “What? Nothing. What did you--”

“Can you read my mind?”

Shit. Half asleep, you couldn’t tell what was Bucky must have been saying versus thinking, and accidentally responded to a thought he was having instead. You blushed, stuttering. “Uh-- n-no, I mean, I might, but I didn’t”

Bucky stared at you, a studying look on his face. It was that last mission, when you and Wanda went down, right? You got her ability to read minds? You’ve been doing it this whole time?

You looked down, ashamed, like you’d just invaded on his privacy and crossed so many lines, because you did. But it wasn’t your fault-- you didn’t ask for it. You couldn’t stop it, at least not until you spoke to Bruce today. You nodded.

“So, there’s no point hiding it anymore, is there?”

You met his eyes, surprised at his soft tone of voice and a hint of a smile on his lips. You tilted your head in question, heart beginning to beat faster at what he was possible implying. “Hiding what?”

Bucky sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly looking very small and nervous. “You’ve heard everything I’ve been thinking, right? It’s not like I’ve been subtle about it.” About how much I love you.

You had to bite down on your lower lip to stop from smiling, shrugging. “No, I guess not.”

He searched your face, taking a breath out before he asked, “And? It doesn’t freak you out?”

You paused, before finally giving in and smiling. This stupid man. “Why would it freak me out, Buck? I love you, too.”

“Wait, what?” He visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping and jaw unclenched as his eyes met yours again, full of hope. “Really? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?” you teased, shoving at his shoulder. That earned you a grin, and he shrugged.

“Technically, I did.”

You shook your head, sidling a bit closer. “Technically, I’m the only one who has said it.”

Bucky gave you a fond look, his metal hand coming up to cup your face, making you move in automatically until your lips were a breath away.

“I love you,” he whispered, just as he thought it, then he kissed you. It was slow as molasses, his tongue licking into your mouth and even tasting like the honey he liked on his toast.

But he pulled away before you could really savour it, asking, “Wait. Is this permanent? Like, are you always going to be able to read my mind?” Because sometimes I think of you in some very inappropriate ways. Very fun, but very distracting.

You rolled your eyes. “Unfortunately, no, Wanda and I are going to see Bruce this afternoon to see what he can do. It should be reversible.”

“Too bad,” Bucky murmured, leaning in to press a kiss behind your ear. You shivered, hands clinging to his shirt.

“Guess you’ll just have to tell me all those thoughts out loud, then.”

#bucky #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky fic #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky x you #james bucky barnes

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azrielgreen · 4 months

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I feel like no matter how hard I try I can’t get over jealousy and insecurity and constantly comparing myself to other writers in the fandom. It’s either I don’t write enough, or I don’t write fast enough, I don’t write interesting or unique enough. If I get kudos, someone gets more, if I get comments, someone gets more thoughtful comments. It’s like a dark spiral in my brain. Do you have any tips on pushing through despite all the inner turmoil and noise? I’d be very grateful for your help!! 🖤

Hello, love, I'm sorry for the delay in answering. I wanted to give your Ask the proper attention in answering it.

Comparison is the death of joy.

I think jealousy and comparison in fandom is rife and no matter how much positivity and success someone projects, they too have had their dark moments comparing hit counters and kudos. In a fandom of THIS size it's deeply unhealthy, I personally believe, for us all to be so interconnected and visible.

I also believe that writers should write for themselves and the joy of creating something and crafting it, never expressly FOR the outcome of comments/attention but of course, that's becoming the norm now. People write to be popular. I see so many people at this point in the fandom not getting anywhere near the same amount of interactions they were a year ago, so comparisons and jealousy unfortunately become widespread, and equally, cliques begin to form to police the remaining attention as it slowly simmers down.

My tips for pushing through this would be first and foremost, write for yourself. Keep your true passion alive by writing what you fucking LOVE! Writing for other people will only ever go so far because attention wanders, interest fades and hyperfixations dissolve. If you write for yourself first, and share second, then you'll always be true to your inner creator and you'll always have ideas, passions and authentic stories coming alive inside you.

Secondly, and I know how hard this is for people, but stop comparing as much as you can. There will always be someone who has more than you and there are people who have less than you. Writing is art, art is to make people feel things they would not otherwise feel. To provoke humanity and lead us towards self exploration. To give comfort, empathy, guidance, joy, cathartic heartbreak and much more! I think so much of the true meaning of writing has been lost by the imposing domination of social media in fandom. I always recommend people trying to find that spark again, that little flash of magic that reminds you why you started.

And thirdly, this is hardest to hear, I know, but when you feel like this, it's usually a good indication to take a break. When you feel anxious, unhappy or low, you're going the wrong way. Move away from what is causing this, especially if it's anything on the internet - a dangerous and often toxic microcosm with an echo chamber effect.

Writing in real life is a beautiful thing, too.

Write something just for you, don't tell anyone, then orphan it, never read the comments, and move on. Rekindle your passion however you can, romanticise your methods, find new sources of inspiration and above all, please, have fun! and if you're not having fun in fandom - a place intended for fun and fuck all else - then please, take a break, love. Nothing is more important than your mental health.

P.S - also take into a account how MASSIVELY skewed A03 stats are due to longevity/legacy fics. There is ✨NO WAY ON EARTH✨ if I posted YD today it would make it into the top 1000 fics out of 24k and that would be wonderful still, that has always been my experience in the past. No comparison is ever justified or solid and it is truly the death of joy. Write for you, for your friends, and the people who will read it in 10 years time who NEED it. Nothing else matters.

💜💜💜

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wavesketcher-sq · 1 month

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Coming Out (+ re-entering.)

Almost 9 years ago, I wrote my first ever fanfic. Swan Queen swept my seventeen year old self up in a gorgeous, angsty rainbow. I read fic all evening in bed, and underneath the desk in stats class, live blogged my rage at captain guy liner and the walking pinecone; Swen was the place I discovered a liberating creativity...and discovered myself.

It took me almost 8 years to realise that the reason I felt so loved, affirmed and heartbroken by this ship (and Madame Mayor) was because I was queer.

Who knew devouring and writing W|W fic is a litttleeee sign you might just be gay???

So, I'm back. Regina Mills has been in my last two dreams and low and behold, she's in my head again. I love that I can say she's so fucking hot, with my whole rainbow chest.

(shout out to @coalitiongirl , the fic writer who changed my life).

You can read all my fics here. I may just return with a new story.

#swan queen #swen #swanqueen #emma swan #regina mills #swan queen fanfiction #swan mills #emma x regina #Swan Queen #SQSN

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ao3commentoftheday · 5 months

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It probably is going to sound very contradictory, but I had to say it because your blog is the only place I can say it out loud.

I've been writing for years and I don't crave for popularity or attention for what I write. Too much attention whether it's good or bad makes me uncomfortable. Still I want my work to be recognized a little bit more because for all the hard work and tears that goes in the writing ends up being rewarded with a terribly lukewarm response, which is disheartening. I've always written for the smaller fandoms where you could count readers and writers on your fingers, but then I got into a big fandom, and it took me a long time to gather the courage to post something because the debate about the characters going ooc is too always a valid one. For my 10 chapter fic I only have 50 something kudos and a handful of comments, 3 of whom are my friends who read every chapter and kudo'd as guests. I know the stats shouldn't matter, but after investing myself into the story and the characters, getting negligible response is hurtful. I've even gotten some hate and rude comments from some people.

Now, I'm not the kind of person who feels insecure about their writing, so I don't think someone not reading my stories is because something is wrong with me or my work. But then I read other fics where writers added the note that this was the first fic in this fandom and they have more readers even on their one shots. The numbers even go to 200-400 kudos and many, many comments.

I don't know how to stop feeling this way or what to do to let go of these contradictory feelings where I neither want too much attention nor do I want my work to have almost zero readers in the fandom. But I'm quite shameless (determined?) so I'll still write what I am writing even if it's just one reader reading it. Even then, the lack of readership will still be hurtful at the end of the day, no matter what I tell myself.

*hugs* I get it. I've been there. I probably still am there, if I'm honest, except I rarely post anything in public spaces these days.

What you're feeling isn't unreasonable and it's not contradictory because what you're feeling isn't about popularity or even readership when it comes right down to it. It's not about numbers. It's about an acknowledgement of the effort that you've put in.

You've worked hard and you want that to be recognized. If you did that in the workplace, your boss or coworker would tell you you'd done a great job. If you did that at home, your family or roommate would thank you for the work you'd put into making that home look nice or making a meal to feed everyone.

In online spaces, however, the only way to get that recognition is through popularity. Either that, or through an established community. Right now, you have a few friends who you can rely on to read your work and respond to it. But right now, it also seems like that isn't enough in some way. Again, that's totally fair and understandable.

For me, that happened when I was putting more energy into my fic than I actually had available to me. I was working 60 hour weeks at two jobs and under a lot of personal stress, and fic was my escape so I wrote and posted a lot of it. But writing still takes effort, and it still takes time, and there's a huge emotional component to all of the work you put in, and when your time and your energy are low and your emotions are already a bit fraught... When you're pouring out of a nearly empty cup, you really need someone to come by with a refill.

I don't really have much in the way of advice here. What I did was stop posting publicly and just start writing with my bestie in a private RP discord server. That's not a solution that's going to work for everyone. What I will say is, figure out what it is that you need and then figure out a way to get it. Whether you can get it online, whether you can get it on AO3 is going to be up to you.

#asks and answers

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nihilnovisubsole · 21 days

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sometimes when work is busy or you have a lot going on in your life, your brain goes to weird places in search of a way to relax. you find some niche book genre and have to read everything in it, or you throw yourself into a hobby you haven't thought about for years. me, i tend to reminisce about the story concepts i came up with when i was much younger, like middle and high school. they're not good. the characters are personality sketches and art designs, and there's never much plot meat. they're beat sheets, or a few thousand words and vibes. the adults behave in confusing, edgy, melodramatic ways that make perfect sense when you're thirteen and think you're being deep. but they're nostalgic, and some of them have potential if i squint, so it's easy to go, "hmm. is there anything i could do with this now?"

and some of these concepts are fanfic, which has a particular allure, because you're tired, and it saves you sooo much worldbuilding legwork. remember that show or game you loved? you could reconnect with it! you could rotate blorbos you haven't rotated in twenty years! you could resurrect old ships! give OCs a new coat of paint and realize a story you couldn't do justice decades ago!

which is beguiling until the minute you go to ao3 and find the source material's fan presence is a barren wasteland. i'm no stranger to small fandoms, and i'll be the first to say you shouldn't make art for engagement alone, but i'm talking dozens of fics. ancient harry potter crossovers. hit counts in the low three digits. fics that share a word with the title, so they turn up in the search results. with stats like those, you wonder whether, if you posted about it, most of your followers would even know what you were talking about.

this is the point where i take myself by the shoulders and go, "AK, this is your gremlin brain talking. don't feed your gremlin brain." of course, at this point in my career, i should probably ask myself whether all fanfic is the gremlin brain talking, which is kind of a shame. time spent writing fanfic is lost opportunity cost that i should be using to build a body of original work. so i eat my vegetables and i work on the original outlines. but i wash the dishes, and i still think, wouldn't that be cool? man. man!!

#shitpost #all i do is navelgaze on tumblr now !! thanks NDA

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valyrfia · 7 months

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would you be willing to rec your favourite fics with the low kudo stats you just talked about? would love to be the one to add one more kudo to the tally!

yeah for sure!

even a Mouse by @ficster-28 - 19.7k, T, no pairings

Charles was fifteen when his dæmon settled. It was a perfectly average age to settle, and it happened so quietly and naturally that neither he nor Moira even noticed at first. They had other things to think about: today, they were aiming to beat out Ben Barnicoat and Max Verstappen at Val d’Argenton. It wasn’t until they were getting into the kart that they realised. Moira normally transformed into an insect to race, something small enough that she could crawl inside Charles’s race suit and be protected as he drove. Today, she didn’t even try to change; they both just looked at each other, and knew. “A mouse,” he said.

I don't even know where to start with this fic. It is by far my favourite F1 fic and is probably actually one of my favourite pieces of literature I have consumed. The whole fic is basically an exploration of sacrifice in motorsport in the form of a Dæmon AU. I read this early on when I was only reading Max/Charles stuff (you may recognise this author from their brilliant Lestappen fic in translation which ALSO haunts me, especially as a francophone) so I was a bit hesitant at first and it was only my love for His Dark Materials (dæmon AUs source material) that made me click on it. I have never been more glad. Please just take a leap of faith and read this.

melepathic. or something. by Anonymous - 8.5k, M, Lando/Oscar

It starts in Miami. It probably shouldn’t — Miami is far from amazing. Oscar’s brake issues and battery harvesting are laid out in the debrief like a wet sock. Lando doesn’t have much to add. What would he even say? The car was too slow. No shit. Anyway, it probably would’ve made more sense in Baku. Baku wasn’t bad. But it happened in Miami. Maybe because it wasn’t good, regression to a mean and all that as Jon likes to say. They filmed their final goodbyes for UNBOXED, had hot cocoa (Oscar) and a strawberry protein shake (Lando) in the canteen to put something of a bandage on the weekend. Oscar licked foam cream off from around his mouth. Lando found himself following the movement. Thing is, NDAs suck. They’re annoying, they’re nitpicky. If he’s in the mood and he has to go out, find someone, then whip out a biro and a legal threat, it kind of sucks. And not the good kind of sucking.

I'm pretty sure I've been insane about this fic on this blog before, but it's just such pitch-perfect characterisation of both Oscar and Lando that bleeds through perfectly into the prose as well, not just the dialogue. As a result, the end product is SO MUCH FUN even if the fic itself is kind of half crisis half FWB. It's a masterclass in characterisation and writing style, and I really wish there was more by this author to consume. It is THE best landoscar fic out there, and I think will be really difficult to top.

all that blood was never once beautiful by actparci (@sunshineyoujustwait) - 1.4k, T, Charles/Max

There are moments when Max gets it. He remembers Charles illuminated against the Monza sunshine, tall and proud, looking out over a sea of red. A king surveying his kingdom. a.k.a Max loves Charles, Charles loves Ferrari, Max struggles with the latter

A perfectly crafted character study of BOTH Charles and Max's characters that changed my brain chemistry in less than 2k words is all I have to say about this one. It's short, if you're Lestappen inclined there is no excuse to not have read this, the prose is GORGEOUS and the imagery is something else, and I'm always a fan of the Inherent Catholicism of Driving for Ferrari.

#anon #f1 fic rec #landoscar #lestappen

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blorbology · 8 months

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It's not as if I think r/fanfiction is complete trash or I wouldn't be there, but honestly...some of the posts on that subreddit have the unfortunate side effect of causing brain cells to fall out of my head. It's like ticking psychic damage.

Almost all the posts about feedback are whining about the exact feedback received or are complaining about the lack of feedback in general. Like I don't know what to tell these people except that the former leads to the latter and almost everyone who gets no feedback is doing something wrong or has set their expectations too high.

There's a post on there today by a perfectly nice person who doesn't know how to deal with the lack of engagement on their fics and there's just not a kind way of saying "you're writing for a 30+ year old fandom and you're not writing what people want to see there" so I had to pretty much just tell them that.

A lot of the metrics for engagement are in your control (the fandom and characters you write about, the tropes you use). If I wrote 100k word long fics for a popular ship in a popular fandom I'd have more engagement than I knew what to do with.

I'm the one who chose to write about a 20 year old fandom. I'm the one who chose to write about an unpopular ship. I'm the one who chose to write about babies and children and pregnancy TWICE IN A ROW (two of the biggest squicks in fandom). I did this to me. I knew going in it might be rough. I feel blessed to have readers at all to be honest.

Like I fully understand that low engagement sucks. My spouse gets on me about "wasting my time writing stuff two people will read" (when I could be doing other things). But I started writing the 'fic knowing damn well there was a good chance I wouldn't have an audience at all.

The person from today's post had someone comment on every chapter of their story and better stats than I can manage in the ToS fandom. I don't think it's just a comparative "they're doing pretty well" situation either. I honestly believe that their stats are pretty good for an old fandom. Why did they expect more, this being their first set of works published?

Again, I understand feeling disappointment, but to go and post on Reddit about it... I just can't. And this isn't even getting into the people who whine about the comments they do receive. I might rant about that later though.

#blorbology 101 #blorbology: fanfiction subreddit

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erraticprocrastinator · 7 months

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This is for everyone who posts on AO3 (especially my small fandom homies)

The Archive is a fickle beast, and things don't always work out the way you might expect or want them to. You can follow all the popular tags, write the trending tropes, post as often as you possibly can, and still not get traction. It's the unfortunate reality of any internet site. Please know that your low stats more than likely have nothing to do with the quality of your writing. Yes, that's a factor, but it's probably, especially if your hits/kudos ratio is close, just a mixture of fandom factors and plain bad luck. Sometimes the one-shot you wrote when you were twelve and posted when you were fourteen is going to scrape better results than the story you poured your heart and soul into, and it's okay to be disappointed about that. Sometimes the story you thought was finally going to pull you the big numbers just doesn't, and it's okay to be disappointed about that, too. Just think about the fact that you've probably read dozens of obscure fics and loved them, you probably didn't even pay attention to the stats. The same thing is true for your stories. So if your fics aren't pulling the stats you were hoping for, it's okay to be frustrated, but just know that hits and kudos aren't a be-all-end-all. You rock!

Pictures of the stats of the one-shot I wrote when I was twelve and the story I just poured my heart and soul into for soladarity.

#writeblr #writing community #fanfic writers #ao3 #ao3 writers #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #fic writers #fanfic writing #fanfic community #archive of our own

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breannasfluff · 2 months

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i don't have the spoons to read/reply to everything but you asked for my thoughts, so here's the short(?) version of my take on the way that fandom treats big blogs:

i don't like it. there's a lot of problems inherent with deciding that certain people are more important than others, including but not limited to:

parasocial relationships

pressure to perform and conform

the expectation that "big blogs" are loved by all

the chance of major drama/controversy when a "big blog" does something "wrong"

newer blogs being pushed aside for daring to compete with established ideas from established blogs

the status of a "big blog" being taken at face value, leading to followers who aren't invested in actually supporting them

it all comes down to curating your online experience. i've gotten hurt from forming borderline parasocial relationships with "big blogs". i've blocked "big blogs" for differing and/or dangerous opinions. i don't want to be called a "big blog" because for me, nothing especially good comes of it.

****

and a not-really-a-segue back to my friend's au and the amount of interaction with our posts for it:

27% is not a majority count by any measure of stats. even then, the entirety of tbp isn't 18+. all fics are clearly tagged and rated, and most of mine and some of bat's range from G-T. i write a lot of shippy fluff and our crossovers with lu are pretty tame compared to mainline tbp. even if you don't want to interact with all of it, tbp is a book that doesn't have to be judged by its cover.

That's fair! I think it's easy to fall into the trap of "well they're big, so they're popular, so they are perfect". You don't want to be so far up on a pedestal that you lose what makes the fandom fun.

As for the AU...if it's not an age barrier, no idea what to say about lacking interaction :(

You said fandom engagement is low; maybe that's something that can be overcome with events? Or just awareness? Or maybe that's just the state of the fandom right now and that's okay :)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

#fandom discourse #linked universe #linkeduniverse #asks #and what is tbp?#i've seen three body problem?#an animated video about fairy tales?#and Tau Beta Pi honor society lol

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aidaronan · 5 months

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��Fic Writing Review 2023✨

Tagged by the incomparable @greatunironic and my beloved @wynnyfryd.

Words and Fics

58, 889 words published on ao3

Plus at least 14,975 or so words of unpublished things that are started and incomplete.

At least 30 new ideas and/or WIPs.

8 published fics on ao3 + some new additions to the drabble/ficlet collection + many tumblr fics/microfics

One completed collab with @sparkle-fiend and one collab (two really) with @sparklyslug in the works

Two monsterfucker fics influenced by the Steddie FanExpo NoLa crew and getting crossfaded as fuck in the French Quarter after meeting Guiseppe Quintilliano.

Top 3 by kudos

Cassiopeia, Orion, Bootes (aka he was a gator boi) Like I Always Do (post-starcourt hurt comfort) Nothing Hurts (Like Your Mouth) (oops! all monsters. vamp eddie and were steve banging in a mausoleum)

Fandom Events in 2023

Lex's Spicy Six Spring Fanworks Challenge

Multiple @steddiemicrofic challenges: read here.

Upcoming Projects

Two Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang fics. Hilariously, neither of them are Steddie as the main pairing, but I think at least one is likely to hit novella length. I can't say a lot due to secrecy, but I feel safe saying one is a gen fic and one is f/f.

One tiny baker!steve/rockstar!eddie collab with @sparklyslug, hopefully out this holiday season.

One bigger collab with @sparklyslug in the spring if we keep our enthusiasm together long enough.

Will keep trying to plug away at the witches fic. I have, admittedly, lost some enthusiasm for them but I do know where the story is going. If you love this one, please be loud at me but in a non-demanding way lmao. I need you.

Two Fandom Trumps Hate fills of at least 10k for @withacapitalp and my dearest, Andi.

Eddie Bio project.

???Who Knows??? But there will probably be monstercock involved.

Some personal chat, rules, and tags under the cut.

Doing some oversharing because I'm starting to think it's vital that we all are honest about our struggles so we don't feel alone and so we know we're not failures. We're just people.

It's been a low production year for me. It's been a difficult year in general, but sometimes change is hard even when it's change you need.

Over half my year was eaten up with job hunting, moving, and trying to adjust while feeling the depressive effects of not having a local friend/support network yet or enough money for whatever the fuck the economy is, esp in this area relative to my salary. A good deal of my body of works for 2023 were written pre-move. Hell, a good deal of them were written in the first quarter. (Which, btw, shout out to anyone else who often feels a bittersweet sort of regret at not being productive in the current internet environment where you feel like you're old news if you can't keep up an unsustainable output. I love you, same, it's prob not true anyway, and here are 200 forehead kisses. <33) All of that said, I'm feeling much better lately. I've been reading again. Writing again. Feeling like I'm living again. I'm looking forward to another arbitrary border of time and on filling that border with joy, especially queer joy and weird joy and the intersection of both of those. As they say: let's fucking gooo.

I still love it here. I know steddie won't be forever for me, just like other ships before them weren't forever for me. But I'm having fun and have been really enjoying some of the connections made in this little sandbox.

On that note:

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please do eat glass, I’ve heard it’s good for your gums. Tagging, even though I know some people have already been tagged: @sparklyslug, @wormdebut, @banannabethchase, @just-my-latest-hyperfixation @messessentialist @rainbow-nerdss @plutosrose @thefreakandthehair and anyone else. @ everyone who keeps this fandom rippin' and roarin', kissing you, kissing you, kissing you

#fic writer things #fanfiction #year in review

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fallout-fucker · 11 months

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More fanfics about the first day(s)/weeks of travelling with a new companion because that's got to be awkward. Sole just picks everyone up off the street.

The Mayor of a town finds out you almost accidentally rob him and decides to follow you. A BOS soldier trusts you enough to sleep next to you as you lie awake at night hoping he doesn't find out one of your best friends is a synth. How are you supposed to relax when Piper was adamant about coming along, and Deacon's cracking spy jokes whilst the only fucking reporter in the Commonwealth is eating her breakfast across from you both.

'Cause those first few days with a complete stranger as you're still getting used to the idea of no running water and regular showers has gotta. Frustrate you. Like Sole is stronger than me because I'd go insane. I love the companions with all my heart but if we get trapped in a single room for the entire night when my social battery is low. I'm going to lose it.

More awkward, early days fics where Sole and their companion(s) are getting used to each other's routines. What the fuck do you talk about when there's no new shows or movies or books? How does Sole set boundaries to a companion who doesn't get the hint that Sole needs...Alone time, some nights.

I want Preston getting up when the sun does at 5AM and being like 'Morning! 😁' And Sole throws a fucking pillow at him and goes back to bed.

Like imagine travelling with someone 24/7. And a stranger you found in a bar? Bet, I want a million fics stat. You gotta trust that fucker with your life and you don't even know how old they are. Let me read about it. I bet MacCready fucking snores.

#Fallout 4 #This applies to all the games tbh but yeah #Like. If they’ve grown up with it then sure. But Sole is Pre-War #Idk if they're comfortable being open about everything just yet #Like. What do they do when they need the bathroom #Or a wank #I just think about so much stuff when it comes to how it would actually be to live like that #Like bro. If we've had a long day walking in the cold or heat. And I can't go decompress and recharge in privacy. I'd die.

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wishingicouldfly · 4 months

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Favorite Fics 2023

Happy 2024! I always have a hard time narrowing down my favorites. A few stats this year, I read 155 fics (according to my admittedly not 100% correct database), and it's low because I've been watching LGBTQ+ media and reading less. I had 50+ fics that I rated 5/5, so narrowing down to 14 was me cutting out shorts, holiday fics, and rereads. These are in no particular order.

All is now Harmed by Fondleeds

It's still that dreamy kind of dark, nothing seeming real, but he knows that it's time to go, to whistle for Pippa and eat whatever he's got left in the fridge and start the drive down to Molly's. He can't seem to open the door. Maybe he doesn't want to face it, this new thing. Having Louis here feels like a betrayal. Harry tries not to think about what his Dad would have to say if he saw the journo sleeping on their pull-out, here to shake a settled sheet and watch the dust fly again. - AU. Harry's a farmer, Louis writes for The Age, and it hasn't rained in the Bourke Shire for six years.

Why I Like It: This is Excellent, but after 123K words, it's a WIP. Unfinished since May 2022, but that said, the writing is gorgeous, and I think that alone makes it worth the read.

2. Angels Fly by LilyBlue28

Harry is a lonely omega in the North Western White River Pack who is uncharacteristically drawn to nature and his now outdated primal instincts. He fills his days with going through the motions and clinging to the one actual friendship he has in the omega Zayn, and when he gets a chance he sneaks away to the edge of their territory to sit with the trees and the wildlife and sketch his favorite part of the river. But what happens when one day he spots the pack alpha, Louis, having an intimate moment with something, or someone, unexpected? Suddenly his quiet, nearly invisible existence gets upended, and secrets he never wanted to know quite literally won't leave him alone, and even when he tries to stay away, he keeps being pulled back into Louis' turbulent orbit. A magical love story featuring a generations long grudge, a menacing curse, and secrets that keep pulling them apart. Will they be able to find a way back to one another through the dark?

Why I Like It: Really integrated plot, soul mates/wolf story. ABO, but more wolf than human. Very involved plot. Well done.

3. Be There by mission2feelike

Niall sits down dramatically, arms flopping to his side before he leans forward and looks right into Harry's eyes. "So, your ex-boyfriend, who broke your heart four years ago, is coming to stay at your house for six weeks? And his daughter, your daughter, is coming to stay tonight?"

Harry nods, worried if he speaks, he'll be yelled at again, but then Niall's face softens, his ever-present smile is back and Harry hears him breathe out a small chuckle. "Okay, for the record, I think this is the worst idea you've ever had, but how can we help?" or The one where their family has been torn apart and their hearts broken, but an accident, a snowstorm, cinnamon rolls, and the adorable Josie force Louis and Harry to finally face the truth, and each other.

Why I Like It: Harry and Louis take custody of Lottie's baby, but Louis breaks H's heart by sending him away. pining. kid fic. Harry is famous. Had some very lovely domestic moments, and some tear jerkers. Louis was a bit of a jerk at the beginning. Side of Ziam.

4. Butterfly Gun by Eravain - no link, this is off AO3, but DM me if you want me to share it with you, as I have a PDF.

Harry has never been much of a fighter, but—as always—where Louis Tomlinson is concerned, a lot of things stop being true. 1940's AU. Even after six years apart, they can't forget their shared wartime childhood.

Why I Like It: I loved this gem--childhood friends to lovers. Historical Fiction. Really well written.

5. Counterbalance by YesIsAWord

Harry Styles loves two things: teaching ballet and racing motorcycles. Those two worlds collide when his greatest rival on the track, Louis "Tommo" Tomlinson brings his tiny siblings to Harry's class.

Why I Like It: Pretty short but very effectively written story. Pacing was good. Loved the dichotomy of Harry as a ballerina and as a motorcycle driver.

6. Danger I Can't Hide by CelticSky

"Don't," Tomlinson's voice was low, gravelled, hiding out in the night where only Styles could hear it. "Stop it. Calm down. You can't do anything." Styles' chest heaved. Tomlinson had him pinned against the wall, his forearm strong against his ribs. The night air crackled around them and all he could hear was the overlap of their breath, desperation, exquisite need and pain and desire and longing and lingering resistance. He couldn't take his eyes from Tomlinson's lips. The way they fell open to expel air against Harry's jaw. His tongue darting out to wet them between desperate words, making them glisten in what little light there was. His eyes were lidded and unseeing as he himself looked down to stare at Styles' mouth. ~~~ Flying Officer Styles and Sergeant Tomlinson would have likely never crossed paths in a time of peace, their ordinary lives laid out neatly, predictably before them. But then the world became unrecognisable. All too soon they grew accustomed to fear, surrounded by death and destruction, not even their very freedom a certainty anymore. Until they found each other. Comfort. Companionship. Understanding. Another person to lose.

Why I Like It: Amazing. Research into WW2 and what it was like to be queer and hiding a relationship. loved the love story, but also the human side of the war. Very well told.

7. Have Love, Will Travel by Kingsofeverything

Rather than spend the summer working at their desks, Louis and Harry are given the opportunity to crisscross the country together in a tiny camper, filming their adventures for a YouTube series. It soon becomes obvious to their viewers that there's something more than friendship between them. Eventually, they figure it out.

Why I Like It: super cute. Road Trip Larry. Lots of state parks, travel. Louis has a crush and of course they end up together.

8. Heading for Limbo by KingsofEverything

Childhood best friends who've fallen in and out of touch with each other since Louis' family moved away when they were thirteen, Harry and Louis find their paths crossing again and again. Each time, no matter how many miles apart or how many years it's been, it's as if no time has passed. They fall back into their easy friendship, until life intervenes and sends them on their separate ways once more. When Harry discovers some life-changing things about himself, Louis is there for him, however he needs. But it's all temporary because Louis has plans that will move his life from New York all the way to L.A. and the distance isn't the only thing between them. The pieces of their twice broken hearts are scattered from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Why I Like It: I really liked this one. Slow burn, friends to not-friends, to lovers, to exes, to lovers. Word of caution, H has a gf for part of it, but it's a really nice slow awakening of his sexuality. TW for some angst/pining.

9. Glass Closets and Greenhouses by TiredTiredTz

Charlton Athletic defender Louis Tomlinson and worldwide sex symbol Harry Styles are rumoured to be hooking up after a viral video filmed at Harry’s Wembley show was posted online by Tommo’s twin sisters. Sources close to the pair tell us the couple have been dating for a while, with rumours of house hunting, marriage and even kids on the cards! Styles, 29, is as well known for his whirlwind love life as his chart-topping music. Most recently linked to British fashion designer Alex Millet-Sloan, Harry has stayed tight-lipped on rumours of any romantic rendezvous between himself and footballer Tomlinson, 31, yet fans online are convinced that all evidence points to #Tomlinstyles being the real deal.

Why I Like It: Could have been longer. A bit over the top meet cute w/ the twins setting them up, but over all well done.

10. It's Fine to Fake it 'Til You Make ('Til It's True) by Sunflouwerhabit

Harry dreads an impending visit to his hometown, where he’ll be forced to reunite with a newly engaged ex-boyfriend, a childhood best friend turned near stranger, and a family who never understood just how desperately he needed to leave. In the midst of it all, a ludicrous Twitter proposition brings him to Louis.

Why I Like It: I loved this one. Super cute characters, a little bit of miscommunication, lovely, lovely boys.

11. Like an Endless Summer by objectlesson - no link, I have this as an epub

Louis is an riding instructor at a summer camp, and Harry is a fellow counselor wh he’s been successfully managing his crush on for the last two years. That is, until Harry shows up this year leveled up and lethal, and all Louis’ formerly perfected veneer of nonchalance melts like a popsicle in the sun.

Why I Like It: absolutely lovely. GREAT depiction of the uncertainty of a crush liking you. slow burn, but you see it coming the whole way.

12. The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by KingsofEverything

Louis' life is steady and calm, moored by his marriage, and tied to his hometown, but after a chance encounter with another man, it'll never be the same.

Why I Like It: really liked this one. TW for cheating. Middle aged man in a loveless marriage realizes he's gay and falls in love with a co-worker. Could totally be a Hallmark movie.

13. Until the Pearls get Lost by LadyLondonderry

London, 1933. Harry Styles, alpha, elusive bachelor and happy third wheel to his coupled friends, receives a visit from one Liam Payne, begging for his help. Liam’s childhood friend Louis is about to become the talk of the city; left at the altar because the mating bond was rejected, Louis will spend the rest of his life in an institution unless Liam can find someone to take him in and care for him as he recovers. Most omegas with failed bonds are never the same again. With rumours swirling around about the reason for the rejected bond, Harry gives in to Liam’s pleas. He hasn’t the slightest idea how that decision will shape the rest of his life.

Why I Like It: This felt like a fairy tale. Great writing. A bit left to the imagination. Almost werewolf-y.

14. Write This Down by Sunflouwerhabit

"And Louis responds by kissing him. He closes his eyes and presses their lips together and hopes it’s enough to distract from how those words cut and extracted critical pieces of his heart, his soul. Louis kisses Harry to avoid sobbing, yelling, pleading, begging him to never, ever use words like always or never or I promise, because they can’t. They don’t have an always. Nevers will forever remain a mere dream. Time has run out for commitments or oaths or pledges and if Louis is going to be okay- if he’s going to enjoy this time with Harry and then let him go and still feel whole- he can’t let himself start thinking long term. He can’t let this become emotional; something more than silliness and fun and sex. He can��t hear Harry say he’s proud of him when he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see him again after this week. 'I miss you,' Harry murmurs, his breaths warm and equally shaky. 'All the time.' Louis kisses him harder."

Why I Like It: I really loved this contemporary romance. Lots of angst, boys being stupid thinking they are protecting each other by not communicating. But ultimately a lovely story. New favorite.

#fanfic #fic recommendation

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