Soft Wlw Asks

Heads up, new works on AO3 will take a while to show up, they’ve gotten hit with a bunch of spam.

This is a Moving Forward PSA for everyone using AO3. I am witnessing the results of a culture class and communication failure. Not a lack of communication, but a misunderstanding caused by changes in fandom culture.

Before fic tagging was common, fics weren’t tagged. You had a pairing, if applicable, an author’s note about genre or general content, and if they were feeling charitable, a vague content warning. There are even a few genres of fic where even vaguely tagging literally spoils the plot and impact (such as horror, psyche thriller, in which the likely content is implicit to the genre). As a result, there is a basic category tag that permits this, as a courtesy to “old-fashioned” writers.

“No Archive Warnings Apply” means the fic is PG13 at worst, probably fluff, totally safe.

“Choose Not to Use Archive Warnings” is the polar opposite. It’s a glaring Enter at Your Own Risk billboard. It means: a shitload of warnings apply but I ain’t telling because this story requires shock value. It’s very important to read the author’s notes for those fics because they might be using that older format from above.

But without the context of fandom culture that generated AO3, it’s understandably easy to conflate the two categories, given their similar wording.

PSA

Hey guys! So I’ve posted some starters, as well as some personal questions you can ask me or my girlfriend (or both, just let me know and I will drag her ass over here so she can answer) to get to know us. 

For those of you who aren’t aware (so like me half the time and probably everyone else), I’m a first year college student. I also work a part time job, so if you send me prompts, my reply might be a little delayed. 

I really do enjoy answering these as a warm up to writing my actual book. Somebody kick me into gear to write that thing. Thank you guys for your cooperation! I can’t wait to hear more from you.

This is my other account, in case I accidentally answer you or if I like your blog posts. Tumblr hates me. @gravitationallychallengedrabbits AND IT WON’T LET ME TAG MYSELF OF COURSE

And my girlfriend: @presumptivelyalesbian

I'm writing I promise but I got bit (hehe) with the sevika vampire bug and now I need a nap. Omegaverse may be posted after vampire bc it got a little out of hand wordcount wise, my bad.

If there’s a male character I care about (when I’m writing), there’s like a 50% greater chance of him crying at some point because in this house, we support normalizing men and boys being emotionally expressive and vulnerable and we will never shame them for it

Slav pronouncing US states

“Nope,” I whisper as I exit out of a fic with no paragraph breaks.

Somewhere along the way fanart become worth more than fanfic to fandom.

Artists have Patreon accounts where people pay real money to view their art early or to access special pictures like scraps or tutorials.

Whereas writers are expected to produce more and more, faster, for nothing in return. No one wants to see our “scraps” and writers who do provide Tips and Tricks often get crap for “policing” how people write.

And it falls into the prevailing notion that somehow writing is something easy, something anyone can do.

This isn’t an attack on fanartists. You deserve to receive some sort of compensation and accolades for your work. And so do fanauthors.

Writing fic is hard work. Yes, anyone can type out a story, same as anyone can pick up a pencil to draw, but what makes the difference, what makes a good piece is the experience and talent of an author. It’s all the stories no one saw, it’s all the writing books we’ve read, it’s the classes we have attended, all rolled into a package that works weeks, months, years to bring the fandom their fic. Yes we write for ourselves but we also write to contribute to fandom - just like artists do.

We’re just the same - artists and authors - and we deserve the same respect for our work.

LOOK I GOT A HAIRCUT

I have reached PEAK GAY

When I die…

… plant catnip on my grave. I want to be visited by lots and lots of cats.