u/AmawynOakleaf

If you could talk to yourself from the past, what would be the top advice that you would give them? I am curious to see what everyone comes up with!

For me, I would say: Just start creating the story, and don't worry about who will like or not like it. The right people will find it, and what ultimately matters is that you enjoy your own creations.

EDIT: This exchange is now closed to new entries

Hello everyone!

For this exchange, I thought it would be interesting to share stories that feature characters which are in some way gender-expansive. This can include (and is not limited to) characters who are:

- Transgender

- Non-binary

- Agender

- Two-spirit identities

- Gender non-conforming

To enter, you may submit up to 3 links and in return you must read and review 2 chapters/one-shots by different authors.

Please include in your entry: Title/Link, Fandom, Rating, Word Count, Summary, Warnings (use spoiler for NSFW or triggering content), and a Review Counter (ex: 0/2)

Entry Deadline: Friday, July 10th, 10pm PST

Review Deadline: Wednesday, July 15th, 10pm PST

Reviews must be genuine, thoughtful, detailed, and a minimum of 50 words about the fic itself, demonstrating that you have actually read the story. Constructive feedback and mentions of being “fandom blind” or “from Reddit” are opt-in only. Only include these if the author has explicitly stated they are welcome.

You should leave your reviews on the works itself (AO3, FFN, or other fanfic sites) then reply to the author’s entry here to let them know, like “K&C” (Kudos and Commented).

Do not delete your entry once you have joined.

Have fun! 💕

Do you have a favorite redemption arc that you have written or read? Who was the character being redeemed, and what made their story arc meaningful to you?

Also, as a more general question: Do you prefer your villains to be truly evil and unforgivable? Morally gray? More of a noble anti-villain?

No right or wrong answers here, of course. I've been thinking about villain character development, which made me curious what you guys think!

Edit: Found! Arsinoe de Blassenville on FFN. Thanks for the quick help ✨

This author wrote excellent stories, but I can't remember if they were on FFN, AO3, or somewhere else. I remember a couple particular ones:

- Harry gets sorted into Hufflepuff and the adults try to just let him be a normal kid, while they competently solve the problems/mysteries around Hogwarts. This one featured Snape/Charity Burbage as a pairing

- A snarky (in a good way) reimagining of the canon epilogue, where the characters are ill-adjusted to their adult lives. A particularly memorable bit was the Weasleys' shop starting to sell 'happy' potions for depressed wizards & witches.

The author was an older person who passed away a while ago. Does anyone remember them? Are their works still up?

Thank you so much!

Still riding that wave of excitement. 😊 It's THE chapter that has been brewing in my head for months, since I've started on my longfic. It was so nice to finally get to this part of the story. I know there's probably like 2 people that are far enough into the longfic to even read it, but I'm still happy it's published.

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Four more chapters to go, and the longfic will be complete. 🥳

Thought this would be an interesting discussion topic:

Aside from the fandom itself that the story is for, what other media do you find influencing your writing?

Here is mine:

Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, for the idea of someone gaining magic when they vow to protect something or have strong willpower.

Greek mythology, for some traits of the main character and the Pagan gods present in the story.

Sailor Moon, for the hopeful feel of the story - good triumphs over evil, love and friendship make a difference.

College philosophy class from a while ago, which focused on social structures and community. I'm finding myself emphasizing found family and community vs. individualism as an overarching theme.