i literally can not start writing because a blank document is so overwhelming to me. no matter what i write down, i start overthinking and just end up not writing anything. does anyone else struggle with that? what do you do to help combat that fear?
Welcome back to the Alphabet Excerpt Challenge! As a reminder, our challenges are every Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm London time.
If you've missed the previous challenges, you're welcome to go back and participate in them. You can find them here. And remember to check out the Activities and Events flair to play along with other fun games.
Here's a quick recap of the rules for our game:
I sent an appeal, but I am still extremely discouraged. Sure, it was only at 23k words and a week into it, but I was extremely excited to work on it again.
The account was flagged because I guess I had too many other accounts and thought I was a bot?
I had no back ups. I had no idea google would even do this. I was not prepared. I downloaded by data but the document file was not included since the account was so fresh.
Sure, I could start over, but it will never be the exact same. It's stupid to be so upset, but I was pouring my heart and soul into that.
And they just shot it down.
EDIT: At some point I saved chapter 1 when it was 100% finished, so it was in the ao3 text box. (I usually set my fic description, tags, name, all that stuff before I get too deep in a fic.) So. It's not a total loss if google doesn't give me the account back.
Now that we have people talking about a different fanfic platform, it's a great opportunity for Ao3 users to learn about a feature that is often overlooked despite being one of the reasons for the creation of the platform.
I'm talking about External Bookmarks, of course.
External Bookmarks are a special type of bookmark that Ao3 users can create: rather than bookmarking an existing fic on Ao3, it allows users to bookmark fics that have been published on other websites. These include (but are not limited to) fanfic platforms like FFnet or Wattpad, forums, personal websites and yes, even blogs!
It's easy! Once logged in, go to Your Profile and select My Bookmarks. On the right side of the screen you will see the "Bookmark External Work" button. Fill in the required information: fanfic name, author, link to the fic...and presto! You now have a bookmark to you favourite fic from your old platform!
The point is that fandom doesn't need to be centralised. There are countless places where people write fic, and as amazing as Ao3 is, we can't possibly move every fic there. When people leave platforms behind, sometimes they leave authors too, people that used to be active there until one day when they never logged back. These literary treasures can be forgotten if people don't keep their memory alive, and it's frustrating to see people complain about the lack of fics for a fandom or ship, knowing those fics are out there and nobody knows about them...
But by using the fabulous Tagging System on Ao3, we can make the search for obscure fics accesible to everybody! No more "somebody reuploaded my fic onto a different platform without permission" or "there are no fics for this old fandom! this show was never popular!" And specially, no more "I can't use [platform], the search system sucks! There's nothing good there anyways!": we can now bypass tedious search systems by directly linking to these fics, just like in a recommendation list!
The reasons are twofold:
Firstly, many people ignore the FAQ, which is a shame, as there are tons of tips and info on the platform!
But second, the centralisation of fandom has had the negative effect of people forgetting why Ao3 created the Bookmarks feature to begin with. One does not need Ao3 to bookmark fics for oneself, any internet browser nowadays has that function (for free!). The reason Ao3 implemented Public Bookmarks by default was due to Social Bookmarking: the idea of sharing links among your community to help eachother find things that would otherwise be difficult to find. In an era where algorithmic recommendations were non-existent and fandoms were often times not centered around one particular platform, sharing links was the only way to find stuff that might exist outside your orbit.
At the time, the role of these fandom archivers was greatly appreciated, and with the launch of Bookmarking Services, entire communities dedicated themselves to the classification and preservation of fanfic links: these people wrote out summaries, implemented detailed tag classifications and kept track of updates to keep everything up to date. This is because often times, authors did not add summaries, warnings, tags, or any key information to their fics, hence why the responsibility fell on readers and bookmarkers. It was a joint effort, by readers, for readers, even against the wishes of those authors who refused tagging due to spoilers or twists.
Sadly, as it tends to happen, these platforms rarely last forever, and many were lost to time due to new owners, increasing monetisation, advertiser friendly policies and the like. Fandom decided they couldn't rely on third parties anymore, hence the inclusion of a Bookmarking Feature, meant to share links among users of a new platform that never sought to become the one stop for all fanfic.
But that is precisely what happened: victim of its own success, Ao3 became so popular nobody ever used other platforms anymore, and so the role of bookmarkers was lost to time. The use the feature became increasingly personal, used as a reading list (despite the Mark for Later feature) as well as a tracker of sorts, which prompted users to ask for a Private Bookmarks option, and that leads us to...today.
So next time somebody asks "where's all the [something] fic?" or "why aren't bookmarks private by default?" and even "bookmarks are not a readers' space, what does that even mean" you remind them of all the people in fandom that contributed to the search for fics, the people who wrote fics in the past that haven't yet been forgotten, and hey, perhaps you direct them to the Bookmarks section to start a new recommendation list! Find your new favourites, and help others find theirs too! 💕
I am very tired of #intersex![character] fics always having the same thing, dualsex anatomy. This is not what real intersex people have going on.
It's so incredibly frustrating as an intersex person to just not be able to find anything ever that actually reflects what I experience because the word for my body has been turned into a fantasy porn trope by perisex people.
So, let me give you all some tips on how to write this! (and feel free to ask further questions)
What does it look like? --> It looks like an in-between, a mid point between a penis and a vagina. This is easier to picture and understand when you know about how the anatomy develops. All tissues in the sex organs are homologous structures, with the same origin in utero. Same meat, different shape. Here is an image of some examples (drawings)
If you are looking to write a character with both entire perisexual (non-intersex) reproductive systems/anatomy, it's best to label this as dualsex/dual-sex, salmacian, or altersex, or just "[character] has a penis and a vagina". Because this is vastly different from truly ambiguous anatomy.
Note that not all intersex people have ambiguous sex anatomy. They may have genital variations that are mild, such as a large clitoris (like a transmasculine t-dick on HRT). They may have a hypospadic penis, where the urethra is underneath the glans, and the foreskin connects very low on the shaft. The underside of the shaft may have a line of redder more sensitive skin (similar to the 'racing stripe' that can sometimes develop on the underside of a transfemine person's penis on HRT)
Many intersex people have no visible difference in their external genitalia, and the differences lie elsewhere in their anatomy. Such as internal sex organs, secondary sex traits (voice pitch, facial hair, body shape, breast size), or chromosomes/genes. Some intersexuality is entirely invisible and can only be seen in genetic testing.
Additionally, most (as in 95%) of intersex people born with visible genitalia variations had it surgically removed at birth or later during childhood. It's generally very rare to keep this into adulthood, making it very hard to find other people like me, or even images of this featuring adults.
We are considered to be a medical problem, the source of many of these diagrams is in reference to how they are surgically corrected. We are said to have Disordered Sex Development (DSD) and this is a broadly hated term and understanding of intersexuality (within the intersex community).
The term hermaphrodite is derogatory and should not be used. It is widely considered a slur among my community, and is linked to centuries of violence stretching back to the medieval era. A lot of us find it very upsetting, some of us reclaim it (I do privately/among people I know). Some intersex people still have this on their medical history if they are older. Many do not believe it should be used in zoology either due to its history categorizing intersex people alongside animals in centuries past. Words like cosexual are being pushed to describe organisms like snails and worms which have two sets of reproductive anatomy. Among others for different reproductive organization seen in animals.
Sex with ambiguous anatomy is often difficult. You're often physically incompatible with penetrative sex (giving and receiving) the closer to the middle you are. They don't make sex toys for people with neutrally shaped genitals, so we sometimes make our own, or modify existing sex toys. But this is pretty uncommon. Sensation is concentrated in the genital tubercle (citoris-penis) structure. Erectile tissue sometimes extends downward into the pelvic region, giving an erection that feels like it's wedged deep in there (and also you can't piss when hard). For handjobs/masturbation I often make a sort of.. claw? shape? with my hand with three fingers, two touching the bottom of the shaft and one along the top.
Oral is definitely a very good choice for this sort of genitals. Smaller shafts are easier to suck, and the softer erectile tissue means teeth don't hurt so much. This and ambi4ambi which makes penetrative sex easier/more comfortable.
Penetrative sex is a hit-or-miss, generally more enjoyable if you're on the bigger side. Anal is usually very difficult on account of the less rigid erections, vaginal is good for the intersex person giving, but may be underwhelming for the one receiving. (I'd love to see the self lubrication aspect in a fic at some point) receiving vaginal as an intersex person can quickly become uncomfortable on account of the small/shortened vagina. Only the tip may fit, or only a finger. It may be more of a dimple/indent that can be pressed but not penetrated.
If you have had IGM (intersex genital mutilation) (I have not), your sensation may be limited, or not at all present. Your external genitalia will look largely typical/perisex passing, but it will likely not have the same functionality. Arousal may be linked to deep pelvic nerve pain, or the person may be entirely incapable of feeling arousal. They may be able to feel arousal but may be physically incapable of orgasm due to too many nerves being removed.
I'm intersex and wish I could be horny about it sometimes man I've posted this on AO3 if you want to save it there as well.
(Yes this is a repost, the automod bot removed it for one of the links and I wanted to put it back up before I went to bed instead of waiting on the reversal)
Since I started working full-time two years ago, I've been struggling so much with my writing. About a year ago, I finally adjusted to working enough that I was able to find time to write regularly in the evenings, so that's great! My problem now is just that everything I write sounds so dull and emotionless for some reason ;-;
I actually have a lot of ideas!! A lot more than before because I daydream a lot at work. But I also work in search engine optimisation, so I have to write concise, informational texts all day long, and I feel like that has changed my writing style so much that I can't seem to get back into creative writing any more TT I still read fanfics, and I re-read my old ones, but when I try to write now, nothing I come up with has the same kind of emotion that I used to put into my stories two years ago. I also feel like I struggle with adding subtext or foreshadowing now because obviously my work texts have to deliver straightforward answers instead of building up tension first.
I've given up on finishing fics as fast as I used to, but I really want my writing style back and get all those ideas on paper in a way that I actually like :'D Has anyone else experienced this before? Does anyone have any tips on how to balance "job writing" and "free time writing"?
recently I've been wanting to write fanfics about sooo much characters, but I always get lost on what trope to do... sometimes tropes so much don't match universes, and I'm genuinely stuck! so I wanted to know what tropes u guys like to read?
I've actually written a total of 1.5 million over 18 months but the others are just random bits of books 3+ so they don't count. But 1 million across 2 books so far, all finalised and ready for beta reading. Its set to be one of the longest fanfics in the world, probably THE longest if you consider it has a definitive end as opposed to being serialised, so I am super excited to hit this milestone.
Its an illustrated Astarion BG3 fanfic, shameless plug 😅. But I just release sample chapters as I won't post in full for awhile. If youre interested in being a beta reader (fair warning there is a bit of work) feel free to DM me. I believe I am not allowed to post the link unless its part of the weekly showcase but you can follow the links in my bio :).
New to this subreddit? Here are links to get you started: Rules & Overview | Wiki | FAQs
Got a fic to promote? Click HERE to find the current Weekly Fic Showcase thread
Today's Comment Cooperative
Don't forget to participate in our special events:
Got a question or concern? Feel free to message the mod team.
Basically what it says above. I have a bunch of different concepts/ideas for fics I would love to explore sitting in a word document but I have no idea how to write any of them. I struggle with setting a scene or getting into the POV character's head. When I try to write something with an actual plot it usually stagnates after a while because I have no idea what to put next. I usually end up so unenthusiastic about a project a few hundred words in that I scrap it, even if I can imagine exactly what I want perfectly in my head it all turns to mush on paper. I read a lot (both fanfiction and published works) and I usually come away with the urge to write, but not the ability to follow through. Has anyone else dealt with something similar and has advice?
This is like so random, but we’re genuinely curious. Do straight men like seriously read fan fiction? My friend and I are really curious to know. If you do what’s your interests? We would adore to know!
Xoxo,
Fellow Crimson Supernova lovers
I’ve been thinking a lot about the role writing plays in my life, especially fanfiction.
I know that writing is a safe place for me. Not just in the usual sense of it being comforting or enjoyable, but in a much more physical, almost nervous-system kind of way. There are times when I can feel how much I need to disappear into a story for a while, into characters and a world that feels contained and emotionally manageable.
And I’m becoming increasingly aware of that while I’m writing. I can see that my stories aren’t “just stories” to me. They regulate something. They give me somewhere to put feelings, somewhere to experience closeness, grief, conflict, safety, or resolution in a way that sometimes feels easier than experiencing those things outside of fiction.
I’m curious how other writers relate to this.
Do you ever notice that writing functions as a safe place or a form of emotional regulation for you? And if you’re aware that your nervous system seems to need that space sometimes, how do you relate to that knowledge?
Do you ever worry that you’re escaping too much, or do you see it as something that genuinely helps you process things? Can it be both?
I think what I’m really interested in is what it’s like to know that you’re creating fiction because you love writing, while also knowing that, on some level, you might be building yourself a place where you can feel safe.
I need bts fic recs with fairy themes (small creatures). e.g. fairies, elves etc. angels will be fine too, I like it when they have feathers/wings.
I like rare pairs, poly relationships and long fics.
but doesn’t matter, I don’t care. anything is welcomed. (doesn’t have to be on theme or completed.)
e.g. uprise by kpopismydrug on ao3
A peterpan fanfiction: I have the story idea where captain hook comes to his senses and works on leaving Neverland with his comrades. Turns out, aged up peter pan does NOT want that. The pirates made his eternal life very entertaining for a long time, leaving would make his very long life very boring very fast.
He manipulates and enforces the lost boys to help him keep the pirates from leaving. Some psychological and scary shit is cooking here. One of the focused lost boys, named Andrew, is explored as he learns that his reality is not what it seems. He's been kidnapped and brainwashed.
There's more cool stuff to it, but I thought it was a cool exploration of characters, and would be inspired by the original Peter Pan if I did it correctly.
Comparison is the thief of joy and all that, but I find my writing style to be somewhat lacking compared to pretty much every work of fiction I've ever read, be it fanfiction or a book. I've been writing off and on for almost twenty years (I am older than dirt as far as fanfiction circles are concerned), and at some point I think my writing ability just sort of plateaued. Recently I looked back at one of my earliest fics on AO3 (~10 years old), and it seems to me that I haven't improved much.
Both my most recent WIP and that one have a lot of "[character] went here and did X thing, and while there he decided that he should also do Y thing" and comes across as a bunch of inconsequential rambling in that "high school student trying to pad out an essay" sort of way. Not to mention the columns of dialogue that more often than not end in "[character] said".
I know the most common writing advice is to read everything you can get your hands on, and lately I have been reading a lot more and a wider variety of things than I had previously, but so far I haven't seemed to actually absorb anything, style-wise.
I realize that my concern over this is probably as juvenile as my prose, but I'd still like to improve.
As a crossover shipper fanfiction author sometimes is hard to do all the fics for ur fave pairing by yourself, I also wanna read from other people fics but sadly my otp popularity (Goku x Sailor Moon) was a decade ago or even longer than that so I am just the one doing what I want to read....still writing is hard and I am on writing block so I cannot feed myself with my own writing now sadly.
Dunno just wanted to vent a little bit about this, normally I am fine about this and wirte for myself self indulgent things but now being in writing block and not being able to read something of mine without feeling bad about being quite long since I updated my dics (aka, reread is a no for now because I will just feel bad about not updating) my craving for reading fics from my fave ship makes me lowkey sad because there is not a lot of fics of them.
Man I blame my entitlement thanks to being in larger fandoms when there is a ton of fics of my fave ships, it made me lowkey greedy hahaha.
Ahhh feel better already just writing this tho.
So I stopped writing 3 years ago and I've only just returned this year. Recently, I've been writing for this series that ended in 2024. It's small in which it only has 20 fics on AO3 with more than half belonging to just one user and the most recent fic (besides mine) being posted a year ago. I still see people talking about it in 2026 but I'd consider it less active than it was when the series was ongoing. I've written 2 fics for this fandom this month (one of them I actually started it in 2023 and just finished it lol) and I'm currently writing a third one. I'm basically the only person active in the fandom right now so I get 0 hits and kudos.
The thing is, I'm not upset about it at all. I'm such a shy person on the internet that posting 300 words for another fandom of mine makes me anxious. I have lots of drafts that I can't get myself to finish cause I'm just imagining my writing being perceived before I even publish them. But with this fandom, getting zero interactions is a guarantee and it feels very freeing. I get nervous about situations that I know are most likely not going to happen to me (fic getting ridiculed on Twitter, getting hate comments) but at least I know for sure what the outcome will be with this fandom. I feel less self conscious and I don't lose sleep over wanting to check my email for notifications.
Just wanted to post my thoughts about writing for an inactive fandom.
I know it is a silly question. I got two comments on my fic mentioning they enjoyed my writing, saying it is really good to read
.That made me really happy, but also intrigued, because I don’t know exactly what makes my writing so different that two different people commented on the same thing. So I wanted to ask you readers: what characteristics in a text do you like the most?
EDIT: Thank you all very much! I appreciate all the guidance, it's been very helpful. And I've responded now!
I recently recieved a comment that reads as follows:
- "It isn't much of a kink, but I beg of you to make a fic of these three where [character A] is a trans man. I LOVE trans [character A]/[character B] (usually character A) fics SO MUCH!"
There was more to their comment but it was a few other smaller suggestions.
I do love to ask my readers for suggestions and anything smut/fluff/etc they particularly want to see in this series I'm writing. And I love then taking those ideas and writing them for my readers!! But regarding this suggestion, I don't headcannon this character to be trans. I know others in the fandom have written a few fics where he is trans, but I don't think of him this way, and I feel like I would almost be doing a diservice if I attempted to write it because I'm not trans myself - I realise it's common for cis people to write trans characters, but I never have lol.
So, I would love some guidance on how to politely respond to them that I wont be writing their suggestion without coming off as transphobic/accidentally offending them. I feel like I might be overthinking this lol. Thank you in advance 😊
(The A03 subreddit has been restricted as I'm writing this, so I'm asking this here lol)
