Reading, Writing And Creating Too Many Ocs

I got a comment on a fic that is less than a year old and it was mostly an apology for being a comment on an "old fic" and how late they were in commenting.

Fandom is not trends.

Fandom is a cross between a library and having a slumber party with your friends.

some people really don’t realize how privileged they are that they get fanfics for free. imagine having access to something for free because someone is kind enough to share it with you… and then being rude, entitled and an ungrateful pos to that person who was kind enough to share their creation with you for free

“almost 1 year is a lil too much for me” fuck off. fanfic writers don’t owe you anything. one of my favorite fics was updated after 13 years, and what I did is that I thanked the author for choosing to continue the work, I didn’t act like a spoiled toddler by asking why they didn’t update sooner. and even if a writer chooses to abandon their fic permanently with no explanation, that is their choice, their hobby, their decision. they don’t owe your entitled ass anything.

10,000+ fake fics already?

and we're not even counting the ones that the supposed 'author' (llm users aren't real writers: hate me all you want, doesn't change the fact) hasn't disclosed as gen ai. same goes for fan art.

to that i say. begone @ wanna-be fic makers, spammers, baiters, fools, and stealers. try to create your own paragraph, support improving accessibility, then talk to us again. we're losing both skill sets and the ancient texts at a rapid rate smh

(this came out of a conversation in the comments on a previous post about an author threatening to stop updating a fic because of lack of engagement)

So there’s this idea that fic writers should write for themselves and not care too much about stats or engagement,

and i totally get the sentiment behind that. if writing becomes entirely about stats and external validation, something important does get lost - creative freedom and joy, conviction in your own writing

but i also think:

“i write for myself, but i post for others.”

because posting fic is not only self-expression. it’s social. ao3 is called an archive, but emotionally it often functions as a community space.

people post for connection, for participation, for others to bear witness to their pain and trauma and grief,

and i don’t think most people are asking to be admired so much as acknowledged. there’s something deeply human about wanting another person to encounter something that mattered to you and go:

“ok, yeah, I see what you were trying to say. I see you.”

especially because fanfic is often people processing very real feelings through fictional characters at a safe distance, one step removed,

and then uploading that deeply personal thing into a shared archive and hoping somebody else might connect with it.

And i think that’s why it hurts so much when you summon up the courage and post a fic into the void and you get nothing back,

and then it’s like,

dense underwater forests made of kelp and haunted by silent predators

bottomless whirlpools, with no explorer who ventured inside ever returning

sprawling reefs made of crystal corals, the reflections of which create life-like illusions when the sun- and moonlight hits it just right

untethered islands floating freely, able to rearrange, part, and fuse at random

a giant chasm in which no light, no matter how bright, illuminates more than an arm's reach

fields of underwater volcanoes, inhabited by deep sea beings requiring warmth to survive

an eternal storm that roams the oceans, and destroys everything in its path

the giant skeleton of a creature which once roamed the oceans, so vast that its body has created a new biome

a giant lighthouse that still sends signals, even though no one has occupied it in centuries

parts of the coast where the water is permanently stained crimson and every night, ghost ships replay their final battle

submerged ruins that are only uncovered when the tides retreat for a couple hours

I've been resource gathering for YEARS so now I am going to share my dragons hoard

Floorplanner. Design and furnish a house for you to use for having a consistent background in your comic or anything! Free, you need an account, easy to use, and you can save multiple houses.

Comparing Heights. Input the heights of characters to see what the different is between them. Great for keeping consistency. Free.

Magma. Draw online with friends in real time. Great for practice or hanging out. Free, paid plan available, account preferred.

Smithsonian Open Access. Loads of free images. Free.

SketchDaily. Lots of pose references, massive library, is set on a timer so you can practice quick figure drawing. Free.

SculptGL. A sculpting tool which I am yet to master, but you should be able to make whatever 3d object you like with it. free.

Pexels. Free stock images. And the search engine is actually pretty good at pulling up what you want.

Figurosity. Great pose references, diverse body types, lots of "how to draw" videos directly on the site, the models are 3d and you can rotate the angle, but you can't make custom poses or edit body proportions. Free, account option, paid plans available.

Line of Action. More drawing references, this one also has a focus on expressions, hands/feet, animals, landscapes. Free.

Animal Photo. You pose a 3d skull model and select an animal species, and they give you a bunch of photo references for that animal at that angle. Super handy. Free.

But! I came up with a writing challenge that is absolutely hilarious.

Nonsense November.

You write the absolute worst Y/N style fanfic you possibly can.

We all want to build our skills as writers but sometimes you gotta write the worst thing you possibly can and realize how far you’ve come and to have a little giggle at what your brain can come up with.

But! I came up with a writing challenge that is absolutely hilarious.

Nonsense November.

You write the absolute worst Y/N style fanfic you possibly can.

We all want to build our skills as writers but sometimes you gotta write the worst thing you possibly can and realize how far you’ve come and to have a little giggle at what your brain can come up with.