Good is not a thing you are, it's a thing you do

Greetings! We (and by “we” I mean me because I’m the only mod) are pleased to announce the first official Tumblr week dedicated to the fifth Robin and the son of the Bat himself: Damian Wayne!

Here’s how it works:

Each day you’ll be given three prompts to base your works on, and you can combine prompts if you so wish. We accept all mediums including but not limited to: writing, art, edits, moodboards, audio/video, playlists, and cosplay. 

The prompt submissions will open on March 27th and close on April 9th, and there will be a Google Form released when the time comes. The prompts can be things like “Humor”, “Alfred the cat”, “University AU”, etc. so long as they’re safe for work. Vague or more general prompts are favorable because that way creators can interpret it however they like. Prompt voting will be from April 10th to April 23rd, and the final prompts will be released the day after on April 24th.

Posting dates will be from June 13th to June 19th. Late posting is okay, and we will reblog up to a week after the event is over.

Rules

FAQ

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to drop it in our ask box, DM us, or contact the mod, @incorrectbatfam​

Not a Batfam fanfic, but those who know me know that the topics of family covered in this fic are close to me and I worked really hard on this for over a month, and it truly means a lot to me. So basically… views and feedback are very appreciated!

Lightning Lines

Fortress

Liminal Hours

“Kon and Cassie are getting Tim. I’m already ready so I’ll meet you guys outside.”

“Hold on, what’s happening?”

“We’re going swimming.”

“Swimming. At… three in the morning?”

Prejudice

(It’s only tangentially related to the prompt but it’s something I’ve never seen for this ship so yeah.)

The Reason We Try

Jaime Reyes and the Six Not-Dates

Fanfiction writers are still writers. Don’t brush yourself aside just because you’re writing about Batman and Superman’s romantic getaway to Paris, and don’t let anyone else invalidate you either. On the same note, that also means treat your works as if they are original pieces you are presenting to an audience—treat it with respect and dignity. (It also means the below content applies to you too.)

Your level of comfort, interest, and love for writing will directly translate into your work. If the long paragraph you’re writing is boring and tedious to you, it’s gonna be boring and tedious to the reader. If you’re writing out of obligation (such as request fulfillment) instead of out of desire, that’s going to show and your readers won’t love it as much as you want them to. If you’re writing a topic that you’re not comfortable writing, guess what? Likewise, if you’re having fun and pouring your heart into your work, your readers are gonna want to join you for the ride.

Write. Write as much as you can, whenever you have the opportunity. Write during your lunch break, write on the bus, write when you have nothing to do on a rainy day. Consistent practice is the key to improvement. But more importantly: read and research more than you write. Explore which books are successful in your genre and why. Read classics and myths. Google why eyebrows fall off or watch a documentary about the Texarkana killer or read a Writer’s Digest article about plot building. Don’t just brush it off with a note saying “this probably isn’t good or accurate lol”. Pause. Go back. Do it right.

Not everyone is gonna love what you write because you’re not writing for everyone. Don’t just write something and toss it out to the world randomly. Figure out your audience first, and then write accordingly (and it’s okay if your audience changes). 

Your creativity and your skill level are probably not on equal footing. This is especially true if you haven’t been writing for very long (i.e. a year or less). You likely have these grand ideas that you can’t wait to get on paper, but when you do, it’s sloppy-looking and underwhelming. This is a starting point—nobody writes a masterpiece on the first try. Keep practicing, keep learning, and you will rise to your potential in due time.

Learn the rules, then bend them at your will. This goes for all things—conventions, societal norms, story building, characters, etc. E.E. Cummings said “f*ck you” to grammar because he knew how it works and thus how to convey his message without it. Jane Austen used double negatives and was famous for being progressive for her time. Edgar Allen Poe wrote unsettling things. Kurt Vonnegut just hated semicolons. But all these authors knew what they were getting into and that’s how they pulled it off properly.

Have confidence, not pride. Learn to take criticism where it’s valid and learn to discern that from plain old hate. Listen to feedback and edit or rewrite as needed. You could be William goddamn Shakespeare himself and there will always be something you need to work on—some way you can be better. But at the same time, know at what point to stop editing and to just trust yourself. I can’t tell you how to do that; you have to figure it out for yourself.

Different (Is Not A Sin)

Aight, so I’m not actually a big fan of most batfam modern royal fanfics largely because 1) they try to cram too many characters into one place, 2) it’s difficult to hone in on a single perspective, and 3) the plots don’t always make the most sense and/or it’s something that can be done without the alternate universe.

So my solution (like with a lot of things) is to just do it myself.

Operation: Ordinary

Happy Pride!

(and don't worry about rushing out of the closet; my eighty-year-old math professor just came out two years ago himself)

Dick: forgoes the float and just goes down the street doing backflips in rainbow spandex

Jason: protects people on the street against hate groups with Roy

Tim and Damian (with the Superboys)

Duke: oversees the festival from the rooftops because no cops at pride

Terry: cosplays as Jesus and stands next to the counterprotestors with a sign saying "I'm NOT with stupid"

Stephanie: sits on a throne of Skittles

Cassandra: goes around as a different Pride Knight every day

Barbara: exposes bigots on Twitter

Harper: blasting queer punk anthems with a boombox on her shoulder

Carrie: dresses a horse up as a unicorn

Helena: redesigns everyone's costumes to show support

Kate: offers free products and answering questions/giving advice to queer youth

Bruce: funds all of Pride plus shows up with Clark wearing those "Free Dad Hugs" shirts