Feverdreaming

Are you interested in a Bottom!Steve bingo starting in June 2022 and running through Jan 2023?

That's 2/3 of a year to create content for America's favorite bottom. ;) If that interests you, let us know here!

Save your fic, skip the indentation.

Indentation may be necessary in a high school essay but on Archive of Our Own, indentation can make the reading experience unpleasant, especially if your paragraphs tend to be shorter. 

When it comes to line alignment, go left. 

While making your text justified may look best at first, it is hard on the eyes to read for longer stretches of time (especially when late at night—which is when most people tend to read fanfic!) So, for the sake of your reader, consider using left alignment.

Use quotation marks, it’s in the name. 

Even though it may be super obvious and easy to some, formatting dialogue into your fic can be tricky; let me save you some time. Indicate what is being spoken by bracketing it with quotation marks (these guys → “”) and refrain from using any other method, especially italics. 

Shut up, I’m thinking (not talking) 

So what do I use italics for? Glad you asked: Italics are typically used to demonstrate a character’s thoughts or emphasize a word or statement. Additionally, you may want to italicize a quote, song lyric, etc. Really, feel free to italicize anything you want, except, of course, dialogue.

Meet your new soulmate, horizontal lines. 

No longer are the days of thirty identical emojis and “POV SWITCH” spelled out in bold in the middle of a fic. If you are cutting to a new scene or switching points of view, just insert a horizontal line and call it a day. 

Quantity ≠ Quality

*Not applicable for fics under 1,500 words*

Having more chapters may seem more appealing on the surface, but having to press the next chapter button every minute can be a major deterrent for readers, especially those who use ao3 on their phone. Thus, if you have a 20k fic ready to go, think about splitting that baby into ten chapters instead of twenty. Remember, ao3 does not have a sort by chapter number option—only word count. 

Yeah, yeah, it’s summary time

Man, summaries can be confusing to navigate no matter if this is your first or fifth fic. Here are a couple things you should not do when writing your summary. 

Writing the word “summary” in the summary

Putting a really long author’s note in the summary 

Saying “this is really bad” or “this is my first fic” and the like. (they can go in the end notes if you really want to tell your readers, but also, be confident!)

The same goes for “please give kudos and comment” and “please read” 

Having a “explainer” summary. 

An example of a explainer summary would be saying something like, “this is basically my take on what i think happened after [blank] because [blank] broke my heart and sucked. [blank] essentially is sad when [blank]  breaks up with [blank] so they gets revenge and starts a ~relationship~ with [blank]” 

Having a really long summary. At most a summary should be 8-10 sentences but I would aim for shorter. 

Putting a disclaimer in the summary. The great thing about ao3 is that you do not need to include a disclaimer for reasons that a far too complicated for me to sum up here, but if you would like to read up on it click the link: https://www.transformativeworks.org/faq/

Additionally, below are some examples of good and easy to read summaries. One is an actual summary while the other is a carefully chosen excerpt from the “fic”

O Rich Text! My Rich Text!

The rich text option on ao3 is a life saver and I highly recommend you take advantage of it. Not only is much more user-friendly, but when copying and pasting your fic, the line spacing won’t come out all wonky like it does when you copy and paste into the html box. 

On Tagging

Tagging on ao3 is one of those things that, like summaries, seems daunting at first but is actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Now, I feel it would be best for me to explain tagging in another post as there’s a lot to cover and this post is already pretty long, so look out for that in the next couple of days.

And always remember the golden rule of fanfiction…

WTPDI

Write in Third Person, Damn It!

Save your fic, skip the indentation.

Indentation may be necessary in a high school essay but on Archive of Our Own, indentation can make the reading experience unpleasant, especially if your paragraphs tend to be shorter. 

When it comes to line alignment, go left. 

While making your text justified may look best at first, it is hard on the eyes to read for longer stretches of time (especially when late at night—which is when most people tend to read fanfic!) So, for the sake of your reader, consider using left alignment.

Use quotation marks, it’s in the name. 

Even though it may be super obvious and easy to some, formatting dialogue into your fic can be tricky; let me save you some time. Indicate what is being spoken by bracketing it with quotation marks (these guys → “”) and refrain from using any other method, especially italics. 

Shut up, I’m thinking (not talking) 

So what do I use italics for? Glad you asked: Italics are typically used to demonstrate a character’s thoughts or emphasize a word or statement. Additionally, you may want to italicize a quote, song lyric, etc. Really, feel free to italicize anything you want, except, of course, dialogue.

Meet your new soulmate, horizontal lines. 

No longer are the days of thirty identical emojis and “POV SWITCH” spelled out in bold in the middle of a fic. If you are cutting to a new scene or switching points of view, just insert a horizontal line and call it a day. 

Quantity ≠ Quality

*Not applicable for fics under 1,500 words*

Having more chapters may seem more appealing on the surface, but having to press the next chapter button every minute can be a major deterrent for readers, especially those who use ao3 on their phone. Thus, if you have a 20k fic ready to go, think about splitting that baby into ten chapters instead of twenty. Remember, ao3 does not have a sort by chapter number option—only word count. 

Yeah, yeah, it’s summary time

Man, summaries can be confusing to navigate no matter if this is your first or fifth fic. Here are a couple things you should not do when writing your summary. 

Writing the word “summary” in the summary

Putting a really long author’s note in the summary 

Saying “this is really bad” or “this is my first fic” and the like. (they can go in the end notes if you really want to tell your readers, but also, be confident!)

The same goes for “please give kudos and comment” and “please read” 

Having a “explainer” summary. 

An example of a explainer summary would be saying something like, “this is basically my take on what i think happened after [blank] because [blank] broke my heart and sucked. [blank] essentially is sad when [blank]  breaks up with [blank] so they gets revenge and starts a ~relationship~ with [blank]” 

Having a really long summary. At most a summary should be 8-10 sentences but I would aim for shorter. 

Putting a disclaimer in the summary. The great thing about ao3 is that you do not need to include a disclaimer for reasons that a far too complicated for me to sum up here, but if you would like to read up on it click the link: https://www.transformativeworks.org/faq/

Additionally, below are some examples of good and easy to read summaries. One is an actual summary while the other is a carefully chosen excerpt from the “fic”

O Rich Text! My Rich Text!

The rich text option on ao3 is a life saver and I highly recommend you take advantage of it. Not only is much more user-friendly, but when copying and pasting your fic, the line spacing won’t come out all wonky like it does when you copy and paste into the html box. 

On Tagging

Tagging on ao3 is one of those things that, like summaries, seems daunting at first but is actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Now, I feel it would be best for me to explain tagging in another post as there’s a lot to cover and this post is already pretty long, so look out for that in the next couple of days.

And always remember the golden rule of fanfiction…

WTPDI

Write in Third Person, Damn It!

These films are technically competent to a fault. That fault of being uninteresting and unmotivated. And the only thing they have going for them; is the speculation and hype that fans and media generate surrounding them.

So all of this is to prevent spoilers

TWEET

Hill: STEVE THE CHIP!!!!!!

There are also a ton of fic authors who want to write but don’t have an idea they feel passionate enough about to sit down and do it. My hope with this blog is to connect these people and get some awesome fanfiction out of it.

Bruce can’t handle stressful games. And let’s be honest, Thor can’t handle his appetite.

{EDIT: I’ve been notified by a number of people that the Bonus image links were broken and unviewable. I think I’ve fixed that issue, so if you were one of those people, this post is now in working condition =] ]

[[Also! Credit to northernlotus for the idea of Bucky’s participation!]]

Bonus:

post-avengers pre-ws steve pushing through all his guilt, anxiety, self-hate, etc. and buying an anal vibrator because it doesn’t matter he only found out the store existed cause Nat pulled him in there once to tease him and “educate steve about what women are into now”. He has become familiar in modern queer spaces, just like he was in the 30s and 40s, and he’s ready to take advantage of all the 21st century has to offer: including high quality sex toys

i was so entirely taken by this idea that i wrote a fic

NSFW 18+

-

The store isn’t far from where Steve lives on Connecticut Avenue, and he finds himself slipping inside in the early afternoon, baseball hat pulled low over his eyes and glasses perched on his nose. He only knows about this place because Natasha brought him there a few weeks back, hoping to loosen him up, or something.

Everyone these days likes to act like he’s never heard of sex before, and part of him thinks she’d been waiting for him to pass out while perusing the aisles as they browsed, but mostly he’d been taking stock. There was so much now in terms of sex paraphernalia, and he couldn’t help but wonder what would work well with his souped up body. He knew how it felt to have another person inside him-- hell, Bucky and him had really taken time when they could find it to explore what felt good. But he hasn’t taken the time yet to see for himself with the more modern inventions. He might be working still on feeling like his body is his, but that doesn’t mean he can’t feel good, right?

The door jingles as he enters, and he ducks his head against the glance the cashier gives. No one else is in the store, so he doesn’t feel like he has to peek around each corner as he makes his way back to where he knows the toys for ass play are. It’s only a little mortifying as he stares at the wall of different plugs and vibrators, momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer number of options there are. Still, he had done some research before he’d come (in a completely incognito tab on the iPad he owns that was not SHIELD mandated), so he selects a pretty basic looking vibrating plug. It’s cone shaped with an easy-grip handle at the bottom and a remote he can use to control the speed. The part that’s meant to go inside him is fairly large, but he knows he can take it. He’s taken bigger.

Eyes cast down and ears burning red, he purchases it along with some lube at the front desk. Luckily, the cashier seems more or less uninterested in who he is. Perfect.

-

Despite the excitement Steve had felt carrying the toy home in his nondescript day bag and placing it carefully in his bedside drawer, he doesn’t touch it again for another week. For some reason, the prospect of touching himself in that way-- pleasuring himself in that sense-- is too much. He feels undeserving. How dare he touch himself so gently with hands that have killed so many? How dare he touch himself how Bucky used to take him apart when he’s the goddamn reason he isn’t there to do it anymore?

The thoughts swirl in his head, making him ill each time he considers his toy, so he pushes the curiosity away, and doesn’t lean into desire.

He’s well versed in shame, though, and he can recognize its evil tendrils from a mile away. More than anything, he’s tired of letting it control him. So he carves out time for himself on a random Saturday afternoon, and pulls out the vibrator, studying the packaging for a moment before tearing it open.

He’d spent the morning prepping in anticipation, and it honestly helped to put him in the right headspace. By the time he’s easing the toy out of its plastic lining, his cock is hard in his pants, and his hole is throbbing at the promise of pleasure.

“Fuck it,” he murmurs, and strips out of his clothes.

His heart is slamming in his chest as he climbs onto his bed, pausing for a moment to consider the best way to do this. He decides to stay on his hands and knees, and reaches for the lube he’d tossed in with his toy. This is far from the first time something is going in his ass; at least there aren’t any logistical unknowns he has to figure out.

Though the packaging doesn’t explicitly instruct him to do so, he takes a few minutes to open himself up on two fingers, fucking them in and out of himself and scissoring them back and forth until his chest is flushed and his lip is caught between his teeth. His cock is leaking now, and fuck-- fuck, he wants more. He wants more. His fingers aren’t enough. He needs to be full, and christ, he wants it. He wants it so bad.

Smearing lube onto the toy, he reaches behind himself, moaning as he begins to press it into himself. It’s different than anything he’s ever felt, the synthetic material foreign and a little cold inside his body. But fuck, it’s good. The shape is tantalizing as it pops into him with ease, his hole flexing and clenching around the fullness he feels, and fuck, it’s hard. It’s so hard and so big, and so round, and he wants to exist like this forever. Plugged up and wanting-- pleasure pushing at the seams and igniting his blood, boiling to the surface and spreading through his nerves.

And he hasn’t even fucking turned it on yet.

What a goddamn whore he is.

“Oh fuck,” he moans, and God, it feels good to sink into those dirty thoughts. He’s allowed to be that here-- desperate and wanting and so ready to be fucked. He’s allowed to feel that.

His body is allowed to feel good. His body is allowed to be good.

Maybe he can be good, too.

Chest heaving, he takes the remote in hand and hovers his thumb over the power button. His hand is shaking, heart beating faster as he tries to find the wherewithal to turn the goddamn thing on. Fuck, that’s the whole point of this-- to feel it bone deep.

Sucking in a deep breath, he presses the power button.

“Oh! My-- fuck.” His eyes fly open as he curls forward over himself, forearms bracing on the bed beneath him as a loud buzz sounds around the room.

His body feels like it’s been set alight, stomach quivering as sensation washes over him in crashing, burning waves. The toy is angled against his prostate, and the vibrations seem to feed straight to his soul, pounding in his gut.

It’s nothing like being fucked-- the only similarity is the fullness, and even that is fleeting. The toy doesn’t move like another body would, doesn’t thrust into him and take with purpose. But the static pleasure is teasing and perfect in a whole new way, and Steve can’t help but lower his hips onto the bed to rut into the mattress.

The new angle pushes the toy further against his prostate and he shouts, hands fisting in the sheets around him as he shudders around an overstimulated sob, then another until he’s sobbing and thrusting his cock into the bed.

“Oh god,” he gasps. “Oh fucking god, that feels so good. That feels so goddamn good.” And maybe there isn’t anyone there to listen, but that’s alright. He’s allowed to exist in this solitude. It’s a sweet solitude, unlike so many.

It’s a careful indulgence, heat gathering in his spine and spreading to his limbs, and he tosses his head to the side, mouth open in a perpetual gasp of pleasure as he holds his body taut against the orgasm that wants to build. He wants to feel this longer; let it last.

He fucking deserves to let it last.

He thrusts into the mattress for another few minutes before hoisting himself back up and taking his cock in hand. He’s close enough now that it’s unavoidable, and he begins to stroke himself hard and fast, shuffling to the headboard so he could lean into that for support while he reaches back to fuck the vibrator in and out of himself and fuck, fuck-- he’s so close and so full and the vibrations are so much-- everything is so much and he’s going to-- he’s going to--

With a shout, he comes all over his dark wash headboard, cock jerking relentlessly as his head falls back between his shoulder blades. His shout morphs into a moan as he feels his orgasm tingle from his head to his toes, all consuming in a way it never was before the serum.

By the time he comes down, it’s all too much, and he whines a little as he pull the toy out, overstimulated and fucked out and--

Feeling good. He feels good.

His hair is sweaty and plastered to his forehead, and there’s a load of come he needs to wash off his bed, as well as the stench of sex he needs to get rid of. But he feels fucking fantastic.

He smiles to himself.

His body doesn’t feel so frozen anymore.

-

i mean, even with the verdict (as sham as it was) being that rittenhouse shot the 3 victims accidentally, he still did shoot and kill them.