#fandom commandments

Give Appropriate Credit

If you’re sharing a piece of art that you found, make sure you source it. If you don’t know the artist, a quick reverse image search on Google is one way to track down the original artist, though you may have to click through several links before you get to the source.

If you’re quoting from someone else (be it someone’s fic, meta post, whatever), provide the source.

Just because you’re on the Internet and in fandom doesn’t mean this is a free for all. Don’t claim work as your own. Provide sources for what you’re sharing.

Ship and Let Ship

No one else is obligated to like or dislike the same ships as you. Ship hate is a waste of time. However, if you must engage in ship hate keep to your own sandbox. Don’t be an ass. Don’t be a spammer.

If you don't understand why people ship said ship, guess what? You don't have to. No one is obligated to explain their reasoning to you (though if you ask, politely, people may be willing to share their reasoning).

Kink and Let Kink

Way back when, in fandom, one would often see: Your Kink Is Not My Kink But Your Kink Is Okay (YKINMKBYKIOK). This still applies.

If there's a kink you don't like, don’t understand or which causes a severe revulsion in you: leave it alone. Don't go looking for it to complain about it. Blacklist it. If someone you read/follow does not tag for that kink, politely request that they tag it.

If you don't get said kink, guess what? You don't have to. Your understanding or acceptance is not necessary when it comes to someone writing about or participating in a kink.

Post Proper Warnings (Creators)

Warn for things which others may not want to read about. Warn for things which could be disturbing or triggering. Biggies may include: non consensual or dubious consensual sex; abuse (physical, emotional or sexual); self-harm, torture. Others may include: graphic violence, incest (even consensual among adults), character death, explicit sex, etc.

Also realize that you can't warn for everything under the sun. Sometimes blanket warnings - such as "dark themes" and "graphic violence" - have to suffice for all the little nuances that show up in your work. 

Readers, remember: you can politely request that someone tag for certain things if they haven’t and most writers will often be happy to do so. However, do not flame people if they didn't tag for a very specific squick or tirgger. Particularly if the author has other warnings in place under which said things can be encompassed. You do have your own part to play in determining if you want to risk reading something that has elements which might be a problem for you.

Fic Authors Don’t Owe You Anything

Most fic writers write fanfiction because they love the media they’re writing about. They could be spending time writing other things (gods know I have a backlog of original stuff.) And their fic tends to be, first and foremost, what they want to write, what's bursting out of their mind.

So, what they write may not be what you want to read.

Many fic writers do welcome requests. If you like someone’s writing, you may politely request that they write about Thing A or Thing B.

You do not, however, have the right to to tell them what they’ve written is [insert subjective descriptor] here and so they should write this other thing instead because reasons (whether those reasons are well intended or not).

You may dislike a work all you like. You may critique a work all you like. You may complain (in your own space) about a work.

You may not harass the author. Or their readers.

You may seek to open a dialogue with the author.

That author doesn’t owe you a fic fill from your wish list.