Readers - Blog Posts

"reader is a crybaby and sensitive-" STOP MISCHARACTERIZING!!

The idiot's guide to fan-fiction (and fan spaces)

Hey, ladies, gents and in-betweens. I'm writing this because I've seen a really big up-tick in people in fandom (both readers and writers) acting in ways that are generally unsavory, and wanted to share the advice that I think is relatively common sense to not be a dickwad!

This will mostly focus on how to behave. If someone wants a version with writing tips, I would be happy to provide, but I also recommend you ask someone smarter than me (I know my limits lmao)

This will be divided into two sections: Readers and writers (obviously), but I'm going to start with....

Readers:

• First things first, be nice. I cannot stress this enough, be nice. Not just to your authors, but to each other. No author wants to come to their comments and see a catfight.

• If you do have advice or criticism, make sure it is constructive! If you need to run your phrasing by someone else or use tone tags, absolutely do! Remember, when people feel hurt by something you said, they're not likely to listen to you very well.

• Now, this is where my rules get much less popular. Be mindful of the person writing your fic. Writing, like any other creative process, can be very draining, and writers have lives outside of their work, too! If you see a lull in output, don't comment on it. It's a bummer, yeah, I get it, but keep those feelings to yourself or complain to a friend. Don't harass a writer. You don't know what they're going through on the other side of that screen.

• Another thing I don't think I should have to say (mostly because tagging is a really popular thing), but you should probably make sure you're in a relatively good state of mind when you read. If it's hurt/no comfort, make sure you can handle that. No writer wants to know their work really fucked up someone else's day.

• I will say my single hottest take. You can be rude if you see fucked-up shit entirely untagged (think: extreme, not-canon-typical violence or abuse, + other subjects that can very much trigger a good deal of people). Things that come with real trauma. Leave a firm comment, but, again, be respectful.

• Yes, you as a reader are responsible for what you read, but there is a clear boundary of disrespect for both the platform and everyone on it when an author purposely leaves a very traumatizing thing untagged when they are very much aware of it. TLDR: Don't be a dickwad! Be nice and Support other readers and writers, but point out shitty behavior if you see it. Remember, any writer worth their salt wants to be accountable for what they put to paper. Be nice, but hold people accountable for their decisions.

Writers:

• I feel like I have less to say here, but that does not mean I won't say anything.

• Right off the bat, take care of yourself. Your work will directly suffer if you are suffering. If you're too sick to write, then don't. It's as simple as that. This is not your job, you get no (or not much) money from it. You are under no obligation to get your next chapter out right this very second. Yes, even if you said it would be out by Thursday, I don't care.

• My real thesis with that is to give your writing time to breathe. Of course, how much you write and when will vary based on who you are and what the other facets of your life are like, but this is fan-fiction. Don't stress yourself into your casket over it.

• Now, I know I said a lot to the readers, but I do have a qualm with some of y'all, too.

• Respect the source material. Yeah, sure, it's fiction. Yeah, sure, you can do whatever you want. But I can tell you upfront that your fic will suffer if you don't care about the characters in it.

• Do a character study. Look at their reactions. Read into the why. Know them so well you could fully predict how they would react to at least four conversations off the top of your head. Yes, even if they're written to be mysterious. Know them anyway.

• Now, here is where I'm going to get a little heated. So, I'm going to be upfront. In this part, I'm going to talk about tagging your fics, and why it's so important to do so. Cancer is discussed, for the sake of my example and also because I am still pissed about the incident I reference.

• Remember that your work is public. Other people can and will see it. You can put who you prefer see your work in your bio if you want, but that doesn't mean that your readers will care.

• I say this specifically for the people who will post a fic to, say, Tumblr, where minors are, and then complain about a minor reading their work. Tell them you don't want them there, but beyond that, there is nothing more you can do. Drill that into your head. If someone wants to read your public work, they will. That's just what happens when you post your work publicly.

• Now, I'm gonna head into some more heavy shit. If you don't wanna hear a mention of cancer, scroll down to the asterisks.

• Let me paint a picture for you real quick. I find a sick-fic. Its tags are simple, nothing too extreme, and so I think it'll be nice and fluffy, a sweet thing to read before bed.

• I am sorely mistaken, as the writer proceeds to give their main character entirely untagged cancer, and then kill them. Again, with no warning for either from the tags! (and the fic was misleadingly well-tagged otherwise)

• I am a cancer survivor. I lost some of my first friends in that ward and I almost died there myself. Do you know how fucking stupid it is to leave something so big untagged??? Where anybody could stumble on it?

• Someone who just lost a family member to cancer could have read that fic. Someone much less mentally stable could have read that fic, that writer could have dug up hurtful memories at a time when someone wasn't ready to think those things. And they gave no warning.

************************************************************************

• This is what I ask of a writer. I don't think it's a very tall ask: Respect your readers. All of them. Respect everyone who might come across your page, by warning them what they're getting into.

• Especially if you're dealing with something that causes a lot of trauma. If your fic features domestic violence, an eating disorder, anything of that tune, tag it. I cannot say this enough, tag it.

• Yeah, sure, you technically don't need to tag everything (and some little things can very much be excused for me, personally), but I will tell you to your fucking face that I think you're a sack of shit for leaving major, traumatic things untagged. Respect your readers, they're taking time out of their days to spend it with you and your work. If you write things that might trigger trauma, tell them.

• I'm not saying you can't write about a heavy topic. In fact, seeing a heavy topic handled well in fic makes me happy! It means people's struggles are being given a realistic voice, no matter how small.

• I'm telling you that if you really cared about the struggles you're writing about, you would know some people aren't ready to confront them like that. So tell your readers what you're doing. Be transparent with them.

TLDR: Take good care of yourself. Your work is never to be placed before your health, physical or mental. Tag what might be triggering. Even if you don't think it necessary. Tag it anyway.

That's all I really have to say for now, but if you have something to add, please leave a comment! I would be more than happy to elaborate or hear people out on their own takes or further justify my own.

Have a nice day, writers and readers! Much love to all of you :)

I’m writing a one shot of this it should be done soon I’m writing it on wattpad it’s called inko’s podcast here’s the cover

I didn’t make this I just searched up Inko midoriya fanart on google because fanart of her that works for a book cover is hard to find

hope you enjoy my story and please check out jackdaniel69nice’s page he draws tokayami a lot and his art is great

Crack fanfic idea where Inko Midoriya makes audio books/podcasts of a mom talking to her child and reassuring them (because she worries about izuku and needs to cope) and someone from class 1-a finds it and it spreads like wildfire through the dorm BUT none of them know that it’s Midoriya’s mom!!!

She makes things like putting the kid to bed, reassuring them, taking care of an injury, or saying how proud she is of them. She is most popular with the students who have mommy issues coughtodorokicough.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

☆☆☆☆☆

An absolute must read.

"Long before she was the terror of wonderland, the infamous Queen of Hearts, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love."

This novel brings readers excitement and illicit romance between two star crossed lovers.

The protagonist, Katherine, is the daughter of a noble and only wants to open a bakery to share her love of pastries with the folks of wonderland. But fate has other plans when she is suddenly told of the foolish King's desire to marry her.

I found this novel to be painfully beautiful because as the reader we already know that she is going to marry the king. We know how the story ends. We know and yet we hope stubbornly that she will succeed in her quest to follow her dreams by opening a bakery and be with the one she loves. And when she ultimately fails we can't be surprised; we knew this was coming.

I give this book 5 stars because I will be crying over this book 'till the end of time.

Tips to Writing Memorable Characters- Authoring Advice 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Here is a few characters you may know. 

Harry Potter       Gandalf      Yoda     Joker       Mary Poppins

Jack Sparrow     Sherlock Holmes     Winnie the Pooh 

Do you notice some similarities? Probably not many, but you still have probably heard of these characters. I haven’t even read or seen the Lord of the Rings, and yet I know who Gandalf is. I have a few ideas why that is. Each iconic character has something unique about them that sticks in your mind.

Appearance-

Harry Potter best suits this category. His name may be famous because of the popular book series named after him, but If I showed you a single picture of a lightning bolt and perhaps some glasses you would immediately know who it is.

His famous scar and classic glasses are famous. This is because Harry Potter has a unique trait about his appearance no one else has. You should consider adding traits like this to some of your characters.

The other famous characters I have listed also have special aspects as well. Yoda is a small, green goblin thing. Winnie the Pooh is a yellow bear wearing a red jacket. 

(Not to mention that people can dress up as your character easier if there’s details specific to them)

Speech-

Who else would hold this category? Yoda has one of the most well known ways to talk. Speaks backwards, he does. Yoda is as memorable as he because of the way he talks.

 If your character has a distinctive voice, this will link something to your readers mind. Your character can be unique just by the way they talk. Consider giving quirks to your characters speech. (Maybe not your main character. Readers may find it annoying after a while. Choose a side character.)

The Joker, Winnie the Pooh, and even Jack Sparrow all have unique ways to communicate.

Personality-

Perhaps the hardest to write. Personalities are always difficult, and yet one of the most effective.

Cap’n Jack Sparrow’s personality is the reason why him and the whole franchise was famous. 

The character of the character is usually the funnest and maybe funniest to read. If a character is funny and charismatic they are automatically my favorite. Personality can make readers love or hate your character. But even if they do hate them at least you did your job and gave them a personality. The more readers love or hate your character, the more they will remember them. And the more the reader is entertained by just simply reading about them.

Jack Sparrow has the funniest lines and oddities.if you want to give a reader a reason to remember your character, I suggest giving them a strong and unique character.

Quirks-

Everybody has quirks, so your character should already have some. But little strange things a character does will just be one step to having a iconic character. 

Collecting rocks, singing while doing work, sleeping with a stuffed animal, writing poetry, baking, obsessed with perfection, random mood swings, and art are all examples of quirks (some may apply to a few readers.)

Maybe you should try a quirk against a person’s personality. Say if a person is the most serious person you would have ever met and they love dogs. They go completely out of character because they saw a puppy. This will not only make your readers love them but also remember their strange oddity.

Quotes-

One of my favorites! I love repeating random quotes from my favorite books.

(Don’t tell me you don’t know where “And In the morning, I’m making waffles.” is from.)

The things characters say can inspire people, make them laugh, make them think, make them love or hate the character. Dialog is part of the characters personality, and reveal the wisdom that a character was hiding. The more unique the quote or meaningful, the more its associated with the book and your character. Thats what you want for an iconic character. Think of every character you love, can you name one quote from each one, or multiple?

Actions-

The actions a character makes can be unique to that character. Actions can reveal a person’s true colors. Some choices can cause readers to have respect or despise a character. 

(A character without any actions and choices are probably not going to become iconic. (unless that’s what makes them memorable, a couch potato with no cares in the world))

Achievements-

The achievements of a person can make them legendary, that includes characters. Not many legendary characters are helpless morons with no spine.

Powers-

Powers can automatically make your character unique. I don’t have much to say on this topic because it’s so big. I can talk for hours about powers, but I won’t. Maybe give your character some powers, like Mary Poppins, Yoda, Gandalf, or Harry Potter. 

Thats all I got!

Who is this                                             

Vs.

 Thank you for reading! Have a FANTASTIC day! Have fun writing, fellow author!😊

Came for the story, stayed for the characters.

Reese Hollingsworth (Me)

Tips to Write Best Friends- Authoring advice 💕

There are many types of best friends. Some besties are complete opposites, others would have hated each other’s guts without their experiences together. Some are childhood buddies, and some met much later in life. But each one has similarities and are important.

For me, writing the relationship between two characters is the best part of writing, but for others… it may be difficult.So here are some tips!

Good Moments

Each friendship should have a few good moments in the book. This helps show why their friends and how their relationship works, also provides some clarity on their personalities.

The moments could be bantering between one another. Perhaps teasing, or helping the other cope. It could be anything that isn’t negative. They could be doing an activity together, even if it’s silent. They could be having a meaningful conversation; this is useful for explaining exposition to readers as well 😉. 

But be careful. You can’t just be sprouting meaningful conversations out of nowhere.It’s best to give hints at their relationship in the first or second chapter you meet them. Build the base of their bond.

The good moments should be consistent with their personalities or situation. Character A maybe should not be teasing their bestie a chapter after their dad died. 

Arguments

Disagreements between friends are inevitable. Its bound to happen, therefor conflicts are needed in your story. Your characters are people, and have their own opinions. And those opinions are not identical to their companion’s.

But, unless there’s a good reason and its believable, they should always make up. You chose how to do this, their your characters.

Reading Each Other's Mind

I do not mean literally. And it may not be constant, but best friends (especially if they knew each other for years) should be able to predict each other’s emotions, actions (some if not most of them), and reactions. These buddies should know when not to cross the line, (of course people always make mistakes so take that into account.).

Maybe the besties know each other so well they can synchronize. I am thinking of a team, fighting on the battlefield, fortelling eachothers moves and working together. This can also work for sports teams, charades, and attempting to not to die.

Relationship Development

This does not go for everyone. Some people and their relationships don’t change. But growth never hurts, and can in fact help your story to have some development. 

Example: say if character A realizes she does not appreciate character B, in some form. This changes their relationship because now character A listens to character B’s thoughts.

People and their bonds change. They grow and evolve, so it’s realistic to have growth to you story.

This is all I got! Thank you for reading, and have a FANTASTIC DAY! I’m posting soon!

Writing Advice: 10 Worst Experiences During the Writing Process😭

The experiences to prepare for, and to relate to during the writing process. Good luck fellow author! 

10. When you are trying to think of the perfect word thats right at the tip of your tongue. (Its worse when you loose the word all together)

This one is at number 10 because it is horrible, but you are still mentally active and not ready to cry yourself to sleep. Though it stinks!

Solution:

Think of a similar word, usually the second one on your mind and look for synonyms on google or other sources. The word you’re looking for or a better one may come up. If not than either choose one of the options or look for synonyms of another similar word.

9. When you write something that may not be correct so you research the topic for an hour. (I’m not talking about the big stuff you should have looked into before you started writing, exp: cultures, I mean basically meaningless stuff)

This has happened to me twice (once about horses and once about how to grill a pig) It’s second on the list because it takes up more time than the first one and it’s annoying. But usually not demotivating.

Solution: 

Do not do it.

8. When you read an article or watch a video about writing and realize you have been doing it wrong the entire time. 

Do I have to explain?

Solution:

Take in the advice if you like it and continue on with your book using the advice but do not go back and change what you have already written. Leave that to your editor self.

7. When you are irresolute (look it up) because of a family/friend. colleague/ exd’s opinion. (I mean they talk down at you for being a writer, or something similar)

This is hard on our feelings box and/or heartbreaking. But this list is mostly my opinions and since I haven’t felt the crush of this fully, its higher. I am sorry for those who have been hurt.

Solution:

Don’t listen to them! In fact, let it fuel you. Show them who can do what! Or who can be successful! You can do anything!

6. When you feel overwhelmed. This may be because you can’t make yourself forget that you have so much to do before finishing the book. Maybe your busy.

The editing, marketing, and paying are what overwhelm me. The writing phase is not particularly easy, but it was less stressful for myself. It may not be the case for you. You may still have chapters to finish, a world to build, characters to create. It could be very stressful.

Solution:

Make it fun! Make it a game and your going through the levels. Once your done creating your world and characters, you can finally write! The thing you have been waiting for months! 

Remember, you are building your world. Enjoy every moment of it. Because one day, you will finish your book or series and you have to say goodbye to your baby and creation. Enjoy it while it lasts!

5. Losing motivation to write.

Are you surprised this is only half way down the list? I’m not. Even though this is horrible, it’s not the worst thing. There are simple solutions.

Solution:

It may be different for everyone but here’s a few ideas that are good for me.

1.Start writing. Yep. If you just write, that motivation will soon come back. (This works best if you are very familiar with your characters)

2. Look back through your notes and future plans. Get excited, again, for your book or series.

3.Watch videos and read articles about writing 😉, they can help you get through the problem or just be fun.

4. Remind yourself why you want to write and why writings fun. its different for everyone but reading is an example.

5. Sleep, be healthy, socialize, get sunlight and fresh air, exercise. These can clear your mind, get you in a good mood and helps your overall day.

4. When you realize your dialog sucks or unnatural. 

This may not be as bad as some of the others I already mentioned, but dialog can help or ruin a book. Dialog can spark ideas of character development, relationships, sub-plots, or even how to continue the overarching plot. But if you do it wrong, it can take forever to fix.

3. When you are stuck.    You want to write but you can’t think of anything. I like to call this Writer’s Traffic instead of Writer's block. 

This is one of the worst case of scenarios for me as a writer because I want to write but instead I am staring at a computer screen.

Solution:

Skip the scene. Skip the next few lines. Leave a note for yourself so you can come back to it at a better time. 

2. When you realize you don’t know your characters enough.

It’s hard to admit, but when your character is inconsistent and its not part of their personality then you have a problem. You may even have to rewrite most of your book if you’re far in. If you don’t know your characters and your on chapter 4 then stop now and save yourself.

Solution: 

Do character questionnaires, explain anything important in their past. Anything traumatic they have experienced, their personality, how they would react in a certain situation. It’s really important to know their background (Note: You need to know, not your readers unless necessary) 

Link to a character questionnaires. https://www.writerswrite.co.za/prousts-questionnaire-35-questions-every-character-should-answer/    also they got some awesome writing advice!

1.DUN DUN DUN!THE LAST ONE! When your writing (or lack of) has an effect on you daily life and you feel absolutely miserable.

You would be surprised how often this happened to me, It’s almost like a heavy depressed feeling that makes it painful to basically do anything. 

Maybe it’s outside writing that makes you feel this way but you just can’t write. Everything is dull and grim, your head hurts or you have no motivation to do anything.

You just can’t.

Solution:

Use your miserableness as a motivation. You want to get rid of it, right? Then you must do what helps. Here’s a few tricks. 

1. Drink water. Perhaps your dehydrated.

2. Exercise. This one is really helpful on more than your emotions. Do this before considering taking a nap, because naps can make it worse.

3. Go to bed earlier. If your like me than your nocturnal but if you simply go to bed at 10 then you will feel much better in the morning. I suggest reading or doing something other than look at a screen before going to bed. Screens can make it troublesome to fall asleep.

4. Socializing. You may be awkward but at least you have a mother? A father? Grandparents? A best friend? Siblings? Random people online? Anyone who can distract you, and make you feel better. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a pleasant conversation, just one that won’t bring you down. Socializing can make you feel so much better.

5. Get a horrible beta reader. (this is a joke…kind of) A beta reader is a person who reads your book or a chapter and gives feedback. A good beta reader is honest and gives praise and criticism. This is what I meant for a bad beta reader. Someone who you trust who will probably be scared to hurt your feelings. Even though it might not be true, positive feedback will help. 

That is all I have! I hoped you enjoyed! Have a Fantastic day! I will be posting again soon!

On this platform, there is always a lot of encouragement and reminders for readers to be kind to writers and I really like that but let's also remind writers to be kind to their readers, shall we?

I won't say names, but I had bad experiences with my favourite writers.

For example, such as when I only asked questions about their fanfic or blog. As far as I know, I always try to phrase it in a polite and kind tone that isn't harmful yet they answered with anger instead.

And even if they misunderstand or it's a misunderstanding, they lash out instead without further question or explanation...

It's kind of sad since this attitude discourages a reader from reading their fanfic or following their blog after.

please... if you’re going to attempt to speak in “old” english

THOU is the subject (Thou art…) THEE is the object (I look at thee) THY is for words beginning in a consonant (Thy dog) THINE is for words beginning in a vowel (Thine eyes)

this has been a psa

Wanna be friends?

reblog if your inbox is always open for new members of the fandom who may be a little shy or intimidated. doesn’t matter whether or not you’re a “popular blog”; everyone here is equal and if you’re reading this as a new person/someone considering entering the fandom, we will not turn you away!!!! talk to us!! make friends!! i more than understand being shy but trust me this fandom is chill come join us in this hellhole

Ostrich meme 1