listen, there is absolutely nothing that gets me going like mutual seemingly unrequited pining like? i live for both people losing their minds over the other person in bitter silence. savoring every single accidental brush of their fingers, elbows, thighs, every stray glance, memorizing every gesture or expression they catch while the other isn’t looking, all while being absolutely convinced that it’s one-sided only to finally!! finally find out it wasn’t in a triumphant moment of bliss after years and years of delicious, soul-rending, torturous, heart-wrenching pining. i literally don’t care about the fact that this trope is predictable af and always plays out the same way i will still go wild over it every single time like they’ll be doing the same reveal scene i have seen a million times and i’m still on the edge of my seat gasping “are they gonna kiss???”
my single greatest weakness as far as love stories go
is when a story is told through one character’s (pining) point of view, but you the reader KNOW that their love interest loves them back
and the pov character casually says something that you the reader KNOW is gonna be completely devastating to their love interest, but pov character has NO IDEA, like:
“[innocently devastating thing],” said pov character
a strange look seemed to pass over love interest’s face. “yeah, [seemingly casual response that comes off as a little stilted, for reasons pov character just cannot pinpoint],” said love interest.
“uh, [joke that accidentally just DIALS UP THE AGONY TO A THOUSAND FOR LOVE INTEREST],” pov character added, to cut the tension.
love interest step’s faltered for a second. “[seemingly casual response that is FILLED WITH EXQUISITELY REPRESSED PAIN AND LONGING].” it sounded a little gruff. probably love interest was just distracted, or wanted some space. who could blame them?
That thing, in particular, was a thirty dollar Barnes & Noble gift certificate. I was still too young for a part-time job, so I didn’t have this kind of spending cash on me, ever. I felt like a god.
Drunk with power, I fancy-stepped my way to my local B&N. I was ready to choose new books based solely on the most important of qualities…BADASS COVER ART. I walked away with a handful of paperbacks, most of which were horrible (I’m looking at you, Man-Kzin Wars III) or simply forgettable.
One book did not disappoint. I fell down the rabbit hole into a series that proved to be as badass as the cover art promised (Again, Man-Kzin Wars III, way to drop the ball on that one). With more than a dozen books in the series, I devoured them. I bought cassette tapes of ballads sung by bards in the stories. And the characters. Oh, the characters. I loved them. Gryphons, mages, but most importantly, lots of women. Different kinds of women. So many amazing women. I looked up to them, wrote bad fiction that lifted entire portions of dialogue and character descriptions, dreamed of writing something that the author would include in an anthology.
This year I decided in a fit of nostalgia to revisit the books I loved so damn much. I wanted to reconnect with my old friends…
…and I found myself facing Mary Sues. Lots of them. Perfect, perfect, perfect. A fantasy world full of Anakin Skywalkers and Nancy Drews and Wesley Crushers. I felt crushed. I had remembered such complex, deep characters and didn’t see those women in front of me at all anymore. Where were those strong women who kept me safe through the worst four years of my life?
Which led me to an important realization as I soldiered on through book after book. That’s why I needed them. Because they were Mary Sues. These books were not written to draw my attention to all the ugly bumps and whiskers of the real world. They were somewhere to hide. I was painfully aware that I was being judged by my peers and adults and found lacking. I was a fuckup. And sometimes a fuckup needs to feel like a Mary Sue. As an adult, these characters felt a little thin because they lacked the real world knowledge I, as an adult, had learned and earned. But that’s the thing…these books weren’t FOR this current version of myself. Who I am now doesn’t need a flawless hero because I’m comfortable with the idea that valuable people are also flawed.
There is a reason that most fanfiction authors, specifically girls, start with a Mary Sue. It’s because girls are taught that they are never enough. You can’t be too loud, too quiet, too smart, too stupid. You can’t ask too many questions or know too many answers. No one is flocking to you for advice. Then something wonderful happens. The girl who was told she’s stupid finds out that she can be a better wizard than Albus Dumbledore. And that is something very important. Terrible at sports? You’re a warrior who does backflips and Legolas thinks you’re THE BEST. No friends? You get a standing ovation from Han Solo and the entire Rebel Alliance when you crash-land safely on Hoth after blowing up the Super Double Death Star. It’s all about you. Everyone in your favorite universe is TOTALLY ALL ABOUT YOU.
I started writing fanfiction the way most girls did, by re-inventing themselves.
Mary Sues exist because children who are told they’re nothing want to be everything.
As a girl, being “selfish” was the worst thing you could be. Now you live in Narnia and Prince Caspian just proposed marriage to you. Why? Your SELF is what saved everyone from that sea serpent. Plus your hair looks totally great braided like that.
In time, hopefully, these hardworking fanfiction authors realize that it’s okay to be somewhere in the middle and their characters adjust to respond to that. As people grow and learn, characters grow and learn. Turns out your Elven Mage is more interesting if he isn’t also the best swordsman in the kingdom. Not everyone needs to be hopelessly in love with your Queen for her to be a great ruler. There are all kinds of ways for people to start owning who they are, and embracing the things that make them so beautifully weird and complicated.
Personally, though, I think it’s a lot more fun learning how to trust yourself and others if you all happen to be riding dragons.
Fic writers wonder why people don’t review. They honestly can’t understand the silence. Writers assume that readers:
usually have something to add/criticize/say
know how to articulate their own thoughts/feelings
withhold feedback because they’re lazy or apathetic
don’t appreciate how much time/effort/energy goes into writing
On the flip-side, readers assume that:
the writer already knows how ‘good’ their work is
someone else will review because this fic is ‘obviously’ awesome
if a fic is already ‘popular,’ their feedback won’t matter
if they comment, they ‘must’ leave an awesome, insightful, detailed comment that 100% reflects their love for a fic
since words aren’t adequate, it’s better to stfu and just click the kudos button/favotite/bookmark
None of these assumptions are accurate.
The reality is that:
there is no reason for a writer to post their work except to get feedback that validates their vision, helps them improve and/or gives them an outsider perspective/interpretation of their work (which can be absolutely mind-blowing)
like, you can and should write for yourself, but if that’s 100% the case, every good fic would be wasting away in a private word document
‘readers’ are not always ‘writers’
‘writers’ can naturally put their ideas and emotions into words
‘readers’ usually don’t know what to say, which words to use to express themselves, and belittle the importance of their perspective
many ‘readers’ don’t write, so they can’t empathize with the struggle of writing a fic for a silent but attentive audience
Basically, readers don’t understand writers and vice-versa. Both parties are wired differently. Readers who also write are more likely to review because they empathize with both sides of the equation.
The Solution
Writers
Be patient, understanding, and persistent
Appreciate those who do review
Don’t get bitter, discontinue a beloved story, or assume the worst of your readers
Realize that everyone is really trying their best
Readers
Be patient, supportive, honest, and empathetic
Realize that there’s no minimum! Even two words (like ‘good work!’) can have a huge impact
Review Templates
Things to say when you’re tongue-tied:
Verbs
I liked the part where/when…
I wonder why…
I smiled/laughed when…
I was confused when…
I think that…
I predict…
I was sad/happy/angry/[other emotion] when…
Nouns
[character] did/said/felt/will do [this thing]
because… (if applicable)
[insert plot point/event]
Example: I think that [this guy] ran away from [his friend] because he was trying to protect him.
And that’s it. You don’t have to say anything else. One sentence is more than enough, but you’ll notice that once you get started, you’ll have a lot to say- so say it!
Author’s style
Your writing is:
Detailed/descriptive
Vivid
Concise (to the point)
Funny
Serious
Surreal
Unique
Compelling
Provocative
Leaves me wondering about a lot of things, and I’m curious about what happens next
Confused me a little at times (talk about what confused you! The author will be more than happy to clear things up!)
Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t
Worry about grammar/typos in your review
Suggest a direction for the story (most writers know what they’re doing and you just gotta trust them)
Think that clicking the kudos button is all you can do! Your opinion is important!
Tell the author to do more of [this] and less of [that]
Ask them to update without leaving any other feedback
Do
Leave short comments if you can’t think of anything else to say (“I like this” is more than acceptable, seriously)
Inform the author of typos (be specific)- many fics are un-beta’d. The writer will appreciate your attention to detail.
Express your own perspective even if it isn’t ‘correct-’ I think [character] did this because she was jealous, which explains why…
Understand that your unique interpretation of motives/symbolism/foreshadowing/anything is extremely valuable
Be honest, but diplomatic
Bookmark/rec works if you enjoy them, esp to help lesser-known writers
You can copy/paste from this post into your reviews. It’s hard to find the right words sometimes, but for writers, anything is better than silence.
mood: i want to read a story exactly like one of my favorite stories i’ve read a thousand times but not THAT story because i’ve read it a thousand times and i want to read a new one but it should be exactly like this one.
I agree, all men should learn about women’s sexuality by reading My Immortal.
Hi friend! Foz here. Just a couple of points:
– I’ve specified good fanfiction in literally the first tweet. While this is, obviously, a value judgement wherein YMMV, My Immortal is famous for being arguably the most terrible fanfic ever written, and is therefore demonstrably not what I’m talking about. Similarly, I’ve seen other responses to this post bring up 50 Shades, which, despite its popularity in mainstream circles, is pretty much universally regarded as being not just terrible fanfic, but an excruciatingly bad and dangerously inaccurate portrayal of BDSM that romanticises abuse. So no: these are not the droids you’re looking for.
– Here’s the thing, though: you already knew that. The decision to respond to this post with a flippant reference to a fic that’s notorious precisely because of its poor quality is exactly why I used up precious Twitter characters to specify good fanfic, even though I shouldn’t have had to. Every mode of artistic expression is composed of good, bad and mediocre works, but when it comes to genres that are traditionally viewed as less worthy or literary – like fanfiction, or romance – we have a reflexive tendency to conflate the bad with the whole, such that the good is implied to be either exceptional or nonexistant. I specified that I’m talking about good fanfiction, not because I think such fics are an exalted minority, but to pre-emptively combat the assertion that they are, and then you’ve gone and made it anyway. So, thanks for that.
– But while we’re on the subject of quality, let’s make a very important distinction. Though fanfic is a largely unmediated medium, it’s not bad; it’s amateur, in the very literal, dictionary-definition sense of engaging or engaged in without payment; non-professional. While there’s a stereotype that lots of ficwriters are teenage girls – which, why is that always wielded as an insult? oh right, misogyny, carry on – a lot of us are, in fact, grown-ass adults of varying genders, some of whom also happen to write professionally in other contexts; like me, for instance. I’ve read fanfics that are unquestionably as good as, if not better than, many professionally published works I’ve read, some I’ve simply enjoyed or felt meh about, and others where I’ve mounted up on my Nopetopus and ridden off into the sunset after the first paragraph. It’s a grab bag, is what I’m saying, but if you think that’s an inherently different spectrum of enjoyment over quality than applies to any other medium, then I’d politely invite you to reconsider the matter.
– In conclusion: fanfic might not be your bag, but it has its own culture of editing, collaboration, publication, criticism and dissemination, its own conventions and subversions of same, its own extensive history and trope awareness, and, yes, its near-unique status as a medium invested in female sexual desire. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other things straight dudes can do to learn the mystical ways of What Women Want like, oh, say, talking to them, always bearing in mind that women are not a goddamn hivemind, but given that there are a frightening number of guys out there whose first or primary exposure to any type of porn is whatever degrading mainstream het they can scrouge up for free without virusing the hell out of their PCs, then yeah: I’m gonna go out on a fucking limb and suggest they maybe balance it out with some fanfic.
This might be the best summary of the power of fan fiction and its inherent lessons about women’s sexuality that I’ve ever seen.
The Specifier only focuses on a couple whumpy tropes. They often won’t even care who it’s for, as long as it has those tropes. The tropes can vary in specificity. So your friendly neighborhood Specifier might like electrocution in general, or maybe they just like elbow bruises caused by a flail wielded by a 2nd century Tibetan monk. Although I would like to know where they found that one.
Sample Dialogue:
Me: Hey, I found you a whump fic, for the fandom Ag-
Specifier: Does it have drowning?
M: You don’t want to hear who it’s for?
S: Does it have drowning?
M: Yeah. I think, look, it’s for this chara-
S: I’ll take it!
2. The Single Target
The Single Target is very particular in their choice of whumpee instead of method. Basically, consider them the same as the Specifier, except flipped. Perhaps they only whump characters played by Colin O’Donoghue (this is a callout @killian-whump), or maybe they only whump versions of Ms Frizzle.
Sample Dialogue:
Me: Hey, I found you a whump fic, with cool tropes like electrocu-
Single Target: Does it have Killian Jones?
M: You don’t want to hear what it’s for?
ST: Does it have Killian!?
M: Yeah. I think, look, it has beati-
ST: I’ll take it!
(Yes, I got lazy with this dialogue and just copied and pasted. Sue me.)
3. The Ficxer
We all have that one fandom. That one bad egg that makes a character just begging to be whumped…. and never is. For those times, the Ficxer is our best friend. They’re the ones that make the stories that fix the canon’s negligence toward whumpers. They flesh out those annoying storylines where the perfect whumpee is going through so much that isn’t shown or expanded upon. Ficxers, I love you. Now write for Parks and Rec already!
Sample Dialogue:
Me: Wow, Stargate Atlantis would have really tortured Shep there! Too bad they didn’t…. Wait, there’s fanfic. Let’s see if there’s anything there… Yay! Thanks, *squints* kittylover443!
Ficxer: *somewhere* I have pleased another person. Behold my excellence, mortal.
4. The Giffer
Very similar to the Ficxer in that these whumpers suck up our time in the best way. These invaluable members of our community give us endless replays of our fleeting moments of joy. 3 gigs of data on my computer are whumpy gifs. I live in fear someone will find them. And since I can’t make them myself, I’m indebted to all Giffers.
Sample Dialogue:
Yeah, I don’t know what to put. Just thanks?
5. The Everything-er
The full gamut. The whole 9 yards. If it’s got whump, the Everything-er will take it. This type of whumper, when asked their favorite whumpees, starts reciting a list that they’ll still be saying in November. Definitely the easiest to write for at whump exchanges, because chances are they whump everything you whump.
Sample Dialogue:
Me: Hey, I found this cool fic you might like.
Everything-er: Is it whump?
M: I don’t read anything else, so yeah?
E: Great! I’ll be back in *sees the fic is 15k words long* 3 hours.
6. The Mean One
Just kidding. These don’t exist.
I feel so attacked right now… and I kinda love it XD
The best part is, I was reading The Specifier and I was like, “This is kinda me… but with Colin, instead of specific tropes…” and then I got to the next one and laughed forever 😀
I began working on this last summer. Like many veteran fanfiction authors, I lament the decline in commenting that I’ve seen in my fandom, the Tolkien fandom. I’m also a humanities teacher, so I spend a good part of my day teaching young people how to write, and one lesson I’ve learned the hard way is that each type of writing involves unique skills that have to be learned. And commenting is a unique form of writing and one that comes with added stresses around social expectations and public performance. My research on the Tolkien fanfic community confirms this: Many people want to comment, but they simply don’t know what to say.
As a teacher of writing, I often use
sentence starters or mentor sentences. The writer uses these to jumpstart their thinking and writing, until they become comfortable enough to begin working independently. “101 Comment Starters” is built around this research-based strategy of teaching writing.
Some of the comment starters are simple enough that they can be merely copied and pasted. Others require filling in some blanks or providing some elaboration. In some cases, a because can be dropped if the reader isn’t comfortable providing that level of elaboration yet. In other cases, a more experienced commenter can add the because and elaborate more on their comment.
They also differ in their level of praise. They range from simple statements of how the author made the reader feel to compliments around an aspect of the author’s writing or their work in general. I’ve tried to limit words like really, very, and so as much as possible, except when it made the comment feel wooden. You’re welcome, of course, to add those words in if you feel they more accurately help capture how a story impacted you.
If you’re just starting to comment, please keep in mind that the vast majority of authors will love to hear from you! They don’t care how long or elaborate your comment is. They don’t care if your English is perfect or if you’re a little awkward. They just want to know that you’re reading and enjoying their work.
Finally, please feel free to reblog and share and add your own comment starters!
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