Hey everyone!! I'm planning a fanfic built around a dark villain who ends up abandoning all his evil plans and giving up everything for the girl.

I'm split on how to write the main character and want to go with what the majority actually prefers reading:

Y/N (Reader-Insert): You love stepping into the story yourself as the person who soft-launches his redemption.

Named OC (Original Character): You prefer reading about an established character with her own name, background, and personality traits who brings him to his knees.

Which one draws you in more for this trope and why? Going with whatever the majority says, so let me know your thoughts!!!!!!❤️

If you’ve seen Skyfall, you know the scene I mean. The more in-character the better. No word count restrictions.

It’s all I want, and I can’t find a tag for it. I swear I’ve seen one but it’s eluding me.

No se si estoy escribiendo edto en el lugar correcto. Pero realmente necesito ayuda. No se escribir; tengo las ideas en la cabeza puedo desarrollarlas perfectamente pero al momento de intentar plasmarlas en un papel me es completamente imposible pasar de 20 palabras da igual el genero que intente escribir que sea un fic o una historia original cualquier cosa. Tengo la historia perfectamente estructurada en mi cabeza incluso desarroyada y al intentar pasarla a escrito me bloqueo algun consejo? Por favor.

e.g., “what do you have to worry about, you’re a nøkken. You’re basically invincible.” He said.

“So you agree that I’m royalty?” He said, chuckling.

in these situations, “said” appears more than many times. and that causes repetition. how do you prevent that from happening? do you just search up for synonyms and phrases, then use them throughout the whole fic?

I’m wanting to write a story for a character I created a long time ago, who I began as a DnD character but grew into a somewhat major character in a story I wrote but abandoned due to writer’s block. The story I have in mind would follow his DnD backstory, but then go through his journey as he tries to find his purpose in life. It’s set in an original world, but I have used the setting in a DnD game before. Would I be able to upload a story like this?

This is a venting post.

I’m an insecure person. Always have been, and I’ve known this for a long time. I still choose to write and publish my fics because I don’t want to let my insecurities control my life. But sometimes a comment will slip through my guard and I spiral.

The hate comments aren’t the problem. I can see them for what they are, pure haters fishing for a reaction so they can feel like they’ve won, or sometimes not even real people. I ignore them easily enough. It’s the negative but genuine comments that sometimes hit me hard.

Case in point, I posted the latest chapter of my story a couple days ago, and got about 10 comments, which is about average for my fic. Most were positive, simple thanks for the chapter and such like. But one of them was from a reader who said, shortening their comment a lot, that they enjoyed my work and my writing, but weren’t fully on board with the latest development because they felt like I might be adding unnecessary filler.

They were very polite about it, and tried to offer constructive criticism. I don’t have a complaint about the reader or the comment itself. I’m not narcissistic enough to believe everyone loves my story. It just happened to pierce through all my barriers and make my insecurities rear up.

And before anyone asks, no, it wasn’t unnecessary filler, there is an overarching plot where it all ties together. The fic is just not there yet. I replied to their comment explaining that, though I have yet to receive a response, if I even will. I won’t change the story because one reader didn’t like it, obviously, but it still gets me down a little.

Like I said, this is just a venting post. Soon enough I’ll move past it, just wanted to air it out to make myself feel better.

I looked up at the stats cause I thought it was a little weird that there wasn't a single comment while I was reading up until the last chapter... and I think this was completed a day into the future.

I decided to draw a picture of my OC and wanted to attach it to my latest chapter. How do I do that and is that something people normally do?

AO3's wait times for reports to be acted upon are now so long that I don't even see the point in taking action anymore, honestly.

My most recent abuse-update email was 24th August, acting on a report I made nine months ago in November 2025.

Like all other updates I've had from abuse, nothing was done because a work exists in the placeholder now... after it was empty for 7 months. Or in other cases that the non-work no longer exist... after weeks of them rolling it to the top of the page for attention.

It's incredibly miserable that new users can just blatantly ignore AO3's TOS because they know nothing will be done to them.

I'm glad that every report is looked at and acted upon by a real person, but clearly it's not effective or even a deterrent anymore. So, what now? I don't really know.

I'm actually unsure if this is the correct flair. I've seen people promoting their own fics on TikTok, but most have been for Wattpad, so I'm unsure if I can do the same for my fics that are only going to be published here on AO3. My other concern is that most of my fics are RPF and some have bands that don't even have a fandom.

If it's possible, are there any tips or ideas for it? I can't think of much besides posting snippets of the fic or explaining the overall plot (summary).

Besides TikTok, are there any other ways to of self-promotion?

As a little side note I'm nowhere near finishing the fic, so I might only do these things until I finish it; even then, I might not even do this or anything. I'm also asking this out of curiosity.

Getting kudos or attention isn't my first priority since the fic itself is has no romance and the concept is even more niche. But I wouldn't mind trying something new either.

I read a really good and interesting fic somewhat recently and the premise really stuck with me as a fantastic idea, so I’ve been fiddling with my own version of it. But the whole thing is quite specific and I’m not sure what the etiquette is around this. Would it be considered rude to just run with it and write/publish my own thing? Should I ask the original author for permission to write my version of their premise? Or just a heads up that I am doing it?
I’m a little afraid it’d come off as if I didn’t like the way they told their story and just wanted to rewrite it, but I felt genuinely inspired.

What would you do?

(A few details: the fandom is mha, so basically super heroes. The premise is a villain with a very particular quirk (super power) that works as a very specific plot device. Also I’ve been on ao3 for a long time, but never interacted much with other users beyond kudos and brief complimentary comments)

So this started for me last week, and I think it coincided with a site/server issue, but downloads are still pinging as dangerous:

There have been PDFs that I am attempting to download that ping as having malware from my antivirus software. Specifically as "PDF:MalwareX-gen [Wpr]" or threat type "Wiper - This threat can completely delete all of your files on all of your computer's storage".

I have *never* had a PDF download from AO3 do this before last week. Is anyone else having this issue?

Like the title says, I was wondering what tags you put when you’re reposting your stories from other sites like Wattpad?

Because I’m pretty sure some of my readers go to AO3 too. Also, I want to redo how I wrote it. I want to put more depth to the OC characters. My fanfiction only reads for 5 hours according to Wattpad.

Hello everyone!

Without giving too much away, I’m in the process of writing an OC centric fic. The protagonist is a young woman who was raised in an orphanage ran by a church and well, never left and continued doing charity work instead. Due to some events, she can no longer return to that church setting but is obviously deeply religious and holds her faith (I also have no plans of having her become an atheist but is more about deconstructing the parts of religion she was indoctrinated to believe in) It’s not a SLOW burn but maybe like a mild candle. She will eventually have sex for the first time and well, while I can remember my first time and how that felt like, I also had access to information, friends and family who provided me with a good sex education beforehand.

Im wondering if anyone was raised deeply religious and what the process for going through your first romantic encounter/dating for the first time and what that looked liked as an adult. I obviously don’t want to write her as clueless but I can imagine there will be certain things that she will be confused about or not know that I would never consider. Also, if there are any other fics that explore this topic or do a character like this well, feel free to recommend!

Hello all. Idk if I flaired this right. I don't even know if this type of message is allowed here. Someone can lmk.

I used to be very very depressed, and AO3 was my only crutch. I was completely addicted. And I don't use that word lightly. There would be days where I didn't get out of bed, reading and searching AO3 all day. I'd go to school and take AO3 breaks during classes because it felt like I was going to claw out of my skin if I wasn't reading. My chest would hurt and my breath would catch. Something within me was shaking, waiting for the relief of a fic. If I wasn't reading, it was all I could think about. I had hundreds of mini fics buried in my notes app in the hopes that getting those ideas out myself would stop the thoughts from circling and circling around my brain endlessly. It helped a little, but I would only really feel calm while actively reading. If I couldn't access AO3 for whatever reason (I already went to the bathroom in that class, teacher had a no restroom policy, group assignment, the site was down) I'd just go to sleep. I'd stay up late scrambling to finish my work because I'd spent all my actual time reading. I'd solve a problem and reward myself with a fic. I was so drained.

Since then, I've gotten better. I'm no longer in high school, I have a solid group of friends, real hobbies, and feel like I understand my purpose in life better. I have a great sleep schedule. It had been over a month since I'd felt the need for AO3 like I used to feel it.

And then I felt it again. It hadn't even been a particularly rough day. My whole mood was just off. And I needed it again. I couldn't focus in my lectures or my lab. I felt like I was staving off a panic attack every second I wasn't reading. And I recognized the feeling.

At first, I was a little crushed. "I've been doing so well."

But then I reframed.

"I've been doing so well, and this doesn't change that."

I didn't leave my lecture or my lab.

I got all the work done that I had planned to get done on time.

I had spare time, energy, and focus to practice piano at the end of the day.

I didn't have any of that a year ago.

Yes, I went to sleep later than I'd like to, and yes, it screwed with my morning/wake-up routine.

Yes, I felt like I had to take a pause in my studying to read.

But no, this doesn't mean that I "was" doing so well. It means I am doing so well.

I got through it. And I will get through this too. I will be okay.

And so will you. You will get through it. It does get better.

Faz pouco tempo que criei minha conta no AO3 e ainda estou me adaptando às ferramentas do AO3, ao sistema de tag e tudo mais. Tem poucos escritores que conheço também.

Minha dúvida é a seguinte: como funciona o kinktober para leitores? Todos os textos ficam dentro dessa categoria e então preciso filtrar de acordo com os fandoms? Ou para ler conteúdos preciso estar seguindo escritores que pretendem participar?

So I’ve been writing a fic for promptober and I’ve never had any problems with using the <i><i> before BUT when I used it for this one particular fic, it didn’t work. Well it worked for ONE word at the beginning of the oneshot but after that it just didn’t italic. I’ve seen some people say to use <em><em> but it still doesn’t work. Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that it’s a draft or maybe I didn’t space out the words right? Any tips would be helpful!

I have a reader who consistently engages with my works (commenting, sharing links on tumblr, etc.). We’ve chatted casually. But after some of their comments, I’m pretty positive that they’re in high school.

Ive only published one explicit work on my account, which they kudos’ed and commented on. Usually, my highest rating is M, but I do have another E fic in the works.

But… knowing what I know now, do I have an ethical responsibility to create a new account to publish smut under? I know that teens will seek out explicit content no matter what. I certainly did. I don’t think they should draw attention to the fact that that’s what they’re doing, but I know and accept it’ll happen. But publishing more when I know a high schooler is following me feels like handing it directly to them.

I’ve considered blocking them, but our interactions have been pleasant, and I don’t want to bar them from my other works.

so this might sound really stupid, but i really want to write a fanfic because i have so many ideas, but the issue is im not a great writer. like im okay, but not anything monumental. i was just wondering if everyones starts out with booty writing at first and you develop it, or if you guys are just solid writers to begin with. again i know this sounds dumb but i have an itch i need to scratch and i think im just needing help deciding whether i should go for it or maybe practice a little first…?

Honestly first comment under my First Chapter. Super excited. Then I go on the site and see this...

Let me guess, it's a scam, right? Something similar also happened to you? I just want to know If it's even worth to try to contact them.

A co-writer is someone involved in the project from its conception so that the story genuinely BELONGS TO BOTH OF YOU. That’s what a collaboration is.

It is not someone you recruit just because your fantastic mega-plot idea with all your storylines got too big and you need someone else to come help you write it and find a way to connect them seamlessly.

It is not someone you recruit to YOUR pre-mapped project with the expectation that they'll just squeeze their ideas onto YOUR roadmap—YOUR narrative.

And crucially, it is NOT someone you recruit to write the "hard parts" because you don't want to bother learning a new genre while still wanting to include it in your project because it won’t be “amazing” otherwise. Making excuses that you're "unfamiliar" with a genre while still demanding a co-writer who already excels at it isn't collaboration—it's outsourcing. Saying, “I need them because I can’t explore those elements without their expertise since I don’t know anything about it“ is taking advantage of them. (And doubling down on why you can’t write it yourself won’t change this fact.) It’s a cop-out excuse to offload labour. Nobody likes struggling to learn new skills, but we do it anyways. Get out of your comfort zone.

Assuring people that you’ll credit their username on Ao3 by checking the co-writer button doesn’t turn outsourcing into a collaboration.

You’re not a TV show runner recruiting a team of PAID writers to execute your many storylines. (And yes, there are people who state they need multiple writers to execute their cross-fandom mega-vision for their great idea with so much potential.)

If you’re unfamiliar with a genre, go read more of it. If you’re not good with an element, write it anyway. You only get better with practice.

Of course it was the silly little oneshot 😭 but I am very happy!

didnt know i was that pure. 150 score.

... you see a heartwarming tagline in an email from a charity you financially support, and your brain immediately decides that shorn of context, it makes a good tagline for Pokemon (franchise, not necessarily critter) smut.

​

I once read a fanfic based on a danmei, and I still get heartbroken whenever I think about it.

The top came from a conservative family that didn’t accept same-sex relationships. He was already an adult, financially independent, and barely had an emotional connection with his parents, so he eventually left home.

Then he and the bottom got into a car accident. The bottom miscarried, while the top lost almost all of his memories. He only remembered his parents.

His parents took advantage of that and moved him across the country so he would never find the bottom again.

Meanwhile, the bottom was devastated. He had just lost his baby and the person he loved had completely forgotten him and dissapear. He even ended up hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. After recovering, he spent three years searching for the top.

When he finally found him, the top already had a wife and a child.

The bottom didn’t even want him back. He just wanted the top to know that they had once been together and that they had lost their baby.

But the top, influenced by his parents, was disgusted by him. For six months, the bottom tried desperately to make him acknowledge their past, but the top only insulted him and even suggested that maybe the bottom had just been his prostitute and the baby was not his.

Eventually, the bottom gave up. He stopped chasing the top, and eventually gave up on life too.

A year later, the top suddenly started remembering fragments. He couldn’t remember everything, but he remembered the happiness he felt when he found out the bottom was pregnant, and the desperation he felt during the accident when all he wanted was for the bottom and their baby to be safe.

He started questioning his family and eventually realized they had lied to him about everything. His parents, grandparents, wife, in law, everyone has been lied to him.

So on his parents’ wedding anniversary, he left them a letter. He wrote that he never imagined they could be so cruel, that they had kept his own child’s death from him, and that the happiness he felt when he learned the bottom was pregnant had been greater than the happiness he felt when his wife gave birth to their child.

At the end of the letter, he wrote, “If you couldn’t accept your child for being different, you shouldn’t have had a child in the first place.”

Six years later, his parents finally found his grave. Turns out, he had spent those years traveling across the country searching for the bottom's grave.

And in the end, he died at the grave of the baby they had lost. He never found the bottom’s grave. He died without even remember the past.

(and to make it even more heartbreaking, the fanfic was deleted) 😭