Frequently Asked Questions
What is this thing? It's a Baldur’s Gate 3 Fanfic and Writing blog! The Baldur’s Writers III server is a group of likeminded BG3 fanfic writers, and this blog was designed to share our work, among others. We post fic recs, writing advice and memes, and other similar content! Want to join us? Here's an invitation!
What’s with the fic recs? Our main content is fic recs! Biweekly, a theme is randomly chosen, then members of the Baldur’s Writer III discord can submit their fic recs. We then compile all of those fic recs into a themed rec list. Additionally, we have some regularly recurring themed lists that we cycle through that are described below.
What are Hidden Gem fics? This recurring theme is for any fics with less than 25 kudos! We want to uplift authors in our community, and sometimes all a fic needs is that little push. You can browse this recurring theme with #bw3 Hidden Gems.
What counts as a Rare Pair? Rare Pairs are any romantic ships with less than 100 fics to their name. This recurring theme is to help highlight ships that are often overlooked or buried beneath more popular ships. You can browse this recurring theme with #bw3 Rare Pairs.
What do you mean by Gen fic? Gen fics are fics where the primary pairing and/or focus of the fic is not romantic or sexual. This particular recurring theme is very close to my heart, and deserves a bit of recognition, if I do say so myself. It should be noted that fics that have romantic pairings in them can still qualify for this theme, so long as the romance is not the driving factor of the plot. You can browse this recurring theme with #bw3 Gen Fic.
When do themed rec lists go out? These go out on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Who is doing the reccing and coming up with themes? The fic recs are submitted by the amazing authors and readers in the Baldur’s Writers III Discord server. The rec list compilation process (and thus the themes) are currently managed by Professor-Rye.
What are Content Notes and why does some stuff show up in them? The purpose of a content note is kind of like eating something with the message 'contains nuts'. It's a way of letting people avoid stuff they might be happier not reading. Having something in a content note isn't a moral judgment or saying that people should avoid it, it's just acknowledging that people have reasons to avoid certain types of content. Someone might have a content note on pregnancy to allow people who recently had a miscarriage avoid it, note somethings a WIP to not make people get their hopes up, or note trans vaginal penetration because the subject can cause dysphoria. Some stuff we require content notes on. Some stuff we don't. If something has the note 'choose not to warn', it means either the reccer or the author chose not to add anything further. This can be to avoid spoilers, to avoid the crippling anxiety that comes with trying to describe something correctly, or some secret third thing.
Can I rec if I'm not part of the discord? Hey, sorry - it's not that your opinion is worth less than anyone else on the discord, it's that we're trying to keep this a manageable amount of work. BW3 is pretty big, but it's smaller than the entire internet. But hey! You're more than welcomed to join the server!
Are there other rec lists like this? Yes! This reccing system was originally designed for a server in the Critical Role fandom, but has since branched out into other lists. Here is a collection of some of them, if you would like to see how else the system has been used. Aeor Is For Reccing | Critter Genfic Events | Critter Rarepair Reccs
So can I steal this idea? Yes! Please steal this idea! We’d love nothing more than for rec lists to make a comeback, and so have put the tools we’ve created out for anyone to copy and use themselves. The original designer, Operafloozy, automated away most of the formatting work and has gotten the amount of time spent on maintenance down to less than ten minutes a week. Experience with Google Sheets/Excel and HTML is recommended, but the documents have a variety of excellent explanations and guides, so they are not explicitly required. If you have any questions, feel free to message Professor-Rye.
Someone commented on my fic to say I was recced here. I'd rather not be told about it, thanks. No worries! Just send either Professor-Rye an ask (or contact us a different way if you can find us), and we'll put your name on an opt-out list. (You can put yourself on the Opt Out list preemptively if this is a worry you have).
