Poutini

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I’m just a potato, standing in front of a fandom, asking them to please learn the difference between wonton and wanton.

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

socks

Ilya stood, then gave Shane a quick kiss before unbuttoning his own rumpled shirt just enough to pull it over his head. “On the bed,” he instructed. “And take your fucking socks off.”

(from My Dinner with Hayden: A Heated Rivalry Short Story, by Rachel Reid)

“My pillow princess,” Ilya chides gently, kissing Shane’s freckled shoulder. He gets precisely the reaction he was hoping for - that angry kitten scowl and a petulant huff that sounds an awful lot like ‘am not’.

“No?”

“No.”

“Okay.” Ilya reaches behind himself to grab the small, sherpa fleece throw, typically stowed on the top shelf of the closet with the towels that protect the bed from sex-related messes, and used for precisely one purpose: to wrap around Shane’s feet to keep them warm because Ilya knows…

Cold feet are a sensory nightmare.

Click here to read on AO3. Rated E.

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Listen. I get fandom vernacular etc but

the AO3 tag "no beta we die like Arthur Fox" (or similar) isn't funny, or cute, or self-deprecating.

Sincerely,

A Potato who lost a parent at a young age

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Bringing back this old post and adding “no beta we die like Ilya’s father”. Seeing that tag is an automatic muting.

Regards,

A Potato who lost a parent at a young age and the other parent six months ago

[veeaziel]

every day i am percieved™️

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

There is a reason for this though!

The original tweet summarizes it pretty well. Fanfic tends to be popular among certain types of neurodivergent people (aka people most likely to read excessively as a child, and have burnout as an adult) for the same reasons that we tend to hyperfixate–neurochemical signaling (I hope I’m using that phrase correctly). What I mean is, for people who are really dependent on changes in dopamine/serotonin/neurotransmitter levels, who have low levels or wonky neural reward systems (perhaps the most common types of neurodivergence)…people like us rely on dependable external sources of those neurochemicals. In order to function, we spend a lot of our free time trying to level out our brain chemistry using things that can reliably bring us a steady stream of joyful moments (rewards) without costing too much of the mental effort that is already in short supply. 

significantly: the investment of reading has to be balanced with a steady “return on investment”–and this return has to start fairly quickly. because again, we don’t have a lot of attention/energy to invest on tiring things. we have perpetual “low batteries” in that regard.

that doesn’t mean these stories are “simple,” or that they lack complexity or value–only that the reward has to come in short regular intervals, and it has to have a low “upfront cost.” these stories are only “easy” to read in the sense that the effort we put into them is rewarded in a timely manner. which is why fanfic stories are so perfectly formulated for neurodivergent readers–they are often beautifully written, but skip a lot of the upfront costs (of introducing new characters, of world-building, of getting the audience emotionally connected to the story elements).

the nature of fanfiction is that the reader has a pre-existing relationship with this world and these characters. that–combined with the shorter average length of fics–means that fan fics very quickly start rewarding the reader in a way that traditional fiction struggles to. that’s not a bad thing! and maybe it’s something more traditionally published writers should be paying attention to.

Fanfic, as a genre, has been uniquely helpful and accessible to many neurodivergent readers who would otherwise struggle to immerse themselves in stories. I’m glad so many of you have found a way to love and enjoy reading again! The important thing is that you are spending time inside stories you love–the way those stories are published or presented to the world is just one detail. The fact that you find joy in the process of reading (or listening!) to stories–that is what matters.

[attackofjak]

I feel understood 🥰

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

a bunch of people have reblogged this with the default “i feel called out” reaction….and i know when we say that we mean it tongue-in-cheek….but this comment sorta blew my mind & shifted my perspective up and to the left a little thank you♥

[zadabug98]

The Serotonin is stored in the Ao3

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

The Serotonin is stored in the Ao3

[kizo2703]

#this 100% happened to me#but i’m a middle aged writer and english teacher with an academic literature background#when i burned out got sick and had a breakdown i couldn’t read regular books anymore i could only read fanfic#i saw on twitter where someone said literature is prescriptive. you read the kind of fiction that fits your personal need#we’re all overwhelmed right now and that’s why we like the tropey fiction whether fanfic or romance novels or superhero movies#we UNDERSTAND the rules of fiction and dont’ have to work to understand while the payoff comes quickly. kiss. hea. battle/victory

[depressedfandomfatty]

The important thing for me and why fanfic is so much easier is I can pick for my mood.

I can pick a hurt comfort or a slow burn or an angst with a happy ending.

I can remove the tags I don’t want to see, I can check word count,check if it’s finished and it’s so much easier than books

I know these characters and I see them in my mind so they can pull me on journey into a world I love, unless it’s au universes

Tagging fics and sorting them into a system I can deal with, oh yeah and it’s also free so there is that.

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Fetching Feelings

where Alex and Henry might be soulmates, but their dogs definitely are.

“They’re what?”

“Soulmates, Mr. Claremont-Diaz.”

“But they’re dogs.”

A soft, British voice speaks up in the periphery. “It’s not unheard of.”

A gift, for @orchidscript <3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/67798256

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I’m just a Potato, rarely on tumblr, but here to stand in front of a fandom with a piece of advice for those who say they suck at tagging:

If you tag “MC has cancer” rather than just “cancer”, your work will make it past filters.

Carefully curated filters designed to protect one’s peace, mental health, etc.

So, if you’re including potentially triggering things, don’t make it into a sentence. Keep it short and simple.

I don’t have time to add every variation of every tag I’ve filtered out to my exclusion list, so muting the author it is. Which is unfortunate because I’m sure I ultimately miss out on some great works.

[clottedcreamfudge]

The first fic is here! Thank you to everyone who submitted prompts - hoping to get everything done and wrapped up before October. Happy September, everyone!

Seen & Understood for @dot524 [G - First Prince]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Two! Fundamental for @celeritas2997 [T - Kiem/Jainan, Winter's Orbit]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Three! Blue Sky Holiday for @everwitch-magiks [T - First Prince]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Four! Uncanny Valley for @kiwiana-writes [T - First Prince]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Five! Garrulous for @iworshipsappho [T - First Prince]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Six! Sexy hero logic for @porcelainmortal and @tintagel-or-cockleshells [T - First Prince]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Seven! Watching in slow motion for @firenati0n [T - First Prince]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Eight! You're just like an angel for @cricketnationrise [T - Southern Philanthropy]

[clottedcreamfudge]

Day Nine! It's the humidity for @cheesecurdsgravyandfries [T - First Prince]

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Treatos for meeeeeeeee

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I don’t know who needs to hear this but a cock ring doesn’t actually prevent an orgasm from happening.

If it did, premature ejaculation would be immediately solvable…

[everwitch-magiks]

Clean-shaven Alex! 💕

Why, hello there! You know, with this prompt - from you specifically - I knew exactly which direction I wanted to take it. Please enjoy the poutini special! ♡

Alex has been shooting on location. It's the first time he's seen Henry in a month. They stumble into bed, smiling and giddy, and then Henry reaches his arms around Alex, and— “Darling, what did you do?” … Right. “So, you know how the last director was all ‘you look great, get your hairy butt on set’?” “Distinctly.” “This one had different opinions.” Henry frowns. “They made you shave?” “That's showbiz, baby.” “Is it ‘showbiz’ to portray human bodies as impossibly perfect sex objects?” “You think I'm an impossibly perfect sex object?” Henry rolls his eyes—only he’s smiling, too. “Perhaps.”

Drabble Prompt Game: drop a 1-3 word prompt (and the pairing/character/whatever of your choice) in my ask box, and I’ll write a drabble for RWRB! ♡

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Day MADE. I laughed out loud. Thank you, @everwitch-magiks 💕

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

The funny thing is, stick around fandom spaces long enough and you’re bound to encounter many of the same folks.

So when they start pulling the exact same stunt you’ve seen before - vilifying one half of a actor-duo, idolizing the other, and making up stories about how the two actually hate each other - it becomes a lot easier to just look away.

Self-aggrandizement in fandom and a deep plunge into parasocial relationships 🚩🚩🚩

Anyway. Participation in elective spaces should not be stressful. Curate your own experience. Block block mute.

What Are Parasocial Relationships—And Are They Healthy?

What Are Parasocial Relationships—And Are They Healthy?

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I wish there was the ability to filter on AO3 by the lack of capitalization and disregard for punctuation.

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I know it would crimp the flow and all, but if Henry is bringing Alex home after a date, they’re gonna have to pause the kissing to let David out.

One doesn’t come home and *not* let the dog out.

🤣

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

And now it's a fic!

5 times Henry and Alex had to let David out first, and the 1 time they didn't have to.

Rated E. Read here.

[myheartalivewrites]

Seven(ish) sentence/inspiration Sunday

Hi everyone! Happy Sunday!

I'm gearing up to start posting my RBB fic soon, and so it feels like about time to start teasing it. It's a late-Victorian AU, set over a week at a house party at the Duke of Windsor's (aka Philip) house, where a mouthy American meets a blond English aristocrat--and just about everything he thought he knew about himself gets turned upside down.

This is Foxden Park:

“I maintain that you owe me big time for letting you drag me to this.” “No, but you’re my protector,” June says dramatically. “The guardian of my virtue, the keeper of the family’s honour! Without you, how could I ever leave the house safely? How could I be trusted to not ruin myself and drag the whole lot of us into disrepute?” He wiggles his eyebrows at her. Of the two of them, he’s certain she’s the least likely to cause any sort of reputational damage. “Do you know who this Henry is who’s just arrived?” “The younger brother, I think,” June says. “Bea says he’s a delight.” “Oh, great. Is he an earl too? A count? Please tell me he’s not a fucking prince.”

Inspo below--I'm working with an artist for this, but this is my own little collection of images for this fic.

Here’s a million tags for people who’ve tagged me lately and also tagging you all for this week!@thesleepyskipper @kiwiana-writes @rmd-writes @suseagull04 @welcometololaland

@fullsunsets @heysweetheart-writes @duchessdepolignaca03 @bitbybitwrites @itsmaybitheway

@indestructibleheart @porcelainmortal @affectionatelyrs @orchidscript

@14carrotghoul @cha-melodius @tailsbeth-writes @cultofsappho @read-and-write- @sherryvalli

@onetwistedmiracle @tintagel-or-cockleshells @stereopticons @cricketnationrise @zwiazdziarka

@dumbpeachjuice @cheesecurdsgravyandfries and anyone else who fancies joining in

Have a good week! 😘

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I am SO EXCITED for everyone to read this! 😍

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I know it would crimp the flow and all, but if Henry is bringing Alex home after a date, they’re gonna have to pause the kissing to let David out.

One doesn’t come home and *not* let the dog out.

🤣

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but unless you have an abnormally large mouth, or can unhinge your jaw, you can’t fit both testicles in it at the same time.

Also, cock rings may help delay an orgasm, but they certainly don’t prevent it entirely.

Sincerely,

Potato

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Read it here. Rated Explicit.

[cheesecurdsgravyandfries]

Paging @orchidscript