15 YEARS AGO... The first page of Paranatural was uploaded to TheComicSeries. In honor of such a momentous occasion, 30+ artists and writers have come together to create this special zine!
Do people not know that A03 has a Share button that will automatically generate a Tumblr post with your title, rating, summary, link, and tags that you can just post?
I've been seeing what feels like an increasing amount of folks just slapping the link in a post -- and not even a hyperlink, just the raw link -- and calling it good.
I got another spam comment today on AO3, and I want to share it as a PSA. But before I do, I want you to understand that you SHOULD NOT DO what this comment is asking. Ok? Ok.
See that bit at the bottom? Don't do that. Insert ParamedicGuy.gif going "Don't."
Other malicious spam comments I've gotten seemed designed to make an author question their writing, or outright encourage them to delete their stories from AO3. This one is different, in that it tries to get you to destroy the work on your own computer.
If you ran that command, it basically locates your Documents folder, then deletes everything in it, including all subfolders. It also does it without any prompt, so you have no chance to second guess your actions.
This is just fucking trolling.
Coincidentally, we just did training on a cyberattack similar to this, called a ClickFix attack. You can read about how that works here.
As a general rule, if ANYONE or ANY WEBSITE tells you unsolicited* to do anything in Powershell, CMD RUN, command prompt, shell command, or something similar, DON'T.
*There are legit reasons for running commands in PowerShell or the command prompt, but in those cases you are likely seeking out a solution to a problem you are already experiencing. Don't just run random commands on your computer as recommended by some unlogged-in guest on a fan fiction site.
Always think and consider before taking action, and get a second opinion from a trusted source. When I got this comment I was pretty sure what the command would do, and it took me about three seconds of googling to confirm it.
A less restrictive version of OC Kiss Week! Characters who are related to canonical characters (fankids, etc) are permitted and considered OCs, and kisses between OCs and canon characters are allowed.
Who's running this blog?
Our blog moderators are @sith-shenanigans (#mod io), @akira-kelle, and @azems-familiar.
How do I participate?
Just use the #ockissfreedom26 tag to post your fics or art! Any kiss involving at least one original character (including customizable game protagonists) is allowed, as long as it's within Tumblr's ToS. Anything requiring a content warning should be tagged as "#cw [tag]" so that followers can block it as necessary.
Do I have to follow the prompts?
Our prompts are just suggestions. You can use other prompt lists (for example, if your fandom is running its own OC Kiss Week event, you can post with both tags) or none at all. Please only crosspost if your work fits both events’ rules, though!
Are platonic kisses allowed?
Absolutely!
Is sexual content allowed?
Kisses don't have to be chaste (a bit of groping, etc. is fine), but this blog won't reblog explicit fics or art with genitalia showing. It’s beyond the scope of this event and may potentially violate Tumblr’s user guidelines.
What about “problematic” content?
Content must comply with Tumblr’s user guidelines. Anything that depicts minors in overly sexual situations or implies grooming on the part of an adult is disallowed as part of the event. Other content should be tagged appropriately.
Are you affiliated with other OC Kiss events, like OC Kiss Week and OC x Canon Week?
No, but since OC x Canon Week is no longer running after 2026, we’ve made the decision to allow canon characters in the event. If the volume of kisses with canon characters overwhelms OC-OC content, we may move to showcasing them on different weeks.
[Image ID: A moving 2 frame gif with the digitally handwritten hashtag #ockiss26 written in black over a white background. A few pink hearts blip in and out on each frame. /.End ID]
♥ Welcome to #ockiss26 ♥
Get ready to get those OCs smooching!
♥ #ockiss26 CALENDAR ♥
from FEBRUARY 9th, 2026 to FEBRUARY 16th, 2026
♥ #ockiss26 MINI FAQ ♥
What is OCkiss? It’s a week long event in which artists, writers and other creators produce content about OCs kissing.
Who can participate in OCkiss? Do you have an OC? Do you want to participate in OCkiss? Congrats, you’re in! Create something and upload it during the event with the tag #ockiss26
My OC doesn’t have a significant other, can I still participate? Of course! OCkiss is not restricted to romantic kisses - they can be friendly, they can be familiar, they can just be kissing their pet!
Can I use other people’s OCs? If they have stated that their OCs are up for grabs for this event, of course! If you’re not sure, please, please always ask the OC’s owner first.
I’m a bit lost and don’t know what to create! You can ask other people for prompts, make your own, or follow the official #ockiss26 prompt list down below!
Can I participate with OCxCanon!character content? No.
If you have more questions, please refer to the main FAQ! Whole FAQ under a Read More at the end of the post for people who have difficulty accessing it!
Remember to tag your OCkiss creations with the #ockiss26 tag! I aim to reblog everybody who participates and I will set up a queue to that effect. Reblog culture has gone down on Tumblr, and I want to change that and promote creators to the best of my ability - it would be awesome if you joined me on this! If you don’t want your work to be reblogged here, please say so in the tags!
[Image ID: A digital image of a lined notebook page scan with digital lettering on it. The lettering reads: #ockiss26 official prompt list: impulse, playful, heartbreak, wedding, heated, hand, blush Each word is highlighted in different neon colors. /.End ID]
OCkiss FAQ
• What is OCkiss?
It’s a week long event in which artists, writers and other creatives produce content about OCs kissing.
• Who can participate in OCkiss?
Do you have an OC? Do you want to participate in OCkiss? Congrats, you’re in! Create something and upload it during the event with the tag #ockiss26
• I don’t have an OC but I want to participate!
Consider making an OC just for the event, or challenge yourself and create one based on a random character generator! It could be a great exercise in creativity!
• My OC doesn’t have a significant other, can I still participate?
Of course! OCkiss is not restricted to romantic kisses - they can be friendly, they can be familiar, they can just be kissing their pet!
• Can I participate by doing a collab with another creator?
Absolutely.
• Can I use other people’s OCs?
If they have stated that their OCs are up for grabs for this event, of course! If you’re not sure, please, please always ask the OC’s owner first.
• Can I participate with OCxCanon!character content?
No. This event is to uplift creators of original characters! HOWEVER, you can participate with fandom OCs and Player Characters that are customized.
Due to constant harassment about canon characters, if you participate with OCxCanon, I will block you for hijacking the event and misusing our official tags, and you will lose access to this blog.
• Are fankids allowed?
No.
• Is OCxCanon allowed in the background, but the main protagonists are OCxOC? (Or any other version of this question)
No.
• Are there rating/nsfw/nsft restrictions?
Go nuts, show nuts. Whatever. (Tag appropriately)
• Who runs this blog?
That would be @artofmisi
• If you don’t own OCkiss, why are you organizing it?
I had been organizing this event three years in a row over at my artblog @artofmisi and people kept asking me, and they say three time’s the charm, so I went for it as a way of having things organized in one blog, and so people who want to participate in my version of this event can have an updated and controlled place to stay informed. Also, I just love OCkiss :P
• Has OCkiss been organized by other people?
Absolutely, and I take no credit for their idea nor their work! As far as I’m aware of, @/becausedragonage is the first one who did it on this post in 2016 with #ockiss16, and then @/slavetothemocha followed with #ockiss17 the following year on this post. From 2018 until this day, I have organized it every year. I’m not aware of other people organizing it, but if you do, please let me know and I will add them to this list!
• Is OCkiss exclusive to Tumblr?
You can participate and post on your preferred social media, however, OCkiss will only be sharing entries here on Tumblr. There are two reasons for it: 1) I really want to help reblog culture on this site, and promote creators by sharing their work and 2) I simply don’t have time to check every social network!
• Why is it in February / will it always be in February?
Why: because I want to fill St. Capitalism-dressed-as-Love week with genuine enthusiasm and love towards original characters and their creators. So yes, this version of the event on this blog will always be organized for whatever week Valentine’s falls on that year.
hey @monstrblood! guess who got you this year for @paranaturalsecretsanta >:3c
you said it was okay if i made something weird or creepy, and you are my fellow maxbel warrior, so i thought it would be fun if max had feelings for isabel but was too afraid to tell her, and then she died, and then she came back, and now she eats people and he helps her do that ❤ as he should ❤
bonus under the cut, that i wanted to draw but didnt have nearly enough time
“Oh, he’d be great.”
Max looked up from the pot he’d been stirring to see Isabel at his kitchen table, flipping through his old Mayview Middle School yearbook, 2010-2011 edition. “Great for what?”
She rolled her eyes- he tried not to focus on the unnatural way they caught the light nowadays- and smiled at him. “For dinner.” Duh.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, “Wait. Are you using a book that's supposed to hold treasured memories or whatever of some of the most awkward years of our teenaged life… as a take out menu?” He watched as she innocently took a sip of the offal smoothie he’d made for her and sighed. “Wouldn’t be easier to go to like… an old folks home or something instead of killing people we’ve known for years. At least those guys would be dying soon anyway.”
“I would but someone,” she sounded exasperated as gave him a pointed look, “doesn’t want me to leave his apartment.”
“Kind of hard to be anonymous in a town where everyone went to your funeral,” he shot back. He gave the pot a stir and sighed once more. “It’s bad enough that Suzy thinks something’s up and keeps sticking her nose around here, we don't need a rumor of a girl that looks just like you visiting people before they mysteriously disappear.”
She stared at him for a moment before flatly saying, “You mean like an angel of death?”
“Wait… Fuck. That’s actually cool as shit.” It still wouldn’t be a good idea, would attract too many people who wanted to see the ghost- this town was filled to the brim with goddamned supernatural or paranormal or paranatural weirdos, he swore to god. Her cover would be blown, people would want to know how she’d survived, wouldn’t understand what needed to be done, would want to lock her up and study her. No, it wasn’t safe. Isabel could handle herself just fine, he’d seen her take down a man 3 times her size before- an act of grotesque beauty that only made him lose his lunch twice- but the more attention that was brought to her, the more likely he’d loose her again.
Max wasn’t about to let that happen.
He must be pretty easy to read, because Isabel’s face softens and her voice is gentle as she says, “You know, you don’t have to do anything. I really don’t mind getting my own food, and you’ve already done more than enough.”
Well, fuck. How was he supposed to say no when she sounded like that? Besides, they’d both already learned by now there was not much, if anything, he wouldn’t do for her.
He let them sit in silence for a minute, hoping that he could try to salvage whatever dignity he had left before folding like a well-worn paper doll.
“Okay, I’ve gotta ask. Why him?”
The way her eyes lit up made it all worth it, with a soft dreamy look on her face as she rested her cheek in her hand. He would ritualistically slaughter all of his classmates if it meant he could see that look on her face forever.
“I bet he tastes like veal…”
…Okay, not what he was expecting. Max blinked a couple times as he processed her words, repeating them back to her flatly. “…Veal.”
“Veal.”
“Since when did you ever have veal?”
“I haven’t!” He watched her eyebrows furrow, “Hadn’t?” Her face remained unchanged save for her pursed lips the longer she thought on it, before she shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. But that’s supposed to be a thing, right? I mean, veal’s supposed to be soft and tender and expensive because the calf dies before it uses its muscles enough to develop them, right?”
“And you’re, what, thinking that he’s got underdeveloped muscles? We’re 22, I don’t think your math’s quite working out there ‘Bel.”
“I’m thinking that his life’s been a lot easier than ours and that means he’s going to be more tender”
“Honestly, having a life that’s easier than yours isn’t hard. You’re kinda an outlier. In fact, statistics classes probably have a picture of you right next to the definition of outlier.” He was getting into his little metaphor, missing how her smile had faltered. “Professors step up to their little mics and give lectures on the range of childhood difficulty, with, like, a bar graph and everything. And they’ll point at just how many people fall into the difficult to easy range and there you’ll be, all the way off to the left with your childhood sticking up like a cancerous growth.”
Isabel balled up a loose piece of paper scattered on the table and threw it at him with a slight frown.
Shit, wait, that wasn’t… He sighed. “Sorry, that was…” He trailed off before sighing again, “Sorry. I mean, I’m not wrong… but…” She didn’t say anything, just stared at her drink in silence.
Minutes passed, his food finished and he sat down at the table to eat, all while she continued to stare straight ahead, unmoving. The longer the silence stretched on, the more unnerved he became, trying to desperately find a way to fix the mess his words had caused.
“You’re right though, his life was definitely easier.”
Isabel’s eyes met his, and he thought for a moment that he might’ve said the right thing despite the fact that for the first time since her funeral, her eyes looked truly dead. And then she said, “Do you think that’s why this happened? Something about my childhood, like, cursed me?” She stared at her hands, and his stomach dropped when he saw the slight tremble running through them.
“Do… Do you think…” She swallowed, “My grandpa had some pretty… weird stuff around the house before he died. Do you think that one of those… things might’ve like, cursed me?”
Max opened his mouth but no words came out, and she continued with a voice hardly above a whisper. “…Do you think this will happen to my mom when she dies?”
Max didn’t know what to say, didn’t think there was anything he could say. He’d always struggled to know how to comfort people, and this was no different. He settled for reaching out and grabbing her still trembling hands, rubbing small circles on her skin while looking anywhere but her face.
Welcome to another year of the Fanfic Reading Challenge (FRC)!
Here's the gist of the challenge:
The event runs for the whole year - Jan 01-Dec 31, 2026
There is no official sign-up. You can make a copy of the challenge spreadsheet and track your fic reading however you want to. You can start at any time of the year.
To participate in the challenge, you read fics that match the tasks in the challenge. Some are easy. Some are more difficult.
This challenge is for any fandom, any ship(s), and you can use more than one fandom and/or ship to complete it.
Fics can count towards more than one task (unless the task says otherwise). Podfics count too.
This challenge operates on the honour system. If you said you completed a fic for a certain task, that's between you and whichever ghost/saint haunts/watches over you. No one is checking your work.
Likewise, if you're unsure about whether a fic fits the task, you are welcome to discuss it with us on the Challenge Discord OR you can use your best judgment. Again, no one is checking your work.
There are prizes! If you finish even one task, you'll be eligible for a fun badge to show off wherever you show off online badges. Here's a link to the 2025 badges to show you how cute they are!
Participation (1 task completed)
Regular Mode (80 tasks completed)
Hard Mode (150 tasks completed)
Extreme Mode (230 tasks completed)
Complete (300 tasks completed)
Category Challenge (extra challenge)
The 2026 Fanfic Reading Challenge! (link)
You will need to download and make your own copy of the above spreadsheet. There is an info page on the first sheet of the spreadsheet that may answer any additional questions. If you need to contact any of the Admin, please send us an ask, or join the Discord.
This year, there is a Virtual Book Club group of tasks, where you are required to ask others for suggestions for various task prompts. You can do this via Tumblr ask, in the specific Discord channel, on some other Discord you belong to, or even by asking your friend who lives next door. We've created a Discord channel to help people complete this, but it's not required to join us there; however we've really become a lovely community of vastly different people who are all joined together in our love of fanfiction, and you would definitely be welcome.
As there is a component of the FRC that includes tracking numbers of words read, most of us use a reading log/tracker to keep count of how many fics we read, including data such as words, of course, chapters, month completed, ship, author, title, fandom, link to the fic, and such. It’s a great place to mark what fics you want to read in the future as well!
We've got four suggested trackers linked below. All of them are quite different from one another - and you're welcome to make a copy of any of them if you'd like - and you can customize them for your personal preferences.
The Challenge: Comment on every fanfic you read and enjoy in the month of January.
Every chapter. Every one shot. Every drabble. Every ficlet. Whether it’s on a personal website, a blog, or an archive. Whether you’ve read it a hundred times before or you’re reading it for the first time. Whether the fic was posted years ago or minutes ago. Whether you sign your name or leave your thoughts anonymously. Whether your comment is paragraphs in length or a few short words. Comment on every fanfic you read and enjoy in the month of January.
The Philosophy: Comments are what keep a fandom thriving and growing.
We don’t see comments as a transaction. They’re not a price paid for reading a fic. We see comments as an interaction, a way of building relationships. Comments are a courtesy, not a currency. [x]
Fandom is a relationship between dozens,hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of fans, and the only way for the greater fandom relationship to function, is for those fans to interact. One way to interact is by writing and reading fanfic. A writer prompts an interaction by posting their work; it is up to the reader to then acknowledge (or not acknowledge).
As one of our favorite blogs, @ao3commentoftheday, said: [x]
“Comment if you can, but don’t be bullied or pressured into it. A comment should be written in the same spirit as the fic itself: wanting to reach out to other people who love the same fandom as you do. It’s not easy to do that, I know, and I don’t hold it against you at all if you can’t.”
The Only Rule: Be kind.
Be kind to your fandoms’ writers.
Please note that this challenge is to “comment on every fanfic you read and enjoy in the month of January.” As our fandom forebears were fond of saying, “Don’t like, don’t read.” For FaFiCoWriMo, we have taken that one step further by saying, “Don’t like, don’t comment.”
No matter how well-intentioned, critique is useless unless it comes from a place of trust. Unless you know an author personally and they have specifically asked for your critique, please keep it to yourself.
It costs zero of your currency and zero of your time to not be a jerk.
Be kind to yourself.
If you do find yourself unable to comment on every fic (for whatever reason), remember this: we forgive you, zero judgement. [x]
It's AI! It's all over Reddit, but basically if they mention you being alone for Christmas, it's definitely AI. There have been HUNDREDS of comments that are just some variation of this over and over again; if you're ever wondering whether a fic comment is AI or not, check it out on Reddit, most of the posts are referencing these kinds of comments. It's fucked up, but the main theory is that recently, AO3 denied a bunch of tech bros the ability to train their AI systems on fanfic, so this is their revenge. They want you to stop writing. It's pathetic, just delete and block <3 I promise your fic is lovely!
And that's FAR from all of them unfortunately. But your writing is good; it's a fucking AI hatebot who wants people off of the platform. Stay strong!! I'm so sorry that happened to you
If you missed the news elsewhere, the MAX PLUSH was 100% funded, and the campaign was extended until December 24th! Now you're guaranteed to get one, and have just 3 DAYS LEFT to hop on board!
You can find the plush RIGHT HERE.
Makeship gave me a 10% discount code for the home stretch! Enter this at checkout: 63G2SZX7TPGV
Thank you so much, everybody, for helping me get the plush funded by getting one and spreading the word. I truly appreciate your support!
There are just 3 days left to help get the 🧲MAX PLUSH🧢 funded! You can find it RIGHT HERE! Help me spread the word!
To speak frankly: I know this campaign’s slower—completely understandable! People are tapped, myself included; I truly, truly appreciate the support you’ve all shown for all these silly Makeship campaigns. They’ve been a vital boost in a year plus where the state of things made money tight, with my partner looking for work and my time increasingly stretched thin. I’m incredibly grateful that you guys helped me out in this way, and helped put these pins and plushes in a proud row on my shelf (and yours!). Thank you, thank you, thank you!
My goal with the Max Plush campaign, now, is to get to 200, which is what we need to hit to get the plush funded and made. After this, I’ll definitely be pulling back from these campaigns and switching to other methods of keeping Paranatural going strong. I’ve been working on a lot of stuff behind the scenes, like short stories, and if I can swing it, selling things like that as physical items and doing the shipping myself might be more viable, and a thing I think would interest some of you! But that’s a problem to tackle after the holidays 👍 For now, just know that I appreciate your patience as I beat the drum about my funny plush, and that I’ll keep Paranatural chugging along while figuring out how best to merchandise it. Thanks again!!
As you may unfortunately be aware, scammers are currently flooding fanfiction comments with art commission scams (more info on the scam and what to look out for here). And we're absolutely sick of it. So here's our solution! Fanart Frenzy - an event designed to counteract these scammers and their impact on the fanfiction community, as well as raise awareness of their evolving scams.
What is Fanart Frenzy?
Fanart Frenzy is a month-long bingo event designed to bring a wave of fanfiction-inspired fanart into the community, entirely free and unsolicited, as fandom is supposed to be, in order to stem the flow of these scammers, encourage our favorite fic writers, and liven up our fandoms. This event is anti-AI - real, human-made art only! Our first event will take place from January 1-31, 2026.
How does it work?
You can sign up via our sign up form! In late December, we'll send out bingo cards to each participant with prompts guiding you towards fics in your fandom to make art for. (Ex. Make art for a fic with no comments). Throughout January, you can make as few or as many pieces of art as you like - you can aim for a bingo, a blackout, or just pick one fic you really want to make art for. Post your work anywhere you'd normally post it, then share it with the writer and the Fanart Frenzy community.
Can't draw?
No worries! This event is about all kinds of art, not just traditional art - everything from playlists to gif sets to cookies to fiber arts, memes, and more. Anything artistic you can do inspired by a fanfic is perfect for this event.
If you don't enjoy making art, the event also includes a Comment Challenge! During sign up, you can choose a bingo card with only art-related prompts, only commenting-related prompts, or a mix of the two. Non-artists can participate alongside artists by following the prompts to find fics in their fandoms in need of thoughtful, kind comments. (Ex. Leave a comment on a fic you've reread.)
You can also help us out by spreading the word! Please tell your friends and fandom communities about our event!
If you’d like to join our event team as an official promoter in your fandom(s), please indicate your interest in our entry form! If we have an opening for someone in your fandom, we'll get in touch! More info on becoming a promoter and what that entails here.
Before the event starts, please join us on our discord server, follow us here on tumblr or on reddit and bluesky!
Have any questions, concerns, or comments? Please drop them here or send us a message and we'll answer as soon as possible!
The Makeship campaign for the Max plush is now live! Maxwell Puckett has become, Maxwell Puppet. You can get one RIGHT HERE!
As ever, picking one up if you're able and helping to spread the word is a great way to support me and Paranatural. The goal is 400 sold from the outset, so I appreciate any sale or helpful reblog. Thank you very much!
Makeship has a Black Friday promotional event going on right now, too; from Nov 28th to Dec 2nd, there is a 10% discount code site-wide for Makeship launches. You can access this discount early, right now, by signing up with your email for the promotional campaign (the "VIP Access" thing listed at the top of their site). Worth considering if you're planning to grab a Max!
That's all for now! Thank you for enjoying my work and for cheering on the goofy stuff like this that lets me keep doing it.