Alright, this was just a quick rant post that I didn’t expect to get, like, actual notes, so I did not bother to thoroughly discuss the tagging options on AO3. So, in case anyone is actually browsing the tags on this thing…
Here’s a link to my personal introduction to tagging on AO3 (x). Relationship tags, Character tags, Additional tags - the works. Super informative and super thorough primer for anyone who’s nervous about the AO3 tagging system and/or wants to better use the tags to get their fics out there. Definitely full of my personal opinions which people are free to disagree with, obvs, but still a good starter tutorial imo.
Knowing that not many people are actually keen to click random links, here’s a quick list of solutions I’ve seen people use on AO3 to avoid tagging (imo) too many characters and relationships who aren’t actually in the fic for longer than a sentence or two (see all the suffering minor char fans in the notes):
“Ensemble” - Used for tagging large casts.
“[Fandom] Ensemble” - Examples: “Overwatch Ensemble”, “My Hero Academia Ensemble”, and “Game of Thrones Ensemble”. Make your own fandom specific ensemble if one doesn’t exist already.
Fandom specific group tags - Examples: “Class 1-A (My Hero Academia)”, “Order of the Phoenix”, and “The Inquisition (Dragon Age)”. These may also exist as Additional tags.
“Background & Cameo Character(s)” - When you want to note that there’s gonna be background or cameo appearances. Elaborate in Author’s Notes if desired.
“Minor Character(s)” - Again, elaborate in Author’s Notes if desired. Anyone throw-a-tantrum picky about canon character appearances in fanfiction can read the ANs or they can have their comments deleted.
“Undisclosed Character(s)” - For when you want to leave your characters (main or supporting or background) a surprise.
“Other Character Tags to Be Added” - For when you don’t know all the characters who are going to be in your fic yet, but you intend to tag them as they come. Or when you don’t want to spoil anything until the fic is complete.
“Minor or Background Relationship(s)” - Elaborate in Author’s Notes if desired. Imo can also be fairly used to indicate past relationships or non-endgame relationships in the fic.
“Undisclosed Relationship(s)” - For surprises or if you just don’t care about tagging all the relationships in your fic. People are gonna be surprised either way. They’ve been warned there will be surprises.
“Other Relationship Tags to be Added” - Don’t know or don’t want to spoil it yet, but you intend to tag them later.
“Minor Character(s)” - People use both Char/Relationship tags and Additional tags for these things, so you can use both to be thorough.
“[Character]-centric” - Use to indicate the main character of your fic. Remember to use the character’s full name to have mercy on the tag-wranglers.
“POV [Character]” - Use to indicate the POV character of your fic.
“Background Relationship(s)” - Can use with “Background & Cameo Characters” Relationship tag and etc. to be thorough.
“Background [Character A]/[Character B]” - If you want to let people know in the tags, but don’t want to clog up the main Relationship tag.
“Surprise Pairing” - Can use with the “Undisclosed Relationship(s)” Relationship tag to let people know that the surprise is intentional. If someone really has a huge NOTP that squicks them out, they can ask about it.
“Past Relationship(s)” - For when you have mentioned or brief non-endgame relationships in your fic. I agree this one can be a grey area depending on how featured the non-endgame relationship is.
“Past [Character A]/[Character B]” - If you want to be specific about the past relationship, but don’t want to clog up the main Relationship tag.
Again, plugging in my personal primer on AO3 tagging (x). Explains the difference between “/” and “&” and all that jazz, as well as the Additional tags to use to elaborate on relationships for common fandom tropes, and more.
Also, yes, please stop it with the massive 50-chapter “drabble” collections across many unrelated fandoms and many, many pairings. Create a collection or a series - people can bookmark or subscribe to a series on AO3 just as easily as fics. I know creating and tagging new fics is a hassle if you write lots of short prompt fic (and I personally don’t have beef with, say, single-pairing collection fics), but lots of people hold multi-fandom collections as their pet peeve on AO3 and view the practice as impolite.
