I Write Sins & Tragedies

I write and sometimes reblog rp memes/starters :) Basically I'll use them to inspire myself to write fanfics for my fandoms, but I'd feel nice if rp-ers out there would knock themselves out using these! Feel free to send me requests if you have any...

[sonny-kiddo]

some notable catchphrases of 2013:

bitch I might be

do she got the booty ? she doooooooooo ! 

swiggity swag

the D

wen u mom com home and make hte spagehti

“ hello______, im dad “ 

AYYY LMAO

W R I T I N G  I N T E N S E  W O R D S  L I K E  T H I S 

 perfect _____ don’t exis-

And now, the weather

at least 2 potato

we’ve come full circle ! 

life hack :

[ __________ INTENSIFIES]

so many

such doge. much wow. very smile. 

mahogany 

*sweats nervously*

same. 

spooper hot choclety milk

#SHERLOCKLIVES

[pixelartpeach]

[creativepromptsforwriting]

How to show emotions

Part IX

How to show being delighted

bright, sparkling eyes

smiling or grinning broadly

light, bouncy steps or movements

clapping hands or small, excited gestures

warm blush or flushed cheeks

soft, happy sighs or laughter

jumping up or small hops

eyes crinkling at the corners

open mouth, slightly parted in surprise or joy

leaning forward eagerly

staring at whatever delights them

spinning in a circle

How to show dread

rapid, shallow breathing or sudden gasps

sweaty palms or clammy skin

trembling hands or body

tightened jaw or grinding teeth

furrowed brows, tense forehead

wide, darting eyes or a fixed, unblinking stare

clenched fists or nails digging into skin

stiff, frozen posture or tense muscles ready to react

dry mouth or difficulty swallowing

sudden chills or shivers

heart pounding visibly or audibly (e.g., pounding in ears)

fidgeting or restless movements, pacing

nausea or tightness in the stomach

avoiding eye contact or looking away anxiously

voice trembling or catching in throat if speaking

How to show serenity

slow, deep breathing

soft, gentle smile or neutral, peaceful facial expression

softly gazing

smooth, unhurried movements

hands resting calmly, loosely folded or open palms

even heartbeat/pulse

slight tilt of the head, indicating calm attentiveness

relaxed jaw, no clenching or grinding

steady, balanced posture with relaxed shoulders

soft sigh or contented breath out

minimal fidgeting or twitching

How to show being alarmed

widened eyes

raised eyebrows

dilated pupils

quickened or shallow breathing

heart pounding or racing

trembling or shaking hands

stiffened posture or frozen still

sweating or cold sweat

sudden intake of breath or gasping

paleness or flushed face

lips pressed tightly or quivering

clenched jaw or fists

neck hairs standing on end

fidgeting or restless movements, pacing

mouth slightly open or dry mouth

rapid head movements, scanning surroundings

jumping or flinching suddenly

tightened throat or throat clearing

More: How to write emotions Masterpost

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

[3hks]

A Quick(ish) Comprehensive Guide to Writing in Third Person Limited

When we write, one of the very first aspects we consider is the perspective of the story. Is it in first person? Second person? Third person? Third person point-of-view is arguably the most flexible perspective, but that also makes it difficult to fully grasp and harness.

~~~

INTRODUCTION

Let's begin with the fundamental questions: what is third person and why do people use it?

> What is Third Person POV?

Third person POV is simply a narrative style in which the narrator has a broader view of all the characters and their thoughts. Unlike first person, which is seen through the eyes of one person, calling for the use of pronouns such as I, me, or my, third person uses pronouns such as he, she, or they to refer to everyone, including themselves. As the reader, we aren't meshed into the main character and viewing the story that way. Instead, we're moreso hovering from above and observing collective events, actions, and even thoughts.

There are three MAIN types of this perspective: third person omniscient, third person objective and third person limited.

Omniscient is where the narrator knows everything about the characters, events, and emotions, revealing many, if not all, of these aspects of the readers.

Objective is when the narrator focuses solely on the actions and behaviors of the characters, without providing insight to thoughts or emotions. It's an objective narration style.

Limited is where the narrator focuses on one character (which would likely be the protagonist) and centers the story around that character.

> Why Use Third Person?

To put it simply, third person can allow you to write more. You have access to multiple POVs and there is often less bias. In first person, the narrator is the character, which can cause warped views influenced by their bias.

However, for third person, the narrator is an external voice (oftentimes you), so while there can be some bias depending on the character you're hovering, there is significantly less.

***

THE BASICS

In this post, I won't be talking too much about third person omniscient because it's more uncommon in writing. Instead, I will be talking about a popular variant of third person limited in which we use the POVs of multiple characters one at a time.

> Using the Correct Pronouns

In first person, we use the pronouns "I, me, my, we, etc." to describe the narrator. In second person, we use the pronouns "you, your, etc." to describe the protagonist. In third person, we use the pronouns "she, he, they, etc." to describe the protagonist.

Avoid using first or second person pronouns unless you're writing thoughts or dialogue.

> Making the POV Clear

Since we're using the perspectives of different characters (at different times), it's imperative to clarify who the perspective belongs to. You can do this simply by listing the POV before writing the part or by starting a new paragraph, which begins with a sentence starting in active voice by the focused character.

EXAMPLES

Lexi's POV: She was astounded when she realized that... V.S. Lexi was astounded when she realized that...

Both examples are in third person and evidently centered around Lexi.

> Be Consistent

Be consistent with pronouns; unless you're writing thoughts and/or dialogue, make sure you're always using third person pronouns to address everything. It's easy to let it slip, but it's important not to.

Ex:

WRONG: She stares at the mirror. My hair is kind of messy, so I grab the brush. CORRECT: She stares at the mirror. Her hair is kind of messy, so she grabs the brush.

Another thing to consider is keeping the type of third person POV consistent. If you're writing in third person limited, don't suddenly switch to omniscient. Granted, many readers may not be able to identify this kind of mistake, but it's good to practice consistency!

***

GENERAL TIPS

Now, let's discuss some general ideas to keep in mind when writing in third person limited.

> Use Names

You might be thinking what? No duh I have to use names, but I'm being dead serious. In third person, you might find yourself writing out names of characters more often than when you might be using first person. This is because pronouns get confusing. If there are two girls talking, then which one is 'she'? Remember that your protagonist is also an outside character.

Use names, use different ways to identify people (the taller student, the younger employee, etc.), because even if you know who is who, the readers might not.

> Objectiveness

One of the pros of using third person to storytell is the objectiveness that it grants. First person comes with many biases, which can warp how the reader views the characters, actions, and events of the story.

However, in third person, you want your narrator to be as unbiased as possible. Be objective. Describe things as they are. Sure, sometimes a character's opinion might influence the story, but it shouldn't be too excessive.

> Be Descriptive

I'm sure I've said this only about one million times now, but third person POV is broad. You can talk about anyone, anything, and you can even explain events unrelated and outside of your protagonist's bubble, which you normally can't do in first person.

So be descriptive. You don't have to worry about how a specific may view something because we're in third person. There's so much more for you to describe, you just have to take advantage of it.

You can describe your protagonist's enemy with both distaste and detached neutrality; you can describe minute details of a tree without making your main character seem overdramatic--you just have to do it.

***

ADDITIONAL TIPS

> When to Change Perspectives

In third person limited POV, it's common and often necessary to change the character the narrator hovers around. This is because only following the protagonist is, well, quite limited. So, when do we change which character we follow?

Show Events Outside of the Protagonist: If you have part of the cast (such as the antagonist) that's taking action outside of what the MC is aware of, and you want to show what's happening, this is a good time to switch perspectives! ----

Show Different Reactions to the Same Event: Let's say an intense incident just occurred that affected multiple people. Switching perspectives here can be quite useful because it allows you to show how different characters handle and view the same situation. This also helpful because it gives the reader deeper insight to the characters!

> Incorporating Character

I talked about this alone in a separate post, but I'll reiterate it again. Many people believe that third person POV is less interesting because there's "less personality" in its writing compared to first person.

This is mainly due to the standard objectivity that comes with third person, but it doesn't mean you can't include hints of character within your writing outside of dialogue and thoughts.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to word choice and a bit of sentence structure. Different words and phrases have different connotations, and though it seems like a very subtle detail to focus on, it does impact your writing.

Try to use vocabulary that fits the character you're hovering. Vocabulary that they might use.

If you're writing from the perspective of an angrier character, maybe you'll use cruder language during their section. If it's a more dramatic character, perhaps you'll use more theatrical language and flowy sentence structures mixed with choppy ones.

EX:

1. He felt stupidly annoyed at the man's assumptions. 2. He felt irritated at the man's assumptions. 3. He felt fed up with the man's assumptions.

Those three examples all have similar meanings and identical sentence structures. However, you'll notice that there are slightly different connotations per each sentence.

For number one, it sounds like the character is upset that he's so annoyed. This offers the idea that the character feels he shouldn't be as annoyed as he is, quietly hinting that he isn't the type to get ruffled easily or at least, not towards such assumptions.

For number two, the statement is very direct. The character is irritated. He might not be as displeased as number one or three, but he is still annoyed. However, the forwardness of the statement might suggest that he's a pretty straightforward guy who's expresses his emotions frankly.

Lastly, for number three, the character sounds more tired and possibly angry. He's done with the assumptions. It can be assumed that he's the type who's more likely to take action than the other two.

Now, these are really simple examples, but you can see that the word changes do slightly alter the meaning of the sentence and evoke separate emotions based on the character of the perspective's owner.

If the character uses the word "excessively" instead of "very," we might think that the character is more eloquent.

Yes, all of these descriptions technically belong to the narrator, but there's no linear way to write the narrator. In this case, they act like a mirror, reflecting the voice of the character.

CONCLUSION

We're at the end! This was a MUCH larger post than I expected to write, so kudos to anyone who's read more than 50% of this LOL.

All in all, third person POV isn't actually terribly difficult to get the hang of. You'll need some practice, as with anything, but you'll understand it better the more you work on it--with or without my help!

The biggest point is to make sure your pronouns are in check. Don't use "I, me, my or you, yours, you're" unless you're writing dialogue or thoughts!

Hope this has been helpful! Reach out to me for any questions; I'd love to answer them!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[calikoclouds]

This is so helpful, thanks OP

[sassycolortheorist101-blog]

some fucking resources for all ur writing fuckin needs

* body language masterlist

* a translator that doesn’t eat ass like google translate does

* a reverse dictionary for when ur brain freezes

* 550 words to say instead of fuckin said

* 638 character traits for when ur brain freezes again

* some more body language help

(hope this helps some ppl)

[ariachaos]

OP, pls give me your hand in marriage 💍

[theinternetarchive]

a few more great films that are free on the internet archive

in decent quality too!

first list, second list

aggregate letterboxd list, archive list of all the films

perfect blue (1997) dir. satoshi kon

carol (2015) dir. todd haynes

the elephant man (1980) dir. david lynch

a girl walks home alone at night (2014) dir. ana lily amirpour

d.e.b.s. (2004) dir. angela robinson

nausicaa of the valley of the wind (1984) dir. hayao miyazaki

killer klowns from outer space (1988) dir. stephen chiodo

mommy (2014) dir. xavier dolan

jennifer's body (2009) dir. karyn kusama

suspiria (1977) dir. dario argento

battleship potemkin (1925) dir. sergei eisenstein

his girl friday (1940) dir. howard hawks

cube (1997) dir. vincenzo natali

nightcrawler (2014) dir. dan gilroy

black orpheus (1959) dir. marcel camus

chunking express (1994) dir. wong kar wai

meeting people is easy: a film about radiohead (2001) dir. grant gee

the grapes of wrath (1940) dir. john ford

the black cat (1941) dir. albert s rogell

the tin star (1957) dir. anthony mann

[luna-azzurra]

Signs a Character Is Falling in Love

ෆ They Start Noticing the Small Things. The way the other person laughs. How they stir their coffee. The exact shape of their handwriting.

ෆ Hyper-Awareness of Touch. A brush of fingers becomes a full-body event. They replay it later. On loop.

ෆ They Look for Them First in a Room. Just a glance. A check. Not because they care. Obviously.

ෆ Jealousy They Can’t Explain. A spike of irritation when someone else makes them laugh. What’s that about? They don’t want to know.

ෆ Their Defenses Go Weird. More sarcasm. More teasing. Or less of everything. Silence, suddenly.

ෆ Uncharacteristic Generosity. Lending a book. Making a playlist. Bringing coffee “just because.” They’re not in love. They’re just nice.

ෆ They Get Irritated by Their Own Reactions. Why do they care so much? Why are they thinking about this? Why won’t it stop?

ෆ They Start Mirroring. Their speech patterns shift. Their posture echoes the other person. It’s subconscious. It’s terrifying.

ෆ They Avoid Eye Contact More Than Usual. Because they’re afraid if they look too long, the truth will pour out.

ෆ They Rehearse Conversations in Their Head. Over and over, what they could say, what they wish they said. They’re not in love. Nope. Definitely not.

[weltenwellen]

Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934

[weltenwellen]

Stephanie Foo, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma

[mssbdr]

🚨 We Need Your Kindness to Survive 🚨

Hello, My name is Mosab Elderawi, and I live in Gaza with my family. Life here has become harder than I ever imagined, and I’m writing this with hope in my heart that you might hear our story.

The ongoing war has devastated my family. We’ve lost 25 family members—each one a beloved part of our lives, taken too soon. I miss them deeply—their laughter, their presence, their love. Every day is a reminder of this unimaginable loss.

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

We are now facing daily challenges to survive—things that most people take for granted, like food, clean water, and a safe place to sleep. The harsh realities of life here have replaced our dreams with the constant fight for survival.

Our Current Situation:

💔 Lost Stability: The war has left us without work or a stable source of income. 🍞 Basic Needs: Food and water are becoming harder to afford with rising prices and scarce resources. 📚 Dreams on Hold: Like so many here, my family’s dreams have been replaced by the need to simply survive. 😢 Unimaginable Loss: Losing 25 loved ones has left a void that can never be filled.

How You Can Help:

I’m sharing our story with the hope that someone out there might care. Even $5 can make a big difference for us, and if you’re unable to donate, just reblogging this post can help spread the word.

Your kindness, no matter how small, is something we’ll never forget.

What This Means to Us:

Your support is not about changing our entire situation—it’s about giving us a little relief, a little hope, and a way to keep going. We are not asking for much, and we understand if you can’t donate. Sharing our story is just as valuable to us as a donation.

Thank you for reading this far. It means the world to us to know that someone is listening. Your kindness gives us strength and helps us believe in a better tomorrow.

With all our gratitude, Mosab Elderawi and Family ❤️

✅️ Vetted by ✅️

@gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #309 )✅️

Donate to Help me saving who's left of my family, organized by Mosab Derawi

Hello Everyone, I am Mosab Suleiman Al Derawi, 28 years old, my wife Nadine Adel A… Mosab Derawi needs your support for Help me saving who's

@fancysmudges @brokenbackmountain @just-browsing1222-deactivated20 @mothblossoms @aleciosun @fluoresensitive @khizuo @lesbiandardevil @transmutationisms @schoolhater @timogsilangan @appsa @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @palestinegenocide @sar-soor @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @visenyasdragon @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @kordeliiius @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @theropoda @tamarrud @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @skatezophrenic @awetistic-things @camgirlpanopticon @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @nabulsi @sygol @junglejim4322 @heritageposts @chososhairbuns @palistani @dlxxv-vetted-donations @illuminated-runas @imjustheretotrytohelp

[mssbdr]

🌟 We’re getting closer to our goal! 🌟 With your incredible support, we’ve already raised $1,673 out of our goal of $20,000! ❤️

Every contribution or reblog helps bring us closer to a brighter future. Thank you for standing with us in this journey.

👉 Donation Link

Even $5 can make a huge difference! 🙏

[mssbdr]

🚨 We Need Your Kindness to Survive 🚨

Hello, My name is Mosab Elderawi, and I live in Gaza with my family. Life here has become harder than I ever imagined, and I’m writing this with hope in my heart that you might hear our story.

The ongoing war has devastated my family. We’ve lost 25 family members—each one a beloved part of our lives, taken too soon. I miss them deeply—their laughter, their presence, their love. Every day is a reminder of this unimaginable loss.

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

We are now facing daily challenges to survive—things that most people take for granted, like food, clean water, and a safe place to sleep. The harsh realities of life here have replaced our dreams with the constant fight for survival.

Our Current Situation:

💔 Lost Stability: The war has left us without work or a stable source of income. 🍞 Basic Needs: Food and water are becoming harder to afford with rising prices and scarce resources. 📚 Dreams on Hold: Like so many here, my family’s dreams have been replaced by the need to simply survive. 😢 Unimaginable Loss: Losing 25 loved ones has left a void that can never be filled.

How You Can Help:

I’m sharing our story with the hope that someone out there might care. Even $5 can make a big difference for us, and if you’re unable to donate, just reblogging this post can help spread the word.

Your kindness, no matter how small, is something we’ll never forget.

What This Means to Us:

Your support is not about changing our entire situation—it’s about giving us a little relief, a little hope, and a way to keep going. We are not asking for much, and we understand if you can’t donate. Sharing our story is just as valuable to us as a donation.

Thank you for reading this far. It means the world to us to know that someone is listening. Your kindness gives us strength and helps us believe in a better tomorrow.

With all our gratitude, Mosab Elderawi and Family ❤️

✅️ Vetted by ✅️

@gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #309 )✅️

Donate to Help me saving who's left of my family, organized by Mosab Derawi

Hello Everyone, I am Mosab Suleiman Al Derawi, 28 years old, my wife Nadine Adel A… Mosab Derawi needs your support for Help me saving who's

@fancysmudges @brokenbackmountain @just-browsing1222-deactivated20 @mothblossoms @aleciosun @fluoresensitive @khizuo @lesbiandardevil @transmutationisms @schoolhater @timogsilangan @appsa @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @palestinegenocide @sar-soor @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @visenyasdragon @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @kordeliiius @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @theropoda @tamarrud @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @skatezophrenic @awetistic-things @camgirlpanopticon @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @nabulsi @sygol @junglejim4322 @heritageposts @chososhairbuns @palistani @dlxxv-vetted-donations @illuminated-runas @imjustheretotrytohelp

[mssbdr]

🌟 We’re getting closer to our goal! 🌟 With your incredible support, we’ve already raised $1,673 out of our goal of $20,000! ❤️

Every contribution or reblog helps bring us closer to a brighter future. Thank you for standing with us in this journey.

👉 Donation Link

Even $5 can make a huge difference! 🙏

[sayruq]

[sayruq]

[miggylol]

You've been cast into a fictional setting, and you don't get to pick your genre. This wheel picks it for you.

But you DO get to pick your role.

Hero/Protagonist

Loyal Sidekick

Romantic Interest

Comic Relief

Mentor

Villain/Antagonist

Mysterious Holder of Plot-Relevant Knowledge

Voting ended onJan 17, 2025

[wizardarchetypes]

I want to write a book called “your character dies in the woods” that details all the pitfalls and dangers of being out on the road & in the wild for people without outdoors/wilderness experience bc I cannot keep reading narratives brush over life threatening conditions like nothing is happening.

I just read a book by one of my favorite authors whose plots are essentially airtight, but the MC was walking on a country road on a cold winter night and she was knocked down and fell into a drainage ditch covered in ice, broke through and got covered in icy mud and water.

Then she had a “miserable” 3 more miles to walk to the inn.

Babes she would not MAKE it to that inn.

[pixelartpeach]

Are there any other particularly egregious examples?

[theglintoftherail]

This book already exists, sort of! Or at least, it’s a biology textbook but I bought it for writing purposes:

It starts with a chapter about freezing to death, and it is without a doubt the scariest thing I’ve read in years (and I read a lot of horror fiction).

[wandercuriosity-deactivated2024]

This book can be downloaded for free on Researchgate, posted there by the author himself:

The Biology of Human Survival: Life and Death in Extreme Environments

[mssbdr]

🚨 We Need Your Kindness to Survive 🚨

Hello, My name is Mosab Elderawi, and I live in Gaza with my family. Life here has become harder than I ever imagined, and I’m writing this with hope in my heart that you might hear our story.

The ongoing war has devastated my family. We’ve lost 25 family members—each one a beloved part of our lives, taken too soon. I miss them deeply—their laughter, their presence, their love. Every day is a reminder of this unimaginable loss.

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

64.media.tumblr.com

We are now facing daily challenges to survive—things that most people take for granted, like food, clean water, and a safe place to sleep. The harsh realities of life here have replaced our dreams with the constant fight for survival.

Our Current Situation:

💔 Lost Stability: The war has left us without work or a stable source of income. 🍞 Basic Needs: Food and water are becoming harder to afford with rising prices and scarce resources. 📚 Dreams on Hold: Like so many here, my family’s dreams have been replaced by the need to simply survive. 😢 Unimaginable Loss: Losing 25 loved ones has left a void that can never be filled.

How You Can Help:

I’m sharing our story with the hope that someone out there might care. Even $5 can make a big difference for us, and if you’re unable to donate, just reblogging this post can help spread the word.

Your kindness, no matter how small, is something we’ll never forget.

What This Means to Us:

Your support is not about changing our entire situation—it’s about giving us a little relief, a little hope, and a way to keep going. We are not asking for much, and we understand if you can’t donate. Sharing our story is just as valuable to us as a donation.

Thank you for reading this far. It means the world to us to know that someone is listening. Your kindness gives us strength and helps us believe in a better tomorrow.

With all our gratitude, Mosab Elderawi and Family ❤️

✅️ Vetted by ✅️

@gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #309 )✅️

Donate to Help me saving who's left of my family, organized by Mosab Derawi

Hello Everyone, I am Mosab Suleiman Al Derawi, 28 years old, my wife Nadine Adel A… Mosab Derawi needs your support for Help me saving who's

@fancysmudges @brokenbackmountain @just-browsing1222-deactivated20 @mothblossoms @aleciosun @fluoresensitive @khizuo @lesbiandardevil @transmutationisms @schoolhater @timogsilangan @appsa @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @palestinegenocide @sar-soor @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @visenyasdragon @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @kordeliiius @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @theropoda @tamarrud @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @skatezophrenic @awetistic-things @camgirlpanopticon @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @nabulsi @sygol @junglejim4322 @heritageposts @chososhairbuns @palistani @dlxxv-vetted-donations @illuminated-runas @imjustheretotrytohelp

[mssbdr]

🌟 We’re getting closer to our goal! 🌟 With your incredible support, we’ve already raised $1,673 out of our goal of $20,000! ❤️

Every contribution or reblog helps bring us closer to a brighter future. Thank you for standing with us in this journey.

👉 Donation Link

Even $5 can make a huge difference! 🙏

[la-hannya]

Did you how annoying it has been to finally find good translated examples of what consists of a traditional Japanese house or room for writing ideas?

[orlissa]

You don’t own fanfics. They’re inherently public domain because they aren’t your IP. Agree or disagree with AI, there are no grounds for “protection” from AI because it isn’t your IP to begin with. That’s what you chose when you chose this medium

Oh dear.

Okay, you get an answer, because at least you took the effort to write your ask out properly, even if you are hiding behind the grey, sunglassed circle.

Do I, or any fanfic author for that matter, have any legal claims to our work? No, not really, no. (Although if someone took a fic, filed off the serial number--deleted the fandom specific elements--, and then had it published for financial gain, yeah, that would be a case.)

BUT

Fandoms are built on a social contract that says we respect each others work, the effort people put into their art. We don't steal or disrespect the work of our peers. By feeding people's fanworks to AI you both steal and disprect it, and we need to make people realize that before it's too late--before fandom falls apart, because there will be no more real, actual fanworks.

Disrepectfully,

Orlissa

(i can't believe I have to say this)

[whetstonefires]

Also this is not true. You do in fact have the copyright to the specific writing you did in a fic, because that's not how copyright law works. Like this is not a grey area.

People who write IP content for corporations give up their copyright on a contractual basis--the company wants writing they can sell about characters/settings they own without getting entangled in royalty obligations etc, so they hire people. Who sign contracts saying they don't own what they write as part of that job.

That's why you don't own Star Wars stuff you wrote for Disney; you specifically agreed not to own it.

Writing for IP you don't own leaves you in a position where you can't legally monetize it (without taking out the Owned parts ad rebranding), but it absolutely does not automatically cede or void copyright. That is super not a thing.

SUPER not a thing, I cannot say this enough.

I can't sell my Batman fic, but neither can DC Comics without my duly authorized consent. Because they own Batman, but not the prose I composed about him.

Do not perform that kind of massive corporate overreach for them. Holy shit. Do they not own enough.

[chimaerakitten]

It’s fascinating that this misconception of copyright still exists. Haven’t we all seen the posts on here where authors beg fans to please not send them fanfic of their works? They’re not doing that because they feel like it, they do that because fans legally own their words and ideas, and an author who takes them even unintentionally can in fact end up in real legal trouble for taking something that’s not theirs. It doesn’t matter whether they own the canon.

[copperbora]

To be clear: the moment that you write something, regardless of its content, (unless you've signed some kind of legal paperwork for a company saying otherwise,) YOU THE CREATOR OWN the copyright to that specific work.

On completely original (non-fanfiction) pieces you don't even necessarily need to spend the $50+ to register your copyright on them with your government but it's worth doing as a layer of extra protection if you intend to publish it. For example, I own several official, government-recognized copyrights on original manuscripts which I do wish to publish someday.

[vanilla-twilights]

Attorney from the US here, working in the entertainment law field here, and who deals in copyright matters on the daily, which is, in fact, my favorite area of US law (even thought its hot garbage mess on the best of days).

In the US at least, the requirements for something to qualify for copyright protection are genuinely very minimal. In other countries, it may be more or less. If you're French, the law is generally massively in your favor as an artist even. No one does artist protection like the French, truly.

But in the US the only requirements are 1) originality of expression 2) fixed in a tangible medium 3) in one of 8 categories of works (literary, dramatic, pictorial/graphic/sculptural, choreography/pantomime, music, sound recording, motion pictures/audiovisual, archtecture). If your work, or parts of your work, meet all three you "own" a copyright to the work or those parts of your work.

So actually there is a high degree of protection affordable to fanfiction and fanarts, outside if the limited elements from canon that someone else holds the copyright to.

For clarity though, an idea is not copyrightable. It's the original expression of that ide which is. For example, an idea is "coffee shop meet cute". The expresion that is original is what an author does with that idea, the plot and the story beats, the dialogue and the descriptions. You know you've seen or read various expressions of this idea across fanworks and fandoms to know it can be developed in a myriad different ways that are each unique. That uniqueness is the part of a story that would always qualify for protection under copyright law, regardless of the names and physical descriptions of the characters in the story.

DC might own batman and superman, but if you write a coffee shop meet-cute au fanfic about those characters, your original story and plot elememts, and especially, the particular syntax and dictionary of your story is highly protectable. That is your originality of expression in a literay work. It's what sets your fic apart from every other cofee shop meet cute written in every fandom under the sun, probably, including any other that may exist for Bruce and Clark.

See 50 Shades of Gray, notorious for having started its first life as Twilight fanfic. Not my fandom, but im sure its not the only kink fic that existed in that fandom. And clearly, the story had sufficiently original elements to it to be able to stand on its own and be a commercial sucess as a copyrightable work with some judicious filing away of specific canon elements.

Now, if you make something truly derivative of canon (think an different looking superman or batman suit), that would be a grayer area, beacuse one of Supes defining traits is that he has the suit with the S shield on it. When you get too close to something made by someone else, its harder to separate your originality from someone elses. You can't really "file the serial numbers" off a Superman suit too easily after all, without modifying the artwork significantly to where its no longer a "superman" suit. That isn't to say there aren't or couldn't be protectable elements in the artwork, it's just that they'd be so entrenched with the canon elements that a court would almost certainly consider the work as a whole derivative. Saying something is derivative does not void it of all originally of expression, it's just that it steps on the toes of someone else's rights to their elements. This is the reason fanart generally cannot be used commercially. The idea behind that is that your taking a bite out of someone else's money pie and that isn't fair in the eyes of the law. It's not to say that there was no originalty of expression in your work.

But that cuts both ways, which is why authors don't want you sending them detailed ideas for a story, and why studios return unsolicited screenplay unread. If DC came up with their own original Bat & Supes meetcute story, the last thing they want to contend with is a fanfic author trying to sue them for stealing their story elememts. If they don't look at anything fanmade, they can assert that as part of their defense. For the love of your fandom, don't send your fanfics to the authors! It's the fastest way to make sure that idea never sees an official light of day.

All that said, RPF is actually a very intersting area, because there is no copyrightable canon elemts you're using. Traits of a human person are not copyrightable. Mother nature cannot hold copyrights in the eyes of US law. RPF, especially sport rpf, is not tyically pulling from a "canon", unless it's pulling from music videos or other creative work, but from real life traits and events of people. The reason these cannot be commercially marketed is because they'd infringe on things like someone's right of publicity and potentially could be considered libel, if the person was fussed enough about the content, but only if you were trying to posit the fic as true and factual events (its why true story film say "based on" or "inspired by" actual events rather saying these are true and actusll events). RPF though, as far as copyright goes, almost definitely entirely protectable.

Tl:dr you do own lots of elements of your fanworks, just not the specific bits that are pulled wholesale from canon. RPF surprisingly even more protectable.

[mikkeneko]

to sum up:

As a fanfic writer you can not own the setting or characters you are writing about, but you CAN and DO own the actual words you wrote.

And another party copying those without permission or attribution is plagiarism. It may not be punishable, but it's still plagiarism.

[asingularcanadian]

do people who live in countries that don't have snow know about the snow silence? When you get a nice big dumping of fresh snow and you step outside into an infinitely harshly contrasted world and there's no sound because the snow absorbs it all? I believe it fits the traditional use of terrific both wonderful and incredible but also causing a great terror.

[weltenwellen]

Leila Chatti, "Postcard from Gone"