Writing Blog

rpf zone

[notanotherwritingblog]

my ao3 is road__work__ahead!

i have mostly been writing for indycar recently but i’ve got some wips for other fandoms too

i tag using driver initials and numbers, for example kyle kirkwood is kk27

fics are tagged as [fic title].fic ex. we might just get away with it.fic

[notanotherwritingblog]

does riley know how happy this makes me?

[byjove]

took him fishing and all we caught was feelings 😔

[into-wonderland-caroline]

[indycar-offseason-exchange]

Welcome to the 2025-26 Indycar Offseason Exchange!

Silly season is well and truly upon us, and by the time our beloved series returns in March, the grid's gonna look a lot different. So how better to keep the anxiety about who's going where at bay and build anticipation than with the return of the Indycar Offseason Exchange?

The Indycar Offseason Exchange, coming back after a two-year hiatus, is an RPF fanfiction exchange focusing on the NTT IndyCar Series, open to all writers and aiming to fill the gap between this past season and next with any number of wonderful fics.

How it works:

During the signup process, you will supply a list of things (ships, drivers, tropes, types of content, ratings, etc) that you are willing to write and a list that you would like to receive. Based on those answers, you will then be assigned a recipient. You will then have three months to write a fic for your recipient. The fics will be revealed in February.

The link to the collection for this year’s exchange can be found here. It will open for posting when assignments are sent out.

Timeline:

Signups open: October 13, 2025

Signups close: October 26, 2025

Assignments out: November 2, 2025

First check-in: November 30, 2025

Second check-in/drop out deadline: December 28, 2026

Fics due: February 1, 2026

Fics revealed: February 4, 2026

Authors revealed: February 7, 2026

FAQ

What are the requirements for fics?

Fics must be finished, centered around people in IndyCar (past or present), and able to stand on their own. There is a minimum word count of 1000 words.

Do I have to use all of my recipient’s suggestions?

No. As long as the fic fulfills some of their suggestions, it counts. For example, if they suggest multiple ships, you are free to choose which you will use—whether that be one, some, or all of them. If they suggest tropes and/or settings, you can choose any combination, or none. Try to write something you think your recipient would enjoy receiving, but don’t feel pressured to include any particular thing; the suggestions are, after all, only suggestions.

The do-not-write list, however, does need to be fully followed.

Does the fic need to be in an IndyCar setting?

Nope! Alternate Universes and other settings are permitted. As long as the central characters in the fic are people in IndyCar, you can put them in any setting or scenario you want (provided that setting/scenario isn’t on your recipient’s do-not-want list).

Is nsfw/explicit content permitted?

As long as your recipient’s indicated that they’re open to receiving explicit content, you can include all the nsfw/explicit content that your heart desires.

How will matching be done?

As of now, the plan is to match writers and recipients by hand based on the signup form. If significant interest is expressed in the exchange before signups open, to the extent that amount of signups would prove difficult to match by hand, we will switch to using AO3's in-house exchange signups and matching.

What if I need to drop out?

Life happens, we get it. It’s fine if you need to drop out for any reason; we simply ask that you let us know as soon as possible so that we can arrange a pinch-hitter to cover your recipient. There is no penalty for dropping out; however, there is a drop-out deadline of Sunday, December 28, 2025. We want to leave our pinch-hitters enough time to write a complete fic, and if a writer dropped out the day before fics were due, the pinch-hitter filling in for them would be placed under an immense amount of pressure—a situation we would like to avoid. If something comes up after the dropout deadline, the mods will work with you on an individual basis to find a solution.

What are pinch-hitters and how will they be determined?

A pinch-hitter is someone who volunteers to fill in for a writer who has dropped out of the exchange. One of the intended goals for this exchange is that everyone who completes a fic will also receive a fic. In order to meet that goal while also keeping the option for people to drop out if necessary, the position of pinch-hitter becomes essential.

When you sign up for the exchange, you will be asked if you’d be willing to potentially pinch-hit. If you say yes, you will be put on a list of potential pinch-hitters. If someone drops out, people on the pinch-hit list will be asked if they are still open to pinch-hitting, and then one will be matched with the person whose gifter dropped out. Fics for pinch-hitter assignments are subject to the same rules as the standard assignments.

Am I allowed to write multiple fics for my recipient?

Sure, go nuts! As long as you complete at least one fic and pay attention to your recipient’s suggestions and do-not-writes, you can do pretty much whatever you want.

Anything else?

If you'd like to check out the fics from the 2025 Indycar In-season Exchange, they can be found here.

Happy writing! With the IndyCar Offseason Exchange to tide us over, the 2026 season will be here before we know it!

[ispyspookymansion]

its important to write fanfiction no one cares about 👍

[emmerrr]

[cometiny]

I know everyone has said this already but it really do be like that.

[batfig-deactivated20250903]

there is something erotic about irritating a man. i’m really enjoying pissing you off. do you want fuck me yet

[transmasc-tabris]

Whatever I'm curious.

How many works are there online for the rarest pair you've written fic or drawn art of?

1-10 works

11-50 works

51-100 works

101-250 works

251-500 works

501-1000 works

1001+ works

Voting ended onAug 17, 2025

If this gets any notes, don't make it a competition of who's into the most niche stuff, but definitely do tell me about your particular rare pair in the tags?

[love-from-anie]

[deadn0w]

your son is a pleasure to have on his knees for me

[curiositysavesthecat]

People who post fanfics or fan art, is your most popular work your personal favorite work?

Yes

No

I don't have a favorite. But I have positive feelings about my works

I don't have a favorite. I have no strong opinions about my works

I don't have a favorite. I have negative feelings about my works

Poll does not apply to me

Voting ended onJul 29, 2025

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[notanotherwritingblog]

posted something!

so that humanity might share in the act of creation, 1.8k

[notanotherwritingblog]

i have a fic that i was literally thinking of posting today that will unforch have to be delayed for when ao3 is back up and another (non indy) wip that i am more than 3/4 of the way through writing but is definitely the most ambitious thing i've written as of yet. it's 60k so far so who knows when that will be finished (i'm aiming for before the end of the summer. maybe. hopefully)

[notanotherwritingblog]

I just read your Kyle/colton/riley fic and it was so so amazing, I’ve been so excited for it and my expectations were fully exceeded, I adore your writing so much, I’ve been anticipating this fic ever since you mentioned it and clearly justifiably so, it was absolutely wonderful! Always so happy to see when you’ve posted something new, something about your writing is so incredible, and I think you manage separate scenes really well, like time skips sort of, everything just feels like it blends really perfectly if that makes sense, and it makes your writing all the more enjoyable to read

i'm sorry i took so long to reply my family is moving and i visited my sister for a week and she has the worst wifi so a lot has been happening with me, but thank you so so much this is so kind!!!! i do sometimes get nervous when i post excerpts that i'm getting people's hopes up, so it's very nice to hear that you weren't disappointed lol.

when i started reading fanfic i was obsessed with fics that were, like, just made up of little vignettes so i stole it when i started writing oops. glad to know you like it!!

[notanotherwritingblog]

X, Marsad Aurangzeb, X, Dunya Mikhail, X, Anne Carson, X

[notanotherwritingblog]

wrote something!

make a lot of love on a monday, 941 words