[buddie-romance]

thank you ao3 for being an archive and not an algorithm. thank you for letting me like things without consequences, thank you for being free with no ads, thank you for having lawyers to defend our freedom of speech. thank you tag wranglers. thank you to all authors and thank you ao3

[sycamorality]

hi guys! discord is doing a survey on how people would like ai to be integrated into discord. take it and say fuck no to every question. when you get to "in general, how do you feel about discord inegrating ai features?", respond that you would actively get everyone you know off of discord and wouldn't pay for nitro or other shop items if they added ai features.

[modmad]

watch out for the trap! there's ONE QUESTION where the last option *isn't* the max 'no AI' option, read each part carefully to be sure

[m34gs]

Writing Pattern Tag (Long Edition)

Tagged by my dear @voxofthevoid-furious; see his post here! As always, I enjoy seeing your answers to these tag games, Vox! and, oh my god, is this ever going to be long.

Rule: List the first lines of your last 20 or so stories. See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!

Been having a little trouble sleeping lately, so let's do this instead lol. I'll link my fics in case anyone's interested, and I'm skipping my drabble collection because I felt like it.

Openers:

1.) It hurt. (Witch Hunt; Link Click)

2.) The first time he met the angel was simultaneously the worst and best day of his life. (The Blood of an Angel; Link Click)

3.) When Grim and Yuu arrived home from their trip to Sam’s for groceries, they were both surprised and unsurprised to see two figures inhabiting the Ramshackle Dorm’s common space. (Grim vs The Spicy Chip; Twisted Wonderland)

4.) Floyd hadn’t meant to get a detention. (Get Your Freak On; Twisted Wonderland)

5.) The sky was a bright blue. (Summer Loving Happened so Fast; Link Click)

6.) Warm chatter bubbled around her. (Lean on Me, and I'll Lean on You; Link Click)

7.) Bright sunlight shone down. (Everybody Needs Somebody; Link Click)

8.) “I know it was you.” The voice wavered with barely contained rage. (Tip of the Tongue, the Teeth, and the Lips; Link Click)

9.) Next time, he was making Cheng Xiaoshi do the ice cream run, Lu Guang decided. (Promises Unbroken; Link Click)

10.) “I’m bored.” Cheng Xiaoshi flopped against the arm of the couch, legs sprawled out as far as they could—which wasn’t very far, given Lu Guang was sitting next to him. (Author of My Own Demise; Link Click)

11.) It wasn’t hard to admit Cheng Xiaoshi was pretty, especially when he tried on the costume. (You Still Have All of My Heart; Link Click)

12.) The air was cool, but not frigid. (A Lust for Flesh; Link Click, this is a cannibalism one)

13.) Bored. That was the only word to describe how his older brother looked as he stared at Rin in the little staff room at the back of the coffee shop. (Welcome to The Hell House; Blue Exorcist)

14.) He caught the orange ball. (I Will Wait for You; Link Click)

15.) Qiao Ling stretched her arms over her head. (Birds of a Feather; Link Click)

16.) The bookstore was tidy and brightly lit, but with lights that allowed for a cozy ambience rather than harsh fluorescent bulbs. (Anything for the Discount; Twisted Wonderland)

17.) “Trying on new clothes? They look really good. Did you buy them for a special occasion?” Cheng Xiaoshi asked. (This Thing Called 'Love'; I Just Can't Handle It; Link Click)

18.)   “I made this for you!” (Older Sister; Link Click)

19.) The café was a rather busy place. (The Best Little Family; Link Click)

20.) There are some things in the world that simply cannot be explained. (Inconvenience Store; Blue Exorcist)

Patterns:

Well this is the part I struggle with, especially when it comes to my own writing, but I'll try my best...

I don't seem to start many stories with dialogue; only 4 of the 20 started with dialogue. (8, 10, 17, 18)

If I had a nickel for every time I described the way the sky looked in the opening lines above, I'd have two nickels; which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice...

I count about 7 out of 20 openers that described some part of the setting/scenery. (5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 16, 19)

In 13 out of 20 openers, I do not mention the name of the person whose perspective I am writing from. I don't know if that says something about my writing style or not, but it definitely seems to be a part of my style, since that's over half the fics in this post.

I apparently like the word "bright".

Tagging: @kimium, @sarcasticsciencefictionwriter; @thekitten-hoarder, @yourlunarspice, @sailormew4, @theshenanijiang, @cannimumsable, @queenarahbo, and anyone else who wants to join in. No pressure to participate if you don't want to; have fun💜

If you notice any patterns I didn't pick up on (I'm sure people will) or see anything you want to talk to me about; please feel free to @ me in replies or send me asks. I don't mind at all.

[queenarahbo]

Writing Pattern Tag (Long Edition)

Tagged by @m34gs

Rule: List the first lines of your last 20 or so stories. See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!

I suppose I will just start at the top of my page and work down. Like M34gs, I will post the links.

Openers:

Steven had never believed much in luck. To him, luck was a silly idea, a subjective concept that was unable to be precisely measured. (The Journey Starts Together)

Liko quietly slipped out of her bedroom, taking care to tiptoe past her peacefully sleeping Pokémon. (Stargazing)

“It’s too cold!” Phoebe exclaimed, her voice tinged with a dramatic flair as she wrapped her arms around herself. (Holiday Spirit)

“Sidney, please!” Phoebe begged, her voice filled with excitement. (Gingerbread House)

“Thank you again for bringing me with you. I never realized how breathtakingly beautiful Mount Coronet was,” Diantha said, her voice filled with awe as she settled onto the wooden bench that overlooked the lower mountain range, the frosty air tinged with the scent of pine and earth, yet fresh with snow. (Confession Under The Northern Lights)

Steven leaned in closer to Sidney, their faces nearly touching, the tension palpable in the air between them. (Place Your Bets)

Lucian’s tongue clicked in dissatisfaction as he studied the small LED numbers glowing faintly on the display. (Winter Flu)

“Hold on a second! Are you actually saying that you’ve never had roasted marshmallows? Like ever?” Roy exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment as he gazed at the bewildered teenager slumped against the pillows on the bed. (Marshmallows)

A week had passed since the fateful battle against the legendary Pokémon, a conflict that forever altered the fate of their region. (Time Keeps On Slipping)

Pacing over the marble floor, Wallace chewed at his fingernail, a habit until now he thought he had broken. (Against The Clock)

Amethio pushed his hand harder into his stomach in a desperate attempt to relieve some of the pain. (Memories)

“Be still,” Jaskier hissed, “I have to clean this. (Survive The Night)

Wallace reveled in the tranquil embrace of the tropical sun, its gentle warmth caressing his skin as he basked in its radiance. (Heat Stroke)

Amethio awoke to the oppressive fatigue that weighed heavily on his body and mind. (Everyone Starts Somewhere)

Starter Pokémon—a crucial element for some trainers, a mere stepping stone for others. (Evolution Adventures)

Lance sighed as he rested his head against the white wall in the hospital waiting room. (Alone In Thought)

Cynthia prided herself on her composed nature. (Is Anyone Going To Say It?)

"Mono, Dean, really?" Sam struggled to breathe through the laughter "You have mono?" (Mono)

Another sneeze echoed into the night as you stood in front of the door that separated you and the icy chill of winter from the warmth of a burning fire. (Wives Tales)

Amethio let out an exasperated sigh as he gazed down at the unconscious girl lying on the ground. (Unfortunate Rescues (Sometimes Work Out)

Patterns and takeaways:

I actually learned a little bit about my writing that I didn't notice. I've learned things I like and a few that I don't.

All but two are in the same fandom (12,18). I think that gives me a pretty good idea of where my comfort zone is.

I have a pretty strong tendency to start with who the main focus of the story is on and what they are doing in the opening moments.

Only six started with dialogue (3,4,5,8,12,18)

Maybe it's weird that 12 and 18 both start with dialogue AND are outside my usual fandom? Not sure.

Going into this, I thought there would be a clear favorite, but I was wrong.

My works tend to be prompt-based, and the titles reflect that.

6 Does NOT convey what is happening in the first paragraph. It's extremely misleading in the most comedic way possible.

I feel like my opening lines are almost robotic, as if I'm focusing too hard on the words themselves and losing some of the emotion.

Whump/sickfics seem to be what I write the most. That makes sense given the amount of whump and sicfic-based events I participate in.

I lean heavily into one shots with only four being multichapter (1,3,10,15)

Favorite opening line: 8

@sinnohelitefourlore @thestorieswesay Anyone else who wants to join in. No pressure to participate if you don't want to; have fun!

I don't actually have ten people, which...is a tad embarrassing haha...

[ficwip]

It's back, the little event where we challenge you to use the pet name "sweetheart" in fic and art!

💖 February 13-15 💖 all fandoms & original fiction too! 💖 all ships welcome, as well as gen 💖 no minimums, maximums, or content restrictions 💖 optional bonus prompts 💖 and no sign-ups needed

complete event info & FAQs

[ficwip]

I don't know about you, but I can't believe it's time to post this list again. Like in the past, questions focus on what you created and how you felt this year.

Two ways to play: Reblog and have your followers send you numbers, or answer the whole list!

Including WIPs, how many fics have you worked on since January 1st? Original fiction counts too!

How many did you post for other people to read?

What's something NEW that you tried in a fic?

What piece of media inspired you the most?

How many fandoms did you write for?

What ship(s) captured your heart?

What character(s) captured your heart?

Did you write for any new fandoms or ships?

What fic meant the most to you to write?

What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

What fic was the most satisfying to finish?

What fic was the most challenging to work on?

What's the most interesting topic you researched for a fic?

What were your shortest and longest fics?

What was on your writing playlist?

Where did you write? Was there a favorite spot?

What’s your favorite title of the year?

Share your favorite opening line

Share your favorite ending line

Share your favorite piece of dialogue

Share the funniest line(s) you wrote this year

Did you get frustrated with a fic at some point? What happened and how did you get past it?

If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year?

Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing something?

Did you create fanworks other than fic? Show one off!

How many fannish events did you take part in? Things like bangs, exchanges, ship weeks, zines, prompt memes, etc. They all count!

Think back on everything you've worked on since January and give yourself a compliment. A real one! Be nice to yourself.

If this were an awards show, who would you thank?

What’s left on your to-do list for 2025?

What would you like to write next year?

[queenarahbo]

Let's just tackle the list!

Four (two posted, one ongoing, one unpublished)

Two!

I'm tackling slow burn for the first time.

Honestly, I don't think I can think of just one piece of media that inspired me. There was so much.

Just one (Pokémon).

I pondered this for a while, but couldn't come up with an answer. I know I'm late to the MCU party, but maybe Banner and Stark? I think they are adorable together.

After playing Pokémon Legends Z-A, I'm obsessing over Corbeau.

No. I have a few ideas for an MCU fic, but nothing on paper yet.

The Journey Starts Together. This fic is very personal to me. While it is a work of fiction, there are a lot of things people with Fibromyalgia go through in the story.

The Journey Starts Together (if only because I finally started writing it)

I think the only one that I finished this year was Stargazing. So that?

Holiday Spirit and The Journey Starts Together both have their own sets of challenges. I feel these have been equally challenging to work on. Holiday Spirit is one I have been working on for just over a year now, and it has been hard to stay motivated with it. I love the story and want to finish it, but the last chapter left me feeling as if I could have done more. TJST, on the other hand, has brought about new challenges. I've never tackled a project this large before, and this is more personal than I think I've ever gone with a story. It scares me a bit, honestly, because of how much of myself there is.

Probably constellations. I didn't know a lot going into Stargazing, so that was fun. I did far more research in the end than was needed. It was fun!

Shortest was Stargazing. The longest is The Journey Starts Together.

Leggende Za by GamBeat and really whatever else that fits the vibe I need for the scene.

Most of my writing is exclusively done at home at the desk.

Stargazing

Steven had never believed much in luck.

A little stargazing couldn’t hurt.

“It’s okay to be afraid. Fear is what keeps us alive.”

A sudden poke to his cheek disrupted his trance. “Hey, are you even listening to me?” Wallace pouted, a hint of impatience coloring his words. “I was asking if—” he paused, his eyes widening, “Whoa, you’re hot!”

Looking at you, Holiday Spirit. I genuinely don't like the last posted chapter. The idea was there, but the execution wasn't on point. Maybe if I stare at it long enough, I will find the motivation to keep going.

I really wish I had something meaningful to go here, but given my lack of writing this year, I'm not entirely sure. To me, the most meaningful moment was the first comment on The Journey Starts Together. It's a story that, despite being four chapters in, I'm still uncertain about as far as the quality goes. So that means so much knowing that even one person liked enough to comment.

Not really. As soon as I finished one project, I jumped into another one

I have no such talents.

Unfortunately, none this year. Planning on doing more again next year.

Oh man, I'm bad at this stuff. Um...I started writing outside of my comfort zone? Which I think is something I can be proud of. I think?

@m34gs gave me the encouragement I needed to try new ideas in my writing and get out of my comfort zone! SO THANK YOU!

- *checks list* Everything? I didn't write as much as I wished I had time to this year. That said, there is always next year!

My goal is to finish the two long fics that I have posted.

[queenarahbo]

I know next to nothing about Pokémon’s; so I afraid I can’t be very original. However I would to propose to you a ship of you in an OT3 with Jesse and James from Team Rocket. Meowth is your new son.

Sold! I think that would be amusing honestly.

[null-the-void-monarch-offical]

I have, like, 10 followers so i don’t expect this to do anything but i *am* bored so…

[roben-like-me]

What the fuck is a kudos ratio??? Kudos are for the authors to know you enjoyed their work not for people to automatically discredit a fic because the “hits to kudos” ratio is “off”?????

The commercialisation of fics is truly destroying fandom culture

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

PSA: new type of bots plaguing AO3’s comments section.

as obvious as it is that these are all bots/scam, I believe there are still people who believe they are legit and fall victims to these trolls. so if you get a comment like these, don’t panic, don’t delete your works. they are all bots. you’re fine.

MORE ABOUT SCAMS ON AO3

[sinnohelitefourlore]

Prologue:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary: For a long time, I assumed life would be cruel to me: because of my autism, the stigma that came with it, my ability to speak with the dead, and parents who couldn't care for me, leaving me in my grandmother's hands. I knew I inherited my ghost whisperer gift from my mother and grandmother. But the writing? The Pokémon battling? Even I don't know where that came from. I believe I was born of ink and ash, caught between the two worlds of words I had written and battles I had partaken in.

Your story is yours alone. This one's mine. A best-selling author. And a member of Unova's Elite Four.

- Shauntal autobiography story

[fluffuary]

Fluffuary 2026

Hello and welcome to the first year of Fluffuary! This is a prompt based event open to all fandoms! Created by two authors who couldn't find a fluff event for January so decided to make their own.

To reiterate, this is our first year running this event and first time either of us has ever run an event like this so please bear with us as we work out the kinks! Below the cut you'll find our rules, posting information, written prompts, and 10 alternative prompts! Thank you so much for checking us out and we hope to have a great fluffuary with you!

How This Works (Rules/Posting Info):

This is a multifandom event for January because we couldn’t find any others for this month! You’re free to post for any fandom, ship, platonic pairing, or whatever else! No minimum or maximum word counts. The only restriction is the fic must be fluffy, and absolutely no generative A.I. usage.

Hurt/comfort is allowed, but with a focus on the comfort please. N/SFW both allowed, but be sure to tag properly. Minors please do not submit or interact with NSFW submissions.

Though this was made with the intention of being a writing challenge, all art forms are welcome! Writing, art, edits, whatever else!

We follow the classic fandom rule: Don’t Like, Don’t Read/Interact. We will not police what you choose to write about, as long as it’s fluffy and properly tagged Harassment of any kind is not allowed, and if you are found harassing others you will be blocked and works removed from the Ao3 collection.

The Ao3 collection will be posted soon! We are just currently waiting on an email to make a new account just for this event!

Our tag is #fluffuary2026 Please make sure you do NOT put a space between fluffuary and 2026 or we may not see your post. Use our hashtag and tag us for the best chance of us seeing your works and reblogging them.

Yes, we will be reblogging posts we see but please keep in mind we are only two people and may miss some. If a day or two has gone by without us reblogging your post, send an ask to our inbox with a link to the post please!

Last submissions are welcome but unfortunately, for the sake of organization, we will not be reblogging those works! Early submissions are welcome too!

You do not have to write for every single day! Write for one day, write for five days, or write for them all if you wish. Furthermore, you can bend and twist the prompts however you need — don’t worry about if you’re getting too far off base. This event is for fun at the end of the day, participate however you want to.

Fluffuary 2026 Prompts:

Day One: Gift Giving 

Day Two: Huddle For Warmth

Day Three: Love At First Sight

Day Four: First Date

Day Five: Reunion

Day Six: Fake Dating

Day Seven: Anniversary 

Day Eight: Platonic Love

Day Nine: Cuddles

Day Ten: Picnic

Day Eleven: True Love

Day Twelve: Stealing Each Other’s Clothes

Day Thirteen: Confession

Day Fourteen: Not Actually Unrequited Love

Day Fifteen: Caught In The Rain

Day Sixteen: Feelings Realization

Day Seventeen: High School/College AU

Day Eighteen: Cooking Together

Day Nineteen: First Snow

Day Twenty: Sharing A Bed

Day Twenty-One: Firsts and Lasts

Day Twenty-Two: Promises

Day Twenty-Three: Soulmates

Day Twenty-Four: Holding Hands

Day Twenty-Five: Sickfic

Day Twenty-Six: Mutual Pining

Day Twenty-Seven: Tattoo Parlor/Flower Shop

Day Twenty-Eight: Adopting a Pet

Day Twenty-Nine: 5 + 1 Things

Day Thirty: DomesticDay Thirty-One: Free Day

Alternative Prompts:

Writing Letters

Pet Names

Birthday

Time Loop

5 +1 Things

Holiday 

Starry Night

Crush

Flower Crown

Pillow Fight

Royalty

[queenarahbo]

Maybe I will actually get time to write

[monthly-writing-challenges]

October Challenges Alert

If you didn't get the chance to do one of the many September challenges out there, don't worry, there are plenty more to come in October! Looking for whump? Try @whumptober or @ailesswhumptober. Want something a little spookier, aimed at horror or monsters? Try @31-daysofhorror or @monsttober. There's also angst in @angstober. But if you're looking for fluff, there's that too in @flufftober.

Meanwhile there's also challenges in @fictober-event, @monthoffevers, @monthlywritingchallenges, and @thepromptfoundry. Plus, if you're not at work, check out the challenges with NSFW prompts: Kinks-Your-Tober challenge by @duckprintspress and @kinktober-2025! (As always, check out the actual blog if you want to know the full list of prompts!)

Happy writing, and if you've got any other writing goals, good luck!

[monthoffevers]

It's time!

[monthoffevers]

Only three days left until the prompts are here!

[queenarahbo]

It’s the final countdown!

[prophetic-writer]

It's also normal to have weeks where you don't write for no real reason in particular. You don't have to justify unproductivity

[queenarahbo]

I haven’t written anything in two months. Sometimes we just need to take time for ourselves and enjoy other things. For me lately it’s been replaying Skyrim.

[azrielsshadows42]

There are two types of writers:

1. 'It's fiction, it doesn't need to make sense!'

2. 'I didn't account for the rotation of the planet and how that affects the constalations while my characters stargazed at different times of year, I have failed as a writer, and this entire thing is trash'

[queenarahbo]

I’m definitely the second

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

Fanfic is a free hobby.

It's one of the last few things we can have as a society that's free. You can engage, for free. People give you things (art, stories, etc), for free.

Don't buy into the consummerism just because it's everywhere else.

You don't have to consume everything you interact with. You don't have to use things, just because they exist.

You're allowed (still, for now), to have things that are enjoyable for free.

Do you realise how insane the world is? We don't have many places where we can just be, for free anymore, but ao3 is. Did you notice we don't have ads in ao3? We don't have pop ups? Where ELSE do we not have that?

Where else can you just go and not have to wait for a commercial to be over or for ads to be on the sidelines?

I don't think the younger people understand, but the whole of internet used to be like this. YouTubers would do Youtube for free, just because. You couldn't monetise your internet presence before.

Ao3 is like a little preserved corner of the internet where the old internet used to be, and it's being attacked by people who do not understand that free things are allowed to exist without judgment.

Please don't ruin this for us.

Some of us need it.