An open letter from mallpretzles
Anyone with a fiber of common sense knows that fanfic should never under any circumstances be shared with celebs. It’s for fans only. I write and make edits and I’d be mortified if any of the actors saw my work. Okay, now that that’s been addressed let’s move forward.
If we really want to harp on respecting the privacy of others we should talk about how this all started.
Someone took a screenshot of an innocent joke from a private and hidden Facebook group and shared it publicly on other social media platforms. People who did not have all the information and instead went by word of mouth and an out of context screenshot blew this entirely out of proportion.
This is a group that cannot be found through a search and cannot be joined unless you get an invitation. It is strictly moderated daily to ensure things don’t go off the rails. I am friends with many of the people in this group on other social media platforms and I have never, ever seen anyone make so much as a hint of a joke about this in public. Because we take it seriously.
It was a joke. It never happened and it was never going to happen. This joke was never going to see the light of day outside of this private group until someone took it and made it public.
I, and real members of this group, have nothing but respect for fanfic and other fanworks. If it were not for the support of this group I never would have started writing and I know that goes for many other writers as well.
While no one should ever provide fanfic/works to celebs you need to acknowledge that you are wittingly taking a risk when you put your work out there. Celebs, believe it or not, already know about fanfic and it couldn’t be easier to find if they wanted to. Placing blame for this potentially happening solely on fans is unfair when you too play a role.
If you are so concerned about celebs finding it maybe you should reevaluate whether you should be putting it out there in the first place.
This was an opportunity for everyone to have an open and productive discussion about the expectations and responsibilities surrounding fanfic so it can continue to be enjoyed by all.
Instead, there have been reprimands and talking “at” fans. Multiple asks by anons are being submitted to intentionally keep the tension going. It’s passive aggressive and not conducive to moving forward.
There are also people who are new to fanfic and aren’t aware of how things work. Although it should be common sense AO3 doesn’t hand out a code of ethics or etiquette and some people need to be educated.
Misunderstandings are very different from someone breaking that etiquette who knows better.
I have made so many friends in this fandom and I truly value every single one of you. Whether we talk regularly or just now and then I feel grateful that we’ve made a connection. SC is rooted in love, acceptance, resiliency, and forgiveness and it’s supposed to be a place where everyone fits in. These values should extend to its fandom, too.
We, as a fandom, are hurting right now. We need to heal and we can only do that if we come together. 🥨
