Once Upon A Writer

KATHERINE | 30’s | Bisexual | Latina | 18+ ONLY DNI MINORS WILL BE BLOCKED AND AGE MUST BE IN BIO | MAIN: @waywardlatina | Masterlist | Fic Recs | AO3 | Instagram |

[thekatherinewinchester]

Katherine’s Main Masterlist

SUPERNATURAL

CRIMINAL MINDS

WIPS

FIC RECS

[smashingorpassing]

Homelander (The Boys)

Smash

Pass

Voting ended onFeb 8, 2024

[chilewithcarnage]

this is a white human man

[exuberantocean]

When reading fanfic keep in mind that for professional literature: 

Short story: under 7,500

Novelette: between 7,500 and 17,500

Novella: between 17,500 and 40,000

Novel: over 40,000

Fics over 40k are literally a novel written and shared for free.  If you have written a 40k+ fic, you have literally written a novel.

[fake-starwars-fan]

Yep. In addition, chapters in published novels are generally around 3,000 words in length.

Fanfic writers go hard.

[metfell]

btw its always morally correct to reblog your own art or writing onto the dash. you are always right to do this. and if people get annoyed then too bad. this is not a satire post or sarcastic this is genuine. reblog your works. and every time someone complains that you reblog your own stuff too much do it again. be proud of what you create.

[themandylion]

If you ever feel like you don't contribute to fandom because you "only" comment—

A regular serial commenter just joined a fandom Discord server I'm on and people are coming out of the woodwork to thank her for her service to the fandom, expressing how much joy her comments on their works bring them.

Remember—they're never only comments.

[themandylion]

If you're a reader who gets nervous about leaving comments, please take a moment to read the notes on this post. The tags alone have been giving me life for the past week, and it's honestly lovely.

[themandylion]

#fandom isn't about producing fan content anyway#it's about community and engagement#comments on fanworks and interactions with fellow fans IS contributing to fandom#never forget that

Shout-out to @raiphend for the addition of these very correct tags.

[brightlotusmoon]

A comment I got on a fic I wrote in 2016: "I wish this could have been canon, you give these characters such emotional depth." It was really flattering.

[dunkindrop]

In the soundcloud dubstep scene, there's this one guy who comments on nearly every song. It usually just something basic, but still nice to hear. Eventually, artists started talking about how they keep seeing this one guy encouraging them, and the scene collectively realized just how much he comments and supports tons of artists. Big artists started shouting him out on twitter and saying how much they appreciate him, he even got his own logo given to him for his soundcloud page.

This stuff does not go unnoticed.

[bookmania]

Seven years after, I see you again 😚

[scripturient-manipulator]

Guys this completely changed my writing, heed it. I often do an entire draft just looking at sentence variation and oftentimes the results are absolutely transformative in the difference.

[officialleehadan]

This is very very good advice, and absolutely worth following. Read this. Read it again. Follow it. Your writing will get much, much better.

[dropthedemiurge]

I agree, this is certainly one of the writing advices that opened my eyes and changed the way I was writing. It made it so much better, and I still remember that this post stuck in my mind. It did it.

[writingquestionsanswered]

hii ! even though i write fanfics and don't plan to stop, i would like to write a book one day. now i know the writing style differs from professional published books, but i don't really read much or know how to tell what makes a book good, so i was wondering if you could recommend books to read with prose, pacing, etc that as a writer you find would help "defanficise" me? maybe any book would work and this is a stupid question but i thought i'd ask😅

Fan-Fiction Writer Transitioning to Original Fiction

So, some quick things to start off...

Merriam-Webster defines novels--what you're referring to as "professional published books"--as "invented prose narrative that is usually long and complex and deals especially with human experience through a usually connected sequence of events."

The only real difference between fan-fiction and novels is that the subject matter is borrowed partly or fully from existing narrative material (aka "canon"), but when you write fan-fiction, you're still using prose narrative that (typically) deals with human experience through a connected sequence of events.

My point is, if you write fan-fiction, you already have most of the skills you'll need to write original fiction, including novels. It just takes some time and practice to learn how to invent your own characters, worlds, and plots.

As far as what books to read, every reader has their own preferences for the kinds of stories that interest them. It's very difficult to recommend books to a total stranger because just because I like a book doesn't mean you will. But what I can tell you is all novels contain "prose, pacing, etc." so you can go to the library and choose literally any novel that sounds appealing to you, and you're off to a good start.

In other words, read the books that sound interesting to you. Try books in a variety of genres by a variety of authors. See what genres you're drawn to the most... that may be a genre you'll end up writing in. If you have a genre interest now because of the fan-fiction you enjoy writing, try Googling "best [genre] books" only where it says "genre" put in the genre in question. Like "best sci-fi novels" or "best fantasy novels." That will help you find lists of book titles and summaries to read through so you can start to put together a "to be read" list.

Have fun with your reading and writing adventure!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[deniselavestal-deactivated20231]

small reminders you writers might need

Your story does not have to be perfect from the start

A shitty draft is still a valuable draft

A failed story does not equal a failed writer

Your creativity, thoughts and ideas are irreplaceable, and you are more than capable of creating something extraordinary

Rome wasn’t built in a day, give yourself time to grow

You will figure everything out, take a break if you need one

[drawlfoy]

PORN BOTS GO AWAYYYYY i run a fic account i clearly have enough demons to fight

[drawlfoy]

after i posted this one of them unfollowed me 😭 god bless

[misscellophane-ao3]

[loneprairies-archive-deactivate]

What to do if You Don’t Like an Author’s Fanfic or Take on a Trope:

Stop reading.

Find another fanfic that is more suitable to your tastes.

Read that one instead.

Bonus tip If you’re considering sending the author unsolicited messages about how much you disliked their fic, consider one of the following options instead:

Don’t.

Get a life.

[stunudo]

You know what is the worst? Being a reader trying to catch up on fics WHILE bring a writer who is behind on writing their own fics.

[cryoverkiltmilk]

Being a writer and wanting to read more of your own fic that you haven’t written yet

[ashleyfanfic]

The second one is the worst.

[curiousgemstone-deactivated2016]

[ukulelewrap]

THIS ALSO GOES FOR WRITING

[thekatherinewinchester]

So I'm revising and adding to Chapter 2 of Christmas Wishes. I notice that the word clit has dotted lines underneath all of them. I click on the word and this pops up. It says the same thing for the word fuck. First of all, if the word clit offends you, you don't need to be reading my content. Second, I'm pretty sure most of my readers wouldn't be offended, I mean sure there are other names for it but we can also call it what it is: clitoris.

[knxv1lie-deactivated20230611]

Can I request something for the boys? Something triggers Soldier Boy and he starts having a panic attack, reader has to calm him down.

No pressure though! :)

I’M HERE

pairings - soldier boy x fem reader

warnings - mentions of panic attacks, torture, good old fashion soldier boy

Soldier Boy was never one to share his feelings, hell, he wasn’t really in touch with them. Throughout your entire relationship, he mostly kept to himself about the things that happened in the past. He knew you weren’t oblivous though, with you being an ex worker at Vought, you had to know everything that had happened to him. Or most of it anyways. 

Currently the two of you were at your apartment, watching an old movie. Something you know he’d like. You both sat on your couch, Soldier Boy’s arm wrapped around your shoulder as his eyes stayed glued to the television screen. 

It was an old war movie, one in black and white. To be honest it didn’t quite catch your attention but you knew he enjoyed it, and with everything that happened you just wanted him to relax. 

A woman appeared on the tv screen, with curly hair and a tight dress on. 

“I met her once.” Solider boy told you, still keeping his attention to the tv screen. You smiled, “Really?” 

“Yeah, I fucked her a couple of times too.” He smirked. 

You pulled away from him “Really Ben? You just had to tell me that?” 

Soldier boy smiled, putting his hand on your knee, “Baby, I’ve never cared for any of them the way I care for you.” 

You could feel your heartbeat pick up and your cheeks get hot. 

“Not even Crimson Countess?”

He sighed, “I did love her. But not like how I love you.” 

You felt the corner of your lips go up as Soldier Boy brought you closer, putting his lips on yours. It was addicting, being with him, kissing him, hell even just talking to him. 

You pulled away, “Not so fast.” you whispered as he smiled. You got up to get more snacks from the kitchen, anything to try and hide the butterflies that were growing in your stomach.

A faint song could be heard coming from the television, something in Russian. You couldn’t understand what it was saying, but you didn’t think much of it. You opened the cabinet to pull out candy bars, but dropped them quickly as you noticed the growing light coming from your living room. 

You rushed over, the song still playing in the background. You saw Soldier Boy, breathing heavily and muttering words to himself as his chest grew brighter and brighter. 

“Ben!” You called out to him, but he didnt respond. He just sat on the couch, his breathing getting heavier and heavier as sweat ran down his forehead. The glow coming from his chest getting brighter. 

You followed his eyesight to the tv. 

“Fuck, the song” You muttered to yourself as you quickly shut the tv off. 

You quickly turned back around to Soldier Boy. “Hey, baby, I’m here. I’m here.” you kept telling him, putting your hand on his cheek, ignoring the bright glow emitting from his chest. 

“Please stop.” He kept muttering, eyes still glued to the television. 

You crouched directly in front of him, hand still on his cheek. “Ben, it’s me. You’re not in Russia. You’re in New York, It’s me Y/N.” You kept reminding him, watching as his chest rose up and down rapidly. 

He glanced at you, “Y/N” he muttered, the glow from his chest fading out. His breathing still grew rapidly, sweat dripping from his forehead as he began to panic. “God what the fuck is wrong with me.” He gasped, trying to catch a breath that wasn’t there. 

You sat down next to him wrapping your arms around him, “C’mon Ben breath with me, slow in and out.” You told him, at first he didn’t want too. But then he started, grabbing onto your waist and following your breaths. 

You could feel him calm down, “You’re okay, you’re in New York, you’re here, safe with me.” You whispered to him, running your fingers through his hair. 

He laid his head down on your chest. He hated himself more then ever at this moment. He’s supposed to be strong, but he’s breaking down in the middle of a date with his girl. That’s not that the guys are supposed to do according to him. But he couldn’t help himself. 

He sighed, “That song... that stupid fucking song. They’d play it when they’d test me. Whenever they’d shoot me repeadtely, or pump shit into my blood and take my blood out. Inhale random fucking gasses, to see which I could handle or not.”

“I’m so sorry Ben.” You whispered to him, continuing to run your fingers through his hair. “You’re safe. You’re not there anymore, and as long as I’m alive no one, not even fucking Homelander is sending you back to being tested on.” 

Soldier Boy got up, grabbing your hand and placing a kiss onto your knuckles. “God, am I a pussy?” he asked you. 

You laughed, “No, you just have PTSD it’s normal for anyone that’s been in your situation.” 

“Strongest fucking soldier and I have shell shock what a fuckin joke.” He said, making the two of you laugh. 

He pulled you onto his lap, kissing you as if the two of you hadn’t seen each other in years. 

“I love you.”

a/n - hope you enjoyed! sorry if it was short.

[thekatherinewinchester]

It’s okay not to be okay, Ben. I’ll always be here for you 🖤

[hischiercore]

let’s talk, shall we?

it’s no secret that tumblr writers have been leaving or deactivating their blogs, especially in the last year or two. and i think the reason why is even less of a secret.

the fact that writers have to practically beg for feedback and interaction on a site where they post their works for FREE is ridiculous. the fact that most of the people who are reading and consuming these works don’t even spare 10 seconds to add a nice tag to their reblog (if they even bother to do that) is borderline enraging. this is tumblr, not instagram or twitter. likes on tumblr do nothing for the writer. i don’t care if you think that it helps them appear in the tags, or if you think that seeing yet another “___ liked your post” is encouraging to them, because it doesn’t and its not.

and speaking of likes, why is the ratio of likes to reblogs so fucking huge? and before you think i’m being dramatic, lets take a look at some of the notes from my own works.

at the time of me writing this, my one-shot, dream lover, has 821 notes. that’s pretty good right? but let’s see how many are empty likes and how many are reblogs.

769 likes.

52 reblogs.

out of those 52 reblogs, 35 of them are empty. no tag, no comment.

one of my reactions currently has 2,038 notes. you may be thinking that’s a lot, which it is and i’m incredibly thankful for how many notes i’ve gotten on it. but how many are likes and how many are reblogs?

1,924 likes.

113 reblogs.

out of those 113 reblogs, 81 of them are empty.

one of my headcanons currently has 1,110 notes.

1,069 likes.

41 reblogs.

28 of those 41 reblog are empty.

why is it so hard to reblog things and give feedback?

“oh but it won’t fit my blog theme!” if you’re so fucking concerned about what your precious tumblr blog looks like, then send an ask. they’re just as appreciated.

“i don’t know what to say tho!” we’re not asking you to be shakespeare. if you’re really that no thoughts head empty just put a keyboard smash, if nothing else.

“but i’m shy and embarrassed!” the anonymous option is there for a reason, and most writers have it turned on. being shy when you have the option of keeping your identity a secret is no excuse.

and yes, i’m aware that some writers don’t have the anon option on, which brings me to my final point.

stop. demanding.

if a writer has requests open, be a decent human being and use your manners. going into their inbox and saying “____’s reaction of this.” is no way to request something. saying please, thank you, or even “hey, could you do a reaction of _____?” is a thousand times better than just telling them what you want them to write.

writers spend hours of their time and energy to write things for you to read, and leaving an empty like is meaningless to them.

if your liked a writer’s works, reblog them and maybe add some nice fucking tags while you’re at or send an ask to them about it. because sooner or later, after so many likes and barely any interaction, more and more writers are going to leave.

stop making them desperate for any spare crumb of interaction and start leaving feedback if you love these writers so much.

[cocoamoonmalfoy]

Also if they have a Before You Follow READ IT before following, before sending an ask, before reading their work. If they have it, it’s there for a reason. I know I’m tired of ppl blatantly ignoring my blog rules and my boundaries

[fushic0re]

bottom line is treat people with respect and you’ll be met with favorable results. fic writers are an integral part of fandom. we’re LITERALLY one of the organs keeping fandoms alive.

remember entering a dead fandom, searching for fics, and finding barely any?

it’s bc the writers who initially wrote for that fandom realized that their works weren’t being met with anything and gave up.

don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

[b3autyfuldisast3r]

This ☝️

[mercurymaplekey-blog]

I can’t wait for the fic that I’m going to write after this fic I’m not writing because I still have to finish another fic (which I can’t seem to focus on).