WORST TROPES IN FANFIC

[@LavenderTowne]

vol 2 is out!!!! publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/book/unfamiliar-2/

[@Im_InsideYourHouse]

the fact that this came out a minute ago

[@Shuya.]

YAYAYAYAYAYYY

[@Moonleii]

Definitely going to go buy it!!

[@demetriajones3231]

VOLUME 2 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@JAS1983-t4e]

The last pet peeve especially

[@thatbabybird1120]

The blue orbs are a fanfic classic.

[@emperorofthebananaboat4434]

real

[@Naqua_official3948]

Yes

[@littleorangegoldfish-u3t]

yess

[@Potato.dog.]

yes

[@Thehjhhhhhggttyg]

200 like

[@throneisbed7833]

On the note of "Blue Orbs", one time I was chatting to a my older sister about a problem I was having in my writing in that I have a character who has soft pink eyes (I nowadays use candy-pink) but I was struggling to find the right synonym, and the closest shade the internet was giving me was salmon. My sister then uttered the phrase: *"Her salmon orbs."* I still have not recovered.

[@esmemurnane4341]

ah yes, "they stared deep into her salmon orbs, seemingly looking into her soul." i feel like i've heard that term though.

[@ursidae97]

The idea of her having eyes of a salmon is killing me to death

[@masterjunko]

"Soft pink eyes" already had a nice ring to it in my book, I always say less is more. "She looked at me with her soft, pink eyes, juxtaposed with her sweet, gentle smile." None of that orb carp! (sea what I did there?)

[@uranian-Umbra]

@@masterjunko I feel like “pink eyes” sounds like she has pinkeye

[@meriewanderer]

I usually use irises tbh or just straight up eyes

[@silverbullet7691]

The “nice until they’re scary” trope. Like it can be done well if the character is typically gentle and patience but can be physically threatening and has been shown to be capable of standing up for themselves, like a gentle giant that decides they’re going to stop being gentle. But most of the time it’s completely out of character and they pull some insane violence with no repercussions and are rewarded by others for it.

[@dumblehades]

A really good example of this trope being well done is Jet from Juno Steel. He’s a large, calm man who takes things a little too literally. You learn through his backstory how he used to be insane and crazy, and it only really happens when he relapses and goes back into drugs. It’s an alternate state because he’s taking things that alternate his state of mind. I love this podcast so much

[@labby4915]

Im just gonna throw PJO as a good version of this trope and run away now

[@KikuoLover-d7j]

Hi!! So, this is top true! (I am going to follow you now.)

[@bumbabees]

its particularly grating when this troupe is done very well in canon, and in fanfiction its...just edgy. sans from undertale is a great example. hes not necessarily a gentle giant, but he is a very goofy, laid-back person that has a lot of patience, and is shown to have the capability of absolutely obliterating you, if he feels like he has to. back in the early days of the fandom especially, people took that and RAN with it, and "edgy sans" got so oversaturated people started to hate him. its sad because no matter what, hes always been a wonderfully written character in canon. it just seems like no one knows how to appreciate him properly.

[@ayyymacaroni]

I tried doing that in my book. One of the characters is, like, 6'5, decently fit, powerfully magical but an all-around goofball. That is until someone gets between him and his family. Nobody's bought the book so I don't know if I did it well though

[@ovenwater4699]

I don't think I've had as big of a fight or flight reaction as when Haley started reading My Immortal and I literally got hit by a car this week.

[@dinoheartnerd2265]

Oh my goodness, I hope you are okay?

[@kaida_uwu]

TRANS LESBIAN SPOTTED!

[@_aceofspades]

You alright? I hope you’re ok! 😊

[@cutiepie120048]

Oh my gosh - wishing you a healthy recovery 🙏

[@Wluciian]

Without context on their pfp it sounds like u are implying trans lesbians get into car accidents weekly XD

[@swordswordsdev]

My biggest pet peeve in fanfic is when the author has clearly lost track of where the characters' placements are. "She stood with her back to his chest and placed a hand on his shoulder, her knees softly pushing into his elbows. They locked eyes." HOW am I meant to envision this.

[@masterjunko]

My mind just went ⬆↖↗↙↙⤵↘↔↩↪↗⤴, that you for hurting my brain but yeah I really have to agree I hate that a lot!! It was so confusing when I first started reading fanfics, but after a long while my brain just started imaging their positions shifting if the words made zero sense whatsoever to envision.

[@SelfDrivingBagel]

twister

[@ThatGothLorelei]

XD

[@Figgyfries88876]

I envisioned it and I don’t want to anymore

[@nvenvyvill3698]

That makes zero sense honestly....unless the girl's legs are inverted backwards to make such a pose.....

[@Broeckchen]

Your rant about the "they never talk about how red they get when they blush" sent me back in time and reminded me of one book I read where the girl actually did exactly that. She lamented how she doesn't even just redden, but instead gets uneven red splotches when she blushes, and that it happens so quickly. It really stuck with me back then because I could actually see myself in that. Her love interest was a cute mixed-race nerd who always described his own skin as gravy-colored, which he also didn't like. Of course, she couldn't see any flaw in that. There was a cute scene when she told him that she was jealous of how coolly he took compliments and flirts and he confessed to her that she made him blush all the time, it just didn't show up much on his face. So he could downplay it but secretly was just as jittery as she felt. It was a really cute book, I wish I remembered the title or author.

[@techSoldier141]

if u remmeber can u update da comment cuz i wanna read dis book pls

[@Broeckchen]

@@techSoldier141 Yes! I just tried finding it by entering some variations of this quote on google in hopes to find anything, but nothing even remotely connected showed up. I could swear that the word "heart" was in the title, but I don't even remember if the book was originally German or English, so it might have been "Herz" instead...

[@cascharles3838]

Was it a kid's book and was there a pug involved? I remember reading a book where the mc described herself in the same way, in the first scene, while she was in the bath

[@Broeckchen]

@@cascharles3838 I don't remember if there was a pug in there, but I do remember that it was aimed at a young audience. Felt like intended for tweens/young teens maybe? Bit of a Coming of Age/Oh Shit Puberty Is Hitting kinda story.

[@mochafrappe5213]

I know this definitely isn’t it, as I read this when I was like 12 and cannot remember a single plot point. But did the book happen to be fantasy? The words “German” and “heart” make me think of “Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke. I remember there was some sort of romance between finger-something, but I genuinely don’t remember. I remember Meg being a sort of awkward character. Commenting bc I can’t get this out of my head lol.

[@Happycakes2365]

the first one gives "her skin was like a cup of coffee, which was mostly milk because she was white" vibes...

[@mer_acle8101]

stop I'm wheezing

[@seraphywang4638]

Omg I swear I saw a short about that

[@Happycakes2365]

@@seraphywang4638 Maybe... 🤫

[@naolucillerandom5280]

Her nickname was abs, no one noticed her

[@Happycakes2365]

@@naolucillerandom5280 But I noticed her

[@abigailkondoudis5772]

I’ve only seen an author pull off the “oh, woe is me I’m so pale” thing in a believable way once before, is was because the main character was a platinum blonde, blue eyed, pale as snow girl, who was traveling through a dessert and was constantly super sunburnt. I wish more authors would acknowledge how sunburnt their characters are while they travel across barren dystopian wastelands without even a hint of sunscreen

[@k1tkat241]

THIS. That's amazing

[@Emma__O]

What book?

[@ananonymoushuman8258]

I think I know what book is being referenced, but I'm not entirely sure.

[@Superkid33]

Dude, that’s great XD

[@isleep5hrseveryday105]

W h a t b o o k i s t h i s

[@elenacottaramusino3411]

Im studying dante's inferno and he keeps on FAINTING, I can't with this man it feels too much like reading a fanfic😭 EDIT: guys I know that it is technically bible fanfic because it doesn't follow the canons of the text, but I meant it feels like present time fanfiction, like Ao3 fanfics

[@temtem8110]

Well, technically speaking you *are* reading a fanfic. Canon is the Bible, and the fandom is Christianity. My boy is one of the most influential fanfic writers in the world 😭 90% of classical art is just fanfics and fanarts and 9000 headcanons about Jesus

[@elenacottaramusino3411]

@@towerofgodfan4107 ooooh it would be sooo fucked up with only the gore in the XXXIII chant like cannibalism/gore/starvation and all that

[@melephant_]

Shit I just made a similar comment before I saw urs so if u see my comment I did not mean to copy u (I just recently read the inferno section of The Divine Comedy for an English class and I also thought that detail was funny)

[@marcoz6281]

As an Italian I can confirm he is the very first fanfic writer: he wrote about entering the sin forest, his literal idol making him go through hell and purgatory all with people he knows and decides where they go, and at the very top there's his childhood love in heaven.

[@djdealwithit92]

He was laying on his bed kicking his feet and muttering to himself in Italian "and then, when the boat rocks and I am nearly thrown overboard, Virgil grabs me and clutches me to his chest to ensure my safety!" The true father of self-insert fanfic, that man.

[@sigamigs]

The way I gasped when Lavendertowne started reading "My Immortal" 😭😭😭💀💀💀

[@kuro02kuro]

SAMEE

[@coolfishron6668]

Imagine if she did a dramatic reading of that...

[@reynardfox6135]

Yessss!!!!

[@akeelahbruce1821]

The way I slowly saw your comment become top comment

[@nyx6903]

NO WHAT

[@creativeusername8339]

The “Hi, my name is Ebony Darkness-“ Immediately made me spit my drink I did not expect My Immortal to suddenly drop in a Lavender Towne video 😭😭😭

[@abigailcollins2506]

Same

[@user-qqqhhhuuu]

Fr, like I feel like I should have expected that, but it seriously caught me off guard!

[@CorgiShark]

Same like I was expecting it, but the words still hit me like a truck..

[@boredartist225]

Absolutely, curled me 😂😂

[@Kaidoesturts]

I died of laughter

[@KatietheKreator]

Idk if this counts as a fanfic but when I was in elementary school I wrote “lesser known hogwarts tales,” which had no plot, just a bunch of fart and poop jokes about the Harry Potter characters, and then someone got everybody in the ravenclaw common room to start chanting “MALFOY IS SILLY!!!!” which caused Malfoy to get really mad and turn red and smoke come out his ears and then run around punching people and end up banging his head off of a statue and fainting. A great story indeed.

[@86fifty]

As a fellow writer of HP fanfic in elementary school, I absolutely have to commend your naming sense, that's a way better title than mine XD

[@KatietheKreator]

@@86fifty what was your harry potter fanfic like

[@86fifty]

@@KatietheKreator I wrote myself into Book 4 and married Cedric Diggory LOL He seemed nice!

[@KatietheKreator]

@@86fifty understandable

[@pineapple_smoothie17]

You were clearly a child prodigy.

[@cloudyvulpine]

Out of Character characters is simultaneously my favorite things and my biggest pet peeve. Taking liberties is fine, but there's a line imo. Shoto Todoroki somehow being a god of video games? Hilarious, interesting take, I like it. Tenya Iida breaking the rules a ton and being actually chaotic? To far ooc, stretching canon so far its non existent, don't like it.

[@dinoheartnerd2265]

As an MHA fan, I could not agree more! So many of the characters get misrepresented/mischaracterized or even turned into completely different people in fanfiction and other fanmade stuff (like incorrect quotes, for instance), it has bothered me for such a long time.

[@BeatrizRodrigues-bj1de]

Know nothing about this characters but agreed. I think I'm okay once something is deliberately change to give the story a twist, not when the character personality changes even though it should be the same as the original media.

[@clumpofdirt1193]

honestly this is why i stopped writing fanfiction and started writing "media inspired works". like, im gonna embarrass myself here, but im writing a human!sonic characters fantasy world au to practice writing and creating interesting magic systems and all the characters are so far removed from their source that im basically just taking their most basic concept and twisting it into original content. might as well just change the names a bit and put it on bookshelves and it would pass as an original work. i think creators need to know their limit when it comes to writing in character. my least favourite thing is when someone will tag a story as in character and canon compliant and none of the characters are written accurately. just tag your work as ooc and get it over with

[@pappanalab]

I mean it depends. Iida was canonically nearly homicidal when it came to Stain. Though he did get that beaten out of him fast. I think when push comes to shove he’lI break rules and even the law but I certainly don’t think he would be down for casual rule breaking which is what I assume you mean he was doing.

[@cloudyvulpine]

@@pappanalab they were making him okay with underage drinking 😭 i couldn't keep reading after that

[@igreatlyandpowerfullydisag3681]

I once read a fanfic that was incredibly written, had a beautiful story, and an amazing plot, but exclusively referred to the characters eyes as orbs

[@PowerSpirit50]

It has happened before that I am 40k words into a fic and I get sucker punched with 'orbs' and I am stun locked for a bit before continuing on.

[@leafyztar]

Would you rather we call them peepers 👁👁

[@lachillea]

@@leafyztartbh, yeah 😭 if i have to read “orbs” one more time in a fic im going to throw myself off a cliff

[@igreatlyandpowerfullydisag3681]

@@leafyztar yes 😌

[@renoirrr]

i love referring to the colour with the irises. like “her irises were a metallic silver” instead of “her orbs were metallic silver” like istg i think i just hate the word (and i love the word iris too anyway). and its accurate to the actual structure of the eye so yeah.

[@richelleg225]

Your ideas on the pale trope are interesting! As someone who has always been pale, I've never seen a character actually live it. No one constantly asking if they're sick except for when they are sick, no getting severely burned trying to tan to make people less uncomfortable. No struggles with finding clothes that clash or emphasizing the red undertones of the blood under the skin. The paleness making blemishes and dark circles more visable. The struggle is real, lol😅.

[@Seabnny]

The truest statement known to man. Not to mention the whole only “pretty” freckles thing I’d love for an author to have a pale character with freckles everywhere describe themselves and their insecurities as if they actually exist and aren’t a fricking model.

[@olgs37]

I'm super pale, and I constantly get asked if I'm sick. To be fair, I am - but still, lol. People constantly tell me I'm sickly and I "need some color on [me]". I'm Slavic and ill; how much more color am I gonna get‽

[@BlueTressym]

I have redhead skin and burn if the sun looks at me funny. As for freckles, I have very few on my face but loads on my arms. Melanin distribution can get weird. The "I'm so ugly!" trope is painful to see but it's accurate IME. Hating the way you look doesn't have to be rational and both the "I know I'm considered attractive but I'm not allowed to say so or I'll be labelled a narcissist!" and the "People tell me I'm attractive but when I look in the mirror, I don't see it!" are both legitimately common, especially among the primary demographic of YA fiction. Far worse than this trope's prevalence is the fact that so many girls and women find it relatable because of how they've been socialised.

[@SirThopas3]

Yes! The sunburn one! Especially if they've got the characters running around playing Quidditch or fighting a dystopian government. Like, no one would ever know they were pale because they would be lobster red the entire fanfic.

[@voltekthecyborg7898]

@@olgs37 No more color than the healthiest Irish

[@LabraDoodleDraws]

I hate that trope of the girl thinking she’s ugly, but everyone thinks she’s so hot, and it’s written like that to tell the reader “no she’s actually not ugly, thus she’s important!!!” LIKE WE CAN BE UGLY AND STILL MATTER?! And like when they write teenagers, like 14 year olds, they have acne! They have dark circles! They look bad according to society and they still matter!!!!

[@BeatrizRodrigues-bj1de]

Yes!!!!

[@heidokij]

PREACH 👏

[@saix_unicorn]

AND THE GLASS THING, PPL WITH GLASSES ARE SO CUTE, PRETTY, HANDSOME, WHATEVER ELSE

[@sillybillylylyll]

@@saix_unicornI lobe you

[@sniperdreem1914]

The thing is is that that trope can still work in, my opinion. For example, a person with a parent that constantly tells them that they are not good looking or that if they keep looking like that no one would want to date them. As someone with experience with that, it really hurts and it takes many years of inner reflection, confidence building, and self love to actually believe that the people who are saying you look good actually mean it and aren't just lying to you.

[@LatulaArts]

The moment you brought up the "I'm so plain but everyone falls for me" trope just screamed divergent in every way

[@spam-el3ee]

I never got into Divergent because I found it super boring and uninteresting from the beginning, even though I love dystopias and post-apocalypse stuff. It was just so... bland.

[@LatulaArts]

@spam-el3ee totally fair lmao as an adult I find my teenage interest in it incredibly cringe worthy. I was VERY much a pick me growing up, so I was super into the "not like other girls" protagonists. Surprisingly though I hated twilight lmao

[@spam-el3ee]

@@LatulaArts We live and learn :]

[@FreshCarrotsFinally]

@@LatulaArts Because it was not-like-other-girls to dislike Twilight!! Also it's just meh

[@ssapphire7781]

Bella Swan has NO CHARACTER and she constantly describes herself as ugly- now name all the boys who fell for her.

[@RiddleLeft]

1:17 HELPPP- I WAS NOT READY BRO- 😭🤚

[@Makoronie]

JELP MWMEEEEW

[@mishkabob173]

I had a friend who was self-conscious about being stereotypically beautiful because she felt like people saw how pretty she was before they saw anything about who she was as a person, and some people never saw past that. She'd complain about things like that because they isolated her from genuine connections. I've always read characters like that with her in mind, it makes them a lot more sympathetic. They're just lonely and being pretty can be a curse.

[@elainez]

I understand and sympathize with your friend, and if most female protagonists actually thought like this, I wouldn't be so bothered. Unfortunately, most female protagonists never think this deeply about their appearance and their beauty and denial of their looks stems from the paradox that Haley described. Like, you're supposed to be beautiful but you're also not supposed to be confident that you are beautiful and you are never allowed to want to be beautiful. You should be physically attractive in ways that aren't realistic while not caring about your appearance at all because that's "girly" and never, ever be confident in yourself because the confident, girly, physically attractive girl is always associated with cruelness. This leads to many female leads all having the same exact personality, in which she isn't confident in herself but doesn't really care about her looks, but is described as "capable and smart" by the author.

[@pondingwater]

this reminds me of yuzuki murashige from the manga skip and loafer :0

[@iamproudofyouiloveyou]

reminds me of aoi akane from jibaku shounen hanako kun !

[@_ShiAngel]

S

[@stardoogalaxie9314]

Its hell because its either isolation through being invisible or isolation through pedestalization. I’d personally pick “pretty” because at the very least I’d benefit from the halo effect.

[@ifeeldead463]

My biggest fanfic pet peeve is the Ron the Death Eater Trope, where the canon love interest needs to be written as a terrible person in order for the author's ship to come true in the fic. For example, instead of having Ron and Hermione not date in the first place or have a break up that makes sense to both characters, Ron gets rewritten as an abusive monster towards Hermione so the author has an excuse to have Hermione break up with Ron and start dating either Harry or Draco, bonus if author decides to have Ron try to break the couple up just for drama points. It just feels lazy and even disrespectful at times. Like, why do you needs to make the canon love interest awful? Even if the author hates them, it still feels lazy. Also, it feels disrespectful to both canon character and irl abuse victims, cuz the abuse just feels like a lazy plot device instead of a subject matter that needs to be written carefully. It doesnt help that the canon character ends up getting written as a damsel in distress whose only personality traits are sad, helpless and Rebound, especially if the character is nothing like that in canon.

[@Fauniq]

Agreed. I think I've only seen one fanfic so far that breaks off a canon couple without unnecessarily villainizing the canon love interest, and it would be refreshing to see more of that. Give characters a decent sendoff, people!

[@atticusdrot8638]

I've only read one fic that sort of did this and I liked only because it was quite literally following the plot of an already made movie and that was the closest character they could make them.

[@Breakfast-ob8tq]

Agreed!! I once read a x reader Hamilton fic where they absolutely did Queen Charlotte so dirty when IRL, she's said to be such a sweet person. And there's absolutely no reason why she's even such a jerk in the fic. She just is, because hahah (Y/N) is superior for no reason whatsoever.

[@JustACryptid]

For a time I went through a dramione phase and I noticed this a lot too. It just really took me out of the story because even though Ron does have some mean tendencies here and there, I never saw them as bad enough to drive Hermione away. Its such a disservice to a complex character

[@twilightzone7141]

I know this is late, but, omg, you just spoke to me! This has always seemed so over the top and the easiest and lazy way to get the canon love interest out of the picture. I always end up saying, Why even make them exs in the first place? They could have easily just stayed friends in your fanfic. Is the ex-drama just for drama points? In your case, using Harry Potter, if you simply must have Ron and her be exs, there are tons of reasons why they might break up that could be used. Ron, and she just wanted different things. Hermione has always been a driven and somewhat ambitious character. I can see her and Ron ending it amicably if she decides she would rather focus on her studies or her job. Ron is the lovable idiot; he isn't usually malicious, and if he is, he ends up feeling bad in the end. He has his moments, but he very obviously cares a lot about Harry and Hermione. I can't imagine him trying to actively hurt Hermione; he may say something mean in a fight that he would actively regret after, but he wouldn't try to ruin her life. In canon, while he refused to let them name their kid after Hermione's favorite author due to his first name being the same as her ex, he did concede and let them use said author's last name, Hugo. They balanced each other, and before they got together, they acted like bickering siblings or an old married couple. I wish people kept them in character, and while Ron may need space in a fanfic where he was broken up with, I can easily see them making up and continuing as platonic bickering friends who would fight anyone for messing with each other. Harry viewed the two as his siblings, even though not by blood. I just hate how Ron is the main one people bash and villainize in these stories. I have seen this in Naruto fanfics too, where they make Hinata and Sakura awful to support Narusasu. It is rarer with Hinata, but Sakura falls play to this way too much. I know you don't have to like her, but she canonly views naruto like a brother to her. She loves Sasuke a great deal, and I don't think she would be that petty that she would attack Naruto for a breakup. I mean, a lot of the Narusasu that happens in the Boruto timeline ends up being cheating behind the wives backs, and like, in those cases, she has a right to be mad, just like Hinata. But a peeve of mine is when they have to make the significant other a POS to justify the cheating. There are so many examples of this. When I write, even if I don't like a character, I still try to write it accurately. I often put more depth into characters I don't like because I have to think harder about their motives and why they are like this. The best-written characters aren't necessarily likable, but they are so well written once you look into them.

[@moony-666]

I actually have used the fainting one before. I was writing a character who had narcolepsy. So already you can kind of see why it’s necessary. But I used the frustrations you described with that method so you would put yourself in her place. Going black in times where you were experiencing positive momentum. Missing important moments because the world faded away. Not getting that blissful darkness in times where you desperately wish you would. So I think that we can actually flip that in a really interesting way

[@SusieLostHerDog]

Genius! (Late reply, I know :D)

[@DaviRed_]

Unpopular opinion: a good fanfiction is basically an unofficial spin-off

[@Random_Guy_20xx]

Huh, I haven't really thought about it like that. That is an Interesting take there, DaviRed_.

[@mer_acle8101]

facts

[@spam-el3ee]

The StarWars universe before Disney razed everything:

[@yamiyugi3871]

ha those were all my fanfics when I was 11-12, I just wrote spin-offs and my own endings 💀 but they were still bad

[@justanawkwardnerd]

Good fanfiction should feel like a love letter to the source material, or at least, a love for it's ideas. Love is a great motivator, but so is spite, and great things can come out of both. A great example of good fanworks out of spite are Miraculous Ladybug fanfics. The actual show is so much "Great Ideas, Horrible execution" and fanfiction is made to address a lot of those executive issues, giving ideas the weight it deserved and exploring things the writing refuses to. Fix-it fics can also feel like a love letter, even out of anger.

[@Just1randomfurryy]

i love how the drawing depicting how the author is every character was basically just a person doing south park cosplays

[@soupasouup]

FOR REAL when you look at most south park cosplays you feel like the character would not wear that

[@______________url]

@@soupasouupbut the whole point of cosplays is dressing up *as* the character 😭😭 what are you talking about

[@Vamptre]

@@______________url For example adding extra accessories characters wont wear etc not into the south park fandom though best example I can give is most dangonrompa cosplays

[@saivampzz]

YE

[@saivampzz]

the problem w/ south park for cosplaying is that th designs are way too bland soooo cosplayers will put some accesories on@@Vamptre

[@wispytouch1022]

As someone who grew up reading books and fanfics, my most hated trope is definitely the self insert trope because it takes away the interactivity you feel while reading x reader because as someone with pale yellowish brown skin, short black hair and dark brown eyes,its kinda hard to imagine myself as a "blond headed, blue orbed, pale skinned white girl"

[@KazehareRaiden]

That could be any character though. Like I wouldn't be able to relate as much to a black female as a main protagonist, whether it is a self insert or not

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

Lol, mine's a white tabby cat. Like, a regular house cat. Good luck!

[@saix_unicorn]

i have this problem but i'm a dude, so i can't read x readers bcs they're always girls lol

[@miss-socio-btpe]

'blue orbed'

[@highsourjamapple9141]

They always try to disguise their canon x OC as canon x reader and say "just imagine yourself in the place" like no I can't do that 😭

[@grrrluwant]

Starting with mentioning my immortal was the best choice LMFAO

[@VanNessy97]

1:27 You left out the most iconic part! "Author's note: If you don't know who that is, get the hell out of here."

[@angeldevilus9420]

Tell me how when she got to the OOC trope my brain went to some South Park fics I've read before AND THEN IT TURNS OUT THAT'S EXACTLY THE 'SUIT' AND CHARACTER CLOTHES SHE WAS DRAWING I FREAKING LAUGHED SO HARD-

[@karenbonds264]

Pro Tip: If you write a reader-insert fic in either 2nd or 1st person, you can omit the use of Y/N and every other abbreviation through the use of a rather underutilized trope called the *All-Concealing “I”*

[@mintytrash]

With self insert fics I like to imagine Y/N as their own character, not as me. The description is always so off and the personality is never like me, so why not pretend?

[@an0rmalp3rson70]

@@mintytrash i end up just giving them a random name, or just the character they're based off's name

[@Nerodotnet]

@@an0rmalp3rson70”Y/N” just straight up translates as “Why en” in my head 😭 I will verbally say it like it’s the characters name because their always so ridiculous lmao

[@mintytrash]

@@Nerodotnet yes that's what I do

[@Views_of_Eight]

@@NerodotnetI call them “Yin” lol

[@voidinkedpen]

i feel like the "author is every character" situation happens a lot when an author is starting to understand their own voice but also lowkey wants to insert themselves into the story. when I write characters im usually always thinking about it like an outsider looking in on the world and I'm just documenting the happenings so I get shocked when a character (I'm writing about) does something interesting or excited when another character defends people they normally never would and stuff like that. separating yourself from the work in this sense is important for creative growth~

[@hi.241]

Im really struggling tho with how to seperate myself from my characters. Do you have any advice on it?

[@TamWam_]

i dont write much but this is fr interesting and i never acc knew it was a problem, i usually express my ideas/stories thru art instead but write occasionally (esp because i have like 5 different oc universes with lore that goes so in depth)

[@kysim]

​@@hi.241Fr 😭 part of that is because my friends and I make self insert oc lore a lot for fun soo.....

[@eternallustformedusa4844]

i shock myself all the time. i once brought tears to my own eyes while creating a scene. i could not believe the character i created would do such a thing. i also have the problem of reading my abandoned works and then finishing them and being like “damn, this is really good, i wish i could read the rest of it.”

[@Cloverfield77]

Oh yeah, that's how you get real good stories sometimes. I do the same thing. Sure I have a self insert, but they themselves are an onlooker to the story, y'know?

[@SeraphOfTheStone]

The OOC is also a pet peeve of mine. I love the characters for their personalities, so when a writer completely destroys what makes the character themselves, it is no longer that character. It’s a OC with the face of an already existing character.

[@Asathegoopy]

“And the interaction having thus ended, I was in shock, and the impending irrelevance of the next moments to the plot was too much to handle. I fainted.”

[@mer_acle8101]

please, I'm begging you, write a book

[@Asathegoopy]

@@mer_acle8101 as I’m responding to you I’m finishing the second version of my first chapter. I really appreciate your comment, it’s very encouraging.

[@esmemurnane4341]

you said that perfectly.. (typed?)

[@bleakautomaton4808]

Has anyone made something of a narcoleptic character? And either a realistic depiction of it or more of an exaggerated case for comedic effect?

[@Asathegoopy]

@@bleakautomaton4808 not that I’ve heard of

[@scopeawl]

WHEN SHE STARTED READING THE MY IMMORTAL OMG my biggest ick other than the writing about her description is that there’s NO hot topics in the UK. Not even in London. You’re telling me that she travels to america every time she goes shopping? Oh wait this is a HP fic nvrmind..

[@mixedbagmixesmusic1967]

I'd say online shopping if it wasn't written so early in the internet's life.

[@Chikenuget]

I could’ve swore there was another comment here I was trying to reply to.

[@scopeawl]

@@Chikenuget i think i saw another in my inbox too. Probably got deleted

[@scopeawl]

@@mixedbagmixesmusic1967 same though I would say she could’ve teleported but since she’s still in school she wouldn’t have been able to.

[@Minceraft69]

This is such a small and specific, yet hilarious issue the mess that is my immortal

[@Peachiestpersonaround]

As a fanfic writer, I completely forgot how difficult it is to write original works and I’m thankful every day for the fact that I have a very good idea of what my characters are like

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

Tfw you apply dialectical materialism to both your fanfiction, the original works, and the real world.

[@Renizalivee-vf4bx]

once I wrote a fan fic between the homophobic guys in my class and they actually ended up dating so you never know when the word orbs will replace the word eyes

[@rosl.]

You not a fic writer, you a prophet wtf

[@greenapple9477]

Wait, seriously? 😂 I want that to be true.

[@SarahAbramova]

Write more stories about that, that is an amazing power.

[@hihi-kv8kv]

Does everyone do this? I keep seeing this exact same type of comment EVERYWHERE 😭

[@ERROR_V1X-N]

Fanfic becoming canon? Isn’t that the plot to one of the episodes of TAWOG?

[@MDSpencersLs]

Man I did not expect to get my immortal jumpscared today

[@esmemurnane4341]

nice pfp

[@GenesisSaturna]

My favorite spin on the "eurgh I'm so uglyyyy" trope is "Yes, I know I'm pretty, but that doesn't mean I'm above you. I may be pretty, but you're pretty too." for example, I have a character who's a princess and is in love with a non-royal philosopher. He goes "oh princess you're so gorgeous! you grace me with your presence, please let me know if there's anything I can provide you!" and she was like "hey, you're not...like, a peasant to me. I don't really like being treated like this, it makes me feel weird. I'm not above you. please just be yourself."

[@jessicanichole-ll3lx]

I would love to know more about those two🤔 Sounds interesting, and I love learning about interesting things, especially with characters like that who aren't like the trope.

[@Crossantie]

They sound really sweet and cool !!

[@abigail4816]

As a girl who grew up on books, the whole thing about being a beautiful girl that hates themselves has been a real issue for me. To this day I'm not able to admit that I like the way I look without part of me hating myself for it. Honestly its so tired and I'm glad media is moving away from that nasty stuff.

[@TamWam_]

atp i cant tell if im pretty or not, i only notice my flaws, people call me pretty but i truly dont believe them. though ofc, i am grateful :)

[@gigahorse1475]

@@TamWam_ Beauty is observed, not analyzed. There is no one type of beauty, so there is no need to think too hard about it. ❤

[@Vortexiiixii]

Oh yeah, I really hate myself. Everyday looking at mirror I see myself as a clown. But I see myself as the whole circus.

[@nospoonfulofmayonnaiseforme]

it's also like, romanticizing self-hatred/insecurity, right? Which seems unhealthy.

[@niconico-tan]

the over use of physical descriptions, especially in weird ways, or otherwise finding ways to avoid just using the character's name. "the blue eyed one" "the doctor" "the bluenette" "the taller one" "the older one" grinds my gears

[@everyonelicksthesamerocks]

i don't mind "the taller/younger" kind of thing but you even saying "bluenette" makes me unreasonably angry lmao

[@AManwithaB0x]

Literally came down to the comments to find this sentiment. Amen and amen, such an easy trap to fall into.

[@BeatrizRodrigues-bj1de]

Yes! Specially when it more complicated then the name, like??? It's hard to not overuse a characters name but people sometimes seems afraid to use it.

[@xfräuleinträumendx]

​@@everyonelicksthesamerocksFR every time I read "bluenette" (or anything similar in reference to unnatural hair colors) I want to throw my phone across the room :^)

[@junkonatsumizaka5149]

Oh my gosh that one p!sses me off, too.

[@Moo-2310]

Your point about fanfic-y writing focusing on picturing the characters exactly is so true most of the time, from someone who reads too much. Then again in my favourite fic ever, the writer straight up forgot to describe one of the most important characters. And this was not a canon character, they just straight up made an extremely well written original character then forgot to describe her.

[@goldenheart__]

i LOVE fainting in literature. i think it’s just bc i have a concerning obsession with injuries/illness bringing a typically strong character down to their knees, but it’s just. so good. i can’t get enough of it. obviously though, if they’re fainting constantly, that would get old real quick. but i read a LOT of super short fics and i swear at least half of them are “strong character is no longer very strong due to injury/illness and must be taken care of by a loved one”

[@KidaK]

I agree with this too. I am a huge fan of whump and hurt/comfort so it will come up often. But I also understand not liking it in longer stories where the protag has no reason to faint just to change location or pov.

[@quit3118]

@@KidaKFr

[@jasminreyes1278]

Omg I used to be like this 😂 but I really liked it when it showed the character litterally giving everything they could and got me right in the feels everytime

[@IrisRanelle1328]

Have any of y'all read October daye (by seanan McGuire) or Mercedes Thompson? (by Patricia Briggs) both have that vibe, they aren't fanfic tho

[@GlowingAmberRaiinYTT]

*cough cough* All Might *cough cough*

[@wisvai279]

To add onto the passing out one, it can also take away from the importance of when a character passes out in an intense scene. Instead of, “Oh no! This character we as the audience are attached to has passed out and they need help!” it turns into “oh, time for this again,” which can really kill a tone.

[@esmemurnane4341]

oh my god yes! even actually realistic reactions can feel like too much because of all of the unneccesary ones.

[@TheDemonicChaotic]

for me, when i change a scene i have a breif explanation for why the characters are somewhere else, i.e. "the two men get in the car and drive to somewhere safer"

[@nabd341]

Thank you! Some actual advice for this problem !

[@sandyposs2693]

For some reason this makes me more inspired to write fanfiction than ever. Maybe because it starts making me think about what I could do to avoid each annoying trope when hypothetically writing about my own headfiction.

[@esmemurnane4341]

no i'm thinking about how to satyrically include them lol

[@TamWam_]

i never write fanfiction, but if i ever wrote out my headfiction itd be the worst combination of every trope 💀💀 like i could never read about the stuff im thinking of, bc seeing it physically would make me throw up (im also aroace and hate lemon 😭😭)

[@devilheartcandy]

I started writing fanfictions which are moreso self contained stories that say “fuck you” to the cannon lore. Usually I’d throw them out once I get bored but my motivation to finish it is getting better

[@esmemurnane4341]

@@TamWam_ never agreed with someone more, same

[@yin-sin]

A tip that I’m trying to use for novels that I want to write is “show don’t tell” tip. Instead of saying “She was shy.” Show that she’s shy “She averts her gaze from the others and held her head down. Not wanting to make more noise than her footsteps.” Saying things can makes the story dry when having them do something or saying something can help the readers understand that the character is shy.

[@Cloverfield77]

Well, you can show and tell as well. If there's a certain detail that isn't very important, you don't have to give it much explanation. (That's just what my English teacher told me)

[@yin-sin]

@@Cloverfield77 personality: show Little things like eye color: tell through a realistic way

[@Bluedragon-iz3oo]

I think show and tell is dependent on who is narrating the story. The example is good if it was third person, but first person is based on the perception of the narrator. If the person narrating is blunt, they would think “She was Shy”. If the narrator hate her, “She was a coward, who lack the guts to look at anyone in the eye. A sad excuse for a human being”. If the narrator is in love, “Her innocent eyes looked away from the others, searching and hoping for a comforting prescence. She was silent as to hide herself from their viscious glares”. If the narrator is ignorant and can’t read emmotions, “Ohhh, she was there as well”

[@yin-sin]

@@Bluedragon-iz3oo narrator giving very descriptive words about people and then goes “oh and Pete was there”

[@testerwulf3357]

@@Cloverfield77 Ever heard the expression "show don't tell"? Explaining everything for the audience and not letting them figure out anything is boring

[@halfburntanakin]

when i heard "hi, my name is ebony darkness-" i full on burst out laughing cause i lowkey forgot about my immortal 😭😭😭😭

[@saix_unicorn]

i want to read it, it couldn't read it when i was in my fanfic phase because i didn't knew english, but this soud so funny

[@dowitcher]

The fainting trope does annoy me, but I’m also a sucker for characters who have magic that physically drains them when they use it lol. My personal solution when writing is that if a character faints because they used too much magic (or really just for any reason at all) I switch to another character’s perspective and have them do something unrelated to the fainting episode so the pacing doesn’t get interrupted, it just continues from another angle. Then when the first character is ready to come to again, I either switch back or have the other character come check on them and continue from there. Either way, there’s still something happening and it’s not just a random interruption.

[@abbers0737]

Yeah I think the fainting works in a more action-based context, where there’s physical/magical exertion involved.

[@mer_acle8101]

i love having my characters pass out ngl, the vulnerability, the reaction of their loved ones ugh I restrain myself as much as possible lol and pacing I tackle similar to you since I usually write pov alternating anyway

[@firegaltw.steller4717]

@@mer_acle8101oh fun 😅 i LOVE making my characters die and nobody caring about it like « oh no, he dead! anyway, next one! » 😅

[@stardoesthings]

I practically steal alot of my ideas from books/shows I like, and one of my characters had a power that would drain them of energy, which I used because I was a sucker for Amphibia at the time and just finished the second season when I came up with my character.

[@umbreonhyperdream]

"She blinked her pearls" "She blinked her marbles" My least favorite is ooc, the "He would not fricking say that" mentality is real Also the worst offender for me personally is dragging other characters down for a ship especially if I like this ship. Down backspace. Gone. Quit. Those are pretty correlated tho

[@Amiyuu0]

In spanish poetry, pearls are the equivalent to teeth... Basically I read "she blinked her teeth" XD

[@Fauniq]

YES! I _despise_ OOC with a fiery passion unknown by even the most brilliant stars in the known universe.

[@greenapple9477]

@@Amiyuu0 Eww =n= 😨🤢

[@rainpooper7088]

Making a character ooc so they'll look worse for the the sake of a ship has been affectionately nicknamed "Ron the Death-Eater" in fan circles, which is hilarious imo.

[@mushroomfroge6305]

it's probably even worse than just regular ooc when a character is brought down for the sake of shipping 😭 people love to act like it totally makes sense for a good canon pairing to suddenly become abusive for no reason because they ship something else

[@DKdrop]

3:05 One point that I think is really excellently illustrated in this comparison is the idea of intrapersonal versus interpersonal descriptions. In the My Immortal passage, we actually do get some idea of Ebony’s character- since the story is in first person POV, we know that this physical description is how she sees herself. And I actually think that it would be pretty simple to turn this into a good description, if the author were to lean into that, and also give us an idea of what parts of this self-image carry over to how other people see her. In contrast, Atwood introduces us to Tony first with her work, then with the way people view her work, and then with the ways that she treats herself. This gives us a very good idea of her place in the world, and how other people see her, as well as how she treats herself. Physical descriptions are far less important to understanding a character that understanding who these characters are. In general, I like to keep character descriptions to a minimum- if the audience really needs to know something, that can come out in revisions.

[@dustyrose6338]

y/n is either like an angel on earth or a super edgy vampire-werewolf hybrid. there is never any in-between

[@spam-el3ee]

The holy name of Yun

[@aino-kaisav5504]

I have seen one very well written Y/N type character that was basically their own character. It was a Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (from Fate/Zero) x Reader fanfic. One of the most memorable things I've ever read on Ao3.

[@Leghal]

The secret third option is just some dude who works in a supermarket

[@nerdwisdomyo9563]

Your takes on young girls not being able to not look attractive without being assumed to be undesirable and not being able to accept they look attractive without also being assumed to be cruel and narcissistic is actually super based and i think your spot on in that being why the trope exists

[@_se3_thru9h_9]

4:41 I like when characters are described in detail, but not instantly. Like for example, in my immortal, someone could have mentioned that she kinda looks like [insert celebrity] in a passing comment. Or her hair colour could have been mentioned with “I passed my hand through my [hair colour] hair.”

[@novagrayvanelders2696]

My biggest pet peeve is when there are OC's, self inserts, ext, but other than that absolutely nothing changes. The story stays the exact same and after a while I didn't enjoy it anymore because nothing new was happening. The end can stay the same, yes, but putting a new character in while change things, even just a little bit

[@killuanatsume]

There is nothing wrong who original characters you just have to make them right.

[@notatallfunctional]

@@fatimazafar8907 I think it’s one of those things that are fun to write, but boring to read. Also if the character in question is significantly different from the character they’re replacing, it kind of hard to believe that the story would go the exact same way.

[@FamiliarlyFrigid]

I'm the opposite- I'm not a big fan of fanfics that stray too far from canon. Especially when I'm writing OC fanfics. If I'm including canon characters/events, I don't like changing too much-it feels like I'm making me and my characters the center of attention too much and detracting from the existing story.

[@skeletized]

i hate the "ooh i'm so plain and ugly because i'm pale and skinny" trope too because i am actually insecure about those aspects of myself and they make it impossible to take seriously, like yeah i'm super pale but i don't like it because you can see all the veins around my eyes and it makes me look permanently exhausted, and yeah being skinny is supposed to be desirable but i'm cold as hell and you can see my ribs that's not pretty it's unhealthy and weird!! but it's always like "yes i am so slender and healthy and angelic and my face glows like the moon" i know damn well your face goes bright pink when it's hot y/n, stop lying to yourself

[@izzykvance2909]

THIS!!!! I've struggled with the same insecurities, and though I've gotten a little better due to finally finding a good friend group, I still have those days where I wish I could hide away from the world. It happens, and I hate how people overlook the issues with the modern extremities of beauty. You're not alone in this struggle or the frustration that comes with it, and I hope you have a good day! Drink some water, eat if you need to, and rest if you get a chance.

[@mer_acle8101]

very good point, and very good sass in the end there, you made me chuckle

[@Will-O-thee-Wisp]

I feel the paleness aspect. I was called a ghost by my grandma for most of my life, and seeing your veins everywhere can get a little wonky. My biggest issue, was I couldn’t really dress for hotter weather, as I would “blind” people with the sun practically reflecting off my skin. It’s how I got the nickname “twilight” as “you are so pale that you sparkle” all while squinting or refusing to look in my direction. (Having people you are close to, refuse to look at you because of how pale you are and that it hurts their eyes can really harm the self image or confidence.) And no one ever mentions that being pale means that 10-30 minutes in the sun turns you into a burnt tomato… Not only is that painful, but definitely doesn’t have any attractive qualities. 😂

[@skeletized]

@@straawberryfieldsforever i've considered trying concealer, but i have facial dysmorphia and i worry that makeup to cover things will just make it worse, so i've gone the complete opposite and sometimes just trace over my veins with eyeliner to make it a creepy look, many advantages to being goth! also we both have meta knight profile pics and i think that's lovely

[@esmemurnane4341]

i swear to god, every time a pale character comes up, they NEVER bring up the eye thing. i'm not pale and i still struggle with it and i just don't understand why i never see it in literature D:

[@Dumbdumbfox]

8:07 someone should write one of these, except they're being knocked out by the cast who are self aware and have their own side plot and think that the Mc is goofy and a little stupid, but like the cast is just ignored by all the other characters, besides the antagonist who slowly becomes self aware

[@motherofthreecats582]

I‘m going to listen to this intently, to make sure I dont accidentally make these mistakes in the fanfics I will never show anyone anyway🙌

[@rxndomfxndom7405]

SAME

[@CleoKane]

Me too girl

[@mimilopmemes7915]

same 😭

[@ashleyhansen4479]

Same. 😭😭😭 At least the second one is justified in mine due to the character having a lot of emotional trauma he goes through and people (especially his cruel stepfather and his followers) are just unkind to him for no reason. There are exceptions but they are the majority of people in his life.

[@synthellaart1587]

@@ashleyhansen4479 don't worry, the readers usually notice if it's making sense because of the character or if it's an excuse for changing the scene. you got this!

[@sylvanticx]

It bugs me most when the fainting trope is used in books and stuff (...Twilight) and made out to be romantic. I've fainted once, and it was far from alluring or romantic. I stood up too fast while taking a medication that made me dizzy, I grabbed my mom to hold onto her because my vision was blacking out (normal for me at that time, I expected the dizziness to go away in a few seconds), and then I woke up on the floor with my head hurting from hitting the coffee table. After that I cried for a bit because that just happens after suddenly losing consciousness. Absolutely nothing romantic about someone falling like a sack of stones, waking up, and ugly-crying on the couch for a while. Also bugs me when characters act calm after passing out- it's quite disorienting. Clearly these authors utilizing the trope have never fainted.

[@fatimazafar8907]

I say this as someone with epilepsy and a fainting disorder, it's honestly something that never bothered me, I get people are different but I usually wake up from an episode giggling because I passed out somewhere stupid- it's not that deep (unless the author makes it weird ig)

[@sylvanticx]

@@fatimazafar8907 i can understand that. for me it was unexpected and confusing in addition to unwanted. that probably didn't improve the experience.

[@DarwinRoger893]

Fainting is so disorienting. One time I burnt my feet and passed out in the fucking bathroom. Thank god I didn’t hit my head on the toilet and my mom grabbed me. There was another time I fainted from bleeding and I had no idea it happened until my head was hurting badly. It’s disorienting and confusing and leaves you in shock (at least for me). Nothing hot or romantic here.

[@kaleenar963]

I don’t think it’s the fainting itself that people find romantic, rather the opportunity for the character’s love interest to take care of/protect them while they’re vulnerable. At least I think that’s the justification, I’m aromantic so I don’t have a horse in this race.

[@fatimazafar8907]

@@sylvanticx Yeah no I get that, fainting isn't fun I get wym

[@M3LTH3GAY]

13:40 I really like watching the minor (or major) differences the author puts on characters if it fits the theme of the fic. Also the progression of the character in fanfic is so COOL when done well

[@minako505]

ohhhhhh the South Park ref at 16:00 it happens a lot. I don't like sp fanfics(even the good written ones), most of them are also very ooc. kyle being too feminine, stan being too much of an asshole, Kenny being a manwhore, and cartman being ...skinny and hot. it's so weird

[@milkman2004]

.....Arent they all children...

[@insertaname2485]

Another pet peeve: When the writer tries to make you support the "main ship" of the fanfiction but you end up realizing the main character has more chemistry with the antagonist or side character then the actual relationship the author wants you to care about and takes as far as to shove it down your throat even though if they even have chemistry, it's not enough to show these two can realistically be together.

[@CalicoCoffee101]

YES THIS UGH I'm in the middle of one rn and like, I'm kinda invested so i wanna see how it turns out but the side ship involves a character i like more and who is just nicer and more respectful in general to the mc, plus they're more accurately written to canon, it pisses me off.

[@OEBlackman]

Miraculous Ladybug. The two “alternative” love interests who are supposed to prove how the main two a perfect for each other are the actual better love interests and better characters than the main two. It’s as pathetic as it sounds.

[@zorapianist]

@@OEBlackman Agreed

[@georgeandrews1394]

Happens in original/publishable works too. I think the problem is that the author is thinking of romance as an end goal for a relationship. Like 'I don't have to do anything else here because they're together now; what else is there?' They think being together expresses everything that needs to be expressed between two characters.

[@CandyThePuppy]

and this is why I primarily write bromances

[@ryleighemma]

drawing someone w south park stuff for the "writes every character as a self insert" is so real. It's wayy to common in sp fanfiction that people write all the characters the same, when they all have really distinct ways of talking/addressing different people in general. They'll just make all of them curse a lot and use "dude" "bro" "man" all the time when different characters prefer different swears at different levels. Especially when they write them extremely ooc, like making Craig really optimistic or Kyle/Stan a jerk just because-

[@beefbossonthewiiu]

Something that makes me so mad abt SP fanfics is they write them like edgy “hot” teenagers. Like bro these are kids… in South Park when they swear it’s typically done like kids acting cool when their parents would scold them if they heard. It’s just done so untastefully and weird in fanfic…

[@ryleighemma]

@@beefbossonthewiiu fr, like they'll make them ALL smoke or drink. I see a lot where Stan will do(?) weed or smt but lowkey i feel like he'd hate it bc of Tegridy??? I hate especially when they make Kenny a "bad boy", like he does look at porn n cheeses n stuff in the show but he also is shown to have good morals n priorities?? Or like how people either make Tweek and uwu soft boy that needs to be protected by Craig, or some druggie always smoking in the bathrooms. He literally beat up Craig so bad he was in the hospital, but also would be too anxious to try anything yk? And also people who make lovey dovey creek (or style) is so ooc to me- Craig and tweek only really hold hands/hang out in public, but they're not really verbal much besides put it down. But sm people will write their dialogue so ooc dkshsks it ruins fics for me- same w style a lot of times I feel like things would barely change if they dated .-.

[@beefbossonthewiiu]

@@ryleighemma Yeah, like... the whole joke of them smoking and shit in the show is that they're kids doing it. Then the weirdos that are like borderline into the kids make it serious? Like... the whole joke of them doing those bad things is that they're 8 LMAO

[@bumbabees]

​@@ryleighemmaive recently started reading SP fic on ao3 instead of wattpad, and the shift has been insane tbh. i got so used to weird depictions of the characters i kind of forgot how nice it was to see some i actually really liked. like, i read a bunny fic a while ago, (out of curiosity, since i used to like that ship) and it was genuinely fantastic. instead of them being teenagers, they were young adults, and it was a nice change of pace. instead of kenny being a "bad boy" he was just troubled. he'd gone through a lot but despite it, he was still very kind and considerate, and had a very strong sense of justice. i havent actually seen SP in years so i dont really trust my judgment on how canon a character is anymore, but idk, i really liked it. those fics, any fics really, are fun when the characters dont feel like carbon copies of one another, and you can tell the author really cares about them.

[@steamboatwill3.367]

eh, isn't that just the original writing

[@weedmaster-420]

"i swear if uts gonna be my immortal-" "my name us ebony dar-" "I KNEW IT"

[@Chaotic_Observer]

nobody: blue eyed main characters in fanfiction: 🧿👄 🧿

[@VanillaIceCream-d2w]

I have a teacher who has blue eyes and her makeup makes her eyes look terrifying

[@axehead45]

HELP-

[@-_Nifi_-]

SWEET BUBBLE WHAT THE FU-

[@Mothspiral_Art]

im writing a book that has mutliple povs, and something im doing is describing the characters through the pov characters' eyes. for example, one of my characters is an artist so he sees the world in paint colors and such ("the scene looked straight out of a painting", "the sunset was made of the swirling colors of watercolor on a page", etc.), and his love interest is a gardener who sees the world through plants ("the moon was the color of white lilies", "his eyes were a deep red that reminded [character] of pomagranite seeds"). its kinda subtle in the actual writing, but i think its a cool little thing. edit: i posted this before i finished the video, so its kinda redundant with the last point lmao. good video, loved it! :)

[@basilgum]

I do actually like the fainting trope in a whump context. It’s the difference between “I don’t know how to change the scene so I’ll just knock out the main character”, and the fainting/injury/poison/whatever being the main appeal. And it often leads to good hurt/comfort which, I think a lot of us want someone to take care of us when we’re vulnerable so I appreciate the wish-fulfillment aspect. I’m more critical of this trope outside of a fanfic concept, where it isn’t being advertised as “alright everyone come get your blorbo torture!” Hope that makes sense lol.

[@Measuresderepo]

Exactly… I’m here to see my blorbo absolutely tortured

[@TheSleeplessSleeperAgent]

I'm working on writing a character who only gets from place to place via the knockout trope. I've just gotta work on coming up with new ways for his knockouts

[@Ekko-artist523]

My immediate thought when the fainting trope was mentioned, I immediately went ‘ah yes, WHUMP’

[@aminahm4911]

i agree with this, but i only like it when its used sparingly (like once or twice is fine). So like when shit starts getting bad, and you know the mc needs help.

[@TheSleeplessSleeperAgent]

@@towerofgodfan4107 I've got a few fun ones written 1. Blood drive- naturally, blood donation go brr 2.narcolepsy- kind of a GOOJFC- (Get out of jail free card) just make him go sleep nini 3. Blunt force trauma- the ol' 1-2 knockout 4. Intoxication - alcohol or otherwise, blacking out is common 5. Amnesia - another GOOJFC, if I skip the scene, and he simply doesn't remember it, it means I can write the rest of the scene as him trying to figure out what happened when he temporarily experienced anterograde amnesia 6. Sedation or surgery- naturally, I can just go "y'know what, blowdarts" if I get real desperate Those are just a bit of what I have planned, and I'll work on the scene transitions when I need to lol

[@ashleyhansen4479]

The ironic thing about My Immortal is that it’s at least technically better than Velma! It also became a book on Amazon along with that one Jeff the Killer fanfiction. 😂😂😂

[@StardustStriderz]

I'm dead at the south park drawing for the 'the author is every character' trope lmaoo. The things i've seen people try to get Cartman to support when he would NEVER

[@bumbabees]

ive only just now started to read south park fic again, (on AO3 now because wattpad traumatized me) but yeah, i remember sympathetic cartman and it weirded me out every time lol.

[@realmcarthy]

I already knew when she said “describing a fanfic character” she was gonna start describing our queen Enoby

[@Nerd-O-Matic]

Ah yes, everyone’s favourite “Very famous fanfic.” - the minute I heard that, I knew it would be My Immortal. She’s just described so unevenly, like, chunks of her character are so distinct and vivid, and then the rest is just kinda left to you.

[@Felixlpink4646]

0:04 did not think perfect blue would be here

[@lordcoolington]

girl, i would unironically listen to you doing a full reading of my immortal, you have the perfect reading voice LOL

[@welldamnjackie1320]

SHE SHOULD ILLUSTRATE SCENES FROM MY IMMORTAL WHILE READING IT I WOULD KILL TO SEE EBONY DARKENESS IN HER STYLE AS WELL AS THE EMO HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS

[@greymcfadden5607]

why is nobody talking about how haley drew the person at 16:32 in Eric Cartman's outfit lmaooo love it so much

[@thatgusgirl2632]

Kenny,Stan, and Kyle's are in the back xD

[@SirBinkleBomCrinkle]

i was gonna say lmao

[@spaghettibete4286]

On the brief mention of orbs, another place where that shows up (and other strangely specific appearance description) is regency romance, especially Pride and Prejudice variations. I feel like people read them because they want to see the main characters falling for each other, and these small appearance details are used to "hype up" the romance and show the person (usually Mr. Darcy) essentially simping over the other's appearance. Though I have seen it used for other characters to emphasize certain parts of their appearance (Caroline Bingley having bright blue orbs, Elizabeth's being hazel with flecks of gold, etc) anyway the orbs get me every time oh golly...

[@cerealonmytoast5812]

7:08 real fainting in fanfic is cute a and dainty fainting irl is hitting your head on the corner of a radiator and then spending the rest of the afternoon in a and e getting your head stitched up (this happened to me cuz i didnt eat dinner the day before or breakfast and i paid the price)

[@Littleghostman4]

is it just me, because I LOVE SELF INCERTS, or OC's in fanfics, its just so fun idk why

[@Jelly_Jenae]

*Self inserts*

[@RubixKyuub]

I can’t read them unless they are done right. Most of the time they don’t fit in the story and it ruins it for me. And I find it a bit cringe but that’s just me. I’m fine with OC’s as supporting characters but again, they have to be written right and fit in.🙃

[@DreamiMusho]

​​​​@@RubixKyuub I mean it's called self-insert which is putting a character into a story that's not their own. I also think it depends on who likes it plus cringe is to be expected when you are a fan of a show, book, novel, etc. I also think some people are different so not every story is going to fit in or make the story and that also has to do with skill which is why I haven't released my own self-insert. I also don't read a lot of self-insert because I don't know if they can fit into the story or keep up with it.

[@сільськаприбахана]

Me and my full load of OC by fandoms approving your point

[@tessathepeanut]

As someone who writes self inserts, THANK YOU! I always find myself so stuck being insecure in the way people perceive them. It's so rare to see people say actual positive things about them, so that made my entire day.

[@just4_athenaandrin]

I LOVED “THE AUTHOR IS EVERY CHARACTER” ART WAS BASED BY SOUTH PARKKK IT MADE ME SO HAPPY (since I’m a big South Park fan)

[@smal5504]

X SPOTTED/VPOS

[@shootingsmilla1239]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE SAME

[@saffi_taffi]

I've found myself using the 'character fall's asleep to transition scenes more than usual' BUT it's because he's literally being starved, tortured and forced to run around and do stuff all the time and so it makes sense to why he'd be constantly exhausted to the point of passing out

[@gentlechaos5911]

Also me hiding under the desk during that part. My character is actively turning into a zombie okay?! HE NEEDS NAPS.

[@iseeyou1067]

Your poor character what the heck do you do to him 😭 I overly use car drives or spaces that capture two or more characters in a private conversation

[@saffi_taffi]

@@iseeyou1067 I only torture him because I love him 😈 he’s been captured by a very powerful demon and was essentially forced to give the demon his soul, which allows the demon to essentially do whatever it wants to him with him being unable to fight back. So the demon uses him as it’s personal slave, and he constantly running around delivering messages, cleaning stuff, and being used as a stress reliever (punching bag). Meanwhile he’s trying to figure out how to get his soul back, contact his friends (who think he’s dead) and send important military information to the ‘good’ (not demon, at least) military leaders he knows from eavesdropping on the demons strategy meetings. This of course is exhausting, and he is constantly on the verge of falling unconscious, and I’ve been taking full advantage of that lol

[@iseeyou1067]

@@saffi_taffi That poor guy 😭 but that's a really cool storyline you have there, the concept of it is so cool!

[@greenapple9477]

I don't judge stories with self-inserts. Because it IS possible to write them WELL. And for "they think they're ugly, but they're actually attractive" characters, I actually have a character like this, but there's a real REASON! His name's Elance, he's from a race of vain flower people who has a hierachy based on how beautiful their petals are. He and his dad were born at the very bottom, so pretty much all other flower people except his mom treated them badly their whole lives. After his dad sacrifices himself to protect him, Elance eventually sets out and then travels with the main cast to find something/someone that can make him permanently beautiful. I intend to have him slowly and eventually realize he's fine the way he is. Edit: Thanks for the likes and comments! Somehow, I didn't get any notifications for these! This isn't a fanfic exactly, but it'll be a webcomic instead! (Tho, to be fair, it's very One Piece-like)

[@gabrielledorigam2277]

Where can I read this? It sounds very interesting!

[@Wayfaring-Gremlin]

That sounds super neat!!

[@DarwinRoger893]

Elance is a beautiful name. I’m taking it 😎

[@maplesugar7409]

That sounds amazing. I want to read this.

[@iwantedtobethatanomaly2270]

A story about flower people? I'd love to read this!!

[@Wolpyyartz]

6:03 i have this done twice in my story, both times are for character building, the first was to give the love interest a character development choice, leavw the female lead, go home and live, or risk his live, where the food dwindled the weather worsened and theres some description in there like for example "with ever shriek of december wind he heard the words 'death' 'death' 'how much longer' 'time dwindling' he pictured the crackling of dead spruces was the rattling of bones of those foolish enough to stay. This snow storm wasnt one to stop, it would slowly bury them alive, thivker and thicker if he continuedhis way into the jagged mountains, and she might not even wake up. What could he even do?" Just to give some credibility to the ship so people care about it. The second is not exactly a faint, but a paralysis state from lack of energy, and the most important death in the series. But none of them are just for spnething small, all of them are shodting into the next peice. And i might not be the best writer, but i try pretty hard. Ps. Not a fanfic writer, just my personal story.

[@crystletear1224]

Biggest pet peeves: "You had (E/C) eyes and (H/C) (Hair Length)" always pissed me off. I know what I damn well look like, knock it off. It always just ripped me out of whatever I was reading when that would happen. Even worse was putting extra specific characteristics that weren't listed in tags or the description. Like, "uh oh! BTW, you don't have legs and you wear glasses! This does nothing for the plot, but whatevs". That's not a reader fic, that's just an oc fic with extra, annoying steps. And then when I want to read a gender neutral or gender ambitious reader fic, for some unknown reason, they still slap them in dresses and skirts when it's completely unnecessary.

[@wallewonks]

fully agree and I love “gender ambitious” that’s me from now on

[@peachpopsicle4090]

Kinda bouncing off the last point, but I hate it when the writer makes the reader GN but gives them specific genitalia, and doesn't mention it in the tags.

[@crystletear1224]

@@wallewonks ment to say gender ambiguous, but autocorrect works in mysterious ways

[@spam-el3ee]

Gender ambitious is hilarious 💀

[@Lukaerith]

I feel like there is a fine line when it comes to reader inserts and descriptions of their main characters. What you listed as your biggest pet peeve is actually a way for reader instert fics to allow you to put yourself in. They give you an option to describe yourself. Then you pivot into saying that not giving you choice in how your character looks like is also bad because it wasn't put in the tags? I am a little lost on the part of tags, because I can agree that looking for a reader insert fic and finding a story with an OC is annoying. I feel like it would be more appropriate to remove the "reader insert" tag from such stories, but that is just my opinion, so I guess we are on the same-ish page here. Like I said, writing reader inserts is not easy and finding the fine line between giving too much freedom and taking it away is difficult. Some people need that establishing line of "Your name is Y/N, you have e/c eyes and your hair is h/c, h/l" in order to allow themselves some definition of a character that they don't really know how they will look like for the reader. It's not easy to describe someone you have no idea how they look like. Just sayin, cut some writers some slack if they need that intro line and then manage to make the flow somewhat decent despite having to put in those "h/c" or "e/c" into sentences.

[@NewGuyNouveau]

16:45 OMG IT JUST HIT ME WHO SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DRESSED AS OML

[@YourLocalPunkAnarchist]

On the subject of the “woe is me, I am average/ugly” I’ve seen that a few times but I though for a moment at first that it was just in general, which made me think of one of my favorite children’s book series cause the main character is characterised as being extremely ordinary and average in looks to the point of having the most forgettable face you’ve ever seen, the one thing about him that wasn’t forgettable was his bright shock of red hair, except that didn’t matter because it was always hidden by his helmet, but then when you mentioned that people would be falling heads over heels for the character despite that I realised that this was the exception to the rule XD. Every character except for his best friend (hated by everyone), his dad and his mom who is often absent, absolutely hates him and he’s constantly bullied when not simply forgotten. And when his dad introduces his son they always think it’s his cousin (a tall burly muscular boy growing the start of a moustache) and then his dad going; “what? No! This is my beautiful hope and heir; I love him so much” just gesturing to the character screaming for his life or having his face slammed into the ground by another character or just standing there in his skinny little awkwardness wondering when he can leave. XD I think thats a fun way to go with it, especially since it ended up as a running gag, where nobody, not even his dad, was able to recognise him despite the only changes to his appearance being a fake name, being slightly taller, a fake wart and an eyepatch XD He felt very disrespected and hurt, on the bright side, it saved him from death, barely.

[@Mint-Lynx]

When you described being overly descriptive of one's character My Immortal came to mind immediately and I cracked up when you ended up mentioning it.

[@IrisRanelle1328]

Same

[@dandan_yt8300]

1:17 NAUR NOT MY IMMORTAL ALREADY DFSKJDFSJKDFSJKFDSJK iconic tho frfr

[@yanfeet]

suck it up

[@Percy_PotterEdits21]

As soon as i heard "hi my name is ebony darkness dementia raven way" i got war-like flashbacks

[@hourofberries]

14:12 I totally agree with this. I think it especially shows up in "chatfics", or fanfics written in the form of texts or chats. I think it's a lot easier for the author to parrot themselves or their friends, and these types of fanfics get a lot more chaotic. The characters end up falling under flanderized archetypes or tropes, rather than their true personality.

[@leaftiger12]

As a new writer, I’m struggling with the different voices of characters. I try to make their personalities as different as possible but it’s hard to see through their perspective sometimes. TwT.

[@itsgirlcraft5842]

Same, except I've been writing for like 3-5 years and still don't know!

[@Measuresderepo]

I get it… that’s why I love writing fanfic b/c you can work on different voices without having to create the voice y’know?

[@leaftiger12]

@@Measuresderepo Kinda? I thought fanfics were harder because you had to understand the voice of already existing characters to write them accurately, unless you purposely change their personality for whatever reason. I thought making characters were easier because you can just make up a personality for them.

[@Measuresderepo]

@@leaftiger12 yeah, for some it is, but if you struggle as much as I do with making interesting characters from scratch… it’s a lil different, I just got diff skill sets ig 🤷‍♀️

[@leaftiger12]

@@Measuresderepo Oh yeah that’s true. I have some characters who personally is a mix of different existing characters I know. I forgot about the fact. Thanks for telling me your perspective :3.

[@dudewhatthewhat8983]

Oh my god, you opened up memories best left forgotten, when you started reading my immortal.

[@llechium]

On the "I'm so ugly" trope I will say that I dont completely hate the trope, simply because theres something about it I've experienced and I understand deeply. You can be lovable to many, but if you're unlovable to yourself, then you just can't see it. Instead of being yourself and letting people make their judgements about you, you focus on yourself to a nitpicky and harsh degree, causing you to not believe in any geniune compliments about your appearance. Maybe thats why its mentioned about the pressure to be super attractive but not let it get to your head, which is like the video states-a paradox. Ive had relationships where they complimented all the things I've hated about myself or felt wrong about myself for, like I had a beard in the past that looked good but just wasn't me, I will always hate my smile but peiple say it just "looks cute", but everyone seems to agree except for myself. I apologize if the video touches on that I havent realized it (my autistic ass would make that mistake) but this is my opinion I guess lmao

[@kathrynolivo8532]

I wonder if this is a (not exclusively) autistic thing. I resonated with this on a deep level, and had a similar thought process while watching the video.

[@ridorkdid]

I agree! I think the trope works well when it’s like how you described it, a character finds it hard to like themselves the same way people do, and we can relate to that. it becomes a problem when it’s stupidly exaggerated, or framed as humble and likeable while self-love is seen as narcissistic

[@llechium]

@@ridorkdid Very, very well said. I respect you as a person for writing that. Self love is seen as narcissistic, and it makes such a double standard because depression and such is seen as self-centered as well.

[@R_ickety]

Adding onto ‘describing the characters way too much’, indirect characterization is really amazing and one of my favorite things in writing. For example, in the book Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist’s appearance is actually revealed through the appearances of others. Let me elaborate- this is set in a dystopian society, and he realizes his coworkers all look the same (including him). He wonders if they choose who works at his job purely by how they look. More specifically, he starts to realize how everyone has dark hair and dark shaven looks, and says ‘woah, wait. We all look the same.’ This is a great way to characterize appearances, also I just really loved this book. Highly recommend hfgjktkekwnakfjc

[@thebigwiggler]

Fahrenheit 451 was such a great book, the only dystopian story that made me feel something beyond empathy.

[@a_creative_namee]

the book really was amazing, i love the dystopian genre

[@christiantwist3360]

9:43 yeah, I feel like it could work if there was a reason for it. Like, maybe their parents constantly told them that when they were little, after all, what our parents say holds weight. But without a reason, meh

[@reemyselman720]

If i would write a fanfic I'll probably but a self insert character but make her randomly appear at the most random times give the best one liner you will ever hear and disappear for the next 10 chapters or sm lol. Also im a big fan of you i rlly love your vid and im excited for the next vid!!❤️❤️

[@gracegrrl007]

That was how I always wrote my self-insert as a fanfic writer LOL, except also I didn't even try to hide it I would just have Literally Me The Author show up to break the fourth wall and then vanish randomly into thin air it's genuinely really fun ngl

[@TeamGalactic-Cyrus]

lmao me too its SO fun@@gracegrrl007 There's this one scene I really wanted to have, because it was sort of crackfic-taken-seriously, and I just waltzed in there and set up the scene. My self insert is lieterally insane and the most odd character in the fic

[@i.have.no.social.skills]

13:27 this one is so fricken true for me i hate it when they take characters who are canonly soft and shy and turn them into some badass flirty dude

[@Kite_the_SkyWing]

So true.

[@TheAceCorporation]

"Hi, my name is E-" The way I immediately knew what she was reading

[@kasper9716]

The “insecure about attractive features” and “I’m so ugly/plain but have 5 love interests and everyone stares at me” things REALLY grind my gears oml. Also another very specific thing I really hate is when characters get anxious/really upset and then lose their appetite/don’t eat. Like I know it’s a real thing that happens to people but I feel like it’s so overdone, and personally when I get anxious, I’m still gonna eat that food. And when I get really upset, my first instinct is actually to make food, not to avoid it. I know other people have wildly different experiences, but I never see my kind of experience represented, personally. Sorry for the long rant! I really enjoyed the video :D

[@amymalo748]

My biggest pet peeve in fanic and fanfic inspired works is when the female MC is super short like just about 5" and the male MC is ridiculously tall like almost 7" and all the descriptions are of how small and delicate and fragile she is, then he's described as a "wall of muscles" and how she has to stare up at him because he's sooooo tall, ect.

[@mer_acle8101]

always makes me think of the kissing booth and then I cackle bc girl is lowkey hugging his stomach I can't how is this romantic realistically he is teasing her for being short 24/7 I should know I have a tall friend lol

[@melissadavis196]

I don’t like this trope because it’s realistic for me. It’s MY self-indulgent fantasy, I want to be a normal height for once!

[@StarlingAurora]

It's called "size difference" and if you don't like it then it's not for you lol

[@naolucillerandom5280]

I saw that mentioned as one of the "bad points" of a certain genre, decided to start writing a new world and make that an official trait of the people there. It looks ridiculous. It IS ridiculous. But damn it's just too funny to see a tiny angry gremlin screaming at the 2 m tall muscle wall. Then came Beastars and the guy literally has to kneel down to talk to her. I'm dead 😂

[@Ibert0318]

Michael: Is that you Noah dear? *looks more at the comment* Noah: I. AM. 187 CENTIMETERS. Michael: still short *laughs in 6'7* Noah: I'm THIRTEEN CENTIMETERS SHORTER THAN YOU *rages* Samantha: (poop), is this another divorce?

[@lotuscherri529]

9:06 I HATE IT when characters will be like “oh I’m so plain I’m too pale and my eyes are too big and I’m too small and dainty” like what???? I’ve gotten so fed up with this trope that I rewrote one of my characters completely! I was originally going to have her sort of fall in line with this trope being like “she can’t see her own beauty but they can” but now I’ve just overhauled her and she’s now SUPER confident in how she looks, she knows she’s gorgeous and a big part of that is her twin sister! Everytime she looks at herself she can’t bring herself to say she looks ugly or plain because she looks just like the person she thinks is the most beautiful!! Idek where I was going with this comment lol I just wanted to rant abt my character I love her sm ❤ Also I LOVE ur videos! Your art style is so cute and eerie and I love it!!

[@faullus1352]

It’s funny that apparently motherfucking Dante Alighieri did the whole fainting transition a bunch in his Divine Comedy.

[@kaleenar963]

Pretty sure Dante was basically a fanfic writer. Wasn’t he the guy that wrote a fanfic of him and his favorite poet traveling through the different circles of hell?

[@faullus1352]

@@kaleenar963 Oh yeah. Biblical fanfiction but still fanfic. And it wasn’t just Hell, that’s Dante’s Inferno, first of three. He also traveled up mount Purgatory(Purgatorio) with his favorite Poet, and up to heaven(Paradiso) with his wife I believe.

[@florofern6470]

I love that so much

[@CWorthStudios]

What's funny is I started writing a novel in middle school where the main character (who is male btw) just... fainted. I have no idea where I came up with this, because I was not aware of the trope until now. The only maybe source was Nicholas Benedict from Mysterious Benedict Society. I'm still writing it, and still trying to work out whether or not that's an actual character trait... because it can be funny at times, because the other characters make fun of him for it. Like he's supposed to be the voice of reason, and then he's out. Now that I see it, it sounds mean...

[@clumpofdirt1193]

he could be narcoleptic?

[@jasminreyes1278]

I might be a terrible person for finding that hilarious, but... I guess I will just have to live with being a terrible person.

[@CWorthStudios]

@@clumpofdirt1193 After reading Mysterious Benedict Society, I decided he was, but I'd have to research it to do it justice, and have to figure out how to make it not just a random gimmick.

[@CWorthStudios]

@@jasminreyes1278 Oh, I might be a terrible person too :3 I embrace my inner antagonistic friend when writing those scenes

[@mer_acle8101]

i did the same with my first novel, i think it's just something some of us like lol

[@DelphiBellatrixRiddle]

One thing you can try if you struggle with self insert (author is every character) is to try tell a story through a character who has something big affecting their worldview (eg. a disability like blindness) since that kinda forces you to be careful how you describe the world through their eyes and can pinpoint details that switch between different worldviews. I know this practice won't work for everyone but it did to me and thought I'd share it