@izzyizumi / izzyizumi.tumblr.com
Hey. You there. Frustrated writer banging your head on your keyboard, trying to force words to come out.
It’s okay.
Words are shy creatures. They don’t respond well to aggression. Be kind. Be Patient. Sometimes they need a bit of rest before they’re ready to come out. You’re not a hack. You haven’t forgotten how to write. The words feel wrong because they’re not ready. There’s no shame in taking a break. Go for a walk. Watch a movie. Take a trip somewhere you’ve been wanting to go. The words will still be there when you get back. Just give them time, and cut yourself some slack.
It’s gonna be ok. I mean it.
No means No, even if it's a big name author with tons of lawyers behind them. When they say "please don't show me fan fic," that's enough, and, if they give more detail about why, you don't get to judge whether you think they're telling the truth or not
To clarify: I saw a post where someone said they didn't believe that Big Name Authors were genuinely afraid of being sued, but that instead they were just snobs who hated fanfic and thought saying "oh no I could get sued" was more polite than sharing their true feelings
Another author shared a detailed, eloquent explanation of what a bad take that was, and all of the points were 100% valid
but
No Means No
and I was just so baffled that the OP was more willing to spin a tale of authors all agreeing to the same lie about not wanting to get sued so they could hide their disdain for their fans, than just respecting the requests not to do it
Authors who hate fanfic are not afraid to say so.
Authors who love fanfic are not afraid to say so.
We are not collectively in the business of lying for free. We get paid for that. So no, we're not running a mass conspiracy to lie to you about our feelings.
You don’t own fanfics. They’re inherently public domain because they aren’t your IP. Agree or disagree with AI, there are no grounds for “protection” from AI because it isn’t your IP to begin with. That’s what you chose when you chose this medium
Oh dear.
Okay, you get an answer, because at least you took the effort to write your ask out properly, even if you are hiding behind the grey, sunglassed circle.
Do I, or any fanfic author for that matter, have any legal claims to our work? No, not really, no. (Although if someone took a fic, filed off the serial number--deleted the fandom specific elements--, and then had it published for financial gain, yeah, that would be a case.)
BUT
Disrepectfully,
Orlissa
(i can't believe I have to say this)
Also this is not true. You do in fact have the copyright to the specific writing you did in a fic, because that's not how copyright law works. Like this is not a grey area.
People who write IP content for corporations give up their copyright on a contractual basis--the company wants writing they can sell about characters/settings they own without getting entangled in royalty obligations etc, so they hire people. Who sign contracts saying they don't own what they write as part of that job.
That's why you don't own Star Wars stuff you wrote for Disney; you specifically agreed not to own it.
Writing for IP you don't own leaves you in a position where you can't legally monetize it (without taking out the Owned parts ad rebranding), but it absolutely does not automatically cede or void copyright. That is super not a thing.
SUPER not a thing, I cannot say this enough.
Do not perform that kind of massive corporate overreach for them. Holy shit. Do they not own enough.
It’s fascinating that this misconception of copyright still exists. Haven’t we all seen the posts on here where authors beg fans to please not send them fanfic of their works? They’re not doing that because they feel like it, they do that because fans legally own their words and ideas, and an author who takes them even unintentionally can in fact end up in real legal trouble for taking something that’s not theirs. It doesn’t matter whether they own the canon.
This.
Copyright is the most basic of protections for all writers. If there’s anything professional/career writers want spread around, it’s the knowledge that all writers have the same protections that copyright confers on us.
Astonishing indeed that anon would attempt to upbraid somebody on copyright issues when, themselves, they understand them so poorly.
The idea that because you don’t own Batman, your Batman fanfic is public domain is one the DC-Warner Bros’ lawyers would take exception to as well. They know they don’t own the fanfic, but they own the hell out of Batman. Public domain? Not hardly!
Masking isn't a manipulation tactic, it's a shield, and one that I hope I can put down for good some day.
If you’re dealing with chronic illness like me, I just want to remind you that you aren’t failing because you can’t “positive” think your symptoms away. You aren’t failing if you can’t use “mind over matter”.
You can’t will your body to work the way you want it to, and that really sucks, but you aren’t a failure for it.
Stop seeing people who live alone as something temporary. Stop assuming they’re waiting to marry to live with someone. Living alone and not marrying for the rest of one’s lives are also options.
{Above score being what I get when I'm NOT Trying.}
true or false, everyone should be making their best effort 100% of the time, it’s lazy to do otherwise.
excellent! now true or false: leisure time is only valuable if you spend it productively. if you are not creating something or enriching yourself, you are just wasting time.
terrific work!
so logically, you can stop feeling guilty about “wasting” time on “useless” things, because it’s neither wasteful nor useless if you enjoy it.
no!!!! no that is not the message you are supposed to take from this! Bad tumblr!!!!
It is very true that you shouldn’t consistently be putting far more effort into a friendship or other relationship than the other person, but I see quite a few people take that fact a step too far and expect a level of dedication and attention from their loved ones which is both unhealthy and unrealistic in order for them to count as a “real” friend.
So here’s a reminder that no matter how much your loved ones love you, their lives don’t revolve around you - and that’s okay! That’s how it’s supposed to be and it does not mean that they do not care about you.
Sometimes your loved ones will forget to answer a text and leave you on read - not because they don’t care about you, but because they got interrupted by something and then got distracted by it.
Sometimes your loved ones will be too busy to hang out - not because they don’t care about you, but because like everyone else, they have limited energy and might need to prioritize other things sometimes.
Sometimes your loved ones will not be able to drop everything in order to come be there for you - not because they don’t want to, but because they have their own responsibilities and plans which they need to stay on top of.
Sometimes your loved ones won’t notice that you’re struggling until you tell them directly - not because they don’t care, but because they aren’t mind readers and likely don’t have the time or the energy required to analyze your every move.
Sometimes your loved ones will say no to you - not because they do not love you, but because we all have boundaries and limits and can’t always do everything other people ask us to no matter how much we care.
Sometimes your loved ones will say the wrong thing and hurt you - not because they hate you, but because everyone makes mistakes.
Sometimes your loved ones won’t be in the mood to talk or hang out - not because they have a problem with you, but because we all have days where we’re not in the mood to be around other people.
My point is that in a healthy friendship, there has to be room for all of the above. There has to be room for being too busy or too tired, there has to be room for mistakes, there has to be room for saying no, there has to be room for everyone involved to live a life which doesn’t constantly revolve around being there for your loved ones.
You should obviously not accept mistreatment and it’s okay to distance yourself from people who does not put actual effort into being a positive part of your life, but expecting your friends to ALWAYS be available EVERY TIME you need them is neither healthy or fair. Cause when everything comes down to it, they’re their own person with their own life and not a NPC in yours - and that’s important to remember.
You do not owe it to ANYONE, even yourself, to reach your absolute maximum “potential”
I think you should try to lead a good life. To lead a happy life. To do good deeds, and to find a life you can be proud of. But you don’t need to force the absolute highest possible achievement out of yourself. You don’t need to live your entire life without making any mistakes, or missing any opportunities. You are allowed to take it easy sometimes. You are allowed to be human.
Maybe you have made some big mistakes that got you “off track” in a major way. That’s ok! It doesn’t mean you wasted your life. Maybe you aren’t doing as much as you possibly could each day. That’s ok too! There is no score in life. There is no one best path. You are enough, I promise <3
oh my god will it fucking kill you to say “they”
That is a fuckin mess
If they go by “they”, just use fucking “they”. Jesus fucking christ it costs 0 cents to be a decent human fucking being and use the correct pronouns
One thing I would love to see fandom get away from is an obsession with canon. So many fans seem unhappy when what they wanted to see doesn’t become canon, and I am here to tell you that this is exactly what fandom should be for!
Canon is great and all, and if you’re jiving with it, fantastic. But if you’re not, if canon veers in a direction you don’t enjoy, or there are just aspects of canon that aren’t your thing, then fandom is exactly the place you should be able to disregard them. Explore whatever rabbit hole you like. Create alternate timelines to suit your tastes, ship non-canon ships, ship all the ships, end things differently. Do what you like, and stop getting hung up on what canon says. Fandom should be about pursuing your joy, even if (and often especially if) that joy veers of the well-trod canon paths.
Canon is a guideline that brings us all together. It’s not the law. It’s not the only path you can walk. Please, I’m telling you, the sooner you give up canon fundamentalism and embrace the fanon that makes you happiest, the healthier and happier everyone is going to be in fandom.
hey so some people are just happier & more functional not living with a partner. this isn’t necessarily even an aromantic thing. some people are just genuinely better-suited to living alone, no matter their relationship status.
not everyone needs to move in with their partner, and moving in together doesn’t have to be the ultimate goal of every serious relationship.
and some people would rather live with friends or roommates, even if they’re in a committed relationship with someone they’re not living with! there are more long-term options than “live alone” and “live with your partner”
this! is a very good addition!!!
You don’t stop existing to your loved ones when they aren’t talking to you. It’s very likely they think of you when they see stuff that reminds them of you. Maybe it’s seeing that dog on the street and thinking you’d love it. Maybe it’s them getting to eat a hot dog and remembering that time you hung out all night and ate way too many of them. Maybe it’s them going to see a movie and thinking back on how the last time they saw one was with you.
It’s also likely they think about you and wonder how you’re doing.
I know it can be hard to remember but you do still exist and matter to people when you can’t see each other.
fic writer: I need to spend months writing a detailed backstory justifying everything I actually want to write before I can write the good part
me (internally);
me (externally): have you considered just starting at the good part? It’s called in media res. It’s a whole thing.
fic writer: but I have to establish-
me: characters and tropes your readers are already familiar with? The concept of an alternate universe? The reason why two characters are in a relationship, even though your reader has clicked on a story labelled as those characters being in a relationship?
fic writer: but-
me: it’s okay. This isn’t school. You can still get an A in fic writing without all that stuff.
me: need a hug?
