LRP: it is WILDLY disheartening to see just how many ways there are out there to divorce the fic from its author when the readers “just really want to read” and I don’t blame people at all if their response is to quit writing fic. I hate it, but I don’t blame them.

In case you missed it, we made this essay public this morning. It truly did mark an inflection point, leading to the mess we're in now. It's notable that the biggest thing I'm seeing from fic writers in response to the past few days is "I might be done."

Fansplaining@fansplaining.bsky.social · 8h ago

As AI-generated sites with millions of scraped AO3 works (at least one of which is charging $) popped up this weekend, @elizabethminkel.bsky.social's late 2024 piece on an inflection point for "fic as endless content" feels more relevant than ever. Unlocked now—read or listen to an audio version:

⚠️ AO3 is aware of the AO3.life copy website and is taking action. Please take care, fellow creators, and don’t fall for phishing scams from these assholes. Don’t engage if you’re a reader, don’t sign up, and don’t try to make takedown requests if you are a writer. ⚠️

From the AO3 community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the AO3 community

reddit.com

Info from OTW Legal, alt text added. The post has an edit: do not contact the website. Let the legal team handle this.

🌈 Deea 🦋 Space Waffles@poopsiekittens.bsky.social · 6h ago

Here is the entire Reddit post for those who don’t have an account.

[megaphone] gale dekarios is a squishy mage who spends all his time in a tower full of books he would be SOFT!!!! in the BELLY!!!!

and this is what the devil does@painiac.bsky.social · 7d ago

My version of 'they would not fucking say that' is 'they would NOT have perfect sixpack abs'

!!! noooooooope yikes

BrambleBrake@bramblebrake.bsky.social · 3d ago

There have been AI-coded sites popping up that scrape the shared Google Drives and the works in them. Considering the stance most authors have on LLMs in fandom spaces, this is really going too far.

🧵

Elizabeth Minkel@elizabethminkel.bsky.social · 3d ago

It's interesting that AO3 is down for such a lengthy stretch during what's arguably the most consumption-oriented/extractive era in fanfic's history. People dumping thousands of fics on gdrive are being hailed as heroes, drowning out fic writers saying, I didn't consent to be *republished* there.

Rating: Explicit Relationship: ao3/everyone Additional Tags: edging, involuntary celibacy, chastity kink, sadism, orgasm control

Oh no, RIP Patrick Stewart 😭 This one hurts.

While Ao3 is down, I do back my fics up to a dreamwidth account. I'm not fully up to date so some of my most recent ones aren't there yet but otherwise: megatron.dreamwidth.org

Wow fingers crossed and in the meantime thank you to the AO3 team for their hard work!

AO3 Status@status.archiveofourown.org · 4d ago

[update] Identified: We estimate that service restoration for #AO3 will take around 2 weeks but it could be up to 4 weeks. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring the site back up in a degraded state sooner. If that does happen, there may be times when the site has ...

fanfic writers are desperate to know if you enjoyed the fic AT ALL. it is not cringe to say you loved it or to drop some emojis in reaction. what is cringe is pretending the writer doesn't exist and isn't a person with feelings like you.

Razz 😈🐀@razzdazz.northsky.social · 6d ago

Didn't wanna retype alla this from my Tumblr so have a screenshot with alt text about why you should comment directly on a fic if you want the fic writer to know you like their fic!

uuuuuuuuugggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

Cassandra, what's your opinion on EA and everything that's happened? Cassandra:

that look when someone asks you your favorite dragon age companion as if you don't love like... the vast majority of them for different reasons and how dare you insinuate that I have a favorite when blackwall okay it's blackwall

Hi! I borrowed $300m from the worst people in the world to buy your favourite thing! Now your favourite thing owes me $300m and sadly it looks like it can’t pay me back so I’ve taken it out back and shot it. Anyways, just wanted to ask… what’s your *second* favourite thing?

Very heavy news as our former studio, BioWare closes its doors today. It was a formative place for many. However, many former BioWare devs are scattered around the industry. Find them, support them. Like, follow, comment and help us prove there is still support for the types of games we make!

gonna keep aging those dragons

Feels like a good time to revisit this thread. The Dragon Age games are central to my life, and this is a big part of why.

cantori diamond@cantoridiamond.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I don't know about CHANGED my life, but Dragon Age Inquisition might've SAVED mine. I had a truly horrific 2nd trimester miscarriage in 2015 that involved what I know in hindsight to be medical malpractice and a transfer of hospitals halfway through, and DAI got me through the grief and rage of it.

if you're EA and you know it fuck yourself if you're EA and you know it fuck yourself if you're EA and you know it all you do is fucking blow it if you're EA and you know it fuck yourself

Jason Schreier@jasonschreier.bsky.social · 2w ago

BREAKING: Electronic Arts is cutting 400 jobs and shutting down BioWare, the legendary development studio behind Dragon Age and Mass Effect. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

RIP BioWare. 30 years of devoted gaming. Fuck EA for real.

2007!? You mean to tell me none pizza with left beef is 19 years old!? No. I refuse.

Wyatt Sinclair@crumblsucks.wyattswickedgoods.com · 2w ago

Happy None Pizza, Left Beef Day to all who celebrate. The infamous order came on this day in 2007.

Started the Astarion audiobook this morning!

I see we're having a debate about whether it's okay to go back to "X," the site owned by a trillionaire fascist who is currently bankrolling the GOP's midterm, throttled Ukraine's war effort, and still winkingly allows vast amounts of CSAM on his service Answer: No, what the fuck is wrong with you

This might be the greatest film poster I've ever seen.

sounding the Blackwall klaxon please and thank you, here's some plotless smut inspired by some banter in Haven: archiveofourown.org/works/94805106

40% of the entire global population plays video games 67% of the US population plays video games at least once a week The average US gamer is 37 years old More then 7 in 10 Millennials (ages 30-45), 56% of Gen X (45-61), and half of Baby Boomers (62-80) play weekly @michael-feinberg.bsky.social

🤌 i'm playin' music 'ere 🤌

Possum Acquainter@possumacquainter.bsky.social · 3w ago

what the hell is this music school teaching my kid

spooky vibes AND a great message, a+ well done

Greenb3ar@greenb3ar.bsky.social · 3w ago

Okay the best political ad of the year is here from LA-DSA

[squints] did I see Halsin hate on the tl ‘cause I ain’t havin’ any of that [closes bsky]