So You're Telling Me My Texan Drawl Is The OG British? Fuck Me I Got Them Original Colonizer Way Of Speaking.

@novice-at-everything thank you!! I appreciate your insight! You bring up a good observation regarding their differing backgrounds that got me thinking hard in the shower just now!

You're right, Din's first experience with Mandalorians has him viewing them as honorable, noble protectors who he has awe and gratitude for. And I think that leads to him being vulnerable to blind loyalty to the wrong people. And that doesn't mean bad people, but rather people who can bring out the worst version of himself or erase his potential (like Ran's Crew and Xi'an). Because of how Din sees his covert, it means he's blind to how strict their honor code is. Despite the zealous nature they nurtured and "them vs us" mindset, Din grew up to be the most open minded and caring man. The speech Din gave to Bo about honor and character was ironic not just because Din has no idea how awful Bo has been to everyone in her life, but because those traits don't fit The Armorer or anyone in his cult, even Paz. Everything Din listed was conditional to them and I have no doubt that Paz or the Armorer would have gone above and beyond for others out of the goodness of their heart if they weren't Mandalorians or part of their specific sect. I just don't, and it's not an attack on either of their characters it's just an honest observation. I feel like Din's taken the worst aspects of his cult and made them into admirable traits recognized by not just himself but others as well, which is why Bo is both flabbergasted and awed by his reverence for his Creed and people even if she doesn't agree with it. And that's where I do think Din is vulnerable to unintentional manipulation from Bo who does want things to be the same as they were and have control due to birth right rather than craving genuine leadership for the right reasons.

Now Bo? Bo was raised in that honor with a sister whose character was saintlike and yet she turned out to be insanely bigoted, hateful, and morally gray. I do want to mention that I don't think it was necessarily just Bo wanting things to go back to how she remembered Mandalorian as a child, but rather disagreeing with Sabine's way of handling democracy. She approached everything as a pacifist which was controversial for Mandalorian culture but all of her choices were for her people and ensuring peace during the time of the Clone Wars and the rise of Dooku, Mal, and Palpatine. Bo thought they needed to go back to their warrior roots and that peace was a naive option to go after which pushed her to joining extremist groups that held her views as strongly as she did and didn't care who was hurt in that process as long as her vision of Mandalore was achievable. And that's where I do disagree with you, I think Bo's memories of Mandalore even before Satine's rule was always muddled and I think Bo would be dissatisfied with establishing what she thought she had remembered of her childhood home when you can't recreate memories without viewing them through an adult lens. And she has decades of guilt, sins, and ill choices that have jaded her and will only make that more bittersweet and unsatisfactory than not.

It's just interesting how the environment they were raised in as Mandalorians somehow pushed them to be the opposite of what they were taught in childhood. I obviously agree with you about Din's leadership and how forced Bo's is. I really do think it's because we've had history with her character that we can't shake or forgive just yet and with how easy things have been for her it just makes any attempt at something else doesn't feel organic. Bo has too much history for it to not feel forced, cause we've seen this story 3 times now for her and it's just gotten old and she's too familiar and selfish to have that reluctant leader trope placed on her. She's always wanted power and to rule the Mandlorians/Mandalore so there's nothing natural about her suddenly being the fallen, reluctant hero that the planet and other Mandos need to redeem herself of her war crimes and be a true leader. I'd follow Din into Mordore but Bo? I wouldn't follow her into a police station. She has a long way to go before she can be the leader of anyone or thing and I really hope she realizes that in the next episode and that her ego regarding this and refusing to be fully honest to Din and the others about the awful things she's done won't get her killed cause that also just feels cheap.

Din vs Bo as a Leader

I've seen people say that Bo is the rightful ruler of Mandalore and owner of the darksaber and deserves to lead and I'm genuinely curious to hear from others as to why that is because I'm having a very hard time seeing that point of view. Semi-spoilerish for people who aren't up to date but I kept it vague enough to not be a problem I don't think.

Since CW and Rebels, Bo has continually made choices that negatively impact the people around her. She's a morally gray character who has a list of war crimes on her rep sheet that honestly makes some real life bad guys look green and it baffles me that people want her redemption to be easy. I'm not saying she should never be redeemed, I genuinely believe people should have the chance to turn over a new leaf cause being human is hard, but how she's acting and being treated in Mando feels like a middle finger to those her actions caused harm to. Like she can be sad about her sister all she wants but she willingly joined a terrorist group who spelt it out for her that they planned on publicly executing Satine and followed the orders of two Sith lords, and she didn't see that as a deal breaker. Being sad over that is like being upset that you got shot in the foot when you fired the gun yourself when you continue to make choices that negatively impact others. And this season alone Bo hasn't tried to be a leader to her people, she cared more about the title and the weapon it comes with than actual democracy. She wields it well, yes, but so did Sabine who taught her how and gave her the weapon despite not knowing how badly Bo has fucked up with it in the past. The moment the darksaber was in Din's hands and she lost her crew, she didn't try to scout Mandalore and find other Mandalorians to help her with her decades long failed plan. She didn't try to put any plans together with outside help to achieve her goal or even try to establish a new territory for her people to be safe on until they can find a way to make Mandalore a livable again. She was never an active leader, just someone who craved leadership and believed was owed it because of her birth right and that reflects in the selfish choices she's made while in a leadership position, which include harming Din and Paz. She didn't lead her people into the siege and trap that awaited them, Din did. He shouldered and strong armed his way through and was willingly going to sacrifice himself if it meant a safe planet for his people and foundling. And she wasn't the last out, Paz was, and for that his clan suffered major losses. She had focused more on weapons and supplies for her fleet and siege than the actual people who would help her achieve her goal, and not once has she discussed what she planned on doing once Mandalore was safe for all Mandalorians again. Reuniting and rebuilding isn't the same as establishing a political system that benefits the well being of her people with the promise of a stable economy, fair societal roles, establishing an intergalactic democracy to avoid what Nevarro went through, and combining the differing traditions/beliefs the remaining Mandalorians have to not favor one over the other and unintentionally cause a civil war. Each time she's gained leadership it's always met with mixed support, often not universally, and has led to her downfall three times now for a reason.

Just the same, I've seen people argue that Din doesn't want to lead/rule and isn't the kind of man who'd be a good leader and I strongly disagree. Since the first episode, Din established himself as a selfless character even if it irritated him to be accommodating. He still tried to compromise with the Jawas, didn't turn his back to Frog Lady needing a ride, was willingly going to sacrifice himself to a Krayt Dragon for people he had just met and entrusted with Grogu, went head first into every battle even for people who didn't deserve it (Ran's Crew), was everyone's Ride or Die at least once, became multilingual which was used more to keep the peace than to gain information on his quarries, and has united and mediated more unlikely foes to friends than anyone else in the SW universe. Even if his actions originated with a selfish need (gaining Boba's armor back for Mandalorians, exchanging his services for info on where Mandalorians/Jedi are for Grogu, etc) he still went above and beyond because it's the honorable and right thing to do and his compassion has earned him friendships across the galaxy and allyship on every planet he's visited whereas Bo can't get even her own people behind her without a legendary sword in her hand. You can't tell me all the people Din met on his journey WOULDN'T lay down their lives for him if he asked?? Paz already did despite Din's choice to rescue Grogu despite unintentionally causing a massacre because Paz recognized the selflessness behind Din's choice that carried over to Paz's own foundling and that is what gained his respect and allyship. Din hadn't asked for anything in return, and his own motive for moving the covert was so that their children could play in the sun and the future generations can flourish. I'm fairly certain even Sorgon would join forces whether it's to take care of Din if he had a bad head cold or taking back a whole planet for him. Same with Peli and her droids, Tusken Raider survivors, Freetown, Boba and his syndicates, Frog Lady and her hoard of warrior toddlers, Karga and the grateful people of Nevarro, Ahsoka, and Miggs Mayfield. We've made jokes about Din accidentally making friends all over the galaxy for a reason. He's so selfless that he never saw himself worthy of his Creed, of being Grogu's father, of being a leader when everyone else has told him otherwise. Din's view on leadership reflects his own self esteem wrecked by his cult and it would take everyone he's ever helped to make him see that he is the leader that the galaxy needs to reunite not just The Mandalorians, but all the people and their planets I mentioned. Leadership comes with a burden for Bo, but for Din, it comes with the strength and camaraderie Bo has only ever dreamed of having and that The Armorer overlooked because of her narrow, traditional views. And this is a side comment, but Din mastered riding the stubborn Blurgg after Kuill made fun of him for not being able to conquer it when Mandalorians rode Mythosaurs into battle. Din riding a Mythosaur would be a great call back to that and would gain more respect as a leader than just having the darksaber. In my opinion.

I genuinely hope Bo comes to these conclusions herself and recognizes that Din is more deserving of the role than anyone else and passes the darksaber back to him and helps him see his potential than just saving the day yet again from the very gun she shot everyone with. Redemption for her starts with letting go of the very thing that's plagued her her whole life and leadership is recognizing when you need more time before you can be the example people need to be the best versions of themselves. This isn't a Bo hate post or any stan post, this is a fan post who wants a fair redemption arc for Bo and a chance for Din to rise up to the best version of himself he's capable of being. So yes, I want to hear everyone's thoughts whether you agree or disagree that doesn't involve Bo being the rightful heir or wanting her redemption cause you like her as a character. I want to hear deeper reasons than surface level motives, cause as I said, your favorite hurting over the consequences of her decades long actions she never learns from isn't a good enough reason for her to lead or have the darksaber but I'm down for any other explanations people have regardless if you're a casual fan of the show or lifelong SW fans like myself.

I'm so glad you're here!! Welcome!! I haven't mentioned my new Tumblr account on AO3 so I'm so glad you found me in the meantime!! I'm definitely dropping this story tomorrow, I just need to do a quick edit!

Work kicked my ass today, I've honestly looking forward to bed since 6 P.M but had enough energy to come on and say thank you for your support and I'm so excited for you to read this second part ❤️

Coming Soon

The heat and work have kicked my ass these past few days, but I'm hoping to drop my next fic either tonight or tomorrow! Friday at the absolute latest! Here's a sneak peek of the art for those who are interested!

I know there’s other posts out there but I wanted to make a comprehensive post about being completely inclusive when writing reader inserts. Everyone has their own perspective and ideas so I wanted to share my thoughts and tips that I use myself when I’m writing. Of course I most likely forgot things as well so feel free to add on if you think of something I missed and I’ll add it to the list here!

Quicke note before we get to it: if you spot something on this list that you’ve done before, don’t beat yourself up about it. We all slip up and make mistakes. Just learn from it and keep it in mind for the future! As readers, we understand that it’s near impossible to include every single individual that could possibly read your work, but the point is to be as inclusive as possible with your writing.

Under a cut for length and to make sure you always see the most updated list when you click on it! Reblogs are very much appreciated too, especially if you’re a writer so we can all learn and grow and be better!

~

Labeling your reader (a guide to terminology)

Gender neutral (gn)- no pronouns, no gendered nicknames, no mentions of genitals

Assigned female at birth (afab)- no pronouns, no gendered nicknames, reader usually has a vagina

Assigned male at birth (amab)- no pronouns, no gendered nicknames, reader usually has a penis

Female/fem/f- she/her pronouns, traditionally femme nicknames, reader usually has a vagina

Male/m- he/him pronouns, traditionally masc nicknames, reader usually has a penis

Non-binary (nb)- usually they/them pronouns, reader can have either a vagina or a penis

If you do want to assign your reader character some type of label, please tag it appropriately. Lots of poc writers like to write black, Latine, Asian, etc readers for example. Or other examples are plus size reader, short reader, tall reader, nerdy reader, shy reader, sporty reader, etc.

Don’t be afraid to write a trans character too! Trans characters can have either the opposite genitalia from their birth assignment or the same, everyone is different! There’s a big lack in trans reader representation!

Please note too that just because reader is labeled one way does not necessarily mean they are cisgender. People can be non-binary and use she/her or he/him pronouns. There’s no need to label your reader as cis at all

And please don’t label your readers' sexuality as straight. Bi/pan/demi/queer people can be attracted to a male character but that does not mean they are exclusively into men. It alienates queer readers.

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Inclusive with skin tones

Please do not use “blush” or “flush” or anything like that! I know that’s one of the top issues when being inclusive with skin tones. Instead, try something like “you felt your skin heat up” or “your palms felt sweaty” or “you felt flustered.” Focus more on the emotions and what reader is feeling or thinking or physically reacting rather than saying reader blushed.

Be careful when describing bruises or injuries. Not all bruises get bright red for example. Instead, try mentioning blood stain, swelling, or just use “discolored” or “beat up” or something like that.

Not everyone’s skin turns red when slapped so just avoid “your skin reddened” altogether.

Not everyone has pink nipples, just skip describing the color altogether

Or pink lips. Again just skip the color description

While all skin is able to get burned, not everyone’s skin turns red/pink from being in the sun. Instead use more feeling descriptors like “your skin felt hot from the sun” or even describing peeling would be ok.

Don’t say that reader looks like an established character.

“Knuckles turned white” doesn’t happen with everyone so just leave it out. Focus more on muscles straining or something instead.

Avoid the phrase “you look white as a ghost” when referring to reader.

If you want to mention makeup, just leave it general and don’t specify colors or shades or anything like that. Not all shades show up the same on all skin tones.

~

Inclusive with hair

Not everyone can run their fingers through their hair. Textured/curly hair gets caught or someone may not have hair long enough (or any hair) to run their fingers through.

Instead, try something like “fiddled with your fingers/ear/clothes”

Not everyone has hair long enough to tie up/back so it’s best to just not mention it at all. Your reader can just imagine how they want their hair for the scene.

If you want a more formal look, just “you styled yourself nicely” something like that is enough.

Some people enjoy hair pulling in sex, some don’t. If you want to include it, just make sure to add it in the tags/warnings so readers are aware before they get into it

~

Inclusive with language

Please don’t assume your reader doesn’t speak Spanish! (This is aimed mostly at those who write Latino characters because I see this a lot)

If a character is speaking Spanish, you can either use italics to indicate the language change or provide a translation right there. Avoid adding “you didn’t understand” with that.

Instead you can use something like “you didn’t hear” so your reader can interpret for themselves if it’s because they don’t understand or they simply didn’t hear.

I know it’s tempting but please don’t use google translate to write in another language. It’s fine or a word or a phrase but when it goes into full sentences then it gets a little funky. Try consulting with a native speaker if you can!

When writing in Spanish, please note that n and ñ are not interchangeable!

~

Inclusive with body shape and size

Don’t assume your reader is thin or short and the character can easily pick them up or toss them around. If you want to specify a short reader, please tag it.

Also the opposite: done assume reader is taller than a character too!

Limbs generally don’t weigh as much so something like “he hiked you leg over his shoulder” while laying down is more inclusive (I’m short and can pick up limbs from my clients at my day job so trust me your leg itself doesn’t weigh a lot)

Avoid “you got up on your tiptoes to kiss him” because not everyone is short. Instead just say “leaned over/in to kiss” or “angled yourself to kiss” something more generalized

Usually describing a hug/holding reader/cuddling is fine but don’t get overly specific on how much a character is able to wrap their arms around the reader and fit their arms fully around reader. Writing a tight embrace or an engulfing hug should still be fine since it can be a show of emotions.

Wearing a characters clothes. Not everyone can fit their fav’s size and not everyone will “drown in his shirt.”

Again the opposite is true too: not everyone has curves or thick thighs or big breasts or a big ass. Plus size and curvy readers are important to write too since representation is lacking, but just be sure to tag it properly!

~

Inclusive with background in general

Be careful when describing readers family because that can be hard for some readers. Not everyone has a good relationship with their family. Yes sometimes a backstory is needed for plot and people can pretend for the sake of the story. Just be sure to include in your warnings for the story, especially if it’s either a really good or really bad relationship.

Religion. Just don’t mention it at all.

Around the holidays especially, Christmas fics are very popular but please be aware that not everyone celebrates the same holidays! Be sure to tag and warn for any holidays that they could be celebrating.

Don’t make your reader biologically related to a white character. If you absolutely want to, there’s options like step family, adopted, childhood friends that are closer than family, etc.

Reader’s job is usually something you have more leeway with but just be sure to tag it appropriately. Disabled readers for example can’t always imagine themselves in certain jobs so it’s just something to keep in mind.

When creating a backstory for reader, try to think outside your own experience and make sure it’s not something that poc readers can’t relate to or wouldn’t have had the same experience from.

This one is more aimed at Americans but please remember that not everyone reading lives in the US. Sometimes yes, a setting is necessary, but please be open to the fact that people from all over the world read fics.

There’s really no need to give your reader an age as it can alienate a lot of readers. Sometimes it can be inferred through context but I find that outright giving reader a specific age is very excluding.

If you’re at the point where your reader has a name, it’s no longer a reader insert but an original character. Nicknames or code names are totally fine, but please don’t give reader a name.

~

Inclusive with art and moodboards

Please include poc when making moodboards for your fics!! I know from personal experience it can be hard to find the right pic you want, but I promise with some digging it’s possible.

Follow models of color pages here on tumblr, there’s unsplash, Pinterest (I know it’s not the best site but I have found a lot of poc pics there) and other sites too. Curate pictures to save for later when you can!

When it comes to art for reader insert fics, please don’t default to a white woman all the time. My personal opinion is that reader should be just a shadowy figure or outline or something vague like that. Or use a few different body types and skin tones.

~

General inclusive tips

These aren't specific to skin tone or anything but rather little things that can help your reader feel more immersed in your story in general. I know some writers have a specific image in mind when writing but these are little things I’ve noticed that can knock the fantasy out for me so I wanted to share some thoughts and pointers. These are lower pressure points and not as big a deal but I did want to include them anyway.

Instead of specifying food or drink, write something like “your favorite (whatever)” or don’t even mention what they make or eat. Just say they made something or they ate something, your readers can fill in for themselves that’s on the plate

If a character buys reader flowers or something, don’t specify the flower. Either leave it vague or use “your favorite flowers”

Instead of a specific outfit, leave it vague or don’t mention at all. Sometimes a certain kind of outfit is required for situations (like a formal event or ball or something), but even then you can use something like “a gown in your favorite color” or “a formal outfit that flattered you well.”

In the case of an AU or a fantasy setting you have more wiggle room with clothing but still try to leave it more vague if possible.

Same with shoes. Not everyone likes/can wear heels so keep that in mind

~

To wrap up, please be aware when writing your reader inserts. It’ll get easier with practice the more you consciously do it! And please listen to poc writers/readers when we ask for inclusivity! And support writers of color too! Thank you for reading and taking it all in because I know this was a lot!

Kinktober Day 1: Dirty Talk

Kinktober 2022 Masterlist

Pre First Season of The Mandalorian

Pairing: Din Djarin x GN!Reader

Summary: Innocent teasing takes an unexpected turn.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: dirty talk, mutual pining, non-con dirty talk (both are into it), some humor, implied smut

Word Count: 847

In the time you had known the man, you were certain The Mandalorian wasn’t fond of you. Tolerated you, yes, but fond? Eh. And you were fine with that. Although, at one point, you had wondered if maybe the metal man had a thing for you.

It had been earlier on in your working relationship that you had noticed lingering stares when he thought you weren’t looking and unnecessary touches when he passed you by. Always finding ways to look and touch, but just for a moment. Never anything longer.

You were the Guild’s go-to hacker and resident tech genius, the person one would hire when they needed to get into someplace they couldn't get access to or a second set of eyes. It was on a surveillance job for Mando when you accidentally spilled your freshly made caf on yourself during a job and noticed the way Mando faltered in his step through one camera you had hacked.

At first, you thought you had imagined it and shrugged it off as a glitch. Nothing changed between you and Mando after, so you let it go. But when another incident involving smacking your knee hard into the bottom of your ship’s control board left you groaning into your mic unintentionally, your eyes flicked up to the monitor that had access to a camera in Mando’s helmet in time to see the stutter in his step from his own point of view.

You couldn’t hide the smile from spreading across your face even if you wanted to.

If you bumped or spilled anything while on a job with him, you ensured any groan or whimper would be followed by a breathy “fuck” that was probably more sensual than needed but you couldn’t help it. Watching his reactions from the safety of your ship brought you more satisfaction than they should have.

The touches grew longer and bolder, and he stopped being as careful about his lingering stare. The mindful but short-lived interactions were slowly being replaced with needier tension that oozed off of the Mandalorian in waves. It didn’t take long for others to notice as well, but when you weren’t in the safety of your ship, you played the role of cluelessly uninterested well enough. Maybe too well.

The groans, moans, whimpers, and sensual swears walked so that sultry responses to any of Mando’s work-related questions over the intercom could run. Some weren’t dirty, just the tone, others you turned into innuendos whenever you thought was subtly appropriate.

“The power behind the thrust was remarkable. When entering hyperspace, that is.”

“Is that what you came for? It’s so big, how will it fit? In your bag, I mean.”

“Have you ever wondered what happens to nuts in space? I need to stock up on my rations and I just realized I’ve never gotten a container of nuts before.”

“In regard to taste, the teabag was better the second time around. Remind me to lend you some next time we meet up, I think you’ll like the flavor.”

Listening to Mando’s hitch and change in breathing, the adjustments in his steps, and the deeper his voice became while talking to his bounties after hearing you brought you all the joy you needed. You were sure to mute yourself when you touched yourself but eventually became bold with that as well.

At the end of the day, Mando was still a man and even warriors have limits. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that enough was enough, but it did when after a particularly sensual moan and many slipped-in innuendos later that you heard the Mandalorian say “fuck it” to himself and abandoning the stakeout he had been occupying the last twenty-four hours.

You ripped your hand from your pants as you tried to understand what was going on. Was there an ambush? Did the quarry flee? Fuck, you were hired to do one job and you might’ve screwed this up for Mando. In your panic, flipping through cameras near and within the bounty’s hideout, you missed how fast the Mandalorian was running or how he wasn’t heading in the direction of his own ship.

Loud, consistent bangs ripped you from your thoughts and the yelp that left you was humiliating, wondering if the reason Mando abandoned his post was that the quarry had somehow realized the warrior wasn't working alone and that his partner was parked on the other side of the city from where he was hiding.

A gasp left your lips when, instead of seeing the bounty, your eyes took in the tall and imposing figure of the Mandalorian looking up at you through your own camera. You smoothed your hair and caught your breath before lowering the lamp, prepared to bombard the warrior with questions regarding the mission when he pushed you against the closest wall, chest heaving.

"M-mando?" you tried to keep your thoughts clear and willed yourself to ignore how hard he was as he ground himself against your hip.

“You’ve played your game for too long, it’s my turn. Now strip.”

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know it's not full smut, but I wanted to play around with this with literal wordplay cause I love it when people are able to make anything sound dirty and we all know Din would go feral after a while. I have a few of these written but haven't had the time to post so expect a few back-to-backs in the next day or so. See all you horny sluts soon enough! Enjoy, it'll get spicier with the other shorts.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

My new meds make my skin throw a fit. It’s not terribly bad, just a few things here and there, but it’s bumming me out because I’ve never really had too many run-ins with acne.

My four-year-old sister, however, is under the impression that it’s just “3D freckles”, and that they look very, very pretty. She wants all of my freckles to “pop out”, especially the ones across my nose; they’re her favourite.

And it puts me in this weird position where I can’t say, “No, this is acne, and it’s bad,” because I don’t want to teach her that it’s a bad to have unclear skin, you know?

Because the more I think about interactions I have with children, the more I realise that children will consistently compliment “flaws” until they’ve been taught not to.

Like, a kid at the library, whose sister has vitiligo, saw my scars once and suggested that his sister and I should be cats for Halloween, since I have “tabby skin” and she has “calico skin”. “I can be a black cat,” he immediately added. “It’s not AS cool, but they’re the spookiest.”

When I started losing weight, my little brother immediately demanded that I gain it back, because I wasn’t as comfortable to cuddle with anymore.

And my other little sister always wants to wear her paint-stained clothes to school so that “everyone can tell [she’s] an artist”.

I don’t know. I guess talking to little kids just reminds me that all of this superficial shit we worry about really is 100% made up.

While I'm writing my other planned fics <3

I wish you would write a fic where...

Send me an anymous (or not) summary of the fic you wish I would write. (maybe I will write a tidbit)

home by the sea.. .

I could use some 💪 luck

why is it that in unrequited love situations its always the person who doesn’t feel the same getting villainized? especially if they were friends with other person beforehand? 

its not their fault someone caught feelings for them. 

they were just living their lives and minding their own business when out of nowhere someone is lamenting about how much their heart yearns for them or whatever and like. dude i am literally just existing how is this my problem

AO3 Etiquette -UPDATED

Based on both decent and not so decent replies, I have made some changes to my original post below.

It would seem a whole new kind of AO3 reader/writer is emerging and it is becoming clear not everyone quite understands how the website community works. Here is some basic guidance on how most people expect you to go about using AO3 to keep this a fun community archive that funtions correctly:

Kudos is for when the story was interesting enough to make you finish reading. If it sucked or was badly written, you probably left. If you finished it, you liked it - so kudos.

If you really liked it, you should comment. It can be long and detailed or a literal keysmash. Writers don't care, we just love comments.

No critisism unless the author has specifically asked or agreed to hear it. Even constructive critisism is a no-no unless an author note tells you it's okay. No, posting it online is not an open invitation for that. Many people write as a fun hobby or a way to cope with, among other things, insecurity and just want to share. Don't ruin that for them.

Do not comment to ask the author to write/update something else. It's tacky and off-putting and will probably have the opposite effect than the one you want.

There is no algorithm, it's an archive. Use the search and filter function to add/remove the pairings/characters/tropes etc. you want to read about and it will find you the fics that fit the bill.

For this to work, writers must tag and rate stories. This avoids readers finding the wrong things and missing the stuff they want. I don't care how cringy that trope is in your eyes - it gets tagged.

Character A/Character B means a ROMANTIC or SEXUAL relationship of some kind. Character A&Character B is PLANTONIC, like friendship or family.

Nothing is banned. This is an implicit rule because banning one thing is a slipperly slope to banning another and another, until nothing is allowed anymore. Do not expect anyone to censor for you. Because of the tags system, you are responsible for your own reading experience.

People can create new chapters and sequels/fic series any time after they "complete" a story. So it's considered perfectly normal to subscribe, even to a finished story. You can even subscribe to the author instead just to cover your bases.

Do not repost stories or change the publishing date without an extremely good reason (like a complete top to bottom rewrite). It's an archive, not social media. No one cares what's the most recent, only what fits their tag needs.

Try to avoid deleting a story you wrote if you hate it - make it anonymous or orphan it so others can still enjoy it, without it being connected to your name anymore.

It's come to my attention that metaworks ARE allowed on AO3, which is something I wasn't aware of. So if you do post an essay or theory, please tag it as such so others can choose to search for it or exclude it.

The only reason this archive works is because NON ONE PROFITS. Do not link to your ko-fi or patreon or mention monetary gain in any way or you violate the terms and risk having your account removed.

I KNOW there's plenty more I missed but I'm trying to cover most of the basics that people seem to be struggling with.

I invite anyone to add to this, but please explain, don't berate.