Palpatine U Sad Wrong Motherfucker. I LOVE THIS. Because Its So True, Anakin Had Put Padme In This Pedestal

Fansplaining

The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction — Fansplaining

In 2024, everyone wanted a piece of fic, from AI grifters to traditional publishers to ravenous audiences. Where did that leave the people w

In a normal year, @flourish & I would have made a list of five big fandom trends for our annual "Year in Fandom" round-up. But the podcast is on hiatus, and I was left with MANY THOUGHTS about fanfiction seeming to break containment this year and nowhere to put them. So this is a "Year in Fandom" segment of sorts, about a set of related fanfiction trends that I'm pretty unhappy about!

I get that sense that a lot of fandom folks are, like me, worried about the way the ground seems to be shifting beneath us: in meta after meta, I’ve seen frustration over a larger but increasingly passive fic readership; dismay that traditional publishing has a growing influence over a practice that partly exists in opposition to it; and anger that some guy can just copy-paste your work and charge money for it, and no one outside of fandom seems to care.

What happens when fanfiction scales—but participatory fan communities do not? Read or listen to an audio version via the link above!

are miller and quiggs gonna have a gay little kiss? 🥺 👉👈 a wittle smooch?

Okay but only because it'll be funny

miles “who’s morales” morales’s biggest weakness is the cover story

It's kinda poetic that most of the Jedi who survive 66 are younglings or half trained Padawans. Cause for all the propaganda painting the Jedi as baby stealers who sentenced those children to death, every single one of those Jedi are children whose Masters did everything in their power to keep that baby alive - even when it meant their own death.

#I LOVE HOW DRAMATIC THE FIRST ONE IS #ICONIC NIGHTMARE MONSTER MAN OFFERING THE GALAXY TO HIS SON THE HERO #THE STUFF OF EPICS RIGHT THERE #AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS JUST #"[SIGH] I DON'T KNOW WHAT I EXPECTED" #HE'S SUCH A SCRUNKLY WET CAT IN THE SECOND ONE #GET YOURSELF A VILLAIN WHO CAN DO BOTH #WALKING NIGHTMARE FUEL ONE MINUTE #AND THE NEXT JUST A SAD WET CAT OF A DISASTER MAN #NOBODY DOES IT LIKE ANAKIN SKYWALKER

Penguin falls down resulting in best sound ever [x]

for the fic title game, 'you're the ghost of your predecessors'?

OKAY so I know a lot of people will be thinking like Tim or Damian for this one, and I get it. I get it. But Steph. Fic with Steph focusing on her sense of identity and how it's always been tied so closely to other people. First, her father, as Spoiler. Next, as Robin, everyone that came before her—Dick, Jason, Tim. Wanting so desperately to be her own Robin—good like they were, but in her own way, but at every turn she was condescended to, compared, disrespected, and just couldn't be her own Robin.

Then there was Batgirl, and Batgirl was a breath of fresh air. Batgirl wasn't under Bruce’s jurisdiction any more than Oracle was—Batgirl wasn't Robin. But, but, but. As Batgirl, she had to be as smart as Babs, as strong as Cass, and as kind as the both of them. As Batgirl, the load to be as good as her predecessors was one she put on herself, to prove their trust in her wasn't misplaced or misguided. Another mantle, more legacies to uphold.

Then, fast forward a bit, and she's Spoiler again. And Spoiler was created to spoil her father's plots and get him in jail, but, well, he's been in jail for around three years now, and with the strings she's sure were tugged, he's not getting out any time soon. And, she- Spoiler is hers. Nobody's but hers. And she doesn't know how to feel about having a title that's just hers.

She's still got the weight of Robin and Batgirl on her shoulders, but maybe this is one she doesn't mind bearing. She's a ghost of her predecessors, but it doesn't sound so negative now. Maybe she can live with that.

She's a reflection of everyone that's come before her, and that isn't too bad. Dick's determination, Jason’s compassion, Tim's crazy-smart kindness, Cass' strength, Babs' intelligence. Bruce’s paranoia.

Damian has your bravery, Tim tells her once, and she almost breaks down sobbing. She can be a ghost of her predecessors, if that means those that come after her will be a ghost of her too.

Obi-wan left Luke and Leia with a musical locket each. A left over from a more civilized time, a small reminder of their heritage. Maybe he leaves someone from Naboo with them idk 🤷‍♀️ I just have this imagine in my mind that Luke is curled up on himself beside his fighter with his locket playing. The force theme ofc. Leia marches over “wtf you stole my locket?!”

“No?! You have a locket too?”

Both take their lockets out to show the other. The song played and something new happened, showing a projection. “Made from love, a gift of the force.” Pictures of people long gone, Stormtroopers big smiles. Jedi Masters? A group of women in red and loving eyes. A couple in a wedding scene a Jedi? A women in lace and flowers, then finally one of Old man Ben? But he was younger holding two small babies with a sad smile. “My twin stars, know I will always be with you in the force. Do not hate you’re father, the dark side…had taken him. But know deep inside…he can be redeemed.” Ben looked up to the camera at them now. “If you are seeing this, you have found eachother again. My Luke and Leia. I may not be you’re father…but you are my beloved children.”

————

Idk it’s a small idea

Technically true.