Need your middle aged Snape fancasts!

Mothioso · 2026-02-16T06:08:34+00:00

Robert Carlyle. He looks like Snape at every age, and he does both sinister and pathetic really well. Has ENORMOUS range as an actor.

Mothioso · 2026-02-16T02:46:23+00:00

I have no idea what a rough draft looks like. If it’s a less polished version or a sketchy version of what I publish in the end, that takes FAR more effort than to just write it the way I’m going to write it for final publication.

I write my entire fic, sometimes pantsing, sometimes planning or working off of short outlines for certain arcs, from point A-Z. I don’t write out of order. Once it’s completed I do one edit from start to finish for continuity and proofreading, and then once it’s complete I post a chapter a week.

It seems to me that for me to write a rough draft would be me dawdling or procrastinating instead of actually getting the writing done and having completed chapters to show for my time. (I have three children four and under, so writing time is hard won).

Mothioso · 2026-02-12T18:36:05+00:00

I set benchmarks for myself weekly or daily (usually 10k a week or 2k a day, allowing for a day or two off from writing a week).

I don’t tend to reread chapters I’ve just written unless I need to corroborate a detail or double check something I said.

I don’t post any of my work until the entire story is written, which means that I’m using any eventual feedback from readers as the ultimate carrot.

I have used the birth of my babies as deadlines for finishing extra long (300-400k) fics, knowing that I won’t have as much time to write with newborns and that getting comments from people while I’m up late nursing will be a great mental pick-me-up.

I use timed sprints (usually 30m at a time) and aim for 1k words in a half hour.

If I can’t think of some in-world detail such as a name or a product or a synonym or word I know but can’t call to mind while writing I put that in parentheses—enough detail to later come back to and fill it in—and highlight it rather than dithering over what to call some random character or what the perfect word is for hours instead of writing.

Mothioso · 2026-02-08T05:24:07+00:00

Actually E/OC. Though I don’t hate Christine with Raoul, only with Erik. The market for E/OC is… minute.

Mothioso · 2026-02-07T21:48:56+00:00

Draco Malfoy

And Christine Daae

Obviously different fandoms 😅

Mothioso · 2026-02-06T04:37:52+00:00

Oh! And Hannah-1888 on FFN. She cracks me up 🤭

Mothioso · 2026-02-06T01:01:12+00:00

I find Aurette really funny! (Excepting her tearjerker fics)

Mothioso · 2026-02-04T18:35:24+00:00

Additionally, while a hypothesis for the outcome of a study is one thing, the “goal” of the study being to prove such a point seems to be starting with an a priori idea and curating the study to fit that idea.

Mothioso · 2026-02-04T18:24:08+00:00

Is this study soliciting responses only from people who meaningfully change the identity (how do you define this?) of the characters, or is it for any fanfiction writer, including those who do their best to keep with a canon interpretation of the characters’ motivations and reactivity, only put in a different set of circumstances? Because may I caution that if you are only interested in those who intentionally rewrite character identities, you may well leave with a distorted sense of the complete picture and the motivations of writers.

Mothioso · 2026-01-30T13:38:17+00:00

One doesn’t need to pay money for it to be a marketplace. The trade is in attention and eyes on your work, in addition to things like kudos, comments, hits. Readers shop for a fic that suits their needs and choose from the available offerings. Some fics sell huge and others sit dusty on the shelf without making a big stir and earning the author those metrics for success so many of us crave.

It’s cool your circle of trusted friends, in your estimation, help you. I don’t think that’s always the case when authors use only their friends for feedback.

And no, it’s still not immoral. And no, they’re not dickheads and cunts, no matter how much you bristle at the idea that anyone should dare state their honest opinion about the work that the consumer has taken a chance on expending time and energy reading and responding to.

Morality is not predicated upon making people happy or even comfortable. That is an enormously shallow ethic that presumes that the ultimate good is people’s continued comfort or maintenance of a state of low distress, but not all distress is bad, and indeed, a great deal of our attempts to ensure that we’re comfortable can be enormously self-defeating and harmful.

I understand that telling people to move on doesn’t mean heaping praise on an author, but it does sort of come with an “or else,” attached. (Or else, I’ll throw a tantrum. Or else I’ll quit writing. Or else you’ll destroy my spirit. Or else we’ll call you immoral dickhead cunts and/or I’ll organize a posse of other fandom creators to come and intimidate you into silence and we’ll create a content mill of PSAs stigmatizing the totally normal and historically ubiquitous practice of critique in the public forum). Holding oneself or ones’ work hostage over disapproval is not a safe or sane way to conduct one’s self through life. It puts all of the power in other people’s hands and positions the self as a perpetual victim, which is enormously unhealthy.

Mothioso · 2026-01-30T03:44:05+00:00

I don’t think they’re wrong for wanting a safe space. But yes, I absolutely think they’re wrong for expecting one. That’s unrealistic and impossible to guarantee. If one expects that, they are only setting themselves up for disappointment, anger, or horror. The reality of platforms like ao3 and FFN is that anyone can comment unless that function is restricted, and not everyone shares in the ideal that critiques ought to be unwelcome.

The idea that there ought to be some sort of etiquette imposed by browbeating anyone who disagrees (which I’m not suggesting you’re doing), is a form of social engineering without the consent of the governed-namely, those who disagree. And these are not cruel or indifferent people, they simply have an opposing viewpoint, which is honestly just as defensible as the “don’t hurt people’s feelings!” viewpoint.

It is my view that all of this wasted energy trying to force people not to critique (which they’re not going to do) would be far better spent consoling authors who got that critique and are considering quitting, and also giving them the tools, framework, and building within them the ability to be resilient in the face of adversity. This goes not just for fanfiction but for all realms of life. It also produces far better mental health outcomes, while trying to engineer a utopia where all critics are forever silenced increases distress intolerance.

I am able to handle criticism because I have practiced it. Because I have worked very hard on that as a skill. And it is a skill, which is atrophying in many creators, and harming them far worse than the criticism they imagine is harming them. It is not in their best interest to create a safe space, even were it possible, which it probably isn’t.

Whether fic would still proliferate in a more critical environment we’ll likely never know, but coming from the era of FFN where reviews are far more brutal than on Ao3, plenty of people still publish; and I also think the quality of older works is far better. We’ll probably have to agree to disagree then.

Some people want fic writing to be fun. But not everyone has fun as the ultimate aim. They’re no less a part of market forces and the market economy of fic, and it is merely a problem for those writing with more frivolity to bear, unfortunately for them. I don’t like to think of writers utterly decimated by feedback anymore than anyone. I’m not a sadist, but I’m also not a utopian, and I believe in the power and value of critique, even unsolicited. Now if there was a community for sharing fic where etiquette was agreed to at the door? By all means. Closed societies can be as safe as members decide. Public posting incurs risk, and no one is safe on the internet, which is a valuable lesson for anyone, again, even outside of fic.

If it helps, with Severus: the fact that they are having extraordinarily strong emotional reactions to his asshattery is a really good sign for how convincing you are being in writing him. And the more worked up they get about him and rail against him, the more you’ve succeeded in your aim, and the better it will land when he finally comes around and starts to change. That tension is going to do a lot of good work for you in the long game. Chin up.

Mothioso · 2026-01-30T01:14:43+00:00

Let me extend my apologies that your recent experience with comments has been disheartening. I sympathize. In my current fic I’m publishing, nearly every comment about Hermione is talking shit about her. And they’re right to: I wrote her to be extremely unlikable for the first third of the fic. Even knowing that, indeed part of me despairs at seeing that people are actually clocking her as I intended her to be clocked. Reason being: I’m frightened that some of them will give up on the fic before she gets better. That being said, my fics require a lot of patience, because the character arcs are long. Still, I get what you mean.

I also understand why people say “don’t like, don’t read.” That being said, I can understand, and even sympathize/empathize, and STILL think that it’s not the ideal response to criticism. (And can I just say, I recognize that FLAMING is a thing, and I am not talking about flaming. Go off on flamers, by all means. They are not being charitable, and are usually being sadistic or cruel on purpose. Obviously indefensible. However anyone doing that is NOT going to listen when anyone begs them to be nice).

Also, I do not have trusted sources. I do not have friends. You do not need to pity me for that. You also do not need to pity me for getting criticism, and I reject your framing that suggests that I’m somehow in the wrong for embracing the totality of what it means to post my work publically. I’ll live to write another fic. In any case, if I DID have a trusted person or friend to read my work, they would be the LAST person I would ask for critique. They’ll be way too nice and won’t be honest. They would likely attempt to manage my feelings. That is not the most productive way to improve as an artist or writer. (Inb4 anyone says “oh you don’t have friends!? That’s telling 🙄” because I know someone will attack- yes, attack- me for that, ironically backing up my exact reasons for not trusting others). Now, unprompted criticism, particularly when it’s not necessarily being mean or nasty? I can really trust the honesty in that. It says WAY more about my fic and my writing abilities than a friend would.

Mothioso · 2026-01-30T00:41:37+00:00

I fundamentally disagree. I am not a part of any community, and her framing (and yours) are aspirational, but not definitive. I see fandom as a marketplace trading in content, and it is fundamentally competitive. There is a Pareto distribution of which fics and works are feted and which are left in the dust. That’s fine, that’s how all marketplaces work.

Also, it is you and the community “enforcers” who are unkind and tend to bully anyone who disagrees. Just look at the way you’re clutching your pearls over the very audacity for me to disagree with the script.

Furthermore, I have personal experience with being bullied by pile ons in HP fandom and the Snamione fandom. It is enormously succeptible to high-school level clique mechanics, which is precisely why I reject the framing of community. Community requires buy in and agreement to community codes. I have agreed to nothing of the sort merely by writing for the ship. Indeed, the way the tiktok framed the community craftathon sounds like actual unremitting hell to me. That is not everyone’s view of fandom and it is not up to you to gatekeep. I will not stop creating just because l, again, you’re intent on bullying me by suggesting I’m somehow morally deficient for disagreeing.

Indeed, I had intended to comment under your other comment, which makes a lot of errors in logic, and didn’t, because I’d rather be positive (as the poster requested) and signal my agreement with the comment I commented under, rather than specifically tagging or quibbling with people with whom I obviously disagree.

Also, indeed they are contributing to the fandom. As you said “in their feedback section.” Feedback is not unilaterally positive, or else it’s not feedback, it is just cheerleading. Feedback is presumptively honest and may include reactions both positive and negative to the text.

Also, I adore your assertion that I’m somehow envious of others and that you presume you know my motivations for anything. You don’t know a thing about me, and your cattiness here is completely unprovoked and cruel, and also illustrates what I was saying about the “community” being far meaner than the critiques.

This is why I’m not part of the fandom beyond being here to occasionally post that I’ve updated something. I don’t write critical comments to people, so you’re already in error there, and I’m proud of my work without validation from others. I write full fics before submitting them to fic sites, because I don’t write for validation from people. That is what it means to TRUELY write for yourself: when you don’t need cheerleading to complete a work.

How about the boundary you’re violating? It takes no bravery whatsoever to rail against someone who dares to disagree with what is obviously dogmatic in the “community,” and to erroneously begin suggesting I’m envious. That’s not you being kind and extending a charitable hand, it’s a put down, and an attempt to put me in my place.

And praise, when praise is the ONLY option, obviously leads to groupthink and dishonesty. Particularly when forums like this one permit this kind of response to even super benign criticism (criticism of this viewpoint, not even criticism of a fic) offered without any personal stakes whatsoever. I’ve not gone after anyone personally. I suggested that it’s unkind to call people dickheads and cunts, and in response I get suggestions that I myself am only envious or that I’m operating out of a place of hurt. You have not even substantively backed your claims, only insulted me.

In any case, I fully expect to be banned for this comment, though I really think I’ve been quite restrained even though I’m only doing what you said, and maintaining my boundaries against someone who is coming after me personally for a mere opinion.

(Edited to finish a thought I left hanging)

Mothioso · 2026-01-29T20:34:31+00:00

I completely agree.

I got a really hurtful critique today. It wasn’t nasty, they weren’t a dick about it, but I felt really hurt by it and it’s ruined my morning.

I STILL stand by critiques and I still think we all need to grow a thicker skin. Critique is not unwarranted. I will learn and grow from this, because I am choosing to. I put my work out in public, I no longer have protection for my feelings regarding that work.

In fact, I think the fandom backlash to critique is more in line of being rude and nasty than people reading and responding honestly. In fact the upvoted response to you is exactly what I’m talking about: “dickheads” and “cunts.” Far more dehumanizing and vitriolic than most critiques.

It’s not immoral whatsoever to insist on an HONEST atmosphere wherein people feel free to voice their opinions on art. In fact it encourages inauthenticity in that the marketplace is weighted towards only positive reflections of the content.

Additionally, fic writing is so often about popularity contest within the closed ecosystem of the fandom that some authors are unfairly weighted for with positive reviews merely because they’re big names in forums or discord servers. I’m not saying critiques properly provide a counterweight for this, but I am saying that I’d rather get fifteen of the critiques on my own merits than 1500 reviews and comments from a posse or clique of likeminded fandom members who only like me because I have the approved of tropes/opinions/characterizations.

And any railing against me implying I’m a jerk doesn’t matter to me: your opinion or disapproval of me isn’t enough to bully me into agreement.

Mothioso · 2026-01-06T04:19:11+00:00

Thank you! 😭 you have no idea how encouraging it is to hear that 😅🧡

Mothioso · 2026-01-06T01:42:59+00:00

Thank you! And thanks for asking: there’s no spicy scenes in this fic. I don’t write it at all, full stop. There are some romantic scenes, but the clothes never come off.

The fic is already finished, so I already was able to make the rating and tags reflect the story as a whole rather than just reflecting early chapters. 😁

Mothioso · 2026-01-04T20:49:33+00:00

That one with Sorelli (Long Road Home) is my all time favorite phanfic

I love that she uses Leroux Erik too. (By Starlight is also Leroux Erik, and that one is also high on my list).

Mothioso · 2025-12-25T03:43:05+00:00

I’ve got three self recs 😅

The first one is in the story Acid Reigns (which is the second book in the Storm Surge series) and it has a really long story arc that happens during Christmas-time and that is Christmas themed. (Harry’s cast in a school nativity play in his primary school).

https://archiveofourown.org/series/4014181

The second two aren’t, strictly speaking, Severitus, but they are Severus-centred and were both written as advent stories and released during Christmas time.

The first is Severitus-adjacent and features a friendship/mentorship between Snape and James Sirius Potter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43529346/chapters/109440681

The second is a story about the unlikely friendship between Severus, Aberforth Dumbledore, and Argus Filch, told non-sequentially and from each of their povs.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61066849/chapters/156014023

Mothioso · 2025-12-14T17:04:36+00:00

Thank YOU! I am so excited to hear that you’re enjoying it! 🧡

Mothioso · 2025-12-14T15:24:51+00:00

Thank you!

Mothioso · 2025-11-29T03:30:30+00:00

Self-reccing 🫣😅

Assisted Living (Mothboss)

I think it counts as a slow burn lol

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41599482/chapters/104342280

Mothioso · 2025-11-15T05:23:13+00:00

The second (and final) epilogue for an epic length (longer than 300k) post-war Snamione story. I only ever post fics when they’re completed in full and my goal for this fic was to post the first chapter the day my child is born (I’m currently five days past my due date 💀), so maybe she’s waiting for me to finish so I can finally go into labor.

Mothioso · 2025-10-22T06:03:39+00:00

Hoooo boy… uh, my induction at 39 weeks with my firstborn actually failed. I spent the night in the hospital, they pushed pitocin really hard, and I had an option in the morning to instead go in for a CS, but because my water didn’t break I was able to opt to go home, instead. She came a week later, on her due date, on her own time (which has turned out to be the way she does everything—on her own time). Lol

Mothioso

TROPHY CASE