Fanfiction Reference Works
This is a collection of AO3 works and other resources for creating fan works. (See also the Fanwork Research & Reference Guides tag.)
Some fandoms have wonderful on-line communities (e.g. The Harry Potter Lexicon and Marvel wikis) devoted to creating canon references. Many more do not, but fans still have created deeply thought out essays, maps, tables, histories, and other world building. Hopefully, you can find them here.
AO3 allows custom formatting using limited HTML and CSS (workskins). This collection has a number of formatting "how-to's" in addition to the AO3 docs below.
Note: Works added as bookmarks do not add their tags or fandoms to the collection. Please add your own works
(Open, Unmoderated)
Random works
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A timeline of pre- and in-canon events. Clear distinction is made between canon information, and the author's conjecture.
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Y'all ever heard of the css property resize??? I. going okay. draggables. is here too
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This is a guide to crafting explicit content, designed to make it less daunting for writers who might be new to writing smut but not new to storytelling. This is not a guide to anatomy or a step-by-step on sex acts; it's a mix of craft (what to write) and process (how to go about writing it) advice that aims to be practical and easily digestible.
It is illustrated with femslash examples, since that’s what I write most, and my aim is to help others feel more comfortable writing it. That said, the advice itself is largely non-specific.
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A Quick Guide to Making Translations Accessible on AO3
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Hold-hands Inspired Texting Skin by cursedcuriosities (SetsuntaMew)
Fandoms: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
25 Sep 2024
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This is a tutorial/live example for a Hold-hands inspired texting skin, based on the look of iOS messaging.
Series
- Part 2 of Killian's AO3 Work Skins
Random bookmarks
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How to Podfic: A Highly Biased and Incomplete Tutorial by the-dragongirl
Fandoms: Podfic Fandom, No Fandom
13 Feb 2020
This work isn't hosted on the Archive so this blurb might not be complete or accurate.
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So, a while ago, some of my friends and fellow cast members of the @sansukhpodfic asked about how to make and edit podfic on their own. I created this tutorial for them, as a supplement to the resources already posted by the Sansukh mods. In the wake of the most recent @auralphonic episode asking for technical advice on podficcing in Audacity, I thought I would polish this up and post it.
This tutorial explains how, once you have permission to record a story, you go about turning it into a podfic using Audacity. It focuses on technical and logistical details, rather than artistic advice, and is cobbled together from my own experience, my knowledge of the mathematics behind signal analysis, and other people’s tutorials. There’s lots of communities and resources out there that give advice on the artistic side (Auralphonic, for example, has an episode for newbies), which I recommend checking out.
Disclaimer: There is no one standard method of doing this! This is the method I have found gives me the best results, personally, but there may be better ways to do this. I strongly recommend checking out other resources for comparison.
- Bookmarks:
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Alphas, Betas, Omegas: A Primer by norabombay
Fandoms: Sherlock (TV), Supernatural, Supernatural RPF, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom, The Avengers (2012), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Teen Wolf (TV), Thor (Movies), Hannibal (TV)
22 Sep 2015
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A brief primer on the concept of Alpha/Beta/Omega Universes: Also known as that trope suddenly showing up in your fandom that doesn't make any sense.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 9,689
- Chapters:
- 5/5
- Comments:
- 1,408
- Kudos:
- 9,622
- Bookmarks:
- 3,017
- Hits:
- 428,484
Bookmarked by britishdisasters (thoseshadowsalmostkilled)
01 Apr 2021
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Bookmarker's Notes
Reference text
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Staring into the Tag Vortex: AO3 tagging demystified by JustSomeAo3Tips
Fandoms: AO3 Tags
19 Apr 2021
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[CW: Tag Vortex may stare back.]
Tagging! How many tags does your story need? How can you tell which ones will be useful? As a reader, how can you use them to find what you want, what you really really want? When you keysmash in the forest, does it make a sound?
AO3's beautiful and ridiculously wrangled tags do more than most people expect. Behold the mysteries, rejoice in the synonyms, and optimize your search results. Welcome to the tag vortex.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 3,105
- Chapters:
- 3/3
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 18
- Kudos:
- 120
- Bookmarks:
- 74
- Hits:
- 2,397
Bookmarked by Nightcandle
07 Nov 2021
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Bookmarker's Notes
Staring into the Tag Vortex: AO3 tagging demystified by JustSomeAo3Tips
------------------Very useful. Concise and easy to understand.
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This work isn't hosted on the Archive so this blurb might not be complete or accurate.
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The Archive of Our Own has an option to name a Fannish Next of Kin--someone who would gain access to your account in case of death or incapacitation. By naming another individual who can act on your behalf, you can decide ahead of time how you want your AO3 accounts handled going into the future.
Maybe you want your works preserved; maybe you want them orphaned or deleted; maybe you want to have them open to remixes and related works. Whether your fannish identity departs with you or keeps on keeping on--that's a choice you can make. Learn more about how the Fannish Next of Kin works.
A Fannish Next of Kin can be part of your bigger plan for your social media will, and can ensure that your readers have someone to contact in case of questions about that unfinished WIP or whether or not their favorite work will get a sequel. However you want your works handled, this option will allow you to have a plan in place.
- Bookmarks:
- 3
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What it says on the tin.
A mock-up of instagram direct messages without having to use screenshots.