Write It Down, WRITE IT DOWN

Write it down, WRITE IT DOWN

How To Make Your Own Fanfiction Archive, In Just Ten Easy Steps

As the go-to "person who knows about AO3" for quite a few people who read fanfic but aren't really linked-in to wider fandom culture, I've fielded a lot of questions about how to do certain things on AO3 to which my best answer is "you should really start your own archive!" I think, in general, more fans starting their own small archives would be a net good for fandom. AO3 was never meant to be the only archive for all fandom, or even the main archive, and the more spread out and backed up we are the more resilient we are.

But of course I have to be reminded that a lot of fans these days don't really have any idea how little "you should start your own archive!" really involves. (Also, that I should practice what I preach.) So I am now making my own fanfiction archive, and writing up this post as I do it to tell people how to make theirs!

Go to https://neocities.org/ and sign up for an account. It only needs a username (which will also be your website address), password, and email. Pick a username that will be related to your archive's title!

Choose the free account option (if you ever need more than what the free account offers for a text-only archive, you should probably look into graduating from neocities.) This should take you to a menu of "how to make a website" tutorials. You should do them! They're useful skills. But let's get your archive running first.

Hit the big red Edit Site button, or open the menu under your username and select "Edit Site".

Select the "Index.html" file to edit. You're now in an HTML Editor. Congrats, you're a web developer c. 1999!

Find where it has text between the < title> tags. Delete the filler text, and put in the title of your new archive. This text will be what shows on the tab when people go to your archive.

Find where it has text between the < h1 > tags. This will be big header text at the top of your page. Put the title of your archive here again. If you have no experience with HTML, you should read over the other sample text. It covers the basic basics very well! Once you've done that, you can delete everything else between the < /h1> tag and the < /body> tag. Save your index.html file.

Get an HTML file for a fanfic you would like to add to your archive. If it's on AO3, you can use the html download option built into AO3. If you have it as a word processor/google docs file, you should have the option to save as an html file. Save that html file to your computer.

Go back to Edit Site on Neocities and go to "upload". Find the html file you saved and upload it. (You can also drag and drop files to upload.)

The file you uploaded should now be showing with your other neocities files. Right-click on the title and select "copy link".

Go in to edit index.html again. Under where you put your header text, type < br> < a href=" . Then paste in the link you copied. Then type "> Then put in the title of the fic. Then type < /a> . Then save the index page again when you're done. You can do this for every fanfic you have.

Congratulations! You now have your very own personal private fanfiction archive that you are 100% in charge of and make all the rules for. It's at least as good as half the ones I was reading on when I started reading fanfiction and will serve its function well as a way to let people read your fic. You can link to it from anywhere you want! (Including your AO3 profile.)

Blogpost version, with FAQs and discussion

Anyway, here's my beautiful new fanfiction archive made using this tutorial:

Melannen's Fanfiction Archive

(I am honestly way more disproportionately proud of finally making that than I expected to be. It's nice to have your own archive.)

If you make one, share it here ! I want to see!

[ FREE CLIP STUDIO BRUSHES ]

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Dr. Light: wait, you kids give him cats. I made a robot cat for him.

Hypnowoman: cats ? Oh dear I should've bought those cat treats but I get him these healing trauma books and his favorite cake.

Fireman: Oh My God, Wave we could have got him that video game instead.

Waveman: but I bring him his favorite scavenger here.

Fireman: And I told you it was a bad idea, no matter how tame it is.

Cutman: wait an actual cat, I bring him a plush cat.

Elecman: good thing I brought this tiger here.

Dr. Light: GET THAT OUT OF MY HOUSE !

Gutsman: does the birthday boy want some chow or chocolate cake.

Hypnowoman: I already make the cake.

Gutsman: oh well, more for him then.

Drillman: I get a masterlist classical and musical CD collection for him and an art book for Namagem, wait sorry I meant Daini.

Iceman: I have ice cream for everyone.

Airman: I bought him a mirror, make up set, and a good suit cause he look like he needs one.

Drillman: that's a bit insensitive.

Airman: I don't mean to insult him indirectly.

Blastowoman: I don't have to like this kid but I just gonna drop this big cash cause I punch him in the face once, see ya.

Hypnowoman: was that cash stolen or her own ?

Dr. Light: I'll deal with it later.

Daini with eyes swelling up: Thank you everyone. This is the first best birthday ever.

Aki: wait, first ?

Daini: Night never tell me I have a birthday. Hypno can I eat the cake now ?

Hypnowoman: yes sweetie.

After the party, Daini feel happy and bless for everything he got that day. While everyone minds was like "I'm gonna kill Night for his abuse"

Aki: Hey guys what did you get for my twin’s birthday gift?

Suna: I got him a kitten.

Aki: Oh me too.

Ashley: I got him a cat as well.

Bert: Looks it we all had the same idea.

Aki: Oh fuck. Chaotique don’t tell me you got him a cat too.

Chaotique: I got him a kitten…

*meanwhile*

Daini: … *has a box of cats* ….This is the best birthday ever.

Basically me here. Like I'm into sex but I don't want anyone, but writing or reading it is a different thing

Being a sex-positive personally-sex-repulsed ace is weird cuz like reading about sex? Awesome. Writing about sex? Not much more intolerable than writing about anything else. Sex is good. Sex is normal. Sex is only as important as you let/want it to be. Kinks are natural expressions of sexuality. Sexual purity is a scam. Bodies are nothing to be ashamed of. Sex work is no more exploitative than any other kind of labor. If you touch me I will throw up on you.

CSP Guide Recs

part 3

1. Spherical panorama

I think the thumbnail image explains it better than I could. Helps for drawing a panoramic view.

2. 10 Kinds of 3D Grids & Basic Shapes

These guides could be used for drawings but also have features for CSP’s 3D model mode to help with building compositions.

3. Height Chart

An overlay for drawing a height chart for a character lineup.

4. Hopping Animation Body

This one has an entire template for drawing a character jumping. You can just trace it and rework as needed for your own purposes.

5. Simple Protractor (vector)

It's a protractor. If you need to draw stuff at exact angles then yeah now you can.

Ashley in my AU is a theater kid so she definitely let this guys help themselves on stage and watch their performances as if she is the director of a musical.

which broadway/musical theater songs would the mmfc robot masters sing their hearts out to

Cutman: Stupid With Love - Mean Girls JUST. JUST TRUST ME ON THIS ONE. HE WOULD LOVE THIS SONG TRUST ME BRO PLEASE

Elecman: The Whole Being Dead Thing - Beetlejuice oh you know he would go absolutely FERAL on this beat. "hi!! i'll be ur guide!!! i'll be ur g-u-i-d-e to the other side!!!!" he would adore it

Waveman: Sincerely Me - Dear Evan Hansen he would get Fireman to duet with him (queers /aff)

Fireman: Noel's Lament - Ride The Cyclone i know its weird but PLEASE he would LOVE this one. he would fucking BELT that high note

Hypnowoman: Candy Store - Heathers "As a therapist I cannot be condoning any of the actions taken in this song. However, it is, as the kids say, a fucking banger." - her, probably

Airman: Get Down - SIX ohhh yes. ohhhh yesyesyes. he channels Anna of Cleves energy so perfectly

Drillman: The Room Where It Happens - Hamilton he will not shut up about Lin's songwriting genius after he's done, and he would SO belt the last note

Blastowoman: Our Lips Are Sealed - Head Over Heels does the song count if its from a jukebox musical? i say yes. she is the biggest head over heels fan you will ever meet and you can fight me on this

Iceman: I'm Alive - Next To Normal Again, this is a 'just trust me' one, but he would adore this song.

Woodman: Into The Woods - Into The Woods is this for the joke? yes. it is canon? also yes. he fucking loves this show he is a sondheim man

bonus!

Chaotique: The Ballad of Sara Berry - 35MM: A Musical Exhibition she ADORES the story, plus it helps her get her bloodlust out!

Namagem/Daini: No Way - SIX he claims to hate everything theater related. drillman caught him humming this one and never let him live it down