Mind the Tags

By mindthetagsofficial

Welcome to Mind the Tags, where we talk about the history and evolution of fanfiction. Join Emily and Vee as they dive into a new fanfiction topic each episode and interview authors, researchers, j

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FAQs about Mind the Tags:

How many episodes does Mind the Tags have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.

Mind the Tags episodes:

March 04, 2026Into the Pit: SuperWhoLock's Lasting Influence on Transformative Fandom
Join Emily and Vee as they plumb the depths of SuperWhoLock, the infamous fandom phenomenon that still strikes fear into the hearts of Tumblr users far and wide. They discuss the great convergence of Supernatural, Dr. Who, and Sherlock fans and the effect each show had on transformative fan works. Plus, Emily delivers another report from the Supernatural trenches.
Topics include: SuperWhoLock, Supernatural, Dr. Who, Sherlock
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
Dead batteries on urban dictionary
I'll be in my bunk on TV Tropes
SuperWhoLock on Fanlore
Tumblr creation date finder by Tumblr memories
SuperWhoLock generator by lokilover1578
Queerbaiting on Fanlore
[Sherlock Fandom] A Not-So-Short History of #TJLC, the Conspiracy Theory That Divided a Fandom from the r/HobbyDrama subreddit
The Johnlock Conspiracy on Fanlore
Johnlock meta and authorial intent in Sherlock fandom: Affirmational or transformational? by Melissa A. Hofmann
11 Years Ago, BBC's Sherlock Betrayed Fans With An Infamous Decision That Killed The Show by Adrienne Tyler
Mishapocalypse on Fanlore
DashCon on Wikipedia
An Ode to Ten Years of Superwholock by Maddie Agne
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
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1h 1min
February 18, 2026Interview with Carley: Fanfic Author and Translator
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Carley, a member of the Our Flag Means Death fandom who both writes their own fanfiction and translates works to and from Chinese. Carley discusses their approach to translation, cultural differences in fandom, and the inherent badassery of cursing in Chinese.
Sources from this episode:
Simplified Chinese on Wikipedia
Blocking of AO3 in China on Fanlore
Lofter on Fanlore
Weibo on Fanlore
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!
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47min
February 04, 2026What Were YOU Doing at the Devil's Sacrament: Real Person Fiction
Join Emily and Vee as they tackle real person fiction (RPF) and all that it entails, from fanfiction to biopics. Plus, Vee creates a new evidence-based RPF chart for your everyday use.
Topics include: Celebrities, real person fiction
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
Lemon on Fanlore
The Citrus Scale by imetyouonljpodcast
RPF on Fanlore
"This is a deepfake!": Celebrity scandals, parodic deepfakes, and a critically speculative ethics of care for fandom research in the age of artificial intelligence by Eva Cheuk-Yin Li and Ka-Wei Pang
Vee's RPF Acuity Scale
The Seattle Kraken embraced thirsty ‘BookTok’ hockey romance videos. It backfired. by Daysia Tolentino
Parasocial interaction on Wikipedia
Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity, from Bronze Age to Silver Screen by Greg Jenner
Why one small American town won’t stop stoning its residents to death by Charlotte_Stant
Paul McCartney Said He Once Masturbated with John Lennon: "It Was Good Harmless Fun" by Starr Bowenbank
Emily's mom reacting to the Paul McCartney news
Grandma Heated Rivalry gift by margarettiktokgod
Bandom (Decaydance+, My Chemical Romance) on Fanlore
Stephen Colbert King of Glory dance
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
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55min
January 21, 2026Interview with Sex Educator Rae and Data Scientist Makenzie
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Rae and Makenzie about their research into kink representation in enemies-to-lovers Harry Potter fanfiction. Rae and Makenzie describe their process for reviewing millions of words of fic (for science!) and how fanfiction can help educate and inspire readers.
Sources from this episode:
Hogwarts After Dark: Consent, Kink, and Queerness in Harry Potter Fanfiction
Recording
Resources
The annotated spreadsheet
Rae's website
smitten's a bad look on me by arrowsandbows
stuck in the seams by spudcity
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!
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42min
January 07, 2026So You Wanna Write a Fanfic: Tips and Tricks for Getting Started
Join Emily and Vee as they discuss the ins and outs of writing fanfic, including coming up with ideas, choosing a writing platform, and sharing your work online. Plus, Emily shares her latest fandom adventures in a little show called Supernatural.
Topics include: Writing, publishing, editing
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
Literotica
No beta we die like men on Fanlore
Perchance generators
PWP on Fanlore
Drabble on Fanlore
Longfic on Fanlore
Work in Progress on Fanlore
Scrivener
Ellipsus
Proton
Beta on Fanlore
Formatting on Ao3
Tagging guide by mostlyinthemorning
Congressional Candidate Kat Abughazaleh on Parable of the Sower, and Her Love of Sci-Fi by James Folta
We asked listeners on Bluesky for their suggestions about starting to write fic. You can find those here!
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
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1h 4min
December 08, 2025Interview with Lauren Rouse: Fandom Researcher
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Dr. Lauren Rouse, fandom researcher and co-author of "Quantifying fandom: Identity, romance, and platform preferences on archive of our own." Dr. Rouse discusses the findings from the article, their research interests around disability and fandom, and how fanfiction and fandom have inspired their scholarship journey.
Sources from this episode:
Quantifying fandom: Identity, romance, and platform preferences on archive of our own by Lauren Rouse and Mel Stanfill
Texts and Technology program at the University of Central Florida
Transformative Works and Cultures journal
Survey Results: Demographics by centreoftheselights
Disability, Literature, Genre: Representation and Affect in Contemporary Fiction by Ria Cheyne
The Paratext of Fan Fiction by Maria Lindgren Leavenworth
Dr. Sami Schalk's website
Check out Dr. Rouse's bio here.
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!
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30min
November 13, 2025Trope There It Is: Story Themes in Fic and Beyond
Join Emily and Vee as they open the freezer to uncover the origins of "dead dove, do not eat" and embark on a journey through tropes old and new. Plus, what is "whump," and why did Emily think it was spelled with an "f" at the end until looking it up for the purposes of this episode?
Topics include: Tropes, literatures, movies, stories
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon!
Sources from today's ep:
Dead Dove, Do Not Eat on Fanlore
Trope on Wikipedia
TVTropes.org
The Princess Bride on TV Tropes
Will You Make a Suitable Bride for Oscar Isaac on Clickhole
The Kissing Game by veeagainst
Whump on Fanlore
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!
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45min
October 27, 2025 Interview with TJ Klune: NYT Bestselling Author and Fanfic Stan
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview author TJ Klune. We chat with TJ about his fanfiction journey, the power of fiction to change our world, and his fervent love of the "only one bed" trope.

Sources from this episode:
TJ's books
Cackling "only one bed" goats

Check out TJ's bio here.
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50min
October 09, 2025Got Filk? The Wondrous World of Fandom Music
Join Emily and Vee as they explore filk (you read that right!) and the limitless possibilities of fandom music. Be sure to listen to the end of the episode for a filk by the hosts themselves!
Topics include: Filk, music, folk music, sci-fi, fantasy
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon!
Sources from today's ep:
Meta on Fanlore
What is Filk? on Interfilk
What is Filk? Panel Discussion from DragonCon
The Pegasus Awards website
Wizard Rock on Fanlore
Monsterfuckers AƧSEMBLE: an AᗺBA tribute album
Fable Fiesta writing prompt generator
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!
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50min
September 22, 2025 Interview with Freya Marske: Romance and Fantasy Author
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview author Freya Marske. We chat with Freya about her history of writing fanfiction, the fandoms that shaped her, and the emerging popularity of sapphic romance and fantasy.

Sources from this episode:
Freya's Ao3
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (first in the Last Binding trilogy)
Gaywyck by Vincent Virga
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
All Fours by Miranda July
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Check out Freya's bio here.
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55min

FAQs about Mind the Tags:

How many episodes does Mind the Tags have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.

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