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 43 episodes available.

Mind the Tags episodes:

June 10, 2026To the sausage machine! With OTW volunteers Elin and Brian
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily are joined by two volunteers from the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), Elin (Communications committee) and Brian (Accessibility, Design, and Technology committee). Elin and Brian share their experiences as volunteers and some of their favorite things about AO3, from its founding in 2008 to its debut as a Alpha in 2026. Plus, just how MANY subtances can be used as lube?

Sources from today's ep:
Committees of the OTW
International Fanworks Day on Fanlore
Skins and Archive Interface
Tumblr x AO3 on Fanlore
Tumblr post about Tumblr x AO3
Spambot Comments on AO3
Spotlight on Omegaverse at AO3
AO3 is Exiting Open Beta!
Archive Roadmap 2013
Our episode with Carley, fanfic translator and author
Donate to the OTW
Volunteer at the OTW
Sign up for the OTW newsletter
OTW code on Github
THE SAUSAGE MACHINE

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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55min
May 27, 2026Get out your vore, Shakespeare
Join Emily and Vee as they discuss all the ways in which literature has inspired fanfiction, from tropes and characters to Shakespearean style. Plus, Vee starts a "Get Our Your Vore" campaign, Emily throws serious shade on Odysseus, and they both struggle to pronounce Richard Siken's name for a full minute.
Topics include: Literature, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Poetry
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:
MerMay on Instagram
Vore on Fanlore
Our episode about fanart
The Allusionist podcast
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
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49min
May 13, 2026Alexandra Romanoff mmmbopped her way through fandom and you can too
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Emily is joined by author and fandom journalist Alexandra Romanoff. Zan discusses her recent article about fanfiction in Vogue and her favorite things about writing in fandom communities. Plus, Emily and Zan take a trip to AO3land!
Sources from today's ep:
The Fan Fiction That Made Me a Writer by Alexandra Romanoff
Devil Angel from the The Hanson Fan Fiction Archive
Vacation Self by Alexandra Romanoff
Zan's website
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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58min
April 29, 2026Be the fanfic reader you want to see in the world
Join Emily and Vee as they take a trip on a magic carpet through comments, kudos, and all the things that make up the fanfic reading rainbow. They also dive into some of the ways readers can help keep fanfic spaces like AO3 safe and fun for readers and writers alike.
Topics include: Fanfic, TikTok, Wattpad, The Pitt, Heated Rivalry
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:
The sex ed bakeshop
I am in your walls on Reddit
Our episode on writing fanfiction
a guide to fanfictions: where and how to find good fanfics — by i read this and that
How to find and read Fanfiction: Beginner Tips for navigating Archive of Our Own (AO3) by AliceTheGamedev
Fan Fiction: How to (and why you SHOULD) read fan fic by Johanna Draper Carlso
An AO3 Algorithm Would be Horrible, Actually by Kelly Martinez
How fan fiction went mainstream by Danielle Hewitt and Noel King
The Rec Center
Someone keeps accusing fanfiction authors of writing their fic with AI, and nobody knows why by Adi Robertson
The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction by Elizabeth Minkel
OFMD Rareships Bluesky
Vee's fic reader flowchart and tips from listeners on Bluesky
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
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55min
April 15, 2026The One Direction to hockey RPF pipeline with Sacha Judd
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily discuss all things RPF with fandom writer and researcher Sacha Judd. Sacha talks about her journey across fandoms and the inherent eroticism of smashing your paper dolls together. Plus, Vee and Emily put out an official call for cohost RPF (which Emily may or may not start writing).
Sources from today's ep:
Our RPF episode
The RPF Question by Sacha Judd
Tinhat on Fanlore
Lucy Dacus on Las Culturistas
Everyone is wrong about M/M except me by Allegra Rosenberg
Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Wikipedia
The Seattle Kraken embraced thirsty ‘BookTok’ hockey romance videos. It backfired. by Daysia Tolentino
Everything Breaks at Scale - Beyond Tellerrand May '22 by Sacha Judd
You can find out more about Sacha 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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55min
April 01, 2026This podcast ep was inspired by [insert Hozier lyric here]
Join Emily and Vee as they discuss all the ways the music inspires and influences fanfiction, from authors incorporating lyrics into their stories to titles inspired by Hozier and Taylor Swift. Plus, Vee introduces their idea for a Jurassic Park drag number, and Emily begs the listeners to help make it happen.
Topics include: Songfic, music, playlists, 8tracks
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:
Rule 63 on Wikipedia
4chan on Wikipedia
Our episode on Filk
Songfic on Fanlore
Our episode with Freya Marske
8tracks on Wikipedia
Social Media AU on Fanlore
Parallel Lines by Kings of Convenience
I Believe by Caroline Polachek
What songs have the biggest grip on AO3 writers? by Josepthunder on the AO3 subreddit
I found AO3 fic titles for every lyric of Sugar, We're Goin' Down by Fall Out Boy by Red the Mudkip on Youtube
The Postal Service Songs & Fic Titles by sprinklecipher on Tumblr
My Immortal (Harry Potter story) on Fanlore
Get Him Back ★ Edward Teach (+ Stede Bonnet) | OFMD by mxltinfinityx on Youtube
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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53min
March 18, 2026WTF is up with ATYD and other hot takes with Elizabeth Minkel
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily chat with returning guest Elizabeth Minkel about the latest trends in fanfiction, including the book deal for "All the Young Dudes," the Heated Rivalry of it all, and Fansplaining's new look.
Sources from today's ep:
"All The Young Dudes getting published?" from the Harry Potter fanfiction subreddit
Remus/Sirius on Fanlore
Marauders on Fanlore
Our interview with fandom law scholar Marc Greenberg, Esq.
"Agents Are Looking for the Next Heated Rivalry on Fanfic Sites" by Jasmine Vojdani
"The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction" by Elizabeth Minkel
"Heated Rivalry's Author Clears Up The Claim It Started As Marvel Fanfic" by Dylan Kickham
"Girls Who Love Boys Who Love Boys: When did everyone start fujoing out?" by E. Alex Jung
Fansplaining.com
The Rec Center
You can find out about Elizabeth's projects here.
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
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1h
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.
...more
55min

FAQs about Mind the Tags:

How many episodes does Mind the Tags have?

The podcast currently has 43 episodes available.

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