In this episode, Lita and Amara join Enthusiasm Girl to talk about the various tools fans have and use to appreciate the authors they love, and the ways in which those tools influence authors and readers. What's the etiquette around leaving critical comments or reviews on a fic? Is it motivating or frustrating when an author gets a comment on their WIP telling them they need to post more often? Why is sorting for fic in a new fandom by kudos or favourites maybe not really going to find you the best fic out there? We tackle these questions and more as we discuss reviews, kudos, bookmarks, reblogs and all the other ways fans and fanfiction authors interact.

In this episode, Chris and Joan join Enthusiasm Girl to talk about the relationship between creators and fanfiction writers. We get into the legal dimensions of the relationship that have caused crackdowns, lawsuit fears and the disclaimers that a lot of young fans wonder about. We talk about the evolution of creators over the years from deity-like "Powers That Be" to equal partners in the narrative accessible via Twitter. And we name some specific names of creators whose relationship with fans have been... interesting.

In this episode, Enthusiasm Girl is joined by Tia and Lexi to talk about romantic tropes, those sometimes cliche, sometimes transcendent plot beats that drown you in fluff and bring the feels.

What does it mean to love fluff and romance when your fandom's canon is dark and violent? Why is romance in fanfiction sometimes expressed in AUs that take extraordinary characters and put them in mundane settings like coffee shops, flower shops or college campuses? How can you both love romance tropes but also avoid woobifying villains or perpetuating abusive behaviours in real life? Those questions get discussed plus there's reminiscing on the first time Batman and Superman met in the comics for some bed-sharing, that time in fanfiction that Ben Franklin demanded a fake relationship and a Canadian wondering what the hell a Canadian Shack is.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

F

In this episode, Joan is the mod and she talks to Lita and Zee about fanfiction in anime and manga fandoms. They share their own history with anime and manga and get into how the Japanese culture and language gets absorbed into fic for better or for worse, a Sailor Moon fic that may or may not have been the worst fanfiction out there prior to My Immortal, and the subtle differences between loving dubs vs. subtitles. Plus a whole lot more.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

Fic Recs:

Sakura and Snow

(http://www.firecat.net/fanfics/sakura/sakura.html)

Empathy by DiePi

(https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3802739/1/Empathy)

Infection by DXM Junkie

(https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4044191/1/Infection)

Nukume Dori by Leareth

(http://archiveofourown.org/series/126606)

In this episode, Lita and Birdy join Enthusiasm Girl to continue the ongoing conversation tracking Daredevil and Defenders fandom as it evolves, specifically talking about the impact of Daredevil Season 2 and Luke Cage. We marvel at how very wrong we were about certain things last year, dig into the appeal of Karen/Frank, Mariah/Shades, Matt/Karen and make an argument for why Elektra deserves more fic. We also look forward to the Defenders and get excited for less of Matt in costume, more shirtlessness in general, and the possibility of a new influx of Daredevil fans writing fanfiction.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

Fic Recs:

The Night Nurse by igrockspock

(https://archiveofourown.org/works/8819638)

don't get cut (on my edges) by exstasiswings

(https://archiveofourown.org/works/6504781)

A Dog's Life by ornategrip

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/7653748/chapters/1

It's a few months into 2017, but we're talking in this episode about all of the controversies, fic and fandom goings on that happened in 2016. Contributors Birdy and Summer join Enthusiasm Girl to discuss the important fandom questions of the previous year. Will Harry Potter fans end up like Hobbit fans thinking less is more as J.K. Rowling expands the Potterverse? Why exactly did Stormpilot lose ground to Kylux and Reylo? Why is there not more Doctor Strange fic? And is fandom, as some have claimed, entitled? Or is there just a backlash against its progressive spirit? All that and more as we try to sum up the year in fandom as best as we can in two hours and probably don't know more than we know about it.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

Links Discussed:

Why Isn't Stormpilot Staying Popular? by Franzeska

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673552/chapters/15261553)

F

In this episode, Lita and Zee join Enthusiasm Girl to talk about what it means and how it's perceived in fandom when you write or read about villains or morally grey characters. Some fans are in it for the redemption, others for the whump, while others come to it purely for the wrongbad dynamics. But no matter where the impulse comes from, we dig into why there's nothing wrong with it, the implications of defining it as "problematic" or feeling the need to call ourselves trash for liking it, and why villains are just as important and necessary as heroes both in fandom and in the stories we love.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

Fic Recs:

All Our Secrets Laid Bare by firethesound

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/1227880/chapters/2516563)

smile (everything will be fine) by Tyleet

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/493866)

Those Sinned Against by Arkada

(http://archiveof

It's finally the A/B/O episode you've all been waiting for! In this episode, the mod talks to Lita and Chris about pack dynamics, knotting, gender and sexuality, domestic mpreg and why A/B/O is not whatever you're assuming it is.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

Fic Recs:

The Change by Ceebee

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/4700780)

Masquerade by marmolita

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/514042)

The 1920's A/B/O Verse series by buttsbeyondbutts

(https://archiveofourown.org/series/224441)

Fics Mentioned:

So many! Find the complete list at http://theotpodcast.com/post/156185410287/other-fic-mentioned-in-the-episode

Are older fans who write smut creepy? Do younger fans want to censor everyone? Is it possible for a young fan to love The X-Files and an older fan to love 1D? In this episode, the mod talks to two new contributors, Yentl and Zee, about reading and writing fanfiction no matter what age you are, how what our idea of what a fan looks like is probably very different from the reality, and about how we can bridge generational divides in fandom to better understand each other.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

In this episode, we focus on fusion AUs, those fics that are kind of a crossover, but also not quite a crossover. We talk about Sentinel AUs as the fusions that they are and share details of the original canon most fans aren't aware of. We muse on why drift compatibility draws people into Pacific Rim fandom. And we talk about the many fandoms that either aren't fusions but should be, or are and we want more.

Check out our website at http://theotpodcast.com for more great fic-related content.

And keep the conversation going on http://forum.theotpodcast.com

Fic Recs:

Fullmetal Firefly: Serenity by Bookwrm389

(https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5794794/1/Fullmetal-Firefly-Serenity)

Ultra Violet by ElisAttack

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673714/chapters/15261988)

Drift by plinys

(https://archiveofourown.org/works/5467286)