lemon EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / THE-GALAXY-COLLECTOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR / DEATHVALLEYQUEEN DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL CONTENT / ROBINWRITESALLTHETHINGS ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / SEXYLIBRARIAN1 JUNIOR COPY EDITOR / JAZZYWAZZY89 STAFF WRITERS / BUTWHYDOILIKETHIS, CROSSBOWKING, JAZZYWAZZY89, JEWELSWRITES-ISH, KDCOLLINSAUTHOR, LILITHENALTUM, RICKBISEXUALGRIMES, SEXYLIBRARIAN1, SUPERPRINCESSPEA, THEFUDGE
ALL ARTWORK CONTRIBUTED BY CROSSTHEGOLDENDELTA
contact us
on the cover
tumblr: lemon-mag instagram: the.lemon.magazine twitter: magazinelemon pillowfort: lemon-mag itunes: the rule 34 podcast the.magazine.lemon@gmail.com jobsatlemon@gmail.com
via canva.com
editor's note We weren't set to put out another regular
Please, if you're reading this, I beg you to
issue until Jan. 1st, 2019. It's still happening,
listen. Listen to the people who are actually
of course, but with Tumblr's announcement of
dealing with this. Try and understand what
their adult content ban, we felt it important to
this is really about. Don't tell someone who is
address it as fully as possible. We wanted to
nervous about the possibility of a limited
offer solutions and help others. That has
income that the @staff post says this, that,
always been and will always be our motto
and other. They've read it. I guarantee.
and mission at Lemon.
You're not helping and you sound like a jackass.
I won't lie and pretend like it's not frustrating, though. This isn't how it should be. We had a
Don't tell them that they have nothing to
funny Christmas issue coming out in this one's
worry about if they don't post porn because I
place. It was going to be full of silly character
think we've all seen that's not true anymore.
letters to Santa. Tumblr wasn't supposed to
They're flagging sculptures and paintings.
have fallen to the corporations who don't
Those aren't porn. They're history. Tumblr is
care about the communities they host.
attempting to erase history.
However, instead of that lighthearted ode to the holidays, we get to do this.
So, please, pay attention. Wake up. Realize that this isn't all about you. Help each other.
Now, I'm not naive. I know the reasoning
Save your content. Reach out. Find your
behind the great porn purge of 2018. There
people. They're still there.
are some very, very bad people using Tumblr for unspeakable evils and they should be
And thanks, Tumblr, for cancelling
removed. But what they say this is for and
Christmas. You bunch of twatwaffles.
what it's actually for aren't the same thing. They are using this excuse to shut down LGBTQ+ blogs. They're using it to shut down sexual positivity. They're using it to silence the writers and the artists and the creators. They are lying and now people are scared. And they should be. There's no use in skirting around the truth anymore. They are using this purge and this ban to hurt people.
galaxycollector EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
IN THIS ISSUE pg.5
pg.18
STATE OF THE FANDOM
THE EUPHEMISMS LIST
In our first ever State of the Fandom address, we talk about all the things plaguing our communities.
kdcollinsauthor presents a list of real published euphemisms for all our favorite dirty words.
pg.10
pg.23
BETABOOKS REVIEW
IN DEFENSE OF...
One of our many platform or app reviews in this issue.
We take the time to defend the slow burn in this issue, talking about all the ways in which writing foreplay is best for everyone.
pg.13
pg.28
10 TIPS FOR SMUT WRITERS
THE 12 PROMPTS OF FICSMAS
Like to write smut? Always thought about it and never took the chance? Check out these 10 tips from sexylibrarian1.
deathvalleyqueen brings twelve prompts to get you through the holidays. Just insert your favorite characters.
pg.15 THE SMUT PLAYLIST No matter which music listening app you have, you'll want to check out Lemon's Smut Playlist to get you in the mood to write your next favorite scene.
pg.30 HOROSCOPES Need to know if the stars will align for your writing in December? Check out our horoscopes to see what the planets have in store for you.
SAVE THE LEMONS ISSUE | PAGE 3
P. 5
SAVE THE LEMONS ISSUE
STATE OF THE FANDOM Tumblr has fallen.
The most obvious victims of this bombardment are those that need a community like Tumblr to the
Porn is dead.
greatest degree. The worst part being, of course, that the ban will stop nothing Tumblr hopes to eliminate.
The bots are coming. The bots are… [transmission
Rule 34 was established long ago and it says, “If it
end]
exists, there is porn of it”. Tumblr, while it may feel its intentions noble, will not be able to do anything about this now. Even on their own site. Especially on their
My fellow fandom members,
own site.
This is Lemon’s first State of the Fandom address and
It saddens me to reveal that no one is safe, regardless
within it lies dire warnings and cautious optimism. On
of what the official statement says, and the
December 3rd, 2018, Tumblr announced its ban on
consequences are swift and severe. Left and right the
adult content and with it came an attack on our
Tumblr-verse has seen erotica, which is specifically
freedoms. Its broad terms and lack of control on the
named in their official post as protected, being
bot they sent out left many of us scrambling to make
flagged and removed without warning, without
sense of what was going on. Almost a week later, at
notification, and with extreme malice. The thought that
the time of writing this, we’re all still trying to wrap our
the world will lose this content forever might not seem
heads around what it means going forward for the
like something to be concerned with, but as fanfiction
general fandom community.
writers, readers, and artists, I implore you to see the underlying issues here. Once again, our community
Let me start by saying that there is still much we don’t
comes under fire by those wishing to silence us.
know or understand. We may never fully grasp the thought process behind the absurd and unenforceable
Freedom of speech and content has never been
ban. The porn blogs have, and will continue to, evolve
guaranteed by any of the sites we frequent. They have
under Tumblr’s nose until the day that they close their
never claimed to be impartial or beholden to their
doors for good. Unfortunately for all of us, that may be
users and this situation is one of many. And that’s what
sooner than we ever imagined.
happens when you give the copyright holders of the
P. 6
STATE OF THE FANDOM
original material we base our content on a voice. You
we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do
allow a very specific set of problems to invade our
anything”. Don’t let anyone say this isn’t a valid form
space. Whether or not they realize it, our content
of creativity and expression because
generates more revenue for them. Every single
anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the
fanfiction story makes its reader curious about the
world”. We’ve been counted out and excluded for
source, if they weren’t already.
longer than most of us care to admit, but we found each other and
“no matter what
“sometimes it’s the people no one
The gatekeepers of the entertainment and publishing
imagines anything of who do the things no one can
industries have tried for longer than most of us have
imagine”. So, have hope.
been alive to keep their positions as such. If the idea were to reach the masses that all of these stories, sometimes so much better than the original material,
“Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the
are available for free, it would be impossible for them
best of things, and no good thing ever dies”.
to continue in the same capacity. And they, the guardians of the written word, feel it is their duty and their right to shut fandom down to preserve the sanctity of what they view as worthy. Because how could you, oh humble fan, have created this wonderful extension without their help and their knowledge? If that could be true, then it stands to reason that they aren’t necessary.
But we haven’t faded out yet and we will not
“go
gentle into that good night”. Instead, we should all plan to
“rage, rage against the dying of the light”.
If history has taught us anything about this culture, this movement, these people, we can see that
“a little
nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men” because we “never stop looking for what’s not there”. We know what it’s like to have a void no person or thing can fill. We remember what it was to discover how to be ourselves again. And that, my fellow fandom members, is how you will always know that we need you, your story, your universe, and your characters. The world needs you and
“it’s only after
Thank you.
NO, YOU AREN T GOING TO HELL '
By deathvalleyqueen
who hasn’t had a ton of experience either. I’m a 30-year-old woman who has lived a full and adventurous life in that department. My partner is well aware that I write smutty things, even helping me proofread sometimes. I should have no shame in what I do. Yet, it’s there.
T
he beauty of transformative fanworks is that you can explore all aspects of a character’s life. Family dynamics, friendships, how they handle betrayal, political ambition, and yes, even their sex lives. Smut is one of the most popular subgenres within fanfiction. Almost anyone, hopefully over a certain age, has stumbled across a smut fic at some point, or as they were once known, lemons. Whether you are an avid reader of such fics, or someone who doesn’t seek them out but understands the writing skill necessary to create them, everyone can appreciate what it takes to write good smut. Smut writers often face much harsher criticism about their works than the average shipper and author. I can’t speak for every smut writer, but I take twice as long on a small section of smut versus the other 6,000 words of that chapter. From word choice, hand placement, and making sure things make physical sense, it’s a lot harder than it looks. And that’s just the nuts and bolts of the scene. There is so much more after the fact that smut writers face. Shame. Yup, shame. Now, for me, this is ex-Catholic guilt and shame. Though I grew up in a sex-positive home, I still struggle with the shame of being a fanfiction writer who also dives into those dirty, trashy smut fics. I almost always say, as I go to post something particularly smutty, "I’m so going to hell for this…”. I am not some 18-year-old
Because there’s still something exceptionally taboo about smut. Doesn’t matter if it’s the kinkiest of kink fics or the most tender and vanilla scene ever, it’s still… naughty. The people who are casual fans, younger fans, or even people who don’t get the allure see it as porn more often than not and ignore the talent required to produce it. This needs to change. If we can acknowledge and accept Fifty Shades of Grey on such a large scale, surely we can accept smut and its place in pop culture. Housewives and teenagers everywhere are getting some strange, and bad, introductions into BDSM, and that story started out as a poorly written example of Twilight fanfiction. Yet I feel guilty for posting smut. Well, no more. Smut writers everywhere, no, you are not going to hell for writing your deviously delicious smut fics. Hold your head high when you hit the publish button and know that you probably took more time with your 1,500 word smut fic than most took with their twice as long chapter. Your attention to the details does not go unnoticed. We see your skill, effort, and time and we, the readers and fellow writers, salute you for your efforts.
FLAMES-BRING-A-TON-OF-ASH SITS DOWN WITH LEMON
We know that everyone is being affected in some way by the new rules regarding the adult content ban on Tumblr. How have you personally been affected and how have you been dealing with it? Well, one of the frustrating things about the flagging algorithm is that it’s almost impossible to tell exactly how much your blog has been affected, unless you wanna go back through your archive post by post. I’ve gone through all my fics/chapters to see if there were any flags, but there’s no way to go back through years of posts and know how many have flags on them, since Tumblr isn’t sending out any type of notification about it. I’ve been lucky that only one of my fics was flagged (so far), and I’m guessing that it was because I used a shirtless GIF of Jeffrey Dean Morgan (though why that would be considered adult content, I have no clue). I sent it in for an appeal to be reviewed, and almost a week later I still haven’t gotten a response. It’s been frustrating, but I honestly feel so much worse for other blogs who do NSFW events, such as porn GIF drabbles, and all the artists who make their living through their artwork. I’ve been trying to find people on other sites, so that I don’t lose them if their Tumblr gets deleted, but it’s difficult because everyone is spread out on various sites, some of which I don’t really use (such as DeviantArt or Twitter). Tumblr
feels like a sinking ship right now, and we’re all trying to put on as many life jackets as we can, in case our blogs go down with it. Will you continue to post on Tumblr or are you planning on moving to another platform? I will definitely continue to post on Tumblr. I’ve put so much time and effort into my blogs, and so I’m not going anywhere unless they get deleted. As a backup plan, I just made a Pillowfort account and will be slowly transferring my fics over there. I also made a Pillowfort community called “Negans Thirst Squad” for any Negan fans who might migrate to that site. Pillowfort looks really promising, and I’m excited to see how it will develop, especially now that so many new people are signing up. How do you see these new rules affecting the fanfiction writing community? Tumblr has been such a hub for all sorts of fandom media. How do you see this changing going forward? Well the “rules” had stated that written erotica was to be safe, so the fact that this isn’t looking to be the case is really infuriating. Fanfiction (and a lot of fandom content in general) is a pretty women-dominated arena, and is the one place where a lot of us feel safe to express our sexuality through our written work. It gives a sense of community and sex-positivity that we don’t
always find offline. Many of us have had to overcome feelings of shame and guilt to get to a place of proudly posting NSFW fanfiction and art, so this ban feels like a slap in the face. It’s as if we’re being told, “Expressing your sexuality in this way is BAD and you better hope we don’t flag your content”. At least that’s how it feels to me. Which is part of why I refuse to leave unless forced; I won’t be shamed for the content I post, and I’ll be appealing each and every flag on my fanfiction that I find, as well as supporting others who are also fighting their own flags. How is this affecting your writing? Are you trying to do damage control? Or are you just going about business as usual? I’m mostly going about business as usual, when it comes to my own writing. I did go back and delete all of the posts for my porn GIF drabble challenge, which was a bit painful to do, but I didn’t want to take any chances. Other than that, I’ve only had one fic be flagged, and am hoping no more get hit. Where all can we find you and what are your usernames? Ao3: alreynolds13 FF.net: alreynolds13 Wattpad: Flames Bring a Ton of Ash Pillowfort: flames-bring-a-ton-ofash Instagram (though I don’t post much on there): ashton8913
TUMBLRPOCALYPSE
9
SAVE THE LEMONS ISSUE | DECEMBER 2018
You're Already There Written by jewelswrites-ish
Upon researching what the word aspiring means, our good friend Google brings up the definition, “Directing one’s hopes or ambitions toward becoming a specified type of person”. In layman’s terms, it means to work on becoming who you want to be. There are some who are aspiring to be a doctor, a lawyer, a bioengineer, and so on and so forth. The difference between the aforementioned and writers (fanfiction and original writers alike) is that they are not able to claim their desired title until they complete countless years of school and have their own practice, clientele, labs, etc. Writers, however, are able to announce their jobs the moment pen touches paper (or fingers touch keypad in our growing technological world), though many will still call it a hobby. There are a plethora of writers who claim they are aspiring when their pieces have already gained a following, touched hearts, and even brought readers to tears (we’ve all been there). Let’s face it, a lot of these so-called aspiring writers have such a way with words that their work is considerably better than many published authors. We, as writers, have the ability to create worlds far from our own realities and communicate ideas for others to interpret on their own. We have the gift to take minds to a world in another dimension or keep them on earth with a new spin to reality. In my personal experience, while many devour and love the Fifty Shades of Grey saga, there are countless of other authors who post on Tumblr, Archive of Our Own (AO3), FanFiction.Net, and Wattpad who had already changed the erotica game completely. Writing is hard; we all know and feel this on a deep spiritual level. Writing is a job, whether or not there is a check attached. In this sense, as writers we must all remember that we are not aspiring to be anything but paid writers. So, next time someone poses the question, try adding paid to aspiring, as you, darling, are an amazing writer already.
LEMON MAGAZINE
BETA BOOKS REVIEW
BETABOOKS IS SOMETHING I FOUND ON TUMBLR IN THE WAKE OF THE ADULT CONTENT BAN ANNOUNCEMENT. ALTERNATIVES POPPED UP EVERYWHERE AS WE SCRAMBLED TO FIND A NEW PLACE FOR STORIES. WHEN I NOTICED THAT BETABOOKS WAS CENTERED MORE AROUND THE ACTUAL BETA READING OF THE BOOKS, I WAS INTRIGUED AND SIGNED UP THAT NIGHT. FIRST, AS I PULLED IT UP, THE QUESTIONS I HAD WERE SIMPLE. WAS IT FREE FOREVER? WHAT WERE THE LIMITATIONS? I SENT AN E-MAIL TO ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS AND CO-CREATORS, PAUL. HE WAS SUPER HELPFUL AND ANSWERED EVERYTHING AND REMAINED AVAILABLE AS I SET UP MY FIRST BOOK. YES, IT’S FREE FOREVER, BUT YOU CAN ONLY DOWNLOAD ONE BOOK AND HAVE THREE READERS. SO, YOU CAN’T FILTER YOUR BETA READERS IN AND OUT IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN THAT. IF YOU’VE BEEN ON WATTPAD YOU KNOW HOW HELPFUL IT IS TO HAVE IN-LINE COMMENTING OPTIONS AND THE FREE PLAN DOESN’T OFFER THAT. SAVE THE LEMONS
SAVE THE LEMONS
IT DOES ALLOW BETA READERS TO GIVE FEEDBACK AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH CHAPTER, THOUGH, AND LETS THE AUTHOR PUT IN AS LONG OF A CRITIQUE GUIDE AS NECESSARY, WHICH ALSO APPEARS AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY CHAPTER TOO. AS YOU GET INTO HIGHER TIERS, YOU’RE ALLOWED MORE READERS AND BOOKS. IT’S EASY TO READ ON MOBILE, FOR AUTHOR AND READER. PAUL SAID THAT MORE THAN 90% OF ALL THE USERS OF BETABOOKS WERE ACCESSING IT FROM THEIR PHONE, SO A LOT OF THE PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE SIMPLIFIED AND MORE OF A TYPESETTING PROGRAM THAN WORRYING ABOUT A TON OF COOL EXTRAS NO ONE IS GOING TO USE. AS YOU GO THROUGH EACH OF THE PAID PLAN OPTIONS, YOU DO GET MORE AND MORE FEATURES THAT PERTAIN TO AUTHOR AND BETA READER ALIKE. FOR INSTANCE, AT THE TOP TIER, THEY ACTUALLY LET YOU HAVE A QUESTIONNAIRE ON FILE THAT ANSWERS CAN BE ENTERED INTO. IT ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO KEEP TRACK OF EVERY PART OF THE FEEDBACK PROCESS AND EVEN LETS YOU HAVE A SIGN-UP FORM THAT’S EMBEDDABLE. THE MIDDLE TIER ALLOWS FOR IN-LINE COMMENTING, WHICH, YES, YOU CAN GET FOR FREE ON WATTPAD, BUT THE OTHER FEATURES ABOUT READER TIME SPENT ACTUALLY READING AREN’T THERE. BETABOOKS IS FOR SERIOUS WRITERS (PAID PROFESSIONALS OR NOT) WHO ARE COMFORTABLE INTERACTING WITH THEIR BETA READERS DIRECTLY. I ALSO THINK, AS A BETA READER, IT’S AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE BECAUSE IT LETS YOU JUST READ AND OFFER FEEDBACK, WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS YOU MAY HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO USE. FOR INSTANCE, I HAVE A MAC COMPUTER, BUT MOST OF THE AUTHORS I BETA FOR HAVE WINDOWS. I HAD TO DOWNLOAD MS WORD FOR MAC JUST TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM AND IT DOESN’T COOPERATE ALL THE TIME. WITH BETABOOKS, EVERYONE IS IN ONE PLACE, NO MATTER THE OPERATING SYSTEM. THAT ALONE IS WORTH THE MONEY THEY’RE ASKING. THE FACT THAT THERE’S A FREE OPTION AT ALL IS AMAZING AND THE FEATURES IT STILL GIVES YOU SHOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO SIGN UP.
VERDICT: DO IT. YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED, EVEN IF YOU JUST STAY IN THE FREE TIER. PG. 11
LEMON
SAVE THE LEMONS ISSUE
PAGE 8
10 tips for smut writers BY SEXYLIBRARIAN1
Picture this: You’re surfing on Tumblr, reading fanfic after fanfic, enjoying scenario after scenario in which you (AKA, Y/N) are the star. At this point, you’ve slept with your favorite characters at least sixteen different ways—top, bottom, from behind, against a wall, and on and on—and performed about thirty different sex acts on those same characters in a ridiculously short span of time. Fanfiction makes this possible… and yet something still seems to be missing. So, with a deep breath and your legs tightly crossed, you open a Word document and… nothing comes. The cursor blinks annoyingly on a blank page. You type in one word, then two, then a sentence, then another, look at them, and delete them all in one go. Reading smut (and loving it) is one thing. Writing it is definitely another. So if you’re stuck, here are ten tips on writing satisfying smut.
01 Do your research. Watch porn, read the Kama Sutra, read other fanfiction, read published novels. If you’re looking to describe a particular act or scenario and you’re unsure of something, look it up.
06 Focus on the emotion of the scene. Even if it’s a one-night stand against a wall in an alleyway and the characters don’t know the other person’s name, there are still going to be emotions involved.
02 Learn what you like. You don’t have to start out writing a 6,000 word opus that details all of sex from vanilla to BDSM and everything in between. If you’re stuck on what kind of smut to write, write what you like in bed.
07 Build to the sex. A lot of exposition is not necessary, but some is. Every sexual scene has build-up behind it, and the scene you create dictates the kind of sex you’re writing.
03 Write the characters you want to write. It’s really hard to write smut for a character you’re not crushing hard on. Trust me, I’ve tried. If you get a request for a character you don’t like or don’t know very well, you’re absolutely free to turn that request down. 04 All good writers steal. If you like the scenario that someone else wrote, take that scenario or sex act and make it your own! You can give a scenario your own flair without plagiarizing someone else’s. 05 Don’t include every single detail of your scenario. The reader doesn’t need to read about every single lick and every single thrust. Pick and choose which details to include.
08 Write all types of sex. Expand your horizons! There’s so much available out there to read and write. Get into all of it. Challenge yourself and write one sexual scenario a week.
09 Write other characters. This is just like the tip above. If you like more than one character in a fandom, or you like several characters in several fandoms, write them all.
10 ENJOY YOURSELF. You’re writing smut! You should absolutely be squirming in your chair while you’re working. Hell, you should take a 45 minute shower after you get the fic done. Writing smut should never feel like a job.
KITTENOFDOOMAGE SITS DOWN WITH LEMON You are one of the most popular smut writers possibly on Tumblr, so we know you've been hit hard by the changes in the rules. Can you maybe explain briefly how deeply these changes affect your blog? At the moment, the worst effects have been the deletion of my Sinful Sunday GIFs and the previous possibility that the event could not continue. I rely on these events to widen my audience, get new followers and by proxy, enhance my business. It has been a massive pain to find every flagged post but I did take the opportunity to clear out old junk and asks from the last four years, so silver linings everywhere, I suppose! With regards to the future, we’re going to have to wait and see what happens on the 17th. Hopefully, although it is a slim chance, we won’t go the way of GeoCities, LiveJournal or FF.net. One of the first things we saw when all this went down was a post about you losing all your Sinful Sundays, one of the most popular features of your blog. Did you have copies somewhere, or was it all in your drafts, and will you be posting them elsewhere? Unfortunately, I lost all of them. I used to save the GIFs, write them directly into my drafts, and do all the editing as I posted. I don’t like to keep that sort of material lingering around on my computer (being a
responsible parent and all), so I didn’t back any of them up. But this does mean, when the event starts again, we can reuse old GIFs that we’d forgotten about! With these changes will Sinful Sundays be continuing? Or will we be saying goodbye to this beloved tradition? Sinful Sunday is not done. I have an announcement in the New Year for the next event, which is planned for February, with a Valentine’s theme. None of the event will take place on Tumblr but I’ll give out all the details in my announcement on Jan 1st.
Being such a well-known figure in the fanfiction community, especially in smut circles, I am sure you have seen how these rules are causing waves. Can you tell us a little of what you have been noticing amongst your circle of friends on Tumblr? At first, understandably, there was a lot of panic. Personally, I don’t tend to get too worried about this sort of thing - porn’s been around longer than the internet and I’ve no doubt it will be here long after. The immediate concern I’m seeing now is losing friendships, connections, and business prospects. My good friend, Saxxy, had recently lost everything and she’s worked so hard to put that business together, providing a product to the community (because we are a community, no matter what Verizon thinks) that we love. Her work has
literally helped me recover from relapse and depression. I know some people take comfort in my stories and the thought of losing them has worried a lot of people. What do you plan on doing going forward? Because of the content you create, do you see yourself moving platforms? Going to a Wordpress-based blog or perhaps over to Pillowfort? Tumblr won’t get rid of me without a fight and to be honest, I kept writing NC-17 on Fanfiction.net for years after they “purged” and no one ever said anything or did anything. I’m not a fan of Pillowfort. I’ve had a look and it’s just not for me. I’m comfortable on Tumblr, got things set up the way I like, and I’m old, so learning new tricks isn’t so easy! Wordpress too… I do have an account there but I’ve never used it. My content is all available at Archive of Our Own anyway, so there’s no need to panic!
Where all can we find you and what are your usernames? My username across the board is kittenofdoomage. I’m available on Tumblr (I’m the violinist on the Titanic), AO3, Twitter, Instagram (hope you like pictures of my dumb cats) and I do have a FB page but I rarely use it.
TUMBLRPOCALYPSE
THE SMUT PLAYLIST Brought
to
you
by
The
Lemon
Magazine
01
05
Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana
Porn Star Dancing My Darkest Days
02
06
Crazy in Love (Remix)
Heaven
Beyoncé
Julia Michaels
03
07
Lips on You Maroon 5
Anytime, Anyplace Janet Jackson
04
08
Addicted
Ladies Come First
Saving Abel
Hinder
SAVE THE LEMONS ISSUE
PAGE 16
PILLOWFORT.IO REVIEW Pillowfort.io isn’t technically new since the idea was announced in 2016, but it’s grown exponentially in the last few weeks, so it warrants more than a mention. Many authors have already gravitated that way, which is evident in their backlog of invitations needing to be sent out. But what is Pillowfort, you ask? Oh, just a better version of what Tumblr set out to be all those years ago.
Let’s just start off with the cons and get them out of the way so I can gush about this wonderful platform. First, it’s newer and with that comes bugs. You do have to pay for it too. It’s $5 for a registration code, and there might possibly be more paid features in the future. This is actually going to be listed in the pros section too, because it means the owners of Pillowfort aren’t beholden to anyone except their users if we pay for their service. I, personally, would have paid for Tumblr if we could have changed that aspect of the site, but hindsight is 20/20 and all
could have done it if they wanted to. All they did
that.
was make it harder to connect with others. I know it sounds like I’m hating on Tumblr something fierce,
Next, the lag time once you’re on the site right now
but as I went through Pillowfort, it just made me
is pretty significant. Again, this is because of how
more aggravated by the minute. Tumblr was
many users they’ve gained in such a short amount of
choosing not to do certain things and telling us they
time. This was bound to happen regardless of how
didn’t have the resources, which wasn’t true.
much money a site may have from the get-go. Also,
Because here’s this blogging platform, almost
you can’t personalize your profile as much as you
identical, that has considerably less resources. The
can on Tumblr, but I imagine this one drawback will
difference? They listened and Tumblr doesn’t, hasn’t,
be fixed shortly.
and won’t.
Okay, now onto the good stuff! Let’s talk about the
There are a million other things I could list for their
communities feature first. It’s so much more than the
pros, but I was trying to keep this article pretty short
tags section of Tumblr. Communities lets you start
so I’ll end by saying this. When you make it to
little tribes within Pillowfort where you can connect
Pillowfort, it’s significantly easier to find your people.
with people who share the same interests. If you
$5 isn’t a lot to spend for peace of mind that your
want to start one for Stucky, do it! Granted, there’s
entire blog won’t disappear if it suddenly doesn’t
already one there, but you can make a community
meet some arbitrary standard. You seriously can’t
for anything. It’s more like a group page on
put a price on that! They want to save fanfiction, in
Facebook, but with the same blog/reblog space
a way, and I would pay all the money in the world
that Tumblr uses. The next big thing for me was the
for that!
ability to mark individual posts as NSFW, instead of your whole blog. I hated that this only applied to the
VERDICT: All the yes! It’s worth twice as much as
whole blog and this makes it really clear that Tumblr
they’re charging. Get in while you can!
LEMON
SAVE THE LEMONS ISSUE
PAGE 8
the euphemisms list Written by kdcollinsauthor
With the crackdown on adult content on Tumblr, you may be afraid to use certain words in your writing. As Lemon strives to be as helpful as possible, we would like to offer the following alternatives for your consideration.
PENIS, DICK, OR COCK Joystick, lovewand, trouser snake, purple-helmeted warrior of love, man mushroom, Mr. Happy, manpole, schlong, or velvet rod.
VAGINA, PUSSY, CUNT Lady lips, petals, her flower, her special place, her womanly center, beaver, muff, quim, or lady bits.
BREASTS, BOOBS, OR TITS Ta-tas, ya-yas, fun bags, jugs, knockers, melons, hooters, the twins, the girls, or womanly curves.
While these alternatives may not be in common usage, we can guarantee people will be talking about your word choice.
*Please note that while all offered words and phrases have been used in published works of fiction, that does not mean we condone their usage and hold no blame should you choose to do so.
What's What On Wattpad Written by jazzywazzy89 BY DAX GUGGENHEIM
With the Tumblr apocalypse upon us, many fanfiction authors have been searching for new homes. With the storm coming, and NSFW stories in particular under fire, Wattpad is as good a place as any for us authors to take shelter. Though the site is only
twelve years old, it boasts an incredible reputation and is the home of many success stories, including Beth Reekles, whose novel The Kissing Booth was recently made into a Netflix feature film. While at first glance Wattpad can seem a little intimidating, it’s
actually fairly simple to navigate and rather easy to use. Posting stories is as simple as copying and pasting, and not only can you preview your work before you post, you are able to edit afterwards, and changes to your work are saved as you go. In addition, you can
also add cover art and embed multimedia content, including pictures, GIFs, and videos to your stories. Story details allow you to include the summary, tags, completion status, and whether or not your story features adult content. There’s also the mobile writing feature, which allows authors to write anywhere and anytime from the Wattpad mobile app, where you can also keep track of both your stories and your followers. Wattpad has a laundry list of features that cater to both the writer and the reader. Readers can follow both authors and vote on stories to boost their popularity. They can also leave comments on the stories and the writer’s profile, all of which can be tracked by the writers through their profile and Wattpad’s notification system. Writers are able to track the number of views, comments, and votes, along with their story rankings, in the tags. Writers and readers can check their recommended stories and people generated through the site, and track updates for those on their own follow list through their newsfeed, along with creating their own personalized reading lists. Wattpad gives writers plenty of opportunities to promote their works. With the Watty Awards, Wattpad Studios Hits, Featured Stories, Editor’s Choice, and communities, stories are promoted by fans and staff, and writers are encouraged to not just post fanfiction, but original works as well. Building a following doesn’t take too long, especially for those of us who already have our loyal Tumblr fanbase willing to follow us when the end of days comes for us all on December 17th. If I have not convinced you to at least give Wattpad a shot yet, I give you Wattpad Futures, a feature that allows writers to make money from their writing by inserting ads in between story chapters. Wattpad also pretty much always has a wide range of writing contests happening where authors can enter to win prize packs, gift cards, cash prizes, and publication. If you choose to give Wattpad a try you can also go Premium, which will give you access to custom premium themes, an ad-free reading experiencing, and also goes to supporting the site and all of the lovely creators featured there. More importantly, Wattpad allows NSFW content of most kinks and creeds. Check their guidelines for the specific details. If you don’t believe me, just check the tags. So don’t let the Tumblr armageddon get you down. Download the Wattpad app and join me in the storm shelter where sexual content is safe. If you are a fanfic writer and are looking for a new home, especially if you are thinking of embarking on posting original work as well, Wattpad is the place for you. If you are a reader and wondering where you can get your fanfic fix once Tumblr’s ban takes effect, you know where to find me.
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AO3 has been my favorite fanfiction platform for a few years now. As users begin to consider leaving Tumblr in light of their adult content ban, many are turning to AO3 as an alternate platform for sharing their written work. Here's everything you need to know if you're considering making a move, or even if you just want to add AO3 to your social media repertoire along with Tumblr. AO3 was established in 2007. Their platform is that, “fanworks are transformative and that transformative works are legitimate”. They want to provide access to these transformative works on a platform that is user-friendly. AO3 is also instrumental in preserving these fanworks. Defunct fanfiction websites that would vanish without intervention are frequently transferred to AO3 so that their archives are not lost. In addition, AO3 runs Fanlore, a fandom wiki, hosts a committee to protect fanworks from legal challenges, and releases a peer-reviewed academic journal focused on fanworks called Transformative Works
and Cultures. They are instrumental in the fight to make fandom a topic that is not taboo in professional circles. Of course, undertaking all of these projects requires money. AO3 is entirely run by volunteers, so no one gets paid, but they still have to fund the various activities their projects take on. Therefore, AO3 fundraises several times a year, which has led to the misconception that they're asking for money that they don't deserve or need. However, AO3 really does need the money that they make in order to function, as their donation page explains. For the sake of transparency, AO3 releases their current financial position and a list of everything they have spent their money on each year. Their annual reports are extremely detailed, summarizing all of their overall accomplishments for the year before breaking them down in detail. For example, in 2016, the most recent reported year, some of AO3's accomplishments included
unraveling ao3 WRITTEN BY ROBINWRITESALLTHETHINGS
two issues of Transformative Works and Cultures being released, nine fanwork archives being imported, and the website breaking the impressive milestone of one million users. You can also view an itemized list of assets and expenses, so you can see exactly what AO3 has spent its money on and how much they have in the bank for the future. Much of their expenditure is dedicated to servers and domains, which is even more critical since membership is growing consistently. You can also see records of their recent fundraising and tax filings. Gifts are offered to those who donate over $50 either all at once or over time. In addition to all of these projects, AO3 has several features that benefit both readers and writers. You can search for fanfiction by fandom, character, pairing, and many other categories. If you're a writer and the fandom you're writing for doesn't exist on AO3 yet, you can add it. You can add any character to a fandom as well. There is a subscribe button to let you follow both authors and stories so you can customize your reading experience. You can leave both kudos, or the equivalent of a like on other social media platforms, and comments, and an author can choose to moderate comments if they'd like. Comments can also be deleted, ensuring that any harassment can be moderated by an author. Authors can view their statistics too, which show them what their most popular stories are, how many words they have published on the site, and how many subscriptions they have, among other things. Most importantly, AO3 does not restrict content. They do strongly suggest using four warnings, which are character death, graphic violence, rape and other nonconsensual content, and underage pairings. However, the author is given the final say in how they present their content because there are two additional warnings. One says that none of these four warnings apply, and the other is that they were purposefully not used. This way, a reader still knows thatÂ
there could be content they don't wish to read in the story without the author having to give anything away. Authors can also add personalized warnings, such as those that apply to specific kinks. AO3 collects all of the information typed in and makes suggestions so that authors can also see what similar tags already exist. In this way, no content is not allowed, but it is moderated in such a way that no one should end up reading anything they don't want to. Another feature AO3 has that I've not seen on any other fanfiction archive is the ability to orphan a work, or even your entire account. What this means is that you essentially give the work to AO3 so that it is still accessible to the fandom, but it is no longer editable and no longer displays an author. All identifying information is removed from orphaned stories. In this way, your story doesn't just inexplicably vanish if you're ready to wipe your hands of it, and people will still be able to read and enjoy it. AO3 hopes that this will prevent the disappearance of works with the deleting of accounts. So how do you get an AO3 account already? You do need an invitation to join AO3. You can request one on their website. Users are also sometimes given invites, so if you know someone who already uses AO3, you might be able to get one from them. There is a small waiting period before your invitation will arrive. When I requested my invitation, it came earlier than expected, though that may not always be the case. It's a very simple process, and once it's done, you just have to post your work, which is also remarkably simple, since AO3 supports cutting and pasting from a word processor and accepts HTML. Ultimately, AO3's preservation of fanworks and refusal to judge content creates a safe and moderated experience of that content for both authors and readers. As Tumblr institutes a ban that has already affected written work and could do so even more in the future, more and more people are going to turn to AO3 in order to make sure that their work is saved in a safe place. You should definitely check it out if you're looking for a more permanent place to host your fanfiction.
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IN DEFENSE OFÂ THE SLOW BURN by the-galaxy-collector
We’ve all seen it. One second, the characters are meeting and the next, they’re rolling around on the bed. Now, I’m all for the quick and dirty (pun intended), but there's something to be said for the slow burn that sets my cold, cold heart all aflutter. The obvious things that make the slow burn marvelous are the angst, the build-up, and the fluffy domestic scenes that are sprinkled throughout. But my absolute favorite part is the guaranteed happy endings. Is that always the case? No, but the ones that don’t have that are few and far between. Why would you build up a character and their relationships only to kill them in the end, especially if they just finally got some? Seems wildly unfair and, thankfully, it doesn’t happen all that often. And I’m nothing if not a whore for a happy ending. The other thing I can’t get enough of with the slow burn is the amount of tropes this allows. Want to do the enemies to lovers? How about a coffee shop AU? Oh, and throw in a nice, angsty arc for good measure. You can literally have it all in a slow burn. There’s nothing off limits because you have all the time in the world.
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Speaking of time, I’m a sucker for some foreplay. That’s all a slow burn is. It’s reader and writer foreplay. Sometimes, that’s not possible or wanted. But for me, if you go in without a little bit of work first I’m gonna roll my eyes and fast forward through the sex. I don’t care about it. I wasn’t given enough time to care. This works for some, and even me on occasion, but I need to care about why the characters are so hot and heavy or I get bored. Yes, it might just be me. I’ve come to terms with that and it’s not to say I don’t still love me some smut PWP-style, because I so do! There are those rare times, though, that I just want to feel something.
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THE RISE & FALL OF FANFICTION.NET Written by robinwritesallthethings
Back in the day, the best haven for fanfiction on the Internet was FanFiction.Net. It's not that way anymore, mostly because the platform banned what it referred to as, “adult stories” in 2002. As Tumblr prepares to ban what it refers to as, “adult content” in 2018, it's worth looking back at the history of FanFiction.Net, because right now it's pretty much a crystal ball for Tumblr's future. FanFiction.Net's current guidelines entirely prohibit real person fanfiction, also known as RPF, reader-insert fanfiction, and songfics that use copyrighted lyrics. They also do not allow MA, or mature adult, fanfiction, which they define as containing, “explicit language and adult themes”. Their highest available rating, M, also
specifies that, “detailed descriptions of physical interaction of sexual or violent nature is considered Fiction MA”. Users who post must agree to these content guidelines every single time that they post a new story. It's worth noting that their sister website for original fiction, FictionPress, has the same content guidelines. This doesn't mean that you can't find adult or mature content on FanFiction.Net. In fact, when I signed up for the portal (again) several years ago, I was told by multiple users that I could just post whatever I wanted because the rules aren't enforced. However, I heard from just as many users that stories they had posted that violated the guidelines had later been deleted without warning. It's difficult to want
THE LEMON MAGAZINE
to continue posting on a platform that is either unfriendly to a good portion of your stories or might delete them at anytime. How did the platform get to this point, and what can we learn about the current situation with Tumblr from it? There's never been a better time for a fandom history lesson. FanFiction.Net was launched in 1998 by UCLA student Xing Li. It grew quickly because it was not a website that was limited to one fandom; most fanfiction archives at the time were dedicated to one specific fandom, and none had an automated system that allowed for instant publication like FanFiction.Net's. When the platform opened, it did not allow actor RPF and required anyone accessing adult or mature content to verify their age before continuing. In fact, FanFiction.Net actively sought out members of adult fan groups who produced mature content and encouraged them to post their works on the site. However, in 2002, FanFiction.Net entirely banned what was then the NC17 rating. (It had to be changed later because of a complaint from the MPAA, the Motion Picture Association of America, which devised the movie rating system most fanfiction websites were also using.) The announcement called NC-17 stories a very small portion of the platform, and continued on to say that despite this, it was the group of stories that got the most complaints. It also stated that many of these stories were
in fandoms that were geared towards children. Though the announcement admitted that, “innocent writers will be affected”, the decision was made to wholesale ban the content. Users were given one month to save their stories and cleanse their accounts. At the same time, they banned all other forms of RPF, including fanfiction related to reality TV. The backlash was immediate. Multiple fan petitions were made, none of which had any effect. Some fans were outraged enough to pull their work from the archive, whatever its rating. Others were blasé and argued that it was the right of the platform to make whatever rules they wanted. Perhaps the most interesting reaction was many fans claiming that they would make their own site for posting fanfiction. However, at this time, no great replacement for FanFiction.Net appeared. As the dust settled and the initial purge ended, people began posting NC-17 content again, and many found that their work was not removed until it was specifically reported. The gossip around the fandom water cooler was that while NC-17 content wasn't allowed, FanFiction.Net wasn't really enforcing its own ban, so many authors just continued on as they had always done. In 2005, reader-inserts and songfics were banned, but otherwise, not much happened. Then, in 2012, another purge suddenly began. Reports said that even one expletive in a story was enough to get it taken down. As people panicked,
FanFiction.Net reminded everyone that this policy had been in place for a decade and was nothing new. This time, however, fans had someplace to go, and many of them quickly defected to AO3. So many, in fact, that AO3's servers had trouble keeping up, though they eventually adjusted. And just like that, AO3 became the most popular fanfiction platform for many authors. While FanFiction.Net still exists, it's not nearly as popular as it once was, and many new authors don't even bother dealing with it because of the problems with the platform's content policy. All of this should sound eerily familiar. Tumblr's abrupt announcement gives users about two weeks to save their work and get their blogs in order so that they have no adult content by December 17, the date their ban goes into effect. It is speculated that the ban has a lot to do with the proliferation of child porn and pornbots available on Tumblr, but undoubtedly, innocent users will be affected, just as they were by FanFiction.Net's policy change. There is at least one petition attempting to reverse Tumblr's changes, but as an analysis by AO3 points out, it will likely amount to nothing, because Tumblr has already calculated how many users they will lose and accepted the effect on their bottom line. This time around, people are defecting to a brand new platform, Pillowfort, that promises to be a better version of Tumblr. While their servers are having a hard time keeping up, they are working as fast as they can to fix the problem. The critical issue with these types of policy changes is that, in both cases, Â
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they are a complete 180 from the policies the platforms were founded on. If someone were to make a new platform with similar rules, people would be able to decide if they wanted to join or not. But people have been using FanFiction.Net and Tumblr for years, so these changes compromise the way people have been using the platform and make it difficult to adapt. It also makes users feel devalued because their voices are being silenced. In the case of both platforms, users have tried repeatedly to suggest solutions to problems like harassment and pornbots, but their suggestions have been ignored. Instead of listening and trying to implement smaller changes that would make their platforms better for all of their users, these developers are willing to cut out a large portion of their users because they perceive it as making their job easier. Social media platforms need to be more considerate of the fact that these wholesale burn it all to the ground changes alienate their users more than anything, and more moderate solutions need to be sought out. While it is unlikely that Tumblr will cease to exist, it will certainly not be the platform that it used to be, just like FanFiction.Net. Tumblr needs to be mindful of their history, because as they stand now, they're sealing the demise of their platform as a popular place for fandoms and other users to create a safe space for themselves and their followers. The crystal ball is about to shatter.
LEMON'S 12 PROMPTS OF FICSMAS 03
01
02
FRIENDSHIP
MEET CUTE
Character 1 and Character 2 go shopping for their friend Character 3’s present. Unbeknownst to the first two, their friend is at the same store shopping for their gifts! The three of them end up in the same checkout line. What will happen?
Two strangers meet as they bump into each other while holiday shopping for their friends and family. The chemistry is instant.
04
05
06
THE OLD FLAME
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS
HOLIDAY TRAVEL WOES
Character 1 needs a date for their holiday party at work. They don’t want to attend and have to make up a story about why they have no date again. So they call up Character 2, their best friend from childhood, and, after some begging, they agree to be their date. Sparks end up flying at the party.
Character 1 is traveling back home for the holidays and gets stuck in a snowstorm at the airport. They meet an intriguing person, Character 2, while they wait, and share in their travel woes.
Character 1 and Character 2 are old flames. One of them is back in town for the holidays and they run into each other at the grocery store. Will the embers of love reignite?
ODD MAN OUT Character 1 brings home Character 2, their new significant other. Character 1’s family is wary because Character 2 is very different from them. The family struggles but eventually learns that just because someone may look different doesn’t mean they are bad.
PG. 30
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07
08
09
THE WRONG GIFT
BLIZZARD
GETAWAY HOLIDAY
Character 1 gives Character 2 a gift, but accidentally gives them a gift they got for another person. They try to explain their way out of it, but get caught in their lie.
Character 1 and Character 2 are traveling in a car to an holiday event. They get stuck in a blizzard and are forced to stop in a small, strange little town.
Don’t want a white Christmas? No problem! Send Character 1 and Character 2 to a tropical getaway to celebrate with sand and adult beverages.
10
11
12
THE GRINCH
OPENING GIFTS
Character 1 is not digging the holidays this year. Character 2 tries desperately to get their friend to embrace the season.
Character 1, Character 2, and their family are opening presents. Behold, fluff!
NEW YEAR'S MISTLETOE Character 1 and Character 2 have both had a bad holiday season, but all the ill will goes away when they meet under the mistletoe on New Year’s Eve.
HOROSCOPE by Iris Kingsley
The Sagittarius fanfic author enjoys writing stories that allow them to spread their wings, literally and figuratively. Their
SAGITTARIUS
characters are never in one place for very long, but that doesn't mean they don't enjoy
Nov 22nd - Dec 21st
a good happy ending. The Sagittarius writer just thinks you should have to earn it first.
Your main character wants to leave the nest this month, so invite their
ARIES
significant other along for the ride. If
Mar 21st - Apr 19th
they don’t have one, a quirky best friend will do. Embrace the tropes this affords. With Mars causing family friction for them, consider letting them celebrate somewhere else for all your holiday prompt writing. You’ll be surprised the dialogue this opens up. Love may seem just out of reach for them too, especially near the 22nd’s super intense full moon. Stop having them always chase and give the other characters in your story a chance to spoil them a little instead.
AQUARIUS Jan 20th - Feb 18th
Since all December will be a very busy, and social, month for you, you’ll want to be everywhere and expand your writer squad. Do it! Near the 7th’s new moon, a virtual connection could evolve into something much more. Already in a committed Internet friendship/relationship? Go ahead and host that fanfic challenge you’ve been dreaming about, but enjoy your downtime afterward. The quiet
CAPRICORN
Dec 22nd - Jan 19th
For the Capricorn writer, this promises
doesn’t last long, ending on Jan. 19th. Make sure to nurture all those beta relationships and you could be in for
new supportive people in your life in. They’re waiting for you to make the first move. Single writers could even find love in the friend zone this month, so keep an eye out. If you’re already boo’d up, the 22nd’s full moon brings a milestone in that established relationship. Birthday season starts on the 22nd too, bringing your resolve into sharper focus. Splurge on some of those writer apps that you’ve been worried about. They’ll only help you, and your writing, grow!
taking all those story risks you’ve been worried about. Your rebellious streak comes out full force when you let them find their more erotic side just as Tumblr’s ban goes into effect on the 17th. But be careful where you set your story as this could either set the stage for the rest of the scene or stop you dead in your tracks. Consider doing all your Christmas shopping early since the 21st brings the Sun into your tenth house and energizes your already hyped up creative spirit. Take breaks during the holidays, even if that means a computer in your lap during the festivities.
a profitable new year.
to be one collab heavy month. Put away your loner tendencies and let the
Your characters are in for a change by
PISCES
Feb 19th - Mar 20th As Mars rolls through your sign, be both a planner and a pantser. Use the holiday prompt challenge circuit to network professionally. A bold career move could pay off around the 7th and after the 21st, you’ll be the talk of the town. Use the New Year’s holiday to host your own fic challenge or group project. The full moon on the 22nd means your graphic side comes out, and you’ll find yourself able to produce all your best GIFsets and moodboards -- take advantage.
TAURUS
Apr 20th - May 20th Relationships, for your characters, are your primary focus this whole month as the planets converge into the Cupidruled corners of your chart. After being incredibly frustrated in this writing department, you’ll be shocked at how easy the fluff comes now. Don’t forget to indulge the more sultry side of your character either. Everyone in your story will be happier for it. When the Sun activates your own personal wanderlust on the 21st, try a change of scenery. Something as simple as the Starbucks down the street may provide the inspiration you’ve been craving.
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HOROSCOPE | DECEMBER 2018
LEO
July 23rd - August 22nd All the world’s your character’s stage. Literally. You see them in everyone
GEMINI
May 21st - June 22nd Your normal spontaneous side, in writing and in life, takes a complete backseat to your need for structure this December. After the 21st, if a scene isn’t set in stone, set it aside for another story. Bail out quickly if they seem forced. Mars, in your ambition zone, gets you through the infamous writing holiday slump and maybe even some other lofty goals you’ve had the whole year. The 22nd’s full moon could bring rewarding financial developments, so keep your eyes
and in everything you do this month, or at least until the 21st, as the planets light up the more visually creative side of your writing. Go with the flow and take inspiration in everyday conversation. It’ll pay off big time for your story. Consider hosting a holiday-themed fic challenge, but don’t go too crazy and bite off more writers than you can handle. With Mars in your erotic eighth house all month, you’ll need some private time. Enjoy all the porn floating across your dash in rebellion to Tumblr’s new adult content ban. Don’t deny yourself.
peeled for the signs.
LIBRA
Sept 23rd - Oct 22nd After a few financial issues this fall, your ruler, Venus, will help you come up with new ways to keep the dough rolling in into the new year. With the Sun in your communication zone, take the time to sit down with your character and understand their motivations. The story will be that much easier when you finally graduate from the plotting stage. On the 21st, end-of-the-year investments could spell big money in early 2019, but don’t let other areas of your life slide. Fitness, for example, will do wonders for your creativity next year. Start your resolutions early!
VIRGO
Aug 23rd - Sept 22nd
CANCER
June 22nd - July 22nd Giving your main character, OC or not, some introspective qualities this month will pay off big time. As a Cancer writer, this is your usual state, so it won’t be hard to pull from that. Let them act that way on purpose as they make their way through scene after scene of your latest story. A little flirt fest may turn into a regular romance you never dreamed could happen for them around the 21st. If they’re already coupled, fill the rest of
Send out the invites early: you would make the perfect host for the multifandom holiday-themed fanfiction challenge. But don’t forget to return the favor and sign up for everyone else’s after the 21st, letting them run the show. Mars spices up your character’s love life this month too, so make sure to pay attention to what they’re telling you. The 7th’s new moon could repair some of their family issues, but they may surprise you (and the story!) entirely by taking a bold move on that front.
SCORPIO Oct 23rd - Nov 21st It’s time for some personal reflection this month, Scorpio. Go through all your old files, inspiration guides, and character names to see if anything throws you into a writing frenzy. At the very least, you’ll have the time to get organized. After the 6th, splurge on yourself with the Pillowfort registration or Wattpad Premium business everyone has been buzzing about. Venus revisits your sign on Dec 2nd, bringing with it some more motivation through the 22nd. You’ll want to take a
the month with fluffy date nights and
second look at that angst scene that’s
steamy dessert sessions. On the 22nd,
been troubling you and give it another
the full moon will bring with it more
go. On the 22nd, the globe-trotting full
notes and followers, allowing you to
moon could provide you with a new
hit all those milestones by the end of
setting for that WIP that's been
the year.
plaguing you all year.