PODCAST · arts
The Fanfic Writers' Craft
by @pebblysand & @nargles15
The Fanfic Writers’ Craft is a podcast that discusses all things fanfiction with a focus on the art and science of writing for the enjoyment of fan communities. Every three weeks, Jo and Blayne (otherwise known in fandom as @pebblysand and @nargles15) sit down for a fun, multi-fandom, fanfic-related chat and delve into particular topics such as: the particularities of writing and reading fanfiction, monetisation, how to build a fanfiction plot, etc. Hope you enjoy!You can find us and contact us at: https://thefanficwriterscraft.tumblr.com/
Episodes
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S4E5. [BONUS] The Castles Chat (Or, Putin Explodes)
In this bonus episode of The Fanfic Writer’s Craft, Jo (@pebblysand) and Blayne (@btelling) take a deep dive into Jo’s long fic castles. Recorded back in September 2024, just weeks after castles wrapped, this is an extended, sprawling, and wonderfully self-indulgent conversation about the fic’s...
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S4E4. The Evolution of Fandom Etiquette from Quizilla to TikTok with @tinawithana (Or, Imagine Being Normal About the Media you Consume!)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Blayne (@btelling) are joined by their very first guest of 2025—TikTok creator and fandom commentator Tiana (@tinawithana)! If you’ve spent any time in fan spaces on TikTok, chances are you’ve come across Tiana’s funny, sharp, and often brilliantly blunt…
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S4E3. Crossovers, AU Rewrites and AI (Or, If You're Our Employers, Don't Listen To This)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Blayne (@btelling) settle in for a more casual, catch-up style episode where we ramble about a few different fanfiction-related topics. We answer two great Tumblr questions from listeners - first up, from an anon who asked us for advice about writing…
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S4E2. Fights! (Or, Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!)
This February, Jo (@pebblysand) and Blayne (@btelling) celebrate Valentine's Day/Month with a dive deep into writing arguments and fight scenes! Because what’s more romantic than a well-crafted battle of words (or wands)? In this episode, we discuss the purpose of fights in fiction, the…
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S4E1. Canon-Compliance (Or: AO3, Written by People Who Can't Write, Read by People Who Have No Taste)
In this episode, we kick off 2025 with an exciting new chapter for The Fanfic Writer’s Craft! This marks our first episode with my new co-host, Blayne (@btelling, aka Nargles15 on AO3), who you may remember from her fantastic guest episode in Season 2 on writing dystopian hellscapes. We chat…
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S3E8. 2024 Wrap-Up (Or, Stop Treating Fanfic Like Social Media)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) & Lani (@copper-dust) reflect on their 2024 fanfiction journeys and podcast highlights. They discuss notable shifts in fandom dynamics, including the growing conversation around engagement and the impact of binge-reading culture on commenting. They share their...
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S3E7. Writing Emotion (Or, Not Everybody Has To Have Trauma)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) discuss the art of evoking emotion in fanfiction, focusing on how to craft narratives that resonate deeply with readers. They explore the importance of allowing readers to connect with characters through their positive traits, rather than...
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S3E6. Money, Business & Economics (Or, Here's The Link To Our Ko-Fi)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) discuss the significance of writing about money, business, and economics in fanfiction. They explore how these themes can add depth and realism to stories by reflecting the financial decisions and social class differences between…
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S3E5. Motifs & Symbolism (Or, We're Okay Being Associated With S&M)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) discuss motifs and symbolism in writing. Lani goes through the different motifs she either intentionally or unintentionally uses in her own work, and they both caution against the use of clichéd symbols, like relying on weather to reflect…
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S3E4. Use of Time in Narrative (Or, Defending the Artistic Merit of your Vampire Smut)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) delve into the use of time in narrative, focusing on techniques such as flashbacks, foreshadowing, and non-linear storytelling. Lani discusses her approach to incorporating time in her fanfiction, emphasizing the importance of moments of...
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S3E3. Outlining (Or, Is This Just An Ad For Miro?)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) come back to the topic of outlining, which they briefly touched upon in our first season. Outlining is defined as the process of creating a structured plan before drafting a story, and is seen as crucial for both original fiction and fan...
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S3E2. Hot Takes & Nitpicks (Or, Pause This Podcast Right Now And Delete The Phrase 'Thin Cotton T-Shirt' From Your Fic With No Further Penalties)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) discuss their fanfiction hot takes and nit picks. Jo talks about engaging with comments, improving AO3, caring about statistics, and the misinformation that exists online about the monetisation of fanfiction. Lani expresses her desire for...
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S3E1. Audience (Or, Chances Are: You’re Not Going to Win the Nobel Prize for Fanfiction)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) embark on an exploration of the intricate relationship between fanfic writers and their audience. They talk about navigating strategies for audience growth, emphasizing niche awareness, participation in fests, and the leveraging of social...
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S2E17. 2023 Wrap-Up (Or, We Don't Need to Talk about MH370 Right Now)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) engage in a year-end roundup exercise, reflecting on their fanfiction writing, favourite reads, and their podcasting wins of 2023. They discuss their word counts for the year and talk about the lines or scenes they enjoyed writing. They...
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S2E16. [BONUS] Platforms & Wattpad with @MyLittleDuckies (Or, Please, Save Your Works!)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) catches up with Baby Doll (a.k.a @maycandrawtingz) who has written a number of reader-insert fanfics in multiple anime fandoms. In this interview we talk about Baby Doll’s work, but also particularly about her use of Wattpad as the primary platform on which she...
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S2E15. Worldbuilding (Or, 'I Like It When People Get Stuff Right About Women')
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) delve into the intricacies of worldbuilding in fanfiction. They begin by discussing their individual perspectives on worldbuilding, and how their definitions of the word have changed overtime. They talk about the importance of detail in…
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S2E14. Titles (Or, Why'd You Have To Go and Make Things So Complicated?)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) discuss the importance and process of choosing titles for fanfiction works. They talk about how titles often precede the fanfiction itself and debate the challenge of ensuring readers understand the full meaning of a title. They express…
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S2E13. Long Fics (Or, Is This Abandoned?)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) return from their summer break to discuss the world of long fics. They define what a "long fic" is to them, and explore the advantages of writing longer stories, including building a dedicated fanbase. They also offer insights on chapter...
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S2E12. Writing Style (Or, Homer is an FF.net Writer)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) discuss the topic of building a writing style. They explore the question of whether fanfictions writers should strive to imitate established styles - like that of the author of the source work - or embrace their own unique style. They also...
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S2E11. Music and Fanfiction (Or, Anyway, Here's Wonderwall)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) discuss the connection between music and fanfiction. They explore how music and writing are linked as means of artistic expression that can evoke emotions, tell stories, and inspire individuals. Lani shares that music plays a significant...
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S2E10. Reader-Inserts with @word-wytch (Or, POV: You're Dating Eddie Munson)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and her guest, @word-wytch, talk about reader-insert fanfiction. If you don’t already know, reader-insert fanfiction is a type of fanfiction which allows readers to become characters in the story and often explore romantic scenarios with their favourite…
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S2E9. Romance (Or, They're Cousins. They're Lovers. It's Fine, It's Ancient Greece.)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about romance in fanfiction. They explore what defines romance as a genre and how it differs from platonic love and sexuality. They also discuss the concept of the OTPs and whether a story can be romantic without being about romantic...
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S2E8. Research (Or, Shifting into Draco Malfoy's Girlfriend)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about research in fanfiction. They discuss the importance of it, but also their drastically different approaches to it. Lani reveals how she researches every fic that she writes, while Jo explains how she mostly integrates things she...
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S2E7. Fanfiction and the Classics with @johaerys-writes (Or, Wangxian Tags Achilles' Heel, No More Sexytimes For Ao3)
In this episode, Lani (@copper-dust) interviews author @johaerys-writes from the Song of Achilles fandom. They talk about what it means to write fanfiction based on an ancient classic, especially one which occupies such a culturally dominant role in Johaerys’ home country, Greece. They also…
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S2E6. Politics and Social Issues (Or, Who Has the Energy to be a Teacher and a Spy at the Same Time?)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about writing about politics or social issues in fanfiction. They chat about the ins and outs of building a fictional political system, the challenges in making sense of canon, and the ethics of tackling more controversial topics.…
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S2E5. Writing Dark Stuff (Or, There's No Substitute For Going to School)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about writing dark stuff. Topics that involve wars, deaths, assaults, and all those very nice things that often give rise to trigger-warnings. They discuss why writers are drawn to tackling these issues, the cathartic experience of...
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S2E4. Writing Dystopian Hellscapes with @Nargles15 (Or, Here's Harry and His Poorly Named Children)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) interviews @btelling, also known as Nargles15 on Ao3, author of the brilliant Harry Potter AU fanfic, The Squib. They talk about being in the online fanfiction trenches of the late 2000s, and @btelling’s love for writing what she calls “dystopian hellscapes”.…
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S2E3. Multimedia in Fanfiction [Part 2] with @rosalui (Or, Snackleholt Bingsley LARPs Warrior Cats on the Amazon Kindle)
In this episode, Lani (@copper-dust) interviews author and multimedia artist @rosalui. They talk about Rosa’s work in a huge number of fandoms featuring anything from fake newspaper articles to academic pastiches. Rosa talks about the appeal of non-conventional storytelling and the draw of…
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S2E2. Outgrowing Fandoms (Or, The Harry Episode)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about outgrowing fandoms. More specifically, about a Tumblr post by the writer @annerbhp regarding her vision of what it means to “outgrow” (or not) a fic or a fandom, and the relationship we might have had with it. Lani and Jo…
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S2E1. Smut with @celestemagnolia (Or, Just Call It A Dick!)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and her wonderful guest, @celestemagnoliathewriter talk about smut. A fic genre in and of itself, generally encompassing what is known to the rest of the world as erotica, smut is an integral part of fanfiction writing and culture online. They discuss the purpose...
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S1E15. 2022 Wrap-Up (Or, We Have At Least Three Listeners)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) do a 2022 fanfiction wrap-up. They look back on the year they’ve just had, talk about their feelings about fanfiction and fandom in general, and answer some of your questions about their personal favourites. Lani tells us about the impact...
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S1E14. Humour (Or, Are Goncharov Fanfics Crackfics?)
In this episode, as suggested by a Tumblr anon, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about humour in fanfiction and, more specifically, how to write comedy without being cringey? Not just for crack fics, but also how to write something that’s supposed to be funny and that also has a…
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S1E13. An Evening Chat with @ala_baguette (Or, People Are Interesting!)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) sits down for a chat with a lovely guest and fantastic writer, @ala_baguette. They talk about writing very similar fics in the same Harry Potter niche, both covering a similar time period, similar themes, and which seem to have similar audiences. They discuss...
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S1E12. Writing War (Or, All Of Us Are Going To Geneva)
In this episode, in honour of Remembrance Day, Lani (@copper-dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) have a chat about war. Specifically, they discuss how to research war, write war, and explore the aftermath of war in fanfiction. They talk about what they find interesting about it, what drives them to write...
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S1E11. Writing Habits and Routines (Or, People For Whom Forward Motion Is A Challenge)
In this episode, Lani (@copper-dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) talk about writing routines and habits. They chat about when they write, for how long, what tools they use and what they wish they could change about their writing “bad” habits. They discuss the feasibility of writing day, whether or not...
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S1E10. Multimedia in Fanfiction [Part 1] with @crazybutgood & @newsom (Or, Fooling the Security Cameras by Reading Fanfic At Work)
In this episode, @copper_dust (“Lani”) interviews two wonderful guests about the use and integration of multimedia in fanfiction, and storytelling in general. With @crazybutgood (“CBG”), she explores the presence of origami and paper art in fandom, and discusses CBG’s creations and inspirations…
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S1E9. Point of View (Or, Who In The World Ever Is Reliable?)
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand)discuss point of view, a topic which was requested by one of our listeners, @turanga4. They explore the different types of point of view that exist in narration, the choices writers make in deciding to tell stories from a particular...
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S1E8. An Evening Chat with @tessiete (Or, Do Lupin and Obi-Wan Vibe the Same?)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) sits down for a chat with wonderful guest and long-time fandom friend, Tess (@tessiete). They talk about meeting online ten years ago on the The Good Wife fandom, about quasi-stalking their favourite writers and about their experiences moving from small fandoms…
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S1E7. Dialogue (Or, Lemons and Lemonade)
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to discuss the ins and outs of writing dialogue and finding your character’s voice. We talk about monologues, about the hardship of not having professional actors reading the lines we write, working on dialect, and letting go of...
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S1E6. Writing in English as a Second Language with @venom0usbarbie (Or, Feeling the "Académie Française" Looking over my Shoulder)
In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) sits down with a guest, Barbie (@venom0usbarbie), to discuss her experience going from writing original fiction to fanfiction, as well as a topic that is of great interest to both of them: writing in a second language. Barbie is French and writes both in her…
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S1E5. Past Tense v. Present Tense (Or, Trendy Kids Breaking the Rules?)
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to debate the use of the present tense as a main narrative tense in fanfiction, and its opposition to the more 'traditional' past tense. They discuss the prevalence of this 'trend' in young adult original fiction in recent years,...
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S1E4. "Shipping" (Or, Imagining Vietnam Vets Reading Our Fanfiction)
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to chat about the portrayal of romantic relationships in fanfiction, also known as “shipping”. They discuss the importance of romance in fandom, the high popularity of gay pairings in fanfiction (especially male/male pairings)…
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S1E3. Original Characters (Or, Starting Fandom Fires!)
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) talk about original characters in fanfiction. They discuss how they come up with them, how they name them, the purpose they can serve in fanfiction, and touch upon the somewhat controversial subject of self-inserts and "Mary Sues." They…
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S1E2. How to Plot? (or, Vibes - It's 90% Vibes)
In this episode, Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down to chat about how they come up with new ideas for fanfic, their relationship to plotting and outlines, how they usually try and dig themselves out of plot holes, and the value of getting comments from their readers as they go…
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S1E1. What Is Fanfiction? (or, Children with Unsupervised Internet Access in the Early 2000s)
Lani (@copper_dust) and Jo (@pebblysand) sit down for a general chat about fanfiction, original fiction and the origins of the podcast. They discuss discovering fanfiction as kids with unsupervised internet access in the 2000s, what it means to write fanfiction as adults, and how blurry the line...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Fanfic Writers’ Craft is a podcast that discusses all things fanfiction with a focus on the art and science of writing for the enjoyment of fan communities. Every three weeks, Jo and Blayne (otherwise known in fandom as @pebblysand and @nargles15) sit down for a fun, multi-fandom, fanfic-related chat and delve into particular topics such as: the particularities of writing and reading fanfiction, monetisation, how to build a fanfiction plot, etc. Hope you enjoy!You can find us and contact us at: https://thefanficwriterscraft.tumblr.com/
HOSTED BY
@pebblysand & @nargles15
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Fanfic Writers' Craft have?
The Fanfic Writers' Craft currently has 45 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Fanfic Writers' Craft about?
The Fanfic Writers’ Craft is a podcast that discusses all things fanfiction with a focus on the art and science of writing for the enjoyment of fan communities. Every three weeks, Jo and Blayne (otherwise known in fandom as @pebblysand and @nargles15) sit down for a fun, multi-fandom,...
How often does The Fanfic Writers' Craft release new episodes?
The Fanfic Writers' Craft has 45 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Fanfic Writers' Craft?
You can listen to The Fanfic Writers' Craft on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Fanfic Writers' Craft?
The Fanfic Writers' Craft is created and hosted by @pebblysand & @nargles15.
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