Mind the Tags

On this special crossover episode, Emily and Vee and joined by - wouldn't you know it - Emily and V, the cohosts of This Week in Fandom History ! We talk about the fandoms that shaped us (looking at you, Ducktales), fanfiction we love, and the possibility that one of us might be a reincarnated passenger from the Titanic.  Sources from today's ep:  V's epic Hunger Games companion book The American...

Join Emily and Vee as they explore the fascinating career of Anne Rice, from her Vampire Chronicles to the Jesus-y stuff. Emily details Anne's problematic relationship to fanfiction, which culminated in the infamous "Spec Writer Massacre." Warning: at least a third of this episode is giggling about Bryan Fuller's pride month posts on Instagram.  Topics include: Anne Rice, Vampires, Interview with...

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...

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...

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 Archi...

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 i...

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 J...

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?  Si...

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 in...

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, Su...

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 C...

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  mindthetagsofficial@gmail.com . Sources from today's ep: Lemon on Fanl...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Rae and Makenzie about their research into kink representation in enemies-to-lovers Harry Potter fanfiction. Rae and Makenzie describe their process for reviewing millions of words of fic (for science!) and how fanfiction can help educate and inspire readers.  Sources from this episode: Hogwarts After Dark: Consent, Kink, and Queerness in H...

Join Emily and Vee as they discuss the ins and outs of writing fanfic, including coming up with ideas, choosing a writing platform, and sharing your work online. Plus, Emily shares her latest fandom adventures in a little show called Supernatural. Topics include: Writing, publishing, editing Want to support Mind the Tags?  Sign up for our Patreon ! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at mindthetagsof...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Dr. Lauren Rouse, fandom researcher and co-author of "Quantifying fandom: Identity, romance, and platform preferences on archive of our own." Dr. Rouse discusses the findings from the article, their research interests around disability and fandom, and how fanfiction and fandom have inspired their scholarship journey.   Sources from this epi...

Join Emily and Vee as they open the freezer to uncover the origins of "dead dove, do not eat" and embark on a journey through tropes old and new. Plus, what is "whump," and why did Emily think it was spelled with an "f" at the end until looking it up for the purposes of this episode? Topics include: Tropes, literatures, movies, stories Want to support Mind the Tags?  Sign up for our Patreon ! Sour...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview author TJ Klune. We chat with TJ about his fanfiction journey, the power of fiction to change our world, and his fervent love of the "only one bed" trope. Sources from this episode: TJ's books Cackling "only one bed" goats   Check out TJ's bio here .

Join Emily and Vee as they explore filk (you read that right!) and the limitless possibilities of fandom music. Be sure to listen to the end of the episode for a filk by the hosts themselves! Topics include: Filk, music, folk music, sci-fi, fantasy Want to support Mind the Tags?  Sign up for our Patreon ! Sources from today's ep: Meta on Fanlore What is Filk? on Interfilk What is Filk? Panel Discu...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview author Freya Marske. We chat with Freya about her history of writing fanfiction, the fandoms that shaped her, and the emerging popularity of sapphic romance and fantasy.   Sources from this episode: Freya's Ao3 A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (first in the Last Binding trilogy) Gaywyck by Vincent Virga The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden...

Join Emily and Vee as they dive into the world of fanon and the ways in which fans interpret and transform the stories they love. Vee describes their three categories of fanon, and Emily climbs up on her perennial soapbox about her OTP. Both hosts challenge JJ Abrams to join the pod and DEFEND HIS HONOR. Topics include: Fanon, Star Wars, Star Trek, shipping, yaoi, yuri Want to support Mind the Tag...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Marc Greenberg, Esq., a practicing attorney with an expertise in intellectual property and entertainment law. We discuss Marc's experience representing creators and researching the legal implications of fanworks in the United States, the ongoing challenge of AI in the creative space, and his surprising rendezvous with Carlos Santana.   Sour...

Join Emily and Vee as they explore the fascinating world of the omegaverse, including its common tropes and origin in Supernatural real person fanfiction (RPF). Emily discusses some of the motivations authors have shared for writing omegaverse fics, and both Emily and Vee wax poetic about the magical time that was 2010.   Topics include: Omegaverse, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, Supernatural, inaccur...

In this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Tara, a novelist and fanfiction writer. In this interview, we discuss similarities and differences between writing for traditional publication and for fandom. We also chat with Tara about their fandom journey, including their entree into fanfic-writing through Our Flag Means Death. Fics mentioned in this episode: Prove It by KnivesInFeet Ol...

Join Emily and Vee as they tackle how Harry Potter fic writers have responded to J.K. Rowling's public shift to transphobia in recent years. Vee shares their own experiences as a Harry Potter fic writer, and Emily adds some unasked-for attacks on long-dead composer Richard Wagner.   Topics include: Orphaning fics, the relationship between creators and fic, and fond memories of wizarding childhoods...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Dr. Naomi Jacobs, Lecturer in Design Policy and Futures Thinking at Lancaster University. In this interview, we discuss the printing and binding fanfiction ("fanbinding") and the ways in which creating physical copies of fanfiction is another type of transformative fanwork. We also chat with Naomi about her fandom journey, including her ent...