Mind the Tags

On this week's episode, Emily and Vee plumb the depths of Kinktober, from kinks of yore to today's titillations. Plus, we march once more onto the perennial Kinktober battlefield with shouts of "All the kink, all the time!" Topics include: Kinktober, kink, sexuality Want to support Mind the Tags?  Sign up for our Patreon ! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at  mindthetagsofficial@gmail.com . Source...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily are joined by author and fanfic enthusiast Joanne Harris, who shares how fandom has been an essential place for her creative growth. Let it be known that in Joanne's house, pirates can have fairy wings!   Sources from today's ep: Joanne's website Joanne's Bluesky Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.   

Surprise, it's a bonus episode! Our pals from This Week in Fandom History have shared an episode about one of their favorite fics, and we are excited to share it with you. Please enjoy "'Flesh Mechanic' Changes The Fic Game And We're Obsessed" with Emily and V!

On this week's episode, Vee invites Emily to explore the confounding and deeply upsetting world of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, which has wedged its way into some of the most fraught political and sociological discussions of our day. Beware, listeners: the dementors are here, and they all use ChatGPT.  Topics include: Eliezer Yudkowsky, AI, rationality  Want to support Mind the Tag...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview AO3 curse survivor and self-published author Rachel D. Oak. Rachel shares how fanfiction inspires her and introduces the hosts to early 2000s British boy band McFly. Plus, Rachel discusses how and why the romance novel industry and fanfiction share so much in common! Sources from today's ep: Important McFly content “Red Queen Plagiarized Po...

On this week's episode, fandom olds Emily and Vee bravely explore the treacherous terrain of the latest Wattpad discourse. They discuss some of the concerns raised by Wattpad writers in recent weeks, other purges throughout fandom history, and their renewed commitment to smut for smut's sake (get your badge below!).  Topics include: Wattpad, censorship, AO3 Want to support Mind the Tags?  Sign up...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Kailey Delayne, a sex and pleasure educator who also hosts erotic fan fiction competitions. Kailey shares her favorite things about reading smut out loud in breweries throughout Philadelphia and why eroticism can be such a powerful tool in today's world.   Sources from today's ep: Kailey's website EFFC's Instagram Your Empowered Sexuality!...

Join Emily and Vee as they dive into the fascinating life and career of Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. Vee does their very best to tell a coherent story despite Emily's frequent screaming. The cohosts discuss how Roddenberry's legacy of fan interaction can inspire future showrunners. Topics include: Star Trek, Kirk/Spock, zines, conventions, Gene Roddenberry Want to support Mind the Tags?...

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee, Emily, and special guest T explore the growing intersection fanfiction and generative AI. T discusses a project he worked on to identify AI in fics across multiple fandoms, the repercussions of sharing those findings, and how writers and readers can respond to AI in the future.   Sources from today's ep: Fandom Has a Generative AI Problem document 2026 Heated...

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...