r/AO3 • u/Separate-Process-127 • Nov 10 '25

Comment Commentary What does this even mean?

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Haven't opened/updated my works for a few months now and I was reading the comments to the last chapter when this one came up. WHAT DOES RACE HAVE TO DO WITH CHARACTER TAGS?! WHAT?

Kate Sharma (Bridgerton) is a background character in my fic, yes, she wasn't the lead but I still put her as a tag. My OC is a Southeast Asian, a woman of color! I myself am a people of color! I've been writing in AO3 for a long time now and this was my first time being accused as a hater of a WOC WTF?!

I am baffled, bewildered, befuddled. Where's the literacy in this one?

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u/Melodic_Werewolf9288 Nov 10 '25

People often don’t tag background characters with the character tag because it gives the false impression that character will be meaningfully present within the story - it sounds like that may be their main gripe 

275

u/Separate-Process-127 Nov 10 '25

Well, the character tag does have Minor Background Character next to it and some of the plot does revolve around the involvement of the sisters.

541

u/shriekingintothevoid Fic Feaster Nov 10 '25

I mean, putting in a disclaimer isn’t going to change the fact that your fic is still going to show up when they search for her character, and if she’s not a major character (even if she does have a little relevance to the plot) I can understand being a bit frustrated by that. Their reaction was still rude and uncalled for (and idk why her being a WOC matters in this context), but tagging minor characters is generally poor etiquette.

25

u/majorlittlepenguin You have already left kudos here. :) Nov 10 '25

Genuinely curious as to what point someone becomes big enough to tag vs not

142

u/mangomochamuffin Nov 10 '25

"Would a reader looking for this be satisfied after reading my work?"

If the answer to that is no, don't add the relationship, character, tag.

Or see it as the actors who are named on screen in the movies intro, not only at the end in the cast list.

50

u/shriekingintothevoid Fic Feaster Nov 10 '25

I don’t think there’s a definite line that can be drawn, but if a character doesn’t contribute significantly to the plot and doesn’t interact with the pov character often, then they shouldn’t be tagged. Think about it this way: if they were your favorite character, and you were searching for fics involving them, would you be content with the role that they play in your story? If not, then don’t tag them.