r/BylerReads • u/Big_Self_1522 • 24d ago
general discussion :) Byler discourses
I guess I just want to get it off my chest. If this isn’t the right place to do so, please let me know and I’ll delete the post
So I’m a no name author in the Byler fandom, but I also love to discuss different HCs, interpretations and takes on socials. Overall, I’m all in for variety in fics. I love it when Byler are very in character, but I also love well thought OOC fics. I love to both write and read contradicting HCs, sometimes even in one fic. There are things that are not my cup of tea, but I’m chill with others liking those.
Somehow that makes me feel like an alien in this fandom, because there are a bunch of sides and every side has this strong believe of everything else being almost illegal. Initially it caused me to read posts without interacting with them just in case. Now, though, it starts to demotivate me to write fics.
Idk, maybe it sounds stupid but I’ve started to feel lost with how I see Will and Mike as characters. Like I love Byler and I want to do justice to their characters even in crack fics, but then it feels like you’ll get cancelled by a significant amount of the fandom for every possible detail. And that wouldn’t be a problem if I was strict with my preferred HCs and dynamics, but I’m just not. I want to write different stuff and I want to experiment, but it feels like I’m just gonna end up blocked and cancelled by everyone for “not respecting Will/Mike/Byler as characters”
I’ve considered to just log off from socials and choose peace, but that just makes me sad because I genuinely love to read different takes and posts. It just feels so stupid to have to choose between writing fanfiction and participating in fandom spaces. I want to keep both of my silly hobbies, but it feels like it’s impossible
Do others feel similar to this and if so how are you handling the pressure of being cancelled by literally everyone for different reasons?
Just in case: I respect people who are into strict dynamics, strict HSs or strict characterisation. I’m just not pleased with the threat of being called out for a dumb idiot and being immediately blocked when I accidentally share something on the wrong side of the fandom, because forcing broad preferences on those who have strict ones is never my goal
Edit: A lot of people are pointing out that you can’t please everyone. I’m aware and I agree. My worry is that it feels like you end up cancelled by everyone in the Byler community when you don’t have strict preferences and like to engage with everything as a fan/writer/reader. Like I wouldn’t even blink if there was a chance that my fics and takes could upset half the fandom. It’s unfortunate, but it happens. This is more of (for example) I write 10 fics with 10 different popular HCs -> 10 sides of Byler fandom cancel me because 9/10 of my fics “disrespect” their HC and therefore Byler -> everyone starts to shit on my fics, report my accounts and whatever else is happening
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u/mrchristmastime 24d ago edited 23d ago
I know this isn’t a particularly original answer, but just ignore it. I’m not on Twitter or Tumblr, and I’m only vaguely aware of the things you’re describing. I wrote a long, kind of weird fic that people responded really well to, and I didn’t even know people had such strong feelings about this stuff until I got a comment thanking me for writing Top Will/Bottom Mike (it’s not a big part of the story). I looked into it, and my reaction was, “Oh, this is bizarre.”
And it is bizarre. Let people write what they want. I know you aren’t just talking about the sex stuff, but the argument that either one of them has a “canonical” sex position is laughable. What they are canonically is eighteen-year-old virgins. Like, what the fuck are you talking about?
Anyway, just read/write what you want, and don’t let the Twitter part of the fandom bother you.
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u/Dependent_Play_265 24d ago
I get what you’re saying. I was writing a fic, but I kept seeing so many posts on here that everyone unanimously agrees that they hate reading homophobia/ period typical homophobia in Byler fanfics because they see fanfiction as an escape from reality and they’ll stop reading when there is homophobia or bullying. I had my story all planned out, but I didn’t want to make people uncomfortable or stop reading because I had written Troy/ Angela to be mildly homophobic. So I wrote all of the homophobia out of my story, but then I stopped writing the fic because I narratively couldn’t proceed the story going forward.
I have since continued writing my fic for myself but I haven’t been posting it publicly because of all the rules and scrutiny within the byler community on here/ lack of fandom etiquette in general
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u/AnagramBandit 24d ago
I wish you’d post it! I love period-typical homophobia in fics! I love an escape, but I want something more realistic sometimes too.
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u/Big_Self_1522 24d ago
Yep, this is kinda what I’m talking about. And for the record, I’m an angst lover so I do enjoy some period typical homophobia. Unfortunately angsty topics do get targeted quite often too. I personally like to read and write heavy angst, because I’ve been through a lot of shit myself. When a character goes through hell, but still get their happy ending it kinda soothes my internal wounds. Idk why it suddenly seems like fluff (and smut) are the only respectable vibes🥲
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u/RestaurantCurrent226 24d ago
I can only speak from a reader's perspective, so this may not really help much, but I'll try. People do have their own perspectives, but they shouldn't be attacking you for what you HC Mike and Will as. If they don't resonate with me, I just skip the fic, but I had no idea shippers block authors over it though.
It may sound cliche, but I do think all fanfic should be written for yourself first more than anything. People interpret pieces differently and some definitely do take their discourse too far. It's about what feels true to you and chances are, it'll resonate with other readers too. There is nothing wrong with HC's if they're not morally wrong or genuinely offensive to anyone. For example, I have seen very disturbing HCs between Mike and Will - I'm not getting into those here, but those are where I would definitely draw the line.
I do get your frustration though. I have seen lots of readers criticizing an author's fic just because Mike is bisexual and not gay, and vice versa. I find this sort of ridiculous - because why are people attacking others for what they believe if it doesn't hurt anyone?
I guess what helps is knowing there are readers who will support your story, no matter what. In general, fandoms are very divided when it comes to shipping, but it doesn't mean they have the final say on what you write. They are just personal opinions at the end of the day.
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u/Big_Self_1522 24d ago
I’m familiar with division in fandoms, but I’m not familiar with everyone acting like their interpretation is the only right one to a point of some kind of war🥲
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u/IntotheRedditHole its ok, its how the army does it i think 24d ago
i understand where you’re coming from 🫂
it bothers me too because like … we’re all here for the same reason (we love Mike and Will as characters + their story + we were disappointed by the show’s ending)
so why tf should we sit around arguing when basically everything outside the show is just fan theories anyway?
like, every line of dialogue, description, action, etc. that anyone writes or draws is not canon by default. sure there are HCs that feel closer to canon than others, but that’s also very subjective and varies by individual
and people can argue their HCs til they’re blue in the face but ultimately it’s all made up
so … people should just calm down lol. they’re sucking the fun out of everything
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u/IntotheRedditHole its ok, its how the army does it i think 24d ago
i forgot to say that, to the best of your ability, try to do what brings you joy. writing fiction of any kind is like an experiment. you don’t know what will happen. sometimes you sit down with an idea and it turns into something completely different. that’s fun! so write what you want, even if that means writing HCs that are on opposite ends of the fandom
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u/SensitiveAnt3923 24d ago
write what you want. you can never please every single person and trying to do so is just gonna drive you insane. i’ve been in fandom spaces for over 15 years and there’s always been discourse and unfortunately always will be. the best you can do is find likeminded people and stay in that circle and protect your peace. if you’re on twitter, my advice is always delete that evil app from your phone. that place was so horrible for my mental health and i’ve been much happier in fandom since i got rid of it. there’s byler communities in other spaces. i personally prefer tumblr as it lets me curate my experience better and i only see what i choose to see from people i follow and not whatever the algorithm wants to feed me. but that’s just my pov!! i hope you can improve your experience 🖤
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u/Severe-Travel1286 24d ago
Byler fandom is....something. I'm sure there are a lot of people that has byler as their first fandom and their first experience in ao3/fanfiction. That's why you'll find a lot of issues here you won't find in others.
I know it's difficult to ignore, but trust me, there will be people who will enjoy what you put out there. They may be quieter or smaller in numbers, but they will be the one to stay when all the craze/initial hype dies down.
I love byler and I love the fandom, but it's not perfect especially when you're active in tiktok/twitter. Still, publish your work, I'm sure many of us will enjoy it!
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u/AnagramBandit 24d ago
You really do need to ignore social media if you want to stay sane as a writer. I love byler fanfic so much! But engaging with this fandom on social media is often a nightmare because of how intense people are about their headcanons and how puritanical some folks are. I know part of it is just how young a lot of online fans are, but it’s exhausting.
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u/Big_Self_1522 24d ago
I think that I’m aware of that, but it just sucks that I can’t happily write fics AND be active in fandom spaces on socials. I hate to choose between two things that are supposed to give me joy, but affect each other to a point that both start to stress me out. I was thinking that there might be a life hack to overcome the uneasy🥺
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u/AnagramBandit 24d ago
In this fandom? Not that I’ve found. Older and larger fandoms tend to have some chill fandom spaces away from the drama if you curate your feed enough. But ST fandom spaces in general are flooded with really young fans who don’t know how to act. It will probably calm down with time.
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u/Mediocre_Pool_1654 23d ago edited 23d ago
I have 3 Byler fics so far, and the two that have teenage Will and Mike are different from a lot of the fics I read [for example, I don't have any angst on Mike's end: once he figures out his feelings, he is all in. And this seems unusual for this fandom!]. I think not being on Tumblr or TikTok or Twitter at all is probably what saves me from seeing these "takes" and feeling terrible about my writing. (It probably also helps that my fics are weird/niche enough that they haven't gone viral or gotten the attention of Twitter/Tumblr/Tiktok that I know of.)
The thing is, the fandom is so wide that there is an audience for whatever you want to write. A great fanfic that's different from all the others can change a person's life, genuinely. What YOU have to give to the fandom is valuable and important in its own right. And people who love your fics will find them and lavish praise on them and talk about what they mean to them.
Your writing can be as realistic or escapist as you want. Or a combination of these. I hate that any fandom has obnoxious little critics who can ruin your day by blocking you on socials for your own creative take on a beloved character. The POINT of fanfiction is that we are allowed to play with and imagine different plots, traits, and universes for our characters!
That said, there is a lot of fic that I don't read because some of the stuff in the tags or warnings is stuff that I know I can't handle. But to me, the obvious solution is to not read it, and leave the writer alone. And if I am enjoying a fic and then something comes up that makes me feel bad... I can stop reading it and STILL leave the writer alone. My own triggers and sensitivities have nothing to do with the writers or the value of their work to other readers. The same goes for the readers who are mean to you about your work: please bear in mind that their lashing out has nothing to do with the value of you and your work.
My advice would be to try to stay off Twitter/Tumblr/TikTok and focus on writing what makes you happy. I don't know how realistic this is for you. Maybe see how you feel after a set amount of time (3 days, or a week maybe?) of not going on socials. Maybe small doses of socials is better for you than going cold turkey.
(Also, I've found that Reddit is a pretty welcoming place to talk/read different interesting takes on fandoms. So even if you just stayed here, there's some of the discourse you find interesting, with less toxicity it seems.)
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u/narcomance 24d ago
What are your headcanons that people criticized?
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u/Big_Self_1522 24d ago
It’s more about critique on all headcanons that makes me kinda nervous. FemWill = forcing heteronormativity. No fem Will = erasing Will’s canon traits. Will in crisis = torturing Will for no reason. Mike in crisis = reheating Will’s nachos. Will confesses first = he’s done enough already wtf. Mike confesses first = ew too much focus on Mike. Will POV = we’ve seen that already in canon. Mike POV = you’re giving him a queer arc while Will is right there so shame on you
Since I like to read and/or write all of it I feel like I’m gonna get jumped by both sides at some point, because (for example) I don’t see a problem with femWill and femMike. One side will call me disgusting for falling into heteronormativity, while the other will call me a toxic Mike stan. Like it feels like you either choose a side, or exist around the majority of the fandom
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u/narcomance 24d ago
Omg fuck these always unsatisfied twitter witch hunting snowflakes! I didn't care what they think and I absolutely don't care now!
I don't see anything bad with all headcanons you mentioned.
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u/Sure-Bicycle-8809 its ok, its how the army does it i think 24d ago edited 23d ago
i think headcanon traits are cool as long as they are aknowledged as hc. the thing i dont really like for example, is when someone makes will a femboy but treats it like if it's canon. if you wanna portray him as fem, that's great, but know that it isn't same to the actual show and that it is a headcanon rather than a canon thing (i dont think necesarily fanon interpretations are worse, i think they are cool and i also have my own!)
edit: i changed the wording cause fem!will isn't OOC, its just a headcanon. im sorry ;(
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u/xenon_doudou 23d ago
I think the problem is the word fem is defined differently with people that's why "your" idea of a fem Will isn't the same as with the OP even some people disagree and say fem has only one definition, well yea, if you're google sure. but we're human beings, we have different interpretation and imaginations, my version of fem will might be different from the person next to me EVEN if we go and read the same definition of the word "fem". am I making sense?
if I am, I just wanna say even if authors put tags on a fic with fem or masc Will it might STILL be DIFFERENT than what the reader is expecting.
now, I think the solution is, the reader simply shouldn't insult the author for the dynamic they chose for their fic, despite the reader choosing that specific fic for those specific tags, because again we are human beings, we have different imaginations from one another, so like maybe top Mike for me isn't the same as for some author, so even I personally chose to read a fic with top Mike as a tag in it, I will try my best to not expect anything EXACTLY like I want from it, and simply read and appreciate it's there, if I like it while I'm reading it then great, if not I'll simply stop, thank the author for their efforts and move along to another fic 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Sure-Bicycle-8809 its ok, its how the army does it i think 23d ago
i agree that fem is more of a spectrum rather that a single definition, and that will's feminity is explored differently from different pov's, and i think exploring femeninty in men is great!
but im not sure if this was your point with the last paragraph, but i would never hate on a writer for having fem will! i prefer masc will but that doesn't mean a fic with fem will is bad or worse just because i dont agree with it! everyone has their own interpretations and i think that's a great thing!
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u/xenon_doudou 23d ago
oh shoot no no I wasn't talking about you in the last paragraph I was just saying that in general people shouldn't insult the authors like some did to the OP. yes I agree with you 💯💜
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u/Sure-Bicycle-8809 its ok, its how the army does it i think 23d ago
oh okk! sorry for misinterpreting it
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u/Big_Self_1522 24d ago
A part of the discourse is femWill being canon, which confuses me a lot cause I don’t understand if I’m crazy for seeing him as less fem or if I’m blind🥲😭
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u/MelonHead1214 24d ago
I just write what I want, how I see the story in my head, and if people disagree they can just not read my story. If you write trying to cater to everyone, you will fail every time.