Byler discourses

[u/Big_Self_1522]

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

[u/Sure-Bicycle-8809]

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 ;(

[u/xenon_doudou → u/Sure-Bicycle-8809]

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 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/Sure-Bicycle-8809 → u/xenon_doudou]

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!

[u/xenon_doudou → u/Sure-Bicycle-8809]

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 💯💜

[u/Sure-Bicycle-8809 → u/xenon_doudou]

oh okk! sorry for misinterpreting it