y'all, let's speak plainly: the last year has been fucking hard, and we know that a lot of our members are really struggling in a lot of ways. we've heard from many members that the overall empathy and support this community gives to each other has been a bright spot for a lot of people in this very difficult time, which we're very happy to hear. thanks for being part of it; we appreciate all of you, and we'll continue to work to improve our community to make sure that that's reflected in everyone's experience of the site. please continue to be as kind to yourselves and others as you can - you're entitled to time for self-care, and it's okay to not be perfect.

 

welcome to january's bulletin - the first bulletin of 2021!

if you're new, welcome to fanfic talk! it's great to have you with us. we're a multi-fandom forum + archive with a strong culture of support for other writers and feedback here, including a story help section, challenges, and reviewing events - so if you're a writer, you've come to the right place. please make sure that you post in the 'welcome to fft' topic +here to say that you've read over the rules and understand them, and if you're a harry potter fan, you can request to join a common room +here. you can reach out to any +staff member for help if you have any questions at all (we're very friendly and we like helping!), and you may also find our +faqs helpful.

enjoy your stay!

 

applications for all staff, community coordinator, and house newsletter editor positions will be open from january 7 - january 17. there's no post count/join date limit, and you can apply for as many positions as you like - it's all on one application. a detailed rundown on how site staffing works can be found +here, and you can find the application +here.

if you applied in november or december, you don't need to apply again unless you'd like to apply for additional positions or change your answers - we'll still consider you this month. 

we're very sorry to say that @MuggleMaybe is stepping down from her position as moderator.

thank you so much for all your hard work, renee!

croatia has seen major damage from earthquakes in the past month. please check out @pirate grumpy cat's post about it (and where you can donate if you'd like to) +here.

we will be creating a new staff role to work on anti-racism efforts on the site with @toocoldcurls. we will have more information about this in the coming month or so. if you would like to discuss what representation means to you (both in fanfiction and outside of it), we encourage you to check out @sibilant's thread +here.

our annual awards and review event are both fast-approaching - stay tuned for more information on that later this month as well!

and, finally, in case people haven't already seen, we're transitioning our forum rooms from subforums to clubs. this will not significantly change your ability to interact with your house, but it does give your staff team some fun new options. you can request to join a common room +here.

both of our head students this month were active in our holiday wishlist event and have a generally bright, cheerful, and encouraging presence in the community. (they're also both excellent writers ). we're very happy to announce 2021's first members of the month:

@Felpata_Blizzard and @Lost_Robin!

congratulations to you both! Please PM @abhorsen. with your choice of story you'd like to have featured next month.

January’s staffer of the month is no stranger to the forums. While she may be new to the staff team, her presence is seen and felt around the site and the Discord. When she’s not collecting pancakes or making sure everyone eats at least one meal, she is often behind the scenes working to keep everyone on their deadlines. (She actually reminded me that I needed to do this!) She is responsible for putting together the bi-monthly Community Coordinator blogs, in addition to her duties managing FFT’s social media pages. When she’s not working in the staff lounge or the secret lab, she can often be found working on her Ivory Tower articles or recording all the podfics. She is one of the most social members of the site and is always down to talk about ESO, Team StarKid, or anything else that’s on your mind. Congratulations to@frostmagemadi and thank you for everything you do!

hardened hearts say unimaginable things by @prideofsnowfairies

this month, @victoria_anne read literal chaos fire (m) by @marauderfrozenintime you can check out the video under the spoiler tag!

this month we're featuring winners of house and site awards as well as three staff picks!

congratulations to @dirigibleplums, @dottie-wan-kenobi, @dreamofsnowflakes, @Hawksquill, @just.a.willow.tree, @la_topolina, @livingfree, @marauderfrozenintime, @MuggleMaybe, @potionspartner, @prideofsnowfairies, and @Unwritten Curse!

 

congratulations, @down-in-flames and @maraudertimes! 

february 12 - the flashback challenge by @Crimson Quill

february 14 - the ts9 challenge by @Lost_Robin

february 15 - the break my heart challenge by @marauderfrozenintime

february 28 - the sibling challenge by @victoria_anne

february 28 - the umbrella academy challenge by @ChillyChelts

march 16 - the untranslatable word challenge by @prideofsnowfairies

march 31 - the open at the close challenge by @RogueMidwinter

3 - @starliticesculptures

6 - @evilqueen, @motherconfessor

9 - @HarryGinnyLove88

10 - @Jayde

11 - @Phoenix Potioneer

15 - @aurevoir, @Diogenissa, @MrsDarcy

17 - @Wolfgirl

18 - @Slytherin_Ravenclaw_Chick, @wandlessmagic

21 - @FoxPatronus

25 - @tgfoy

29 - @slythercookie

30 - @FlamingQuilltips

31 - @Ignatia, @Stille Nacht, @velajune

 

 

Bulletin compiled and written by @abhorsen. and @marauderfrozenintime. Order of Merlin written by @MalfoysSnowAngel. All graphics by @abhorsen.. Featured staff picks by @RonsFairyGodmother (scandal in d-major: a comedy in three acts), @Renacerá (out of the shadows), and @marauderfrozenintime (beyond measure).