Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

Never shared these pics from Brisnova back in November! I'm super proud of this fit and I'm really happy Harajuku fashion is being recognised more at my local cons since I used to always be confused for a cosplayer. (I love and admire cosplay, but it's not the same thing as alternative fashion.)

As for an update on the YouTube side of things, my next video is already filmed and the one after that is ready to be filmed ✨

I've also been hard at work organising a ship week event for my fandom (it starts next week eeeeeeee~!) which is an experience I hope to make a video about sometime next year! I'd rather wait until I've run the same event twice, because this first event is suffering from a little bit of First Pancake Syndrome - it's still gonna be a lot of fun for those involved, but I can definitely see room for improvement, so I want to give myself the chance to do just that before I pass the lessons I've learned onto you 💖

Participation in or organising fanfic-related events is something I've been asked about before, but never felt qualified to answer since my own experience felt too limited. However, being able to pursue fannish experiences like these as if I'm not Cora Maria the YouTuber means I get to know what it would be like for you~! (heh heh tying it back to the themes of the last video i posted)

Because even I -someone who has professional experience in social media management, engagement, and digital event planning- have been struggling a bit with figuring it all out, so if I can provide you with the step-by-step guide and content plan I wish I had so that you can bring the same shippy fun to your fandom corner, that'll be a victory to me!

So I thought I'd ask: is there anything you'd like to know about organising ship weeks or other fandom events, or do you have any tips for me to consider the next time I organise one?

[ID: Three shots of Cora in a maximalist rainbow decora outfit. In the first picture, they're twirling before the entrance to the convention centre. In the second picture -a medium landscape shot- she's posing to show off their pink sparkly nails. You can see the crochet crop top has been decorated with several hairclips and pins. The final shot is a selfie, showing off the pink beret, rainbow face gems, blue glasses, rainbow mask, and layered necklaces.]

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1 week ago | [YT] | 118

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

Really disheartening to see how many bot comments there are on AO3 lately, particularly ones that are just pointless hate, insults, and accusations, but sometimes they also take the form of fake praise. I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve (when they're not trying to shill an obvious scam like commissions or whatever) but I just wanted to offer some tips on how to recognise bot comments and protect yourself from them.

How to recognise bot comments:

- They're long (as in several sentences or multiple paragraphs) and yet don't reference anything specific to your work. If it reads like something that could be posted on any fic, or any fic in a particular tag or fandom, it's probably a bot comment.
- The comment in question references stuff that doesn't actually align or match your work. For example, a praise bot calling your dead dove, hurt/no comfort fic "heartwarming."
- They accuse you or others of b*goted behaviours you know you haven't demonstrated and they don't provide receipts.
- If you paste the suspected bot comment in a search engine and find instances of others receiving the same comment or similar, you know it's a bot.
- The vast majority of the time, bots comment as guests, because getting an AO3 account is a process: you need to request an invite and wait for a volunteer to manually approve your request, which can take a few days to a few weeks. However, there has unfortunately been a trend of guest comment bots taking the usernames of people in your fandom, who you might recognise, so if you ever get a hurtful or suspicious comment from someone you know, but they've posted as a guest, please assume it's a bot and let the actual person with that username know. I suspect the purpose of these is to sow division in fandom spaces, and we are not gonna fall for it.

How to deal with bot comments:

- Do not reply to them or give them the time of day. Report them for spam instead and then delete them. If it's from a logged-in user that you suspect to be a bot, you can block them.
- If you want to avoid bot comments as much as possible, change the setting of your fics to "Only registered users can comment". Guests comments are enabled by default.
- If for whatever reason you want to keep the bot comment up, I recommend locking the thread to prevent other readers from feeding the trolls, as the person behind the bot may get email notifications when they get responses.

Stay safe out there, fellow fic-writers! You are wonderful and our love for what we do is stronger than anyone who can't be bothered to put any ounce of effort into their hatred and manipulation. Let this also be a reminder to appreciate the genuine commenters in our communities even more 💖

Edit: Clarified the first point based on some criticism I received. I never meant to imply that short and unspecific comments like "I love this" or a few emojis were most likely bot comments, but I can see how it read that way and I apologise. Please know that your short and unspecific comments should always be welcome on any writer's work 🫶

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 186

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

In your comments on my last video, I've noticed something very enlightening, and that's how many of you love my videos because I don't claim to have all the answers and secrets to being a "successful writer", because I focus more on the passion we have for the craft and finding community connection over profits.

I think I needed to hear this because that's always been my preferred way of doing things and what I wished I had when I was a younger writer, but I have noticed how YouTube does reward the more anxiety-inducing "Do/Don't Do This or No One Will Read Your Story" type of writing videos. Even I've found algorithmic success by skewing more negative, and I've been trying to think of ways to lean into that without betraying my values, but they are, for the most part, irreconcilable. Sometimes focusing on the negative is healthy or helpful, but I don't want it to be the core of what I do.

I've made it no secret how this channel is a source of income for me as someone with chronic illness who cannot work full time or even meet the demands of most part time positions. YouTube and Patreon aren't the only way I make money, nor do I ever want it to be (it's a fragile basket to put your eggs in) but it does mean that I feel that pressure to use the "scummier" tactics sometimes to grow faster, but what you've reminded me of is that I am lucky enough to have a core audience that already loves what I do because I'm less willing to use the manipulative tactics that "work." It might mean that my growth is slower, but I think I can find more support in a small community I've built strong, lasting connections with rather than a larger following that's either too casual or a flash in the pan.

So I just want to say thank-you for reminding me of what's most important 💖 In an internet that's so focused on outrage and negativity and feeding your insecurities, I'm more than happy to be the person you put on your screen when you need a friendly face and a little encouragement. The fact that I get to earn any income at all doing that is a very lucky position to be in, and I'm truly thankful to you all for watching, liking, subscribing, and commenting.

And I'm especially thankful to the Patreons who help me pay for my groceries 🥰 You're all so wonderful and your support means so much 🥹

2 months ago | [YT] | 121

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

Thanks so much for the love on the last video! I've also been catching up on comments and noticed how many of you love my style. I know I'm the first exposure a lot of you have to the practice of dopamine dressing (which is more of a philosophy than an aesthetic) so... how many of you would be interested in a video about dopamine dressing and how you can get into it yourself?

2 months ago | [YT] | 24

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

'Do NOT Read my Fanfiction!' is now available for my lovely Patreons at the Extra Kudos tier or higher 🥳

If you can't wait for 1 December 12am AEST, then get early access here. Otherwise, I'll see you Monday! (or Sunday, depending on your timezone 💖)

[Image Description: Artwork of Cora by ‪@0Pawprint0‬. They look mortified as she tries to cover up a screenshot titled 'My Fanfiction'. The summary box says the following: "Hi my name is Cora Bright'ness Migraine Maria Slay and I have short curly ginger hair (not how I got my name) with a pink beret and rainbow rim to cover my bad hair days and bright blue eyes like summer waves and a lot of people tell me I look like that girl from 'Brave' (if you don't know who she is, thank-you). I'm not related to Hatsune Miku but wish I was because she's a major effing cutie. I'm part-unicorn but my forehead is smooth and pale."]

2 months ago | [YT] | 57

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

Thank-you so much to everyone who showed up to my first ever stream! If you missed out or just wanna revisit the fun we had, you can watch the full thing here!

Sorry there's no live chat replay. I know my lesson for next time haha

5 months ago | [YT] | 9

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

Don't forget, in just a few hours, I'm going live to celebrate 10k subscribers! We'll be answering some questions, doing some (not AI) plot generators, and I might even give you a sneaky peaky at what I'm filming next 😉 Be sure to sign up for notifactions here so you don't miss out: youtube.com/live/nmnom90BlgY?feature=share

5 months ago | [YT] | 36

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

We reached 10k! ✨ So I'm going to celebrate with my very first livestream on this channel 🥳

Join me 22 August at 7am AEST for a Q&A, generating some crack-up plots ad-lib style, and maybe even a sneak peak at what I'm working on next. Grab your snacks, slap on some rainbows, and get ready to chat, laugh, and connect over all things fanfic!


Get notified here: youtube.com/live/tBIKDt0MYg4?feature=share

6 months ago | [YT] | 56

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

Since I am so, so close to reaching 10k subscribers, I'm thinking of doing a livestream to celebrate. What would you like to see me do?

6 months ago | [YT] | 14

Cora Maria - Write Your Dream Fanfiction

Sorry I've been so quiet on this channel lately! I've been working hard at the videos for my comeback, but I'm just popping back briefly to let you know that a friend of mine is raising money for a wheelchair. I'd really appreciate it if you can donate.

If you live overseas, it's possible that even a small donation could have a greater impact because of how conversion rates work. Even if you only donate $5 in USD, that would be almost $8 in AUD, so any amount you can spare for my friend would be very appreciated.

Will you match my donation of $20 AUD?
www.gofundme.com/f/help-jupiter-get-a-wheelchair/c…

Even if you cannot afford to, please share it with someone who can, and tell me about your favourite dessert to boost engagement so more people can see my friend's campaign 💖

(Image by VessMess Photography for engagement)

Image Description: Photo of Cora sitting on the edge of a garden bed as they look off camera. She wears a reddish-pink beret, pink heart glasses, a rainbow turtle neck, dark pink bow tie, and a bright pink sprinkle dress. They have a rainbow bag sitting beside them.

10 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 148