Shows
Mind the TagsInterview with Carley: Fanfic Author and TranslatorOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Carley, a member of the Our Flag Means Death fandom who both writes their own fanfiction and translates works to and from Chinese. Carley discusses their approach to translation, cultural differences in fandom, and the inherent badassery of cursing in Chinese.
Sources from this episode:
Simplified Chinese on Wikipedia
Blocking of AO3 in China on Fanlore
Lofter on Fanlore
Weibo on Fanlore
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!
2026-02-1846 minMind the TagsWhat Were YOU Doing at the Devil's Sacrament: Real Person FictionJoin Emily and Vee as they tackle real person fiction (RPF) and all that it entails, from fanfiction to biopics. Plus, Vee creates a new evidence-based RPF chart for your everyday use.
Topics include: Celebrities, real person fiction
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at mindthetagsofficial@gmail.com.
Sources from today's ep:
Lemon on Fanlore
The Citrus Scale by imetyouonljpodcast
RPF on Fanlore
"This is a deepfake!": Celebrity scandals, parodic deepfakes, and a critically speculative ethics of care for fandom res...
2026-02-0454 minMind the TagsInterview with Sex Educator Rae and Data Scientist MakenzieOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Rae and Makenzie about their research into kink representation in enemies-to-lovers Harry Potter fanfiction. Rae and Makenzie describe their process for reviewing millions of words of fic (for science!) and how fanfiction can help educate and inspire readers.
Sources from this episode:
Hogwarts After Dark: Consent, Kink, and Queerness in Harry Potter Fanfiction
Recording
Resources
The annotated spreadsheet
Rae's website
smitten's a bad look on me by arrowsandbows
stuck in the seams by spudcity
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and H...
2026-01-2141 minMind the TagsSo You Wanna Write a Fanfic: Tips and Tricks for Getting StartedJoin Emily and Vee as they discuss the ins and outs of writing fanfic, including coming up with ideas, choosing a writing platform, and sharing your work online. Plus, Emily shares her latest fandom adventures in a little show called Supernatural.
Topics include: Writing, publishing, editing
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at mindthetagsofficial@gmail.com.
Sources from today's ep:
Literotica
No beta we die like men on Fanlore
Perchance generators
PWP on Fanlore
Drabble on Fanlore
Longfic on Fanlore
Wo...
2026-01-071h 03Mind the TagsInterview with Lauren Rouse: Fandom ResearcherOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Dr. Lauren Rouse, fandom researcher and co-author of "Quantifying fandom: Identity, romance, and platform preferences on archive of our own." Dr. Rouse discusses the findings from the article, their research interests around disability and fandom, and how fanfiction and fandom have inspired their scholarship journey.
Sources from this episode:
Quantifying fandom: Identity, romance, and platform preferences on archive of our own by Lauren Rouse and Mel Stanfill
Texts and Technology program at the University of Central Florida
Transformative Works and Cultures journal
Survey Results: Demographics by...
2025-12-0829 minMind the TagsTrope There It Is: Story Themes in Fic and BeyondJoin Emily and Vee as they open the freezer to uncover the origins of "dead dove, do not eat" and embark on a journey through tropes old and new. Plus, what is "whump," and why did Emily think it was spelled with an "f" at the end until looking it up for the purposes of this episode?
Topics include: Tropes, literatures, movies, stories
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon!
Sources from today's ep:
Dead Dove, Do Not Eat on Fanlore
Trope on Wikipedia
TVTropes.org
The Princess B...
2025-11-1344 minMind the TagsInterview with TJ Klune: NYT Bestselling Author and Fanfic StanOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview author TJ Klune. We chat with TJ about his fanfiction journey, the power of fiction to change our world, and his fervent love of the "only one bed" trope.
Sources from this episode:
TJ's books
Cackling "only one bed" goats
Check out TJ's bio here.
2025-10-2749 minMind the TagsGot Filk? The Wondrous World of Fandom MusicJoin Emily and Vee as they explore filk (you read that right!) and the limitless possibilities of fandom music. Be sure to listen to the end of the episode for a filk by the hosts themselves!
Topics include: Filk, music, folk music, sci-fi, fantasy
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon!
Sources from today's ep:
Meta on Fanlore
What is Filk? on Interfilk
What is Filk? Panel Discussion from DragonCon
The Pegasus Awards website
Wizard Rock on Fanlore
Monsterfuckers AƧSEMBLE: an AᗺBA tribute album
Fable Fiesta writ...
2025-10-0949 minMind the TagsInterview with Freya Marske: Romance and Fantasy AuthorOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview author Freya Marske. We chat with Freya about her history of writing fanfiction, the fandoms that shaped her, and the emerging popularity of sapphic romance and fantasy.
Sources from this episode:
Freya's Ao3
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (first in the Last Binding trilogy)
Gaywyck by Vincent Virga
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
All Fours by Miranda July
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
Check out Freya's bio here.
2025-09-2254 minMind the TagsI Want to Believe: The Limitless Possibilities of FanonJoin Emily and Vee as they dive into the world of fanon and the ways in which fans interpret and transform the stories they love. Vee describes their three categories of fanon, and Emily climbs up on her perennial soapbox about her OTP. Both hosts challenge JJ Abrams to join the pod and DEFEND HIS HONOR.
Topics include: Fanon, Star Wars, Star Trek, shipping, yaoi, yuri
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon!
Sources from today's ep:
Yaoi on Fanlore
Yuri on Fanlore
Why Magic, Dragons and Explicit Se...
2025-09-0251 minMind the TagsInterview with Marc Greenberg, Esq.: Fandom Law ScholarOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Marc Greenberg, Esq., a practicing attorney with an expertise in intellectual property and entertainment law. We discuss Marc's experience representing creators and researching the legal implications of fanworks in the United States, the ongoing challenge of AI in the creative space, and his surprising rendezvous with Carlos Santana.
Sources from this episode:
Acafan on Fanlore
Copyright on Fanlore
Copyright registration portal
Ao3 Terms of Service
Fair Use on Fanlore
Cariou vs. Prince case
Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith:
Axanar has settled its l...
2025-08-061h 00Mind the TagsReady or Knot: Our Deep Dive into the OmegaverseJoin Emily and Vee as they explore the fascinating world of the omegaverse, including its common tropes and origin in Supernatural real person fanfiction (RPF). Emily discusses some of the motivations authors have shared for writing omegaverse fics, and both Emily and Vee wax poetic about the magical time that was 2010.
Topics include: Omegaverse, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, Supernatural, inaccurate wolf science
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon!
Sources from today's ep:
[Data] The 100 most popular tags on AO3 in 2024 by batcat229
Alpha/Beta/Omega on Fanlore
a...
2025-07-1049 minMind the TagsInterview with Tara: Novelist and Fanfic AuthorIn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Tara, a novelist and fanfiction writer. In this interview, we discuss similarities and differences between writing for traditional publication and for fandom. We also chat with Tara about their fandom journey, including their entree into fanfic-writing through Our Flag Means Death.
Fics mentioned in this episode:
Prove It by KnivesInFeet
Old Bae Season by nomadsland
not pickles by smallestchurch
In Favor with their Stars by mxmollusca
fast car by smallestchurch
Books mentioned in this episode:
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
The...
2025-06-1749 minMind the TagsThe Hippogriff in the Room: The Harry Potter ProblemJoin Emily and Vee as they tackle how Harry Potter fic writers have responded to J.K. Rowling's public shift to transphobia in recent years. Vee shares their own experiences as a Harry Potter fic writer, and Emily adds some unasked-for attacks on long-dead composer Richard Wagner.
Topics include: Orphaning fics, the relationship between creators and fic, and fond memories of wizarding childhoods
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon!
Content warning: this episode discusses transphobia
Sources from today's ep:
Emily's Gritty/Phanatic slash fic
Guide to...
2025-05-3050 minMind the TagsInterview with Naomi Jacobs: Design ResearcherOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Dr. Naomi Jacobs, Lecturer in Design Policy and Futures Thinking at Lancaster University. In this interview, we discuss the printing and binding fanfiction ("fanbinding") and the ways in which creating physical copies of fanfiction is another type of transformative fanwork. We also chat with Naomi about her fandom journey, including her entree into fanfic through Doctor Who novels.
Sources from this episode:
The Design of Printed Fanfiction: A Case Study of Down to Agincourt Fanbinding by Naomi Jacobs and JSA Lowe
The Renegade Bookbinding Guild
17776
2025-05-0952 minMind the TagsFic is (like totally) Lit: Fanfic vs. Original FictionJoin Emily and Vee as they discuss the similarities and differences between fanfiction and original fiction, including worldbuilding, copyright, filing off the serial numbers and fanfic that becomes published, and the ever-evolving journey of the Mary Sue.
Topics include: Publishing, legality of fanfiction, creative writing, Philip Roth shade
If you heard on us the most recent episode of The Culture Study podcast, welcome! Check out our catalog of episodes here.
Sources from today's ep:
The Big Difference Between Original Fiction and Fanfiction by Margery Bayne
Mary Sue on Fanlore
E44: More Than The...
2025-04-1855 minMind the TagsInterview with Alexis Lothian: Fandom ScholarOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Dr. Alexis Lothian, Associate Professor at The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland. We chat with Dr. Lothian about her foray into fanfiction in the early 2000s, as well as her scholarly work around speculative fiction, feminism and racism in fanfiction, and the power of fandom to shape political awareness and movements.
Sources from this episode:
Vidding: A History by Francesca Coppa
AI Hype Enters Its Geopolitics Era w/ Timnit Gebru from the Tech Won't Save Us P...
2025-03-2846 minMind the TagsThe (fan)Artist's Way: The Friends to Lovers Relationship between Fanart and FanfictionJoin Emily and Vee as they chat about the long and intricate relationship between fanart and fanfiction, the different legal and financial considerations between them, fanart commissions, and Vee's new venture as a lego artiste. Philadelphia vernacular warning to listeners: Emily uses the word "jawn" at least twice in this episode.
Topics include: Fanart, commissions, digital media
Sources from today's ep:
The OFMD Craft Fair Auction
Big Bang on Fanlore
Fanart on Fanlore
Zine on Fanlore
The OFMD Fine Frames Project
Vee's lego art
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song...
2025-03-0645 minMind the TagsInterview with Elizabeth Minkel: Fandom JournalistOn this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Elizabeth Minkel, fandom journalist, co-host/editor of Fansplaining, and co-curator of The Rec Center. We talk about Elizabeth's travels through Buffy GeoCities of yore, what she loves and has learned about fanfiction over the years, and the trends she's observed in AI in fandom spaces. Check out some of Elizabeth's articles that we discuss here:
Why Generative AI Won’t Disrupt Books
Lots of People Make Money on Fanfic. Just Not the Authors
The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction
You can find out about Elizabeth's projects here....
2025-01-311h 07Mind the TagsFic de Resistance: How Fanfiction Can Create Community and Fight OppressionJoin Emily and Vee as they discuss how participating in fanfiction can support writers and readers during times of uncertainty, and how the fanfic community can respond to political developments that threaten our communities.
Topics include: Pleasure activism, anti-capitalism, gift culture, LGBTQIA+ representation, fan activism
Sources from today's ep:
Kudos on Fanlore
Alexis Lothian lecture from the University of Maryland Arts & Humanities YouTube channel
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
The Best Organizing Strategy You’ve Never Heard Of: Why Fan Activism Has the Power to Radically Change Our World by Fandom Forward
Fellowship of th...
2025-01-131h 01