Mind the Tags

Join Emily and Vee as they dive into the fascinating life and career of Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. Vee does their very best to tell a coherent story despite Emily's frequent screaming. The cohosts discuss how Roddenberry's legacy of fan interaction can inspire future showrunners.
Topics include: Star Trek, Kirk/Spock, zines, conventions, Gene Roddenberry
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:
Crossover on Fanlore
Can We Talk About the Mail? I’ve Been Dying to Talk About the Mail by gayfranzkafka
AO3 Ship Stats 2026 by centreoftheselights
Gene Roddenberry on Wikipedia
How Gene Roddenberry Stayed Connected to Fandom Through Letters by Maria Jose and John Tenuto
Our Kirk/Spock episode
Kirk/Spock on Wikipedia
How are Spock and Kirk straight? on Reddit
Roddenberry commenting on Kirk/Spock on Reddit
The Roddenberry Footnote on Fanlore
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee, Emily, and special guest T explore the growing intersection fanfiction and generative AI. T discusses a project he worked on to identify AI in fics across multiple fandoms, the repercussions of sharing those findings, and how writers and readers can respond to AI in the future.
 
Sources from today's ep:
Fandom Has a Generative AI Problem document
2026 Heated Rivalry AI Accusations and Fanfiction Harassment Controversy on Fanlore
Calling All Marcus Chens, Martinezes, Thornes, Mayas, Vances, Old Man Tibers on Reddit
Heated Rivalry is at the Center of Fanfic’s AI Reckoning by Kayti Burt for Fansplaining
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 

On this special crossover episode, Emily and Vee and joined by - wouldn't you know it - Emily and V, the cohosts of This Week in Fandom History! We talk about the fandoms that shaped us (looking at you, Ducktales), fanfiction we love, and the possibility that one of us might be a reincarnated passenger from the Titanic. 
Sources from today's ep: 
V's epic Hunger Games companion book
The American Girl Doll anthology
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 

Join Emily and Vee as they explore the fascinating career of Anne Rice, from her Vampire Chronicles to the Jesus-y stuff. Emily details Anne's problematic relationship to fanfiction, which culminated in the infamous "Spec Writer Massacre." Warning: at least a third of this episode is giggling about Bryan Fuller's pride month posts on Instagram. 
Topics include: Anne Rice, Vampires, Interview with the Vampire, Lestat, fanfiction
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:
QUEER LOVE! brought to you by Bryan Fuller
Flop House Mini 152 - Pride
Whump on Fanlore
What exactly is whump? on Reddit
White Wedding by Kathleen J. Woods
Anne Rice on The Vampire Chronicles Wiki
Tom Cruise IWTV thread on Reddit
Anne Rice interview about gender
Interview with Anne Rice about creating Lestat
Anne Rice on identity, gender, faith, and writing IWTV on Reddit
alt.books.anne-rice on Fanlore
Anne Rice’s war on fanfiction: The Spec Writer Massacre by shasha not sasha
Where has Anne Rice fanfiction gone? on Croatoan Fanfic
Spec Writer Massacre on Fanlore
Our episode with Marc Greenberg, Esq on copyright and fanfiction
How fan fiction is conquering the internet and shooting up book charts by metrowebukmetro
The Sleeping Beauty Quartet on Wikipedia
Happy pride to Louis and Lestat
 
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 
 

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily are joined by two volunteers from the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), Elin (Communications committee) and Brian (Accessibility, Design, and Technology committee). Elin and Brian share their experiences as volunteers and some of their favorite things about AO3, from its founding in 2008 to its debut as a Alpha in 2026. Plus, just how MANY subtances can be used as lube?
 
Sources from today's ep:
Committees of the OTW
International Fanworks Day on Fanlore
Skins and Archive Interface
Tumblr x AO3 on Fanlore
Tumblr post about Tumblr x AO3
Spambot Comments on AO3
Spotlight on Omegaverse at AO3
AO3 is Exiting Open Beta!
Archive Roadmap 2013
Our episode with Carley, fanfic translator and author
Donate to the OTW
Volunteer at the OTW
Sign up for the OTW newsletter
OTW code on Github
THE SAUSAGE MACHINE
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!

Join Emily and Vee as they discuss all the ways in which literature has inspired fanfiction, from tropes and characters to Shakespearean style. Plus, Vee starts a "Get Our Your Vore" campaign, Emily throws serious shade on Odysseus, and they both struggle to pronounce Richard Siken's name for a full minute. 
Topics include: Literature, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Poetry
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:
MerMay on Instagram
Vore on Fanlore
Our episode about fanart
The Allusionist podcast
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 
 

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Emily is joined by author and fandom journalist Alexandra Romanoff. Zan discusses her recent article about fanfiction in Vogue and her favorite things about writing in fandom communities. Plus, Emily and Zan take a trip to AO3land!
Sources from today's ep:
The Fan Fiction That Made Me a Writer by Alexandra Romanoff
Devil Angel from the The Hanson Fan Fiction Archive
Vacation Self by Alexandra Romanoff 
Zan's website
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!

Join Emily and Vee as they take a trip on a magic carpet through comments, kudos, and all the things that make up the fanfic reading rainbow. They also dive into some of the ways readers can help keep fanfic spaces like AO3 safe and fun for readers and writers alike. 
Topics include: Fanfic, TikTok, Wattpad, The Pitt, Heated Rivalry 
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:
The sex ed bakeshop
I am in your walls on Reddit
Our episode on writing fanfiction
a guide to fanfictions: where and how to find good fanfics — by i read this and that
How to find and read Fanfiction: Beginner Tips for navigating Archive of Our Own (AO3) by AliceTheGamedev
Fan Fiction: How to (and why you SHOULD) read fan fic by Johanna Draper Carlso
An AO3 Algorithm Would be Horrible, Actually by Kelly Martinez
How fan fiction went mainstream by Danielle Hewitt and Noel King
The Rec Center
Someone keeps accusing fanfiction authors of writing their fic with AI, and nobody knows why by Adi Robertson
The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction by Elizabeth Minkel
OFMD Rareships Bluesky
Vee's fic reader flowchart and tips from listeners on Bluesky
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily discuss all things RPF with fandom writer and researcher Sacha Judd. Sacha talks about her journey across fandoms and the inherent eroticism of smashing your paper dolls together. Plus, Vee and Emily put out an official call for cohost RPF (which Emily may or may not start writing).
Sources from today's ep:
Our RPF episode
The RPF Question by Sacha Judd
Tinhat on Fanlore
Lucy Dacus on Las Culturistas
Everyone is wrong about M/M except me by Allegra Rosenberg
Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Wikipedia
The Seattle Kraken embraced thirsty ‘BookTok’ hockey romance videos. It backfired. by Daysia Tolentino
Everything Breaks at Scale - Beyond Tellerrand May '22 by Sacha Judd
You can find out more about Sacha here. Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!

Join Emily and Vee as they discuss all the ways the music inspires and influences fanfiction, from authors incorporating lyrics into their stories to titles inspired by Hozier and Taylor Swift. Plus, Vee introduces their idea for a Jurassic Park drag number, and Emily begs the listeners to help make it happen.  
Topics include: Songfic, music, playlists, 8tracks 
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:
Rule 63 on Wikipedia
4chan on Wikipedia
Our episode on Filk
Songfic on Fanlore
Our episode with Freya Marske
8tracks on Wikipedia
Social Media AU on Fanlore
Parallel Lines by Kings of Convenience
I Believe by Caroline Polachek
What songs have the biggest grip on AO3 writers? by Josepthunder on the AO3 subreddit
I found AO3 fic titles for every lyric of Sugar, We're Goin' Down by Fall Out Boy by Red the Mudkip on Youtube
The Postal Service Songs & Fic Titles by sprinklecipher on Tumblr
My Immortal (Harry Potter story) on Fanlore
Get Him Back ★ Edward Teach (+ Stede Bonnet) | OFMD by mxltinfinityx on Youtube
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!