#Fic commenting
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Hey, so just want to do a quick poll about this, to gather opinions:
This wouldn't be that much work, and I'm fine doing it, but if it's not useful to people then the time is better spent, elsewhere!
Thanks for your input!
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Writing comments for fanfic
tl;dr -- Write one thing you liked about the fic (a phrase or moment) and how you reacted or made you feel! Also, keep it fun! Make no demands of fic authors who write out of love and Owe Us Nothing.
It took me a while to figure out how to write comments. I went through an evolution. There's lots of stuff on how to write stories, probably even giving crit and feedback, but commenting? Not nearly as much. So here's my not so short ramble on writing comments for fic. Includes my Ways of commenting and Tenets of commenting.
Examples here will be T-rated (by AO3 standards) and most are taken from or newly written with specific fics in mind. They are, ahem, almost all Genshin Impact.
Commenting is, I believe, a personal thing. I've been told I have a bit of an enthusiastic presence, so what feels true to you may vary. I also like to write words (can you tell?). And smash keyboards.
Leaving comments is, in fact, effort! But it's also a skill that can be learned and honed. And honestly, I think my fic experience is improved by it. I don't always leave a comment. But, I don't know... that random internet person authored a Whole Thing. For Free (likely). And I just get to read it?? Yeah, I'm going to leave a little appreciation. Just a little snack in return for this fulfilling meal you have fed me.
I also find writing a comment is also a way for me to just bask in a fic a little bit longer, linger in that feeling of oh, wow, this was so good, and I don't want to leave yet. (And then sometimes there's a response, and then I get a bonus dose of nostalgia!)
Ways of commenting
These are roughly ordered by amount of effort required. I would say the comments I leave are a mash up of these, really. There aren't actual hard lines between them.
1. An extra kudos.
Kudos are nice. Knowing the kudos button isn't enough is one layer deeper! Comments like
"Thanks for writing!" "<3" "i mash kudos button but no more kudos come out what's wronnnnggg????" "yay an update!" "this is so good"
Level of effort: slightly more than a kudos.
Honestly, copy-pasteable. Personally, I would always write these out. Somehow, to me, as a commenter, feels more real if I tippy tappy the letters myself even if Author can't tell. It's a nice way to let an author know you're coming back chapter after chapter when we can only kudos once on a fic. I like to leave a little something more, but I still often start or end with this.
2. Fic reaction.
Sometimes a fic just leaves me a certain way. Invoked a particular mood or visceral reaction. So, I let the author know!
"Awww, my heart is warm!" "Jaw on ground. WTF!" "Literal chills." "My eyes are wet. How did that happen?" "This fic is pure comfort." "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" "Heart on floor, smashed." "WHOLESOME!" "This has left me completely feral and ready to punch something."
Level of effort: you need some emotional intelligence or other awareness of you reactions.
As a starting point, was the fic -- wholesome, sweet, chaotic (in a good way), funny, heartwrenching, sad, delightful, shocking, calm, peaceful, I just want a hug now, terrifying, creepy, comedic?
How do you then turn this into a comment? "This was so ___!!"
Honestly, my crutch here is to just keyboard smash. What does it mean? Your guess as good as mine. I'm speechless, and I cannot words properly, but please participate in these Feels I'm having.
3. One detail I like. (My default comment style)
This one covers a lot of scope. If I read to the end of the fic, there's probably something I liked. Maybe
a turn of phrase. "Diluc drinking grape juice like a man chained to an interrogation table. sfjfskkdz" "Bedsheets twisted up like cooked spinach is SO accurate." "Itto-to is such a cute mashup name!" "We have years ahead of us. That was just one day in the past. The feeeeeelllssss" ":) as punctuation" "Barbatos and Nobles as a bookstore. Sdjjsfjdw I love it"
a particular character moment, action, interaction, or dialogue. quote or paraphrase it! "Diluc kicking Childe into the water was hilarious." "Childe is such an adrenaline junkie. I can't believe he would lean out the window while he was driving." "I'm so proud of Zhongli for actually admitting his feelings!"
some specific moment you emotionally reacted to. I've only recently trained myself out of stoic facing through fic. I mean, it's a useful skill, don't get me wrong (especially in public), but it's less useful when it's just me by myself. I now laugh at 3am reading fic, and my life is brighter for it. Comedy fic writers, you are my fave. "Can't get over when Diluc walks in on Kaeya and Childe. AHHHHH!" "Qiqi drying Childe's hair was so sweet!"
Level of effort: you have to actually remember something you liked or reacted to.
The number of movies I watch and number of times someone asks how's my week, and I just stare blankly because I know it was good but don't know anything else? High. So yeah, this isn't trivial.
I've gotten to the point where usually while reading I notice a moment of "wow I love this!" I don't go looking for them (because I want to stay in fic headspace not comment material hunting headspace), and I don't spend much effort trying to remember. If I forget, that's fine. Not like I'm not writing a book review for a grade or anything.
Just, what's a moment you just got to call out? (And bonus, what's your reaction?) Authors out there seem to like to make us feel things. Show them we're just dangling from their puppet strings!
I usually leave comments like this. Just popcorn style, as many things as I remember, whatever comes up as I recall it. I'm aware that sometimes I end up basically quoting a fic back to its author completely out of order interspersed with commentary or keyboard smashes. I'm occasionally embarrassed by how much I'm smashing into their comments, but the reception seems overall positive.
4. Between the lines and spin off thoughts.
Sometimes fic make me think. I mean, canon makes me think, and then people go and make fanworks off of that, so of course I'm bound to run into fic that makes me think. Sometimes the things I notice or think about aren't directly in the text, but implied or spin out thoughts. An interpretation, a mini analysis, or a reflection. Like,
a new thought or take on a character. "Aro-ace Venti! I like this take!" "Please don't break Klee. She's just trying her best to hold all the adults together. Oh no. You've already broken Klee. T_T" "I bet Jean is the only person who could have kicked Diluc's ass, and he really needed it." "Kaeya what are you doooinggg?? Why is he like this???" (An extra note, it's cool to disagree with a character, but not the author. Character did that makes you want to scream? Go for it. Author wrote the character in a way you disagree with? Don't comment. Leave the fic if it bothers you that much.)
noticing foreshadowing or a detail that isn't fully explained / only alluded to. "Is that Scara working at Scarabucks???" "Wait, something about what Venti said makes me think this isn't just a modern day AU ..." "Did that count as a geo construct for the purposes of the contract?"
some sentence or moment somewhere that just hits you in the brain. This one I don't actually know if author's like. On the one hand, I can imagine it being flattering. On the other, maybe it's too personal? I'll usually center these on the characters, kind of like character analysis. "Diluc sharing his anxiety with Kaeya, and that being what made Kaeya look at his own anxiety... really hits. Like, I don't even think Diluc could have said something sooner without Kaeya running, which says so much about how Diluc loves Kaeya. And the fact Kaeya can see this as a mirror of what he's doing and learns something from it. Just. Oof. Wow." "The conversation between Zhongli and Childe is just so real. Like Zhongli is trying so hard but his ass just can't understand Childe just wants him to tell them things and his not telling things is Not Helping even though he just wants to protect the boy!"
Level of effort: some amount of analytical thinking, reflection, or willingness to share when you get sucker punched by words.
This one I absolutely never go looking for, so I don't leave many such comments. When it does come up, it usually smacks me in the face, and I let it (roll with the hit and into the comments). On occasion I am wailing in the comment box when the revelation (like having broken Klee) just dawns on me. Am I Feelings Processing in comment boxes? Uuuhhhhhh, no comment. (Don't mind the lack of delivery on the pun.)
I'd like to think authors appreciate when we reflect back to them we get their interpretation, but I can also imagine it might be a little too much for authors if we get too personal. In which case, sorry. Your work is great! Please take it as my intention to flatter you since you've touched my heart or brain or soul with your words.
5. Craft appreciation.
This one, *head scratches* yeah, I don't often end up here. But sometimes it's not one moment, but something about all the moments, something underlying, or something in the way it was all put together. If I do end up here and write a general statement, I like to point to specific bits that made me think that (which is where I lean back on One Detail I Like). Actually, yeah, usually I use this as flavor to One Detail I Like, but I think it's sufficiently different to pull out separately. It's a writerly meta layer. What falls here?
dialogue. "Your dialogue is so good. I can hear it in in the VA's voice." "I love the contrast between how Zhongli talks and Childe talks."
imagery. "Can't get over the imagery of Childe releasing dandelion scenes. Such a kid!" "Childe sleeping with Tranquil Statlight is just so peaceful."
characterization. "The little nuggets you give characters like Rosaria doing community service at the church for Crimes just gives me life." "I love the way you write Childe. He's so aggressive!"
setting, world building (more for AUs but wow there are some authors good at expanding on canon lore). "Your world building is so cool. Like the abyssal graffiti on the walls?? HNNG!"
writing style. "Your style is very dreamy. <3" "This is genuinely so heartwarming, and yet at the same time what is this underlying feeling of something is wrong????" "I feel like people appreciate the art of comedic one liners but you've got angst one liners. AND THEY SLAY."
pacing, timing. "This fic reads like a high speed express train. It just never stops or slows down!!" "What is this cRaFT! Like. Para 1, comedic. Para 2, thoughtful. Para 3, WHY DO MY HEARTSTRINGS HURT."
use of language. "Using he for POV character and they for the other is LINGUISTICALLY MIND BLOWING." (Please, I want this to catch on more. I do absolutely respect people's pronouns. These fictional characters (and people who have pronoun flexibility)? She and they instead of she and she?? THE CLARITY WE COULD HAVE??!? I'm incredibly greedy for it.)
premise. "Pierro Dad gives me so much life." "The Bachelor but it's Diluc?? Let's go!!"
plot twist, or cliff hanger. "The reveal!!! *screaming*" "I can't believe you would do me like this." (No, I can't in good conscience leave a specific example and give a fic away. Yes, I am thinking of specific fics still.)
Level of effort: be able to map details you like to writer's craft.
Let's not pretend we're here to do crit. Even if we're using writerly words, we are not here to do crit. Well, I am not because I don't believe the comments box is the right time or place for it, but I am happy to lay on the praise and point out the things that worked for me.
Usually, I think it's harder to look across a fic and be like, yeah, the dialogue hit, or this writing style or pacing really does it for me. It's more nebulous. And sometimes it kicks you out of fic reading headspace and into a writerly meta land to notice, so I don't, and I just let the fic wash over me. And if something here strikes me, I will offer my praises. Again, I think it helps to think of this more as an additional kind of One Detail I Like.
Tenets of commenting (and a little of reading)
Okay, so those were some do's, but I also have don't's. These are my boundaries that I keep. Maybe yours are different. I suspect most of these stem from the place, Author did this for free and Owes Me Nothing, so that's the one real tenet. I keep these in mind so that I can keep fic a nice, fun, safe place for me (and hopefully the authors too).
1. I will never ask for updates. I never expect a next chapter.
I've seen enough content creators stressed out and burnt out about putting something out over and over again. I feel for them. That sucks. They probably just started doing it for fun, and now ... The demand and expectation they continue to perform for free? Yeah, it's not going to come from me.
Once upon a time, because of this and a desire to have complete stories, I wouldn't read incomplete fics. I now am The Biggest Fan of incomplete fics. Yes, hang me off the side of a cliff. I will scream at you. And if you don't haul me back up? Well, fine. I'll live. Some other author's got my back. Probably. There's still so much to love between world building, characterization, good moments, jokes -- and you sometimes get the experience of seeing familiar faces screaming at the fic with you update after update. It's precious. It's fleeting. I could go on, but maybe a different day. Back to commenting!
Flip side, as an author, I will say the desire for more is, in one case, why I plan to continue a fic from years ago. I was very firm at the time I would not be extending the one shot, but I guess time changes things, and the fact people were like, I would read more story contributes to that.
So this one is very much a personal tenet. There's some line between I love this so much I want it to continue, and expecting there to be more. Where is it? I don't know. So I just stay away. Surely Author will get I want more if I just say how much I love everything and have commented on their latest chapter. Rather than leave snacks that taste like burn out to some authors, I will focus on other flavors of comments!
2. I will not say what I dislike.
Not my ship? I probably won't read. Not my preferred ship dynamic? Tropes I don't like? Characterization not hitting it for me? Paragraph formatting not doing it for me? I just x out of there, find something I do like. People be writing things for free! Let them have their fun!
If I did read it, snd I stayed, something else must have grabbed my attention. I'll focus on that. Writing style not quite doing it for me but I love the details added to the world? "Wow, the world you flesh out is so complex." No mention about how much of a drag it is to read, because hey, I still read it, and I had reason to not put it down!
3. I will not give corrections.
Authors (and maybe a beta) have put in tremendous effort and time, and to be like, "you missed a typo" or "actually, the canon lore says X" often detracts from the beauty of the shared fic experience. I interpret random grammar and misspeaks and typos in daily conversation and texts all the time. Surely I know enough to employ this skill. And if I figured it out, other readers probably will figure it out too. If I can't, I usually assume the author was too big brain for me and skip merrily along to the next sentence. (And if it's too much for me to handle, I click out.)
Yeah I get it! I get the urge to want to be helpful and contribute to other people's experience! I know that feel! Because, well, I learned this one from experience. I tried once. Watched an author wilt a little when what I wanted was to be helpful. Yeeeaaah, not doing that again.
So, I suspect this often comes off as a little entitled that just by that bit of you say something and kinda underlyingly expect the author to do something about it, and again, Author Owes Me Nothing! Even if the author is asking for a beta, I'd reach out first and make sure they are now in a headspace to be expecting beta thoughts from me.
Wrapping it up
I love fic, the world is rich with it, and I am full of love for authors and their craft. It fills my heart with joy to know I can return a little smile to someone who has let me hop on their ride for free.
It does take effort. Writing comments, turns out, is writing. Writing is a skill, therefore writing comments is a skill. And writing takes practice to improve, so, guess what, writing comments takes practice to improve. Who would've thunk. (Not me, I assure you.)
I've wanted to write this for me for a while, capture what I've learned because I noticed my ability to write comments change over time. Then recently, I was rec'd a fic and told to definitely leave a comment because the author deserves it and I write good comments. Dispatched because I write good comments! Now my commenter feathers are fluffed up, and so I have actually written this. But I definitely didn't start out the comment writer I am today, so I wanted to share that, surprisingly there is a progression path! (Maybe this is only surprising to me.)
I do find commenting adds to my fic reading experience. And I love reading other people's comments. Sometimes other people notice things I didn't or have very cool interpretations, and that is an extra wow right there. (And look at all these other people who like the thing I like!)
And if I leave a comment, sometimes I get a reply! Author noticed my little comment! Extra dose of happy for everyone!
And sometimes, sometimes, (and again I would never expect it, but it is a gift much like fic itself is) an author will write back full of their notes and what they were thinking about writing those moments, and I treasure that so, so much. It's both a delight because of the usual Author saw my effort commenting and I get an extra behind the scenes! The craft behind the craft! (Now how do authors leave good replies? That is still a mystery to me.)
Sometimes I write a lot and then it goes into a black hole, and that's sad. Hmm. I'm pretty sure this is what authors feel when we don't leave comments. Hmm. Guess it's time to write more comments! (Sometimes, like fic updates, replies show up months later, and that's honestly <3)
So, let's go leave some comments and show those authors love and tell them how much they delighted us! Or ... how they smashed our hearts into the ground with angst/no comfort because sometimes that's just what one wants to read.
#fanfiction#ao3#fic commenting#fandom#fandom meta#a few too many genshin references#shavynel scribbles
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My dumbass reading a fic and not commenting
#naferty's life#better get my ass in gear and go back through my history#this will not stand#fic commenting
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👽 Submit your RNM Fic Recs to RNM Comment Bingo! 👽
Now every day is Roswell, New Mexico Comment Bingo!
Choose a board, comment on some fics, get a bingo (or not! lol), and share it with us! We'll reblog it so new and old fans see your fanwork recommendations.
You can rec podfics, art, and non-AO3 fics, too! More info here.
🎉Thanks to all those who played Comment Bingo in 2021, 2022, and 2023! 🥳Thanks to those who created prizes for our winners! 🎉Thanks to the mods and the gif makers for the event! 🥳Thanks to all those who reblogged our posts and provided fics for us to read and comment on!
Please keep the game circulating!
Questions? Ask @rnmbingo
Never got your prize? Message @maeglinthebold
Want to host RNM Comment Bingo as a proper Event, again? Ask @rnmbingo or @maeglinthebold.
Want to join a RNM Discord? Hang out with most of the mods of this event here: https://discord.gg/fQSk94j79J
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people telling you they reread your fic is the biggest compliment you could ever receive. there are thousands of stories out there begging to be found, to be explored, but your story meant so much to someone that they came back to it eagerly, they went over every word again. to love is to return and loving a fic is rereading it. thank you to all readers and rereaders <3333
#post sponsored by someone commenting on my newest fic that they reread it only a day after the first time#.text
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when I first started writing fic I started replying to every comment I got because I was so happy that anyone was even reading them
and I’ve kept it up because I feel like I sent a precedent for myself but sometimes I felt weird about it because then ultimately half the comments on my own fics were me
but I saw a post recently about how commenting builds community and even though we may write for ourselves we also post for that connection to readers
and I’m really trying to break free of the passive consumerism that tends to plague our lives now and that post really struck me because I do what to connect with other people even for a moment
all that to say I’m gonna keep responding. and I’ve been hoarding all the comment emails on my latest fic bc I was feeling weird about responding but I’m gonna go back and respond because I want those people to know that I’m a real person and their words meant something to me
I’m still working on anxiety around leaving comments but I’m going to remember that there’s a person who wrote this fic and I want to connect with them, if only for a fleeting moment
#fic writing#fic commenting#I love every person who comments on my fic#because while it does stroke my ego a little bit whenever I see a new comment email#it also boosts my confidence because I created something and it is spreading the joy beyond myself#I struggle with my impact on others and fic comments are concrete evidence that i make a meaningful pact#doesn’t have to be a lasting impact
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Normalize leaving unhinged comments on ao3 fics you like. I'm tired of being the only one brave enough to write "I am chewing on this fic" in the comment section. Be weird. Authors will love you for it
#I just left a comment yesterday where I told the author I want to monch their fic#this is the energy everyone should bring to the comment section#as a writer I LOVE weird comments!#i actually just love comments overall#fanfic#fanfics#commenting#ao3 comments#unhinged#funny comments#funny ao3 comments#ao3 humor#ao3#ffnet#archive of our own#how to ao3
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the question of fic comments is very straightforward actually. readers do not owe writers comments. writers do not owe readers fic. there is no bargain, no transaction, no debt.
fic is a gift. comments are a gift. gifts are exchanged between friends, out of love, not out of obligation.
I write for myself. I post it for others, as a gift, because their joy brings me joy. I read for myself. I comment for the author, as a gift, because their joy brings me joy. perhaps we were not friends before, but we are now, however fleetingly, because we have given each other gifts out of love.
#fandom#finx rambles#the corollary to this being of course that if no one ever says thank you for your gifts you will eventually lose the will to hand them out#which is not an ultimatum or a ransom but just a fact of human nature#I don't have the energy to comment on all the fics I read but I do it when I do have the energy#as a thank you for the gift#and I answer every comment on my fics eventually even if it takes me ages sometimes#there are authors who don't have the energy to answer every comment but do answer the more thoughtful ones#either way it's a way of saying thank you for the gift#a recognition of love and an answering in kind
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DONT BE AFRAID TO COMMENT ON OLD FICS DONT BE AFRAID TO COMMENT ON FICS IN A FANDOM THE AUTHOR MAY NO LONGER BE ACTIVE IN. IF THE STORY IS STILL UP LET THEM KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IT MIGHT JUST BE THE REMINDER THAT MAKES THEIR DAY.
SINCERELY SOMEONE WHO JUST GOT A REPLY THAT MADE ME WANNA MAKE THIS POST
#reject modern fast fashion fandom culture#comment on shit from 2012 to scare and or delight the author#anytime I see ppl reading my haikyuu fics I wanna cry with happiness#being reminded of fics and then looking and realizing I still love them is a true gift#COMMUNITY BITCHES THIS IS WHAT THAT IS
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When I tell you that I have read fanfic characterizations so OOC that they'd classify as an original character, trust me I have read THOUSANDS. But you know what I don't do? :) Tell the author of those fanfics that they might as well classify that character as an original character if they're going to write them like one. Because that's fucking rude. People don't owe you your preferred characterizations. The back button is free.
#fanfiction#ao3#archive of our own#fandom#dont mind me im getting mad at something old again#saw a comment while browsing that reminded me of some lncemond discourse awhile back and got pissed off all over again lmao#also needed this as a reminder for myself tbh#i be getting too frustrated with my hp fics sometimes when it is literally not that serious#say it with me:#MY OPINION IS NOT FACT#ACTING ENTITLED IS NEVER CUTE#AND I'M GROWN ENOUGH TO CURATE MY OWN EXPERIENCE WITHOUT DISPARAGING OTHER ARTISTS#💕💕💕
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Golden Age King Arthur accidentally gets sent back in time to the beginning of his reign. While making his way to Camelot hoping to find Merlin and figure out how to get back to his own time he runs into Agravaine making his own way to Camelot for the first time. Knowing he was a traitor working for Morgana in his own timeline, Arthur kills him and decides to take his place. No one had seen Agravaine since Ygraine's death, there were no portraits of him in the castle, and Arthur's premature greying hair has to be good for something other than Merlin calling him a silver fox. He can pass as his own uncle and be the caring advisor that young him deserved damn it!
#Arthur looks nothing like Agravaine but no one can deny he looks related to their Arthur so they buy it#If no one's going to be a loyal trusted advisor to him then Arthur will do it himself!#Also future Arthur and Merlin are totally married hense the silver fox comments from Merlin#Future Merlin is freaking out over the disapearence of his husband while future Arthur is bonding with his past self#bbc merlin#merlin#arthur pendragon#merthur#merlin emrys#arthur x merlin#time travel fic idea#fic prompt
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OHH ME ME ME @sotwk!! I know I didn't make your tag list, but I am definitely a long-fic/multi-chapter fic writer. To put my credentials up...Reforged is somewhere around 250,000 words or something like that, and the sequel, Reforged and Strengthened currently sits at over 1,000,000 words and counting. So I think I qualify. Both are numerous chapters and I have been writing this universe since...I think 2019? Maybe 2018. I can't remember. It's been a few years lol. But I think that should be enough to show you I can give some input here.
Please NEVER feel obligated to comment if you don't want to. Do we love it as writers? Absolutely. But it's not like it is a requirement. Honestly, I don't need much to feel like my work is valued...just putting something like "I love this!" or even just a smiley face is enough to make my heart flutter and know you are still reading and enjoying my work. I am a low maintenance writer, lol. Some of my readers comment every chapters, some once every ACT, and some, every few chapters. I have people who randomly put a "Just so you know I am still reading and enjoying this." Check in, others merely state something like, "I love (enter character here)" and that's it. I even have had people I thought give up on me than suddenly pop up with a comment months later.
We are all busy, we all have real lives we have to attend to...and I know some of my chapters are ridiculously long. My last chapter...CHAPTER...was I think...40,000 words. Lol. Don't judge me, I have a problem. So I know it can take time for readers to be able to sit and enjoy our work. Sometimes, it may even be late at night, after a long day. So I get it.
Not saying I do not LOVE LOVE LOVE when one of my readers writes a nice long review, but we get not everyone does. I know I am guilty of just reading things and moving on. So I can't insist people write long reviews when I don't myself. Not that I do a lot of reading anymore. Most of all my freetime is spent working on my masters, actually working my job, and writing my very long fic.
Besides, we have stats we can read on both Fanfiction.net and AO3 that shows people are reading it, and AO3 allows for Kudos with is essentially a like on your fic. I do wish that was available by chapter, lol. Fanfiction.net will even show detailed stats (it is the ONLY feature I like about FF.net, lol.)
Look, if you want to read a story, read the story. We post our work for you to enjoy...not just because we want feedback or some sort of gratification from praise...though that is nice, lol. But please, never EVER feel like you HAVE to comment. Especially on every chapter. And if you do feel like you WANT to comment...it doesn't have to be much for most writers. I am cool with an emoji heart or a smiley face. I suppose I can't speak for all writers...I know I just love whatever you are willing to put. Short, long, emoji, kudos...once a chapter, once an ACT, once a story...doesn't matter. What matters is, you share the same love and passion we do for the fandoms we write.
Show your love in YOUR terms. In my book, there are no rules in fanfiction but to be kind.
Love you guys!!!
Jess
I'm just putting this out there because I'm thinking about it and because I want people to know it's not just them.
I don't really read fic anymore. It's not because I stopped liking it, though. It's because I made a rule for myself that I'm not able to follow.
I told myself that if I read a fic, I should comment on it. And not just "I loved it!" but a detailed comment. A live reaction or at least quoting favourite lines. Maybe talk about symbolism or about references I caught or about characterization etc.
I did that because I loved the authors I was reading and because I'd received so many lovely comments like that and I wanted to be able to pass that joy onto others. But then I found it hard to actually comment like that.
I could manage it sometimes? Oneshots weren't too hard, for example, but multichaps? My rule was that I had to comment every chapter. And the kinds of comments I wanted to write, well that meant reading on my laptop because I hate typing on my phone.
Eventually, I felt so guilty when I read fic without commenting on it that I stopped reading fic altogether. Better to just not read if I wasn't able to hold up my end of the bargain.
I shifted out of my fandom not long after that, and I haven't found a new one that's sparked the same interest (ie obsession), so I don't know if I might be able to fix this habit if I ever get into a new fandom in the future. All I know is, don't be like me.
Comment as you can and when you can, but don't set up strict rules like I did. I can't speak for all authors of course, but I know that personally, I'd rather you enjoy my work without commenting at all rather than make yourself feel so guilty you stop reading it altogether.
#ao3commentoftheday#fanfiction#ao3#fanfic writers#fanfic readers#writer stuff#reading community#fic commenting#Showing love in your terms
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Please, for the love of god, please don’t be this person. No matter how long it’s been since an update, no matter how many unfinished stories are sitting on their account, no matter what - do not be this person.
Not only is it insanely rude, but you also do more damage than you think be being such a self-entitled ass about something someone created for free and for fun. “This author” can see what you say.
RIP decency indeed.
#Archive of our Own#Ao3#Ao3 Comments#Writing#Fanfiction#Fanfic Writing#I wrote over 100k on that fic before burnout took hold#I poured my heart into what I did manage to finish#adhd’s a bitch that doesn’t always let me write what I want to write but I got that far#don’t make me feel ashamed because you didn’t get to see the ending
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I feel like we really lost something when we started looking at writing as a reader-centric product meant to appeal to the desires of a specific audience rather than a writer-centric approach of someone writes whatever particular thing particular compels them/whatever weird thing the demons in their head want to talk about, and people out there who are also compelled, and/or relate, find that writing. A lot of discussions of writing really center around what readers want rather than a writer's exploration. Sometimes as a reader I don't know what I want. I click on a fic or pick up a book I'm not sure about but that looks interesting, and I love it. Reading what I expect to get is it's own joy, but we always need to expand our horizons and not get mad at creators for not always writing what we want/expect.
#This applies to other media too#Like movies or TV or theater#Idk man like#It's a very the customer is always right attitude with books these days#And I think it has leaked into fic writing as well#People really get the “this isn't what I personally enjoyed” and “this thing is objectively bad” mixed up#Like people can leave whatever reviews they want on my books they paid for it#But I've had people who liked OFMD be like well I didn't like this because it wasn't OFMD#Well I didn't say it was did I?#And never forget that fic commenter I got who was like um I don't like that you had QuinObi in this but otherwise it was good#Ok???#KCrabb rambles#Writing things
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hey just for the record, if you’re on r/ao3 and keep running into these kinds of comments on bookmark related posts — it’s not a good take. calling someone’s writing “slop” and saying it deserves criticism for being bad BECAUSE it’s posted publicly might seem like a nuanced take, but I promise it isn’t.
yes, sometimes us writers get a little too obsessed over a cryptic comment or bookmark; no, that doesn’t actually mean the solution is to say whatever you want in them because authors “deserve” your honesty. 
I know we’re in a touchy time for readers and writers, but comments like these are NOT kind, refreshing, or nuanced. they’re just kind of mean and discouraging.
#I need to stop going on that subreddit#because this is all I see#and it’s so disappointing #I know a bunch of you are on there too#so this is your sanity check#this is a bad take#it’s unnecessarily cruel#if I hear one more ‘well it’s the readers space!’ defense I’m going to start believing yall LIKE to leave mean comments in bookmarks#ao3#archive of our own#fandom#ao3 bookmarks#also for the record#I don’t think fics deserve praise#ever#but I do know what they don’t deserve!#mean and unnecessary criticism!#hit the back button babe!#private that bookmark#it’s not hard#morning rant
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These kinds of comments are fantastic. Not only do I love that someone got into my fic deep enough to have those thoughts, but it also sometimes does spark ideas!
I have now written two fics directly inspired by these types of comments! (Good Omens, Aziraphale/Crowley, like all my fic)
Revolver (a T-rated double drabble, originally written in a reply to a comment on What We Think About When We Think About Each Other)
O You and Me At Last (a full-on E-rated 4.2k fic inspired by two comments on Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, in which a wealthy American tries to woo Aziraphale — the comments wondered what would happen to the would-be suitor, and how many other brokenhearted suitors Aziraphale has left in his wake over the years!)
If someone's fic is living in my head, is it ok to share head canons or slight au stuff with the author in a comment?
I'm worried about making it seem like I want them to use my ideas, when really I'm just excited about their story and want them to know what's happening in my brain as I rotate it for hours on end (if they did, that's great, but i don't want to pressure them for updates)
HELL YEAH FRIENDO I DO THIS ALL THE TIME!! ILL BE LIKE "OMG AFTER THE ENDING I IMAGINE XYZ HAPPENING TO THEM" ITS COOL I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS LIKE THIS IN THE COMMENTS AND I KNOW OTHER AUTHORS THAT DO TOO!!!
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