#even though I'd read the shit out of that

[loonysama]

I have to agree with everything above. I'm not saying the fic that made me want to stop writing was just because only 1.75% of hits got kudos, but I'd be lying if I didn't say how much that hurt, especially for imo one of the best fics I've ever written that I was already barely able to write due to such small kudos to hits ratios lately. I get that it might not have been something everyone was into, but damn. It made me feel like shit. I'm so grateful for everyone who has supported me over the last few years - especially those who have created art for my fics and read and left kudos on everything - but I think the sting of having my writing be unliked by so many people has been really hard to get over. It shot my confidence and I've had trouble writing ever since. And over the years, I have known several writers who have stopped writing altogether because of this, and even left the fandom because of it. I do not plan to do either, but to be honest, it has been a struggle not to be able to do something I really love doing because it just made me feel so bad to do it.

I wish so much that readers didn't use kudos as a measure of how much they like something. I wish so much that it meant, "Hey, it's so cool that you worked so hard on this so I could devour more content about my favorite ship without paying for it," rather than, "This was amazing, one of the most amazing things I've ever read, so I'm going to reward you with the coveted heart of approval I only use to let the most special of writers know they're the best because they deserve it more than everyone else." This can create competition amongst writers when there really shouldn't be. And more than anything, I wish I could just turn kudos off altogether, but I can't because every single kudo I get lifts my spirits just a little, and that's a really hard feeling to walk away from, even though I suspect most of them come from "guest" bots.

It is a dark truth, and writers aren't really allowed to talk about this because we are supposed to be so grateful for every single heart, and talking about this makes us come across as entitled. We provide a free service for our readers, and I consider a kudo to be a way to acknowledge that, and it costs readers absolutely nothing! In the US, we leave money in tip jars for practically everything. Kudos are tips you don't have to pay for. And it's not like anyone's keeping track and judging readers for leaving hearts for fics that might not be the pinnacle of greatness in their opinion. That's what bookmarks are for, and they can be made private. However, people do judge fics for not having that many kudos and some will skip over fics if the kudos-to-hits ratio is too low. So instead of rewarding only the very best fics with kudos, not leaving kudos actually hurts writers. Not to mention the very personal cost of putting ourselves out there and making ourselves completely vulnerable for everyone to judge us against our fellow writers. Many writers write about very personal things, and tbh, not getting kudos can feel like it's not just our writing being rejected, but ourselves.

So if anyone wants to accuse writers of feeling entitled for being upset about not getting enough kudos, please consider how entitled readers who don't leave kudos are for reading our free labor and not clicking a freaking button (that costs them absolutely nothing) in acknowledgment of the service we happily provide, and how ungrateful they are for not appreciating what we do. We don't have to post our writing. We could just "write for ourselves," but we don't; we share what we write with our readers because that give and take relationship should be rewarding for both writers and readers. But not getting kudos does more to discourage writers from writing altogether than to encourage them to provide more content. You wouldn't pay for a fancy coffee or overpriced cocktail drink without leaving a dollar in the tip jar, would you?

So at the very least, I wish people would stop making writers feel guilty for feeling this way, and I wish writers wouldn't buy into this way of thinking rather than valuing all of our hard work and countless hours that go into writing fanfic. Our feelings are valid; we're allowed to feel like shit when our hard work and vulnerability go unacknowledged for the mere reason that it was judged against someone else's work and found wanting. Wouldn't most readers feel that way if it was the other way around?

Is leaving kudos on fanfics not common courtesy anymore?

Something I've noticed on AO3 in the last two years is the lack of kudos and comments left on fanfics.

Fanfics have an increasing number of hits, but their kudos and comments remain minimal.

I understand that leaving comments is daunting, but kudos is the easiest thing you can do to show support and appreciation for an author.

Part of me wants to blame BookTok and the commercialized consumption of books.

Readers are more demanding and impatient for content, but they're quick to move on once a book is published. It's a constant demand for 'More, more, more' without appreciating and/or supporting authors. And these readers are now getting into fanfic.

I don't want to complain because it's not productive. But if you're new and getting into fanfic: Support writers.

Support means leaving kudos on AO3, and if you're able, leaving a comment. It's simple courtesy.

[septimusmoonlight]

You doing ok?

hi

[dewwshi]

@davekatweek 2023, day 7: "beginnings"

(n.) the point in time or space at which something begins.

[amegeddon]

Was demonstrating to my friends what I did to get through that one scene from Dan Da Dan while talking about my not wanting to watch Arcane bc there is a sex and why scrubbing through it by dragging the progress bar isn't an option and drew this to demonstrate.

Friends proceeded to tell me to post this here.

It is now here, for some reason.

Oro, Matther, are you happy now? /lh

[teomuchstuff]

This is lowkey why I hated Fiyero/elphaba relationship.

And let me say this before I start: my opinion is based completely and only in the movie, I haven't read the books neither seem the musical stage, so I have no clue of what happens in neither of them. Also I'm not Ariana fan, not that I dislike her, she's just a artist that I kinda know her work.

That being said, let's go for what I meant.

See, what is this feeling is such a materpiece act, all the nuances of melody of the song, the choice of words, sequence of scenes... it's purely sentimental, so well elaborated, it's so clear that's it's two woman in love, but they don't want to name it that way, so they decide to name as loath. It's obvious, everyone that watch that scene, even if the homophobes like these above try to deny, they know the truth and that's why the make these shit straight versions, so they can please themselves without admitting the obvious sexual tension between Glinda and Elphaba. And this is where I get to my hate against Fiyero/Elphaba ship, cause the scene they supposedly fell in love is SO-DAMN-BORING!!! Do you see any straight people reproducing that scene? NO!! CAUSE THERE'S NO TENSION, NO DEVOLOPMENT, IT'S THROWN OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE MOST STRAIGHT COUPLES ARE!!!

I'm no the type "I hate all straight couples" at all, two of the ships I love the most in medias are straight and I'd fight all the way to hell to defend them from haters. And it's not a hate directed to Fiyero as well, I liked him and even liked him with Glinda as this kind of funny couple that one is really a opposite sex version of the other, I'm a Gelphie shipper, but I truly thought they were cool together, but Fiyero and Elphaba?one of the worst couples I've ever seen hall of boredom check.

And what is all my rambling about? Just to show how even though there're two completely straight couple in the movie (like them or not), people still choose the song about two women profecing thier eternal "loath" to each other to make a straight version and admit that it's the perfect enemies to lovers song.

(Ps: Haven't seen the video of the original post, so this is not a hate post directed to them since I dont know they're intentions in making such version. This is just one of my rambles about my general discontentment with straight couples and my hate for the hypocrisy of homophobes)

Heteronormativity is a disease btw

[nostalgia-tblr]

.

[medicinemane]

Honestly a lot of the time, it's not even about people having to agree with me, it's about needing to know that they actually heard and listened to what I had to say even if it didn't persuade them

Just... some basic indication that there's enough respect to give a shit about what I said, and also to make sure that they disagree because they actually disagree and not cause they just didn't bother listening

It's all I really ask

[itsbrucey]

I hope Matt Arnold understands that he has impact on lives bc I'm why am I researching the best Warhammer 40k novels to start with.

[elytrafemme]

guys i laurv college like actually. went out w a group of ppl and went to CVS and a mediocre pep rally. had a really sweet exchange w a bus driver. roommates are going out in a large group to have some of that sweet liquid sillies allegedly. i am alone in my dorm despite thinking i'd be the last one awake i am literally the only one here. and i'm happy i think :D

[kikuism]

just finished jade war. Um ‼️

[holytrickster]

idk i think it's so funny I went down a survival horror game rabbit hole when a) I'm too freaking anxious for horror games I will make myself cry, b) it was all PS2 stuff which is extra funny bc I've never even played on someone else's playstation let alone had one, i was always a wii kid lol. but now my brain is like ah yes. time to consume everything I can about games I can't even play and that are stupid expensive/hard to get now

[mistrumasher]

[dxxtruction]

can I say something controversial?

[moe-broey]

Oh. Huh.

[playingonedchess]

wonder if ill ever actually finish that bloody fanfiction

[babisawyer]

I don't know why the exorcist 2 pissed people off so badly that was your average italian horror film.