#im an older writer with thick skin but younger writers might get discouraged

[peachandpinwheel]

I've recently noticed a lot more posts begging people to leave comments if they like a fic. There's a reason.

I've been writing fic across various platforms for nearly two decades. I started when I was 12 (writing self insert of course) on fanfiction.net. I have written for big fandoms and small, popular ships and rarepairs. I have been a hermit and I have been a big name writer.

And I have never, in all those years, seen so little comments on fics. Things have really changed, and it's honestly pretty discouraging.

We aren't tiktok creators. We don't churn out loads of content hoping one of them finds an audience. We aren't working an algorithm.

Most writers don't write for praise, they write because they love writing. But we are still human. We want to know if our work means anything to anyone. We want to know that the time and effort it took was worth it. We want other people to find our work, which if they search by comments, gets harder and harder.

If you liked a fic, if you want that author to write more, please leave a comment, however short. Two words means the world when you know someone took the time to say them.