Anonymous asked:

I've always found it hard to find the right words for comments, but I used to try and put down something on all the fics I liked but after seeing what some of my writer friends, who are fairy popular in their fandoms, say privately in the groupchat about some of the comments they get, I can't bring myself to leave any comments at all any more.

I know it's a form or unloading where they can salt without hurting anyone and I generally think that's a good thing, saltmates are needed so you can talk about all the crappy annoying things in fandom in a private space and not spread shit on tumblr or ao3 etc.

But It's so so disheartening to me as a comment shy reader because it's never good enough. If it's just emoji hearts or someone saying "second kudos" it's too short and worthless. If it's epicly long well-written, funny, sweet, and clever love bombing, then it's too much and annoying.

I just don't understand, I don't write myself, I draw, badly, and I never get the kind of praise they sometimes get, but I would LOVE to have some of those things said about my work.

I love my friends a lot and I'm a firm believer in saltmates, but it makes me a little crazy and very paranoid to see the difference between what they say in private and what they actually answer to the comments in public on their fics.

I've read a lot here on tumblr about how fic writers love ALL comments etc etc and a lot of tips and tricks for people who have problems leaving comments, but I dont trust that now and I never comment anymore because I do not want a writer of a fic I love to think such things about me, even if it's just in their minds in private.

Do I have extra salty friends or is this a common thing among writers that no one wants to admits out loud?

ao3commentoftheday answered:

From my experience, as a writer in fandom on and off for 20-ish years and as the mod of a comment-positive fandom ask blog, your friends are extra salty.

Have I heard people get frustrated with "I liked this!" comments? Sure. But for every one of those, I hear at least 10 people who are giddy and bouncing and just over the moon that someone liked their fic. I've never heard anyone complain about "epicly long well-written, funny, sweet, and clever love bombing." Most fic writers I know would probably pass out from happiness if they received one of those.

I don't know your friends, of course, but it sounds like someone in the group got a little toxic at some point and the rest of them went along, for whatever reason. Maybe burnout was a factor. Maybe they had a specific thing they wanted to get from their comments section that they weren't able to receive. Whatever the cause, the effect on you is bad.

I know you didn't ask for what to do about this, but I'm going to lay it out for you anyway:

stay in the group chat and feel worse and worse about every comment you've ever left on a fic
say something to your friends and ask that they have those conversations when you're not around (your choice if you include the part about it being because they make you feel bad)
leave the group chat and maybe also lose those friends

None of those options are great, but your current situation already sucks so it might be time to try something new.

I'm so so sorry that they made you feel like your comments weren't enough, anon. You don't deserve that. No one does. I hope if those authors see this ask that they pause and reflect and realize the audience they were speaking in front of.

I agree that people need a place to be salty, and I appreciate them doing it in a private space - but it wasn't private enough. ❤️

flowerpotmage

Anon, if it makes you feel any better, one of my commenters that I'm very attached to just leaves a string of emoji hearts on every chapter of my current fic! Heart comments are very sweet, and I love getting them. To me, a heart comment means "I like this thing so much, and I want to make sure you know that, even if I don't have the words (or time) to express my thoughts and feelings right now." My emoji heart serial commenter means just as much to me as my serial essayist commenter! Which brings me to:

I don't think I've ever gotten a long comment that was too much, annoying, or love bomb-y. I'm so surprised to hear that anyone out there would be displeased with them that I'm actually struggling to know what to say, besides agreeing that this group sounds extra salty!

I'm sure there's people out there that are just as salty, but I promise that the majority of writers will be happy with whatever you have to say (or not say, in the case of heart emoji commenters (who, again, I love)).

thegrimzuera

Well, this did unlock something of a new fear in me, as I am a reader who regularly leaves long, detailed comments on fics. But, I’ve decided to ignore that new fear, because I know better.

I’m not saying that nobody has ever or will ever be annoyed by my small-novel comments—clearly, Anon knows some folks who might. What I mean, though, is that as a fanfic writer myself, I know better. I know what I want to hear, and like hell I’m going to let some grouchy, faceless folks on the internet stop me from giving others what I sometimes desperately need!

I would rather be too kind than not kind enough. I tend to think that way both online and offline. Who has ever been annoyed by a genuine, respectful compliment? What a silly thing for me to fear! And if someone does get annoyed by such a thing, well, (and I say this as gently as possible) that seems more like their problem.

Perhaps if it really is such a problem for your friends, they should consider posting an authors note at the end of their stories detailing to readers which comments they want to avoid. Though, that might solve the problem a little too well, and they’d find themselves longing for any comment at all 🤭

To reiterate what was already said above, as a writer, I appreciate all comments! Strings of hearts, “I loved this hdjaanndfkskdbdb,” and the paragraphs of rambling, eloquent or not. I was just particularly struck by the concept of being frustrated by someone taking the time to write a long, heartfelt comment, and I wanted to share my thoughts on that specifically.

zstraps

i love to leave long detailed comments responding to specific moments or phrases in the fic, and ive never received anything but a positive response from authors! (in most cases VERY positive lol) i think anon’s friends are very, very much a minority. most authors i know (myself included, to the small extent i can call myself one) LOVE to hear that someone had an emotional response to their fic, whether that’s keysmashing or emoji strings or rambling essays or copy pasting your fav lines. imo the community aspect of fandom is kind of the point! we’re here bc we love the thing so much we need to talk with other people who also love it.

so yeah, i’m not gonna let a small minority who don’t enjoy those comments stop me from leaving them for everyone else. if someone tells me they don’t want that kind of response, i’ll respect that! but i’m not gonna curtail the love i have to give on the fear someone might take it in bad faith.

“I would rather be too kind than not kind enough.” hell yeah.

#fandom #fanfic reading #commenting

purpleyin reblogged

obsessivewriter

ao3commentoftheday

Here's to all the shy or anxious readers who found the courage to comment on a story

GIF by giantmonster

And to the shy or anxious writers who found the courage to reply.

It takes a lot to put yourself out there, and I just want you to know that your effort is appreciated ❤

#fic reading #commenting #fandom positivity

purpleyin reblogged

Your Guide To Reviews

The Problem

Fic writers wonder why people don’t review. They honestly can’t understand the silence. Writers assume that readers:

usually have something to add/criticize/say
know how to articulate their own thoughts/feelings
withhold feedback because they’re lazy or apathetic
don’t appreciate how much time/effort/energy goes into writing

On the flip-side, readers assume that:

the writer already knows how ‘good’ their work is
someone else will review because this fic is ‘obviously’ awesome
if a fic is already ‘popular,’ their feedback won’t matter
if they comment, they ‘must’ leave an awesome, insightful, detailed comment that 100% reflects their love for a fic
since words aren’t adequate, it’s better to stfu and just click the kudos button/favotite/bookmark

None of these assumptions are accurate.

The reality is that:

there is no reason for a writer to post their work except to get feedback that validates their vision, helps them improve and/or gives them an outsider perspective/interpretation of their work (which can be absolutely mind-blowing)
like, you can and should write for yourself, but if that’s 100% the case, every good fic would be wasting away in a private word document
‘readers’ are not always ‘writers’
‘writers’ can naturally put their ideas and emotions into words
‘readers’ usually don’t know what to say, which words to use to express themselves, and belittle the importance of their perspective
many ‘readers’ don’t write, so they can’t empathize with the struggle of writing a fic for a silent but attentive audience

Basically, readers don’t understand writers and vice-versa. Both parties are wired differently. Readers who also write are more likely to review because they empathize with both sides of the equation.

The Solution

Writers

Be patient, understanding, and persistent
Appreciate those who do review
Don’t get bitter, discontinue a beloved story, or assume the worst of your readers
Realize that everyone is really trying their best

Readers

Be patient, supportive, honest, and empathetic
Realize that there’s no minimum! Even two words (like ‘good work!’) can have a huge impact

Review Templates

Things to say when you’re tongue-tied:

Verbs

I liked the part where/when…
I wonder why…
I smiled/laughed when…
I was confused when…
I think that…
I predict…
I was sad/happy/angry/[other emotion] when…

Nouns

[character] did/said/felt/will do [this thing]
because… (if applicable)
[insert plot point/event]

Example: I think that [this guy] ran away from [his friend] because he was trying to protect him.

And that’s it. You don’t have to say anything else. One sentence is more than enough, but you’ll notice that once you get started, you’ll have a lot to say- so say it!

Author’s style

Your writing is:

Detailed/descriptive
Vivid
Concise (to the point)
Funny
Serious
Surreal
Unique
Compelling
Provocative
Leaves me wondering about a lot of things, and I’m curious about what happens next
Confused me a little at times (talk about what confused you! The author will be more than happy to clear things up!)

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t

Worry about grammar/typos in your review
Suggest a direction for the story (most writers know what they’re doing and you just gotta trust them)
Think that clicking the kudos button is all you can do! Your opinion is important!
Tell the author to do more of [this] and less of [that]
Ask them to update without leaving any other feedback

Leave short comments if you can’t think of anything else to say (“I like this” is more than acceptable, seriously)
Inform the author of typos (be specific)- many fics are un-beta’d. The writer will appreciate your attention to detail.
Express your own perspective even if it isn’t ‘correct-’ I think [character] did this because she was jealous, which explains why…
Understand that your unique interpretation of motives/symbolism/foreshadowing/anything is extremely valuable
Be honest, but diplomatic
Bookmark/rec works if you enjoy them, esp to help lesser-known writers

You can copy/paste from this post into your reviews. It’s hard to find the right words sometimes, but for writers, anything is better than silence.

longlivefeedback

This is great! I have a few things to add.

Writers

Be patient with your readers, yes. Commenting is a skill, and even when it seems like something easy, it isn’t - not for everyone, at every time. However. It is okay to be disappointed that a story didn’t get much of a response. This is normal, and it doesn’t make you entitled or ungrateful. It makes you a person.
If a fic isn’t getting much feedback, and you decide to discontinue it for that reason - that’s okay too. No matter how much you want to tell a story, the motivation to put in so, so much effort and make it happen comes from a lot of sources, and comments can be a vital component.
Post on multiple sites (ao3, FFN, wattpad, tumblr, etc). You want that audience? Go get ‘em!!

Readers

Don’t get mad at an author for requesting feedback, or discontinuing a story due to lack of it. It’s easy to feel guilty, and it’s often more pleasant to turn guilt into anger and push it outwards, but it’s unfair. The author’s statement isn’t targeting you and only you, and the vast majority of the time, they’re not angry either - they’re scared that they’re pouring their energy into something that no one else cares about.
You don’t have to go from never commenting, or commenting very rarely, to commenting on every single thing you read. You don’t have to comment at all. But, if you want to comment more, don’t start out with the goal of going from 0 to 100. Instead, tell yourself “I’m going to comment on at least one fic today,” or “The next time I bookmark a fic, I’m going to tag it with a description of how it made me feel.”
Using a template isn’t cheating!! “It’s not completely original,” well, who cares. Most of what we say has been said countless times before, but that doesn’t make it meaningless - it’s been said so many times because it’s been meant.
If you’re worried about commenting because you’re not a native speaker, it’s okay! However, when authors get a comment from someone who says that they’re reading this in a second language, that you’re still learning, we go “oh my god Dedication I love you so much.”
To those readers who are also writers - commenting is different than writing. They might as well be different languages (and depending on what languages you read/write in, they might actually be different languages). The fact that you write stories might not make commenting any easier, and that, again, is normal. I’ve said several times that “I can only say what I mean when I can put the words into a character’s mouth.”
If you don’t want to leave a short comment but you don’t know what to say? Talk to a friend about the story while you’re reading, if you have fandom friends. Make them read it too. When you’re done, copy the best parts of the chat log (including keyboard smashes) into the comment box and post it. Authors love that.

- Mod Rose

#reviewing #commenting #fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic feedback is love