guys i’ve been noticing something a lot and i kind of want to talk about it.
i’m not sure if it’s just the tags or if people really have stopped writing as much but there has been such a decline in fics recently. especially in stayblr.
when i first discovered stayblr i remember almost every day there would be new series, new one shots, new blurbs and drabbles… for all members. it was truly what attracted me to even start this blog—noticing how tight the community was and how eager everyone was in hyping up other people’s work and showing them love and appreciation.
i feel like as an outsider looking in, i never noticed how much of a lack there was in interaction and feedback. a lot of big accounts would get interactions; but after a while i realised it was just other writers trying to hype each other up, with a few anons here and there.
meanwhile the feedback from general readers was very scarce. but that was back then. since then… there has been an even bigger decline in feedback and interactions. which led to so many wonderful writers leaving this app and taking their brilliant work with them. and it honestly breaks my heart a little because the skz tags used to be so alive, yknow? they really were. now they’re practically teetering on the edge of death.
i never understood the importance of reblogs on this app until i properly became a part of the writing community, so i get it. i get that you might feel shy. i get that you might not want fics you read on your blog feed. i get that you might have social media anxiety. and those are all valid issues. they really are. but… there has to be some way you can give back to the community. not even for the writers’ sake, but to keep it alive. because idk if you’ve noticed but the fanfic side of stayblr is slowly dying out.
i know a lot of you leave likes. and gosh, do we appreciate it! genuinely. thank you for the likes. but in the long run likes don’t help as much, besties. i’m so sorry. i wish they did ☹️ i know it would be easier, but they don’t. not just from a tumblr standpoint, but even as writers—we need feedback, so we know what exactly you like and what you don’t.
there are so many things you can do:
if you don’t wanna ruin your blog aesthetic, have a separate blog for reblogging fics/giving feedback
if you can’t reblog, write a comment
if you don’t wanna do that, tumblr literally has an option for you to send anonymous messages. what is there to lose?
if you don’t want other people seeing your feedback, request the writer to not post it. or DM them!
but even then… if you’re feeling anxious about it… find something that works for you. make the person who entertains you feel appreciated. drop a meme, an emoji, anything!
think about it. would you guys treat your faves like this? i get that fanfic writers aren’t as desirable as actual celebrities. i’m not even trying to make that comparison. but your faves provide you entertainment and/or comfort the same way your fav fanfics do. and if you feel like your support drives them to make better content, why can’t that apply to the fic writers too?
i’m not trying to say you have to. you don’t. you really don’t have to. but this is a beautiful community and it’s made so many people feel safe and loved. it’s a safe space for so many of us. and it’s dying out because people are not appreciating it enough.
people who’ve been on stayblr for a long time… you all remember all the amazing fics we used to get almost everyday, don’t you? you ever scroll and try to look for them and then feel sad when you can’t find them? it’s because the accounts who wrote those fics deactivated. if you want good work that gives you comfort, please show the people who give you that comfort some love. we’re human too. we need encouragement too.
there are wonderful writers still on this platform but there’s been a decline in numbers. don’t let it get worse, please. we need you to keep this community running. your support, your feedback, your appreciation. readers are just as valuable to a writing community as the writers. please work with us, not against us.
support your fav writers, besties ❤️🥰
