CheersDarlin’

comments on fanfics

I thought about writing this post for a long time and decided, fuck it, I'm gonna write this.

All over my dash I see people being disappointed because nobody is leaving comments on ao3 anymore/rebloging things on tumblr.

And the only thing I can think about this is: it's so true.

Two weeks ago I posted the epilog of my 60k words fanfic (I've been writing on it for almost a year and got some positive feedback on it) and I got ZERO comments, or kudos on the epilog.

I can see that people kicked on it, but I have no idea whether they liked it or not. (And I used to get a comment on my story now and then)

Last week I posted the first extra chapter (I planned three of these) and also got no reaction.

No I'm just sitting here, wondering if my writing is just true shit.

This is also the reason I was hesitate to post this. Maybe it's not the people and just that shithole of a story I've been writing.

Things like are just running around my head now and must say that the motivation to even finish those extra chapters is gone.

GUYS, IF YOU LIKE A FANFIC PLEASE LET THE AUTHOR KNOW, IT MEANS SO MUCH TO THEM.

So if you read a good story, not some bullshit like mine, write that comment.

I was going to put this in the tags, but my feelings are just too strong about this.

Creating and sharing fanworks is a lot like live, in-person theater or concerts. The audience is absolutely integral to the performance because they bring an energy to it. There's an opportunity for direct interaction both during the performance and even afterward backstage or at the stage door. It is a collaborative process. When the audience participates and receives the performance well, it's synergistic. Both the audience and the performer come away from the experience with a natural high, with a feeling of connection. When the audience doesn't participate, it's soul-crushing.

THIS is what fanwork creators are talking about when we bemoan the lack of interaction. We're not seeking popularity; we're seeking that collaboration. We're seeking connection. Fandom is a community, and fanwork is one of the ways we contribute to the community. But it's worthless if the community doesn't participate by leaving comments, by kudo-ing, by reblogging, by rec-ing. Without that, we can only assume that the community has told us our offering is unacceptable and therefore we shouldn't bother to offer more.

If you want more fanworks, you have got to let those who make them know you like their stuff! We can't read minds. We're just squee-ing fangirls (gender neutral) trying to connect with other squee-ing fangirls. We're here to play with you in fandom. Play with us!

This. This has stopped me from writing many times, has made me feel alone, and I’ve abandoned fics because of that. The community is so, so important. That is why I comment on every single fic I read even if it takes me a month to get around to it because all these writers deserve it. Remember what it feels like to wake up to an inbox full of kudos and comments that can literally save someone from a shit day ahead. Let’s all do better.

#dontlosecommunityinfandom #freakingcomment #aO3

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 2005 | Joe Wright

Iain Glen arrives at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, 1998 (source)

Hotness incarnate

Lo' and behold, His Awesomeness, the Sex god, has arrived!

#IainIsSexGod #ItIsKnown

Love him, miss him.

How could Dany look at him and not want to climb him like a tree?

Girl, SAME

Here We Stan

Daenerys x Jorah (Regency Era AU)

I have watched “Sense and Sensibility” (the 1995 version with Alan) again. And this time Marianne & Colonel Brandon reminded me of Daenerys & Jorah. So I made this little something.

Are there any Daenerys x Jorah/ Regency Era fics?

Shameless self promotion but I am writing a Daenerys x Jorah Regency romance titled A Decent Proposal! It’s on Ao3

as the crazy person with over 3,000 fics on AO3, who just hit over 2,000,000 hits, i have done... The Math

roughly 5% of readers leave kudos.

0.27% of people leave a comment.

truly, i GET that a lot of people, especially younger people who grew up on youtube and are living on tiktok, see "opening the page and viewing with their eyeballs" engagement in itself. but a) it's not, for fanfiction, that's not how it works; and b) "engagement" does not build a community -- interaction builds a community.

if you like someone's fanfiction, and you want more of that fanfiction, please react to it in some tangible way. leave a kudo. leave a comment. let the writer know that you didn't open it, see the first sentence, and decide it was garbage. let the writer know that you aren't a bot that trawls every webpage for AI content. let the writer know that their work is appreciated.

the point of fandom is to be a community, not a content engine. if people stop feeling like people are being reached with their work, they stop creating work for that fandom and move onto the next. there's a lot to be said for the way binge-model TV is killing fandoms prematurely... but there's a LOT to be said for the way infinite-scrolling consumption is killing fandoms prematurely.

if everyone binges a show on friday and feels weird about reacting to fics posted longer than a week ago/doesn't react to the fics they read at all, that fandom is dying out in about a month, max. even though there are probably a lot of people who would love to discuss it with someone or create more work or finish and post a WIP or whatever. because no actual community is created by consumption alone.

reading a fic is only step one.

reacting to a fic is the crucial step two of the equation.

step three is the fandom proliferating! and you getting more stuff to enjoy!

the point of fandom is to be a community, not a content engine.

All of this

ALAN RICKMANas COLONEL BRANDON |  Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad.

⤷ SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (1995) dir. Ang Lee

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done...

Iain Glen in THE RIG (2023)

[✨🌿] To Kinloch Bravo, Crew!

(inspiration from couple of treasure island 1988 soundtracks and bonus ones)