Honestly, ever since becoming a fanfic writer myself I’ve become like 500% more understanding and patient about other authors’ update schedules. An author takes 6+ months to post their next chapter? Yeah, totally get that real life can get in the way. An author abandons a fic? Disappointing, but it happens- sometimes inspiration for a story just dies. An author apologizes about taking so long to post a 10k word chapter? Dude, that’s like 18-20 pages on Word single-spaced. It takes me at least a week to write an essay for school a quarter the length of that, and that’s with a deadline. 

It’s probably the most important thing writing fanfic has taught me, tbh. How to fully appreciate the hard work someone else has put into their story. How important the role of the audience is to an author. And that no matter what, you are never entitled to demand more of a story that you are getting for free. 

I’d like to add to this, expanding on the “role of the audience”.  COMMENTS.  Guys, seriously.  Comments and reviews, even ones politely pointing out flaws in our writing, are SO IMPORTANT.  

“I want to tell the author how much I loved this fic but it was posted awhile ago or there are so many comments already and I’ll just be bothering them and they’ll never notice my comment.” NO.  Your comments are never bothering us, and we always read them.  Sometimes several times.  Even on old fics we don’t update anymore.

ESPECIALLY on old fics.  You know how many times I get a big goofy grin when people comment on my first few fanfics?  Every single time.  You took the time to not only read my work but to scroll through all the stuff I’ve written and read my crappy new-to-fanfics writing?  You’re AWESOME.  I’d love to hear what you have to say.

And when you find a fic with like a dozen chapters and post a comment on each chapter as you go along?  That’s awesome too.  Never think “I can’t comment on them all because it’ll bother them.”  No!  We love that!  You guys are so important, don’t forget that.