#mod: flightsfancy

[witchercommentcrawl]

How to Leave Feedback on Fanfic

Since people were interested in how to leave detailed comments, here they are! Remember that even an I loved this will make a creator's day!

You are welcome to use this as a resource or ignore it, reblog it or send us an Ask if you'd like some specific help or ideas for writing a comment!

Contributed by @flightsfancy1

Table of Contents:

How to leave Feedback on Fanfic: Best Practices

What is a good comment? / What is a bad comment?

Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Feedback for Fanfic

Additional Reading

How to Leave Feedback on Fanfic: Best Practices

Fanfic feedback can be anything from “SQUEEEEEE!” to “FLAIL!” to insightful literary analysis. Most authors would say any (positive) response is better than nothing, so even if all you can manage is an emoji, kudos, or ‘like’, do it! 

However, if you want to leave more meaningful feedback, the section below offers feedback options geared at different levels of engagement. If you’re new to offering feedback, start with something basic and work your way up!

What is a good comment? / What is a bad comment?

There’s a section below on comment types and different ‘levels’ of feedback, but really: any positive comment is a good comment. Basic feedback (brief comments to let the author know you read and enjoyed the story) is just as ‘good’ as extended commentary, and much, much better than not commenting at all. 

However, a “bad” comment is anything that is critical of the story and/or the author’s choices. Again, if you disliked something about the story, you should not tell the author (unless specifically requested). 

Also, comments like, “Please post the next chapter!” or “Can’t wait for the update!” can sound flattering, but they do sometimes cause a writer extra stress, guilt and anxiety if they aren’t able to continue the story right away, or have been slower to update. While you can always let an author know you’re enjoying their work and want to read more, please avoid demanding an update (especially if the story has not been updated in several months). 

Remember: posting thoughtful in-depth reviews of chapters without asking for updates is far more likely to inspire and fuel a writer than just asking for “MORE!”

Feedback Options: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced

Basic Feedback

Brief comments are always appreciated. Examples: "❤" or “Loved this!” or “Thanks for writing!” 

A specific comment about one element you liked. Just pointing out something you enjoyed about the story is a great form of feedback. Examples: “I love the way you wrote Character X.” or “Your idea about ____ was really cool!” 

Quote/highlight something in the story that stood out to you. It might be your favourite sentence, the line of dialogue that made you laugh, or an event that you’ll probably be thinking about tomorrow. Examples: "“Geralt felt some hidden faultline in his heart crack open, releasing all the fear and tension he’d been carrying for the years they’d spent apart.”  ← This was a good line! It made me feel happy/sad/etc."

Tell the author why you enjoyed the story: was it the plot? The steamy sex scene? The picture the author painted in your mind? What inspired you to comment in the first place? Examples: "I loved this story because you really made me feel like I was in the Kaer Morhen hot springs. I loved the description of the old keep and its isolated mountain location!"

Intermediate Feedback:

Comment on the writer’s style or storytelling approach (specify why you like it): 

Examples: “Your writing is so descriptive/compelling/unique: you use such interesting vocabulary and really draw from a range of experiences to make your characters come alive!”

Identify specific literary elements (metaphors, allusions, intertextual references, all the stuff your English teacher desperately hopes you remember!) Examples: “I loved your metaphor about love being a rock slide, and alluded to it again when Character X felt like they were buried under “an avalanche of love” in the last chapter."

Share your interpretation of the story’s theme (what lesson did the characters learn?) Examples: "The central conflict between destiny and free will was reflected in Geralt’s decision in that last chapter to “love Jaskier because he wanted to please himself, for once.” I thought that was interesting because of his first line of dialogue in the story, when he explains that Witchers are “fated” to walk the Path and always be alone."

Advanced Feedback:

Go beyond basic observations about the characters/storytelling devices and try to articulate what you think the story is trying to say, and how it goes about saying it. 

Offer a more in-depth analysis of the theme, tone or structure of the story, with some quotes to illustrate ‘how’ and ‘what’ ties the section back to the greater whole.

Bring in the meta: how did the writer incorporate or resist certain fan tropes, characterizations or common metaphors? How does the story’s version of the characters/setting/plot match up with canon? 

What if I don’t know anything about writing? Or if I’m not familiar with the canon or character? Can I still comment?

Yes, absolutely! You do not need to be an expert to join in and comment on a fic! Even if you’re not a writer yourself, you are more than qualified (as a reader!) to explain what you liked, or how the story made you feel. Your feedback doesn’t have to be lengthy or too technical: any opinion you have, as long as it’s positive, will be welcomed by the author. 

Additional Reading:

LLF Comment Project by @longlivefeedback 

Your Guide To Reviews by @tsunderesasuke

“Can I Say This?” Culture, Comments, and Concern by @longlivefeedback 

A Brief Guide to Supporting Authors by @longlivefeedback 

Commenting on Fanfic: A How-to Guide by @littlethingwithfeathers

Some ideas for leaving good AO3 feedback by @bettsfic

Helpful 'Comment Starters' For Leaving Comments on Fics by @obversa

A Homestuck’s Guide to Fanfic Commenting Etiquette by @mercurialmalcontent

101 Comment Starters by @dawnfelagund

[witchercommentcrawl]

Reminder: Autumn Comment Crawl is Live!

There are still 4 whole days left in our first Witcher Comment Crawl! This event runs Oct. 21st-Oct. 30th, so join in while you can! Let's share some comment love! And if you don't have time to Crawl with us, feel free to leave your comments whenever you can. 🍁❤️💬

In Case You Missed It:

Autumn Crawl Call - the current list of fanworks.

Spreadsheet view of fanworks - color-coded list for your reference.

Comment submission form - feel free to use this for commenting on the Twitter and YouTube fanworks if you don't have an account on these platforms (mods will submit your comment on your behalf).

Event Guide - our how-to for the Comment Crawl

Achievement Badges - shiny badges to collect and share with fandom!

You can find more information and links to our Crawling Guide, Commenting 101 posts, logistics stuff and other neato things on the pinned post at @witchercommentcrawl. Crawl and comment alway, lovelies, and have fun!

-@flightsfancy22

[witchercommentcrawl]

Fanwork Feedback 101

contributed by @flightsfancy1

Table of Contents: 

What is ‘feedback’?

Who is feedback ‘for’?

Why should I leave feedback on a fanwork?

Additional Reading

What is ‘feedback’?

In broad terms, ‘feedback’ is ‘any response to a fanwork’. Fanwork creators engage in a huge variety of artistic mediums: writing, drawing, painting, making comics or animations, creating podfic recordings, editing together vids, music playlists and gif sets, and textiles (including props and cosplay costumes!). 

Because fanworks are created in a huge variety of mediums, the kind of feedback generated often depends on the type of artwork. Most people leave written feedback as a way to let a creator know that they enjoyed their work. Feedback is usually left as a comment (a written reply attached directly to the posted fanfic/art/podfic/vid/etc), but feedback can take many other forms. 

Leaving ‘kudos’ on a story posted to An Archive of Our Own is a form of feedback. So is ‘liking’ a Tumblr post, or giving a ‘thumbs up’, or leaving a reaction emoji ❤.

Recommending the story in a Discord chat is a form of feedback. Reblogging a post on a social media site is another form of feedback. Bookmarking a fic, adding a link to a longer recommendation post, subscribing to a creator’s blog, or even clicking on a Tumblr post or an Ao3 story link can be considered feedback. Even saying to a friend, “Hey, check out this cool poster someone made!” is a form of feedback. 

As you might guess from the list above, however, not all forms of feedback are the same. 

Who is feedback ‘for’?

Most often, comments, ‘likes’ and kudos are all intended for the creator. This is a direct line of communication between yourself and the creator. They will read and see what you’ve written and, unless you sent a private message, your comment/reblog/like/etc will also be posted publicly. This means other people will see your feedback too, even though they aren’t the primary recipient. (More on that later).

Beta-review comments and constructive criticism (con-crit) reviews are also intended for creators. However, this sort of feedback is solicited from specific people directly by the author/artist. It is also usually provided through a private channel, usually as part of the editing phase before a fanwork is posted for general viewing.

Other forms of fanwork feedback are directed to a more general audience: other fans. When you review a fanfic as part of a recs post, or reblog a piece of art, or post a link to a fanvid on YouTube, your feedback points other fans to something they might not otherwise see.

Why should I leave feedback on a fanwork?

There are probably thousands of great reasons to comment on a fanwork, but I’ll focus on the three most important ones:

Creators want feedback.

Ask any writer, artist, vidder or cosplayer, and they will tell you straight up: they love feedback. Comments make their day. Reblogs and likes and retweets are manna from heaven. Feedback is a major part of what drives creators: it’s what keeps them motivated. Creators want to share their work, and they want to know that you’re enjoying it. 

More Comments = More fanworks. 

If you want fanworks, you have to encourage the people who produce it. It’s that simple. Writers, vidders, podficcers, and artists all spend weeks, months and even years on a single project or learning the skills to make these projects. That drawing you glanced at for 5 seconds on Tumblr and immediately scrolled past? It took someone weeks of effort to produce. And while an artist might continue to work ‘for themselves’ for a while, they will eventually stop producing work. Everyone needs at least some degree of external validation or encouragement, right? 

If you like reading/watching/consuming it, leave a comment! Let someone know you enjoyed their work! Without comments, people stop creating. And then we wouldn’t have a fandom, which would be sad.

Fandom is engagement. Feedback is fandom. 

Fandom exists because we want to connect with each other. It’s a basic human need. When you’re obsessed with a TV show or a book, or you want to squee about a character, or debate the particular merits of Episode 2 versus Episode 8, you hop online and connect with your friends in fandom. Sharing our joy and excitement with other people is a huge reason why we’re all in fandom in the first place. 

If you’re only reading fics or consuming fanart in isolation, you’re missing out on some of the  real fun of fandom: the dumb jokes and shared memes, the challenges and gift exchanges, the shared love and enthusiasm. Lurking is also great! Some people just have enough energy to read and maybe leave kudos, and that's okay--we love an audience! But for people who want to be more social, fandom connections are fun! 

So join in! Engage! Leave comments, and experience the fun of fandom!

Additional Reading:

History of Feedback in Fandom (Fanlore)