slipping-mango

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you might be in the room that you die in

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too many stories about turning yourself into a monster as a metaphor for pretending to be something you aren't and losing yourself in the process. not enough stories about turning yourself into a monster as a metaphor for choosing to openly embrace yourself even if it's strange to other people

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me when im the best character ever

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don’t kys, you never know when a new type of wet pathetic character is about to be introduced to you via tumblr.com/dashboard thanks to your mutuals

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How to Reply to Fic Comments

Saw this poll asking authors why they don't reply to comments on their fic. Realized I've seen a number of posts about how to comment on fic, but I haven't seen one with advice to authors on how to reply to comments! (There's probably one out there, but hey, the more the merrier 🎉)

As an author who replies to virtually every fic comment (albeit with a 3-5 business day waiting period), here are some of my strategies:

1. Disclaimer/Why Reply?

A fic author isn't obligated to reply to comments, but if you're a writer and WANT to reply but don't know how/feel too anxious to do so, then this post is for you! Responding to people who comment on your fic can be fun, it can make your fic a living story (even if you're done posting it, you're still engaging the ideas in conversation!), and it can jumpstart short or long term friendships in fandom as you chat about things you love together.

2. Just say "thank you"

A lot of authors in the above linked poll say that they feel bad or anxious about just replying "thank you," especially to a longer comment. However, I've never been anything but happy to get an author's reply--of any length--when I leave a comment. Even just a "💖" reply from them makes me feel seen! Think about your experience: would you rather get nothing back or get a brief "thank you" from an author? Would you be mad at them for not writing some ~super eloquent~ response to your happy keyboard smash? Would you complain if it took them a week to send that reply? Of course, not!

Don't stress the length or originality or punctuality of your reply, just know that any amount of kindness is appreciated.

3. Expand on the Basics

Want to add more to your "thank you"? Start with some basic forms of gratitude that can apply to almost any comment!

Add emojis 💖🥰🎉😍🌈👌

Add an action, ex. "Thank you for reading" "Thank you for taking the time to read/comment" "Thank you for such an insightful review/analysis of the story"

Add your emotion! "This comment made my whole week" "so happy to see this comment in my inbox" "I'm so glad you enjoyed the story"

Advanced: Remember, we're all fans here! You can squee in a comment reply, you can be giggling and kicking your feet. If a reader says "I am chewing on this fic" you can say "*adds salt and angst*" Have fun with it! Be free of the cringe panopticon!

4. Get Specific

An easy way to start writing more complex replies is to mirror the format of the comment. Take it as a template; look at each sentence/phrase and reply specifically to that piece.

Plot: "I'm really excited to see what happens next 👀" -> "I can't wait to share the next chapter 🤩"

Writing skill: "your characterization is soooo good" -> "thank you, I've really been focusing on character voice lately!" or you can share more personal feelings -> "I'm always worried about sounding ooc, it's such a relief to know the characters rang true"

Emotions: "this made me cry for real 😭" -> "I was crying while writing it 😭" or "angst is my favorite thing to write" or "your tears feed the author's angst-machine 😈"

Bonus: try to take compliments gracefully rather than reject them! Fight the impulse to be self-deprecating and deflect or minimize your work (ex. "i don't think so but thanks anyway" "I should've spent more time editing" "I usually suck at X"). Someone read your work and liked it--do them the courtesy of believing what they say.

5. Behind the Scenes

This is your chance to share your writing process! Writing can be a lonely thing but fandom gives you people to share it with. Most fans who take the time to comment are interested in hearing more from the author!

In your comment reply, you can talk about how and when you wrote the piece ("I wrote that ending on my phone on the bus haha"), why you did ("I hadn't seen any fics about X so I decided to write it myself!"), choices you made while writing ("I thought about doing Plot Thing A, but decided to go with Plot Thing B because it seemed funnier"), about emotions you felt ("I was so sad after the season finale, I wanted to write something fluffy but oops, it turned into hurt/comfort with a lot of hurt!") or challenges you faced ("I ended up doing a ton of research on Topic Z to make it feel real and accurate").

As you build a rapport with a commenter (and if you reply to comments, your chances are much better that you'll get a repeat commenter to build that lovely relationship with) it will get even easier and more fun. You can reference past chapters or other works, talk about the shared specific things you love about those characters/fandoms, and maybe develop a real friendship: make a character playlist together, see if they're interested in beta-ing your work, or joining a shared Discord server.

At the end of the day, the best guidance is simply to have fun and be kind! 🌈

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I remembered that I have free will and that I can draw whatever I want…

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house md fanart? more likely than u think

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Our God

I very much like this drawing

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Trans women make the world safer for me

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inshallah jk rowling loses her fortune and all her hateful deeds are returned to her x10

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(so mad i can’t see straight) Yeah i just don’t think chat gpt is a good classroom tool

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🖕🖕🖕

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Dreamy mel

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y’all ever read a fanfic that you cannot believe an author just wrote for free?? what an honor it is to read a piece of someone’s soul they shared out of nothing but love for a piece of media. what a privilege it is to be allowed their talent because you share an interest!!

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Twin !

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cuddyyyy she's so pretty i love drawing her <333