#but i legit worry that...i don't often get feedback on stuff?

[suzukiblu]

With regards to some older fic posts of yours, I have been wanting to write how much I love certain lines or sections, or just yell about how they make me feel, but I worry that too many comments on older sections of your work might be annoying if you get too many, or that I'll be replying on fics your aren't enthusiastic about at the moment and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. What would you suggest as the best way to let you know of my adoration for different sections without getting in the way of other things (i.e. not too often, only on Tuesdays, only on the latest post, don't do it, etc.)

(Sorry if this is silly but, I love your writing, and if I get blocked for being too annoying I wouldn't blame you but, I would be annoyed with myself haha)

. . . . . . . listen, I appreciate you asking, and I'm sure that THEORETICALLY someone could manage to comment/reply on my writing so much that I would parse it as them spamming me, but theoretically Elon Musk possesses a human heart somewhere in that black bitter soul of his, so like, the chances seem slim, hahaha.

Legit there is just about nothing I like more than people telling me what they think about ANYTHING I've written, whether I'm actively working on it or not, and frankly getting one single comment on a story I hadn't worked on in a while or had even straight-up abandoned has historically run the gamut from making me go "aw, that's nice, I'm glad people still like it 😊" to ". . . . . . I am immediately going to spend the next six months writing another 120k in this abandoned WIP and actually gd finish it this time", so like . . . BELIEVE me, I am not the guy you have to worry about hitting "too many" with, hahaha. Plus I have so many WIPs rn that I am MORE than used to getting comments on stuff I'm not actively working on and if anything it just gives me a better idea of what people wanna see more of. There are many, MANY WIPs on here that only got past the first thousand words because people repeatedly told me how much they liked them and several that I have only barely progressed in because people just weren't that responsive to 'em. I am just VERY much the type whose writing thrives on acknowledgment/feedback, that is SCREAMINGLY who I am as a writer, haha. Like I am the closest thing to "put comment coin in, get fic out!" you will get in most fandoms, I am pretty sure, lol.

( also-historically, I have only blocked I think two or three Tumblrs in my entire time ON Tumblr and they were all pornbots, so an actual person would have to get prettyyyyy nasty at me for me to decide I wanted to block 'em. like as long as you're not sending me hate speech or death threats we're pretty much good; "too many replies on old posts" is just not a thing that's gonna get me there, hah. )

[kycdai-archived]

actually since this is a small blog, i feel comfy about talking some stuff on my mind.

[rimouskis]

Idk if you can relate but I thought I'd ask you because you also write fic nowadays. I recently published my first fic after years of writing and never managing to finish anything, and now I feel crippling shame about it. Not because I think the writing's bad, but because it's a tropey smut piece that has been done multiple times already within that particular pairing and I'm not bringing anything new to the table. I feel like deleting my ao3 account 23 times a day and have to tell myself every time that I'm unlikely to write something everyone will like, but it's also unlikely that I write something no one will like. Just, how do you get over this emotional conflict? I'm afraid this will kill my motivation to write fic altogether. Maybe getting good feedback would make me feel better about it, but I don't even want to look at the comments or go near ao3 rn for the cringe of it

hey there!

I actually think what I have to say is what you need to hear right now. first of all, congrats on publishing a fic after years of not finishing! that's seriously wonderful. it's an accomplishment, please feel proud of yourself. sitting down and putting in the work to write IS an accomplishment.

secondly, I know that as content creators, writers, or artists, we often feel like we need to be pushing the field somehow, that we need to be unique or innovative.

and being unique and innovative is good, to be sure.

but also... for us, specifically... we're writing fanfic. I know that as a reader, innovation is fun and cool to read, but often it's the tropes and similar fic conventions that DRAW ME to fic. there's nothing stopping me from reading some original fiction right now (in fact, I have some books WAITING for me right now). but what if I'm not in the mood for original fiction? what if I want what fic offers me instead?

I was actually thinking about this the other day, because I was ruminating on how when it comes to a/b/o (here we go with the a/b/o again), I very rarely seek out trope subversions. I like a/b/o because I like a/b/o. I like it exactly as it is, I love the trope conventions, I love how authors interpret it. I come to a/b/o fics to READ A/B/O.

it doesn't have to break the mold. it doesn't have to do something mindblowing (though those things are cool). it just has to be fun and an enjoyable reading experience, and I can PROMISE you someone got that out of your fic. your fic will find someone who likes it; hell, it might become someone's favorite fic.

have you heard of the "two cakes" principle? it's legit. you might think you're being derivative or too much like other fanworks, but some fans, like myself, WANT that. like, to use a really trite food example, if I go to a pizza party and there are seven different pizzas, you bet your ass I'm going to sample (and enjoy) them all! it's pizza! I like it! I will eat all varieties available to me and have a good time!

you don't think your writing's bad. that's HUGE. that's big. that's fantastic! you have talent and a willingness to put in hard work. and god, as someone who ENJOYS tropes, having a good writer contribute a piece to that trope makes my day.

you don't need to bring anything new to the table. sometimes you don't need an elaborate tasting menu of exotic ingredients. sometimes you just need a comfortable old trope you've read before and will read again because you like it. tropes exist for a reason: people like them!

please, don't delete your ao3 :) and don't feel like you need to have everyone like what you write. what you need to worry about is if YOU like what you write. I know I'm my #1 rereader, because even though I see flaws in my own writing, I'm writing stuff I'M interested in. this is fanfic, this isn't my job: I do it for myself and for a few friends, and it's really nice to try and strip yourself of worries about who's going to enjoy it. it's hard, but give it a try!

I'm sure your readers really, really appreciated your fic, anon. I hope you can appreciate it too ❤️