lollerballer

she/her. write me a story and i'll sing you a song.

[90s-kid-sad-adult]

lie to me

[buttpoems]

[brynnmclean]

"I'm bad at commenting on fics" okay, but you know you can get better at it though, right? You know you can start with something as simple as "thanks, I like this!" and you'll still probably make a fic writer's day? You do know that it's in your power to "get better" about it, right? If you want to?

Do you want to?

[brynnmclean]

Also "but I want to write a GOOD comment" is a block that you are placing in front of yourself. You are creating that pressure.

The amount of writers I talk to that are happy for anything genuinely positive in this current day and age of AI slop and varying levels of awful bot comments.

Are you going to actually write that long "perfect" comment or would it help to instead focus on sending a small bright spark of happiness to a writer? To start there and build up to a longer comment later if you can? What I think I'm trying to say is that commenting can be a muscle that you train, if you feel like it. Or a habit you can form, if you feel like it. You can do better, if you want to. You can start small, too.

I see so many posts on here that are writers seeking community and/or mourning the shift in fandom from leaving feedback to passive consumption. And I really don't think it has to be like this.

[brynnmclean]

This post is getting a decent amount of notes and I hope folks don't misunderstand my intentions here -- I meant for this to be encouraging to readers who want to leave comments on fics.

I've heard people say things like "I'm sorry I'm bad at commenting" or "I want to comment, but..." and I just want to respond with this: please recognize that even a small comment like a string of heart emojis or "I like this a lot" is precious these days when writers are enduring either silence/lack of responses to their work and/or an influx in bot comments that say awful things or are commissions scams. I see so many posts on my dash about the difference in fandom responsiveness to fic over the past few years. A lot of writers wish for feedback. Readers, you do contribute to fandom communities. You can help fandom grow if you participate in it. And comments do not need to be huge or detailed to make a difference.

[westiec]

I have a frequent reader who only ever comments in emoji hearts

I have another who always comments :DDDDD with an absurd number of smiles

I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH AND GENUINELY AM FILLED WITH JOY EVERY TIME I SEE AN AO3 EMAIL FROM THEM

it's as simple as that <3

[brynnmclean]

#comments are awesome to receive #and unlike kudos you can give as many comments as you want (via @encyclopika)

Hi, just want to pull these specific tags forward because I think they make a really great point, especially when it comes to longer, multi-chapter fics! You can only leave one (1) kudos on a whole fic, regardless of if it has multiple chapters -- and since more writers are locking their fics to only be seen by folks with AO3 accounts, that rules out any additional guest kudos.

I've seen posts about leaving "second kudos" comments or even "why can't I leave more kudos, AO3!!!" and those kind of comments are a delight to receive, speaking personally, because they tell me that readers are STILL HERE enjoying my chapter fics. It can be hard to know that anyone is reading new chapters, if I don't get new comments and if a reader left their allotted kudos when an earlier chapter was released and read.

TL;DR, receiving kudos is lovely, but limited!!!! And I think a nice, easy comment to leave on a fic you enjoy is "second kudos"

[brynnmclean]

I hope everyone who is liking and/or reblogging this series of posts goes out and comments on fics. I saw a post today about a newer ugly AO3 commenting bot out there and I really strongly feel, now more than ever, that it is important that we support fic writers by leaving positive feedback. We can encourage each other to keep creating. I'm tired of the world too, man, but we can give each other some light.

[ayshela]

do i always leave brilliant comments, like I want to? Fuck no, my most common comment is "I love this so much!" Was it hard to remember to start leaving that on every fic i read that I was happy to have spent time reading? Yes, but every one of those authors spent more time writing that fic and worrying about posting it than i ever did on a simple comment. There have been a few that I have gone back to, a few that I have hunted down again, and yes I have left second comments there telling them how important their work was to me. Yes, that's valuable. But what's dramatically undervalued is fandom coming to their creators and simply saying "thank you for creating this" or "I liked this" or just "!! <3"

Our creators are out there leaving pieces of themselves open for casual consumption. We need to be less casual about it. And that's a learned skill you can start at any time.

[lollercakesff]

Try, Try Again

Chapter 7 - the final one! Now posted.

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 57,291

Status: Complete

We head to the Cottage, finally.

Summary:

It's already so complicated - their hook-ups and their secrets - that Ilya Rozanov knows it can't continue forever. So, when Shane Hollander, his rival on the ice and current reason for waking up in the morning, suddenly ghosts him and starts playing like an amateur, Ilya is desperate to figure out why and fix it so that their tangled little mess can maybe, one day, last.

AN: Make note of the tags. Not a full recount/description of the assault, but it's a central theme.

If you like this story, please do comment and share it! I love hearing from you, even if it's incoherent jabber.

[lollercakesff]

Try, Try Again

Chapter 6 now exists!

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 46,570

tl;dr let them cuddle after sadness, it's healing. Only one more chapter to go!

Summary:

It's already so complicated - their hook-ups and their secrets - that Ilya Rozanov knows it can't continue forever. So, when Shane Hollander, his rival on the ice and current reason for waking up in the morning, suddenly ghosts him and starts playing like an amateur, Ilya is desperate to figure out why and fix it so that their tangled little mess can maybe, one day, last.

AN: Make note of the tags. Not a full recount/description of the assault, but it's a central theme.

If you like it, please feel free to share/ comment and let me know, it makes my day!

[lollercakesff]

Try, Try Again

Chapter 5 is now up!

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 35,817+

This chapter is all about Rose and resolutions. And fluff, after all that suffering.

Summary: It's already so complicated - their hook-ups and their secrets - that Ilya Rozanov knows it can't continue forever. So, when Shane Hollander, his rival on the ice and current reason for waking up in the morning, suddenly ghosts him and starts playing like an amateur, Ilya is desperate to figure out why and fix it so that their tangled little mess can maybe, one day, last.

AN: Make note of the tags. Not a full recount/description of the assault, but it's a central theme.

Remember! If you like it, reblog, comment, share the love ❤️

[finny-red]

Home Sweet Home 🌃🌙

[thisfeebleheart]

You're secretly one of the funniest guys I know. Well, that secret, you don't have to keep.

[lollercakesff]

Try, Try Again

Chapter 4 exists!

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 27,768+

The boys are off to the All Stars in... Ohio? Wow, okay. Here's hoping they've learned how to communicate better (lol as if)

Summary: It's already so complicated - their hook-ups and their secrets - that Ilya Rozanov knows it can't continue forever. So, when Shane Hollander, his rival on the ice and current reason for waking up in the morning, suddenly ghosts him and starts playing like an amateur, Ilya is desperate to figure out why and fix it so that their tangled little mess can maybe, one day, last.

AN: Make note of the tags. Not a full recount/description of the assault, but it's a central theme.

[jackabbot]

i know i say this often but i cannot say it loud enough: people who comment on fics, people who reblog posts and engage with fanworks are the people who generate community and without them fandom would be nowhere, so truly thank you for your presence, you make the world go 'round <3

[lollercakesff]

Try, Try Again

Chapter 3 is now up!

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 19,942 (and counting)

The hurt is comforted, but the triggers are real.

Summary: It's already so complicated - their hook-ups and their secrets - that Ilya Rozanov knows it can't continue forever. So, when Shane Hollander, his rival on the ice and current reason for waking up in the morning, suddenly ghosts him and starts playing like an amateur, Ilya is desperate to figure out why and fix it so that their tangled little mess can maybe, one day, last.

AN: Make note of the tags. Not a full recount/description of the assault, but it's a central theme.

[sheisraging]

you can't treat the staff like this

[shilyas]

Brokeback Mountain (2005) | Heated Rivalry (2025-)

[lollercakesff]

Oh hey. Do you wanna be sad like me? Maybe come read the first thing I've written in years that's basically written and will be posted over the next month.

Try, Try Again

Chapter 1 on AO3 of 5

Tags: Hollanov, angst, hurt/comfort, PTSD, sexual assault recovery

Rating: Explicit

It's already so complicated - their hook-ups and their secrets - that Ilya Rozanov knows it can't continue forever. So, when Shane Hollander, his rival on the ice and current reason for waking up in the morning, suddenly ghosts him and starts playing like an amateur, Ilya is desperate to figure out why and fix it so that their tangled little mess can maybe, one day, last.

AN: Make note of the tags. Not a full recount/description of the assault, but it's a central theme.

[lollercakesff]

Chapter 2 is now up, ready to stomp on your hearts (just a little bit).

If you're following along, I'd love to hear from you!

[lollercakesff]

Oh hey. Do you wanna be sad like me? Maybe come read the first thing I've written in years that's basically written and will be posted over the next month.

Try, Try Again

Chapter 1 on AO3 of 5

Tags: Hollanov, angst, hurt/comfort, PTSD, sexual assault recovery

Rating: Explicit

It's already so complicated - their hook-ups and their secrets - that Ilya Rozanov knows it can't continue forever. So, when Shane Hollander, his rival on the ice and current reason for waking up in the morning, suddenly ghosts him and starts playing like an amateur, Ilya is desperate to figure out why and fix it so that their tangled little mess can maybe, one day, last.

AN: Make note of the tags. Not a full recount/description of the assault, but it's a central theme.

[mina-logan]

Puppies and some quick fanart for The Long Game

💕 🐶

[hrgifs]

At the end, Connor takes a shower, he comes back into bed and he says, “You killed me, Hollander. I’m dead.” And [looking to Connor] you touch his face, and you kiss him—do you remember this? After the first take, I was like, “You can’t be nice to him after that; you have to get uncomfortable.” But then that puppy-dog look, he was like, “Look, he’s being so nice to me!” And I was like, “I know, but it’s episode two, so we have to remember this can’t end—you have to get freaked out by this.” He was being too loving. We have places to go with this still. — Jacob Tierney via Queerty