(Pt.1) Sorry to other you, but I'm in a bit of a conundrum. Or irritation. I run a fanfic blog that initially just served as a dumping ground for my ideas; never once suggested I took requests or anything because I doubted I could keep up if I did take them. Sometimes I would have so many ideas backed up that I would turn to whatever followers I'd somehow gained and asked what they wanted to see next. I would get no responses. So I just did whatever I felt most inspired to do after a period. But
(Pt.2) Usually after this, I’d get messages!… Fir requests. Which I never asked for. But I thought maybe if I do a few, it may make people more willing to help me out when I ask them for input! So I did a few and the next time I asked for input–like, 2 people. I thought I’d do a Sleepover Saturday to connect more and asked if anyone would be interested and maybe only two people showed an interest?? But I keep getting people asking for things! So I guess what I’m getting at is this:
(Pt.3)I work to create pieces I think people will like and want to keep it up but when I ask for some help or input, I get nothing. And if I’m not looking for requests, nor have I even yet insinuated I officially take them, people send them in! I feel used, like when others want something for themselves, they help themselves to my inbox but when I want something that’s meant for THEM, I can’t get any help! I don’t want to make a post about it because I fear I’ll look bad, but I’m so tempted to😞
Dearest fellow writer/frustrated anon,
First of all, I hope it’s okay that I posted this. I would have answered you privately had you not been on anon in case you didn’t want to necessarily share this with everyone, but I completely understand why you would want to remain anonymous in this case.
I hope you’ll take some comfort in knowing that these feelings of slight frustration and a bit of disappointment are completely normal. I think it’s happened to all of us, where we’ve gotten really excited for something, and expecting our fellow Tumblrs to be just as excited, we share it, but it barely gets any attention. It happens to all of us at one point or another. So, just know that you aren’t alone. That helped me a lot when it first happened.
With regard to taking requests; people often get excited when they have an idea for a story or imagine, and more often than not, the reason they ask another to write it is either because they don’t write themselves or they don’t think they would be able to write it well (which is not true at all, but that’s another discussion for another day). So, they entrust a writer to create the masterpiece for them instead. I know it doesn’t seem this way, but the requests come because people trust you to deliver something wonderful!
I understand that this isn’t what you’re asking, and I totally get the frustration you feel.
Funnily enough, I had almost the same problem as yours when I first created my Tumblr, only instead of not taking requests, I practically begged for them (Seriously, I’ve been going through my entire blog for the last couple days trying to clean it up, and let me tell you- it was a little pathetic lol) So, if I were in your position, these would be the options I would consider for myself, I hope they help you:
One: I would try to combine a request with an idea I’ve already had! I actually have done this quite a few times, and not only does it get my original (or semi original as it were) idea out there, but it also serves as a gift for the person who requested it! It kills two birds (or three or four–I’ve combined more than two requests at a time before as well– with one stone!)
Two: If you simply don’t want to open yourself up to requests (which is absolutely your decision since it is your blog), then just simply reply to requests by saying something like, ‘I appreciate you thinking of me for this imagine request. Unfortunately, I do not take requests, but here are a few writers that do, and would do an amazing job writing this: …’ and then simply list off some of your favorite writers!
Here are some of my personal favorite writers that take requests (if I mistakenly included you on here and you do not in fact take requests, please let me know and I will fix it!): @missjennifercole, @vintagemichelle91, @rauliskafan, @ohbelieveyoume, @svu-stories (there are so many more of you that I can’t think of off the top of my head)
The last advice I’d like to offer you is with regard to what you said about people only contacting you when they want something. First of all, respectfully and with all the warmth and love in the universe, I would just like to point out that they’re referred to as ‘requests’ not ‘demands’. These are two different things, and I don’t think I’ve ever come across anyone who has demand that I write their request post haste. I have gotten a couple people who have messaged me to ask how it’s coming along, but I have never considered it as coming from a place of demand or impatience. In my heart, I know that they’re simply excited to get to read their request, and I can’t find it in me to be frustrated with that because I myself have put out requests, and have waited in silent agony and anticipation to get to read it. So I know how they feel when they’re patiently waiting for me to put out a request that they’ve sent.
I have found in my personal experience that when you interact with your respective fandom (be it by sending people a personal message to say hello or that you enjoy their work, or even better when you like, reblog or comment on one of their pieces) you tend to get more interaction in turn! I, personally, when I read a new story that I like, I almost always do one of the three (or two of the three). We writers are a community within our fandom community, and we love and support each other as often as we can because we all go through the same struggles as writers!
So if you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to message some other writers whose work you enjoy! Build a genuine relationship with them! We are all here to help each other, and I can’t think of a single person (writer or not) on here that wouldn’t reply to you if you messaged them! I assume that you’re either in the Raul Esparza fandom or the SVU fandom (or maybe both). If this is wrong, please forgive me, but if I’m correct, rest assured that we have some of the most kind and loving people in our fandom. We all support each other, be it writers, artists, or creators of reading lists where we can find more stories for our favorite characters. You are not alone.
If you find yourself getting down, lean on us! I can tell you from experience, both from being in other fandoms (I’m 31, that’s a lot of fandom years) and from needing the help of this fandom to get through personal obstacles that the people in this fandom will be here for you. I say that will 100% sincerity.
I’m sorry that this reply ended up being so long winded, but I hope I answered your questions, and I hope my advice can help :)
