but like who started the idea that fanfiction writers are somehow bothered by enthusiasm for their work???? cause i see posts all the time like “do writers really want to talk with us about their fics? Do writers really want long comments? I dont want to bother them” and i just think its absolutely ridiculous????
ofc i want to talk to you about it, and would love to hear you go on about it. i took time out of my real life to write this stuff down so we could all share these characters!!! the idea that you’re bothering a fanfiction writer, a fellow nerd, is absolutely crazy
Personally I attribute at least part of this to the shift of fandom onto Tumblr platform. Because of the way Tumblr works, multiple replies and reactions can get cluttered and overwhelming really fast, so leaving replies and feedback can be awkward. I have actually seen ‘tumblr etiquette’ posts going around scolding people for adding commentary onto posts when they reblog it! Actually discouraging people from reacting and adding their own words! If any of this attitude spills over onto fanfic posts and reblogs, no wonder readers are shy about adding their own words to an author’s posts.
Dear fans on tumblr:
WE, THE AUTHORS, REALLY WANT TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS.
Popular tumblr blogs sometimes talk about what they think are annoying ways to interact with their posts. And I can see it - their posts get thousands of reblogs, that kind of response can be overwhelming - of course they prefer only a minority of people interact, and they do it in Approved Of ways.
And then, because they’re popular, a lot of people see that, reblog it, and think that their opinions should be The Rules Of Tumblr.
But smaller blogs interact with each other VERY differently.
Writing/Fanfic blogs want something very different from aesthetic blogs. Small meta blogs tend to adore people adding their own meta to a post. Social Justice blogs often think that responses dilute their message, but headcanon blogs frequently want validation and agreement!
Tumblr is never going to be a hivemind. It’s a lot like any other social setting. The more popular people may have stringent rules of social etiquette, but most people like chatting.
Talk to us! Add comments! Babble on in the tags! Make your own post in response if you think you’re derailing things, and At (@) the original poster so they can respond if they want to!
