Fanworks are one of the amazing parts of fandom. Let's show creators some love by showing their works some love!
What is it?
The Our Flag Means Death Comment-a-Thon is a fandom event geared towards showering creators of our burgeoning fandom with some well-deserved praise. Participating is simple:
Grab a Bingo Card (either sfw or nsfw) of your choosing.
To mark off a box on your bingo card, you need to find something that matches that tag among the OFMD Tags on Ao3 between 4/15/22-5/1/22, preferably with fewer than 100 kudos!
Read the fic or enjoy the art and leave the creator a nice comment! The more detailed, the better, but it's up to you!
You can mark off multiple entries on your card if you read and comment on a work that fits all of those things.
Submit your completed card (a full line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal OR a blackout for an even shinier prize and massive bragging rights) to the blog.
You'll be entered in a drawing for a reward!
Rewards, you say?
Absolutely! More info later, but I'm hoping to get a few folks to offer sketches, moodboards, or little fics as gifts for drawing winners!
But what if I want to stack the deck?
If you want to cheat, no one is really going to stop you, but Stede will be watching you with very sad puppy eyes. Don't upset him, he's been through enough already.
Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to everyone who participated! Hopefully you enjoyed finding new works on Ao3 and giving the authors some well-deserved love!
The winners are...
@idyllic-idioms won a 1-5k bound fic of their choice from @simply-sithel
@blipspan won a 500-1k fic from @imaginariumgeographica
@goldlesbian won a 1k fic from @samyong
@phasamtasie won a 2 player ttrpg from @miscklaire
@samyong won a 1k fic from @hotwenchesummer
Please let me know if you have any trouble reaching out to each other for your rewards! :)
Fanworks are one of the amazing parts of fandom. Let's show creators some love by showing their works some love!
What is it?
The Our Flag Means Death Comment-a-Thon is a fandom event geared towards showering creators of our burgeoning fandom with some well-deserved praise. Participating is simple:
Grab a Bingo Card (either sfw or nsfw) of your choosing.
To mark off a box on your bingo card, you need to find something that matches that tag among the OFMD Tags on Ao3 between 4/15/22-5/1/22, preferably with fewer than 100 kudos!
Read the fic or enjoy the art and leave the creator a nice comment! The more detailed, the better, but it's up to you!
You can mark off multiple entries on your card if you read and comment on a work that fits all of those things.
Submit your completed card (a full line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal OR a blackout for an even shinier prize and massive bragging rights) to the blog.
You'll be entered in a drawing for a reward!
Rewards, you say?
Absolutely! More info later, but I'm hoping to get a few folks to offer sketches, moodboards, or little fics as gifts for drawing winners!
But what if I want to stack the deck?
If you want to cheat, no one is really going to stop you, but Stede will be watching you with very sad puppy eyes. Don't upset him, he's been through enough already.
Fanworks are one of the amazing parts of fandom. Let's show creators some love by showing their works some love!
What is it?
The Our Flag Means Death Comment-a-Thon is a fandom event geared towards showering creators of our burgeoning fandom with some well-deserved praise. Participating is simple:
Grab a Bingo Card (either sfw or nsfw) of your choosing.
To mark off a box on your bingo card, you need to find something that matches that tag among the OFMD Tags on Ao3 between 4/15/22-5/1/22, preferably with fewer than 100 kudos!
Read the fic or enjoy the art and leave the creator a nice comment! The more detailed, the better, but it's up to you!
You can mark off multiple entries on your card if you read and comment on a work that fits all of those things.
Submit your completed card (a full line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal OR a blackout for an even shinier prize and massive bragging rights) to the blog.
You'll be entered in a drawing for a reward!
Rewards, you say?
Absolutely! More info later, but I'm hoping to get a few folks to offer sketches, moodboards, or little fics as gifts for drawing winners!
But what if I want to stack the deck?
If you want to cheat, no one is really going to stop you, but Stede will be watching you with very sad puppy eyes. Don't upset him, he's been through enough already.
I think this might help people find underrated fics?
AO3 has some cool features for filtering through works, which honestly I forget about sometime so I think others might too. Specifically, when you go here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/search
And then under the Work Stats section, you can enter enter in ranges for amount of hits, kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc. You can enter in the exact amount or things like <10, >10, or 10-100, (or whatever numbers) to get things in those ranges for each of the fields.
This could be a good tool for folks trying to target smaller fics that might get overlooked otherwise!
Fanworks are one of the amazing parts of fandom. Let's show creators some love by showing their works some love!
What is it?
The Our Flag Means Death Comment-a-Thon is a fandom event geared towards showering creators of our burgeoning fandom with some well-deserved praise. Participating is simple:
Grab a Bingo Card (either sfw or nsfw) of your choosing.
To mark off a box on your bingo card, you need to find something that matches that tag among the OFMD Tags on Ao3 between 4/15/22-5/1/22, preferably with fewer than 100 kudos!
Read the fic or enjoy the art and leave the creator a nice comment! The more detailed, the better, but it's up to you!
You can mark off multiple entries on your card if you read and comment on a work that fits all of those things.
Submit your completed card (a full line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal OR a blackout for an even shinier prize and massive bragging rights) to the blog.
You'll be entered in a drawing for a reward!
Rewards, you say?
Absolutely! More info later, but I'm hoping to get a few folks to offer sketches, moodboards, or little fics as gifts for drawing winners!
But what if I want to stack the deck?
If you want to cheat, no one is really going to stop you, but Stede will be watching you with very sad puppy eyes. Don't upset him, he's been through enough already.
Fanworks are one of the amazing parts of fandom. Let's show creators some love by showing their works some love!
What is it?
The Our Flag Means Death Comment-a-Thon is a fandom event geared towards showering creators of our burgeoning fandom with some well-deserved praise. Participating is simple:
Grab a Bingo Card (either sfw or nsfw) of your choosing.
To mark off a box on your bingo card, you need to find something that matches that tag among the OFMD Tags on Ao3 between 4/15/22-5/1/22, preferably with fewer than 100 kudos!
Read the fic or enjoy the art and leave the creator a nice comment! The more detailed, the better, but it's up to you!
You can mark off multiple entries on your card if you read and comment on a work that fits all of those things.
Submit your completed card (a full line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal OR a blackout for an even shinier prize and massive bragging rights) to the blog.
You'll be entered in a drawing for a reward!
Rewards, you say?
Absolutely! More info later, but I'm hoping to get a few folks to offer sketches, moodboards, or little fics as gifts for drawing winners!
But what if I want to stack the deck?
If you want to cheat, no one is really going to stop you, but Stede will be watching you with very sad puppy eyes. Don't upset him, he's been through enough already.
okay hi everyone! so i asked if anyone wanted a guide on fic commenting and a few people gave the idea a big thumbs up (thank you to them!) so here i am about to deep delve into fic commenting.
if you would like a more detailed fic commenting guide with a ton of helpful tips and access points please check out this post by @thebiballerina
some disclaimers before we start (because this is the internet):
1. this is not a scientific articles, extensive research based post. this is me, an avid fic reader and consistent commenter explaining my how, what, and why of commenting.
2. i will try to make this as detailed and simple as possible however i am always open to questions, additions, and revisions.
3. the basis is just enjoy fic, it's there for you to love!
breakdown:
A. why/when i leave comments
B. how/what i comment
C. general things
A. why/when i leave comments
okay so commenting is not a necessity. it should never be a task that you dread or something you feel you must do if, and when, you reach the end of a fic. that being said, commenting does become easier the more you do it.
now i leave comments on almost every single fic i read. for two reasons:
1. i have gotten very very good at using filters and tags. ao3 is amazing with this; they really give you the full range of options to cater to your wants. so when i use their filters i'm only getting things i'm in the mood to read, which already makes the experience that much more enjoyable and that much less stressful.
2. if im not vibing with a fic i generally stop reading before i get to the end. i have learnt how to stop. not to sound like marie kondo, but if it didn't bring me joy i don't keep it. as you read fic you will pick up on what is a no-go, what is a maybe, and what is a hell yes, for you. which makes it easier to tap out or keep going.
keeping these two things in mind, when i do read a fic it is genuinely and generally because i enjoyed it. which means when i do decide to comment it's with complete excitement for the fic.
and the reason i comment: i want to let the author know that i enjoyed their fic, and what elements i loved specifically. simple as that: i want to let the author know they made me happy.
commenting is a more intimate and highly appreciated way to let an author know their work was read and loved. additionally, and i think this is even more important, it gives the writer an opportunity to interact with you as a reader. which in my opinion, is the true and wanted end result for most fic writers. because fic is often written for the author (self-indulgently) or to explore topics/
headcanons/ scenarios/ etc. but it is shared for the sole purpose of the reader. writers want your interaction. they love your thoughts and opinions and i know some, myself included, have literally gotten ideas for fic directions and other potential plots, from comments.
so if you feel you're bothering the author by commenting, please know (and i say this on behalf of every single fic writer) we love your comments and you will never bother us with your thoughts.
mini TL:DR-- i leave comments because i only read things i enjoy and am therefore excited to leave comments.// comments are much loved by authors because it lets them know just how much their work is appreciated and gives them an opportunity to interact with you.
B. how/what i comment
okay now to get into the nitty gritty of actually commenting. the first question was important because it's the basis for any comment.
so, please ask yourself when you set out to write a comment: did i enjoy this fic?
that question is gonna start a flow chart that looks something like this (the examples i use are from comments i have left on various fics. they will all be linked below under the "keep reading")
did i enjoy the fic?
no >> leave fic
yes (comment suggestion: i really enjoyed/liked/loved this) [eg. Fuck this was perfect]
if yes: why did i enjoy this fic?
no particular reason (comment suggestion, in addition to the one above, or as a stand alone: thank you for writing this)
if there is a particular reason: what did i enjoy about this fic?
i liked these lines (quote lines) [e.g. *cabled, slate blue skullcap softer than a summer breeze,* Okay this feels like one of those things where it SHOULDN'T make sense but it DOES because that is the true beauty and power of amazing writers!!! basically you're the coolest ever and I can understand this so well]
i liked that plot point/scene (briefly explain it/ quote the lines) [e.g. Oh Gods okay they were so so cute and then I read "husband" and I just PASSED away like what the fuck that's the fucking cutest thing ughhhhhhh thank you for this]
i liked your writing style [e.g. holy fuck this was haunting and poetic thank you!!!!!]
i liked your use of (insert writing device; i.e. poetry, descriptions, humour) [e.g. I'm obsessed with this with your writing style with the way they interact with the poetry sprinkled in you dear are killing the game]
i liked the way you wrote the characters [e.g. Also Sukunas pet namesđ„șđ„șđ„șđ„șand yuuji being so so gentle with megumiđ„șđ„șđ„șđ„șđ„șstopppp im gonna scream// love the dynamic of these four. But I love the way YOU write them specifically]
i liked your regard/disregard of canon [e.g. Your characterizations are immaculate. And I appreciate that although you bring in elements of canon (for the characters) you still keep them far enough away that they feel completely yours.]
i like the way you write angst/fluff/smut [e.g. Oh my gods I adored this thank you it was so gentle and soft and sweet and ughhhhhhhhhhh my babies// Holy hell this is so sad?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! But Ughh I love it]
i like the pairings you came up with [e.g. It's them >>>>>>>>>> everything else for me]
other things to consider in a comment:
what you were doing/where you were at the time you read the fic (t's amusing and a gateway conversation opener for you, the author, and anyone else who might read the comment) [e.g. okay before I start let me set the scene (because you're used to my over excessive sharing nonsense by now): it's like 9:20 pm, I'm in bed and I've just put on my "Greek deities? no baby we're Greek tragedies" playlist.]
if you are listening to music: what song/playlist you're listening to [e.g. right now "anti-romantic" by TOGETHERXTOGETHER is playing (adore this song)// (also in the time I read that the song moved to "Genghis Khan" by Miike Snow which, side note: I think is defs something Percy would listen to and possibly also Jason, maybe even he introduces Pers to it)// Now to the next scene (song is "Slow Down" by Chase Atlantic)]
what time you're reading (it's hilarious to realise how many readers are doing a late night fic read) [e.g. Okay friend I justâ it's 10:05 pm I'm in bed (I have to be up early tomorrow) and I usually read some fanfiction before I sleep]
emojis are always a good way to express your love without using words. hearts (<3 or emoji hearts); pleading/soft face; shocked faces; angry faces [e.g. This was so sadđ„ș]
exclamation points and question marks are easy and convey a lot [e.g. đWhy???????]
key smashes are also well received. (the idea that the fic made you incoherent is diamond-appealing and very satisfying) [e.g. cdaaqrgbkoiutrewtikmbcsaqg YOU CAN'T JUST WRITE POETRY AND THEN EXPECT ME TO BE OKAY??????gods this was amazing// Shkoyeaxbnlotewaaasfcbmlograshh yess]
stating your emotion(s)/actions as you read the fic [e.g. "or how he never pushes him away, never far enough." never *sobs* far *sobs* enough *sobs* why are they sooo perfect????// And this fic, this specific chapter, actually made me cry. Tears pouring down my cheeks, sniffling into my pillow kind of crying.]
explaining what you think may happen or what you hope doesn't (work's best with multi-chapters but if you're like me and like to write comments as you're reading it also works then) [e.g. Oh gods I hope this fic doesn't rip my heart out because I adore these two so much!??!!!]
C. general things
1. You don't need to have extremely long comments, but also don't be afraid to blabber on into mini essays. some of my comments are legit two words and some of them are like five hundred words. there is no such thing as a too short comment or a too long comment.
2. don't be discouraged if the author didn't reply to your comment. some writers do and some don't. that doesn't mean they don't appreciate it. trust me they probably did a little dance in their room with happiness when they read what you had to say
3. your comments could never get boring. if you comment "im in love with this" every single chapter of a 30 chap fic it is still appreciated. you took the time to say something and the writer is probably extremely happy and excited that they consistently gave you the happy chemicals with something they wrote
4. if you're really stuck for commenting a simple "thank you for this" always goes a long way
5. don't comment if it feels forced. comment on what you enjoy. if you see commenting as a chore you're going to make yourself miserable and make reading fic a task rather than an escape or a dose of serotonin (or whatever reason you may enjoy fic for)
6. if you're a re-reader it's always a wonderful thing for an author to hear "I've read this before but I love it so much I'm back". it's like: wow you like this enough to always read it?? I heart you. It's like getting an extra squeeze in a hug.
7. the main rule is: be kind, have fun, say good thoughts out loud, and if you can make someone smile do it.
thank you for reading and i wish you all the happiest bubbles during your fic reads <3
fics i used in examples:
(all links go to ao3)
Here in Our Bed Until the Morning Comes. by pythia (melancholic_piegon) @stillneedsmorekissing
our year by halpsur
warm leatherette by LowerEastSide
focus by ceinno
make a mess of me by auravere
our good boy by ohmytheon
tree by jeanjacketlesbian
hokkaido by rooted
my hot blood's been burning for so many summers by brightlyburning
this thing between us by chiuwurita
the space between by ohmytheon
night encounters by akamurasaki (cxlmberry)
why did you leave? by firerose17
knb kinktober 2020 by rhapsie
you promised by firerose17
we should have each other with cream by pythia (melancholic_pigeon)
This guide is also available on AO3, as a PDF on Google Drive, and on Dreamwidth. This post is quite long, so you may find it easier to view in one of these alternative formats.
Thank you to @bronteheart and @purplebronzeandblue for reviewing this guide.
Introduction
I've made this guide because I've heard from many people that they are not sure how to comment on fanfiction, or how to leave detailed comments. Although readers don't owe anyone comments, if you enjoyed a particular fanfiction, leaving a comment is one of the only ways to show your appreciation for the hard work the author put into the story. Comments support the fanfiction community and make it more likely authors will post additional works. While most authors seem to appreciate any form of positive feedback in the comments, it is nice to be able to leave more detailed and unique comments, and that is what this guide aims to help you with.
Comments are a Habit
Remember, the more you comment, the easier it becomes! Leaving comments on fic is essentially a habit for me now, and I will leave at least a few sentences on most works I enjoy. Because I do it so often, it no longer takes much effort for me to do so. And the rewards are great; I've had lovely interactions in the comments of many works, and even made a few friends simply by consistently commenting on their fic.
There are times I don't have the energy to leave a detailed comment, and in those cases, I will save a link to the work in a specific "Fic To Comment On" folder within my browser bookmarks, which I regularly revisit. But for the most part, I try to comment right after reading. Sometimes I'll even leave a shorter comment if it's all I have the energy for, and then save the fic to revisit and leave a longer comment later. Do what you can!
Perspective of this Guide
This guide is mainly for commenting on written fanfiction, so I don't really cover how to comment on podfic, fanart, or other types of fanworks (though some of the advice may still apply). While this advice should be applicable on any fanfiction site with a commenting feature, I should note that I mainly read fanfiction on Archive of Our Own, and the commenting culture on other sites might be different from what I have based this guide on.
The advice here is informed mostly by my anecdotal experience as a fanfiction reader and commenter, though I am also a writer. I can't guarantee every author will appreciate every type of comment described here, but hopefully this will help make it easier for you, as a reader, to comment on fics you enjoy.
How to Use this Guide
Remember, these guidelines are just that: guidelines. To construct your comment, mix and match as many of the suggested elements as you would like, in whatever order feels natural to you. Put your own personal spin on things! That will make the comment even more unique and meaningful.
What to Include
Compliment(s)
Compliment something specific about the writing. This could be the description of the scene, narration, the expression of characters' emotions, the character's motivations, etc. To give you some general ideas, here is a list of the elements of creative writing according to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_writing): Action, Character, Conflict, Dialogue, Genre, Narration, Pace, Plot, Point of view, Scene, Setting, Style, Suspense, Theme and motif, Tone, and Voice.
Example:
"I am deeply impressed by your descriptions, which are magnificent and immersive. It's very clear that you have a keen sense of the impact of the world on these characters." (Excerpt from my comment on the BBC Merlin fic, "The Break of Dawn", by papermachedragons - https://archiveofourown.org/works/35503384)
Quote(s)
Quote a portion (or more than one) which you found to be particularly descriptive, funny, profound, etc. Say what you like about that part and the way the author phrased it.
Example:
"'It's strange and wonderful, isn't it? The things we teach ourselves to like just so that we can share a piece of that with them.' What a lovely line. It really encapsulates that feeling of loving something you normally would not, entirely because it's part of someone you love." (Excerpt from my comment on The Old Guard fic, "what we let fall", by kaydeefalls - https://archiveofourown.org/works/35743969)
Relation to Canon
Talk about how the story relates to canon and your interpretation of canon. This can include the author's adherence to aspects of canon, the author's consideration for aspects not covered by the canon material, and/or the author's disregard for an aspect of canon, depending on the situation and your preferences. Did the author do a good job representing one character's inner voice? Was the scenario/case/mission so appropriate it could have been an episode of the show (or chapter of the book, etc.)? Did the story fill in the blanks for something you'd always wondered about? Does the story develop a character who you felt was improperly developed in canon?
Examples:
"All this [character a and character b] friendship content is slowly filling the hole in my heart left by canon."
"The way you narrate [character name] is just like I imagine them!"
"I was really happy to read this, because I always felt dissatisfied with how little the show, and that episode in particular, examined the ethical and personal implications of [redacted for spoilers of season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]. Like, I wanted to know more! Especially with regards to his relationships to the other characters." (Excerpt from my comment on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fic, "as morning shows the day", by SiderumInCaelo - https://archiveofourown.org/works/28000665)
Analysis
Talk about what the fic made you think about. Did you never even consider a plot hole which the story fills in? Does the fic's background for a particular character fit perfectly? Has it inspired a new headcanon of yours? Did you reconsider your assumptions about the dynamic between certain characters?
Example:
"[T]he show doesn't really give us a chance to see Arthur in that position of passing judgment on a magic-user who is guilty of no other crimes. And while I understand why that is, I think it's something that the fandom could reflect upon a bit more. Because [...] he is still very much enacting oppression against magic-users, and that's worth considering." (Excerpt from my comment on the BBC Merlin fic, "The Truths He Can't Deny", by N16 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/33923860)
Emotional Response
Say how the fic made you feel. Are you laughing hysterically? Are you a little heartbroken? Do you feel as if you've been wrapped in a warm blanket? Even a keysmash, or some other expression of how incoherent the fic left you, would work.
Examples:
"You have a talent for breaking my heart in a way that I want to thank you for it."
"Your stories are like a bowl of warm soup in the cold of winter."
Personal Relation
Relate the story to something personal, and share a bit about that (however much you are comfortable with). Did it remind you of a person? Did it bring up a memory? Did you see an aspect of yourself reflected in the story? Did the protagonist struggle with something you think is important to recognize?
Examples:
"I appreciate that you emphasized the effect that a support system can have. In my experience, ...",
"I, too, am fond of the big telescopes. This reminds me of when I took my boyfriend to a local observatory, for a meetup much like what Parker describes. It was an absolutely beautiful night, far away from light pollution, and we could see Saturn with the observatory telescope." (Excerpt from my comment on the Leverage fic, "Look to the Stars", by ziazippy5379 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/32308021)
"There is something so special about seeing someone you haven't in a while, and letting everything just spill out as you bask in the comfort of their presence. This reminds me of the start of last school year, when I moved back in with my roommate. She and I talked all through unpacking our things and setting up our room, and then through dinner, and then kept talking until the threat of morning classes encouraged us to finally get some sleep. [âŠ] I'm going to text her right now because of this story, so thank you for bringing up all these lovely memories!" (Excerpt from my comment on the BBC Merlin fic, "If You Like to Talk for Hours, Just Go Ahead Now", by nie_narzekam - https://archiveofourown.org/works/34488127)
Real Life Context
Talk about the context in which you read the story. Were you up late reading? Did it cheer you up after a bad day? Were you struggling to keep a straight face because you were reading in public?
Examples:
"My family is concerned about me because I actually screamed in delight at this ending."
"I saved this next chapter as a reward for finishing my household chores, and it was so satisfying."
"This has been in my 'Marked for Later' for quite some time, mostly because I kept on forgetting it was there, and then remembering at inopportune times when I did not have the internet capacity or screen real estate to truly appreciate the video. But it occurred to me this morning, for no apparent reason, and I have new internet cables and a large monitor now, so I had absolutely no excuse! Now that I've watched the video and read it in fic format, I think the reason I remembered it was the universe's way of making me feel better after a rough week at school. Somehow I managed to watch and read this at exactly the moment I needed it." (Excerpt from my comment on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fic, "Little Achievements", by almaasi - https://archiveofourown.org/works/26073979)
If This is a Reread
If this is not the first time you've read this particular fic, definitely let the author know that this time was a reread. Even if you've already commented once, it might be worth commenting again, as it is really nice to know that someone liked the work enough to come back to it. If you can, explain a bit about why you chose to come back to that particular fic.
What to Avoid
This section will be short, because this guide is meant to give you ideas for commenting on fics you enjoyed, rather than be a list of rules. However, there are a couple things I suggest you avoid when commenting.
Requesting More
Try not to comment anything that requests more work from the author, even if the work is in progress. This includes asking for updates, wishing for more frequent updates, or requesting a sequel. You can comment after they update, saying that you were so excited to see an update/sequel, but before then, try to appreciate what they have already written, rather than asking for more. Comments which ask for updates can be really discouraging to some authors, who may not be able to update at the speed you would like. Remember, fic is written for free, and the authors do not owe you their work.
Example:
"I'm really intrigued by this concept," as an alternative to, "I can't wait for your next update."
Criticism
If you don't like the fic, best practice is to simply exit the page and move on.
If you mostly liked the fic, but have constructive criticism (referred to as concrit), it is still usually considered impolite to leave the criticism in the comments, unless the author explicitly states that concrit is welcome. Check the tags and/or the authorâs note of the work to see if the author has mentioned that they welcome concrit. I'm not going to cover the details of leaving constructive criticism here, as that would require a separate guide.
If you notice a technical problem with the fic, such as a chapter posting twice or a formatting issue, it is acceptable to comment and inform the author of this. Most authors would rather know about these types of mistakes as soon as possible, as they are easily fixable.
Conclusion
Remember, fandom is a community, and comments help support that community. Let's keep reminding fic authors how much we appreciate them!
If you would like to read more, here is another guide to fanfic comments. It may have much of the same information as this one, but I think it's important to offer multiple perspectives, and the author of the guide, @ciaraloves, was kind enough to let me include a link: https://ciaraloves.tumblr.com/post/663641527307878400/how-to-comment-on-fics.
Thank you for reading!
About the Author
Find me on AO3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebiballerina1
Find me on Dreamwidth at: https://thebiballerina.dreamwidth.org/
@longlivefeedback has an interactive comment builder which works in Excel or Google Sheets. It allows you to select what you liked about the work from a list of suggestions, creates a comment template from your suggestion, and gives you the option to customize your comment at a level you are comfortable with. This is a great tool if you are unsure of what to comment, and it may help you build up the skills to eventually write comments on your own. The blog also has some good resources discussing fanfiction feedback culture, so I suggest you peruse their FAQ as well.
Thank you to longlivefeedback for developing this tool and giving me the permission to mention it here!
I began working on this last summer. Like many veteran fanfiction authors, I lament the decline in commenting that Iâve seen in my fandom, the Tolkien fandom. Iâm also a humanities teacher, so I spend a good part of my day teaching young people how to write, and one lesson Iâve learned the hard way is that each type of writing involves unique skills that have to be learned. And commenting is a unique form of writing and one that comes with added stresses around social expectations and public performance. My research on the Tolkien fanfic community confirms this: Many people want to comment, but they simply donât know what to say.
As a teacher of writing, I often use sentence starters or mentor sentences. The writer uses these to jumpstart their thinking and writing, until they become comfortable enough to begin working independently. â101 Comment Startersâ is built around this research-based strategy of teaching writing.
Some of the comment starters are simple enough that they can be merely copied and pasted. Others require filling in some blanks or providing some elaboration. In some cases, a because can be dropped if the reader isnât comfortable providing that level of elaboration yet. In other cases, a more experienced commenter can add the because and elaborate more on their comment.
They also differ in their level of praise. They range from simple statements of how the author made the reader feel to compliments around an aspect of the authorâs writing or their work in general. Iâve tried to limit words like really, very, and so as much as possible, except when it made the comment feel wooden. Youâre welcome, of course, to add those words in if you feel they more accurately help capture how a story impacted you.
If youâre just starting to comment, please keep in mind that the vast majority of authors will love to hear from you! They donât care how long or elaborate your comment is. They donât care if your English is perfect or if youâre a little awkward. They just want to know that youâre reading and enjoying their work.
Finally, please feel free to reblog and share and add your own comment starters!
I leave a comment on every single fic I read. Sometimes when I read published books I go and leave a comment somewhere the author can find it. Granted, I literally majored in âleaving comments on ficsâ (English Education), but once you start doing it it just becomes second nature. Now youâre gonna go to the Ozymandias school of leaving comments:Â
Problem: I canât leave kudos again.
Beginner: This is a second/third/fourth Kudos
Advanced: This is my second/third/fortieth time reading this, I still love it so much. Here are a few new things I noticed. I like the way you personally do x, y, z compared to other authors Iâve read (in this ship/genre/fandom).
Problem: I donât know what to say :(
Beginner: Just list what you did to read this fic. âI stayed up late reading thisâ, âI read this on a crowded trainâ, âthis kept me company while sickâ.Â
Advanced: X,Y,Z parts made me get butterflies, and I had a physical reaction to this part of the story, I squealed outloud when characters did x,y,z. I blushed at this part. I laughed out loud here. Whatever.Â
Problem: Iâm embarrassed to leave a comment (what if I annoy the author?)
Beginner: Short answer: you wonât EVER annoy the author (unless youâre needlessly mean) But to start, be generic, you donât have to spill your soul in the comments section. âI liked thisâ âI enjoyed reading thisâ ânice ficâ.
Advanced: This really meant a lot to me that you wrote this. This is something I feel like Iâve always wanted to read. This fic hit me in all the right places. Etc.Â
Problem: I donât know how to express myself/my experienceÂ
Beginner: My beginners go to is to highlight a line, put that in your comment and say âi liked thisâ or to identify basic emotions you had while reading and comment those âthis made me happyâ âthis part made me sadâ âi almost criedâ âyou made me laughâÂ
Advanced: âHighlighted lineâ This line made me smile because it has to do with character development/itâs really romantic/itâs so unique/itâs moving. Sometimes I donât highlight a line at all, I just talk about the stuff Iâve noticed were unique to the fic. âI love the way you did this particular thing with this characterâ.Â
This? This is an amazing post. This is the Captain Awkward of commenting postsâit addresses all your fears directly and gives you actionable scripts for each one.
Hey! Some of this can apply to responding to works on writeblr, too! Wonderful advice for if youâre stuck on a comment but you really want to leave one (and you should, if you can!).
Happy to announce that there will be prizes for this event! Everyone who submits a bingo card with a row/column/diagonal will be given 1 entry and people who submit a blackout will be given 3 entries.
So far, the people who have volunteered to offer prizes are:
@samyong: 1k fic
@simply-sithel: 1-5k bound book of a fic of your choice
@miscklaire: custom 2 player ttrpg game
@imaginariumgeographica: 500 word-1k word fic
@hotwenchesummer: 1k fic
Please not that the winners of the drawing will need to work with the volunteers to decide on a prompt that both parties can agree to so that everyone is comfortable!
If you'd like to offer a reward, too, please send me a message! And a hearty thank you to all of our volunteers.
The Comment-a-Thon is looking for a few creators to offer rewards for the winners of the drawing! Please message if you're interested! Could be any creative endeavor, including writing, artwork, moodboards, graphics, gifsets, etc!
Fanworks are one of the amazing parts of fandom. Let's show creators some love by showing their works some love!
What is it?
The Our Flag Means Death Comment-a-Thon is a fandom event geared towards showering creators of our burgeoning fandom with some well-deserved praise. Participating is simple:
Grab a Bingo Card (either sfw or nsfw) of your choosing.
To mark off a box on your bingo card, you need to find something that matches that tag among the OFMD Tags on Ao3 between 4/15/22-5/1/22, preferably with fewer than 100 kudos!
Read the fic or enjoy the art and leave the creator a nice comment! The more detailed, the better, but it's up to you!
You can mark off multiple entries on your card if you read and comment on a work that fits all of those things.
Submit your completed card (a full line, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal OR a blackout for an even shinier prize and massive bragging rights) to the blog.
You'll be entered in a drawing for a reward!
Rewards, you say?
Absolutely! More info later, but I'm hoping to get a few folks to offer sketches, moodboards, or little fics as gifts for drawing winners!
But what if I want to stack the deck?
If you want to cheat, no one is really going to stop you, but Stede will be watching you with very sad puppy eyes. Don't upset him, he's been through enough already.
