Engagement Is More Than Hits
As I struggle to finish my current long fic, I asked myself why I’d use the word struggle.
I’ve only been writing for a year, and only in one fandom, but in 29 of my published 30 works, I’ve never struggled like this. When I started, I was creating photos, and maps, and letters. In short, I was energized. I’ve made playlists and sketches. I was excited. I was creating.
And I got started thinking about engagement.
My favourite thing about this is community. And the community exists in many places - discord servers, tumblr, the hits and comments on AO3. And it comes in many forms. People talk about hits, and kudos, and comments, but that’s only one piece. It’s sharing snippets and getting excited responses, or meaningful feedback. It’s an idea causing a discord board to explode with ideas, and input pouring in faster than you can read it all. Every time I see someone squeal about being gifted fan art, I get a little thrill, because one idea sparked another, and both sides were bettered for it. Engagement is seeing a new chapter drop and running to read it, or finding that fanfic that has its own fanfic. You’re engaging by simply seeing some fanart and recognizing the artist! Has anyone ever DMd you a picture, or a song with “this has [your OC] vibes and I thought of you”? It’s the best feeling.
And for me, without it, it’s just words.
If you have this community, value it. Participate in it, in whatever way you can.
Do you drop kudos on a story that rended the writer’s soul from their chest? Did you catch the easter egg that alludes to another of their works - or another fandom - or an artist?
Do you give that virtual photograph (that took the artist hours, btw) more than a cursory glance before throwing a ❤️ at it? Did you notice the lighting, the props? The nearly-hidden detail that tells a whole second story? Do you participate in reading exchanges? Prompt events? When you play Tumblr games, do you read others’?
It’s a rare thing to have stories and art of such high quality created and distributed by artists and writers who are just in it for the love of the fandom. How amazing to have things touch us deeply enough to have us up sobbing at midnight, or pacing our kitchen, (or squirming like a horny teenager), or yelling at our screens, and to be close enough to the people creating the things to drop an ask, or dm, or comment that reaches them directly (and probably makes their day). This isn’t meant to be a lecture. Not everyone will engage in the same way(s). It's not about the comments, it's about slowing down enough to appreciate what we're consuming. If you're like me, and you're here for the community, appreciate it, participate in it, and do everything you can to keep it thriving.
Love and donuts.
AM
