Fanfic writers: We like comments! Please tell us when you like our stories!
Fanfic readers: Write for yourself and stop being entitled and whiny. We don’t owe you anything. 😇
Okay, we don’t owe you, the readers, anything either, but that’s not how fandom works. That’s not how community works. This is not a give and take. This is a discussion. How would you feel if you worked your ass off on something you’re super excited about, show it to others, and then get crickets? It’s disheartening.
And then these same people are the actual entitled and whiny ones who get pissed when writers don’t share their stories. Hypocritical much?
Making a post about a character and someone whose pfp is that character liking the post is better than having a 1000 notes. The #1 authority on blorbo agrees with my take on blorbo and I think that's neat.
I wonder how many of you realise the gift that you offer to fandoms spaces. I hope you know it 🫶
In a distracted world, where endless short reels dominate fandom spaces, I think there’s something quite beautiful about the stillness fanfic offers. It can grab someone’s full attention, transport them, make them think, make them feel.
There’s something so pure and giving about the intention too. So much fandom content today is about views, clicks, even monetisation. But fanfic is free stories, made with love, for community, by community. A bid, not for attention, but for connection with fellow fans,
Even if you haven’t gotten a single comment yet, and I know engagement is a struggle these days, don’t give up. Because one day, someday, someone will love and remember something that you wrote. It could stay with them for weeks, maybe even years. I still remember how some fanfic made me feel more than a decade later.
So keep writing my peeps. You are the true bedrock of fandom. Much love. 🧡🧡
Friends, buddies, beloveds, I am taking your hands. We gotta remember that it is Not Cool to steal art from people on other platforms.
You spend your time and energy and love creating a piece of art. You post it on your social media of choice and some people interact with it.
But then some stranger screenshots your hard work and posts it somewhere else and people start praising your work and interacting with it and you have no idea because it’s a platform you’re not even on.
That’s Not Cool right? That sucks and kind of hurts, doesn’t it?
Okay, so when we see art that is posted by someone who is not the artist and has a tiny little credit to someone on another platform, we’re not going to reblog that right? If we can, we’re going to go to the other platform and give love where the artist can see it and we’re not going to give notes to the art thief?
the thing is if you’re gonna be an asshole in a small fandom like abby’s, most of us are gonna know about it by lunch. we are kind, supportive queers in this house. consider how you’re gonna get new content (fanfics, fan art, etc.) if 90% of the fandom end up blocking you.
Okay, in the seemingly neverending battle for writers and artists to get feedback, engagement, and otherwise have people talk to them about their creations, I'm wondering if part of the problem is the fear of being seen as a forming a parasocial relationship with said creator.
I feel like there's confusion over what a parasocial relationship is.
(Granted, this may not be a reason at all, but I've seen a number of posts from people claiming they don't want to comment or DM or ask questions for fear of that being seen as parasocial behavior. So I thought I'd address it to clear the air.)
So. Parasocial relationships are essentially defined as a one-sided sense of intimacy or connection toward someone you do not know. The easiest examples to cite are overzealous fans who take it extremely personally when the object of their fascination (a celebrity, in most cases) enters a relationship or says or does something that they, the fan, personally takes as an insult or slight. The fan has formed an unhealthy 'relationship' in regards to that celebrity--who does not know of their existence--and becomes upset about it to a disturbing degree.
What we, the writers and artists of fandoms, are requesting isn't this degree of obsession or fascination. Being social isn't the same thing as being parasocial. Engaging in conversation about a drawing or story isn't the same as building a shrine to us in your closet.
Fandom is community. Community is grown from conversation. From connection. Simply commenting on a fic, or having a back and forth with an artist isn't parasocial behavior. That's social behavior, which is healthy, for both the fandom and human beings in general.
You can love a person's work. You can find their posts funny or smart or whatever. You can be sad if they're sad or happy when they're happy. You can comment on their stuff, ask questions and respond in a conversation. That's not parasocial. That's perfectly fine. Encouraged, even!
If, however, you start to stalk them, treat them as though you're besties just because you've chatted a few times (or never at all!), become overly obsessed with them or their creations, and feel you have some special connection to them, that's parasocial. That's bad.
Think of it this way. If you met someone in one of your classes, or at your job, and you thought they were funny or sweet or told good stories, it would be perfectly okay to chat with them, to exchange a little small talk, maybe even compliment them. Everyone likes to be genuinely complimented.
It would not be okay to follow them everywhere, to act like you're besties, to comment about how you didn't like when they did this or that, how they should do more of this other thing you personally liked. How they shouldn't interact with this other person, or this topic because it bothers you. Because that would be creepy and weird.
Be social. Be friendly. That's what we're looking for. That's why we post. It's not fun to hear nothing but crickets over something you worked hard on, and reaching out to tell an artist or writer your thoughts on their post is going to make their day.
