#i did reply

[rainbowxfmuses]

//Tumblr keeps untagging my posts.

[screamting]

so I guess to reassure people: that comment I was complaining about? I know that wasn’t a usual fic reader. they didn’t have an account made up, they didn’t seem to know much about courtesy-- i know that was a daylurker who hadn’t yet figured out that they didn’t have to put their sexuality as a disclaimer when reading gay sex.

it just makes me think about how often i see a lot of posts about “i love any comment on my fics.”

I don’t. Not these kinds of comments. Not one bit.

I’ve been around since the flames of ffnet and you used the flames to toast marshmellows, okay? It doesn’t matter that it’s not flat-out hate, I do not appreciate it when people say they could “manage to get through” fics, though they had to “take a couple of breaks” because it was so strange for them to read about just... two dudes porkin while havin their feelings out. And because the emotional arc of the story continued into the sex scene, somehow that made it unskippable, I guess? Or they didn’t realize the sex was coming up despite all the signs like going to get a condom and the guys actually talking about “hey do you want this?”

That’s when you tap out if you don’t want it. I have skipped over a lot of sex scenes in my time with far less warning. I’ve been in the middle of a sentence and gone “ugh,” then scrolled down a few paragraphs until it was over. I know now everyone has my same laser-like ability to spot foreshadowing, but when the title of the chapter is “they fuck in this chapter, you don’t have to read it” and they start discussing grabbing condoms and lube, you don’t.... need to really call that foreshadowing.

Here is my point:

You can absolutely ask for a change in a fic. Just ask for it. Skip the corollary. Skip the “i’m 95% straight, but this was an okay read.” I really don’t need that comment. I don’t want it at all, actually. I would take zero comment over that. I’m not shunning that they wanted me to make a change, but if they hadn’t gone through a whole paragraph of passive-aggressively ‘complimenting’ it, the ask would’ve come out a lot differently on the other side.

it’s fine to just say what you need, and put a period at the end. example: “Hey, if there could’ve been a warning immediately before the sex scene in this chapter, I would appreciate it.” That can be the whole comment. That’s perfectly acceptable.

My reply is either gonna be “yeah ok my b” and I do it, or I explain why I chose not to do that in the first place, which was that the whole chapter is kind of a segue into it, so it was hard to find any direct cutoff point, so I cut off at the most narratively pleasing place instead, and that I didn’t expect anyone who wanted to avoid the sex to even read this chapter at all, because of the title. And then I might try to add a warning in there anyway, since there was a request specifically for that now.

This is a subset of “don’t critique fic unless it’s asked for.” Yeah fuckin critique fic, but do it in the “please add this warning to this part” way, or the “hey this specific part was well done” way. Critique is not a purely negative thing. Point out the good parts of shit that you enjoyed, that’s part of critique. And pointing out where maybe a warning was needed is part of critique. If you put them together! wow!! a full comment that is nice and honest!! I’m glad you were here and cared enough to let me know you had a thought about future readers’ comfort!

if you preface your comment with “so this was okay I guess, even though i’m 95% straight I could manage to make it through, though I had to take a couple of breaks” then like... you’re still trapped in ffnet circa 2006 my dude

don’t like, don’t read.

[cassandraatthegates]

X

[impala-dreamer]

i think tumblr just ate my ask responses. I’m sorry! grumble grumble.

[spaceandghosts]

So I just realised that all the asks I have ever replied to on tumblr never got answered?¿???¿ like the answer never got posted, so it just looks like I never answered them @ staff what the fuck?

[astudyincastiel]

tumblr apparently has something against actually sending my messages.

just. fuck you, sir. :c

[whenthesmokeisinyoureyes]

where art thou my anon? :-{ (<-- creepy crying face)

[abigail-clark]