[the-pen-pot]

Nah, fam. It's not about "taking" criticism. It's about the fact that unless a writer asks for it specifically, it's a dick thing to do on a website that is rooted in community.

If a writer wants critique they will ask trusted friends or professional associates (in the relevant field). When a writer shares a fic on AO3 it's not necessarily with the aim of improving their craft (there are better places for that). It's about sharing joy.

Positive comments enhance that feeling of joy and community. Negative comments do not.

Fic isn't a product to be evaluated. If it's not for you, then you can just walk away. 😁

[the-reading-lemon]

I'm so tired of this discussion - why do all these people think they're entitled to offer critique on a fic author's work?

When you get a hand-made gift from someone, do you verbally rip it apart in front of them and point out every flaw or perceived flaw you can find? Congratulations, that person will never put the time, love and effort into making anything for you again, and they may question themselves so much they won't ever make anything for anyone else again, either. Well done, you've now deprived a whole community of art and an artist of their source of joy because you're an ungrateful walnut who can't say 'Thank you' and appreciate what you got for free.

Your opinion is not universal. Your tastes are not universal. Your preferred style is not universal. Authors can write whatever the fuck they want and unless you specifically commissioned a fic, you get no say in it.

Tl;dnr: If you don't like a fic or piece of art, hit the back button and keep your mouth shut. If you didn't like something, it likely wasn't meant for you and your 'criticism' is not wanted or helpful. Fandom is about community and lifting each other up, not about you shitting all over another person's work because you think your opinion matters.

[atlinmerrick]

THIS FOREVER.

Fanfiction is a gift given, it's not a product you purchased at a shopping center. It's a gift. It's a gift crafted with joy. If you come along and piss on someone's joy don't be surprised when people rise in defense of the creator and bar the door to you in the form of deleted comments. I always delete cruel comments and I write for a living. My fanfiction is for happiness.

You. Don't. Get. An opinion. On my. Happiness.

[silentturtle]

This.

[littlefreya]

I will forever reblog this every time it’s on my dash because it should be this loud and simple. 💖

[khantoelessar]

YES!!!

[dzkat2]

Amen! ❤️

[the-bar-sinister]

🔹 You are allowed to write fiction in whatever style you want.

🔹 Your fiction writing does not have to conform to academic writing standards.

🔹 You are allowed to repeat words.

🔹 You are allowed to use dialects, incomplete phrases, slang etc, in dialogue or in the body of your prose.

🔹 You are allowed to have idiosyncratic phrasing.

🔹 You are allowed to be verbose.

🔹 You are allowed to be concise. 

🔹 You are damned well allowed to fucking swear, I shit you not.

🔹 You are allowed to use said tags liberally or to omit them as much as possible.

🔹 You are allowed to use adverbs liberally or to omit them as much as possible.

🔹 You are allowed to make mince-meat out of grammar rules for effect.

🔹 Your fiction is not bound or to be judged by academic writing standards.

🔹 You are allowed to write fiction any way you want, even if it is not ‘correct’ in terms of writing rules.

🔹 There are no absolute rules for writing fiction.

[ad-wills]

[gaslightwestern]

Blackwater: Chapter 31 Excerpt

Shining shoes propped up on the table, Dutch lowered them and yesterday’s edition of The Blackwater Ledger as John approached. All paisley and pinstripes again. Trust Dutch to find a way to treat himself to a new suit while on-the-run. He slid the newspaper forward. Chaos in Blackwater! Famed Detective Still at Large! John shut up the screaming headlines by setting the tray down hard. Micah had already told him everything.

“Worry not, John.” His lip hitched along with his brow. “Knowing Hosea, he’s been safely tucked away in a safehouse out west with Mr. Smith and Mrs. Adler.”

John lit up a cigarette he stole from Bill. He didn’t want to think about the unspoken name; the familiar face on the front page. He ought to walk away but it wouldn’t change anything. For John, Arthur was inescapable. Hell, this was the table where they sat together the first night he stopped by. Arthur had been so surly, so guarded, so determined to help even though he barely knew John and would’ve been better off never knowing him. Look at what it got him. At least being a fugitive kept Arthur safe from John, his promise to Micah, and every other danger Blackwater held.

[barghest-land]

him 🤲

[reiverreturns]

rdr2 is such a special game to replay because. god. the whole thing is a ghost story. the gang is dead before they even reach colter. everything that tears them apart - the mistrust, the friction, the loss, the lack of place and time - it’s there from the beginning. before the beginning. papered over by a veneer of love and care and family but when the last of it leaves they’re all just. gone. scraps of newspaper headlines faded in the sun and wooden grave markers that will rot and fall back into the earth. if you’ve played rdr you know what happens to these characters. you play your first playthrough of rdr2 knowing you’re hurtling towards an inescapable end. you play every one thereafter knowing the end has already come.

[marthalovesu]

This text hurt me so freaking much. In a pleasant way.

[mahawavy]

[mephistia-arts]

when the world was dead and gray

[telumendils]

Alva — Horizon: Forbidden West (2022)

[summoneryuna]

[yeehawpurgatory]

Traditional artist tries digital f. Arthur Morgan

[arsuf]

Horizon Zero Dawn gifs ► [74/?]

[cowboyrainy]

Dunno why he looks so grumpy here xD

[sadieadler]

dream state •

[sadieadler]

way out there •

[itspapillonnoir-deactivated2023]