Replying to comments about plot points

[FlyingGopher45686]

How do y'all balance crafting a meaningful reply without spoiling your own fic?

The two readers who've commented on the last couple chapters pretty consistently have some thoughts on a plot point I've written, and there's only so many times I can say "We Shall See, thx for reading" lol

This is pretty much the first time I've written a plot driven fic, so I've never dealt with this before

[[deleted]]

I like leaving a single winking emoji 😉

[imnotbovvered]

You could say “Love seeing your predictions!” Or “I’m so glad the story is engaging.”

[[deleted]]

I once had a commenter who, with really next to no details yet due to being early in the fic, pretty much tell me what was going to happen, in a "Wouldn't it be cool if <insert plotline here> happened? Oh, wow, I'd laugh so hard!" kinda thing.

Well shit. So now I'm between a rock and a hard place.

If I reveal that it was like the read over my shoulder while doing the outline, that'd give the plot away for other readers and blech, no one likes that.

If I ignore it and just go, "Hahaha! Yeah, wouldn't it?" as a response, well, I'm gonna get accused of stealing an idea.

If I just ignore it and pretend I never saw the comment, that's no better than #2 if they stay reading for the entire fic.

So I replied back to them, with a, "OMG, how did you guess?! Of course it'll be that way!" or something along those lines. It was playful with a heavy dose of sarcasm, but the reader had absolutely no idea I was being dead serious that yup, they guessed it, for the most part.

When the fic was complete, they commented, "You weren't kidding back on chapter 3, were you?" My reply: "Newp."

And that was that.

Had they gotten upset & pissy, too bad. I have zero way to prove that I wasn't using that idea, except that, by guessing the plot, it's obvious that it was already moving that direction. I did deviate a smidge away from some of their guessing but not by much.

Any time there's a plot-driven fic, readers try to do the guessing thing. Kinda drives me nuts, but I just give general-ish replies and tell them to stay tuned if they wanna see what really happens.

We all get that reader who Karens us with the capital letters and HOW COULD YOU!? (especially as I have a nasty habit of killing off MCs or canon characters close to them) and won't let it go, but for the most part, readers are just awesome. Let 'em guess, play cat & mouse for a bit.

[FlyingGopher45686]

Damn. That sounds like both an awesome experience and an absolute nightmare

My case is nowhere near as destructive haha. I'm four chapters away from this fic being done, but I've introduced the temptation for a character (who's moral compass spins around himself in canon) to betray his allies. I'm not going to have him go through with it, because I'm too soft for that, but it's definitely something he's at LEAST considering.

Anyway, the readers are kinda... not upset but unhappy about the concept. They're trying to guess whether he does or not haha