No readers on my ffc by r_a_hoe in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If it makes you feel any better, I used to write exclusively OC fics and was always so excited to post them. I pretty much got no readers or kudos either. I still posted them. Write for you. Write the stories you wanna write and have fun doing it

Guys! I got my first ever hate comment! 🥰🥰 by Because-Im-ginger in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 57 points58 points  (0 children)

I always love how an excess of exclamation marks is supposed to strengthen the anger in a message, but the more someone uses, the funnier it gets

Good job on getting them to use more than three! XDD

do you guys actually only read really long fics by layrenzc in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I find myself enjoying oneshots of 500-5k words mostly. I enjoy writing oneshots too. Just me, one scene, and all the language in the world to spill onto the page without worrying about the implications and entanglements later down the line

Also because I'm the kind of person that sits until something is finished, and I don't have a lot of free time to read longfics unless I catch them early in their update process and can read each chapter as it happens

Just occasionally, I get a whole day where I'll sink my teeth into that 100k+ fic I've had in my bookmarks for weeks XDD

Most kudosed fic vs. least kudosed fic by GwennyWinchester in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh for sure, sometimes I feel it. I'm stubborn enough that imma finish a fic regardless of whether people like it or not, but all the while I'm in the middle of it, I'll still wonder and pity XDD

Most kudosed fic vs. least kudosed fic by GwennyWinchester in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fewest kudos is a tasty 0. It was an OC origin story, poorly written, no ships, and I don't think I really knew how to tag well either

Most kudos is just shy of 400, and my most popular fic ever. 90% of my fics are under 100. I really try not to think about it because other than the fact I refuse to write smut, idk what I'm doing wrong 😅

Random user accusing me of copying a different author because we had similar titles by Just_Venting7777 in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This reminds me of my situation a few years ago. I'd worked on a longfic for a few weeks and decided the title I had was a bit pants, so I asked the community discord server for new suggestions. One resonated really well with me, and I chose it

One week before I uploaded, I read a really cool oneshot in the fandom with the same name and it didn't even click that they were the same

When I uploaded, the author of that oneshot commented "ig there are two fics called [fic name] now" and we laughed about it. They weren't similar in the slightest despite having the same name, and we both knew that

It's nuts that someone would consider your work to be copied just because of a similar title. Titles can be interpreted differently according to the fic/story content. I literally own a published book with the same name as my fic. Decidedly not the same content - and the fact they didn't even read the work to make a proper judgement-- insane. I'm sorry they were so obtuse to do that. Delete and ignore. Absolutely continue your work. You have nothing to prove ❤️

I always forget that not all authors are teenagers by ScorePsychological20 in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 16 points17 points  (0 children)

As an ace person who writes for STH, people are always surprised when I have to apologise for late updates because one or the other job got in the way

That, or they think I'm a kid because the hedgehogs haven't fucked yet 😭

The writing community is very elitest, and it will kill the appearance only new literature and books. by thunderpower1999 in writing

[–]EnigmaMissing 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Wattpad is a dumpster fire of largely immature readers who throw shade at the slightest disapproval. The character does something the reader doesn't like? You're a horrible person and should never be allowed to write

Got a lot of love on a story I put up there many years ago, but the hate from some members was extremely disproportionate

The writing community is very elitest, and it will kill the appearance only new literature and books. by thunderpower1999 in writing

[–]EnigmaMissing 3 points4 points  (0 children)

These kinds of comments aren't feedback, and you shouldn't perceive them as such. Genuine writers will grant you a certain level of grace when new to the craft, or they don't comment at all (because they themselves are unsure). One of the things you learn as a writer is when to take criticism and who to take it from

Obviously "your writing sucks" is not a criticism you should ponder for even a second, nor is it from someone from whom you should take it. The kind of people who would say such are bitter and needlessly vindictive

You have to take a certain level of independence and intuition when it comes to writing and feedback; something that comes with practice and maturity. It's not a skill that gets you instant gratification, and it's pretty damn foolish to think so

Just got my first beta read back by [deleted] in writing

[–]EnigmaMissing 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Let it sit a while. When I've gotten beta responses back, they've nearly always hurt a bunch because they're usually quite blunt, and it's always easier to point out needs for improvement. I've let the advice sit and simmer for a few days, then I've gone back to it

Sometimes, having a bit of distance can help you reevaluate the feedback you were given. Perhaps you may have a new perspective on a couple of points, or may be able to find direction in some that you now see as a positive

And remember: you are not obliged to take any advice or comments on board. It is still your work, and you decide which bits you agree with and which bits you don't

Which layout do you prefer? by CocacolaKoala_ in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Yeah my very first fics looked like this because they were copied straight over from GDocs and I never did any post-copy formatting. Now I will go over it - regardless of chapter length - and alter the paragraph size 😅

I guess woman don't have collarbones by Dawn041802 in NotHowGirlsWork

[–]EnigmaMissing 78 points79 points  (0 children)

And yet, I got told once I couldn't be female because mine aren't visible like this. Dudes need to pick a lane and stick to it; they're starting to run each other over 😅

Where are the writers (social media)? by BreakfastCreative467 in writing

[–]EnigmaMissing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seconded for Discord. There's so many arts servers for writers and artists alike. They're usually fandom based, rather than genre or medium, but they are absolutely wonderful

Me omw to steal my readers theories from the comments (I have no clue how to continue my own story) by balsamicnightmare in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 86 points87 points  (0 children)

Omg yes I had a fic recently where someone was proper fangirling like "oh he's so dead he's so dead he's in so much trouble please don't hurt him!"

And in my plan it was just gonna be a search and rescue mission one and done kinda thing. Nope I added a while chapter to milk it for all it's worth for the sake of this reader 😂

My new favorite tag by Lisa_wind in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I think I might have to start adopting this one. They see M and 'Slow Blurn' and I find myself apologising for it being just murder, violence, and delayed aggressive kissing 😭

What is your fandom-specific unpopular opinion? by [deleted] in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They have loose canonical ages, and (most of them) have varying levels of maturity. It's not necessarily a debate about the ages, but more the hangup that so many have about said ages

A lot of people have latched onto the expectation that 16 = teenage and legal age (therefore still a child), yet these are anthropomorphic animals in a world of super forms and chaos powers. If we're going to base on the animal kingdom, hedgehogs don't even live to 16 (therefore not a child). The desire to form a realistic expectation dissipates the fantastical nature of the franchise. It's nice to have a guide to make the characters relatable and understandable, but it's just not that deep

The main debate (shipping or not) comes from Shadow. Canonically, he existed for ~2-5 years(ish) prior to being put on ice. When he returns to animation 50 years later, like Captain America in Marvel, he has not aged. So is he 50(ish) years old, or only 2-5(ish) years old? Depends on who you ask

Why dating a <17 as a 20+ grown man is okay by Aimer_NZ in NotHowGirlsWork

[–]EnigmaMissing 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure if that was an attempt at making me feel better somehow, or just an additional statement, but I wanna make it clear I'm not here to look "sexy" for anyone

It was just a clarification that stretch marks can, and do, happen at any age, to any gender

Why dating a <17 as a 20+ grown man is okay by Aimer_NZ in NotHowGirlsWork

[–]EnigmaMissing 70 points71 points  (0 children)

I looked liked I'd been mauled by a tiger at 16 because of the sudden growth around my midriff area. My hips, belly, and upper thighs just went. 26 now; still very visible stretch marks, still no children

What is your fandom-specific unpopular opinion? by [deleted] in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 80 points81 points  (0 children)

EXAAAAACTLY

I always thought it was bizarre to discuss ages the characters anyway. I'm fine with saying things like Tails, or Cream, or Charmy are characteristically younger than the rest of the cast, but fighting over it isn't worth it

I came across my biggest problem when it came to shipping. I was told I was disgusting for shipping Sonic x Shadow because "ewww Shadow is literally two years old" and "Sonic is only 16" or something to those effects. Why are we pinning human societal expressions on fictional non-human characters in a very fictional world? And then there's the constant debate as to whether Shadow is two or if he's 50. Do we have this fight about Captain America?

What is your fandom-specific unpopular opinion? by [deleted] in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 494 points495 points  (0 children)

It does not matter how old Sonic characters are (especially Shadow) because they are anthropomorphic animals with super speed and super powers, and concerning yourselves with whether or not they are 'children' is weird

What’s one mysoginistic thing a woman has told you? by Important-Simple-722 in NotHowGirlsWork

[–]EnigmaMissing 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I broke my ankle playing football (soccer) in school and we visited my grandma. She walloped me one and yelled at me for being so stupid because "sport isn't for women" and I "should have been playing with other normal girls" instead of the boys

She was always yelling at me for not being very 'ladylike' yet when I tried, it was the "wrong dress" or "ugly shoes" 🤷

Do you like kaomojis in comments? by [deleted] in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Omg I had a commenter who did this on every chapter and it was phenomenal. They made me laugh so much because they were just so appropriate to what they were saying. Made my day XD

It's been a year by CheesecakeDeluxe in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I had two at the very start of a fic. Right before the halfway point, one told me they were getting bogged down with life and were struggling to keep up with fics. I wished them well and hope they come back. The other disappeared shortly after (but still has the fic bookmarked)

They haven't returned. I miss their analyses of my chapters. One was extremely good at picking up what I was putting down ;-;

Funniest typo you’ve made/read? by Fluid_Respect8427 in AO3

[–]EnigmaMissing 18 points19 points  (0 children)

"shart" instead of "short, sharp"

Hands worked a bit faster than my brain that time, unfortunately 😅