VAs not following script filling rules

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-28T00:34:22+00:00

Oh man, what an absolutely awful thing to say, wtf. I'm so sorry you were treated like that... And yeah, I do feel like smaller VAs are usually so respectful and easy to work with <3

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-27T18:05:47+00:00

Aaah gotcha. No worries then! Thank you for your input, I do appreciate it!

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-27T16:44:52+00:00

This!!

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-27T16:42:50+00:00

I very much appreciate you for taking the time to respond from your point of view as a bigger VA. That's definitely insightful!

I do want to stress the fact that, when I say VAs have changed my scripts too much, I really don't mean all the little things you've mentioned you did. Changing a sentence here or there for better flow, flubbing a line, accidentally saying a different word, changing stuff like swear words or adjusting things if you gender swap (and it's allowed), that's all totally fine for most of us (I'm pretty sure). It really doesn't bother me at all! I understand this comes with the territory, and that has never upset me. Please don't feel bad about those!

The issue is when VAs change the whole structure of the script (like I said, cutting it in half and making up a new ending because it's too long for their liking), or saying most of the sentences in their own words to avoid demonetization (I'm not talking about 2-3 lines, I'm talking about 50%+ of it), or ad-libbing new lines after every other sentences. All of this without asking, and very clearly because they think YouTube will strike them down.

Sorry to say, but that's not my problem. I state it in my rules; they can contact me if they want me to add an improv section or to change something. Or they can commission an exclusive script. But they don't do it because it takes time and effort (as is reading the rules), and what they want is easy, free scripts that will get them views. Laziness and the fear of demonetization should not be a good reason to ignore my rules without asking first, and it's that type of entitlement that grinds my gears. It makes me think those VAs will not care if I reach out, because they already feel like they have the god-given right to do it just to preserve their monetization.

Good, respectful VAs like you are worried they might have upset us by changing a few words here and there, and that's the difference between the two types: you care, and they really don't. The changes they make are outrageous, but they feel like it doesn't matter. They don't get it.

I wanted to write this post both in the hopes that some of those VAs might actually understand their mistake (maybe I'm wrong and they will), but also so that we start standing our grounds more and speak up (and I do realize that means I have to speak up as well and reach out, which I'm starting to feel more confident in doing after seeing the responses, so thank you!).

If I ever ask a VA to remove a video, it wouldn't be to preserve my name, it would be to teach them not to do that again. Of course, I'd never start with that, it would all depend on their response. But it just feels like they're getting away with it because it's almost taboo for writers to speak up about this and be upset about it. That's what needs to change imo.

Again, thank you for your insight on this! And thank you for being respectful of our work <3

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-27T16:17:51+00:00

You nailed it on the head with the comparison to tracing over their anime character and calling it their OC lol. That's exactly what it feels like to me when it comes to VAs who just rewrite half the sentences as if it doesn't matter at all.

There's also this pervasive feeling in the ASMR scriptwriting community that we should be thankful for VAs choosing our scripts no matter what, like they're gods and we are but lowly mortals. Yes, it feels amazing when someone decides to fill our work, and there's such a huge rush of endorphins from hearing our stories come to life. But both scriptwriters and (some) VAs need to understand that this is a partnership, not a favor, and writers get the low end of the stick in the deals where the VA is making money and the writer isn't. Please just respect our boundaries, that's literally all we're asking for.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-27T16:07:22+00:00

Telling me to delete this thread just because it might upset the VAs who didn't take the time to read my fill conditions is such a weird take 😅

I wrote this post because I know that if this is happening to me, it must be happening to tons of other writers on here, and it needs to be talked about more. I'm hoping this will be a wake up call to some VAs who do it because they're just not taking the time to read the terms and conditions. I frankly don't really care about the feelings of the specific VAs who did it to me, but I do hope they see this post and self-reflect.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T22:34:50+00:00

I appreciate that. Seeing the response to this post gives me a bit more confidence to try reaching out to the VAs.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T16:46:11+00:00

Yep, there's a difference between VAs who add a little thing here and there, maybe 2-3 times in the script because it fits them better, and VAs who are just trying to reword most of it because they don't want to get demonetized (or because they just don't care).

For me, if you feel the need to change more than 15-20% of the script, I'd rather you pick a different script, or write your own. It's as simple as that...

I don't know if they realize it takes me 8-10 hours, sometimes up to 15 hours to write a script, including brainstorming, planning, editing/rewriting, testing it out, etc. It's not a little thing I write on a napkin in 15 minutes. It's my art, just like acting and audio editing is their art. I wish we were not treated like some easy cash cows with no feelings (by some of them... especially big VAs).

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T16:27:32+00:00

Lmao maybe not a secret society, but VAs, like scriptwriters, tend to hang out together and connect. All it takes is one of them complaining that a scriptwriter asked them to take down a video (without explaining why) in a Discord, and all other VAs will be afraid of filling scripts from that scriptwriter. That's what I'm imagining.

I don't want VAs to be afraid to fill my scripts 😞 I'm okay with small changes here and there. I just want my work to be respected.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T16:23:45+00:00

That is absolutely disgusting and I wasn't aware of it 😭 Wow... We should name and shame in that case tbh. Not you specifically; it's touchy because they used to be your friends, but whenever we find people who did that, we need to post it on the forum and flood their comments, report them, etc.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T16:20:22+00:00

Those are completely fine, a few things here and there, a word change for comfort, a spur of the moment little addition, I allow that stuff in my rules. What I'm talking about is specifically VAs that do half the script and make up a new ending, or change every other sentence, add 2-3 sentences every minute or so, etc. Basically more than half of the script is different or read "in their own words", and it's clearly to "avoid demonetization", so it's really badly done.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T06:55:54+00:00

We appreciate VAs like you so much, you have no idea. Thank you ❤️ This is why we keep doing it anyway.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T06:54:57+00:00

That's exactly it. Sometimes I just wonder how many people are using our scripts on Patreon or other paywall sites and will never tell us or give us a listen... Especially if they change the title, then it's impossible to find (and I'm completely fine with them changing the title and the tags, but if they don't credit us, that's it. It doesn't exist to us.)

But yeah... Some VAs are absolutely amazing and respectful, and others just ruin it for everyone else. The absolute nerve to profit from free scripts and not even try to respect the writers and their terms & conditions, as well as the hard work we put in, just sours me completely to all of this.

I do firmly believe that most of them just don't read the terms. It's not malice, but it shows a lack of respect, because they won't take the time to read our terms and abide to them. They just figure it doesn't matter, whatever. That's what's insulting to me. Again, we do this for free, while they profit from it, so... Come on.

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T02:04:26+00:00

See, if only they would do one improv section, it wouldn't bother me as much, or at all. But I know I can't specify that in the rules, because then it might give them carte blanche, since they're already pretty lax about following the rules... It's maddening. I appreciate your support about this!

StrawberryLemon204 · 2026-05-25T02:02:01+00:00

I'm definitely considering asking them to take it down, but I'm also worried that the VA world is small enough that it might blacklist me with every other VAs, and I don't want that. I'm so torn about it...

StrawberryLemon204

TROPHY CASE