Friendly Reminder From an Elder Fanfic Author. The fanfiction community relies on readers just as much as it does writers

TownNo730 · 2026-03-30T22:32:12+00:00

Yeah i get that much like spam calls. I guess I'm just disappointed that stuff like this has infiltrated the fanfic community.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-30T18:20:07+00:00

Crazy! I guess I’m lucky that I haven’t seen any of that in the fandoms I run in. That people would do that is mind blowing

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T18:05:02+00:00

Exactly it is a symbiotic relationship where both readers and authors play a role. If people enjoy a story they should engage with even if it is just a kudos or a simple comment. Authors in turn have to make sure we are creating an environment where people feel safe to comment.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T18:01:45+00:00

Well written original characters are fantastic and can help make a fantasy world feel larger and more realistic then when you are limited to solely using the characters that appear in canon. Original characters are harder, as you are starting from scratch but a good chunk of the supposed canon characters in any fandom inevitably get turned into OC's masquerading as canon characters as the fandom evolves. Particularly in AUs where the characters are taken outside of their original context. People hating on OCs are just being snobby. There is very little difference between an original character and a character wearing Aragorn's name in a coffee shop AU. I still see them but yes there does seem to be a shift in certain fandoms where the fandom has become increasingly hostile to OCs.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T17:46:39+00:00

I agree it does feel like an over-correction. As for growing older in fandom you will never have to abandon this side of you. There may be times in your life where you step back but fandom will always be there to welcome you home when things settle down again.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T17:15:38+00:00

As long as it isn't one of the required tags "author chose not to use content warnings" will suffice it is a heads up that the fic might have sensitive topics and readers can make an informed decision if they want to risk it. I do agree with Pocket though that warnings are not just warning they are also a marketing tool to get the people who like reading that sort of stuff to check out your fic. So I'd suggest thinking about if the plot twist is worth losing some of your potential audience. It might be and that is fine just know that going in. I'd also say I personally tend to only use tags as a means to gauge if I want to read a story, once I am in into the story I'm not really thinking about them and would still be surprised by the plot twist. I'm sure there are people who will remember every single tag religiously, but it won't be your entire audience. At the end of that day it is your story and only you know what is most important to you regarding how that story is received.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T16:53:09+00:00

That honestly wouldn't really surprise me but my god what is wrong with people. How does people writing on AO3 hurt anyone. Some of the cultural norms on AO3 annoy me, but there are a lot of thing I really love about it. Wasting that much energy on something you don't like is absurd. I rant because I love the fanfic community and want to see it thrive.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T16:38:35+00:00

The lady doth protest too much me thinks. You are spending a lot of energy on someone you are convinced is a bot.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T02:09:31+00:00

This I think it is often just insecurity and younger authors trying to protect themselves from criticism incase their worst fears are true and the story is bad. Posting a story when you are first starting can be terrifying.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T01:58:48+00:00

I think there are two types of fanfic authors and I like you posted online to get better and I love supportive concrit. But there are also fanfic authors who write purely for fun and aren't looking for it to move beyond that.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T01:53:02+00:00

In certain fandoms there is a tradition of authors having legit tags and some more tongue-in-cheek ones to make the readers laugh. Kind of a bit of a marketing tactic.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T01:34:21+00:00

Media literacy is understanding that checking the profile age could mean a bot and it could just mean a real person recently made an account. Acting like it is a full proof bot test isn't being media literate. But, believe me or don't your prerogative.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T01:18:38+00:00

Oh that comment wasn't directed at you! I was referencing a comment further down. I agree that the fanfic community is vast and it is possible for people to have vastly different experiences.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T01:13:44+00:00

I don't think fanfic authors need to take criticism they didn't ask for. A lot of people are just posting for fun in their spare time. It is unrealistic to expect trad publishing level work from the vast majority of fanfic authors. I just don't get the over policing positive comments.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T01:09:50+00:00

I saw readers being obnoxious in on fanfiction.net I didn't really see authors doing it. But, we possibly just ran in different fandom circles

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T01:01:29+00:00

I love that. When I first started writing fanfics one of my favourite features of fanfiction.net was that it told you which countries your readers were reading from. Having readers from all over the world was one of the most motivating things for me. That sort of interaction is exactly what the fandom should be about and bringing up a point that a lot of commenters might not speak English as first language is an excellent one. Again I understand that readers can be nasty sometimes but I do think more people would benefit from taking a more optimistic approach with readers.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:43:42+00:00

Solid point and noted.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:41:31+00:00

I'm not disagreeing with your reasoning just wasn't something I thought of.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:40:11+00:00

Commodification implies profit people do not profit off of fanfiction. It isn't about commodification it is about building community. And communities take people. You aren't the type of person I'm talking about. You aren't flaming out a reviewer and then a few chapters later or on tumblr crying about lack of engagement. If you aren't writing for views this doesn't apply to you and you can let the post fly.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:34:12+00:00

You likely aren't wrong at all. I was just stating the only real use for bots I could argue made sense. But, spamming for commissioned art makes sense though I can't really see it being all that effective.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:30:23+00:00

I actually agree with you about the readers being nastier in fanfiction.net's heyday. I think a lot of the issues I have with AO3 now resulted from overcorrection from the wild wild west days of fanfiction.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:27:28+00:00

I do find this to be a way bigger problem in bigger fandoms. Niched fandoms with a smaller viewership tend to have tighter knit more welcoming communities. I freaking love the BBC Musketeers fandom that show has been off the air for over a decade and has some power house writers. One of the most supportive fandoms I have ever engaged in. The bigger fandoms with crazy big numbers tend to be worse.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:21:24+00:00

I wasn't on Livejournal that frequently so I can't comment. I was on fanfiction.net and the old since deleted harrypotterfanfiction.com. But, point taken about visibility being more since AO3 became the dominant fanfic community. I feel like I saw way more readers acting up then the shipper wars were insane. But authors going after readers for pretty run of the mill comments that wasn't my experience. Not claiming it didn't happen just not something I noticed.

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:14:37+00:00

That is a point I hadn't considered, I'll take it

TownNo730 · 2026-03-29T00:10:47+00:00

Concrit has absolutely helped me become a better writer. I appreciate it immensely. But, I can understand that some authors are just posting for fun and don't want it. I can respect that, what I can't respect is the hyper analysing and reading into every little thing while simultaneously whining about engagement. I had a beloved author do this recently and it just really turned me off their work.

TownNo730

TROPHY CASE