On Author Burnout, Toxicity, and Expectations · 12:45am Jul 14th, 2014
EDIT: Not taking a break. Not quite sure how so many of you got that impression.
I'm not quitting the fandom, so those of you in the process of having a heart attack should promptly stop doing so. On the other hoof, the last time I quit the fandom, I followed it up by writing about 25,000 words of one of my best stories within two weeks. Don't expect that either.
Before I start rambling in earnest, I just want to announce that I'll be at Bronycon in a couple of weeks. If you want to hang out with me, that's your best chance to do so.
Let's be real. Writers quit writing all the time. Before I wrote this, I did a pass through the top fifty and checked out how many had left. My criteria were either not logging on in the last six months or posting an 'I quit' blog entry. I found eight: deviceheretic, darf, TAW, Kaiden, Butterscotchsundae, TwilightClopple, CloudySkies, and AbsoluteAnonymous. The question is why they did so.
Quite a few of them said pressure to write and please their fans was at least a contributing factor. Or that 'ungrateful' or 'entitled' fans of their work were harassing them. I can't say I get that. My fans (you guys) are pretty awesome. No , I'm not pandering. Well, not just pandering. But the criticism I get is usually more detailed and constructive than just 'you suck' or 'awesome, when's the next chapter?' So, to put it simply, why is that? And the ''write faster' stuff I shrug off fairly easily. Why do some authors draw an undue amount of hate? Few of them deserve it, judging strictly by their stories. Hell, I've Liked and Favorited more than a few stories by these people. And I'm not a nobody here on Fimfic. If it were a matter of numbers, I like to think I'm not oblivious enough not to notice it happening. Putting my ego aside I'm (ugh, I hate even typing this) kind of a big deal around here. So if attracting a following automatically led to being harassed by hordes of fedora-wearing excuses for people, I probably would have by now. But obviously it contributed to their quitting. How to explain that?
Certainly there are authors with hatedoms. I mean, Chatoyance literally has her own entry on Fimfiction Drama's list of future topics. Is it warranted? I've had my run-ins with Chat, but I've always found her to be a fairly respectful individual. Sure, I disagree with her about pretty much everything politically. We've both played in the Optimalverse sandbox, and frankly I benefited from her doing so. I like her work and we've exchanged more than a few PMs. I think we have a mutual respect for one another, and while I recognize that there are problematic elements in her work I would happily recommend her Conversion Bureau stories to anyone interested in that AU. Did she do something specific to earn the hate she gets whenever she submits a story? What separates me from her?
It isn't that I haven't courted controversy. Between No Good Answers and my XCOM fic (only fic I'd say was a mistake, right there) I've certainly given any haters opportunity to slam me. And that time I got into it with one of the mods? Still embarrassed about that. But I haven't attracted a following of people who have sufficient energy and motivation to devote time to despising me. You guys have failed to delude me with PMs about how much I suck (please don't, by the way).
I'm forced to wonder why not. And I've also noticed that 5/8 of the Top 50 list of authors who have quit are people who've written a substantial amount of clop. Now, I've got nothing against clop. Writing good erotica is just as hard (oh, grow up) as writing Everyone or Teen rated stuff. I didn't realize that until I tried to write it myself, and frankly I don't have what it takes to be a good clop author. But that still seems like a disproportionate number of porn writers versus other authors. I've been pondering this for a while. What I've concluded is that authors get an audience that reflects themselves. If you're an angry misanthrope, your stories will attract anger in response. I'm not angry. That's not boasting, I'm just a very flat and level person emotionally. Most of the time, at least. I also expect a certain degree of smarts from my readers. I'll meet you halfway, but no more. Is my following just more tolerant in general? I get criticized, but it's DannyJ and Jakethearmyguy instead of a toxic pile of bullshit. I'm absurdly grateful for that, and a better writer for their efforts to keep me honest. I guess what I'm ultimately saying is that if my fans are a reflection of myself, then I'm a way better person than I thought I was. And for that I can't thank you all enough. Are we toxic? Not in my experience. I have no definitive conclusions, but I believe in this fandom. Y'all are pretty freakin' awesome. Please continue not being humongous douchebags. I'm much obliged.
Please also continue both keeping me honest and enjoying my work. I could, but wouldn't do this without you. But anyone with an explanation for why those authors left, please clue me in. Because I ultimately don't get it.
DH was his own worst enemy, sadly. Skilled writer. Very bad at handling the interwebs. We're talking about a man who despite being warned that feeding the trolls makes it worse, immediately goes ahead and does just that... making it worse. Over and over and over.
Damn it Eakin, you're making it really hard for me to resent you leaving for a while.
I try, and I try, and I just can't work up the entitlement to begrudge you this.
And it's such a shame, because I'm going to miss the hell out of you (temporarily), and entitlement would have at least passed some of the time between your epic gifts of words.
2281779
This. 500% this.
Well said, as I have nothing constructive to add I'll just leave on this note:
I believe Cloudy felt that for the amount of work/effort spent making his fics perfect (and to be honest, they *are* all very good), the attention he got was very often underwhelming (which, again, to be honest, is also true. He never got as much attention as fics that quality deserve). Otherwise, I think there might have been other outside-of-pony factors. Depression for some people, family issues, etc etc that kinda take over and just makes one think that spending time writing for people who will more often than not bitch about it, is just not worth it?
My guess, at least.
Some authors I think just got fed up. I know DH gave up after hate happened excessively, and AA, IIRC, just got bored and moved on from this site.
And I'd like to point out the "Vocal Minority" rule, for every hater you'll easily find 10 people who like what you do and have nothing against you.
Also I'd like to point out that we are all random people on the internet writing words about fictional magic horses. If I received hate for doing so I'd just take it and run with it and laugh maniacally along the way.
Eakin, I have nothing but respect for both you.
darf was... look, I love the guy. I chatted with him a few times, and worked with him for a while, and I always found him to be a cool bro. But... well, he was a bit full of himself. He was upset that his shittiest clopfic would dominate the feature box, but the works he poured his heart and soul into would get passed up for Halo Crossover # 26352 and HiE crapfic. Still, I miss that perverted fuck, man. He wrote good horsewords.
Eakin, we must hang at Bronycon. Come to the fan fiction panel and harrass me.
fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/262/6/2/senpai_noticed_me_by_kira_nyan-d6mwiew.png
So as I understand it, you'll be taking a break from writing? Will you still be reading and interacting?
As for everything else you said, I haven't been a part of the fandom long enough to understand most of what you're saying.
2281806
I guess I'm just wondering why I don't experience that sort of hate. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I don't, but it does leave me a bit confused when I hear others complaining about the price of fame while I'm just chilling out without incident.
Yeah, I need to stop being an angry misanthrope. :|
2281828
Happily! We had a brief encounter last year but I'd love to actually hang out with you for more than fifteen seconds.
2281830
Not sure where you got that. Not taking a break from anything.
This wasn't her main reason for leaving, but AbsoluteAnonymous was upset that her crackfic garnered so much more attention than her gem.
I'm 95% confident that this is the Tumblr she uses, but I got blocked last time I asked something pony-related to her.
I'm guessing she didn't want to live up to her follower's expectations.
Eh, we all need a break from time to time. No matter what we do but especially in the entertainment business. Hope your not gone too long, though. After all, your one of the best authors on here.
2281849
Oh, so this was just a general discussion? Ah.
So are you submitting a "What Ye Sow So Shall Ye Reap" theory of fanbases? That certainly would be flattering to me personally because my regulars are certainly on the awesome end.
Also, as a point of discussion, is there something about writing sensual fiction that breeds more entitlement in watchers? I can't comment on this aspect, having no direct experience on the writing end; but my casual experience with reading comments on mature art (across a couple different genres) is that you're about five hundred percent more likely to see feedback that reads "THIS IS PRETTY GOOD BUT YOU SHOULD WRITE A STORY ABOUT (my own fetish)" as though the experience in the mind of the reader is so inwardly focused that they don't recognize the artist as anything other than a content delivery system that produces raw material that suits their own needs to greater or lesser degrees. If that's the experience from the creator side of things I don't wonder why there's burnout.
Unrelatedly, Eakin, THE TIME LOOP TRILOGY WAS PRETTY GOOD BUT YOU SHOULD WRITE A STORY ABOUT PRINCESS CADANCE.
Lastly, are you going on a break or are you not going on a break? That point kind of got muddied in the musing.
I'm glad you're not receiving hate and you did give me a mini heart attack.
I think you're a pretty decent guy, Eakin, and that you're right... we all interact with our fans in different ways and that's what dictates our relationships with them. I don't know how much hate mail DH actually got, but I can say I didn't really see him deal with the situation the way he could've.
I dunno. Chat and I are not friends, but like you, every time I talk to her, she responds respectfully and in a friendly manner, even if we disagree, so I really don't see where most of that hatred comes from.... I guess it's just the big mystery of the internet.
I have to question your methodology: wouldn't the current top 50 show a deceptively low proportion of people who've quit or dropped out of the site, since such people presumably begin losing followers immediately even as the rest continue to gain them? Though of course that means the ones you did find were, like, stupendously super-popular, which may be what you wanted.
2281786
2281855
Not quite sure where you got that from. I doubt I could quit writing for y'all if I tried.
2281859
I think there's something to the idea that those who are just in it for porn are more entitled than a general audience.
And MAYBE I WILL! YOU AREN'T THE BOSS OF ME!
No hiatus in the works.
I don't know why some people accrue hate. I really don't know. It's not easy being a fan of most everything, because it's so easy to find people who aren't. Who go around listing all the reasons why something I enjoy is bad and why I should feel bad for liking it. And I go back, I reread it, and I just. Don't. See it. And so I wonder if it's just a difference of opinion, or if there's something wrong with one of us.
...
Anyway. If you're feeling run down, by all means, take a break and recharge your creative juices. We'll be here.
2281846
Haha! Now I know where/how to find BOTH of you at BronyCon!
2281885
The title and the first line
Seemed to imply you felt the need to go on a temporary hiatus.
Knowing it's merely outside-looking-in-speculating, in retrospect, I can also see how what I interpreted as your justifications for it being only temporary were actually explanations meaning you weren't going anywhere at all.
I have a friend who was fairly popular in the fandom back before this site even existed (Oh, those awful days when we had to read our ponyfics on deviantArt, Google Docs, or Celestia forbid, fanfiction.net), who has since stopped writing ponies and hasn't been on this site in a long time. Last I talked to her, she was still a fan of ponies and everything, but a combination of things like writer's block and the tendency of school to keep you ridiculously busy has effectively put her writing on an indefinite hiatus. So sometimes that's it. Life happens. No drama-filled explosion or anything like that.
Now, the only time I've watched as an explosion stopped someone's writing like that was with Kaiden. So I probably don't really know what I'm talking about here, but I'm going to take some guesses.
One explanation might be that these people have gotten tired of writing pony stories, and are only doing so because they feel some sort of obligation to their readers. So then when the smallest bit of drama pops up, they (perhaps subconsciously) decide it means that their readers don't care about them anymore and they quit.
Another explanation is that writers (or at least the good ones) put a lot of effort into their stories, but they don't necessarily get much back for it. If they're writing for themselves and because they enjoy it, then that might be rewarding enough to keep them going (though if it loses its appeal eventually, they're almost sure to leave). If they're writing to make others happy, that might keep them going until some drama happens, and then see the first scenario. But if they're writing because they think they'll get anything else out of it, I think they're almost certain to be disappointed.
These motivations might not always be conscious either. Some writers might just be subconsciously hoping that their writing will get them more than some nice comments. So when that doesn't happen, they start getting jaded and disinterested and eventually they disappear.
I don't know, that's all I've got for now. Eakin, I don't know all the reasons you write these stories, but if it will make you feel more appreciated for doing so, I'll gladly give you a hug at Bronycon.
2281831
Maybe they are the reverse vocal minority, and blow the hate out of proportion?
Actually, it's more likely that they had one or two extremely vocal haters hound them. But that's why the block button was invented.
Device Heretic quit for 1 of 2 reasons:
1. He would talk about something controversial, watch the comments, and then play victim (which he honestly sometimes was; a number of people posted comments just to shit on him).
2. In a much more likely scenario (though I'm sure the above is not a complete falsification), it was the reasons you described above. It also didn't help that a fair number of people thought that Eternal was overrated and 3edgy5me, and thus made comments saying such.
I also think he couldn't handle pressure all that well. It truly didn't help when he'd make the occasional polarizing opinion (assuming everyone who writes HiE are projecting themselves or their situations in the story because they want escape from real life [true to a degree, but certainly not a majority] and criticizing hotdiggedydemon's APPLE.MOV series [subjective, but can be justified] and also saying in no uncertain terms that anyone who likes them, even his own followers, are terrible human beings and should kill themselves [definitely not justified, though he did say the first one was 'alright']).
Device Heretic had an alternate account called biologic orthodoxy where he posted his clopfics. After he quit posting on both of his accounts, he did a collab with SleeplessBrony (of Romance Reports fame) called The Other Mare.
As for why I think you've avoided all this is because of the quality of your stories and that you keep this aura of professionalism around you that influences people to respect you instead of hating you or having a hateful fanbase.
Yer a great man, Eakin. You write great stories and you don't shit on other people.
That's pretty much it, as far as I know. Having chatted to you briefly a few times, I'm glad I have.
Keep doing what you do, at your own pace.
It's nice to see that some people see the difficulty of writing decent erotica. But the authors of pure, or even primarily, clop seem to all run into similar problems.
They run out of things to write. No matter how talented you are, there are only so many ways to write a sex scene. So authors like Butterscotch Sundae and TwilightClopple seem to run out of inspiration fairly quickly.
I've noticed that the authors that stick around seem to have either a diverse set of interests, or a large, persistent world to play around in.
2281885 Oh, so this was just something you noticed and wanted to talk about? Alright, cool.
Also this sentence kinda lead me to believe a temporary hiatus was on the horizon.
2281836 Oh yeah? Well, I hate everything you love! And your political opinions are seriously flawed! And your favorite sports team is, like, totally stupid and... yeah I'm not that good at this sort of thing.
Looking at deviceheretic and Chat, I would guess a significant reason you don't receive that type of hate is that, given what I have seen, you don't react to the more trollish members that infect all internet communities. The two people I mentioned had a tendency to get into it with their haters, posted dramaish blog post, and so probably only fueled their haters and got the more trollish ones riles up over getting a reaction.
I know that I have my own haters. Partially because I write stories for the whole Winingverse, and partially because I'm a new writer and I made some goofs with my first story. But I've never really reacted to my haters, and even when I've seen things like them trashing one of my stories on another, totally different person's story, I choose not to add to the flamewar. So it helps keep things compartmentalized and doesn't add fuel to the fire.
Regarding your theory about clop fics and garnering a certain kind of audience. I wonder if aside from the content itself that kind of "disposable" story generates more pressure from followers wanting more which accelerates the life of the author/follower organism.
Thanks for helping me figure out what I have felt has been missing for awhile on this site but couldn't put my finger on, Cloudy Skies.
Will you be a a panel or someplace where I know you will be so I can get your autograph?
2281948 Is it me...
or am I just naturally good at avoiding the drama on this site. Because I've been just about everywhere and talked to a lot of authors, but I still somehow missed ALL of this happening around me. 
I can't tell if it's a blessing that I'm not involved or a curse cuz I'm missing this entertainment.
2281874
Looking at some of the blog entries and comment threads, with the caveat that I am doing so strictly as an outsider...
Chat has a number of extreme opinions on some fairly controversial topics, the truth of which she is very certain of. She expresses herself eloquently and with conviction, and she never softens her stance by reaching over the line to the other side. You never see her ending her blog posts with a waffling "But, well, you know, your mileage may vary" like I would, and I worry that this makes me the worse person rather than the better one.
That said, this practice makes her a polarizing figure, and the matter is not helped by the fact that one begins to get the sense that no matter how aesthetically-pleasing you find her writing, it all exists to advance the same uncompromising worldview. It turns people who merely disagree with her into people who feel the need to point out to her exactly where they feel she is wrong. I know I've (successfully) struggled with the urge to hammer out barely-literate argumentative comments disagreeing with a Chat story. I don't know. Something about the uncompromising worldview makes me feel like she's attacking me, when she's doing nothing more than holding a viewpoint and using her stories to advance it. As though she's telling me, without saying a single word, that I'm not allowed to disagree.
She exists on the opposite end of the political spectrum, but I get the same feeling from reading a Chat story as I get from reading Ayn Rand. Perfectly aesthetically-pleasing work, but visiting her worlds feels like treading on hostile ground, and it makes me want to change her mind and say look, see, here's where you're wrong rather than just walk away.
2281982 If you want it that bad, PM me and I'll send you my cell number. We can meet up somewhere and I'll sign your whatever.
Can't really say why some seem to attract excessive negativity, as I've yet to experience anything like that myself.
But on the expectations part... well, I do think maybe some expect a little much coming in. I personally didn't expect much at all. That's just how I operate, I don't hype myself up for things, that way when they do go well, I'm sufficiently surprised. If I go in thinking this is going to be awesome and I'm going to get like thousands of thumbs up for writing this... hah, yeah, I'll be disappointed.
I've seen what I like to refer to as the '10% rule'. Seems that, at least on my stories, somewhere around about 10% of the number of views ends up being votes, counting both thumbs up and thumbs down. Then if you go further and start counting names of commentators, the 10% rule applies again, this time being that about 10% of those that vote may actually drop a comment. So, that means about 1% of the view total turns into commentators, there abouts. This can fluctuate a bit of course.
Now I know those numbers probably get skewed by all kinds of things but the exact numbers aren't important, it's the decreasing ratio of views to votes to comments. You'll never have as many commentators as you do voters, and never as many voters as views. If you're expecting everyone that comes along to pat you on the back and say 'great job!', well... that's defiantly not going to happen. I think some authors do think it will happen, at least a little, because they put a ton of time into what they are doing, and are disappointed when it doesn't. This could lead to just getting bored with it and asking the age old question of 'Why the hell am I doing this?'.
If you can't answer that question with 'Because I want too.' then its pretty hard to keep going.
Well, so far I've not attracted any real drama. I hope it stays that way. I've no where even remotely near your number of followers, but I do have a few. That you have been drama-free is a great hope to me.
Also, for the record, Chat has always been nice to me. While I don't always agree with her on various issues, there's nothing wrong with that. I imagine everyone has different opinions on various areas if you look hard enough. I respect her as an author and even quite enjoy her stories. In fact, they were some of the first I read on FimFiction, and gave me great comfort while in the hospital. (Though, personally, I do not write in the TCB realm at all. I chose to make my own sandbox to play in!)
No, Eakin, don't take a break!
I am noting that Eakin v. Eldorado is an entry on FimFictionDrama's list, as well.
(a note on rereading this; I'm a bit in my cups, and I'm not sure I'm completely making sense. Feel free calling me out) On Chatoyance; I'm sure that it was here on Eakin's blog, where he talked about the Firefox guy getting outed as a bigot, that I saw her character flaws that, I'm sure, make people hate her (outside of being very prominently not the sexual median, of course. Bigots gotta bigot). IIRC, Eakin said something clearly aimed at all the Prop 8 voters, and she blazed out, taking it as a comment about all the homophobes who've ever attacked her. So; deliberately misreading statements, and overreacting, and lashing out. While I dunno if Eakin and Chat resolved or moved past that mini spat, that is not an atypical reaction or behavior on her part, and most people wouldn't bother resolving or moving past. That is why I think she gets so much hate; she plays a professional victim.
On cloppers; their audience is composed of people wanting erotica (who can appreciate a good story, and want in character writing and competent pacing and all that jazz) and people who want porn (who want hot action to jack/jill off to). Lots of folks are both, of course, but lots are just the second one, and that second group as a whole is as entitled and stupid as all porn audiences. Put yourself in the mind of someone like Darren Aronofsky (director of Black Swan); he got a great deal of critical praaise for the film, but an awful lot of people only know it as "that one where Padme and Jackie Burkhart totally make out". Cloppers get some of the prior, but a lot more of the latter.
Regarding you yourself; you aren't whiny and a perpetual victim (I liked DH, but man, the man could not get over his pity party), and you aren't arrogant and full of yourself (see folks like Kaidan, who think they deserve more attention or praise or acknowledgement or whatever). Being not an asshole helps too; as you speculate, like attracts like, and an author who is an asshole can't help but attract and foster assholes in his shadow. It does, however, also come from not posting many strong opinions. I dunno if I've ever seen you post a really strong political or social opinion; doing so will get invariably get someone mad, so best maintain that practice.
I, silly creature that I am, did not know we had any politics or issues at odds, Eakin. News to me, really.
I think you are a marvelous author, very creative, and you have written some simply wonderful works. I have felt honored to simply write, at times, in the same genre as you occasionally do. I only have great respect for you.
As to why I have been targeted in the way I have, there are many possibilities - bigotry likely plays a part, so does the fact I present uncomfortable concepts and ideas. But I really think that, more than anything, what happened to me involved a self-perpetuating cult-like behavior that is all too common.
It was a pile on. A gang-rape. A few individuals encouraged others to join in a big, tribal action, a hate-grouping, and it took on a life of its own. I've had some of the ring leaders write to me, on the sly, and express that they were shocked at how bad things got. I don't think it was what they had intended - the hate just got out of hand.
And that issue falls to poor management of Fimfiction itself. It is the duty of moderators and site owners to be aware, have a policy in place, and intervene when hate groups gather momentum. That failed to happen in my case, nothing of any real import was done, and the situation was not taken seriously. The result is... what still happens, even to this day.
When I ran my own websites and forums, I kept a careful eye on such things, because they are something people do, and like brushfires, they can rage out of control. Hate needs to be stopped, and it is best stopped with strong policies from the top that define the allowed social contract - followed up with strict enforcement. What is allowed and not allowed must be clearly established.
Hate, must never be allowed, ever. Not for the sake of humor, or some presumed, illegitimate notion of 'free speech', or because it seems unimportant at the time.
This is why serious, professional websites, corporate websites, do not suffer the over-the-top, never-ending fecal-storms that we see here on Fimfiction. It's bad for business. It is intolerable, and is never allowed. And that is both profitable, and satisfying to the greatest number of users.
But, this is a website run without a real or solid intention to provide a peaceful or reasonable environment for users. When there are weak rules, and no definition of what the social culture is supposed to be, the result is always Lord Of The Flies - the worst in people dominates, because it catches the most attention, and has the potential to spiral out of control.
It has always been so, even at the very beginning of the internet, and on the dial-up boards before it.
The part that amazes me? That people bright enough to create this website, and the tools within it, had no concept of these basic social considerations... or no concern about them. Intelligence, is not wisdom, of course.
A sad fact, and one that many people - not just I - have suffered for, here.
2281874
TL;DR There's something about Chat that makes me feel like I need to defend myself against her even when she's not actually made an attack; and since I feel like preemptive defense is one of the more toxic bits of the human mentality, I can't help but think that I'm the one in the wrong.
All this inner turmoil and I don't think we've even shared word one.
Real talk for a moment. Your time loop trilogy inspired me to write fanfiction. I am not that good but I am getting better and it helps that I second guess myself all the time.
As far as hate goes, haters gonna hate.
And if anyone is seriously trying to pressure an author to make another chapter/story then they are stupid. I know for a fact that if I submit the first draft of anything without waiting for feedback it will be terrible and I will feel bad about giving a subpar product.
As far as needing a break goes, take it. Take as long as you need and come back when you're ready. I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed (I'm currently taking a class that requires me to write two essays a week) so I can make a good argument for letting the less important things slip away to focus on what needs to be done.
I think I got a little too long winded there.
Anyways I'll keep my eyes peeled for whatever you have in store next and I'll do my best to keep you honest. 
2282039
Oh, good, you're actually here. I can finally share word one with you, which I just bemoaned that I never did.
Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Skywriter. I think you're an excellent wordsmith.
My (completely unscientific, and likely biased) take on clop readers is that, while reading clop per see does not make a person worse, the proportion of readers that are prone to flame wars and hate speech might be higher among clop readers. How higher, I have no clue whatsoever, though my gut feeling is that it's a measurable amount, specially in a fandom like this.
Disclaimer: while I have no issue with erotic fiction in general, I don't read clop, and I don't think I ever will. There is something in the combination of furry and erotic that causes the opposite effect in me. The closest to clop I get is things like this and this.
2281954
I second Ponibius in that "feeding the trolls" might be one of the reasons for getting more heat and getting burned out.
2282055
Hello, Skywriter!
I am happy to meet you, too.
Thank you very kindly for your generous words. I see we have someone in common, ms. Simpson. I haven't heard from her in forever, but a very nice drawing she did for you!
I will check out your stories, as time permits.
2282039
I meant mostly our disagreements re: religion as a positive vs. a negative force vis a vis the whole Eich thing that 2282027 referenced. We, I think, more or less resolved it via PMs. As for why people hate you, well, I cannot condone the way they harass a very talented writer like yourself. That said, you do have a tenancy to present rather radical ideas. And I love that! I would never, ever suggest eliminating the downvote function the way you did, but you made me think about why I wouldn't. You agitate and challenge my preconceptions. Please never stop doing so.
As for why a certain subset of readers hate you, well, I'm not a psychologist. I suspect that you're right that it's become a self-perpetuating thing at this point. However, I think there's a reason you became a target in the first place. Your works of fiction, wonderful as they are, do come across as misanthropic. I know you hate that label, but it still fits.
Look, people attack you. That's a fucked up fact of life. You've endured more than you should have to, here and in your real life. That said, blaming The System and absolving yourself of all culpability is not only disingenuous, but cheats you out of the opportunity for personal growth.
I don't have much to add to the theories above. I think that, when someone takes a swing at them, there are two sorts of people: those who swing back, and those who dodge. Everyone's going to have a bad day sometimes, and taking a swing back doesn't always lead to drama; but it makes it far more likely to get you into that situation where suddenly there are two egos at stake and both participants want to throw the last punch.
2281933
> this sentence kinda lead me to believe a temporary hiatus was on the horizon
Nope! No hiatus here, either.
2281859
Actually I've gotta second this. Eakin, you write so well across such a broad spectrum of pony topics and genres, I'd be curious to see what you can do with the Pretty Pink Thing.
2282027
I should know. I'm the one who submitted it. Having somepony tracking and documenting my mess ups keeps me humble. Well, humblish.