Anon: My Thoughts · 5:01pm May 13th
Not sure how I’m going to really start this blog out. Whenever it’s a topic that I find myself gleaning interest towards, it usually comes out like a conversation, albeit one-sided, and it ends up looking like I just drafted a ‘stop talking to a mirror, dumbass’ monologue, and I end up deleting the doc entirely and moving on with my life. I should probably do the same with this one: let someone else who has written Anon for quite some time speak out; make their points in a clear and concise manner, since they may have more insight than me on the subject; and go back to the drawing board, chalking up my next projects affiliated with the subject matter as a wash and move on to desaturated green pastures.
Unfortunately, you’re getting a Soaring blog about this. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you to decide.
Don’t worry, this one isn’t going to be too long. My attention span sometimes turns into the equivalent of a zoomer flipping through Tiktoks containing Subway Surfers and some random asshat driving a car down some half pipes from people who just want to receive a smidgen of Internet clout and money, so bear with me if I go off track.
I write Anon. Yeah. It’s crazy. I wasn’t like this way back when. My old accounts only contained an inkling of the green dude. From 2014-2023, I only published one Anon fic, which was a poorly written present I gave to Majin Syeekoh when I had no clue what I was doing with the character (sorry about that if you’re reading this, Majin).
Then 2024 came around, and now half of my catalog is about the dude.
Is that bad? Well, I’m not sure. Some view Anon as a ‘cancer to the website’ and a ‘complete showing of laziness and unwillingness to put any effort in true story writing’. Some may see this as ‘an easy way to get followers’ or ‘a way to let an asshole with a lack of character be loved without putting in any effort to be a better person’. I’d argue the opposite, as these people fail to recognize the time and effort authors put into crafting something that’ll get people to read Anon. He’s… not exactly 100% likable, let alone approachable. In some fics, he is the most unlikable character in the room, while in others, he’s beloved (surprisingly). There’s an art form here that is completely disregarded out of… what exactly? Annoyance? Jealousy? Maybe even envy—I can’t seem to figure that part out.
See, you could ask any author why they wrote him. We all have different answers. Some may say they were inspired by 4chan’s comeuppance, where this green dude with attitude spawned from. Others may say they came from the Fimfiction era where authors like little big pony, Anonpencil, Flutterpriest, and GetMeOuttaHere popularized Anon in a way that made him appear more like a cross-blend of the 4chan days and a more serious view on him. And some may even say they started reading due to the efforts of current authors like CrimsonWolf360, Some Leech, Scrungusbungus, and RunicTreetops, who have gone even further with Anon to the point where he is shown to be more part of the serious singularity, the comedic goof that he is known to be, or even both parts of him. Some may say I belong on this list of current authors, which is definitely something I didn’t expect. It’s flattering and I will always thank people who do include me on those lists.
So, what’s the verdict then? Why was this even written? Are you actually green?
…
Anon is not bad to write. That’s the TL;DR. Those who are being addressed here are those who are keen on disliking Anon to the point of sending death threats to authors just because they wrote him. This blog is geared to those who choose to discredit authors who write Anon and callously demean authors for their contributions. Criticism is only worth the intention and tone it is given in, and when the aforementioned abhorrent behavior rears its ugly head, I tend to formulate paragraphs. Too bad these are spent in blog form. I’d like to avoid these types of squabbles, as they end up sounding like a bunch of immature teens coming out of a Warzone lobby, so these will be the final paragraphs I will ever spend on this subject matter.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m not going to chalk future projects involving Anon as a wash. I have written down these thoughts in a few separate docs for a couple months now, wondering if it will culminate into a post, but they never did. This one somehow landed on Fimfiction, and it's finally over. It’s finally time to just vacate the negative thoughts I’ve had swirling upstairs. I can finally stop wasting all these words now. I got my projects to write, and no matter who is featured in them, I’ll continue writing what I like to write with the same amount of fervor.
I want to focus on the positives now. The amount of love I’ve received on every story I’ve written has been awesome. You guys make writing on the site worth it, and I want to continue treading that path. Anon or not, I’m going to continue writing, so thank you to everyone who cares enough to view, like, or even comment on any of my stories. Thank you.
Well, with that out of the way, thanks for reading this little mess of a blog. Hope it sparks some more fruitful conversation, although I bet you it’ll spark some arguments instead. Maybe people will prove me wrong… or right. Whatever.
Ciao.
Y'know, I was quick to jump on the "Anon bad" bandwagon when I first created my account here, but I've since realized from reading a few fics that there's actually decent things that can be done with him.
I prefer protagonists with actual names wholeheartedly, but I won't entirely write off the green guy.
I think the Anon as a character concept is an interesting idea if executed well... however I must profess I don't have any real interest in... I guess the right pronoun would be 'them'?
So if I say 'I don't like Anon', I mean it in the most literal sense, where it isn't the presence of dislike, but instead it's the absence of like. Which is my two cents and mine alone, and I sure as hell ain't here to post that down anyone's throat.
Ultimately, writing influence and style will develop in a person over time. I've rewritten past works to better fit with my present writing standards, there's one or two I look back on with mild concern, and on the flipside there's even recent stuff of mine I still feel iffy on. If you've found success and enjoyment about the stranger in green zentai, all the power to you
My problem with this entire debate lies in the fact that the people who are so against anon stories lack any sense of self-awareness. We're on a website where people write about colorful ponies that teach people the magic of friendship. Nobody here is any better than anyone else just because they choose to believe they're "above" a specific genre, or story rating.
I used to look down on people who wrote clop. I felt that it was just a really easy way to get followers and people only did it because they wanted to farm engagement. Then I wrote one on a whim and what do ya know, it was fun! I wrote it because I had fun writing it.
Nobody owes anyone else shit, especially when it comes to art forms. They're creative outlets and if you think your opinion is so much better than someone else's and is the objectively correct one, then I'm sorry you're so delusional. This fandom started on 4chan and Something Awful. Stuff like anon is ingrained into it and has been for over a decade. To suddenly pretend that wasn't the case and put yourself in this box where you play make-believe is hilariously childish and petty.
But what really grinds my gears is that these are fucking FANFICS. Saying anon lacks creativity or thoughts is fucking rich coming from people who choose to write fanfics for a television show that already has an established environment, characters, and lore. Y'know, things that regular authors have to come up with on their own?
Lmao hypocrites.
Love,
Seven
I don't hate Anon writers. I dislike Anon readers who act like Anon writers are the best authors and refuse to acknowledge other stories. I dislike how many of them are and how they make any Anon story top of the page, whereas other, if not even better works get burried.
It is. Anon stories were back then an easy way to get featured, and it still has remained as one.
Not only does the same apply for non-anon stories, but it's way harsher for them. These need even more time, more crafting, a more original idea to get any kind of same attention like Anon stories, whereas for most anon stories, the main premise is "anon x pony", and you get all the attention, top spot on featured for days and an easy hundred likes break.
Sure, you need to put some kind of effort to be a good writer. But let's not act like the same standards for attention is required for anon vs non-anon stories.
Anyway, my main point is that the criticism should be on the readers, not the author. If no one would read anon-stories, then we wouldn't have all this. If these same readers would acknowledge and read other works, then they wouldn't write stuff like "Best author eva!!!", belittleling others authors' work and effort they put in their fics.
Also, death threats to authors is of course an obvious no-go and I do not condene to it in any way. Needs and offer remains an unbreakable system, an anyone is free to offer whatever they want. It's up to the readers to consume and support what they want to see more of.
5780415
This a super respectable way of looking at this debate. It really extends outwards to the real world, too. People are always so quick to blame a business rather than the people supporting said business (AAA game studios come to mind). You're definitely right in saying that a lot of greatly creative stories with unique and interesting ideas don't get the recognition or viewership they deserve. I think that, while I love how the website is organized, the feature box definitely has never been perfect and probably shouldn't be the first thing people see upon logging in.
I mean, people will cram a porn story together in twenty mins, add a suggestive cover art to it, and then post it and when it inevitably gets featured as all of these stories do, they feel the need to add "Featured on ___!" to the description. Hell, some authors put that at the top of the description. It's a Fimfic feature, not a Pulitzer Prize. It's grinded my gears for years and still does to this day, especially with how easy it is to get featured now with the low site activity in comparison to just two-three years ago.
I never understood where the Anon hate came from to begin with.
I mean, everyone writes him differently, as they would an original human character, and I don’t get how it’s that difficult to regard him as one. I’ve given names to all my human characters up to this point, but if I were to replace any of them with Anon I don’t think it takes anything away from those fics. It should be about the character and the story being told, not the character’s name. Just my opinion though.
Seriously? This happens? It amazes me that people can have so little of a life that they feel this is a justified course of action. Clearly, some grass needs to be touched here.
I think it goes without saying that people will hate on anything. However, it’s pretty clear from the ratings that your stories are dope, so why trip on it? Whenever you write something there will always be somebody who doesn’t like it, but there will also be a bunch of people who do (myself included). So keep doing ya thing! And as a wise man once said, fuck dem haters 🙏🏽
Gotta love all the replies already. Time to address from what I'm seeing currently, then I'll come back later and address the rest.
5780415
The refusal here would also bother me too. Having a preference is good to have, but when it actively perpetuates the inactivity of viewing other authors' amazing works (shouting out a few I've read like RB's Side Effects Include..., Muggonny's Pink Scorch, and Marshal Twilight's Empty Night), I tend to wonder if there's a limit to the excuse.
Not even remotely true. Check my most recent fic's rating to see that in full view. Also you can check new and upcoming authors like PKAnon who did just that and didn't even crack the box for most of theirs (shoutout to them btw, The Wanderer [rated M] is great). I believe my fics did well since I've gained confidence in how I write. That's what draws people in, the execution of the content, not the content itself. It also relies on whether or not the author marketed themselves well. I find that a lot of authors who are writing non-Anon fail to even add their stories to groups, let alone network themselves to other authors.
Lastly, to address your last two paragraphs, these are paraphrased quotes not by readers, but by other authors within Fimfiction itself. That's why I wrote this. It's not about only those who read here, it's about the stuck up elitist attitude I've seen from other writers and it's bothered me immensely when they turn into the readers they oh-so hate.
I agree with pretty much everything else you said though. Love this comment and I'm happy you chimed in, gapty.
5780411
Hypocrites indeed. Thanks for the insight, Seven.
5780408
Love this comment right here. You got the concept down and I respect you immensely for this take. Thanks for the insight, 8_Bit and thank you for reading the blog.
5780406
And that preference is totally okay. Cool to see that times are changing. Thanks for the comment man, and thank you for following me (forgot to tell you that when you commented on my profile, my b).
5780419
Actually, going to respond to this reply as well as I agree--not sure why authors tag the "Featured" part on fics. Maybe it's because it's their first time getting featured? Idk, it's an accomplishment for sure, but don't plaster it on your fics. It can be seen by others as a point of ridicule.
5780424
I have no issue with it typically, but when you get featured all the time for low-effort porn stories that hardly crack 1K words and cram it into every single description, I feel like it shows where your priorities are.
5780423
Yes, it's true.
To remain polite, please stop trying to argue with exceptions. You know, I know, we know, the neighbour's dog knows it's only about that anon tag. How many of them have the romance tag? A lot. How many have not? Few. How many of the story descriptions have something captivating that is not about anon interacting with a pony? I said mostly have a basic Anon x pony and then get the attention. What happens if the main thing drawing in is lacking the romance tag, but are still about the interaction of anon with a pony?
It's the same thing.
Why don't you do an experiment. Write a new anon fic. Replace anon with an original name. Don't include the anon tag. Now let's see if you get the same amount of attention, clicks and likes.
5780430
No it's not, and you would know this if you took a look at my catalog.
Out of a few Anon fics I wrote, the most recent one did not break 100 likes, did not get top slot (Coronet's fic is great, please read it), and got downvote bombed upon posting. Also the sequel to my Lightning Dust friendshipping fic barely cracked 80 likes upon release and slowly gained as more people read it over time. Hell, I even have a Coco Pommel x Anon that didn't even hit top slot either. It's not a guarantee. Stop trying to push a false narrative.
Fair enough on your second point as yeah, it does get attention. But spreading the point of view that its easy top slot for days is hilarious to me. Disingenious even.
Really? You need to click on my catalog and tell me that again. Stg. I would've gotten into writing Anon sooner, but I still love writing named characters. Going to be reviving a bunch of those soon with updates because I love them so much. Why Do You Speak My Language could've been an Anon story. And just recently I did this experiment with Discovery of Him, which could've been Anon as well but chose not to. You tell me?
5780423
You're welcome. And I'm a bit terrified that I recognize everyone in this comments section so far.
Guess Fimfic's not too big a world.
I think my biggest takeaway is that you ended the blog with "Ciao."
Okay, not really. Just trying to lighten the mood a bit. Otherwise, before really getting into the whole Anon debate, I enjoyed the character but wasn't a big fan of stories with him as a focus. Not that I was against him or had formed the opinion that he was a lazy insert or understood the lore of his actual origin from 4chan; it just wasn't my thing.
Eventually, as time went on and stories came into view that caught my interest enough where I read them, and they had Anon in them, I could see there was a healthy mix to compare his application into MLP stories compared to others with named characters. It wasn't until resisting the debate I realized that people arguing Anon is a lazy insert character overlook how many named characters without green skin (or the mask) end up being even more underdeveloped than what more established writers can do with the Anon character. Just the same, there are very well-defined original characters in some stories and other uses of Anon where all you know about him or her is that the character has some lines of dialog before actions have to and around them.
It's almost as if some people believe that establishing a preference for themselves is no different than setting a precedent for everyone else. [Insert stop liking what I don't like meme].
I mean, I remember when Self-Inserts were the big taboo to avoid. Maybe not in this community but as a general rule. Now it's "don't use this unoriginal character" in a collection of stories where all the characters of focus are already unoriginal because they're trademarked and other OCs are typically overlooked.
As for issuing threats? Wow... That's horrifically sad. Not shed a tear sad, more like shake my head at how pathetic those people are kinda sad.
Otherwise, for you, bro, you got the right idea. Keep on doing what you enjoy doing.
5780424
Aaaa I used to do that early on last year due to it being my first time getting stories featured other than a single time in 2019, and it was more out of personal excitement than anything
5780430
I do think readers' interest in Anon itself in contrast to Human in general is a strong factor in pulling in readers, but I feel it's ultimately the execution of the story itself that impacts how the story performs on a larger scale.
5780434
Execution as in: If you manage to write a story that feels like normal English and like the story has at least a plot that won't make you asleep, then you get an excellent performance with an Anon fic.
You don't need to be special with an Anon fic, you just need to write not awfully.
5780428
You rang? ^:)
One final round for the people who I forgot to respond to (my b).
5780420
Welcome to the blog, Buck Swisher. Good to see you as always!
That's because most critics don't see him as one with how he's currently written by authors I've mentioned that are new (including myself). The scathing critique comes across as the character being a 'concept' rather than an actual character, which I hate seeing as there are nuances from each author in how they portray Anon. My way of portraying Anon is not the same as how Runic or Scrungus portrays Anon. That's why it's jarring as it takes literally an hour to see that depending on which fics these people use as a case study.
Writing style is definitely incorporated into this, and our justifications on how we write him are varied. It's complicated in the right ways, not the wrong ones.
Agreed, although I've made decisions on why a certain human character exists versus Anon existing in said stories. Like for instance, with Discovery Of Him, I decided to go with an actual human character since I believe giving him his own backstory lends credence to a named identity as opposed to an Anon, which is supposed to not have that backstory element play a major role in the story's plot progression. The reason for that is due to the idea that Anon can allow the reader to bridge the gap and allow the reader to insert themselves if they'd like. I know some authors can even use him as a self-insert but I've made it clear on my end that the Anon I write isn't me.
More than just touching grass. A mental health evaluation needs to be had on top of that. But yes, it does happen. I'm not a foreign to experiencing this type of behavior either, as I directly experienced it when writing A Slave's Freedom back in the day. Thankfully I haven't had that yet, although I did get called autistic by someone 😂, which is funny to me.
First off, thank you. The reason why I wrote this is because lately, there's been a lot of vitriol over Anon. I think people are finally noticing the amount of authors who do write the guy, and when they're in the box, the non-Anon authors feel like their work is getting overshadowed. It's not my intention personally, hence why I only write a story every so often, but everyone operates differently and I don't think it's right to belittle them based on what and when they post. Speaking my mind on this has been great and I'm hoping those who at least have a good head on their shoulders will see this and realize that the toxicity doesn't help anyone.
5780433
Good to see you EmptyPlotFiller. You nailed it square on the head with this:
It's policing content for the sake of policing content. As shown by gapty, for instance, they generalized that Anon readers will read an Anon story and say 'best author eva' but never see other authors who don't write Anon and read their works. While I don't disagree entirely, I could see that happening with a very select few, I don't agree entirely as that is their preference and they shouldn't be forced to read things they don't want to read. I don't go to them and say they need to read EileenSaysHi and FoME before they can comment on my Anon works. There's this general respect for others that I think has been tossed out of the window here, and that's why I wrote this blog. Authors need to stop ego-ing each other.
Also for the taboos. Self-inserts have blended into the Anon genre as it's a more palitable self-insert. That's why they do that now, and OC stories get generally overlooked because it's not a big author writing them. Very rarely do those fics do well without some sort of other draw to them.
5780434
Personally, I don't really care too much if someone tags it, but the ridicule part is definitely a thing. People will make you a target solely if you list that in the description. That's why I don't do it at all. I appreciate getting featured, it's always an honor to get people to read my fics, I think that storywriting is more about you enjoying it first, then upon publishing to the public, how they react to what you enjoyed. You'll get people who tell you politely that it's not great, some will tell you it's awesome, and then some who woke up on the wrong side of the bed and hate the story. All that is totally okay until it's not and those people who get weird in the comments section end up acting on said negativity.
5780562
Unbelievable. I can't believe he rang you and then subsequently let you go to voicemail.
Good to see you, Anonpencil! Hope you're doing well.
5780629
This is hilarious. I guess some people forget that they have the option to NOT read something if they don’t like it 🤣
This. It’s not like Anon can’t be unique. It’s not like you automatically know what character you’re getting in an Anon fic, and I’ve even seen some authors go out of their way to give him something of a backstory, which is as close to a normal human character as you can get. Being prejudiced against these fics seems so stupid to me.
I did see some other folk in here say that the Anon authors block others from getting their shine, and I don’t think I can agree. I haven’t written a single Anon fic throughout my tenure on this site yet I’ve had 4 stories make the front page (all stupid crackfics, one of which held its spot for at least three days). I think as long as you’re confident enough in your writing and you can put together a decent plot, you’ve got a shot. Cover art can help sometimes too, it never hurts to give a fic an attractive piece of art. Just my experience though, maybe I haven’t had enough of it to validly speak here. But that’s my piece.
That’s enough yapping tho. I did not intend to write this much 😭🙏🏽
I've been on this site for a while, long enough to remember all the early HiE fics with named humans. Most were of very poor quality, often times being self-inserts. There were the obvious standout fics, but going through a lot of them gave me a negative opinion on named HiE.
Good thing the stinky green man is here, with so many talented authors behind him.
Anon, with his anonymity, is definitely embodied in this song.
(Nowhere Man-The Beatles.)