Why I love Comments · 8:32pm Sep 4th, 2016
So this is gonna be a Brad only blog, but I have to say this so I can express something that I think every writer feels towards their audience:
Comments.
Are.
Golden.
And I mean this in the best way, so let's go down the list people on how Comments are the best thing ever to a writer:
1. It tells you that people ARE reading your stuff. Whether or not a comment is positive or negative, the commments verify that people, whether they like or not, are reading your fics.
2. FEEDBACK! People, I cannot overstate this, but feedback is the best thing ever to a writer. Whether it be someone just saying that they liked it or not, to in depth analysis of the material, Feedback is ALWAYS good. It makes writers better, and in some cases, can even make a writer rethink their own material. And even negative feedback can be beneficial. Whether it making the writer aware of something wrong with your writing (Grammer Nazies, thank you), or even just pointing out some plot point that MAKES NO SENSE, Negative feedback can enhance the material...most of the time. Now as for people who are just being little shits to be little shits...fuck them.
3. It makes a writer smile Now this can go a couple of ways. It could be someone being a snarky bastard and quipping at your shit...which can be sometimes even more hilarious than the material itself (See DBZA), or it could be just someone showing that they laughed at the writers jokes, which can be reassuring to see that you are in fact. funny. Plus, seeing that people are reading your material and liking it, really brings a smile to my face personally
4. It can show that your fic lasts Now this is a bit of a hard one since a lot of times fics, even great fics, can get lost to the abyss that is the internet, but seeing a comment on a fic that you wrote three years ago and never thought anyone would remember, let alone read anymore than the couple weeks after you submitted it, really means a lot to a writer.
5. Internet fame Ah, Horse fame. Everybody wants to be the next Fallout Equestria. And while for most it's just a pipe dream, some writers put hours upon hours into their fics to make them something great and something that will get people talking about you. Of course then there are the clickbait titles, but even then fics aren't made in a day. Even the most simple of fics can take hours to write, edit, and come up with in general.
6. Commenters can be amazing Now I may be repeating myself a little, but like I said before, commenters can be amazingly hilarious sometimes. And each fic is different. If it's a one shot, then snarky commenters are you bread and butter, but look at longer fics, or god forbid Long running series, then you start getting inside jokes, reoccurring commenters who start making their own jokes WHICH BECOME INSIDE JOKES (those are da best), continuity jokes, RPers, and then creme of the crop: writer jokes. What's a writer joke you ask? Well, it's when a writer, who has reoccurring themes and styles, is poked fun at or even abridged. TVTropes is a thing for a reason people
6b: Commenters are amazing part 2 Now this one is a bit different from the rest of the list, because it's on a bit of a more touching note. Now as much as I hype up commenters, there is nothing more gratifying to a writer than see someone post a comment telling how they're work personally affected someone, whether it be someone saying that their work brought a reader to tears, changed a readers opinion on a character, or god forbid caused someone to change their outlook on life. Storytelling is meant to share ideas and show emotion in a way that life can't usually compare to. and seeing that your work's emotion changed someone for the better is a writer's dream
7. Commenters can become friends Now this is a bit more prevalent in long time writers, or people who write for a living, but commenters can grow from simple readers, to the best of friends. I think the best example is when someone is commenting frequently, and over time they kinda become a writers go to for feedback. You writinga 50 chapter epic and you have someone who comments on every new chapter and is a cool dude? You can see why a writer would want to become friends with that person.
8. Comments can equal fansNow this is something EVERY writer wants to see in their comments section: Fans. People who read your material religously and potentially create works of thier own that reference or pay homage to your work is simply awesome to writers. And then there are the fans who give back in fanart and stuff like music and shit like that. THOSE are the people who writers dream about.
9. Exposure So your a fledgling writer who wants to be known as someone who can tell a story with an established medium or brand? And you someday wish to take your work in as a career? Well Fanfiction's got you covered bro. And as much as people make fun of Fanfiction as a medium, a good story is a good story, and can is rare cases, equal someone seeing your work and saying "I'd hire him/her if they wanted to persue writing as a career.1" It's a long shot but it can happen. (And for those who doubt me: Fifty Shades of Grey. It may be smut, but it was successful smut. and it all started as a fanfic...)
and 10. It allows the writer to communicate with their audience This is the power of the internet people. For writers who write for a living, the ability to communicate with your readers instantly has been a dream of authors for centuries. and then came along a little thing called the internet. it allows a writer and their readers to become linked and Feedback, which like I said earlier, is pretty fucking important, to be shared and discussed instantly. And then there's the holy grail of writing: Being able to talk to your readers. That simple idea changed how Fanfiction, and storytelling in general, is written.
So yeah...Comments a pretty fucking awesome. From sharing ideas to making internet companions, it, like Friendship, is magical. And whether our a filthy rage filled troll or someone who just wants to tell a writer that you love their stuff, commenting on a fic can never be bad...unless your an ass about it. And in that case, you can whine all you want, but that doesn't make you any less of an asshole, and more importantly, doesn't change the material for the better. So next time you read a fic and are hesitant to comment, just remember that usually makes everything better for those both reading, and writing
Couldn't agree more, brother!
I agree with you, commenting helps me express my opinion. fnf online. That's great.
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