As many of you may have seen, I have a signature on every comment that I post. A poem, rather, that I wrote myself. Only two verses long, but for me it packs an important punch. The poem goes:

If anyone were to take advice from me, this is what I would wish it to be.
That it matters not what others may say. What matters most is your passion, day by day.

Some of you may ask, "What does it mean?" Well, allow me to explain. All too often on this site and all over the internet, I see people that worry what people may think of them or their work. I've seen people give up on something just because other people didn't like them. I've seen people go crazy with trying to please everyone.

Take Fimfiction, for example. There are many talented writers here. I have read blog posts and comments that exemplify my point, stating that some stories take too much effort for minimal return on favorites and likes. This is where I get to my point. It doesn't matter. We are all here to write stories and enjoy it while we do so. You should never write stories to please everyone. It is simply not possible. All you can do is write with all the passion that you have in your heart, and whether people like it or not is up to them. I encourage anyone that may be reading this to write to please you. If you are happy with your own story, that is what matters most.

Now, keep in mind, I am not saying that constructive criticism is wrong. We are also all here on this site to share our stories and grow as writers. Growth is made possible through practice and suggestions. Suggestions such as grammatical or spelling errors are meant to help, not hurt. Criticism becomes wrong when it turns into an insult. Comments such as, "Your story sucks. You should quit now," are hurtful and do nothing. Practice makes perfect, and in writing, practice is the only way to improve.

I hope that my long-winded message gets across to many of you. If you are passionate about something, keep it close to you. Keep writing, keep practicing. You will be much happier when you can stop worrying about the likes and favorites.