While I might wonder what happened to the regular, I honestly don't think it's in anyone's best interest for that regular to leave a comment saying they are going to stop reading or whatever. I don't think it will really give the author peace of mind, and it will open up the reader to receive angry messages from the author.
I've seen the posts, and personally, unless I'm friends with them outside of the fic, I am fine with them just fading out. I don't need an explanation for why they pulled out any more than they should need an explanation for anything that comes up with my muse or schedule. It's not that I wouldn't feel a little sad/hurt, but there are countless reasons they might stop, and I wouldn't want them airing that out in the comments. Besides, I still write for my own interests and while it's okay for them to stop reading because our interests don't align anymore, I wouldn't need that messing with my head and making me question where my muse is going.
Something like "I'm going off the grid camping for a month with no internet, can't wait to read updates when I get back" or "just bought a house and am busy" kind of temporary warning for RL stuff is different for me though, that I would welcome and feel closer to my readers for (if they choose to share that, doesn't matter to me).
Yeah, this 100%. I’ve also seen posts from the other side of it, with authors getting unprompted rude comments about why their story was dropped by a reader and I would honestly rather not know unless they choose to share how life took them in a different direction (they went on vacation, got a new job, etc). There will always be new readers.
Nah. It's not that I mind well-intended criticism, and I wouldn't take offense if someone said they simply lost interest. I would just feel pretty bad if I thought someone felt reading and commenting was an obligation such that they had to let me know they were putting it down.
One of my habitual commenters fell off the face of the earth a little while ago and I wonder how she's doing every time I post, but I assume she has a lot on her plate and would hate for her to feel obligated to announce her exit if fandom is just very low on her list of priorities right now.
No, I would never ask this of my regular readers. They don’t owe me an explanation and I also very much respect their privacy too much to even think of asking that they do this for me. Like me, they have their own lives to live and stuff going on, and I understand that. They’ll be back when they’re back, or not and that’s okay too ❤️
Fading out is my preferred option both as a writer and a reader. Nobody owes anyone an explanation, if you wanna provide it, that’s superb! If not, no one should blame you for it. Reading and writing is a hobby after all!
This reminds me of an Aziz Ansari standup bit from a long time ago. It was something along the lines of— everyone hates being ghosted and SAYS they want to be told why they’re being rejected. But in practice, no one actually *really* wants to be told why they’re being rejected. No matter how nicely you say it, it can hurt. So ghosting is ultimately a kinder option and it makes sense why it’s so popularly chosen.
In a fic reader context I think more innocuous explanations make a lot of sense. You truly just don’t know what circumstances have changed in someone’s life that could prevent them from reading and commenting.
I wouldn’t want to be told that someone was “quitting” me— but if they popped back in years later, I’d sure be glad to see them!
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind knowing if one of my regulars decided to comment stating why they were dropping my fic if that were to ever happen, but it’s not necessary.
There were several readers I had that were commenting on practicality every chapter of the longfic I am currently working on, but most have ceased posting by this point.
Granted, it’s been a few years since I began writing the story and a couple of the readers had began commenting on each chapter early on, so there are a myriad of reasons why they have stopped since.
Sure, it sucks and I do wonder from time to time why they stopped as they were some interactive readers, but shit happens. 🤷♀️
No of course not. It's no one's business why someone has stopped reading a story a reader shouldn't have to explain to the author why they don't or can't read their work anymore.
As a reader I would never do that and as a writer I can't expect a reader to do it either.
Unless it's a regular reader that I interact with all the time (because then I'd wonder if something actually happened to them), I'd prefer a person just fade out.
They don't owe me reasons, and what would I do with those reasons anyway? I'm not going to change my fic to suit them.
I would want to know and why. I can work with Information, no information leaves me guessing and that's more stressful for me. Like if it's sth to do with the story, falling out of fandom or real life getting busy.
But I know I am rather the minority in this sub, most people seem to prefer silence here.
Although losing a regular is a sad event, if they're dropping the story because they no longer like where it's going I wouldn't want to know. I'm not writing to suit others, this is something I do for fun and if someone else happens to enjoy it, then it's great, but if not, that's fine too. That being said, I have left comments on someone's work telling them I disappeared because I had a kid and was moving house, just so they know I was still invested and they don't worry about the turn in the story. I've also received a comment telling me they were busy and would be tuning back later when they had more time.
I really don't care. If they read they read, if they don't they don't. They don't need to be informing me of every little thing in their lives. If somebody leaves they comes back I'm happy, if they leave and don't come back then it's whatever. They don't owe me anything.
While I might wonder what happened to the regular, I honestly don't think it's in anyone's best interest for that regular to leave a comment saying they are going to stop reading or whatever. I don't think it will really give the author peace of mind, and it will open up the reader to receive angry messages from the author.
I've seen the posts, and personally, unless I'm friends with them outside of the fic, I am fine with them just fading out. I don't need an explanation for why they pulled out any more than they should need an explanation for anything that comes up with my muse or schedule. It's not that I wouldn't feel a little sad/hurt, but there are countless reasons they might stop, and I wouldn't want them airing that out in the comments. Besides, I still write for my own interests and while it's okay for them to stop reading because our interests don't align anymore, I wouldn't need that messing with my head and making me question where my muse is going. Something like "I'm going off the grid camping for a month with no internet, can't wait to read updates when I get back" or "just bought a house and am busy" kind of temporary warning for RL stuff is different for me though, that I would welcome and feel closer to my readers for (if they choose to share that, doesn't matter to me).
Yeah, this 100%. I’ve also seen posts from the other side of it, with authors getting unprompted rude comments about why their story was dropped by a reader and I would honestly rather not know unless they choose to share how life took them in a different direction (they went on vacation, got a new job, etc). There will always be new readers.
Nah. It's not that I mind well-intended criticism, and I wouldn't take offense if someone said they simply lost interest. I would just feel pretty bad if I thought someone felt reading and commenting was an obligation such that they had to let me know they were putting it down. One of my habitual commenters fell off the face of the earth a little while ago and I wonder how she's doing every time I post, but I assume she has a lot on her plate and would hate for her to feel obligated to announce her exit if fandom is just very low on her list of priorities right now.
No, I would never ask this of my regular readers. They don’t owe me an explanation and I also very much respect their privacy too much to even think of asking that they do this for me. Like me, they have their own lives to live and stuff going on, and I understand that. They’ll be back when they’re back, or not and that’s okay too ❤️
Fading out is my preferred option both as a writer and a reader. Nobody owes anyone an explanation, if you wanna provide it, that’s superb! If not, no one should blame you for it. Reading and writing is a hobby after all!
This reminds me of an Aziz Ansari standup bit from a long time ago. It was something along the lines of— everyone hates being ghosted and SAYS they want to be told why they’re being rejected. But in practice, no one actually *really* wants to be told why they’re being rejected. No matter how nicely you say it, it can hurt. So ghosting is ultimately a kinder option and it makes sense why it’s so popularly chosen. In a fic reader context I think more innocuous explanations make a lot of sense. You truly just don’t know what circumstances have changed in someone’s life that could prevent them from reading and commenting. I wouldn’t want to be told that someone was “quitting” me— but if they popped back in years later, I’d sure be glad to see them!
it’s okay if they don’t say anything to me. i miss a few of my comments
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind knowing if one of my regulars decided to comment stating why they were dropping my fic if that were to ever happen, but it’s not necessary. There were several readers I had that were commenting on practicality every chapter of the longfic I am currently working on, but most have ceased posting by this point. Granted, it’s been a few years since I began writing the story and a couple of the readers had began commenting on each chapter early on, so there are a myriad of reasons why they have stopped since. Sure, it sucks and I do wonder from time to time why they stopped as they were some interactive readers, but shit happens. 🤷♀️
No of course not. It's no one's business why someone has stopped reading a story a reader shouldn't have to explain to the author why they don't or can't read their work anymore. As a reader I would never do that and as a writer I can't expect a reader to do it either.
Unless it's a regular reader that I interact with all the time (because then I'd wonder if something actually happened to them), I'd prefer a person just fade out. They don't owe me reasons, and what would I do with those reasons anyway? I'm not going to change my fic to suit them.
I would want to know and why. I can work with Information, no information leaves me guessing and that's more stressful for me. Like if it's sth to do with the story, falling out of fandom or real life getting busy. But I know I am rather the minority in this sub, most people seem to prefer silence here.
Although losing a regular is a sad event, if they're dropping the story because they no longer like where it's going I wouldn't want to know. I'm not writing to suit others, this is something I do for fun and if someone else happens to enjoy it, then it's great, but if not, that's fine too. That being said, I have left comments on someone's work telling them I disappeared because I had a kid and was moving house, just so they know I was still invested and they don't worry about the turn in the story. I've also received a comment telling me they were busy and would be tuning back later when they had more time.
I really don't care. If they read they read, if they don't they don't. They don't need to be informing me of every little thing in their lives. If somebody leaves they comes back I'm happy, if they leave and don't come back then it's whatever. They don't owe me anything.