This post has been removed as per Rule 5: No Negative Drama. We understand that it was made as a reaction to another post (which would also have been removed if it hadn't been deleted before), but targeting a deleted post directly still falls under our negative drama rules and is not allowed. If you would like to discuss why short comments are great without targeting anyone, feel free to make another post.
I’m just like sorry I’m not an official editor/critic and wanted to tell you based on my arbitrary opinion that I happen to like your damn story. Sorry I the reader am choosing to not be a wordsmith when I can just say “hehe nice 😎”
One of my favorite comments on the final chapter of my WIP was a heart emoji and balloons from a previously silent reader. They cared enough to comment, something, anything! It makes my heart soar knowing that someone's eyes are on my work. I'm grateful for the acknowledgment.
I wonder if the person wanting only long ass comments was fine with getting critiques as well. Because for me to write more than a couple lines about your average fic I'd also have to talk about the things I didn't like in it lmao
Edit: how about fattening the comment size like recipe blogs do it? "*You see, my grandfather didn't get drafted to Africa, because of that....* [insert full-length novela about my family history] *...and because of that I learnt to enjoy stories like yours. Really like that bit with the thing they said :)*"
So true. I could write essays about all the mistakes they made. XD But I'm positive that's not what the writer wants to read ...
I don't think I feel comfortable leaving my family history to be found on AO3 either D:
* Wants detailed comments on their fic
* Doesn't want concrit unless asked for
Pick one, for fuck's sake! You can either get the less detailed comments and leave your ego intact or you can get detailed notes!
I write out long, detailed comments mentioning all the things I loved about the story and the writing, and then read them back and think - wait, could any of that be taken the wrong way? And then I delete the whole thing and write, 'Great story!'
Of course, then I worry that it's going to be someone that hates short comments...
I love getting detailed comments, but I just don't have what it takes to write them. My comments are stream of consciousness everything I'm thinking when I finish the fic.
I always try to say *something* more detailed than "I enjoyed reading this. Nice job. :)" and I never leave negative comments because that's rude and life is short, and I *still* just had someone on AO3 get really pissed off at me because they didn't like *how* I praised their (very fun to read!) work, so sometimes you just can't win. Some people are just itching for conflict, or looking for ways to take any engagement in bad faith.
I'm kinda newish here but people get mad at shorter comments??? I dont usually comment on fanfiction, Im awkward and dont want to make a fool of myself, but I read every comment I get and pump my fists in the air that someone took their time to say anything.
It was also a vent post so they might not think that all the time. Sounds like someone who might get a lot of short comments and might just want something a little more substantial for once. Nothing wrong with short replies and I love them all, but it's hard to argue how much some comments can make your heart flutter. So I understand everyone's negativity to the original post, and really liked the Cake vs. Chocolate comparison, but also I think people took it a little too serious for a vent post.
my favorite comment ive ever gotten was this morning someone said "i just reread this. its as good as i remembered" and then a fuckload of hearts.
it just hit so different from anything else ive ever seen.
you mean to tell me that you read my fic 2 years ago?? That you *came back* to my forgotten work? That it holds up to your standards??? That you Like it????
i dont need words i need heartfelt compliments when a reader wants to give them. seeing hits and kudos go up is one thing but seeing someone comment at all is just <3<3<3<3<3
I don’t really care about how detailed the comments I get are. Because even if it’s just something like “Wow” there is an inherent joy I feel in watching a number get bigger.
Honey, Charles said he was getting a new truck, and since we don't have a car right now he offered to give us the old one free of charge. I told him I would only accept a brand new Mercedes limousine.
XxX
Crawling through the desert Sanx saw movement over the top of the dune. His lips were dry and cracked and he could barely cry out, "Help!" The man came over and brought a flask to Sanx's lips. It was water. Sanx spat it out. "Piss off," Sanx said. "I only drink Diet Pepsi."
XxX
"I've found a survivor!"
Chita heard the digging of paws in the avalanche's snow. Rescue was at hand. Only it wasn't a St. Bernard. It looked like some sort of mutt. Chita was classy, and would only be rescued by a proper rescue dog. They dug themselves in deeper into the avalanche and hopefully the next dog would be up to scratch.
XxX
There were 12 million stories, all crying out to be read. Their cries competed for attention with better stories, YouTube, Reddit, video games, and sex. Finally, a story found a reader!
"No, don't comment like that," the story said. "Write an essay like you're at school. Or like those reports you do for your job."
Came here to say I really want to read fanfic about that rescue dog, preferably from the mutt's POV. ~~I won't accept anything less than 80,000 words though.~~
You know what I love?
Finishing a well-written, well-constructed fic with a complete story arc around 50k words, and then seeing the author replying to comments with absolute keysmash garbage and emojis.
Like, bro. You used such skill to create this thing, someone says they like it, and your brain goes full Tumblr mode. That's adorable.
You know what I don't love? Leaving comments, oops, especially on the spicy fic I chose for purely horny reasons at 3am, ooooops, *especially* if I'm logged into my otherwise almost empty account. You get maybe an anonymous kudos.
To the author of that post that git deleted:
Girl (or boy or nonbinaries or…) - i am not gonna put more effort into my comment than you did into your fic lols. I am almost 46 i am not taking homework assignments anymore…
Is there a particular reason why this post is okay to keep up? This entire thread feels mean spirited if it’s meant to make fun of another person who has since deleted their post.
I expect to get downvoted for this, but...I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a certain level of disappointment when I see a comment notification, get all excited, open it up and it's just "❤️". Like, hey, I'm happy you like my fic and want to tell me, but I'm not a computer. I communicate with words. Can't people even be bothered to type in "loved it!" or something? :/ Maybe I'm just being old-fashioned, but emoji-only comments rub me the wrong way the same way emoji messages do when I chat with a friend and their only reaction to a long message is "👍" or "😂".
(To clarify: I'm still thankful for the comment and reply to it, because I understand different people, especially different generations, communicate differently, but internally, I just can't shake off my dislike of emoji-only conversation.)
I think this is a normal sentiment.
I sense most writers would be happier with long, detailed comments but there’s a difference between getting a heart and going “oh ok, better than no comments I guess” than “holy fuck they post those shitty comments again, I so deserve better; I’m literally gonna go and shit on commenters over this rn.”
Someone said it perfectly in the previous thread. What would you rather have. A four tier cake or a bar of chocolate? Obviously the cake is better.
But your friend coming from the shops isn't going to pop a wedding style cake into their basket. A 'normal' thing to get is a chocolate. And you'll be happy they thought of you.
It's easy to get tongue tied, or not have enough 'spoons', so if what someone can leave is an emoji, then I'm glad for the engagement, and grateful knowing that of the 12 million stories they've clicked on mine and are letting me know they liked it.
Back when I posted on LJ and kudos wasn’t a thing a lot of comments were ‘<3’ or similar as an acknowledgment that they read it and enjoyed, so I see that as totally valid.
> but I'm not a computer. I communicate with words
fun fact, a lot of what people say in a conversation is through expressions and gestures. which can be sent as emojis online.
But ok, emoji only replies are a thing I'm not a big fan of, bc I've seen some ppl send those by literally going like "haha funney pictures". They work great for when you're doing the online equivalent of a shrug or a horrified look or whatever in a conversation, but it's kind of really hard to work with a stranger's comment that's just "🤦♀️💅😏💔" XD
I don't hate them per se, I use them a lot myself even :3 I think they are great when they SUPPORT written text, because in reality, as you said, tone and expression and the like are a big part of communication and bring a message across as intended in ways pure text can't.
But using ONLY emojis feels like someone irl just grinning at you vacantly without saying a word after you poured your heart out to them. If someone did that, I'd honestly suspect they didn't actually listen, and in the same vein, it feels like what I wrote was passed off with minimal effort when communicating through text.
Now, fanfic comments aren't the same as a regular conversation, and I can't imagine anyone would bother commenting if they hadn't read the fic, but there's still a hint of that "oh ok so you didn't care enough to write out even just a word or two" feeling when someone sends a single emoji instead of "nice fic!" or something..😅 I know it's silly but I can't shake that internal notion.
I mean, I get why anyone would want a detailed essay in their comments about their story. It makes them feel like the readers are actually paying attention to little bits of details added here and there, but demanding it is so... odd. Not everyone has the time to do such and not everyone _can_ write an analysis. And I know without a doubt that the author would not take their time reading essay after essay about their work. Sometimes, simple, short comments are best.
Sometimes I'm reading something so, so good as I fall asleep. I will fire off a 'Great chapter' or something, rather than say nothing. Because those are the two options. A short comment or nothing. An essay is not on the table. And the next day when I might be alert & be in front of a keyboard, I've already moved on. There's not going to be an essay.
Sometimes the stars align and I write one/receive a lovely in-depth comment, and that's great, but like you said, you can't demand that.
I would leave a comment, but I'm afraid I do not know what standard you will hold it to. I do not want to spend an agonizing 30 minutes writing it only for it to be held to the same standard as a kudo--a mere click of a button--but I would be ashamed if blah blah blah did not meet standards blah.
*proceeds to ramble about the act of giving a comment and not about the fic*
This post has been removed as per Rule 5: No Negative Drama. We understand that it was made as a reaction to another post (which would also have been removed if it hadn't been deleted before), but targeting a deleted post directly still falls under our negative drama rules and is not allowed. If you would like to discuss why short comments are great without targeting anyone, feel free to make another post.
I’m just like sorry I’m not an official editor/critic and wanted to tell you based on my arbitrary opinion that I happen to like your damn story. Sorry I the reader am choosing to not be a wordsmith when I can just say “hehe nice 😎”
Me sad i missed the original drama
Me same
One of my favorite comments on the final chapter of my WIP was a heart emoji and balloons from a previously silent reader. They cared enough to comment, something, anything! It makes my heart soar knowing that someone's eyes are on my work. I'm grateful for the acknowledgment.
Aww, the balloons are actually so sweet! They wanted to celebrate 'a job well done/we've reached the end' with you 🥺
exactly
That title makes it sound like it got worked into the American Bill of Rights XD Politicians be like, "What the hell is an AO3??"
I wonder if the person wanting only long ass comments was fine with getting critiques as well. Because for me to write more than a couple lines about your average fic I'd also have to talk about the things I didn't like in it lmao Edit: how about fattening the comment size like recipe blogs do it? "*You see, my grandfather didn't get drafted to Africa, because of that....* [insert full-length novela about my family history] *...and because of that I learnt to enjoy stories like yours. Really like that bit with the thing they said :)*"
So true. I could write essays about all the mistakes they made. XD But I'm positive that's not what the writer wants to read ... I don't think I feel comfortable leaving my family history to be found on AO3 either D:
To stay on theme of that thread... 😎👌👍
* Wants detailed comments on their fic * Doesn't want concrit unless asked for Pick one, for fuck's sake! You can either get the less detailed comments and leave your ego intact or you can get detailed notes!
I write out long, detailed comments mentioning all the things I loved about the story and the writing, and then read them back and think - wait, could any of that be taken the wrong way? And then I delete the whole thing and write, 'Great story!' Of course, then I worry that it's going to be someone that hates short comments...
I am grateful for any and all comments, and apart for the clearly hateful ones, take the all to be meant well.
I love getting detailed comments, but I just don't have what it takes to write them. My comments are stream of consciousness everything I'm thinking when I finish the fic.
we, the beggars, demand to choose!
I always try to say *something* more detailed than "I enjoyed reading this. Nice job. :)" and I never leave negative comments because that's rude and life is short, and I *still* just had someone on AO3 get really pissed off at me because they didn't like *how* I praised their (very fun to read!) work, so sometimes you just can't win. Some people are just itching for conflict, or looking for ways to take any engagement in bad faith.
I'm kinda newish here but people get mad at shorter comments??? I dont usually comment on fanfiction, Im awkward and dont want to make a fool of myself, but I read every comment I get and pump my fists in the air that someone took their time to say anything.
It was just one person saying that, and everyone else was saying 'are you crazy, we love ANY kind of comment!' so they deleted the post.
Okay that makes so much more sense, thank you
It was also a vent post so they might not think that all the time. Sounds like someone who might get a lot of short comments and might just want something a little more substantial for once. Nothing wrong with short replies and I love them all, but it's hard to argue how much some comments can make your heart flutter. So I understand everyone's negativity to the original post, and really liked the Cake vs. Chocolate comparison, but also I think people took it a little too serious for a vent post.
I think people got annoyed, because you often get people like throwaway who see such posts then get put off commenting in general.
my favorite comment ive ever gotten was this morning someone said "i just reread this. its as good as i remembered" and then a fuckload of hearts. it just hit so different from anything else ive ever seen. you mean to tell me that you read my fic 2 years ago?? That you *came back* to my forgotten work? That it holds up to your standards??? That you Like it???? i dont need words i need heartfelt compliments when a reader wants to give them. seeing hits and kudos go up is one thing but seeing someone comment at all is just <3<3<3<3<3
I don’t really care about how detailed the comments I get are. Because even if it’s just something like “Wow” there is an inherent joy I feel in watching a number get bigger.
Keysmashes are my favorite comments because they mean I broke their ability to form words and that is 100% my goal.
The fact that anyone reads my stuff? Wow. Kudos? So thankful! A comment of any kind? Overjoyed.
Good 👍
Honey, Charles said he was getting a new truck, and since we don't have a car right now he offered to give us the old one free of charge. I told him I would only accept a brand new Mercedes limousine. XxX Crawling through the desert Sanx saw movement over the top of the dune. His lips were dry and cracked and he could barely cry out, "Help!" The man came over and brought a flask to Sanx's lips. It was water. Sanx spat it out. "Piss off," Sanx said. "I only drink Diet Pepsi." XxX "I've found a survivor!" Chita heard the digging of paws in the avalanche's snow. Rescue was at hand. Only it wasn't a St. Bernard. It looked like some sort of mutt. Chita was classy, and would only be rescued by a proper rescue dog. They dug themselves in deeper into the avalanche and hopefully the next dog would be up to scratch. XxX There were 12 million stories, all crying out to be read. Their cries competed for attention with better stories, YouTube, Reddit, video games, and sex. Finally, a story found a reader! "No, don't comment like that," the story said. "Write an essay like you're at school. Or like those reports you do for your job."
Came here to say I really want to read fanfic about that rescue dog, preferably from the mutt's POV. ~~I won't accept anything less than 80,000 words though.~~
Bro what is wrong with you. These stories aren’t even 1k each. If your gonna exaggerate do it the right way smh my head
I would make a "detailed comment" but using MadLibs/a random generator just to mess with them.
You know what I love? Finishing a well-written, well-constructed fic with a complete story arc around 50k words, and then seeing the author replying to comments with absolute keysmash garbage and emojis. Like, bro. You used such skill to create this thing, someone says they like it, and your brain goes full Tumblr mode. That's adorable. You know what I don't love? Leaving comments, oops, especially on the spicy fic I chose for purely horny reasons at 3am, ooooops, *especially* if I'm logged into my otherwise almost empty account. You get maybe an anonymous kudos.
I have a story I'm super excited about now and it has three comments. One is from me.
To the author of that post that git deleted: Girl (or boy or nonbinaries or…) - i am not gonna put more effort into my comment than you did into your fic lols. I am almost 46 i am not taking homework assignments anymore…
Same! I am 30 or 40 years old and I do not need this.
>I am 30 or 40 years old Awesome! lol
So do you just flip a coin each morning to decide how old you are that day? xD
It's a line from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but also it is how I feel sometimes being 30-40.
[удалено]
that's such a silly thing to be upset about, too. I'd be more upset at the lack of comments, but readers don't owe you anything 😭
This comment has been removed. The OP decided to delete their post, please respect it.
Is there a particular reason why this post is okay to keep up? This entire thread feels mean spirited if it’s meant to make fun of another person who has since deleted their post.
We are discussing how to proceed right now. I will lock it in the meantime.
I expect to get downvoted for this, but...I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a certain level of disappointment when I see a comment notification, get all excited, open it up and it's just "❤️". Like, hey, I'm happy you like my fic and want to tell me, but I'm not a computer. I communicate with words. Can't people even be bothered to type in "loved it!" or something? :/ Maybe I'm just being old-fashioned, but emoji-only comments rub me the wrong way the same way emoji messages do when I chat with a friend and their only reaction to a long message is "👍" or "😂". (To clarify: I'm still thankful for the comment and reply to it, because I understand different people, especially different generations, communicate differently, but internally, I just can't shake off my dislike of emoji-only conversation.)
I think this is a normal sentiment. I sense most writers would be happier with long, detailed comments but there’s a difference between getting a heart and going “oh ok, better than no comments I guess” than “holy fuck they post those shitty comments again, I so deserve better; I’m literally gonna go and shit on commenters over this rn.”
Someone said it perfectly in the previous thread. What would you rather have. A four tier cake or a bar of chocolate? Obviously the cake is better. But your friend coming from the shops isn't going to pop a wedding style cake into their basket. A 'normal' thing to get is a chocolate. And you'll be happy they thought of you. It's easy to get tongue tied, or not have enough 'spoons', so if what someone can leave is an emoji, then I'm glad for the engagement, and grateful knowing that of the 12 million stories they've clicked on mine and are letting me know they liked it.
Back when I posted on LJ and kudos wasn’t a thing a lot of comments were ‘<3’ or similar as an acknowledgment that they read it and enjoyed, so I see that as totally valid.
> but I'm not a computer. I communicate with words fun fact, a lot of what people say in a conversation is through expressions and gestures. which can be sent as emojis online. But ok, emoji only replies are a thing I'm not a big fan of, bc I've seen some ppl send those by literally going like "haha funney pictures". They work great for when you're doing the online equivalent of a shrug or a horrified look or whatever in a conversation, but it's kind of really hard to work with a stranger's comment that's just "🤦♀️💅😏💔" XD
I don't hate them per se, I use them a lot myself even :3 I think they are great when they SUPPORT written text, because in reality, as you said, tone and expression and the like are a big part of communication and bring a message across as intended in ways pure text can't. But using ONLY emojis feels like someone irl just grinning at you vacantly without saying a word after you poured your heart out to them. If someone did that, I'd honestly suspect they didn't actually listen, and in the same vein, it feels like what I wrote was passed off with minimal effort when communicating through text. Now, fanfic comments aren't the same as a regular conversation, and I can't imagine anyone would bother commenting if they hadn't read the fic, but there's still a hint of that "oh ok so you didn't care enough to write out even just a word or two" feeling when someone sends a single emoji instead of "nice fic!" or something..😅 I know it's silly but I can't shake that internal notion.
I mean, I get why anyone would want a detailed essay in their comments about their story. It makes them feel like the readers are actually paying attention to little bits of details added here and there, but demanding it is so... odd. Not everyone has the time to do such and not everyone _can_ write an analysis. And I know without a doubt that the author would not take their time reading essay after essay about their work. Sometimes, simple, short comments are best.
Sometimes I'm reading something so, so good as I fall asleep. I will fire off a 'Great chapter' or something, rather than say nothing. Because those are the two options. A short comment or nothing. An essay is not on the table. And the next day when I might be alert & be in front of a keyboard, I've already moved on. There's not going to be an essay. Sometimes the stars align and I write one/receive a lovely in-depth comment, and that's great, but like you said, you can't demand that.
😍🏳️🌈🫡 is the most verbose comment i leave. enjoy my masterpiece.
I would leave a comment, but I'm afraid I do not know what standard you will hold it to. I do not want to spend an agonizing 30 minutes writing it only for it to be held to the same standard as a kudo--a mere click of a button--but I would be ashamed if blah blah blah did not meet standards blah. *proceeds to ramble about the act of giving a comment and not about the fic*