Find Another Way.

FINALLY FINISHED

Summary:

The latest tenant of the Doomed Commercial district has been having some problems. They’ve called in the RCM for help. The problem? It’s the Video Revachol. Featuring the Video Revachol, cryptids, and a familiar hotel room. SHIVERS: The hair raises on your arms and the back of your neck, despite the thick and humid atmosphere. PERCEPTION: You hear that whisper again. You turn, following it - KIM KITSURAGI: “What? What is it?” INLAND EMPIRE: There’s something *here.* EMPATHY: You are not alone. SHIVERS: YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.

Chapter Rating: E

Chapter Word Count: ~16,000

Pairing: Harry Du Bois/Kim Kitsuragi

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It doesn't matter if all you did was day-dream about your characters while staring at the ceiling.

(this came out of a conversation in the comments on a previous post about an author threatening to stop updating a fic because of lack of engagement)

So there’s this idea that fic writers should write for themselves and not care too much about stats or engagement,

and i totally get the sentiment behind that. if writing becomes entirely about stats and external validation, something important does get lost - creative freedom and joy, conviction in your own writing

but i also think:

“i write for myself, but i post for others.”

because posting fic is not only self-expression. it’s social. ao3 is called an archive, but emotionally it often functions as a community space.

people post for connection, for participation, for others to bear witness to their pain and trauma and grief,

and i don’t think most people are asking to be admired so much as acknowledged. there’s something deeply human about wanting another person to encounter something that mattered to you and go:

“ok, yeah, I see what you were trying to say. I see you.”

especially because fanfic is often people processing very real feelings through fictional characters at a safe distance, one step removed,

and then uploading that deeply personal thing into a shared archive and hoping somebody else might connect with it.

And i think that’s why it hurts so much when you summon up the courage and post a fic into the void and you get nothing back,

and then it’s like,