How to talk to your favorite writers
Hello everyone! I’ve been seeing a lot of negativity to some of my favorite writers lately and I would like to take a moment to address this. I know it’s the internet and people interact differently on tumblr, but some of y’all really have no manners and it’s appalling.
Treat the writer like a regular human being.
Write a personal comment and address them by their name.
Say something that is unique about their skills.
Reread your message. Would you say that to them if you were speaking to them face-to-face? No? Then don’t say it online either!
Just because writers share some of their personal lives online DOES NOT mean you get to be nosy and ask weirdly invasive questions.
Do not copy and paste the same message to a bunch of writers because they WILL see it and it WILL make them feel crummy that you didn’t actually take time to write something special.
Do not make comparisons to another writer.
“Wow, you write this AU way better than [name of other writer]!“is not a compliment.
No need to badmouth others to uplift someone else.
Writers are trying to create their own stories, they’re not interested in copying off of somebody.
This can be really discouraging because people like to write as a form of release, not as a competition.
Constructive criticism/unnecessary bashing
If you don’t know the writer personally, do not give them constructive criticism.
”I couldn’t relate to the story“ isn’t constructive criticism. Why do you assume you need the right background experience to enjoy a story? We aren’t Marvel superheroes with six-packs, yet everyone loves watching the Avengers movies. "I can’t relate” probably just means you’re small-minded and unable to empathize with others. Sorry, it’s a you problem.
Are you really being constructive or are you just shitting on their effort?
Lastly, it takes ZERO effort to exit the page if you don’t like something. Bam, you’re done. No more wasted energy on that story. GO ON WITH YOUR LIFE!!
Stop asking about updates and pretending you’re not.
You’re not fooling ANYBODY when you say, “I loved the last chapter. When’s the next one coming out?”
Writers explicitly include “Do not ask me about updates” on their pages for a reason and, here you are, asking for an update.
Also, this isn’t even a compliment. You didn’t even say what you liked about it. That doesn’t provide the writer any motivation to keep going.
Imagine you’ve just completed a big assignment and you’re feeling so good about yourself. Your boss bursts your bubble by asking, “Ok, so when are you finishing the next one?” It is utterly demoralizing and makes you feel like you’ve made no progress at all!
At the end of the day, writers spend a lot of time and energy crafting these beautiful stories FOR FREE. Please show them a little more kindness and patience.
titsay
origamiaround
gummygunk
ellievsbear
discoholicmusic
