Does It Really Matter?

this genuinely makes me so mad. some of you really don’t deserve fanfics. at all.

comment like this, besides the ai witch hunt, is one of the reasons why fanfic writers don’t want to post their fics anymore.

we write for free. whenever we can. whenever we have time. whenever we’re not too exhausted by life and responsibilities. we write for our own enjoyment. as a hobby. not a job. we update whenever we can. whenever we want. we do not owe anybody anything.

one of my favorite fics was updated after literal 13 years. but the point is that fanfic writers do not owe you anything. whether a fic was abandoned forever or updated after a decade or two is not something you as a stranger has a say in.

stop being entitled. stop treating fanfic writer as a content farm or a machine that produces contents for your enjoyment.

im not saying that these creators are above criticism or anything so callous but you all have to know on some level that getting really personal about these people isn't healthy, right? and that multiple people work on these properties, not just one person? you just Cannot analyze character arcs anymore without people butting into the conversation to explain their weird freaky headcanons about "actually the only thing here worth analyzing is the fact the writer is bitter and lonely and jaded and—" what the FUCK are you talking about???? HOW did you think this contributes to the conversation???? how did an attempt at media analysis for fun turn into some shitty bitter elementary school gossip???

and i know people will assume the fandom this post is about based on my blog (and it IS about that) but this goes for SO MUCH media nowadays. this is everywhere. i'll take a peek into a fandom for a new cartoon that came out and be met with hellfire beyond my wildest comprehension because some fan-favorite character didn't get enough attention or something equally vapid. "is [x cartoon] the worst fandom of all time?", everyone asks, as if it's not Most of Them. its inescapable. i cannot express enough how hostile the mere idea of being a professional creator is nowadays because of this culture. meanwhile everyone just perpetuates it like it's acceptable to speak violent fantasies of, or just generally constantly whine about, someone who worked on an episode of a cartoon you didn't like.

no, you don't actually know any of the things you are saying about these people's personal lives or beliefs. you don't know any of what you're saying. "but i heard—" i don't care. this is gossip. and i don't care if there's some tweet that vaguely supports your theory, either. these are real people and not characters. you cannot just form 'headcanons' about them based on implication. have you never had your words misunderstood? have you never worded a thought poorly? this is not interesting gossip. it's not thoughtful. it just makes you look bitter and vaguely creepy, and it's ruining fandom spaces. media analysis isn't fun when all the replies and comments are more interested in childish gossip than actually engaging in art. writing stories or comics isn't fun when the comments use your work as a vessel to complain about all the writers they have parasocial thoughts on, either.

If you post your genAI slop in a character's main tag, it's an insta-block from me. Especially if you double down and defend it when people try to educate you about why that's unwelcome in fandom spaces.

Insta-block. Do not interact with me or my work. You aren't playing Blorbos at that point. You're stealing Blorbos. You're no better than Elon Musk paying someone to level his video game character for clout. It's just as embarrassing for you, tbh.

And it proves to me that you are not a trustworthy member of this community.

If you are that desperate for art of your ship, there are tons of options. Draw them yourself. Learn the skill, develop it. Or, if like me, visual art is not your jam, PAY ARTISTS to draw your ship.

This community has so many AMAZING ARTISTS. Not only are they amazing creatives, they are also amazing, welcoming people who are also obsessed and excited about the Character™. Get to know them! Follow them and foam at the mouth about their art. Reblog and comment and SUPPORT ARTISTS in your fandom!

Don't use AI. It turns your brain to sludge. It is based on rampant theft of millions of creative works and art. It has detrimental effects on the environment. And it is the tool of rising fascism.