π & π xx
ahh thank you! i've already done π here.
π what is a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?
i will say i had no idea harry would get so much backlash from Close Behind, and it was honestly a little jarring/deflating. i believe the narrative held him accountable and his perspective/the context of the mistakes he made were clear, but a very vocal gaggle of readers do not agree with me. i know there are biases and resentment for certain trends at play, but it was a little odd to get this kind of response as someone who doesn't even read (and certainly won't write) specific draco tropes that i think are unsatisfying or unproductive for the kind of character arc i like for him to go through!
more generally, i never really know what kinds of fics people will respond to the most, so all the western stars blowing up was a super pleasant surprise! i still don't know what kinds of fics will get the most kudos or the most engagement (and to me those are very separate things; Close Behind probably constitutes a hits/kudos flop in a practical sense but the engagement has been rich and fun and enthusiastic, even with all the angry draco stans going after harry) but i also just. do not really care? like what i write is purely guided by the ideas i have that my brain is convinced need to exist, and also my very self-indulgent tastes.
and i don't mean this in a fake-modest "i'm not doing it for the #stats!" way. i do want people to read what i write, otherwise i wouldn't publish it! but i'm going to write it either way lol. if i'm asking the question of "what do people really like to read and respond to in this fandom?" it's almost rhetorical, because if the answer is something i don't want to write, it's not happening.
send me an emoji for some fun fic asks!
