#fanficbl

It makes me livid because I see a lot of new writers thing they're Doing It Wrong if they're not hitting giant wordcounts, or artificially inflating wordcount to try to fit in (yeah, some of us will check your alleged write-and-post-daily-no-buffer 100k epic, and when it's 46k that's not a good look).

I've been following some tradpub authors on social media and one thing I've noticed is that a number of authors who do this for a living seem to come in around the 2,000 words/day.

Stephen King in On Writing says:

Rhianna Pratchett says about her father, the late great Sir Terry:

And recently from Kate Elliott:

From John Scalzi's blog post Jan 3 2022:

Fellow fanfic writers, please stop beating yourselves up and holding yourselves to giant numeric standards. If the people paid to do it are shooting for 2k/day, you-doing this as a hobby-have no reason to feel like you must exceed that. We're already under enough self-imposed pressure to WRITE ALL THE THINGS!

I suck a leaving them! I want to leave more! What do I doooo!?!

A lot of us have this struggle. Leaving comments is as hard—maybe sometimes harder!—than writing a story. You might not know how to word the feels the fic made you have, or be able to identify craft components, or “leave something worthwhile” if you think the story was fantastic. Hint: any comment is worthwhile, even if it’s a heart emoji! ❤️

If you’re struggling, here are ideas for things to comment on. I’ve tried to keep all of this fandom-blind friendly, especially since I know one source of stress is leaving comments for comment/review exchanges. 

Are character voices distinct? If you’re not fandom blind, can you identify character voices that are preserved from canon? What about them really says “this is CHARACTER”?

I love your voice for A! It’s a really distinct voice and vocabulary compared to B.  / You have a great handle on C’s voice, and it’s like I’m reading a page straight out of the manga. 

Can you identify motivations? Do you get invested in the characters? Are you interested in seeing what they do next? 

It’s easy to see why X throws himself so completely into this and is trying to hunt down the person who stole his ice cream cone. He seems really hot-tempered so I can’t wait to find out how he interacts with the thief!

How is the language - is it lyrical and flowery, is it succinct and terse? Does that help the story at all? 

Your language is just like reading a fairytale, and that makes the story really immersive. Since you’re writing about fairies and the Fae realm, this is PERFECT.

Is there conflict of some kind (big or small) that interests you? 

I have no idea why A & B hate each other so much but I can’t wait to find out!

What do you think of the climax/resolution? Is the end satisfying? Do you want more?

What kind of POV did they use, and how did it help you get into the story? 

Was the pacing great? Were you breathless and just had to keep clicking to find out what happened next? Was it so slow you were totally immersed in the world and sad when you were finished?

Is the writer great with banter? With sensory details? Are their fight sequences amazeballs? Are the setting descriptions out of this world? TELL THEM THAT!

Make guesses about what happens next! 

Call out lines you liked and what they signify or imply to you. Or if they straight-up made you laugh or cry or have other emotional reactions!

Did the author use any new words you’re going to add to your writing/vocabulary?

Was there worldbuilding you loved, or any tiny little details or phrases that you appreciated?

Did you keep reading through (just one more chapter!), did you skip work/stay up late/miss a class to keep reading? The author will keep your secret. ;) 

Keyboard smashes and emojis are valid comments!

If this is an author whose work you read regularly and enjoy (even if you’re a first time commenter), you can tell them that. 

I’ve read everything in ABC series but I’ve been too nervous to comment before. I really enjoyed this story, thank you for writing and sharing it!

You never have to justify the quantity or quality of your comments to anyone*. You can leave as succinct a comment as a heart or smiley face, or as long and in-depth as you’d like. Sometimes all I have the headspace for is a “this was great, count this as a chapter kudos” comment, and the authors I have left that for have been appreciative!

*unless you’re doing an exchange where you need a minimum wordcount, but hopefully these ideas will help you get there!

You don’t have to feel bad about leaving multiple comments in a row or on an old work. There are authors who are over the moon (like me!) when someone does a deep dive and comments on an old piece, or who binges a series, or leaves comments on every chapter. We love you. Sometimes one comment on an unfinished piece can be the impetus for an author to write more.

For more resources…

The Long Live Feedback Project has a comment builder! You can copy the spreadsheet and use drop-downs to pick choices of varying complexity depending on your spoon level, and then paste it all into the comment box at the end! https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/commentbuilder 

For AO3 users, there are a few userscripts out there for floating review boxes which allow you to highlight pieces of the story and comment as you go.