#pretzel rambles

Then I saw, and reblogged a post, explaining that compared to most marketing stats, fanfiction is exceptionally above engagment averages at even 10% kudos per hits.

Yet, fanfic writers often feel as if they're screaming into a void and that engagement is down/dwindling/dying/etc.

So now I'm wondering if these two things are connected.

I think the problem fanfic writers are currently facing is a matter of community. In a way participating in fandom by writing fanfic is a way of social signalling. It is a way for the writer to go "I like this thing, don't you like this thing too?"

It's like the writer is calling out hello only for 90 out of 100 people to blankly stare at them. 10 out of 100 will wave hello. Only a few out of 100 will actually say something back.

Is it any wonder writers feel like they're screaming into a void? At least when you scream into a void you don't know how many people heard you, you just hear who screams back. It has to hurt mentally to put your heart out there and feel like it's being ignored.

I think about how forums of the early internet age have largely died off. How Tumblr engagement has ebbed over the years. How fanfiction has become some people's main means of engaging in fandom because it's 'free'.*

So I genuinely think the problem here is fanfic writers want community and are trying to gain that through fanfic. And they feel largely ignored/abandoned/snubbed because they're not recieving that engagement.

So my advice to writers:

turn off/hide/ignore your fanfic stats. If email alerts for kudos and/or comments spark joy then keep them. Otherwise turn those off as well.

create and/or join fandom focused discords. Find people you connect with and build a community that way.

put an author's note on your works that you like to engage with readers. That you want their thoughts, feelings opinions, etc. on your writing. Provide links for people to to chat you up on whatever social media site you prefer.

My advice to readers:

if you're going to talk to fandom friends about a fic you read, maybe leave a comment as simple as 'I love this and I'm going to share it with everyone I know.'

if you find a fic you regularly re-read or an author you loyally follow, let the author know that.

if a fic had a huge impact on you, let the writer know that.

Readers please note: I am not saying leave kudos more often, I am not saying comment on every fic. I am saying, in short, if it moves you then let the author know you were moved.

But you know, we also have other hobbies. It's not just a case of Real Life vs Writing.

Sometimes people are going to want to read Reader fic but aren't certain on pairing. This is a great way to help them filter results to find a pairing they want.

Sometimes people aren't searching by ship and want to read something other than a Reader fic. A Reader character tag allows those people to filter out all Reader fics instead of going pairing by pairing.

Miraidon:

It's because they think I should cater my content to their prefrences and then call anything they dislike Wrong.

I'm pretty much horror phobic at this point in my life. I've never handled horror above pg13 content well and even then some pg13 stuff can leave me shaken. I'm squeamish as well for even gorey action films I have to prepare myself to handle them. I like some gorey action films, I still gotta mentally prepare myself for them.

(Sweeny Todd was a horror musical with laughably fake blood and it still bothered me at points. I went into that movie with a dear friend knowing it probably would bother me. My friend was aware of my issues with the genre and disclosed as best as they were able to the type of content I would see. I enjoyed the film. I watched it multiple times even cause the second viewing was easier to handle now that I knew what was there.

This is the real life equivalent of fanfic content warning tags. Did my friend overestimate my ability to handle the movie? Yes. Was that on them? Nope. Could they have done better to convey the content? Maybe. But I don't engage in horror genre enough to have clear cut lines on content that is enjoyable for me and not. They were working off of vague knowledge on what I could and couldn't handle. They did their best to warn me of the content they knew could potentially bother me. That's the best you can ask for of others in fandom. Especially when most content creators are complete strangers who do not know what content you like or don't.

Sweeny Todd turned out to be borderline acceptable. I'm not going to go and harass the creators of the film for not catering to my specific tastes. That's doomed to fail from the start, arrogant, self-entitled, and laughable.)

You know what happens every fucking October? Then every fucking September and October? Every August to October?

I pretty much quit the internet. I love costumes and mythical creatures and candy and fall season stuff. But for my own mental health and welfare I avoid the internet, and Tumblr in particular, like it's an improperly contained hazardous material. Because for me it is.

I recognize I have a problem with content other people enjoy. That whole fandom communities of people enjoy.

Are they "Wrong" to enjoy it? Hell no. I'm happy for them. It'll never be my thing and that's My Problem.

I am the one who has to set boundries. I am the one that has to filter content so I don't upset myself. I am the one that has to put in the work to keep my expreinces in fandom and online positive for myself.

And whether it's a genre, a ship, a character, a trope, etc. that you find upsetting, that's how you handle it. Fandom is too big, too diversified, too international for you to try and enforce your view of what is and isn't appropiate upon it.