I often hear people talking about hate commenters on fanfics so here's an anecdote about 13 y/o me:
Recently, I was looking back at my first ever fanfic that I wrote. It was a Kotlc (keeper of the lost cities) fic and when I say I was proud of it, that's a severe understatement
Writing that fic was my favourite thing and it was not only my pride and joy but also the thing that made me fall fully in love with writing
To look back at this fic on the account I don't really use on Quotev and see some of the comments?
I cried.
I don't think 13 y/o me had a grasp on standing up for herself quite yet and I hate it. This fic totalled over 250 pages/75 chapters and to look at chapter 6 and see someone commenting to tell me, and I quote 'you really need to look over your writing and check that it 's okay!' is crushing even now. Every chapter that person came back and corrected me on something and I know at the time, I thought they were being helpful. For context, I never asked for critiquing. I will be the first to admit, the writing is poor. The grammar is bad and the plot is strewn across the pavement but it was mine. The first thing I showed the world of me. I was too polite in response so they kept coming back.
8 months after starting that fic I discontinued it. Why? Because of a disgustingly long hate comment from a real user that had been a return reader. Out of the blue this commenter started complaining that my characters were too 'ooc' and I needed to just wrap up the story and it was 'too dramatic'. At this point I defended myself and plain as day told the hater to fuck off and I'd like to see her fic (worse than mine) get 25k reads but her words still hurt.
I didn't go back to that fic ever though I loved it so much, simply because of the people who go spouting their rubbish opinions everywhere
Learn to respect the people who write free works and let you read them.
