Hello everyone! Iâve been seeing a lot of negativity to some of my favorite writers lately and I would like to take a moment to address this. I know itâs the internet and people interact differently on tumblr, but some of yâall really have no manners and itâs appalling.
Treat the writer like a regular human being.
Write a personal comment and address them by their name.
Say something that is unique about their skills.
Reread your message. Would you say that to them if you were speaking to them face-to-face? No? Then donât say it online either!
Just because writers share some of their personal lives online DOES NOT mean you get to be nosy and ask weirdly invasive questions.
Do not copy and paste the same message to a bunch of writers because they WILL see it and it WILL make them feel crummy that you didnât actually take time to write something special.
Do not make comparisons to another writer.
âWow, you write this AU way better than [name of other writer]!âis not a compliment.
No need to badmouth others to uplift someone else.
Writers are trying to create their own stories, theyâre not interested in copying off of somebody.
This can be really discouraging because people like to write as a form of release, not as a competition.
Constructive criticism/unnecessary bashing
If you donât know the writer personally, do not give them constructive criticism.
âI couldnât relate to the storyâ isnât constructive criticism. Why do you assume you need the right background experience to enjoy a story? We arenât Marvel superheroes with six-packs, yet everyone loves watching the Avengers movies. "I canât relateâ probably just means youâre small-minded and unable to empathize with others. Sorry, itâs a you problem.
Are you really being constructive or are you just shitting on their effort?
Lastly, it takes ZERO effort to exit the page if you donât like something. Bam, youâre done. No more wasted energy on that story. GO ON WITH YOUR LIFE!!
Stop asking about updates and pretending youâre not.
Youâre not fooling ANYBODY when you say, âI loved the last chapter. Whenâs the next one coming out?â
Writers explicitly include âDo not ask me about updatesâ on their pages for a reason and, here you are, asking for an update.
Also, this isnât even a compliment. You didnât even say what you liked about it. That doesnât provide the writer any motivation to keep going.
Imagine youâve just completed a big assignment and youâre feeling so good about yourself. Your boss bursts your bubble by asking, âOk, so when are you finishing the next one?â It is utterly demoralizing and makes you feel like youâve made no progress at all!
At the end of the day, writers spend a lot of time and energy crafting these beautiful stories FOR FREE. Please show them a little more kindness and patience.