[ SECRET POST #3290 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3290 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.


__________________________________________________



02.


__________________________________________________



03.


__________________________________________________



04.


__________________________________________________



05.


__________________________________________________



06.


__________________________________________________



07.


__________________________________________________



08.


__________________________________________________



09.


__________________________________________________



10.
















Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 022 secrets from Secret Submission Post #470.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

05. http://i.imgur.com/SocD4k6.png

Transcript by OP

[fscom]

As a fanfic writer, lately I spend all my time churning out stories for big, popular series that I don't care too much about.

Obviously I'm not going to admit my indifference to anyone else in the communities for these fandoms; they'd turn on me. I'm pretty sure I'd get to hear all about what a shallow popularity-seeker I am. Sometimes I think it might even be true...

It just kills me when I pour hours into crafting a story for a (more obscure) fandom I love, only for no-one to give a shit about it.

Sometimes, I really resent my readers. The more enthusiastic the reviews I get are, the more they piss me off.

(I'm such a jerk.)

Re: Transcript by OP

[silverr]

So... can I ask what's motivating you to keep writing? It doesn't seem as though you're enjoying the writing itself, and it sounds as though you're not doing it for the attention, since the applause pisses you off.

If it's not fun, why keep doing it?

(fwiw, I don't think you're a jerk, just unhappy.)

[(Anonymous)]

Oh boo boo. Are your diamond shoes too tight and your wallet too small for your $50s as well?

[blitzwing]

On what basis can you logically be angry at them? You can write whatever they want. They can read whatever they want. We're not entitled to have our favorite character, ship, or even series be popular.

There are enough popular series/ships/characters that you could probably find a popular thing to write about that you genuinely like.

[ketita]

Eh, I can understand that kind of irrational feeling. I had one fic that got obscenely popular, and I went through a period that I hated that fic and just wished SOMEBODY would bother clicking through to my author page and reading something else I wrote. I even contemplated taking it down once.
But I know there's no basis for that feeling and it's not rational or anything (which is why I left the fic up, and thank the reviewers)

[(Anonymous)]

I don't believe that writers HAVE to write for the joy of it, but honestly, this sounds like it'll burn you out and make you really resentful. I think in a situation like that, it's a good idea to stop or at least take a break.

[(Anonymous)]

same tbh

[(Anonymous)]

Not gonna judge you here or make nasty remarks. I'm sure other people will take care of that--this if FS after all.

But feeling this way, that's a warning signal to you. You're feeling upset about what you're writing and the reaction to it, maybe even a little bit like a sellout, & resenting your readers. Maybe it's time to take a break from fan writing, from posting at all. Time to take a detox break on the whole "getting read, getting comments" thing.

Take some time to connect with YOURSELF. Maybe you should write for a little while without sharing it with anyone else. Write for yourself, the audience who appreciates what you're trying to do.

Stop the cravings. Stop feeding the popularity beast. It doesn't matter, in the end. If posting and getting reads / feedback is something you enjoy as a hobby, you'll go back to it. But maybe it's time to change to something else, like original fiction writing. There are new things to learn there, new markets and opportunities and costs. It's hard to concentrate on both, though.

Maybe writing fan fic will be your hobby forever. Maybe for comments, maybe for yourself. Or maybe it's time to step back, examine, and try something new.

Rooting for you.

[(Anonymous)]

+1. I started doing this. Technically my experience was different (I'd grown to loathe a fandom I loved) but it was really nice to just be on my own for a while. I passed it around to a few people who cared, and that was all I needed.

It can be really recharging to take a break from fandom when it's making you feel shitty.

[(Anonymous)]

You just sound like a butthurt grouch, OP.

[dani_phantasma]

I totally get how you're feeling. I feel like this is part of the "lose lose" situation of the 'write things because people want them' mindset.

People in fandom like to pressure "write this because it's popular and more people will read it." But honestly if you're not happy writing it then it won't matter how many people say they will like it, and you'll probably end up resenting people for demanding more of something you didn't enjoy writing because it means you'll feel like you have to write MORE of it.

I'd suggest try writing what makes you happy even if it's obscure and not as popular. Fanfiction is a hobby and if it's making you miserable, then why do it that way?

Forget expectations. What do you want to write?

Also I don't think you're a jerk at all. Just unhappy and unfufilled doing what you're doing.

[(Anonymous)]

Errr....then why are you writing? If you don't like the writing, and you don't like the attention or the reviews, what possible reason do you have for writing? Habit?

(And you're not a jerk unless you are jerky to the people who give you reviews or whine about this to fandom friends who could only wish their stories were as popular as yours. Feelings are not a basis for determining jerkiness.)

[(Anonymous)]

less a jerk and more a dumbass. why do you write for things you hate?

I mean I know the attention feels good and all but if you really are on both ends of the dichotomy (write things you hate but are popular versus write things you love that aren't) you know the answer. you know above anons are right and you're going to quit writing, resent fandom, etc if you just shit out popular fics because it keeps the kudos rolling in. why do that to yourself?

[nightscale]

I have no idea how people can write for a series that they don't like(or even know about), the feedback I guess must be a draw but personally writing takes me so long that I can only manage it for ships/characters I like, otherwise I've got no creative energy for it.

I don't think you're a jerk OP, but I do think you're in danger of burning yourself out, you might want to take a breather from the more popular things for a while just to give yourself a break.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, same here. I wouldn't be able to write for fandoms/series/characters that I'm not familiar with. There has to be a passion there for me. If there's not, it either bleeds through to my writing or I just can't write at all.

[caerbannog]

What's so bad about attempting to be a flagship for your unknown fandoms? Of course it won't have similar numbers. You're making your own problems here.

[(Anonymous)]

Why do you write though? If you're writing just for the attention, then you're doing it wrong.