[ SECRET POST #4043 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4043 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 37 secrets from Secret Submission Post #579.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

This. I don't know that it has anything to do with fandom sucking. Like... fandom totally sucks in many ways, but your writing not being recognized by fandom while it's recognized outside of fandom isn't the metric I'd use. Honestly, I feel like this is like complaining that you weren't recognized by the amateur waterskiing community, but as soon as you started building amazing birdhouses, the world beat a path to your door therefore waterskiers suck and birdhouse appreciators know what's what. Two very different things.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't think that analogy holds up well because both of OP's examples involve a single skill: writing.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, but as others have pointed out, there's quite a significant difference between writing fanfiction and content writing for websites/companies. Calling it a single skill is over-simplifying it. I suppose if you want to insist, change my analogy to waterskiing vs. synchronized swimming, since both involve water.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, I'm not OP, but I think a lot of commenters in this thread are missing the spirit of this secret. I've experienced going from a small fandom to a larger one and all of sudden realizing - "Holy shit, I wasn't a bad writer, there just wasn't much interest in what I was writing!"

I mean, saying "fandom sucks!" was harsh, no doubt, but can you maybe understand the disappointment of getting little feedback and realize why OP would feel vindicated in their new endeavor? Can you understand that a lot of fic writers do feel like they're shouting into a void, and why they would be happily surprised when they move on to something that yields emotional or even lucrative returns?

I'm not complaining because fandom feedback is what it is, but the reaction in this thread is a bit puzzling for me as a writer who's experienced what OP experienced.

[(Anonymous)]

saying "fandom sucks!" was harsh, no doubt, but can you maybe understand the disappointment of getting little feedback and realize why OP would feel vindicated in their new endeavor?

I know from experience the disappointment of getting little feedback, and I can absolutely understand why succeeding in another endeavor involving writing would feel great.

But saying fandom sucks because they didn't appreciate OP's fafic efforts is not just harsh. It's petty, rude, and a failure of logic. And I think THAT'S why people are responding to this secret the way they/we are. Because if this secret has a "spirit," it's not, "I had self-doubt about my abilities as a writer for ages, but now my writing is getting some recognition and it feels amazing!" This secret's "spirit" is "Fandom sucks for making me doubt myself and for not appreciating my writing; I wasn't sure fandom sucked before, but now that lots of people appreciate my writing, it's clear that fandom does indeed suck."

[(Anonymous)]

NAYRT

I would understand "aha! I was just writing for the wrong audience! It wasn't that I was a bad writer!" We've all done that.

But "it was just the audience that inherently sucked all along" is blaming the audience for not responding, not analyzing what it was about the audience that was interested in something else, what that something else was, or what it was about what you gave them that didn't mesh with what they wanted to hear. Because plenty of people have lots of response in fandom too, by doing things other than what OP did.

Glad the OP's found success, but it sounds like misplaced blame to me.

[(Anonymous)]

NAYRT - Fiction and non-fiction writing are very different skillsets. Certainly, some people can do both, but some people can do ballet and swing. Does an essayist have to worry about character arcs and worldbuilding? Does a fantasy author have to remember to reiterate their key thesis in the last chapter of their book?

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, you're right. Silly OP for having feelings that are wrong.

[(Anonymous)]

Are people actually blaming OP for their feelings, or pointing out that putting blame on fandom is misplaced and that conflating fanfiction vs. non-fiction tehcnical content writing isn't really a good comparison?

[(Anonymous)]

AYRT - Nice try, love, but your strawman is in another castle.
Maybe try "Silly OP for blaming the audience, rather than considering the possibility their fiction just wasn't very good".