[ SECRET POST #5335 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #5335 ⌋

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


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 35 secrets from Secret Submission Post #764.
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

Re: How's everyone's weekend going?

[(Anonymous)]

Um...
I am finding out that my friend just made things really fucking awkward between us.

So like...I can't even believe I'm writing this.

A friend of mine has been supportive in my fanfic writing, and I've tried being supportive of her writings too. And then today she told me she is thinking of quitting writing because she's feeling discouraged. I tried being supportive but then she just wrote to me "Look at the engagement on your fics compared to mine."

Like, excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? I think she's getting great engagement given we're in a small fandom and she's a writer with no previous works to fall back on. She's published 8 works and I've published double that, like...of course I have more engagement? But on a fic to fic basis I think her engagement is basically hitting the same ratios as mine? And why is she turning it into a comparison thing?? I thought we were writing fics because we want write fiction we want to read? And I really am not feeling her comparing her works to mine. Like...I worked really hard on my fics and how I wanted to release them? I can't explain why more people are engaging with my fics and not hers? If she thinks she's a better writer than me, then OK, she can deal with her feelings over that, but like...I don't know...what am I supposed to do? Ask the people who liked my fics why they prefer reading and engaging with my fics than hers?

This is a long time friend. She's told me before that she tends to lose friends along the way. Despite that claim, she and I have been able to keep our friendship going through the years (over a decade), and I do value her friendship, but she's been really weird ever since we both began writing fics for a new fandom...
FTR She's never been a serious fic writer (she's mostly written crack one shots), but recently wanted to get into more serious fic writing. I have dipped in and out of fic writing for roughly 2 decades now. I don't know if she's going through the "I'm not actually an undiscovered genius/overnight BNF fic writer" phase and projecting it onto me (because HONESTLY I don't think my stats are that much better than hers all things considered) or if she's just simply envious but um...

I don't know what to do. I'm upset that she even would compare us, that wasn't the point of us talking to each other about our writings. Like, maybe as friendly ribbing but we don't have that sort of banter.
But on the other hand...she's been supportive of my fiction writing when I was really insecure (I'd gotten a negative review on a fic months ago). I want to be supportive for her the way she's been with me. And I do genuinely want to encourage others to write.
I just....what am I supposed to feel? What do I do now?

Re: How's everyone's weekend going?

[(Anonymous)]

I mean, everything you say is true but none of it is going to help here. Your friend is clearly in a self-pitying funk. What she's feeling and saying isn't rational, so you won't be able to rationalize your way out of it.

You say you guys have been friends for over a decade, but nothing like this has ever come up before? Seems to me like a pretty standard case of "My friend is being kind of an ass, but I'll allow it because I care about them". You deal with the feelings in the moment and once they subside, your friend will probably come to her senses.