The Fact That I'm No Longer The Same Age As The Protagonists Of Novels And Films I Once Connected To

the fact that i'm no longer the same age as the protagonists of novels and films i once connected to is so heartbreaking. there was a time when I looked forward to turning their age. i did. and i also outgrew them. i continue to age, but they don't; never will. the immortality of fiction is beautiful, but cruel.

you want to buy some candy. it comes in a plastic bag. inside the bag are more plastic bags, one for each individual candy. inside the individual bags there is another small piece of plastic from when the candy was molded. it's not like a bag of candy is that absurd of a thing to want. if you want a peanut butter cup, even if you make it at home, what does peanut butter come in? a jar made of plastic. the chocolate is also wrapped in plastic. everything is wrapped in useless layers of garbage all the time and it's driving me crazy. i can REMEMBER when a much higher number of snack foods were still wrapped in paper or cardboard. and who knows if that's any better in the short term but in the long term i'd rather that than the death particles fucking everywhere. and another thing, WHY DO GARBAGE BAGS EXIST? WHY ARE THEY PLASTIC? THEY EXIST TO GET THROWN AWAY! WHY ARE MESTRUAL PADS INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED IN PLASTIC! WHY! WHY ISN'T IT EVEN AN OPTION TO NOT HAVE THAT, AND WHY IS THE BIG BAG THEY'RE ALL IN ALSO PLASTIC, AND WHY IS ALL THE CLOTHING PLASTIC, AND

If you’re a reader of fanfiction and wondering if your feedback matters to writers….

Unequivocally, yes.

Nothing makes us happier than kind, thoughtful comments. Yes, we love the worlds that we write for. Yes, we enjoy the gratification of creation. Yes, it's rewarding in itself to write the works that we want to read, to build on the worlds we already love, etc.

But a large reason why we write fanfiction is to build community and foster connections with people who love the same things we do. If we never hear anything from anyone, it’s disheartening and isolating. We wonder what we're doing wrong and why our writing isn't resonating with people.

If you ever think that:

1. They get so much feedback, they probably know their work is loved, so what's the point?

Both of those things might be true. However, even seasoned writers who have been at this for years and have written literally hundreds of fics can sometimes (frequently) feel iffy about their work. Especially if they're going in a new direction, like writing for a different character, trope, fandom, format, etc. I promise you that each and every comment is still seen and appreciated.

2. This is a really old fic, and I’m being creepy for reblogging or commenting.

I can't really speak to being on the writer end of this because I haven't been doing this for very long at all. But, almost every time I've reblogged an old fic, the authors have always been happy that people are still enjoying their work months later. No one has ever called me a weird little freak for digging up months-old fics to gush over them. At least, not yet and not to my face.

3. Nobody else has said anything, and I’m shy to be the first.

A lot of blogs have anon enabled for this exact reason. A lot of writers put up with a ton of anon hate, but the lovely anons are what fuel them. Send an anon!! If that isn't an option, seriously, who cares? Nothing beats that "first comment" rush for us. Leave a little comment anyway. <3

4. They hardly ever reply to comments, so what’s the point?

There are LOTS of reasons why this might not be the case. I can almost 100% promise you it's not because the author doesn't read comments or care to hear from anyone. It's usually because life just gets incredibly overwhelming, both online and offline. Sometimes, writers just don't have the bandwith to engage with everything that comes their way, and it's not personal in the slightest. Writing fanfic is incredibly rewarding but can be very draining. On top of that, many writers are also students, full-time workers, parents, caregivers, and/or partners. Many of us also deal with debilitating mental and physical health diagnoses that can severely impede our ability to be both creative and social. Some of us thrive off of the social aspect of fandom, while others find it stressful and prefer to keep a lower profile. But, I promise, that if a writer has feedback enabled, they want to hear from readers. If they didn't, they'd turn it off.

5. I loved this person's work but don't know what to say.

Reblogs are a great solution to this!! That way, you can share the fic that you loved with all of your followers. Absolutely no one takes offense to empty reblogs, I promise.

6. I loved this person's work so much I could write a five paragraph essay about it.

Do it. You'll make their day, guaranteed. GUARANTEED. HOWEVER. I promise you that writing "more" or "part 2 when?" or some variant of the above is not the compliment you think it is. I think that most of the time, it's said with positive intent. But, it comes off as dismissive of the work the writer has already done. Focus on that, please and thank you.

yeah, love hurts.

susan sontag || unknown poem || haruki murakami, sputnik sweetheart || 1927 children's book, jellyfish || vincent van gogh || marina ivanova tsvetaeva, poem of the end || pablo neruda, 20 love sonnets and a song of despair || caitlin conlon, consider the hairpin turn || charles bukowski || frida kahlo

“Finally, in a low whisper, he said, ‘I think I might be a terrible person.’ For a split second I believed him - I thought he was about to confess a crime, maybe a murder. Then I realized that we all think we might be terrible people. But we only reveal this before asking someone to love us. It is a kind of undressing.”

—

Miranda July, The First Bad Man 

Love that you're active again 💕

love that too anon <3