I Will Never Be Able To Write Like Them :( And Neither Should You? You Are Your Own Special Self And

“i will never be able to write like them :(” and neither should you? you are your own special self and that’s what you should be recognized for

hello everybody.

i realise i accidentally went on a bit of an impromptu hiatus. oops.

a lot of things happened in my personal life that have greatly affected me emotionally and it catapulted me into a depressive state that i have since come out of again. expectedly so, it stripped me of motivation and inspiration, and forced me to just take a break and tend to my wounds.

while i was off taking care of my mental health and prioritising emotional healing, i’ve also had time to think about my blog and more specifically my experience in the fic community.

NOTE: i’m not here to take a jab at readers or mindlessly complain about notes. that’s not at all what this is. i think enough people have talked about overall reader engagement and the lack of it. i see no reason to repeat their words, nor is it where the issue lies for me personally.

during the 6 or so months i’ve been here, i’ve experienced very empty support from fellow writers (no i ain’t gonna single anyone out bc it’s been a general issue of mine). i’ve had my upcoming works hyped up, my released fics supposedly saved to people’s tbr lists, i’ve had people ping me saying they’re totally gonna read my fics, whether that be on tumblr or discord, however less than half of said fellow writers went through with reading less than half of what they claimed to have very great interest in. and it’s not like they haven’t had the time. it’s been sitting there for months.

but okay, hear me out: i wanna make it very clear that i have absolutely no problem with people not reading my fics. i’d never force anyone to, i’d never expect my fics to be for everyone. if it’s not for you, then it’s not for you, and honestly it’s all good bro. but the thing that makes me feel great disappointment is when i’m being told to expect engagement... and then to not get any. expecting to hear from all the people that expressed to me they were gonna read my fics, only to hear nothing for months on end.. i don’t think it’s shocking that it left me feeling very disappointed. and the support and interest just feels empty, fleeting, and not genuine.

it has puzzled me ‘cause it comes from fellow writers who are very aware of the importance of engagement, even if it’s just a little. i am of course okay with someone not reading my fics and showing no interest in them. like i said; if it’s not for you, it’s not for you. it’s all good bro i’d never force it down anyone’s throat.

but don’t tell me you’re gonna read ‘em, if you’re not gonna read ‘em. it builds up expectation that is then never met. it’s a set-up with no pay-off.. and it has been particularly bad with my fic series, astral combat.

speaking of astral combat, it’s officially dropped. i have no desire to continue it. both for the reasons mentioned above, but also simply because of my own mistake of putting months of work into a fic that little to none will care about. that one is my own fault, like i shouldn’t have put my all into it, i was definitely doing too much. i know. the amount of effort and work i had to do on it... gosh, it’s just not worth it when the engagement is barely there. the imbalance is too harsh for me to continue it.

anyway, all these things have drained me of motivation, inspiration, and honestly it’s drained me of a wish to continue writing. ‘cause of empty support, fleeting interest, and a massively lacklustre sense of community.. even from fellow writers.

you are more than welcome to disagree and disregard this post, shrug it off, and keep scrolling. you have every right to do so. it’s 100 percent valid if your experience on this platform has been different from mine. this is simply me voicing how my experience has been. i think it’s very telling that i got tired after only 6 months lol

if you do disagree and feel the need to voice your opinion, i won’t stop you, you are free to do that, however i will ask of you to please not be rude, dismissive, or disrespectful about it. this post was not made to spark debate, but rather to just convey my reasoning as to why i’m gonna take a step back from writing fics... for now.

vsualitae is officially on a semi-hiatus.

i might write, i might not. i don’t know yet. i just know that right now i can’t be assed. excuse my french. i’d rather focus my energy on other goals i have in my life. i am a bit sad, ‘cause i have so many ideas for fics, however time will tell if i decide to write them or not. i guess you’ll know if i randomly pop in and jumpscare you with a release lmao

i do wanna say thank you to all of you that have read my published fics, especially those of you who have reblogged with reviews, i am beyond thankful for your kind support <3 know that i’ve taken it to heart and i really, really appreciate it!

soft 🥺

About your recent update post. I feel the same way and it makes logging onto tumblr harder and harder. Empty promises are the worst and I want to apologize if I ever contributed to making you feel that way. I can only speak for myself and my own experience but to me it feels like there is a lack of community.

i'm so sorry to hear that you're having a similar experience as the one i have, or at least similar feelings regarding the "community" (cause lbr its barely a community lol). i knew when i wrote the post that i'm not alone in my experience of the fic space on tumblr and that quite a handful of people really resonated with me and what i'd say when talking to them, but since posting it i see that even more people feel this way. it's sad cause a fic community would be an awesome platform to explore one's talents and skills in the art of writing. but yeah... it'd have to be a community for me to call it a community lol my post was not made to make people feel bad or targeted though. i'm sure nobody was actively going out of their way to not follow through with their own claims. i'd like to believe people have the best intentions with what they do. however it is this kind of disconnection from one another that plays a part in why there is this severe lack of community, i think. it takes effort to build up a community and keep it thriving... and that's what i wanted to highlight. it was simply me announcing an indefinite semi-hiatus and ofc following it up with an explanation as to why, instead of just up and leaving lmao but yeah. i appreciate your ask, lov, and hearing about your experience too.

@vsualitae is an INCREDIBLE writer. it really feels like reading a novel. the descriptions? incredible. characterization? phenomenal. emotion?

💜

Have you all read @vsualitae's starwars au? It's so cool! He is so good at encapsulating the spirit of starwars and bringing readers along with the tension! He's such a great writer!

💜