DWinchester
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The Subtle Art of the Comments Section
🕑 Added 2023-10-18 14:00:05 +0000 UTCWhen I started writing a year ago, I was thrilled by the trickle of comments that I got. Even if they were mostly just corrections, or people pointing out that X or Y didn't make sense, I still loved them all. They were like a tiny bonsai tree that I trimmed carefully every day.
Now my comments sections are overflowing, or if we continue the garden metaphor, overgrowing. This is not a complaint. I still love my comments, and every morning while I wake up, I spend 30+ minutes reviewing and commenting on everything and making the myriad of offered corrections while I sip my coffee.
Today I did something I've never had to do before. I banned someone from commenting on my stories because of intense negativity. This wasn't because of a correction, or even a story problem he illuminated (Broken System does have story problems worth fixing). It was because every comment was relentlessly, unceasingly negative. This particular saga ended with a very negative rating to boot, but I don't care too much about that anymore. Nothing depresses me more than thinking about writing as a PVP sport, so I simply don't think about it.
The banning was a mile marker, for sure. I don't think I've ever had anyone hate read one of my stories before, but that's definitely what that was. In one sense I suppose that means I've grown big enough to attract haters, which is great but on the other hand - I just really hope that the growing presence of those types doesn't cause me to end my love affair with my comments. That would be a terrible shame.
Comments
D. Winchester
Totally fair. Broken System and Golemancer are not for you. My next story won't be isekai or litrpg, though it probably won't come out in the spring while I focus on releasing chapters more frequently for the stories already near and dear to your heart. I am trying to decide between a light xianxia and a realistic post apoc robot thing. We will see. Always more stories to tell!
GrinBean
While I'm gonna pass on a broken system because I tend to avoid any fiction that has litrpg as it's core or mentioned in the name (I know sounds strange), I do feel like it's a memorable moment for the author. Sometimes it happens. Just don't forget that any cyber bullying is illegal under most countries law.
Persepolis
I know that people hating on your passion can be hard- people just say to not pay attention to them but it still hurts to see hateful stuff like that. But you have people that greatly enjoy and support your work, and we outnumber your hater 100 to 1, we are legion! So take heart in that at the very least, we will always be here in the comment section, cheering you on!
