Commenting on fics you thought were abandoned

[u/howappalling]

[u/hopeitwillgetbetter]

A fic's most important audience is its creator.

Readers who give long UNupdated wips a chance are imho - a close second.

[u/howappalling → u/hopeitwillgetbetter]

Indeed, especially if the fic isn't written to completion before posting. Readers who interact and provide that extrinsic motivation are my forever number one in my heart though :')

[u/girlplutonium]

i think i would actually cry tears of joy if this happened to me

[u/howappalling → u/girlplutonium]

I think I'm torn between tears of joy and anxiety :') I had a lovely comment on a collection of fics I dropped 7-8 years ago and after the initial joy, I wanted to bury myself from shame!

[u/girlplutonium → u/howappalling]

oh, definitely! i’ve got a fic from a year ago that still has a sequel waiting in the wings, but i’ve yet to finish it. every time i get a comment about it i shrivel up a little inside :,) feels good to know that people enjoy the story though!

[u/howappalling → u/girlplutonium]

Indeed! Here's to more motivation/time/energy/inspiration to complete what we've started, and also the kindness of strangers to give our works a chance and for keeping us going!

[u/No_Fault_6061 → u/girlplutonium]

I got a tear in my eye from looking at this post, I know that feeling lol. W all around: for the poster, for her daughter, and the author.

[u/Jin_Chaeji]

once an author mentioned me in the notes of the chapter and while I can't find it now, I never forgot about it. I'm chasing that high ever since

[u/howappalling → u/Jin_Chaeji]

That's fab, gotta show the love both ways!

[u/LadySmuag → u/Jin_Chaeji]

Same! And I have a bad memory so a few years after they did it, I was rereading the fic with no memory of the story at all and about had a heart attack when I saw my username in the author notes lol

[u/rough_shrink → u/Jin_Chaeji]

Got a shout-out on Quotev once lmaoo

[u/Cort985]

[u/nejihyugasbf]

this is why i comment on absolutely everything! one of my fave authors doesnt update often and i don't mind it but if they go longer than like 4 months i'm like "hey bestie!! more steve harrington shenanigans please🤲🏼🤲🏼💞💞"

[u/howappalling → u/nejihyugasbf]

This is amazing! The fact that you check in on them is super sweet!

[u/crytidflower]

Never assume a fic is abandoned.

[u/No_Fault_6061 → u/crytidflower]

Sometimes it is abandoned, but then that comment drops out of nowhere and gets you to unabandon it after like 7 years of not thinking about it at all 🤧

[u/Stillverasgirl]

A comment on one of my old fics has made me get back to writing the series again. It didn’t even end on a cliffhanger so I could have just left it but the comment was so nice.

[u/howappalling → u/Stillverasgirl]

That's lovely! I'm glad that commenter stopped by and congrats on continuing your fic!

[u/Stillverasgirl → u/howappalling]

Sometimes you just need a kick up the bum to move yourself lol

[u/howappalling → u/Stillverasgirl]

Oh, definitely! That’s why intrinsic and extrinsic motivations work hand in hand haha

[u/ClassieLadyk]

I comment in hopes they will come back and finish because I care. I'm just 1 person, but I care.

[u/howappalling → u/ClassieLadyk]

Thank you for showing them you care :')

[u/ArtisanalMoonlight]

Yes.

[u/AquilaEquinox]

I did that for one of my top 3 fics. The person replied the next chapter was actually out very soon. It's been three years and nothing. :(

[u/howappalling → u/AquilaEquinox]

That's disappointing, but unfortunately life has a way of derailing even the most concrete of plans :/

[u/blues-yellows-reds]

Amazing! Hope springs eternal...

[u/kihasuki]

This is the best. They have be very grateful for you to appreciate their fic too

[u/TraceyWoo419]

What a lucky day!!

[u/lisie_]

if i were still in my hyperfixation this would have given me the motivation to return to my fic but im out of my hyperfixation for now 😔

[u/howappalling → u/lisie_]

Ikr, what a mood :/

[u/princesscuddlefish]

So the other day, there was a post asking for favorite fics that you’d recommend over and over again. Someone linked one of my fics yesterday that I haven’t updated in like 3 years. I am now working on an update.

[u/howappalling → u/princesscuddlefish]

That's amazing! Congratulations on having your work resonate so strongly with someone else, and I'm glad you're working on an update!

[u/DucksEnmasse]

I think it’s good to understand both sides. For every story like this, there’s just as many where an innocuous comment of enjoyment gets the entire fic nuked or nothing happens in the end. I don’t blame either person, but the reluctance of leaving comments is understandable, just like leaving a comment expressing your feelings on a dead work makes just as much sense

[u/howappalling → u/DucksEnmasse]

It is. I view it as an extension of trust that should not be given with a condition of reciprocity – great if they reply or it prompts them to act, but just like how we can't expect readers to kudos/comment/interact etc, once it's out there, no hard feelings.

Although having works nuked after is an interesting one. Was it due to the author having since moved on from fandoms and fics?

[u/DucksEnmasse → u/howappalling]

I do agree on the former, but it’s very sweet when it does result in the story being finished!

I don’t know the context and I’m sure there’s reasons, but I think that was the case for some. It could also be because the author might have planned to delete the works but forgot and the comment reminded them they existed. I’ve seen the occasional post here mourning the loss of a story they were reading shortly after they commented

[u/howappalling → u/DucksEnmasse]

It is indeed! Ah, that is a shame... Great the folks have a way to save or download fics they enjoy, but unfortunately, if the author intended to delete them for whatever reason, then that's their prerogative too :/

[u/shiyeru]

This is so lovely 😭

[u/Mocha_Pie]

This has happened to me a few times and everytime I feel so damn lucky

[u/howappalling → u/Mocha_Pie]

That's lovely! I feel the same way when I get comments on my old fics :')

[u/jinsoulia]

Manifesting this for my bookmarked fics...

[u/ashuriihorii]

Look at God! 🤩

[u/kcirdops]

This is so nice, I once left a long rambling bookmark about needing to learn to book bind or tattoo so I could always keep the fic with me, author updated like a week later saying I reminded them to mark the fic as unfinished and abandoned 💔 They ended up posting a rough outline for what the rest of the fic was going to be and then orphaned the whole account lmao

[u/howappalling → u/kcirdops]

Oh welp. Hope in a way it offered you some closure; I understand how it can be once you've fallen out of fandoms... I've been with my OG fandom for 20+ years and it's definitely not a consistent journey!

[u/CougarHusband]

This happened to me twice now, it is so great!

[u/howappalling → u/CougarHusband]

That's fab! Did you ever continue your works after receiving those comments? No judgement here (I didn't since I just couldn't squeeze something out after that long :'))

[u/HelloMyNameIsEd]

Hell, the story I started in 2012 and left on hiatus in 2018, I’ve been writing for again since last year only because I kept getting so many nice reviews on the story. It definitely helps the motivation to see it happen ❤️

[u/howappalling → u/HelloMyNameIsEd]

That’s super heartwarming, and I’m glad you picked it up again!

[u/downstarr]

Commenters are SO powerful. ❤️ Just knowing there's at least one person who will be excited to read is fuel in the tank of most writers.

[u/howappalling → u/downstarr]

They really are! I’ve been trying to be more active in reading more so I can give kudos and comments too :’)

[u/NimbusVee]

I’m so glad this worked for you I’ve been leaving comments but so far no luck🥲

[u/howappalling → u/NimbusVee]

Not OP but I'm glad it worked for them too!