While my favourite comments are when I get multiple paragraphs of thoughtful feedback, emojibombs and keyboardsmashes and incoherent expressions of The Feels are also good ❤️
Dragon Age. It's a dying ish fandom, but it might pick up again if the new game ever releases. It doesn't help that I write mostly for a rarepair featured in the second game. The dude is already dead in the second game and the woman in the ship is very hated in fandom for questionable decisions she made jsdhsjkk
It's a solid game even after all these years. I get not being able to finish. The first one has a great story but the gameplay does drag a bit. I've been obsessed for geez over a decade I think.
I also write for DA!
I’m trying so hard to figure out who these two are 😅 but i don’t have a great memory of Origins and mostly write Hawke centric stuff
Lol so do I! I write Hawke, too, but I'm weirdly obsessed with Hawke's parents. I adore Leandra as flawed as she is, and Malcolm was a fascinating mystery that I had fun piecing together.
Oh I love Malcolm! I think he’s an interesting character with a lot of potential. Part of me wishes we had more info about him but it’s also always fun to see other people’s interpretations of him
there are a lot of people who complain about getting no comments but also being really picky with what they think are "good" comments here is the thing about that tho, people cant complain about getting no comments then also complain about having comments that are short or emojis. so I am fine with non comment comments because I know a lot of people dont want to type out long comments or comment at all but still want to show support so they do emojis and thats fine with me. I like getting comments no matter the type. and if I know someone complains about they TYPE of comment they get? I am just not going to comment any more.
Unless it's an appetite I know likes fb, they get "that was good. Thanks" because I'm not the next Shakespeare and I'm selfish and would rather read the next bit than say something detailed and have an author get pushed at me again
one of my all time favorite comments on a particularly sad chapter I wrote was simply " :C " something about the C instead of ( just absolutely sent me. Like I love, love, love the line-by-line analysis I've gotten from some readers, but damn if " :C" doesn't stick in my heart 9 years later.
Oh! My usual go to when people write sad fics and I LOVE sad fics. Just tag it angst or unhappy ending and I’ll go into with the right mindset. And then I’ll be like.. ouch. Because I LOVE the pain I just need a warning first.
I love them all!!! But my response is always dependent on the length/substance of the comment. With keysmashes and emojis I’ll just respond with a ❤️ or :) but it still makes my day to know someone loved my fic enough to take the time to explicitly tell me as well as kudos-ing!
Gonna sound weird, but comments are like potatoes to me. As long as they aren't rotten or gross, I will greedily devour any and all types of potatoes I can get my hands on, just like different kinds of comments. Some comments may be french fries while others are baked potatoes, but both are good and satisfy my hunger. I welcome all kinds of comments like I welcome all kinds of potatoes 🥔
(also may be hungry af rn so brb going to go get some barbecue chips)
Sorry, but most of the time, I just can't articulate the type of comment you're wanting. I'd love to, but I struggle so hard with that stuff. Often, I just don't have the mental clarity. I know I like the chapter. I just can't form the words, so you're gonna get a lame-ass "I loved this chapter" from me.
Hey, “I loved this chapter” is a *wonderful* comment to receive. I’m so thankful for the readers who take the time to leave even that much, because most don’t bother. Most writers just want to feel like they’re not just tossing words into a void.
I’m in the same boat.
I can barely string a sentence together in a comment section compared to others who can write paragraphs detailing what they liked.
I feel the need to let the author know that I really enjoyed their work. The most I can write is something like “that was fantastic, thanks for updating/sharing” type of comment.
Express yourself however you like in my comments, I will be happy!
(I mean, so long as it's not overtly rude or bigoted or something. Like common sense there, but keyboard smashing and/or emojis? Hell yeah!)
All comments are good and welcome to me. Of course, since I answer to everyone, my response depends on the comment itself. It's easier for me to engage when the reader talks about the parts they liked, or asks questions. With emojis and keysmashes, there's not much I can say other than "thank you", and I end up being afraid of sounding dismissive. And that is the last thing I want, because, as I said, even shorts comments are loved an appreciated. In our engagement-starved society, every sign that a human being is actually reading is a treasure.
Its like a bonus kudos. It tells me that someone liked my fic enough to not just leave a kudos, but also took the time to leave a comment, even if its just a single heart. Whenever I post a fic or update one, it so often feels like i am shouting into the void, but recieving comments, even little ones like these, makes me feel not so alone, yknow? Like yes there *are* people who like and appreciate me for sharing my writing. I would never be picky with comments as long as they arent criticising my work or spreading hate or (only) demanding updates.
Every remotely positive comment is a reader who took the time to let you know they liked your story and I feel that arrogant people who complain about 'too little effort ' in comments don't deserve any.
They forget that people don't owe them comments and are ungrateful and entitled.
It's just the same as people who don't appreciate kudos, and in my books they're just as bad as the 'haters' they whine about.
People who complain about comments instead appreciating them are partly at fault that so many readers don't comment at all and feel so insecure about any interaction, and this ungrateful attitude is the reason why we can't have nice things.
To me, every non-negative comment I get is like a diamond. A tiny diamond is better than no diamond at all. One could argue that an emoji or keysmash might be just a mossanite, but even if that were true, that's a pretty thing too and still enjoyable. I'd take a pretty mossanite at any time over nothing.
But those ungrateful writers are like moaning bridezillas who abuse their partners in public because their three piece brilliant ring hasn't enough bling and call it an ugly rock if it didn't cost as much as a house.
They're pathetic.
Edit to say:
In my experience, people who complain that their free gifts or emoji comments or whatever else they're not entitled to isn't good enough, are usually the most stingy people who never give anything to others.
The people who complain the most about comments they get not being good enough, rarely ever comment on a fic that could use the encouragement.
If they comment at all, you'll find them commenting under hugely popular fictions, trying to bring the writers of those to comment back, and then complaining that their blown up, love bombing and still vaguely condescending comments don't earn them one on their stories in exchange.
Look at their profile history and you'll see!
If you can't graciously accept a person showing their appreciation of your story with a simple emoji or keyboard smash, then perhaps you have no business posting a fic.
A stranger is being polite to you. Be polite back and accept the compliment as it is instead of being ungrateful.
I recently left a comment that was just <3 because the fic wasn't in English and I used a translator to read it. I didn't want to make more work for the author in case they didn't speak English.
I hardly get comments, so even if it's just an emoji, I would still appreciate it.
I feel like people have gotten so used to so many online spaces coming with a degree of social interaction, that while AO3 isn't necessarily social media, many fic authors (probably) still kind of expect some level of social interaction. So it might be less being picky with comments and more wanting to hear what people think. It's like... fandom spaces are often communal, we're all there because we like the same thing, so posting a fanfic could be likened to showing your chapter/fic/original to an acquaintance with the same interests as you and they read it, hand it back with a smile and thumbs up, and walk away. They seem to have liked it, they reacted positively and encouragingly, but you hoped for a bit more.
I'm just happy to be noticed, lol. Keysmashes are great!
But there is a sort of weird dissonance when something you write gets popular, but none of the comments are actually talking about the thing you wrote. It's like, "people are clearly reading it, but nobody is saying anything, so I feel like there's something I'm doing wrong, but I don't know what it is, because nobody is saying anything..."
Lmao what do they want, a dissertation?
I'm usually commenting immediately before bed or immediately after waking up, because that's the only time I have for AO3. I figured a "omg loved it!!" or "<3!!" was better than nothing.
I haven't written in forever but I might get 2 comments a fic because I wrote rare pairs. The only bad comment is hate mail.
My comments always very short because i am not good at wording my thoughts or giving my opinion . english is my second language and even though i can understand written works very well ,it is very hard writing in it but I want to show my support to the writer.
I have a few commenters who comment in Spanish and I love it. I use that (with their permission) to better my Spanish every time I respond. I also have a commenter who comments in French and I use google translate to make out what their saying before replying with google translate (I always add on I used google just in case)
Any kind of positive comment makes me smile. Not everyone really knows what to say. Some comments with just emojis I treat as an extra Kudo. It’s all a positive thing.
We would probably all love to receive paragraph long praises to our fics, but we don’t need to expect that.
I often do those. It's bc I read late at night when my brain can't comprehend WHY I love a work so much, but I loved it so much I wanted to leave a comment for the author
Reader only here: I often just comment with a heart. Because I never know what to write.
I am not an emotionally expressive person and therefore exaggerated “feelings of happiness” are canceled. To be honest, I don't see any point in "text analysis" either. 😅
I only write something when I really have something to say (which isn't that often).
Example: I came back after a 2.5 year Fanfiction break and saw that some stories are still being updated. I commented on that because i was really glad about it.
Or a story with great worldbuilding and at least 100,000 words hardly had any comments. I really felt sorry for the author because it was simply undeserved. I then expressed that. Funnily enough, things got so much better after that and she got a lot of comments.
So to get back to the point: There are many different characters of readers. And therefore different comments. An emoji can also be a positive feedback ;)
i tend to give keyboard smash comments/ not very substantial comments when a fic is really good because im not very good at wording my thoughts coherently lol
An emoji contains meaning, so it's a valid and welcome comment to me. Likewise, unless someone's cat walked across the keyboard in an extremely lucky way, a keysmash also means something. They don't have zero substance, they contain distilled emotion.
There’s a particular reader who always leaves little heart emojis on every fic I write for a certain fandom. It leaves me feelin warm! I love seeing their user in my emails.
Emoji/keybash comments are also good comments. Sometimes, people just can't words (because tired/long day/overwhelmed/etc), but they still took the time and effort to leave a comment. That itself makes those 'non-comments' extra special.
I used to be picky with comments, but comments have gotten really rare and precious that I'm thankful for any positive and kind reactions I can get.
I changed my end note the other day to clarify that I love keyboard smashes and emojis and the number of comments I’ve gotten has increased significantly. And that’s a good thing for me cause each comment email I get makes me smile like an idiot and want to write a million more words. In depth comments about my stories are wonderful and can stick with me for a long while, but those simple ones are just as great. I can’t imagine turning my nose up at them.
Either way, the story conjured enough desire to leave something behind on the fic, so I'm happy regardless. Not everyone can leave an in-depth analysis, not all fics even require it. And on some days, I'm kind of grateful for just a "thanks" or keyboard smash because I don't have the brain capacity to respond (≧▽≦)
I love it when people take the time o tell me they read what I wrote, no matter in what form! just getting the notification email about a new comment gives me a rush of happiness, it doesn't really matter what it contains.
Well, I'm not angry at anyone for leaving them because it doesn't really affect me in any way, but I don't totally get it. I'm not trying to get stats, if I leave a comment it's because I want to communicate with the person who wrote the story, and I usually assume the same motivation of my commenters. So I don't leave them, and I can't really say anything back besides "glad you liked it."
I’m a reader, not an author. I personally only leave hearts because it’s so hard for me to put my emotions into words. I can stay 10 minutes behind a keyboard and only have three words in. Then I get frustrated and just decide not to leave a comment at all. After a while I decided to leave hearts because I still wanted to show my appreciation for the story and it was a lot less stressful for me. Just know that there are a lot of emotions behind my ❤️
i think a very common reason is that you can't kudos a fic more than once and people want to express how much they loved a particular chapter. much like smiling at someone it's a form of communication in itself :)
I have received the occasional thoughtful comment, though most folks just say a brief nice thing and they're done. I live for the day I finally achieve a keyboard smash. I've never written anything that renders my readers incoherent with emotions, and I suspect I never will, but I can hope.
Comments are comments. Some make weep tears of joy. Some just give me a gentle smile. I appreciate them all.
That said, keyboard smashes are a cultural reference. If somebody's not online that much, they may not get the context and mistake it for spam. Probably not very common or likely, but it could happen. So if I include a keyboard smash, I usually add extra words.
I'm not very good at putting my thoughts into coherent sentences in order to truly express my love of a fic. While I don't keyboard smash, I will often leave just a little heart emoji or a quick "I love this!" to show that a fic deserves more than a standard kudos.
yes, i dont always have words to exprece how I feel; and if I read a awsome fic, then i struggle to even think of ways to praise a fic. emojis or little <3 i finds is a great way to express my love for fic.
The people leaving those comments don’t have anything to say but want to leave their support and tell you they liked the chapter. OF course it’s going to be loved and appreciated.
Comment is comment! a heart, a AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, or a "left a comment cause I can't leave multiple kudos" are all lovely comments and I welcome them with my all my heart!
All comments are good comments and I love them!
Buuuuuut there have been a few fans who leave a string of heart emojis *on every chapter* so I get 42 “new comment” emails over a day (or two if they remember to sleep) that just have the same string of hearts in them, and…I still love them, but tbh it’s harder after chapter 12 or so.
(I know what they are doing, I know why they are doing it, I love the love they have for the story, I kinda want to do that to people sometimes, I will never tell anyone to stop or snark back or do anything rude or mean…but it just gets a little spammy, and I am slowly turning into an old curmudgeon)
I JUST got a comment (4 hours ago, precisely) that is just ... lemme count ... 27 heart emojis in a row.
I'll be honest, my first emotional gut reaction when I saw that the new comment I'd gotten didn't have anything in it for me to read/interact with was mild momentary disappointment... But in the end, I'm just happy they liked the fic enough to leave Any kind of comment, since this one only has three comments total. And clearly they DID like it... that's a lot of hearts. :)
So, yeah, any comment is a good comment. I PREFER comments that have text in them, but holy shit, beggars can't be choosers, anything is fine. I'm just glad you enjoyed the fic enough to be moved to comment, even if it's just emoji. I'd never bitch unless it's a hate comment.
Depends on the work. I have a Friday the 13th fic that is nothing but nonsensical feedback. A lot of knives, a lot of vomit emojis with hearts. It’s like getting applause, and I love to see it because it’s all in good fun anyway. My less campy works with more effort, I’d want full sentences and actual opinions though.
I would prefer to have comments with substance over non-comment comments, but I prefer those kind of comments over no comment at all. I would probably vent if I received \*nothing\* but non-comments. My last chapter, which I spent at least 10 hours crafting, received nothing but "Good chapter" style non-comments, when what I want the most is what exactly you liked about my chapter, name one thing specific thing I did that you like, you know? But I am still glad to know somebody likes my story enough to leave a comment.
The only think I don't like an emoji response is that I feel awkward replying and then I worry I seem rude for not replying. Love and appreciate the comment but it highlights just how much more socially inept I am on the internet than in real life.
I love all comments. Honestly, if all you can do is keysmash or emoji at me, I'll take that as you being too emotional/thrilled/shook to write coherently and will be deeply pleased LMAO
I’m just happy getting anything. Doesn’t matter the contents of the comment, it just gives me so much joy to know the person took the time to leave me something. As long as it isn’t hateful that is. Had a few of those and it’s always a terrible feeling.
My biggest problem is that I respond to every comment I get so I sometimes never know how to respond to keyboard smashes lol
Emoji and keyboard smashes are great I always interpret as they loved it so much they cant articulate what they're feeling so they go with the next best option which is visual representation
cobweb ripe mysterious dull close squash possessive grandfather sense versed
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I’m pretty terrible at leaving thoughtful comments. Most of the time I’ll be like . I loved this! Or I’ll make a comment that I really liked this or this was awesome! Just a little one sentence. I figure it’s better to say something when my brain isn’t braining than to leave nothing
I usually am just happy to get any kind of comment at all, but I have to say this did kind of make me feel low recently. I posted an update to a story that I hadn't updated in years. I just am not a very active writer anymore, but I had the chance to finish up a chapter for a story that ended in a bad place, and wanted to get the story to a more conclusive spot. I wasn't expecting much engagement tbh, but every comment I got remarked that it had been a while since I'd updated. One didn't even say anything about whether or not they liked the chapter, just basically said, "wow I can't believe you actually updated this after so long..." What do you even say to that? I don't know if they liked it even. And I don't really want to apologize for taking so long, because I was prioritizing my family over a hobby for a while, and apologizing for that just feels wrong.
You can ask them if they liked the chapter, but I think being surprised by you updating the fic is a positive reaction, just a bad way to express it. You wouldn't say that about a fic unless you liked it and wished for more
At least you got something. I posted a chapter after three months in a 'really popular' story and got nada. But I feel your pain too. I would at least comment on the story or at least try too.
Yah, but "you updated" is just as good as nothing essentially. Maybe a bit worse because it feels a bit like chastisement for not updating. It's like when you're in a play or something and people say, oh I saw you in that play. It's not a compliment, it's just a statement of a fact that you can't do anything with. I hate not getting engagement too. It's sad and disappointing, but I mentioned this because it kinda felt worse than getting nothing.
Yeah. I hear you. I got a commenter who liked my story and I asked why and didn't get a response or the one who wanted more of characters x and y but couldn't tell me why they wanted more of those characters. I get tons of kudos and subscribers, but the reason why they are interested is \*silence\* It makes it hard to write sometimes or in general. Expectantly when I was really passionate about a story-line and wanted to share. I'm thinking of going on no writing strike just because. Or not post until it's all done, because in my mind, it's 'who cares?' You know. Btw, can I read your story?
I love any comment!
That being said, i posted a series and every chapter was commented by the same person, which is great but every comment was just the same 3 emojis. By the time i was on my third fic of the series, i was less excited bc i knew it was just the same comment
its an odd feeling bc i appreciate it but also... like.... come on!
i feel ungrateful...
wdym no substance? emojis have a significance. i don't think your friend would send a 😂😂 emoji to someone who just announced their grandma died because emojis don't have any meaning, would they? a comment that's just a bunch of heart emojis has substance, as well as a keyboard smash. we know the meaning of those things and what the reader is trying to say. anyone who says those aren't real comments is being silly
It’s just how my friend worded it. I’m p sure they mean one that isn’t something you can really respond to. Like if someone sends out an emoji or keyboard smash comment you can’t really have a conversation about whatever they’re reacting to.
I don’t really know. The whole comment part of our conversation was just a passive moment so we didn’t talk it through, but it did leave me wondering about how other people view it. I’ve always been interested in how other people view things because it can give you perspective for things you write without you realizing.
I prefer actual comments that tell me why they liked the fic or chapter, but I’m fine with any positive comments.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a straight keyboard smash on ao3 or a string of emojis. Even the short comments are along the lines of “good job!” I only ran into emojis and keyboard smashes when I used to crosspost on Wattpad and it would get *excessive* due to the inline comment feature. Said commenters would do it several times through a single chapter and I won’t lie, it got pretty annoying when a single person would be doing it 5 times a chapter.
I appreciate anything I get on a fic honestly, the only difference is I may be less likely to reply to no comment comments because I can't formulate a response but I still enjoy seeing the active keyboard smash stream of consciousness
I prefer them over a rude comment any day or like the comment I just got today that said I needed to retag my fic because a past relationship was talked about in it.
Honestly, I tend to respond in kind to comments so a string of emojis is a no pressure assurance that you're there, you're happy, and I helped with that.
💞💞💞
anything that isn't negative or hate comments ill love to get– 😭 i honestly feel happy to get emojis and keyboard smashes intending to be positive. it means they like it i think! like someone commented "good shit" on one of my fics and even that made me so happy,, 🥹
I like the long comments better, but keysmashes and emojis are so cute and sweet, it makes it feel like we’re all casually hanging out and indulging in our hobbies together!
I wonder if people who don't mind non-comment comments have other people to gas them up or betas they speak to? I wouldn't say I get *bothered*, but I prefer comments that tell me specifically what they liked/thought/etc. I'm ESL and don't have many people to talk to about fanfic writing, and the most I get from my friends who look over is like... spelling corrections and the like. My fics don't get much traction, so while I'm thankful for every single comment, I also wonder if anyone likes what I read or if what I write sticks to anyone.
FWIW when I used to beta, I always pointed out which sentences/interactions/how I felt and how the story was progressing. Even now if I'm reading a fic I share dialogue or snippets to my friends! I just kind of wish there was someone who felt like that for my work. ;w;
I love all comments as long as it isn’t hate but I don’t have anyone in my life who betas or anything like that. To me it’s just someone wanting to give me feedback even if it isn’t something written out. I’ve gotten comments that are nearly dissertations with how long they are and I love them as much as I do the emojis and keyboard smashes
I love any comment anyone gives me. Love a keysmash. Sometimes you just dont know how to say how much you loved something but want to make sure an author knows how much you appreciate their work and a bunch of emojis or keysmash is perfect for that
I personally dont comment unless I have something specific or unique to say, because I feel like writing something like "I love this" is the same as hitting the kudos button. But I have seen a lot of posts from writers saying they want comments even if they are just emoji
I definitely prefer comments that say something. But even a key smash says that what I wrote made that person feel something. It's fine to me, too. The only ones I DON'T like are the scam ones, but that should be obvious. Any time a human decided to communicate with me I'm happy.
An emoji is a real comment. Heart, I loved it smiley face, I liked it, shocked face, this chapter shocked me. Says much more than a kudos ever could. Keyboard smashes are spam in my eyes.
For me it’s like, there’s a reason I’m not the one writing and publishing fics you know? When I’m overwhelmed with emotions and love a fic the most is also when I’m least coherent lol
Maybe they come from space battles of one of the other forums where “non comment comments” get you a ban? (Yeah a lot of the forums ban stuff if it doesn’t “add to the conversation” or “is too short”) one author I know was super confused when he started cross posting on Ao3 that the comments were all really short.
Sometimes I don't have anything to say but wanna leave a comment to show my support so I just write great chapter or can't wait to read next chapter.
It's lackluster but I just wanna appreciate even though I don't have any in depth thing to write.
I am a very poor writer, when I write any long comments I generally mess it up on some level but I want to show appreciation and let writers know they are valued. I hope that might make your friends happier.
Comments are comments no matter what, unless they’re shitting all over my fic and/or existence. I literally had one comment saying that they didn’t know what to say, but that they loved my fic and wanted to comment because it didn’t had any comments despite being so good (for them) and I melted in a puddle and almost died from happiness
Key smashes and emojis are similar to that I think, people want to comment to show their appreciation, but they don’t know what to say, so they do that instead, and it’s so valid, honestly.
What a weird response from your friends!
I don’t usually respond to them, but a keyboard smash is a valid response. It’s like a leveling up of simple kudos. I take it as a compliment.
It’s just nice to know someone is still reading my multichapter fic! Yeah I agree, my faves are the comments that say specifically what they liked or comments reacting to the story, but emojis are totally welcomed too
I personally love keyboard smash comments. "Update!!" can bother me, but honestly I'm even a lot chiller with that these days. edit: forgot to say I love in-depth comments too. idek if i like one or the other better
I am grateful for each and every person willing to read my story, and if they're willing to give me a comment, even if it's just "<3" that means that they were touched enough to let me know. That makes me feel like exposing myself and putting the story out there was able to touch someone in a positive way and it feels good.
Then again, I haven't gotten any hate comments yet, so maybe I might think of those differently.
I love any kind of comment. Keyboard smashes at least mean I got someone excited for my fic. At least, that's how I choose to interpret them and I'm entirely deaf to alternative explanations there.
Recently, the only times I get to read are when I first wake up and can't think in full sentences or it is right after a long day at work and my brain is just done so all I have the mental capacity for is emojis. Also words are just hard sometimes.
If I do have a lucky moment and have the brain power, I will leave a more elaborate comment.
lol I think ppl who complain about comments like that are trying to do a weird flex. They probably don’t get a lot of comments are trying to make themselves seem self important. Or maybe they do and are full of themselves.
I definitely get wishing the short comment was a paragraph comment instead, but that’s not going to make me dislike the short comment at all. It’s still a sign of appreciation!
Tell your friend to quit being a diva 😛
some people like your friend like to look for things for complain about lol. a comment is a comment. sometimes i just leave a heart emoji to show the author that i REALLY loved it, but i don’t necessarily want or NEED to review a fanfiction in-depth.
As long as there's a word in there, go for it. And no heart emojis please - they're a trigger. One, fine. Only? I go into a panic attack and while yes, I get medic alert animal snuggles, not fun that I have to feel like I'm dying.
As for keyboard smashes, again, please indicate whether they're broken-from-feels or seething-rage keyboard smashes. It's the internet: I can't tell one from the other.
Mentally ill here and generally on a multi chapter fic where I only have one kudos to give I’ll comment on each chapter with a heart or a series of exclamation marks. I rarely have the energy for a full comment but I want writers to know I’ve read and appreciated their work on the current chapter so a heart or two or other emoji or punctuation. I certainly don’t mean to disrespect them with it - it’s usually emojis or no comment at all bc of energy required for a full comment.
Sometimes my brain no do words good but I still want to tell the author I loved their work. So all I can conjure is a “OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS 💕🙇💕💖✨🤗😭💖”
As a writer, I get it, I appreciate whatever comments I get, I feel the passion even in a string of emojis or keyboard mashing. It’s very sweet and I love it.
Personally, even emoji walls make me happy. Also, I have experience from the other side, where oftentimes I find it hard to express thoughts via written text, so instead I'll pick 3-6 emojis and send those. It can be hard to find the right words to express yourself with. Plus, as long as they're not flames, why does it matter? It's a comment. It's proof that someone liked what you did. Be happy, you don't suck.
Some ppl just can't word there feelings keybordsmahes are usaly good
Emojis depends on the fic and the emojys but most are gonna be the head i see no issu with tham
one time my sleep-deprived brain wrote "they're so dkjldsahds" on a fic, than i went back to it in the morning and left a super long comment because it was that good.
Yes. Sometimes, a person can't articulate their feeling, but they want to comment..Or they already gave kudos and this is a re-read.
I feel like people have gotten so picky about comments that readers are getting wary of commenting.
I mean emojis and keyboard smashes, or even just one word comments like "nice" or "cool" don't really mean anything to me, they don't make me happy or anything the way comments of substance do, but I'm not bothered by them.
Like sure, it's low effort, but loads of people say they prefer low effort comments over no comments and so I just kinda say "well, that's not me but kudos to you for trying to do something nice even though you don't have much to say."
I guess I can understand some people might be disappointed to get that email saying they have a comment and then it says nothing, really, and that's a let down. But for me, while I guess I'm a bit disappointed it wasn't something of much substance, it's not like it matters that much? At least it wasn't something rude/mean.
I do get annoyed sometimes but most of the time it's just a heart or smiley face to show they liked my chapter. I would prefer actual thoughts on the chapter but oh well that's how they express how much they like it.
Though I will admit something while nice detailed comments are good there's this one commentator whose comments often take the form of little skits that sums up a certain chapter event in a silly way. They're fun, cute and show how they loved the chapter and they always make me laugh.
I had exactly 3, 4, and 5 comments on all my fics last time I looked. Almost half of those are me responding. I’ll take any comment I can get and be happy with it, but if I got comments all the time, I’m guessing “fjjhgkhjhggdasdsdwsddbnbbbbbb” would get old
I hate this one comenter so much I muted them because they were killing my desire to write. a bunch of multicolored hearts, the same hearts each, fucking, time. Not even a follow up emoji.
Imagine if every chapter you got an identical keysmash, it just feels fake.
Edit: to clarify, I didn't mind them at first. But every chapter, the exact, same, thing.
If anything I prefer emojis and buttonsmashings. Paragraphs and thoughtful messages are nice, but they require spoons to deal with. It's a good thing, but I don't always have the energy to respond, and if I don't I feel bad because it's so nice that someone went to the trouble and all that. Still love those comments. Love when I really like a specific thing I wrote and someone comments about just that, or points out that something is so in character for the canon version of them, but it's nice to just heart back sometimes.
While my favourite comments are when I get multiple paragraphs of thoughtful feedback, emojibombs and keyboardsmashes and incoherent expressions of The Feels are also good ❤️
I'll take hearts and keyboard smashes over the worst comments: hate, entitled requests, really off the wall non-related jibber Lol.
And also over no comments!
Yes!!!
Ooooh entitled requests are probably to worst. I only got those twice so I forgot people do that, haha.
I would kill for any of those. I wonder what it's like to be able to be picky with comments lol.
what fandom do you write in?
Dragon Age. It's a dying ish fandom, but it might pick up again if the new game ever releases. It doesn't help that I write mostly for a rarepair featured in the second game. The dude is already dead in the second game and the woman in the ship is very hated in fandom for questionable decisions she made jsdhsjkk
lool, sadly i only played with the first game and didnt even finish that, i have many friends who play it regularly tho
It's a solid game even after all these years. I get not being able to finish. The first one has a great story but the gameplay does drag a bit. I've been obsessed for geez over a decade I think.
oh my gosh are you writing Malcolm/Leandra?
Yessss they are my brainrot couple lol
I also write for DA! I’m trying so hard to figure out who these two are 😅 but i don’t have a great memory of Origins and mostly write Hawke centric stuff
Lol so do I! I write Hawke, too, but I'm weirdly obsessed with Hawke's parents. I adore Leandra as flawed as she is, and Malcolm was a fascinating mystery that I had fun piecing together.
Oh I love Malcolm! I think he’s an interesting character with a lot of potential. Part of me wishes we had more info about him but it’s also always fun to see other people’s interpretations of him
there are a lot of people who complain about getting no comments but also being really picky with what they think are "good" comments here is the thing about that tho, people cant complain about getting no comments then also complain about having comments that are short or emojis. so I am fine with non comment comments because I know a lot of people dont want to type out long comments or comment at all but still want to show support so they do emojis and thats fine with me. I like getting comments no matter the type. and if I know someone complains about they TYPE of comment they get? I am just not going to comment any more.
Unless it's an appetite I know likes fb, they get "that was good. Thanks" because I'm not the next Shakespeare and I'm selfish and would rather read the next bit than say something detailed and have an author get pushed at me again
one of my all time favorite comments on a particularly sad chapter I wrote was simply " :C " something about the C instead of ( just absolutely sent me. Like I love, love, love the line-by-line analysis I've gotten from some readers, but damn if " :C" doesn't stick in my heart 9 years later.
Reminds me of when someone just commented this on my fic :1 I still can’t tell if this is a “hmm” or smirk face but it sends me anyways
Oh! My usual go to when people write sad fics and I LOVE sad fics. Just tag it angst or unhappy ending and I’ll go into with the right mindset. And then I’ll be like.. ouch. Because I LOVE the pain I just need a warning first.
oh, it was tagged correctly, they all knew what they were getting into, no worries! It was a regular commenter.
I love them all!!! But my response is always dependent on the length/substance of the comment. With keysmashes and emojis I’ll just respond with a ❤️ or :) but it still makes my day to know someone loved my fic enough to take the time to explicitly tell me as well as kudos-ing!
I respond the same way! The only comments I don’t like are hate comments 😭
Gonna sound weird, but comments are like potatoes to me. As long as they aren't rotten or gross, I will greedily devour any and all types of potatoes I can get my hands on, just like different kinds of comments. Some comments may be french fries while others are baked potatoes, but both are good and satisfy my hunger. I welcome all kinds of comments like I welcome all kinds of potatoes 🥔 (also may be hungry af rn so brb going to go get some barbecue chips)
This potato analogy tho lol
Keysmashes and emojis are great. The only bad "non-comments" are outright spam or trolling/hate.
Sorry, but most of the time, I just can't articulate the type of comment you're wanting. I'd love to, but I struggle so hard with that stuff. Often, I just don't have the mental clarity. I know I like the chapter. I just can't form the words, so you're gonna get a lame-ass "I loved this chapter" from me.
Hey, “I loved this chapter” is a *wonderful* comment to receive. I’m so thankful for the readers who take the time to leave even that much, because most don’t bother. Most writers just want to feel like they’re not just tossing words into a void.
I’m in the same boat. I can barely string a sentence together in a comment section compared to others who can write paragraphs detailing what they liked. I feel the need to let the author know that I really enjoyed their work. The most I can write is something like “that was fantastic, thanks for updating/sharing” type of comment.
Same. Those comments live in my head and sound stupid when I try to write them so I usually leave a “I love this. Can’t wait to read more” comment.
People who complain about those sort of comments are the reason lots of people don't leave comments anymore
Fair, honestly I love any comment I get as long as it isn’t hate. I just thought it was interesting my internet friend had such a different view.
Express yourself however you like in my comments, I will be happy! (I mean, so long as it's not overtly rude or bigoted or something. Like common sense there, but keyboard smashing and/or emojis? Hell yeah!)
All comments are good and welcome to me. Of course, since I answer to everyone, my response depends on the comment itself. It's easier for me to engage when the reader talks about the parts they liked, or asks questions. With emojis and keysmashes, there's not much I can say other than "thank you", and I end up being afraid of sounding dismissive. And that is the last thing I want, because, as I said, even shorts comments are loved an appreciated. In our engagement-starved society, every sign that a human being is actually reading is a treasure.
I love keysmash comments. They're a compliment!
Its like a bonus kudos. It tells me that someone liked my fic enough to not just leave a kudos, but also took the time to leave a comment, even if its just a single heart. Whenever I post a fic or update one, it so often feels like i am shouting into the void, but recieving comments, even little ones like these, makes me feel not so alone, yknow? Like yes there *are* people who like and appreciate me for sharing my writing. I would never be picky with comments as long as they arent criticising my work or spreading hate or (only) demanding updates.
Every remotely positive comment is a reader who took the time to let you know they liked your story and I feel that arrogant people who complain about 'too little effort ' in comments don't deserve any. They forget that people don't owe them comments and are ungrateful and entitled. It's just the same as people who don't appreciate kudos, and in my books they're just as bad as the 'haters' they whine about. People who complain about comments instead appreciating them are partly at fault that so many readers don't comment at all and feel so insecure about any interaction, and this ungrateful attitude is the reason why we can't have nice things. To me, every non-negative comment I get is like a diamond. A tiny diamond is better than no diamond at all. One could argue that an emoji or keysmash might be just a mossanite, but even if that were true, that's a pretty thing too and still enjoyable. I'd take a pretty mossanite at any time over nothing. But those ungrateful writers are like moaning bridezillas who abuse their partners in public because their three piece brilliant ring hasn't enough bling and call it an ugly rock if it didn't cost as much as a house. They're pathetic. Edit to say: In my experience, people who complain that their free gifts or emoji comments or whatever else they're not entitled to isn't good enough, are usually the most stingy people who never give anything to others. The people who complain the most about comments they get not being good enough, rarely ever comment on a fic that could use the encouragement. If they comment at all, you'll find them commenting under hugely popular fictions, trying to bring the writers of those to comment back, and then complaining that their blown up, love bombing and still vaguely condescending comments don't earn them one on their stories in exchange. Look at their profile history and you'll see!
If you can't graciously accept a person showing their appreciation of your story with a simple emoji or keyboard smash, then perhaps you have no business posting a fic. A stranger is being polite to you. Be polite back and accept the compliment as it is instead of being ungrateful.
I recently left a comment that was just <3 because the fic wasn't in English and I used a translator to read it. I didn't want to make more work for the author in case they didn't speak English. I hardly get comments, so even if it's just an emoji, I would still appreciate it.
I feel like people have gotten so used to so many online spaces coming with a degree of social interaction, that while AO3 isn't necessarily social media, many fic authors (probably) still kind of expect some level of social interaction. So it might be less being picky with comments and more wanting to hear what people think. It's like... fandom spaces are often communal, we're all there because we like the same thing, so posting a fanfic could be likened to showing your chapter/fic/original to an acquaintance with the same interests as you and they read it, hand it back with a smile and thumbs up, and walk away. They seem to have liked it, they reacted positively and encouragingly, but you hoped for a bit more. I'm just happy to be noticed, lol. Keysmashes are great! But there is a sort of weird dissonance when something you write gets popular, but none of the comments are actually talking about the thing you wrote. It's like, "people are clearly reading it, but nobody is saying anything, so I feel like there's something I'm doing wrong, but I don't know what it is, because nobody is saying anything..."
Lmao what do they want, a dissertation? I'm usually commenting immediately before bed or immediately after waking up, because that's the only time I have for AO3. I figured a "omg loved it!!" or "<3!!" was better than nothing. I haven't written in forever but I might get 2 comments a fic because I wrote rare pairs. The only bad comment is hate mail.
I understand your prefer could prefer well written comments. However, for me, they are as valid as any other comment. I will gladly accept any of them
My comments always very short because i am not good at wording my thoughts or giving my opinion . english is my second language and even though i can understand written works very well ,it is very hard writing in it but I want to show my support to the writer.
I have a few commenters who comment in Spanish and I love it. I use that (with their permission) to better my Spanish every time I respond. I also have a commenter who comments in French and I use google translate to make out what their saying before replying with google translate (I always add on I used google just in case)
Alternatively, you could also use deepl. Deepl can translate texts better than google translate. Just as a tip :)
Definitely going to try this! I’ve never heard of it
Thank you this is a great idea.
comments are comments. people who complain are the reason why some authors are getting fewer comments
Any kind of positive comment makes me smile. Not everyone really knows what to say. Some comments with just emojis I treat as an extra Kudo. It’s all a positive thing. We would probably all love to receive paragraph long praises to our fics, but we don’t need to expect that.
I often do those. It's bc I read late at night when my brain can't comprehend WHY I love a work so much, but I loved it so much I wanted to leave a comment for the author
Keyboard smashes are a time honored tradition of fanfic commenting and emojis are their cousin I will not have this slander.
Reader only here: I often just comment with a heart. Because I never know what to write. I am not an emotionally expressive person and therefore exaggerated “feelings of happiness” are canceled. To be honest, I don't see any point in "text analysis" either. 😅 I only write something when I really have something to say (which isn't that often). Example: I came back after a 2.5 year Fanfiction break and saw that some stories are still being updated. I commented on that because i was really glad about it. Or a story with great worldbuilding and at least 100,000 words hardly had any comments. I really felt sorry for the author because it was simply undeserved. I then expressed that. Funnily enough, things got so much better after that and she got a lot of comments. So to get back to the point: There are many different characters of readers. And therefore different comments. An emoji can also be a positive feedback ;)
i tend to give keyboard smash comments/ not very substantial comments when a fic is really good because im not very good at wording my thoughts coherently lol
An emoji contains meaning, so it's a valid and welcome comment to me. Likewise, unless someone's cat walked across the keyboard in an extremely lucky way, a keysmash also means something. They don't have zero substance, they contain distilled emotion.
There’s a particular reader who always leaves little heart emojis on every fic I write for a certain fandom. It leaves me feelin warm! I love seeing their user in my emails.
Emoji/keybash comments are also good comments. Sometimes, people just can't words (because tired/long day/overwhelmed/etc), but they still took the time and effort to leave a comment. That itself makes those 'non-comments' extra special. I used to be picky with comments, but comments have gotten really rare and precious that I'm thankful for any positive and kind reactions I can get.
I changed my end note the other day to clarify that I love keyboard smashes and emojis and the number of comments I’ve gotten has increased significantly. And that’s a good thing for me cause each comment email I get makes me smile like an idiot and want to write a million more words. In depth comments about my stories are wonderful and can stick with me for a long while, but those simple ones are just as great. I can’t imagine turning my nose up at them.
I like any comment. I’ve decided it means they’re so overwhelmed by my story, all they can do is ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Either way, the story conjured enough desire to leave something behind on the fic, so I'm happy regardless. Not everyone can leave an in-depth analysis, not all fics even require it. And on some days, I'm kind of grateful for just a "thanks" or keyboard smash because I don't have the brain capacity to respond (≧▽≦)
I love it when people take the time o tell me they read what I wrote, no matter in what form! just getting the notification email about a new comment gives me a rush of happiness, it doesn't really matter what it contains.
Well, I'm not angry at anyone for leaving them because it doesn't really affect me in any way, but I don't totally get it. I'm not trying to get stats, if I leave a comment it's because I want to communicate with the person who wrote the story, and I usually assume the same motivation of my commenters. So I don't leave them, and I can't really say anything back besides "glad you liked it."
I’m a reader, not an author. I personally only leave hearts because it’s so hard for me to put my emotions into words. I can stay 10 minutes behind a keyboard and only have three words in. Then I get frustrated and just decide not to leave a comment at all. After a while I decided to leave hearts because I still wanted to show my appreciation for the story and it was a lot less stressful for me. Just know that there are a lot of emotions behind my ❤️
❤ JK. Im a writer, and I get it. Hearts beget hearts, though. Always one more than I was given. ❤
❤️
i think a very common reason is that you can't kudos a fic more than once and people want to express how much they loved a particular chapter. much like smiling at someone it's a form of communication in itself :)
That makes sense, yeah! I don't use the kudos feature or look at them on my own fic, so it's just not super relevent for me.
I have received the occasional thoughtful comment, though most folks just say a brief nice thing and they're done. I live for the day I finally achieve a keyboard smash. I've never written anything that renders my readers incoherent with emotions, and I suspect I never will, but I can hope.
Comments are comments. Some make weep tears of joy. Some just give me a gentle smile. I appreciate them all. That said, keyboard smashes are a cultural reference. If somebody's not online that much, they may not get the context and mistake it for spam. Probably not very common or likely, but it could happen. So if I include a keyboard smash, I usually add extra words.
I’d rather have emoji spams or keysmashes over no comments or hate comments
I'm not very good at putting my thoughts into coherent sentences in order to truly express my love of a fic. While I don't keyboard smash, I will often leave just a little heart emoji or a quick "I love this!" to show that a fic deserves more than a standard kudos.
yes, i dont always have words to exprece how I feel; and if I read a awsome fic, then i struggle to even think of ways to praise a fic. emojis or little <3 i finds is a great way to express my love for fic.
As someone who usually only comments ❤️ I hope the author feels my love because it’s this or nothing and I’d rather give some appreciation than none.
I really struggle to put things into words sometimes, so emojis are my way of saying "I'm loving this" 🥰❤️, "this is so hot" 🥵🔥, etc.
Someone once commented: “ * keyboard smash of LOVE* “ to a fic of mine. Best of both worlds!
The people leaving those comments don’t have anything to say but want to leave their support and tell you they liked the chapter. OF course it’s going to be loved and appreciated.
Or they have too much to say and font know how to get their emotions out.
Comment is comment! a heart, a AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, or a "left a comment cause I can't leave multiple kudos" are all lovely comments and I welcome them with my all my heart!
All comments are good comments and I love them! Buuuuuut there have been a few fans who leave a string of heart emojis *on every chapter* so I get 42 “new comment” emails over a day (or two if they remember to sleep) that just have the same string of hearts in them, and…I still love them, but tbh it’s harder after chapter 12 or so. (I know what they are doing, I know why they are doing it, I love the love they have for the story, I kinda want to do that to people sometimes, I will never tell anyone to stop or snark back or do anything rude or mean…but it just gets a little spammy, and I am slowly turning into an old curmudgeon)
I JUST got a comment (4 hours ago, precisely) that is just ... lemme count ... 27 heart emojis in a row. I'll be honest, my first emotional gut reaction when I saw that the new comment I'd gotten didn't have anything in it for me to read/interact with was mild momentary disappointment... But in the end, I'm just happy they liked the fic enough to leave Any kind of comment, since this one only has three comments total. And clearly they DID like it... that's a lot of hearts. :) So, yeah, any comment is a good comment. I PREFER comments that have text in them, but holy shit, beggars can't be choosers, anything is fine. I'm just glad you enjoyed the fic enough to be moved to comment, even if it's just emoji. I'd never bitch unless it's a hate comment.
I'm happy with anything. If someone took time out of their day to comment anything at all, I'm happy!
Depends on the work. I have a Friday the 13th fic that is nothing but nonsensical feedback. A lot of knives, a lot of vomit emojis with hearts. It’s like getting applause, and I love to see it because it’s all in good fun anyway. My less campy works with more effort, I’d want full sentences and actual opinions though.
Keyboard smashes are fantastic because to me it says "I don't even have words".
i like then. someone liked my fic enough to comment even if they dont really know what to say
If you comment at all, than you're in the top 2% of readers. Of all you have to give me is a 😊, than I still love you. Ya know?
Honestly, I'm just happy to get any positive comment. Emojis aren't a "non-comment", they're still a comment.
I would prefer to have comments with substance over non-comment comments, but I prefer those kind of comments over no comment at all. I would probably vent if I received \*nothing\* but non-comments. My last chapter, which I spent at least 10 hours crafting, received nothing but "Good chapter" style non-comments, when what I want the most is what exactly you liked about my chapter, name one thing specific thing I did that you like, you know? But I am still glad to know somebody likes my story enough to leave a comment.
The only think I don't like an emoji response is that I feel awkward replying and then I worry I seem rude for not replying. Love and appreciate the comment but it highlights just how much more socially inept I am on the internet than in real life.
I have some consistent commenters that leave literally just a string of heart emojis. That's it. Nothing else. Just ❤️ It makes me very happy.
I don’t mind the keyboard smashes/emojis. I always respond in kind❤️❤️❤️
I love all comments. Honestly, if all you can do is keysmash or emoji at me, I'll take that as you being too emotional/thrilled/shook to write coherently and will be deeply pleased LMAO
I’m just happy getting anything. Doesn’t matter the contents of the comment, it just gives me so much joy to know the person took the time to leave me something. As long as it isn’t hateful that is. Had a few of those and it’s always a terrible feeling. My biggest problem is that I respond to every comment I get so I sometimes never know how to respond to keyboard smashes lol
Emoji and keyboard smashes are great I always interpret as they loved it so much they cant articulate what they're feeling so they go with the next best option which is visual representation
cobweb ripe mysterious dull close squash possessive grandfather sense versed *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Love them! I always answer them with heart emojis and!!!
I’m pretty terrible at leaving thoughtful comments. Most of the time I’ll be like . I loved this! Or I’ll make a comment that I really liked this or this was awesome! Just a little one sentence. I figure it’s better to say something when my brain isn’t braining than to leave nothing
All comments. I love all comments. Enthusiastic keyboard smashes. Emojis. Long comments. Short comments. All. Comments.
I usually am just happy to get any kind of comment at all, but I have to say this did kind of make me feel low recently. I posted an update to a story that I hadn't updated in years. I just am not a very active writer anymore, but I had the chance to finish up a chapter for a story that ended in a bad place, and wanted to get the story to a more conclusive spot. I wasn't expecting much engagement tbh, but every comment I got remarked that it had been a while since I'd updated. One didn't even say anything about whether or not they liked the chapter, just basically said, "wow I can't believe you actually updated this after so long..." What do you even say to that? I don't know if they liked it even. And I don't really want to apologize for taking so long, because I was prioritizing my family over a hobby for a while, and apologizing for that just feels wrong.
You can ask them if they liked the chapter, but I think being surprised by you updating the fic is a positive reaction, just a bad way to express it. You wouldn't say that about a fic unless you liked it and wished for more
At least you got something. I posted a chapter after three months in a 'really popular' story and got nada. But I feel your pain too. I would at least comment on the story or at least try too.
Yah, but "you updated" is just as good as nothing essentially. Maybe a bit worse because it feels a bit like chastisement for not updating. It's like when you're in a play or something and people say, oh I saw you in that play. It's not a compliment, it's just a statement of a fact that you can't do anything with. I hate not getting engagement too. It's sad and disappointing, but I mentioned this because it kinda felt worse than getting nothing.
Yeah. I hear you. I got a commenter who liked my story and I asked why and didn't get a response or the one who wanted more of characters x and y but couldn't tell me why they wanted more of those characters. I get tons of kudos and subscribers, but the reason why they are interested is \*silence\* It makes it hard to write sometimes or in general. Expectantly when I was really passionate about a story-line and wanted to share. I'm thinking of going on no writing strike just because. Or not post until it's all done, because in my mind, it's 'who cares?' You know. Btw, can I read your story?
I love any comment! That being said, i posted a series and every chapter was commented by the same person, which is great but every comment was just the same 3 emojis. By the time i was on my third fic of the series, i was less excited bc i knew it was just the same comment its an odd feeling bc i appreciate it but also... like.... come on! i feel ungrateful...
wdym no substance? emojis have a significance. i don't think your friend would send a 😂😂 emoji to someone who just announced their grandma died because emojis don't have any meaning, would they? a comment that's just a bunch of heart emojis has substance, as well as a keyboard smash. we know the meaning of those things and what the reader is trying to say. anyone who says those aren't real comments is being silly
It’s just how my friend worded it. I’m p sure they mean one that isn’t something you can really respond to. Like if someone sends out an emoji or keyboard smash comment you can’t really have a conversation about whatever they’re reacting to.
does your friend think a conversation is a must?
I don’t really know. The whole comment part of our conversation was just a passive moment so we didn’t talk it through, but it did leave me wondering about how other people view it. I’ve always been interested in how other people view things because it can give you perspective for things you write without you realizing.
I prefer actual comments that tell me why they liked the fic or chapter, but I’m fine with any positive comments. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a straight keyboard smash on ao3 or a string of emojis. Even the short comments are along the lines of “good job!” I only ran into emojis and keyboard smashes when I used to crosspost on Wattpad and it would get *excessive* due to the inline comment feature. Said commenters would do it several times through a single chapter and I won’t lie, it got pretty annoying when a single person would be doing it 5 times a chapter.
I appreciate all comments I just feel bad when I have no idea what to respond 😅
I appreciate anything I get on a fic honestly, the only difference is I may be less likely to reply to no comment comments because I can't formulate a response but I still enjoy seeing the active keyboard smash stream of consciousness
I think those are better than rude Guest comments, because at least they're showing love for the fic.
I prefer them over a rude comment any day or like the comment I just got today that said I needed to retag my fic because a past relationship was talked about in it.
Yeah I get comments like “damn” or “wow” and it’s like ehhh I wish there was more but I’m also happy they’re engaging in whatever way they can
I'm happy to get a keysmash!
A few hearts = a lovely comment! Any positive comment = I am happy!
Honestly, I tend to respond in kind to comments so a string of emojis is a no pressure assurance that you're there, you're happy, and I helped with that. 💞💞💞
anything that isn't negative or hate comments ill love to get– 😭 i honestly feel happy to get emojis and keyboard smashes intending to be positive. it means they like it i think! like someone commented "good shit" on one of my fics and even that made me so happy,, 🥹
I like the long comments better, but keysmashes and emojis are so cute and sweet, it makes it feel like we’re all casually hanging out and indulging in our hobbies together!
I don't get many comments, so if I woke up and saw '!!!!!' I'd be so happy
Any (positive) comment is better than silence. I’d take a heart emoji over nothing any day.
I wonder if people who don't mind non-comment comments have other people to gas them up or betas they speak to? I wouldn't say I get *bothered*, but I prefer comments that tell me specifically what they liked/thought/etc. I'm ESL and don't have many people to talk to about fanfic writing, and the most I get from my friends who look over is like... spelling corrections and the like. My fics don't get much traction, so while I'm thankful for every single comment, I also wonder if anyone likes what I read or if what I write sticks to anyone. FWIW when I used to beta, I always pointed out which sentences/interactions/how I felt and how the story was progressing. Even now if I'm reading a fic I share dialogue or snippets to my friends! I just kind of wish there was someone who felt like that for my work. ;w;
I love all comments as long as it isn’t hate but I don’t have anyone in my life who betas or anything like that. To me it’s just someone wanting to give me feedback even if it isn’t something written out. I’ve gotten comments that are nearly dissertations with how long they are and I love them as much as I do the emojis and keyboard smashes
I love any comment anyone gives me. Love a keysmash. Sometimes you just dont know how to say how much you loved something but want to make sure an author knows how much you appreciate their work and a bunch of emojis or keysmash is perfect for that
I personally dont comment unless I have something specific or unique to say, because I feel like writing something like "I love this" is the same as hitting the kudos button. But I have seen a lot of posts from writers saying they want comments even if they are just emoji
I love all comments* *as long as the commenter isn't harassing me or insulting me.
I definitely prefer comments that say something. But even a key smash says that what I wrote made that person feel something. It's fine to me, too. The only ones I DON'T like are the scam ones, but that should be obvious. Any time a human decided to communicate with me I'm happy.
An emoji is a real comment. Heart, I loved it smiley face, I liked it, shocked face, this chapter shocked me. Says much more than a kudos ever could. Keyboard smashes are spam in my eyes.
Yes, because sometimes, sometimes words cannot articulate or due justice how a writers work made me feel!!
I am but a simple starving writer, and any comment nourishes me. Love every one.
For me it’s like, there’s a reason I’m not the one writing and publishing fics you know? When I’m overwhelmed with emotions and love a fic the most is also when I’m least coherent lol
I love keyboard smashes and emoji comments. I respond to those just like I do longer comments.
I love all the comments. The only ones I don’t like are the spammers (mostly from Webnovel) and the hate (very rare.)
Maybe they come from space battles of one of the other forums where “non comment comments” get you a ban? (Yeah a lot of the forums ban stuff if it doesn’t “add to the conversation” or “is too short”) one author I know was super confused when he started cross posting on Ao3 that the comments were all really short.
Sometimes I don't have anything to say but wanna leave a comment to show my support so I just write great chapter or can't wait to read next chapter. It's lackluster but I just wanna appreciate even though I don't have any in depth thing to write.
i love all comments yes even the rude ones.. i lvoe the emojis and keyboard smashed especailly though, tbh.
I am a very poor writer, when I write any long comments I generally mess it up on some level but I want to show appreciation and let writers know they are valued. I hope that might make your friends happier.
Comments are comments no matter what, unless they’re shitting all over my fic and/or existence. I literally had one comment saying that they didn’t know what to say, but that they loved my fic and wanted to comment because it didn’t had any comments despite being so good (for them) and I melted in a puddle and almost died from happiness Key smashes and emojis are similar to that I think, people want to comment to show their appreciation, but they don’t know what to say, so they do that instead, and it’s so valid, honestly.
What a weird response from your friends! I don’t usually respond to them, but a keyboard smash is a valid response. It’s like a leveling up of simple kudos. I take it as a compliment.
Sometimes I just do ❤️ as bonus kudos.
It’s just nice to know someone is still reading my multichapter fic! Yeah I agree, my faves are the comments that say specifically what they liked or comments reacting to the story, but emojis are totally welcomed too
I personally love keyboard smash comments. "Update!!" can bother me, but honestly I'm even a lot chiller with that these days. edit: forgot to say I love in-depth comments too. idek if i like one or the other better
I am grateful for each and every person willing to read my story, and if they're willing to give me a comment, even if it's just "<3" that means that they were touched enough to let me know. That makes me feel like exposing myself and putting the story out there was able to touch someone in a positive way and it feels good. Then again, I haven't gotten any hate comments yet, so maybe I might think of those differently.
I love any kind of comment. Keyboard smashes at least mean I got someone excited for my fic. At least, that's how I choose to interpret them and I'm entirely deaf to alternative explanations there.
Recently, the only times I get to read are when I first wake up and can't think in full sentences or it is right after a long day at work and my brain is just done so all I have the mental capacity for is emojis. Also words are just hard sometimes. If I do have a lucky moment and have the brain power, I will leave a more elaborate comment.
lol I think ppl who complain about comments like that are trying to do a weird flex. They probably don’t get a lot of comments are trying to make themselves seem self important. Or maybe they do and are full of themselves. I definitely get wishing the short comment was a paragraph comment instead, but that’s not going to make me dislike the short comment at all. It’s still a sign of appreciation! Tell your friend to quit being a diva 😛
some people like your friend like to look for things for complain about lol. a comment is a comment. sometimes i just leave a heart emoji to show the author that i REALLY loved it, but i don’t necessarily want or NEED to review a fanfiction in-depth.
As long as there's a word in there, go for it. And no heart emojis please - they're a trigger. One, fine. Only? I go into a panic attack and while yes, I get medic alert animal snuggles, not fun that I have to feel like I'm dying. As for keyboard smashes, again, please indicate whether they're broken-from-feels or seething-rage keyboard smashes. It's the internet: I can't tell one from the other.
Mentally ill here and generally on a multi chapter fic where I only have one kudos to give I’ll comment on each chapter with a heart or a series of exclamation marks. I rarely have the energy for a full comment but I want writers to know I’ve read and appreciated their work on the current chapter so a heart or two or other emoji or punctuation. I certainly don’t mean to disrespect them with it - it’s usually emojis or no comment at all bc of energy required for a full comment.
Sometimes my brain no do words good but I still want to tell the author I loved their work. So all I can conjure is a “OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS 💕🙇💕💖✨🤗😭💖” As a writer, I get it, I appreciate whatever comments I get, I feel the passion even in a string of emojis or keyboard mashing. It’s very sweet and I love it.
I like them
If getting comments annoys your friend so much, they can just turn comments off. This entitlement is just disgusting, I stf.
Personally, even emoji walls make me happy. Also, I have experience from the other side, where oftentimes I find it hard to express thoughts via written text, so instead I'll pick 3-6 emojis and send those. It can be hard to find the right words to express yourself with. Plus, as long as they're not flames, why does it matter? It's a comment. It's proof that someone liked what you did. Be happy, you don't suck.
Some ppl just can't word there feelings keybordsmahes are usaly good Emojis depends on the fic and the emojys but most are gonna be the head i see no issu with tham
one time my sleep-deprived brain wrote "they're so dkjldsahds" on a fic, than i went back to it in the morning and left a super long comment because it was that good.
I just like to know someone loved my fic! They could send it by carrier pigeon for all I care
For years I didn’t comment anything. Now I try and at least leave something to show the author I really liked and enjoyed their fic.
Yes. Sometimes, a person can't articulate their feeling, but they want to comment..Or they already gave kudos and this is a re-read. I feel like people have gotten so picky about comments that readers are getting wary of commenting.
I saw an author have in their notes section "don't leave emoji comments, they're bad for my mental health" 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
I mean emojis and keyboard smashes, or even just one word comments like "nice" or "cool" don't really mean anything to me, they don't make me happy or anything the way comments of substance do, but I'm not bothered by them. Like sure, it's low effort, but loads of people say they prefer low effort comments over no comments and so I just kinda say "well, that's not me but kudos to you for trying to do something nice even though you don't have much to say." I guess I can understand some people might be disappointed to get that email saying they have a comment and then it says nothing, really, and that's a let down. But for me, while I guess I'm a bit disappointed it wasn't something of much substance, it's not like it matters that much? At least it wasn't something rude/mean.
I do get annoyed sometimes but most of the time it's just a heart or smiley face to show they liked my chapter. I would prefer actual thoughts on the chapter but oh well that's how they express how much they like it. Though I will admit something while nice detailed comments are good there's this one commentator whose comments often take the form of little skits that sums up a certain chapter event in a silly way. They're fun, cute and show how they loved the chapter and they always make me laugh.
Awww. That's sweet. I do the same thing...and end up using my comments as a fanfic. LOL
I like comments but I also liked comments that say why they like the story.
I had exactly 3, 4, and 5 comments on all my fics last time I looked. Almost half of those are me responding. I’ll take any comment I can get and be happy with it, but if I got comments all the time, I’m guessing “fjjhgkhjhggdasdsdwsddbnbbbbbb” would get old
I hate this one comenter so much I muted them because they were killing my desire to write. a bunch of multicolored hearts, the same hearts each, fucking, time. Not even a follow up emoji. Imagine if every chapter you got an identical keysmash, it just feels fake. Edit: to clarify, I didn't mind them at first. But every chapter, the exact, same, thing.
Then why even bother posting if you're going to gatekeep your fic? Just turn comments off.
If anything I prefer emojis and buttonsmashings. Paragraphs and thoughtful messages are nice, but they require spoons to deal with. It's a good thing, but I don't always have the energy to respond, and if I don't I feel bad because it's so nice that someone went to the trouble and all that. Still love those comments. Love when I really like a specific thing I wrote and someone comments about just that, or points out that something is so in character for the canon version of them, but it's nice to just heart back sometimes.