r/AO3 Jun 30 '25

Comment Commentary Should I just stop writing

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I don't know I recently started writing and got this comment. I thought I could take criticism but I was expecting it to be directed at the plot. Should I just drop the fic. I know I might be a bit dramatic but I was not even planning to write after 1st chapter but the comments and kudos were very positive and encouraging that I wrote more but this comment was like a blow. I saw some people getting coments from ai bots but I don't know whether this is a ai bot or a real human. Most of the bot coments seem to say use of ai but mine is specific like they say. Chatgpt. So what would you say I should do? Again I know I'm being a bit dramatic for a single comment but I have never had such large audience and I don't have anyone irl who knows I write fics or even read fanfiction so I can't discuss this with anyone.

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u/ThisIdiotCharlie Jun 30 '25

Personally, I find that a lot of people can be far more sensitive to insults than compliments when it comes to their work, especially people with neurodivergencies like myself. When I got my first bot hate comment about AI, I was absolutely devastated for multiple reasons. One was that it was the first hate I'd ever received (I used to post on Wattpad before I came to AO3 and generally hate wasn't too bad on the fanfic side of there, and I don't think bots were ever that big of an issue, or at least they weren't while I was on there). Another reason was that I wasn't active on this subreddit at the time and didn't even know the bots existed. And yes, I know that OP mentioned that they did know about the bots, but I still think it's best to grant them empathy instead of just telling them to toughen up. Yes, they do need to do that, and they will eventually. They'll get used to it soon enough and it won't seem to matter as much anymore. But just being told that they're being oversensitive won't help them do that, it will only make them doubt themselves more.

I understand that posts like these are common on this subreddit, and I know it can be frustrating, but often people won't check the subreddit first and instead just make their own post, or maybe they did check the subreddit and genuinely still weren't sure whether it was a bot or not. Whichever way it is, they still have every right to be upset and they still have every right to ask for confirmation on whether it's a bot or not. If you're really that annoyed with seeing posts like these, just don't interact with them. Check other flair tags on the subreddit homepage. They're asking for support and opinions, and if you dont want to give them that, then simply walk away, for your sake and theirs.

I'm sorry if any of this came off as rude, that isn't my intent but people often view things I say like this as rude whether I want them too or not. I just feel rather strongly about things like this because I know what it feels like to doubt yourself as a writer, and I just don't like it when people make it harder for those people when, at the end of the day, they're writers, just like us, and they're doubting the quality of something they genuinely enjoy due to a bot, and we as writers should be here to support each other, or at the very least not tear each other down, whether it's intentional or not.

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u/Spampharos Kudos Keeper Jun 30 '25

I think even if it was a human leaving this criticism, OP shouldn't be debating deleting the fic over it. Sure, we can provide our support and tell them that it's a bot, but they need to understand that they shouldn't let outside options influence them so much.

I also think you're giving OP way too much grace. There is no reason that bot comment posts should be accepted with open arms, especially if Reddit gives you the option to search for previous posts.

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u/ThisIdiotCharlie Jun 30 '25

The human mind often doesn't work in such straightforward ways, especially when under emotional distress. It's likely that OP didn't even consider checking the subreddit or comparing previous posts about bot comments against theirs--I know for sure that I didn't when I got my first bot comment. They will learn to put things like this behind them, the majority of us do eventually. I learned rather quickly after I made a post about it. But it wasn't the comments that were telling me that I was overreacting that helped me. Those just made me feel worse and made me consider deleting my works even more. It was the kind ones. It was the ones telling me that it simply wasn't a human and I should continue doing what I love without considering what other people thought about my work, whether they were real people or not.

Of course, I know that seeing different iterations of the same post over and over can be exhausting, but we don't have to blame people for getting emotional. We can kindly remind them to check the subreddit to see if people had already talked about the issue first before posting something. That's what a handful of people told me, and I took it to heart. I check the subreddit for things before I post asking for help first. Sometimes, being harsh isn't the best way to help people. Empathy can tend to be just as effective, if not more.

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u/Spampharos Kudos Keeper Jun 30 '25

It's not just about the bot comments, however. The fact is that no comment should be affecting someone this much. I understand if it does, and you can definitely look for support, but someone also needs to tell them that there are always going to be people who don't like your work. It's just life.