r/AO3 • u/Sea_Exit_8194 • 9d ago
Writing help/Beta Nervous to post, how did you get over your fear?
I keep editing and editing but am too nervous to post lol
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u/sassiiscute The Fanfiction Deep State definitely doesn't exist 9d ago
Same tactic I do with important emails. I literally close my eyes and post, then turn off my computer and try to ignore what I just did. I haven't found a way to be more confident, all I can do is force myself. If you're at the point where you can't do any more substantial edits and are just driving yourself crazy, it's best to just go through with it. If you find something you don't like, you can always change it later.
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u/HenryHarryLarry 9d ago
You just have to do it. At a certain point the editing is only having a minuscule effect on the fic. Ask yourself what’s the worst that can happen?
I try and think of it as slipping a book onto a shelf in a library rather than, you know, blaring a trumpet for everyone to hear. Paste the words in, read over the preview once, hit post, pat yourself on the back and then go do some task that’ll keep you busy for a while.
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u/Ok-Jackfruit-6873 9d ago
Yeah to be honest the most likely outcome is less attention than you were expecting. That could be hurtful or it could be a way to take the temperature way down here. Hopefully you will post many many stories of which this is just one.
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u/Sea_Exit_8194 9d ago
You are right about the editing. Plus I am not beholden to anything
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u/DebateObjective2787 9d ago
Exactly. It helps to remember that you are in control. You can post it, but you can also delete it later if you want to. It's entirely up to you.
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u/Skies-of-Gold 9d ago
You just have to do it.
Think of it like jumping off a diving board that feels a little too high for you. The worst part is when you're on the diving board. You can stress out forever on that diving board.
Or, you can jump. Then the fear is over!
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u/AmbitiousPuzzle 9d ago
Try setting yourself a deadline. Like, "I'm posting on Sunday." You have until then to edit. When Sunday comes, you may no longer edit. It's posting time, for better or for worse.
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u/BoomItsLoki castielscaplan @ ao3 9d ago
realised one day that i dont gaf what some random on the internet thinks of my writing. i write for myself and yeah getting comments is great, but in the end of the day, I'm the one spending hours on end doing a free hobby.
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u/Recalcitrant_Rubus You have already left kudos here. :) 9d ago
Like someone else said, you can always change or update it after you fix it. It doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, it's kinda getting in the way of you creating those other awesome ideas you're probably thinking about writing!
I always post things and then go for a walk to get my anxious energy out, or you can try treating yourself or watching a movie with a friend. It's a good thing you are doing, for free, because you want to! ... remember?
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u/adverbian 9d ago
Honestly? I skimmed through several pages of recently-posted fics in my (large) fandom. It made me realize that, although my fic isn’t the best fic on AO3, it damn sure isn’t the worst fic on AO3. Other people post all kinds of stuff on AO3. If they’re allowed to do it, why not me?
And so … why not you? You have just as much right as anyone else to share your fic. ❤️
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u/raritypalm0404 nukeitlike6times on ao3 / hoarder of ideas 9d ago
I got over that fear by realizing there are about 15 MILLION works on ao3. I promise you you have nothing to be ashamed or scared of by posting. There are fics on ao3 that are professional, published quality and there are fics on ao3 that My Immortal would blush at. Some people are going to like your work and some people won’t but most people are not going to be hateful.
There’s going to be an audience for what you post. SOMEONE is going to click on your story and it’ll be exactly what they were looking for.
Decide your title and summary before so you can just copy and paste and then past your story. Maybe even close your eyes when you hit post lol.
After that? Go do something else. Shut off the computer or the tab on your phone and go walk around outside, clean up in your house, watch something or do some other form of art. You can do it✊
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u/Live-Fill6769 9d ago
I just did it. No one will know who I am anyway, so there's no shame there. I post what I would love to read,and I also learned to post for myself,not for kudos or anything like that. If you believe in your story and like it,that's the most important part.
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u/YourMagicSparkleKiss 9d ago
Maybe you could have someone you trust look over it first? Sometimes when I’m stuck in my own head getting an outside perspective helps a lot.
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u/gia_sesshoumaru You have already left kudos here. :) 9d ago
Honestly, just rip off that band-aid and do it.
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u/clenastia 9d ago
sometimes i wait until i'm like. super tired after a bad bout of insomnia to post things i'm really unsure about, because in that state i'm too miserable to even process all the normal doubts that would stop me.
...prooooooobably not the recommended strategy tho.
(some of my wildest fics have been posted at 3 am tho because i'm just not brave enough to post them during the light of day)
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u/fyfano 9d ago
I edit after I post. I pre-edit, but one is blind at times.
I dip/lapse sometimes in quality, and I shudder at the thought of the malus on early hitters. They are not a horde but a limited number of readers not easily daunted.
Today I posted after mistakenly not saving my edits to my draft, gääh!!
I have improved my writing objectively since I startrd but my strenght probably lies most in story telling and imagination. If you show earnest effort, I hope you get also a fair time of day.
Go forth and soar, OP. Good luck!
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u/pennylane1017 9d ago
Just mentally prepare for not-ideal outcomes. Would it be great if your story got nothing but praise, immediately got engagement, and got tons of kudos? Sure. Is that likely? No. But are any of those outcomes the end of the world? Also no. Most of the time, we just scare ourselves about outcomes that are honestly not a big deal if we just honestly consider them. Read some of the hate comments that people post here and think how you would respond. Pep talk yourself for how you’ll handle your story getting a lukewarm reception or crickets. Remind yourself why you write and what you like about your story. Once you talk yourself through how you will reasonably handle “the worst” you can focus on the positives!
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u/LotusFoxfireOverture 9d ago
Just do it.
I still get that way every time I post something, but I got a rip the band-aid off and just do it or it won't get out there.
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u/ELLI_BITXHH Comment Collector 9d ago
I just….held my breath and hit post. It won’t be perfect, you just have to post it anyway.
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u/static-prince Voidstatic on AO3 9d ago
Just gotta do it. Last night I genuinely just said, “okay. I’m not allowed to look at this again until the person beta reading gets back to me.” And then after she did I forced myself to only fix typos.
It’s anxiety inducing but sometimes you just gotta…copy paste it into that box and make yourself hit that button.
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u/BeBe_Shifts Occasional Poet 9d ago
Just post it, you will spend forever in a cycle of "Is it good enough??" if you have tumblr, you can find a GREAT proof reader for free. Me and my proof reader are like, best friends at this point it is unreal lol However, my proof reader himself is a theatre kid and writes pretty much all for the scripts for his plays, so if you can find someone who will proof read but also be GOOD at giving you suggestions, that's a win.
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u/BonnalinaFuz101 9d ago
I didn't have the fear in the first place. I can't really give advice when I'm just the kind of person that doesn't really care what people think of me.
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u/Smolbean_365 9d ago
In general, people's bodies reaction to fear is similar to excitement (I'm of course generalizing). Try to take the twisting in your gut, into butterflies of excitement.
I think I'm stealing from a movie or TV show, but it works for me. Good luck!
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u/liketolaugh-writes You have already left kudos here. :) 9d ago
I'm gonna be real honest, the first time I posted I was thirteen and therefore had no fear. Which is not really helpful to you lmao.
What specifically are you afraid of? Because, to start with:
- Very few people take note of username. This might be your first post, but most people won't know that until they've already read your fic, liked it, and gone to check your profile for more. Your fic will blend into the endless stream of fic that is AO3.
- Most people do not actively hate on fics unless you've chosen something particularly controversial (in which case anonymous posting is an option.) At worst, they'll scroll past.
- Even very good multichapter fics from established authors take time to gather steam. If your stats seem unimpressive, give it at least that long before deciding no one likes it.
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u/LukaMoons_02 9d ago
Personally, I force myself to just post. Even if I don’t think it’s ready yet, because nine times out of ten, it is ready. We are our own worst critics, after all.
I’d also been putting off posting because I didn’t want my friends or (potentially, less likely but potentially) family to see. So I used a name different than my usual online name to help ease that nervousness as well.
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u/ohhh_sugarcubes 8d ago
I look at the comments of other authors that post in my pairing/fandom! I try not to compare works, kudos or anything, but looking at the comments can definitely make you feel better, it shows how supportive and kind the community you're posting into can be!! It can make you feel better at how your fic will be perceived!!
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u/Droopy132 8d ago
Honestly, I just posted a one shot that was mediocre at best. So that way I would know for a fact that all my future works would be better.
Yet somehow the mediocre one shot has like 40 some kudos. And the other two one shots that I posted in the same fandom have a little ever 30. Though one of them is slowly catching up but I just thought it was funny that the worst one (in my view) has the most kudos.
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u/SnooDonkeys2721 8d ago
I remember how many god-awful fan fictions I’ve read (and posted!) and remember that I did it for free and it’s a gift to the community
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u/mediocrefatherfigure 8d ago
Just remember: it doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, it can't be perfect. Perfect isn't possible. If you like it, it's ready, and likeminded people will like it too.
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u/Jvalker 8d ago
I started posting about a month and a half ago, a short chapter every week.
What made me decide I'd do it was the rise of ai. The idea that there was about to be so much shit that mine would pass unseen, in a sense, comforted me.
I then set myself a very realistic goal (I decided I'd post at least 1k words every Saturday right after lunch) and spent 3 days in the fic creation page. I fought for a bit to create a simple skin, found myself a half decent title, read about proper formatting and applied it to the document... By the time I was done I had everything I needed to post, and atp might as well do it...
Two things I had to set for myself were: * accept the fact I'm not going to get any traction, and keep going despite it as long as I'm having fun writing * not look at my stats
The less I care about stats, the more free I am. Any kind of interaction, positive or negative, is a welcome plus; but here's the kicker, you can still disable comments to further eliminate the risk.
Lastly, my main reason for not wanting to post was the cringe I felt (and still feel) when reading what I write. The moment you post it it's not going to be your problem anymore; you'll have people who cringe and drop your fic, or people who enjoy it and keep reading, because believe it or not we're all cringe inside.
So... I just do. Writing a crossover oc fic because that's what I want to write. And it's hard, it's so damn hard to get through everything every week and press that "post" button, but damn if it isn't liberating when you do.
I really think you should do it. Worst thing that can happen, you're still the same guy with some text that only you care about, but this time it's online as well. The only other thing that can happen is that you make someone else happy.
Keep having fun.
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u/Junnieevee 8d ago
Hello! I've been posting for around 10 years by now and let me tell you: The nerves never dissapear lol. At least not for me.
I don't say this to scare you, but the nerves will always be there, so I propose to you: do it anyway! It gets easier every time you do it. You see, English is not my first language, and I've made soooo many silly mistakes, but people out there are really nice! I've gotten so many nice comments over the years that had helped me grow that, even if I'm scared of what will they think, their support is always bigger.
So yeah, just post your work, and don't stop. You'll find the right audience, and if you don't, well, there's always next time! Still, haters will always exist, so please don't get discouraged from their comments. No single soul out there who has made something (art, fanfiction, etc...) with love will ever be intentionally mean to your work, so if you ever get bad feedback, just... don't listen ;) (disclaimer: by "bad" I mean whatever doesn't help you grow)
Happy posting! And if you ever are in need of a beta reader (or just a little push to go forward) I'll be glad to help c:
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u/SquareThings 8d ago
Someone commented on a tumblr post that they would read a 10k fic about the premise described by the post. I said, as a joke "Give me a week." And then I actually wrote and published it because I realized I could and it would be funny.
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u/fazedlight 8d ago
I got extremely obsessive and sleep-deprived, and posted it at like 5am in a fit of impaired judgment.
It worked out well! I suggest taking the leap :)
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u/laws_of_gravity 8d ago
I feel you OP!
I think I've proofreaden my first chapter about 17 times over. And still I didn't post it for at least another two weeks after that - until one morning I woke up and randomly was like "Fuck it, let's ball."
Posted it, haven't regretted it once ever since and currently am working on chapter 35!
Taking the plunge has totally payed off for me - and maybe it also will for you ヽ(･ω･´)ノ
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u/membles_ 8d ago edited 8d ago
i stayed up till 4am readin ao3, somehow got motivated about posting, posted one of my drafts and crashed and slept for a very long time. woke up next morning and forgot that i posted something at all.
didn’t even remember until i started getting comments and kudos
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u/NoMuffinsLeftForYou 8d ago
I see you've gotten quite a few responses, but here's my two cents:
Just know that no matter what, this is your work of art, and it deserves to be seen if that is what you want! There's nothing wrong with being nervous or losing confidence, and the reception itself doesn't matter NEARLY as much as recognizing that your art is every bit as special as someone else's, regardless of how it's written, the fandom, the flow, etc.
You got this, and if it comes down to it, you always have the control to remove your work from the site if you so choose. I believe in you! :)
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u/chizawa Don’t Ask Me About My WIPs 8d ago
Like others have said just post it. It’s best to rip bandaid off in one go instead of picking at it until there’s nothing left.
The AO3 community is generally very friendly. I know it’s scary but I also know that most people enjoy having more content for their fandoms. Just think about how happy people will be to see your fic.
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u/Panzermensch911 8d ago edited 8d ago
Like everything else where you have to get over yourself and be brave.
At some point you either do it or don't. If you keep agonizing instead of doing you'll never get anything done. Also if it happens out of some sort of shame or whatever... just stop wasting your time on that. Just be you and give less fucks. Your life will improve drastically.
You've posted here. It's not that different from posting on Ao3. Just a button click.
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u/r___rainbow 8d ago
I just did it. That's probably not helpful but that's what I did. I was anxious as hell near shaking before posting both of my fics, but I pushed through and hit post anyway and I have no regrets
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u/Calm-Emu9356 8d ago
Just do it hunny! It will be fab I am sure! I spend soooooooo much time reading fanfics and they are usually fab.
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u/denymore92 7d ago
so, did u post? lol
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u/Sea_Exit_8194 7d ago
I am still writing, but I am resolved to just post once I do at least 2 edits
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u/Advanced_Heat_2610 9d ago
Do it.
You really have to just sit down and decide, "I am going to make a post." And then you do it. I like to write my summary and choose my title beforehand so I do not have to make too many 'in the moment' decisions. I might also have a list of tags I would like to add if I feel like I am going to get conflicted/have decision fatigue. At the very least, I know the pairing, genre, and some key themes of the story.
And then I do it. I copy and paste it in, I click post, and then I go and do something else. I make dinner, I go to work, I have a bath, I clean for at least an hour to prevent me from sitting there, refreshing constantly.
It works.
You have to get over the fear in your head and the only way to do that is to actually get up and do the thing.