The title is misleading only in a way that it doesn't encompass the entirety of the topic I wanted to write about in this blog: I wanted to basically write about what readers should do and what writers should expect from their readers. Admittedly, I'm writing this because of a few people (emphasis on 'a few'; I don't mean to make someone feel like he/she is targeted, because I really am not trying to single anyone out) that I've encountered/things I've seen a few people write (both in comment sections and in author's note prefacing a chapter), but this is something I've sort of had in the back of my mind this entire time. First, I'm going to tackle the topic as a writer, then as a reader.

As a writer, we all have to keep one key thing in mind: we are, of our own will, uploading our content to a website for free. In my mind at least, if you ever upload something onto this site, you CANNOT expect some kind of tangible compensation for your work.

If we're talking about what should happen, I of course would love it if everyone left their feedback on your stories (maybe not all at once though, since it might be overwhelming to get 100+ comments every chapter; I'm more referring to hearing from everyone eventually), but reality is there are tons of reasons why people don't comment, both understandable and not. (For the record, I would just like to state that I usually comment on every single story I end up sticking to and reading; anyone who recognizes me as a reader of his/her story will know that I usually leave like walls of texts as comments LOL)

It would also be really nice if all of our readers were super engaged with the story and paid close attention to details while also enjoying the story so meaningful discussions can happen in the comments section, but the reality is that some (most?) people on AFF have English as their second language, so that kind of interaction and special attention cannot be something to be expected out of everyone. Not only is this the case, but there are native English speakers who come here to read stories in a purely casual setting, where they just read words on a webpage, have fun reading those words, and not use too much brainpower. There are probably many other cases I haven't thought of as to why people don't comment, but the point is that the ideal world and reality should be held separate. After all, the most successful writers know his/her audience and should therefore be able to recognize this.

(just as an aside, this point is also applicable to many other things. For example, it's applicable to being a fan of an idol/celebrity; there are reasons for actions, mostly, and people should consider this before jumping to conclusions. If an idol is revealed to have been secretly dating someone, there probably is a perfectly good reason as to why the news was kept a secret and/or why they started dating)

Yes, writers spend a lot of time on our stories. Yes, we pour our hearts and souls into these stories; but again, we are voluntarily doing this for free. Of course, there aren't many ways to get compensation (monetary and otherwise) other than making your stories subscriber/members only and setting a threshold for number of comments before updating. However, if anything, we should be using this experience to either grow as a writer with the potential eventual goal of releasing published novels, or just as a fun hobby. As someone who doesn't get many comments (I don't really ever ask for them, either), I understand having 1000 people read my update but only having 3-5 people comment (if you're one of these people, please know that I'm not mad or angry at you :3), but even still, I hold this opinion. I never really expect my readers to do anything except read my stories; comments are the icing on the cake, but I mostly write for the fun of it.

Well then, you can make the argument of "commenting really isn't that hard! I spent many hours writing this chapter, can't a reader spare a few minutes to write up a comment?" However, again, there are reasons for people not commenting. I'm sure there are a few people who just don't like commenting or just don't want to comment on stories they read, but there are also people who have specific reasons.

For example, what if a reader was traumatized in the past so much that he/she developed a fear of 'saying the wrong thing'? Or what if someone has really strict parents and disallows their children from making accounts on websites for security reasons, and therefore can read stories but not comment on them? Or what if that user has bad experiences commenting on stories (backlash against things that were said, critique against a theory or a point of criticism that was mentioned, etc.)? There are tons of other scenarios that I haven't even thought of, I'm sure. My point is, you never know why a reader chooses to remain silent.

Now, onto the perspective of a reader.

Having said all that up there, everyone should make an effort to comment on stories they are reading. However, you should also be careful what you say because there are some things that annoy certain writers--the problem is that you never know what will trigger which writers, so here's a general list of what to avoid when writing a comment:

1) don't tell the writer what to do.
Instead, make suggestions; instead of saying "this character needs to do this", say "I think it would be funny if this character does this". Those two phrases, in essence, are the same thing, but the tone is much different, and honestly, that makes all the difference. Showing respect for the author and not sounding like you know what's better for the story than the creator of the story is a big no-no.
2) don't comment those kinds of generic, empty stuff like 'update soon please!' and nothing else.
Personally, I don't mind this, but I can see why some writers don't like this. It can feel like a cop-out, and the comment doesn't really say much. It says that the reader is enjoying the story so far and is eager for the next chapter to come out, but it doesn't say anything about the actual story.
Instead, try to pick out one thing you liked in the chapter. For example: "This character interaction was really cute; I can't wait to find out what happens to them next!" Notice how there was still the general sentiment of 'update soon please' in that comment, but it was phrased in a way that related it to the story. It explains why you're excited for the next chapter, not simply that you are excited.
3) don't comment like purely negative stuff.
Constructive criticism is fine (in my books at least). However, there IS a way to word criticism in a way that doesn't come off as rude. Usually, for every point of criticism you have, you should point out something good to balance things out. Also, when doing constructive criticism, it's best to do it incrementally; don't just lay on every single thing wrong with the chapter in one comment; instead, spread it out over many chapters. I like to think that a good number of points of criticism per chapter is 2, maybe 3 or 4 if the points of criticism were relatively tame/small.

I can't really think of any more, but yeah. Let me know if there's anything else and I'll put it on the list.

As a reader, we should try strive to be engaging and read each update well, knowing the effort the writer puts into each sentence. Sometimes, while I'm reading a story, I leave notes to myself on what I want to comment about in the comment box at the bottom just so that I remember everything I wanted to say when I finish the chapter. If you have poor memory like me, you should consider doing this.

If you're ever considering whether or not to comment, just know that it can really brighten a writer's day. Just remember to keep in mind that us writers are human too, and we have lives outside of writing for AFF too.

In the end, I think the most important thing is empathy. Know that in the end, we're all human, and we all have emotions and are subject to harsh words and uplifting ones. I'm not sure the exact age demographic of this website, but my impression is that it's relatively young (like 14-17? Young compared to me, at least, who is almost 22 at the time of writing this), which therefore means that strong words can have both positive and negative impact on people. Readers, try to be compassionate for your writers and show them some love by commenting (but also avoiding doing what I mentioned in that short list above), and writers, don't be too hard on your readers and be realistic when it comes to your expectations of your readers.