Dealing With Annoying Comments

[Phantomheart]

We all get them. It doesn't matter whether you are an author or not, eventually someone in your life is going to comment on something that you feel that they don't understand and shouldn't be commenting on. I have felt this recently with comments, because lately across all my platforms I get a lot of rather annoying comments.

I don't really care if people drop my story, but I do care if they drag it on in a post or comment about how I ruined my own story and that no matter what I write, I can't fix it. Usually this is because the story does not go the way that they want. But, as an author, your story is your story and you are the one writing it. It's frustrating because there are somethings in writing that aren't revealed immediately -- plot twists, hidden meanings, and such and so -- so when people judge your story so quickly its irritating.

I know I have dropped stories before because I got so discouraged and anxious from these types of comments. It's my own issue with self-esteem, but even now I've lost interest in those stories months later, and I fear I might lose interest in my favorite story to write right now because of a single damn comment. It felt like a personal attack, even though I knew it wasn't. People will be people, they will judge quickly and hate quickly, and we just have to deal with that, sadly.

So, I've opened up this forum thread for us to all discuss -- or vent, if need be -- the impact of these annoying comments; whether that be just a story of one of the annoying comments you've received, or ways you've found to deal with the hate, please feel free to share.

 

[BenJepheneT]

I just fucking hate comments that just go like or "tHaNkS fOr tHe ChApPy"

your contribution can be rivalled by a hermit crab. every time I get excited over the red notification on my account I just go there and see something akin to an empty thumbs up.

 

[Kotohood]

I just fucking hate comments that just go like or "tHaNkS fOr tHe ChApPy"

your contribution can be rivalled by a hermit crab. every time I get excited over the red notification on my account I just go there and see something akin to an empty thumbs up.

I'm fine with this really. Much better than a sea of no comments.
.

 

[Phantomheart]

I just fucking hate comments that just go like or "tHaNkS fOr tHe ChApPy"

your contribution can be rivalled by a hermit crab. every time I get excited over the red notification on my account I just go there and see something akin to an empty thumbs up.

I'm fine with this really. Much better than a sea of no comments.
.

I like any comment that mention thanks or ask about plot. But any insulting ones or those that just degrade my work in a tirade without constructive criticism is just ridiculous.

 

[GDLiZy]

At least they are commenting, meaning that they actually care.

Well, good author problem doesn't affect me, no comments gang here.

 

[Sinpathy]

Off tangent talk, I like those that point out plot holes. It makes me happy that people pay attention. They're like mini editors in a sense, even though the way they have their questions structured make them feel 'demeaning', more often than not.

 

[Ram5]

Either be nice or ignored it completely... show maturity and professionalism over childish insult in the form of comment...

 

[CupcakeNinja]

We all get them. It doesn't matter whether you are an author or not, eventually someone in your life is going to comment on something that you feel that they don't understand and shouldn't be commenting on. I have felt this recently with comments, because lately across all my platforms I get a lot of rather annoying comments.

I don't really care if people drop my story, but I do care if they drag it on in a post or comment about how I ruined my own story and that no matter what I write, I can't fix it. Usually this is because the story does not go the way that they want. But, as an author, your story is your story and you are the one writing it. It's frustrating because there are somethings in writing that aren't revealed immediately -- plot twists, hidden meanings, and such and so -- so when people judge your story so quickly its irritating.

I know I have dropped stories before because I got so discouraged and anxious from these types of comments. It's my own issue with self-esteem, but even now I've lost interest in those stories months later, and I fear I might lose interest in my favorite story to write right now because of a single damn comment. It felt like a personal attack, even though I knew it wasn't. People will be people, they will judge quickly and hate quickly, and we just have to deal with that, sadly.

So, I've opened up this forum thread for us to all discuss -- or vent, if need be -- the impact of these annoying comments; whether that be just a story of one of the annoying comments you've received, or ways you've found to deal with the hate, please feel free to share.

Depends. Since you use your story as an example, lemme use mine in regards to how i deal with comments

Basically if they say something about the story thats polite, like "hey i dunno the story kinda doesnt fit with the premise/title anymore" or "it changed a lot its nothing like i expected, you should have kept it how it was. I was looking forward to a good villainess story from the brother's perspective"

Then i explain how, "nah fam that shits so vanilla, i wanted to spice shit up, get crazy...was just supposed to be a set up for incest tho, just kinda dragged on...ahem. I admit i kinda wanted to see how much crazy shit i could pull off..." Which, i will admit again, is how we ended up with purges, inhuman experimentations done by loli fangirls, and drugs

Or say, "heh, fooled ya with the prologue and synopsis, didn't i? But things will get more in line with the premise later on...still gonna be crazy shit going on tho"

Like if they polite, then im nice too. I joke with them and reveal a few things so that maybe they read a bit more and decide THEN if they still wanna drop it. Or maybe what i said consolidates their opinion. In which case at least they dont waste their time.

But if they say "oh the story has gotten so shitty blah blah blah" and write paragraph after paragraph about how its so cringey and stupid and all that....well...

I mean hey. My main story, its a shit show. Its insane and yeah cringey at times, and no one gets how much of a flaming tire it is more than me

But like dude. You dont like the story. Why are you still reading it then? Taking the time to bash it like it personally offends you?

My story is mostly well received for the laughs and how the MC is pretty "unapologetically hedonistic" as some havve put it. Its just a story to have fun reading. No deep mysteries to unveil, no very deep thoughts going on.

So it normally gets good feedback butni dont tell those commentors who bash the story "well dude look at all my adoring fans"

Nope i just tell them "cool. Cool. So yeah fuck off then mate, what're ya doing here?"

I dont mind bad reviews or people dropping the story but if you write paragraph upon paragraph bashing the story like it fucked your wife then im gonna get pissy too. And thats just cuz you're being a loose, soggy twat.

And no one likes a loose soggy twat

I never would drop a story just cuz of comments tho. Only if i felt no one cared about it, and maybe not even then.

Either be nice or ignored it completely... show maturity and professionalism over childish insult in the form of comment...

Nah fam if its bad enough you gotta put that silly little cunt down tho.

Remember my dude, dont be nice to cunts. Dont merely ignore assholes. At least not when they keep farting and stinking up the place.

Feels like you're talking less about "annoying" comments and more about "discouraging/hurtful" comments. I don't agree with BenJepheneT's feelings, but those comments fall under "annoying" to him personally, but they don't seem to be what you're talking about in your OP.

Personally I never know what to say as a reader in the comments -- a lot of authors hate "thanks for/good work on the chapter" type comments, finding them generic and empty, so I get scared to write them. So what do you put? If the author updates frequently (multiple chapters over a day) or there are multiple stories you follow that update each day, you can quickly run out of creativity/energy to come up with new comments, and sometimes you don't have any kind of deep questions or insight to offer. You could make some kind of joke or friendly comment or banter, but you also don't want to come off as overly friendly or look like you have some kind of creepy parasocial relationship with the author... it's scary to know what to say, honestly. So as a result, I often end up... not leaving any comment at all. So while I'm an author myself, on the reader side of things, discussions like this make me feel so nervous and anxious. It just confirms all my paranoia and insecurity about how my interactions with authors are being taken, and discourages me from trying even more.

On the author side of things, I'm toiling away in obscurity, so my stories don't get enough exposure to attract that much criticism or comment either way so, wheeeeee~

Yeah it does feel he meant more comments about his story rather than comments in general like what you find at kisssmanga or something

For those i get petty and mean because i dont tolerate stupidity past certain levels. If i see a comment bashing the story needlessly or for idiot reasons, i spesk up and put them down and explain how they are wrong while doing so.

Or if they seem to be judging a character or their actions without analyzing WHY they are why they are or why they did what they did, not being fair about it, then i also explain and offer my own theories to maybe add some perspective. But more nicely than when the commentor is just being a cunt

 

[AliceShiki]

We all get them. It doesn't matter whether you are an author or not, eventually someone in your life is going to comment on something that you feel that they don't understand and shouldn't be commenting on. I have felt this recently with comments, because lately across all my platforms I get a lot of rather annoying comments.

I don't really care if people drop my story, but I do care if they drag it on in a post or comment about how I ruined my own story and that no matter what I write, I can't fix it. Usually this is because the story does not go the way that they want. But, as an author, your story is your story and you are the one writing it. It's frustrating because there are somethings in writing that aren't revealed immediately -- plot twists, hidden meanings, and such and so -- so when people judge your story so quickly its irritating.

I know I have dropped stories before because I got so discouraged and anxious from these types of comments. It's my own issue with self-esteem, but even now I've lost interest in those stories months later, and I fear I might lose interest in my favorite story to write right now because of a single damn comment. It felt like a personal attack, even though I knew it wasn't. People will be people, they will judge quickly and hate quickly, and we just have to deal with that, sadly.

So, I've opened up this forum thread for us to all discuss -- or vent, if need be -- the impact of these annoying comments; whether that be just a story of one of the annoying comments you've received, or ways you've found to deal with the hate, please feel free to share.

I'm actually pretty bad at dealing with those, like... When someone talks badly about something that I worked on, I often get extremely defensive and feel personally attacked (Which is a terrible reaction to have, I'm working on fixing that) and try defending my work.

... When someone insults what I'm doing or me though? Then I get pissed. Like... I deal badly when someone badmouths what I do, but when someone is rude and lacks basic human decency? Then I get very very pissed. I can handle most people and most actions people do more or less okayishly, but when someone lacks politeness and starts being actively rude, then I usually lose control and tell them to fuck off. (which is not exactly a good behavior to have either, but one that is a lot harder for me to fix than the former... >.>)

So far I never got any comment like that, and I honestly have no clue how I'll handle it if/when it happens... Hopefully I'll be able to handle it calmly and just say "If you don't like it, don't read it." and leave it at that.

What I definitely won't do is dropping my story because of an annoying comment though, my story deserves better than that! >.<

I just fucking hate comments that just go like or "tHaNkS fOr tHe ChApPy"

your contribution can be rivalled by a hermit crab. every time I get excited over the red notification on my account I just go there and see something akin to an empty thumbs up.

I'm fine with this really. Much better than a sea of no comments.
.

I feel the same as Kotohood actually, I enjoy those comments because it means somebody cares enough to leave a thank you comment, so I always appreciate them~

Feels like you're talking less about "annoying" comments and more about "discouraging/hurtful" comments. I don't agree with BenJepheneT's feelings, but those comments fall under "annoying" to him personally, but they don't seem to be what you're talking about in your OP.

Personally I never know what to say as a reader in the comments -- a lot of authors hate "thanks for/good work on the chapter" type comments, finding them generic and empty, so I get scared to write them. So what do you put? If the author updates frequently (multiple chapters over a day) or there are multiple stories you follow that update each day, you can quickly run out of creativity/energy to come up with new comments, and sometimes you don't have any kind of deep questions or insight to offer. You could make some kind of joke or friendly comment or banter, but you also don't want to come off as overly friendly or look like you have some kind of creepy parasocial relationship with the author... it's scary to know what to say, honestly. So as a result, I often end up... not leaving any comment at all. So while I'm an author myself, on the reader side of things, discussions like this make me feel so nervous and anxious. It just confirms all my paranoia and insecurity about how my interactions with authors are being taken, and discourages me from trying even more.

On the author side of things, I'm toiling away in obscurity, so my stories don't get enough exposure to attract that much criticism or comment either way so, wheeeeee~

Personally speaking, I'd never feel any reader is creepy from getting overfriendly or overexcited about my story. I'd actually get pretty happy and banter with them too.

Like, if the reader feels close enough to make random casual banter with me, it means they like what I do at the very least, that's enough to make me happy and want to banter back~

So it normally gets good feedback butni dont tell those commentors who bash the story "well dude look at all my adoring fans"

Nope i just tell them "cool. Cool. So yeah fuck off then mate, what're ya doing here?"

I dont mind bad reviews or people dropping the story but if you write paragraph upon paragraph bashing the story like it fucked your wife then im gonna get pissy too. And thats just cuz you're being loose, soggy twat.

That's the best way to handle it IMO. It's fine if someone dislikes my story, different stuff applies to different tastes... But if all they wanna do is complain, might as well tell them to shove it.

 

[Viator]

The way I see it, if you listen to the crowds they will always keep you down. I do not write for other people; I write for myself. If they don't like it, that's their business. But in my opinion, it's a good idea to keep a clear line between yourself and the random commenters in your audience. Sounds arrogant? I don't think I'm better than anyone. Heck, I have a hard time not beating myself up; the point of the matter is, this attitude helps protect the integrity of my art.

You can't please everyone, and there will always be someone who can spout something negative about what you do. I haven't written on scribble hub, but I do know what it's like to get those comments. I've even been guilty of making them in the past, although I try to be constructive, I'm only human.

Understand who you are writing for, and it's easier to ignore the dissenters. Personally if others enjoy my works it makes me happy, but the most important thing is that I am satisfied with what I've put into the world. Sharing Joy with others is just a side benefit.

Whether the audience comes and goes makes no difference. If your story in any way resonates with others, it will have its own audience, large or small. I don't put much stock in a comment from an Anon who throws a selfish tantrum, and more than likely doesn't take the time to write anything for themselves. I don't hate them, because again, in the past I found myself unfortunately guilty of the same type of things, but their words mean nothing to me.

 

[BenJepheneT]

Nah fam if its bad enough you gotta put that silly little cunt down tho.

Remember my dude, dont be nice to cunts. Dont merely ignore assholes. At least not when they keep farting and stinking up the place.

This is going right up my wall

 

[Yorda]

I just fucking hate comments that just go like or "tHaNkS fOr tHe ChApPy"

My Thoughts: "Gahahaha, I get a ton of those! It's true that they are low-key letdowns, but like @Kotohood said it's at least nice to have something else than a desolate comment desert."

I friended people who honestly criticized my story with very good arguments! I don't mind those, but they do make me feel like I have to furiously justify my character's actions and author decisions. It's just the thoughtless ones that bother me.

Also, I feel like I might have been on the other side at times making bad comments. I try to be considerate and sometimes the most considerate thing I can do is shut up. I don't want to hurt people's feelings or make them stop writing or lose confidence in their stories. It would make me feel very bad so this thread is a nice reminder that people should always think about what they are saying and the consequences of their words.

 

[gaylolis]

i just told them it's not for everyone, and that it's like a dream--no need to think too much about it. just interpret the story as you will.

i got no more comments after that.

and I was like

 

[DanielHell]

I don't really care if people drop my story, but I do care if they drag it on in a post or comment about how I ruined my own story and that no matter what I write, I can't fix it. Usually, this is because the story does not go the way that they want. But, as an author, your story is your story and you are the one writing it. It's frustrating because there are somethings in writing that aren't revealed immediately -- plot twists, hidden meanings, and such and so -- so when people judge your story so quickly it's irritating.

With this, I completely agree. The comments like "yOu sHoUlD mAkE tHiS cHaPtEr lIkE tHis aNd tHis ChArActeR lIkE tHis" are extremely irritating and annoying, I usually plan immediately how my story will go so these types of people that think that they can control my story when they want and how they want it are the worst.

Then there are those that usually don't understand or make some questions, and that could mess up as they could be hidden meanings or plot twists. Yeah, they don't do it on purpose, but it's still irritating to answer them, because my opinion is that if you spot a plot error that could be something else you first read some chapters to try and connect the dots, and IF you don't find anything to connect you write it.

Talking about those that write "uh yo story has become so shitty change it/i drop this thing nOw", just one sentence: fam I don't give a f*ck. If you wanna give some critics then do it correctly and don't be an asshole. Also, if you don't like it this much then don't lose time writing a paragraph about how your ego does not comprehend my shit.

I did post a comment like "fam droppin yo story cause its shit", so I understand how some of them feel like, and in this part, I do want to defend them. Readers usually get attached to stories very fast(4+ chapters), so when they start to not like it anymore they really feel betrayed, they would think something like "Mate how is it possible that I liked it so much before? The writer needs to do mea culpa.". So yeah, it's something that all do when they feel betrayed.

Nah fam if its bad enough you gotta put that silly little cunt down tho.

Remember my dude, dont be nice to cunts. Dont merely ignore assholes. At least not when they keep farting and stinking up the place.

I usually have a more 'chill and autistic' behavior in the comments and when generally writing something connected to my story because I have serious anger problems, so yeah if I burst I do it seriously. Also, people seeing your angry reactions would think you are someone that you're not, so I usually do not like to answer badly, especially to users that even though are assholes in the comments used their time to read my story.

 

[Ram5]

Nah fam if its bad enough you gotta put that silly little cunt down tho.

Remember my dude, don't be nice to cunts. Don't merely ignore assholes. At least not when they keep farting and stinking up the place.

I did, I just point out the hole behind his/her logic, they shut up and never reply again.

Their logic is-> if there is a rape in a story, nobody complains about it, which means they agree with rape.

I point out, there is a murder in Infinity War, nobody complains about, does that mean they agree with murder?

 

[GhostyZ]

There is something called 'Blocked'.

 

[BenJepheneT]

There is something called 'Blocked'.

Why block? Do the Alpha move and just put a certified FunKnee™ "OK BOOMER" and seal the deal

 

[hueyhare]

I know this isn't Goodreads, but on there they tell you to just ignore negative comments. They have a feature where you can report bad comments, but they suggest not responding to the comment because it's so easy for a potential reader to think of you poorly based on what you say in those situations, even if your response is worded carefully. They say the only time you might want to respond is when the comment is factually incorrect, but even then, it might be better to leave it alone.

I actually haven't gotten any comments on here yet, but on other web fiction sites, I have been choosing to not respond. If they don't like it, they don't have to read it. If they spam, then I'll report it.