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hey you guys, hear me out for a minute bc this is important - let's talk about how to interact with creators in a fandom. specifically with giving criticism. I've been sitting on this one for a while, so buckle up (a thread) 1/
first off, we're lucky to be a fandom made up of so many talented people. I've seen some truly incredible fanart and fics and content here, and it's a huge part of why I love this fandom so much. 2/
the key thing to remember here is that these people are putting all their amazing work out here for us FOR FREE. because they love the fandom and they love what they're doing. 3/
what does this mean for us, the audience? our role is to sit here and APPRECIATE THEM. send them all your love! yell at them about how spectacular their work is! 4/
you know what we, as the audience, shouldn't be doing? giving criticism. there is only one time you should be giving criticism, and that is when THE FAN CREATOR ASKS FOR IT. 5/
if they didn't ask for feedback, then don't say anything. you don't how they drew Aziraphale? hit the back button. you don't like the rare pair they wrote about in a fic? close the tab. THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO DO. 6/
I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen people have the audacity to tell fan artists how to draw their characters, or fic writers how to plan their plots. and that is so Not Okay. 7/
with this in mind, how can we throw our love at our fan creators in a better way? 8/
pour all your love into your comments. use all the superlatives in your vocabulary. give them every emoji you've got. specify the lines you loved in a fic. tell them what your fave part of their artwork was. 9/
if it's something you liked, for sure you will have something good to say about it. and if you liked what they made, TELL THEM. even if it's just a bunch of emojis, I guarantee they'll love it. 10/
things you SHOULD NOT DO: tell them you think what they drew isn't anatomically correct, or that they've got typos in their fic, or that you don't like their style. if you've got a problem with it, simply DO NOT LOOK AT IT. 11/
there are exceptions to these rules. some fan creators will tell you specific things they want feedback on. if they ask for it, then go ahead. 12/
in short, fan creators will give you their consent if they want your criticism or feedback. if you give it when they don't ask for it, you are violating that consent. 13/
all this to say that fan creators are great, they keep us fed every day and we need to appreciate what they do in a healthy way. 
all we gotta do is to be more considerate about it. 14/
all we gotta do is to be more considerate about it. 14/
there's only so much I can say in so few characters - here's a link to an incredible nuanced discussion on criticism and fandom from an amazing GO fic author. go read it. https://kedreeva.tumblr.com/post/188010493038/hi-again-i-am-used-to-thinking-that-criticism-on 15/15
