THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT: A message to the haters: Ya'll need to chill. ("Several" of you also need to figure out how to use the right there/their/they're and your/you're. I'm just saying...) So if this is super offensive - PLEASE STOP READING. I'm not here to offend people and if this is upsetting to you in any way shape or form, do yourself a favor and stop reading! I'm really sorry for any upset I've caused to all of you. As to one of the "negative" reviews. You didn't leave a name so I can't talk to you personally - but I am SO sorry if you felt I was calling people stupid. The title is a play on the double entendre of the word 'mistress' but it's the description where I straight up reference the fact that Lizzy's going to be a mistress. I don't mean to call anyone stupid for missing that - I do mean to defend myself against people who have been sending vitriol into my pm box calling me a whore and a dumb slut and telling me that I should be in a psychiatric ward because clearly this was written to offend people and if I need the negative reviews so much I probably need clinical help. I was pretty clear about what this story was, and I was trying to reiterate that to anyone still reading who is offended. Also I wanted to point out how ridiculous it is that the same people are commenting and messaging me about how disgusted and offended they are chapter after chapter - like just stop reading?
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Okay. But this isn't about me. There's something really important that I need to share. I find the hating pretty amusing. I've faced some ACTUAL horrors in my life that make this basic, low key cyber bullying look like a birthday party. I can handle this and more and I'm getting quite the laugh at how the purists and trolls are admonishing me for writing this but continue to read it every time I post a new chapter, as well as a couple who have it Favorited and Followed...just saying. The REALLY IMPORTANT thing I want to talk about is our actions. This is not a plea for people to be 'nicer' to me or to lay off. I have consistently asked for all sort of reviews be they positive or negative because I think that looking at my work through the eyes of another will help me improve my writing and as someone pointed out to me, that could be considered me opening myself up to that sort of reviews I've been recieving. However I am an adult, who is well adjusted and confident in herself. There are a lot of really incredibly talented writers on here who do not have that luxury. There are writers who use this site as a way to share stories with the world - as a way to fight against depression, and suicidal thoughts, there are writers on here who are trying to grow with confidence as a writer. Young boys and girls who aren't sure if they have what it takes to be a writer when that's all they want to do in life. In the past, on older accounts, on different sites, Fandoms have always been nothing less that truly supportive. Negative comments were critiques on my grammar, or how I used a rhetorical device, or plot continuity - things that I could learn from. They weren't attacks on my personal character.
I am PRAYING that I am the only one this is happening to, because what if these same people are spewing this disgusting garbage - most of which is too awful to repeat - into the inboxes of a 13 year old girl struggling with her self image, being bullied at school and NOW its happening on her sanctuary - this site? What if a boy thinking about changing his major in college to English - but who isn't sure he has what it takes to follow his dreams and his passion is told that his writing should be burned and he should be in a psychiatric home? What happens, when this much HATE is spread through a system - the fandom system - which is SUPPOSED to be full of love and support and a home, a group of friends for those with similar interests.
You don't have to love every fic. You can be truly horrified or even HATE a fic or a theme or a plot or an idea, but instead of bullying the person who wrote it - have you considered just moving on from it? There are times when we as readers question something about the story - i.e. when one of my reviewers mentioned historical social norms of the time and referenced my divergence from that. That's is a legitimate concern and something you can absolutely bring up to someone! If it is really important to you to express your distaste and dislike with the story, you do that! I'm not here to stop you! I'm asking you to do in a way that isn't tearing down the other person on a personal level.
You purists can call me a whore all you like, and the rest of the haters can tell me all you want about how I clearly want the hate so they're going to oblige and keep sending it, I don't care. But I am begging you not to do it to other people.
Fandoms are here for love and support.
However lightly or heavily embroiled in the fandom world that you are, that system is here for you, to love and support and to be your friend, so do your part and pass the nerdy light on to the next person.
I am working on the next chapter as planned and hope to have it to you soon!
Hugs and kisses to all.
I love you people!
xoxo - DT