I find again on Monster Hunter Nation content worth discussing:

I was on another author’s page in a post where they were announcing the release of a new book, and some dude rolled in to whine about how he shouldn’t be writing this new book, but should instead be writing more books in the other series that this guy likes better instead. When the other fans told him that was a dick move, he doubled down, and proceeded to pontificate about what he thought that author’s problems were, and what he would like totally do if he was the author… Now keep in mind, this is on the author’s personal page.

This was my response, and I’m posting this here in the hopes that others might learn and not do this kind of stupid shit to authors they supposedly love. If you want more stuff from them, shaming them in their own living room ain’t gonna make them write faster.

“You Should Be Writing” -monsterhunternation.com

I’m not going to dispute any of this, obviously. What this reader did is bad manners and counterproductive idiocy. No one disputes that except said reader. What I’m interested in is the psychology of someone who would do this thing, and refuse to accept correction on it. People don’t normally defy mass social correction except where they believe absolutely in their rectitude. The Internet, which takes away nonverbal communication, leaving one with the feeling that they’re fighting against an unseen mob, enables this pseudo-martyrdom of Hot Takes.

This increases exponentially when the topic is something one has developed an emotional attachment to. No one would tell the Creator of a book series that he’s Doing It Wrong, except someone who Cares very deeply about said Book Series, is emotionally attached to it, who has derived visceral pleasure from it and insists upon more.

In other words, Fans.

It’s a difficult line for a successful author to hoe. On the one hand, you want regular customers, on the other, you don’t want disruptive noise from people who think they know your story better than you do. Fandom encourages both. So authors end up rewarding the happy customers and squelching the dorks. This means that they’re not listening to outside voices in the creation of their art, which is a good thing.

An author is alone. It’s his work, it’s his name, it’s his struggle. No author needs a cacophony of critical voices in his head. A good author already has that critical voice, and holds it in reserve for editing. Everyone else is free to like the result, or not like it, and say so. But they don’t get to participate in the process of creation. You don’t ever ever get to tell a creator what they should create. If your idea is so good, make it yourself.