So we all know I’ve been binging a lot of fics lately, which means I’ve been seeing a lot of something I feel very strongly about and that is attempts at gatekeeping.

Let me make this as painfully clear as I possibly can: EVERYONE is welcome to write fanfiction. Every skill level, every language, no exceptions. None.

There’s no room for gatekeeping in this community. There’s no reason for it. It’s wrong. If you read a fic that you think has bumbled the characterizations, do you know what that author needs? Encouragement to try again and keep practicing, not exile!

Every fanfic author will tell you that our first fics were shit. We’ll also tell you that the first fic or two we write in a new fandom/for new characters is usually shit, too. It’s the learning curve.

You genuinely have to practice with characters to get the hang of them. So don’t go around trying to kick people out because YOU feel like their fic isn’t up to par, because “x character wouldn’t do that”, because “this source material is in x language”.

Seriously, you’re a POS if you’re doing that and I don’t like you.

If you ever come across a fic you think missed the mark in some way, you know what you should do? Leave a kind comment. Pick one thing in the fic you liked and leave them that message.

It will encourage the author to keep writing and it will politely and kindly inform them of the things that ARE working. Instead of pointing out everything wrong, point out all the good things! It has the same effect without being hurtful or rude.

Fic writers do this for free and out of love for their craft. You have no right to go around trying to decide who is worthy of belonging.

So, again, gatekeeping is harmful, rude and entirely unnecessary. For all you know, you’re kicking out someone who would’ve written your favorite fic of all time if they’d just been given some encouragement and had practiced. Literally nothing good comes from gatekeeping.

(Constructive criticism is another whole thing. I personally won’t give it unless the author is specifically asking for it, but I’ll leave it separate from this thread because that’s a whole discussion.)