#smut does not equal quality
There is a trend I’ve noticed that smut fics tend to be much more popular than anything else and honestly I just want to have something to look at to remind myself and that writing doesn’t have to have sex to be worth putting out into the community.
Popping out of my sad corner to share this because wow….YESSSS. 10000000000000000% agree.
Yes, I write smut.
Yes, I enjoy reading smut.
But smut is not necessary for fanfic to be good. Nor does smut mean the fanfic is good fanfic.
Some of the best fanfic I have ever read had zero smut, and some of the fanfic I am proudest of writing also had zero smut.
As a fanfic writer, it honestly hurts me that I know I will not do well unless I pack my fic full of smut most of the time. And if you think that’s not true, I can prove it with numbers. Because numbers don’t lie. Time after time I will watch as pieces I love and am proud to share completely flop while my smutty pieces continue to get notes and comments months and months after I have shared them.
So, just think for a moment, if I am a fanfic writer that does both no smut and smutty content, and I struggle with readers not caring unless I put out smut. Then how do you think other writers feel who don’t write smut at all???
We all like what we like, and I respect that, but it’s awful and hurtful to know that a fic that is loaded with smut will automatically do better than one without it almost every time. Yes, there are exceptions, but the majority of fics do better the more smut they have. Regardless of if it has good writing. Or if it’s in character or not. Or if the smut itself is even good. Smut out performs no smut every time and it’s a shame.
SMUT DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY
Lastly, just a note on this topic. While I know, and I’m sure many others do as well, that numbers don’t matter, our work is still worthy of sharing, blah, blah, blah, etc. At the end of the day, the numbers are nice. The comments are encouraging. The likes and shares and all of the interactionhelps drive us to write more.
So if a writer sees fewer and fewer notes simply because it’s not smutty, it can be incredibly discouraging and hurtful. Which leads to less motivation and desire to write at all.
So, please, support fic even when it doesn’t have smut. I say this not only for myself, but for the many lovely writers that I know choose not to write smut. They are amazing and they deserve just as much love as the smut writers.
