eloquated

 So, I've been working on this fic for several months.  And I'm actually very proud of it (this is a struggle in itself because, like a lot of artistic types, I'm my own harshest critic).  And this morning, I was going along, checking my messages, and oh!  New review!  

Awesome way to start the day, right?

Only, half the comment was demanding that we (my co-writer and I) finally "write the smut".  And very condescendingly mentioning that "They wouldn't write it for us, we had to do it ourselves!"  Like children that don't want to do their homework.

Smut shouldn't be the baseline of what makes a good fic.  There are amazing stories out there that have none at all, and pressuring people into writing it?  It just shouldn't happen.  

It's not the first time this has happened. And not even the first time with this particular reviewer.  But today it's really gotten under my skin.  Maybe it's just shaping up to be one of those mornings.  Or maybe it's the fact that it looked like a wonderful, long review-- only to realize that a full half of it was just demands for smut.

Not every stories needs erotica.  And more importantly, not everyone feels comfortable writing smut, especially in a forum as public as ao3.  

I know a lot of people only read explicit fic, and I'm not casting judgement on that-- or the people that write it--  but it's not fair to pressure other people to.  

For now, I'm not going to reply to the comment, because I don't know what to say.