Alrighty, angels. Today I am going to talk to you about something that I feel needs to be addressed, from one hunter to another.

Raise your hand, angels, if you've experienced any sort of hate here on Wattpad. It can be on your fanfic, or just about you as a writer of fanfic. It doesn't necessarily have to be a personal attack in regards to people talking down about fanfic writers.

*raises own hand* 

See? You're not alone.  

We as fan fiction writers are seen in a negative light, oftentimes. More than we want to be. We can be the most awesome writers out there and have an awesome story in which many readers adore, but, some people won't take you seriously. 

Why? Because they feel fanfic isn't "real", or just because you write it you're not taken seriously. Even if you write original things later on, people may only see you as "the fan fiction writer".

How do you counter such an opinion?

The fact of the matter is, we can't change people. We can try to make them meet us halfway and see our perspective, but that's about it. If someone doesn't like fanfic, then they don't. 

On a similar note, let's tackle what hate you may receive on your stories. At some time or another, we've all had those comments that have either made us a) mad as hell and want to unleash holy Hell b) upset to the point where the tears fall or c) upset to the point where we lose our confidence in our writing abilities and consider giving up the craft.  

Some tips to counter this hate on all fronts:

*Respect the person's opinion. Don't go full-out, frothing at the mouth, rabid at them for expressing their opinion.

You're trying to not start something. 

*Be smart, not an idjit. If you're the kind of person that angers easily, then it's best if you either 

a) take time away to think up a polite, rational response 

or b) just don't answer at all. 

*Kill hate with kindness. If someone attacks your story and you want to explain yourself, do so in a diplomatic, kind manner. It's not worth expressing yourself with fighting words, it doesn't get you anywhere.

*Don't start a war. Basically, don't become an unholy terror just because someone doesn't share the same views as you. It's way better to make friends than enemies on this site.

You'll start looking like Metatron or Dick frigging Roman if you choose to pick fights. And don't say that I didn't warn you.

*Shake it off. 

Don't let other people get you down. If you're satisfied with who you are and what you're writing, then keep on going. Keep writing. It's just one person, or a small group of people. In the end, you have way more supporters than haters.

*Handle the situation maturely. Don't be a petty child. Just don't. 

So what if someone disagrees with you? It's their opinion. They're not God, they're not you. They don't dictate what you should and shouldn't do.  

*If someone has a different ship view than you, try and find common ground. 

We may belong to a big fandom, but we've all got our differences. Canon ships, OCxcanon ships, what have you. Find something you can agree on. Who knows? You may just make a new friend :)

These tools can help you tackle any sort of hate that comes your way. 

Summary: don't let it get to you and stick by what you write. You'll find the people who will stand with you :)