Do you think comments that don’t explicitly praise the author motivate the same way as comments that do? I know authors really appreciate comments, but whenever I write praising comments, it feels fake and unoriginal. So usually I ask about future chapters and my reaction to the chapter, but I feel guilty because that might not convey the same appreciation.

ao3tagoftheday:

Well, I’ve literally never written a fic (I have a lot of them in my head but I’ve never had the nerve to write them down), so I don’t really have a sense of what comments are most motivating to authors. Anyone who does write fic want to weigh in?

I know I keep hoping for questions about the characters’
other adventures, since that will motivate me to write about them. Failing that,
comments that indicate someone spotted my weirder in-jokes are always welcome.