Fellow Fic Writers, How Would You Handle This?

I’m a relatively new fic writer—I started in August, have one completed fic under my belt, and another WIP in the works. It’s been an incredibly freeing journey, and I’m loving being part of this community in this way.

I recently got my first negative comment on one of my fics a few days ago, and I genuinely don’t know how to handle it.

It’s not constructive criticism. But it’s not deeply upsetting either. It just made me squint at my screen and wonder, “Why are you the way that you are?”

I can’t reply to it (which I think is an AO3 bug, but maybe that’s the universe’s way of stopping me from making bad decisions). And in general, I want people to express themselves, even when I don’t love what they have to say.

So now I’m left with the questions: Do I delete and move on? Or leave it there like an uninvited guest at dinner party?

How do you all handle these situations? Delete? Block? Engage? Perform a dramatic exorcism and move on with your life?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!