As you said, the community here is so supportive and welcoming: I rarely if ever see in-fighting or arguments or even negative feedback, and everyone is really lovely and supportive. Any “negative” feedback I have seen (within the community itself) is usually constructive, so I was excited to step in to this forum that just felt so warm and positive and share my work with others.
I think my days are so positive and fun when I get to check in and see what everyone is up to here: I really feel like I’ve made friends in the community, and the topics here are often full of interesting and open-minded discussions, and that affects my day-to-day attitude and interactions with others. I also think–in terms of writing–that having people read your work will inevitably help you become a better writer. I’ve become more mindful of details I wouldn’t have considered because of feedback I got on my WIP.
Learn to sort what’s helpful, constructive advice/feedback from advice that might bloat your work. You are ultimately the author of your story, and you have an artistic vision that you want to carry out: otherwise you wouldn’t be writing that story in the first place. While you can (and should) tweak your vision according to good feedback you might receive (this character doesn’t feel consistent, the pacing of this scene feels too fast), sometimes overenthusiastic readers/fans may ask for things that just don’t fit your vision (a villain path, another RO, a parent who could be gender-flipped, more choices in x y z). If you’re not passionate about those kinds of requests, or if they don’t fit your vision of the larger work, don’t feel pressured or obligated or held accountable by your readers to include stuff.
You know your story best, so while you should keep an open mind and absorb feedback, don’t ever feel as if you’re not in control of your work. That is the #1 reason I feel some people (especially new writers) lose passion or momentum for their projects and abandon them. They open them up to too many opinions and try to please everyone, or allow themselves get carried away by visions of grandeur, causing the game to become too complex/bloated to keep moving forward. Have a really solid idea of what you want to do and how you will execute it before you open yourself up to advice and suggestions. Don’t let anyone else dictate what you should do next.