I really wish I could make it clear to people that asking for updates usually has the opposite effect, even when you add “please” to your sentence. I’m not saying this to be mean, and I know the comments are meant well, that they’re a way for people to show they’re thinking of the fic. However, my brain is a rude thing and will immediately put that fic in the “nope” category, even when or especially when I was already working on it. Leaving a heart emoji, a short ’re-read kudos’, or anything of the sort is far more effective at communicating that people are thinking of the fic, without making my brain shelve the fic for the next couple of days.
If I haven’t updated a fic for a while, trust me, it’s not because I’ve forgotten about it; I know when I haven’t updated in months. It usually is because I’m struggling with real life, with writer’s block, or am feeling burnt out with that particular fic. In short, I’m not postponing the updates on purpose.