[ SECRET POST #3485 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3485 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 42 secrets from Secret Submission Post #498.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

To speak from my own position of being one of those authors...that one big hanging WIP is something that has been pretty high on my priorities, the thing I don't expect to take much longer because it's the next thing on my list after my life takes a chill pill, for literally years. By the time I'd been able to actually resign myself to the fact that my hands were too fucked up to type for a while, or that I'd be busy with moving and stuff, it was a little too late to notify people who were keeping up. I never really imagined anyone might come into my profile, and leaving an a/n about it isn't very noticeable either.

It seems like fic sites are in need of a way to indicate "abandoned" or "on long hiatus" rather than just complete/incomplete.

[diet_poison]

I think that'd be good. "On hiatus", "on indefinite hiatus", "abandoned" and "orphaned" should all be options.

[(Anonymous)]

By the time I'd been able to actually resign myself to the fact that my hands were too fucked up to type for a while, or that I'd be busy with moving and stuff, it was a little too late to notify people who were keeping up.

This. Many authors drop off because they get overwhelmed with offline stuff-illnesses (their own or that of a loved one), or they move, or they lose internet access altogether because of financial reasons (this was me years back), or things like that. When all that's going on, then no, they're probably not going to be thinking about rushing and leave a note on some fic they posted somewhere.

Speaking for myself as a reader, I honestly don't get all that bugged about abandoned fics the way some people seem to. Yeah, if I'd been reading a story that suddenly left off in a really good spot, I'll have that feeling of of, "Dang, I'd really love to know what would've happened next".

But then I move on and find something else to read. If I enjoyed the WIP up to that point, then I consider it worth my time, even though it's not finished. And there's always the chance the author can come back someday and finish it, which does happen sometimes, so if I especially loved the fic, I'll simply save what's there/follow it on the site/etc. just in case.

To each their own, though. *Shrugs*

[sarillia]

I feel the same way about abandoned WIPs. Sometimes I go back and reread and am pleasantly surprised by a new chapter. But if it's been more than a month since it's been updated, I tend to go into a fic with the expectation that it won't be updated anymore and I'm prepared to appreciate what's there. I'm often wrong but I'm happy with the low expectations.

[grausam]

yeah, fic is a much more *present* read than most other mediums. sure, I might feel sad that there's not more of it.

but usually my enjoyment isn't tied up in a conclusion like it might be in original work. there's always canon after all. I'm more disappointed when it's clear that the author moved on from that fandom entirely.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm more disappointed when it's clear that the author moved on from that fandom entirely.

Yes! Just like with WIPs, obviously I'm not gonna fault an author for leaving a fandom-they have their reasons and whatnot.

But if I've been really loving their stories in general, completed or not, it is sadder when they quit the fandom altogether. In that case, though, if their stories are still up online and they're okay with leaving them there for people to read in the future, I just try and rec their work to new fans when possible. They may not writing for the fandom anymore, but I think it's nice to acknowledge and appreciate the work and time and effort they put in while they were there :).

[(Anonymous)]

nayrt

That's a really lovely attitude, nonnie ♥

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know if it's still a thing, because I am currently in a fandom for a show that finished about 20 years ago, but a number of fics on FF.net have [HIATUS] or [DISCONTINUED] in front of the summary.

[(Anonymous)]

*nods* It'd be great to have more choices for fic status.

Although I've never posted WIPs, I do totally understand how a writer can have a WIP that they care about and would really, truly love to finish, the problem is (for whatever reason) they just don't have the conditions present to do so.

Case in point: I have a smattering of exciting plot bunnies and partially-completed drawerfic that I still nurture fantasies of completing ... even though my fandoms are seriously moribund AND I've been suffering from a protracted case of writers' block. But do I want to hand them off to someone else? Hell no. THEY'RE MY BUNNIES DAMMIT.

[(Anonymous)]

I agree. Like how ao3 has that option to say how many chapters there are planned, there should be another signifier of if it's abandoned or on hiatus.