[ SECRET POST #2250 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2250 ⌋

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

01.
[Stan Lee]


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02.


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03.
[Pusher II]


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04.
[nigahiga]


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05.


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06.
[code lyoko evolution]


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07.


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08.


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09.


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[ ----- SPOILERY SECRETS AHEAD ----- ]
















10. [SPOILERS for Homestuck]



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11. [SPOILERS for Kuroko no Basket]



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[ ----- TRIGGERY SECRETS AHEAD ----- ]

















12. [WARNING for rape]



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13. [WARNING for abuse]



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14. [WARNING for rape]

[SNSD/Girls' Generation]


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15. [WARNING for dub-con]



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16. [WARNING for sexual assault]

[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 000 secrets from Secret Submission Post #321.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I have this WIP that I haven't updated for a very long time (couple of months). I now have the next chapter ready to be posted, but... What should I say? I'm not comfortable talking about my reasons for not updating, so I thought I'd just apologize profusely and say that I couldn't write for various RL reasons.

As a reader, would you accept and respect that? Or would it sound like a poor -- or perhaps even untrue -- excuse? Maybe it'd be better if I said nothing at all and just updated?

[morieris]

Hey, as long as you've updated I'd accept any explanation.

[(Anonymous)]

As I reader, I would, and honestly, I think anyone who doesn't accept it is an assbutt.

[(Anonymous)]

You don't have to say anything. As a reader, I can't stand the personal notes authors put in their fic as if they're addressing a close group of friends or they think their readers all follow or even care about their personal lives.

[elaminator]

Saying you haven't updated because of RL reasons is perfectly fine, but so is not mentioning it at all. I think as long as you update people will (and should) be satisfied.

[(Anonymous)]

As a reader, if it's a story I've been waiting on a while, I'm just excited to get a new chapter. If you feel like you need to give an excuse, feel free, but you don't need to, IMO.

[grainne_mhaol]

I always think the shorter an apology for slow updating is the better. Just 'RL delayed this a bit, but here's an update.'

In my opinion there are few things as off-putting as long apologies for slow updates. It draws negative attention to something that I'd probably have overlooked in my happiness at seeing an update.

[(Anonymous)]

As a reader, I'd rather you not say anything. I get annoyed with profuse apologize or reasons/excuses in author notes. Just update with the next bit and let it go.

[(Anonymous)]

Of course I would respect that. (And it wouldn't sound untrue either.) But it would be fine to say nothing too. Either way. You don't need to "explain" yourself, and certainly not in detail. As a reader, I would just be happy to see an update.

[(Anonymous)]

from a writer's P.O.V., i'd simply say "sorry it took so long to update,i've been busy and couldn't find the time.". it's your story,you can do whatever you want with it. you don't have to explain details of your life if you don't want to,it's just a WIP.

[dancing_clown]

No one expects or needs profuse apologies (nor would I want to read one) or detailed explanations. Just offer a simple "sorry, real life got in the way" and move on.

[(Anonymous)]

Short and sweet ("RL got in the way, sorry for the delay" or similar) or nothing at all.

[littletown]

You don't need to say anything. Unless they're paying you to update, no one's entitled to your explanation.

OP here!

[(Anonymous)]

I planned on responding to everyone individually, but I got a lot more responses than expected and I need to go offline in a few minutes, so: THANK YOU ALL! I really appreciate the input, it's made me feel a lot better about the whole thing (I've actually been sitting on this finished chapter for a couple of days now, just trying to figure out what to say).

[kyuusei]

People who do something not for compensation (such as writing fic) don't owe anyone an explanation or excuse. I'd totally accept and respect that real life happened.

(You don't even need to put that IMO, but in your position I'd do the same.)

[xerox78]

A couple of months? You'd still be on my "check for updates every few days" list* (or just off it). A couple of years, maybe. Honestly, even if it had been a couple of years, I think most people would just be glad that your fic isn't abandoned, and screw the other people.

* I keep a spreadsheet with links to the stories I like. My favorite finished ones go under the Completed tab. The unfinished ones go under the WIP tab, with date last updated. If a story has been updated in the last 2 months, I check it at least once a week. Once it has been over two months, I check it once a month. (Coincidentally, today is one of my check days, being the 1st.) If a story hasn't updated in a year, I move it under the Abandoned tab, which I check about every 6 months or whenever I think about it, in hopes that the author just had a long bout of real life, writer's block, or new fandom and had picked the story back up.

[(Anonymous)]

lmao, I do the same (checking every day even months or years later) but I wish I was that organized

I just bookmark everything and tag as WIP, Complete, Abandoned, WIP or Abandoned, etc.

[tabaqui]

As a reader, i'd be thrilled that a WIP i was following was updated, and frankly, it's none of my business why it wasn't. If you feel compelled to say *something*, simply say something along the lines of 'sorry, faithful readers, RL got in the way, i hope to be back to more regular updates soon!' .

Really, as a reader, i don't expect an explanation, and don't care if i don't get one.

[diet_poison]

Just saying: you don't OWE your readers anything. You don't owe them updates and you don't owe them reasons for not updating.

I think it would be fine for you to say "Some really unexpected and difficult (or time-consuming, or distracting, whatever adjective) things came up irl and I'm really sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully we can get the ball rolling again!"

or something like that.

[eaten_by_bears]

I don't think you owe anyone an explanation. You can just update.

[(Anonymous)]

To be fair, a couple of months isn't all that long. But don't go into profuse apologies. A simple 'Sorry guys, RL intervened' will be fine.

And as long as you're not one of those people that leaves an AN as a chapter on FFN after about 5 minutes apologizing for taking so long, you're golden. :D