The torment that is the WiP - Discuss

[moonlite_tryst]

That's discuss people, not flame!

As an author who has been a bugger for starting to post chaptered fics and not finishing them this may seem a strange post, but here goes.

Whilst spring cleaning my LJ, I clicked on a link for one of the greatest H/D WiPs ever written IMO. Although labelled as catagorically not abandoned, it has not been updated for almost three and a half years *cries* and who knows if it ever will because the author is now writing in another fandom *cries some more*, which leads me to wonder:

If a WiP has been abandoned for a period of time, e.g. over 2 years or more, and the author was close to the end, should said author post a synopsis regarding how things were going to end for the reader's benefit?

Does an author have any obligation to readers who have followed/are following a WiP, or does the label WiP translate into read at your peril?

Thinky thoughts authors, readers?

Comments

[symetric.livejournal.com]

haha, i know which WiP you're talking about. i periodically go check it out for updates even though i'm on the mailing list. *sadness*

i want to rant and rave but i have no right to because it's the author's life and hey, things come up. i don't there's any obligation but a synopsis would be nice. i'd like some sort of closure. it's one of the reasons why i went screw it, and put a complete stop to reading WiPs.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

i periodically go check it out for updates

Me too hun. Me too.

a synopsis would be nice

It would, especially if it's been a long journey for both author and reader. You are right, it is the author's life and it's a hobby of course, but some authors can create stories that seem to touch our very souls and those are the fics that leave a feeling of... emptiness for want of a better word when things are left hanging.

Oh, here are the links for Jumping Jack Flash - The God Eaters and The Kastor Chronicles are my faves:

http://www.fictionpress.com/u/643549/Jumping_Jack_Flash

And Zebbie - With Intent is fab:

http://www.fictionpress.com/u/551319/Zebbie

[symetric.livejournal.com]

Lol, and i'm excited every time, even a little hopeful. it's just one of those fics. it's a little hard to let go. XD

i know what you mean. i know authors don't owe their readers but it does hurt because it's so easy to become emotionally invested in those characters and their world, especially when you've followed that development right from the beginning. and sure, we can come up with as many endings as we want but it doesn't feel the same since we can't recreate the intricacies/motives exactly, the way the author can. plus the author has their ending, knows the route, even if they never write it down but we're left guessing.

great! oooh, i started GE and, even though i didn't like the prologue (it nearly put me off but i was told to stick with it), i'm really liking it. thank you for the other two as well! *mwah*

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

GE?

[symetric.livejournal.com]

The God Eaters. forgot the 't'. :p

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Do stick with it. It's a superb fic, so much more than a prison fic that's for sure. I liked it so much I shelled out the £20+ to buy it.