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

[calanthe-fics.livejournal.com]

I don't get super attached to many fics, so I can live with them not being finished. I don't think anyone starts out on a fic thinking 'yeah, I'll just write a few chapters and then torture everyone when I get fed up of writing it'.

I'm guessing the fic in question here is the Mirabella one. I've not read it. And I'm too busy reading Skeller these days :D

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

same, same.

i'll not speculate on which fic lusi is talking about, but i will say that i would still rec sohw despite its (likely forever) unfinished state. i think the writing is excellent and the relationship between harry and draco — the palpable tension and the way they deal with each other — is well worth the read. it's one of the ones i was thinking of when i was writing my below comment back to the post. sure, i'd love to see the end, but i'm grateful for what i did get a chance to read.

I'm too busy reading Skeller these days

me too, bb, me too!

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Over the last 7 years I've read many WiPs that have not been finished and they've faded from my memory, but there are several that burned themselves into my consciousness and I would love to know how the author saw their fics ending.

It is.