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

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

who is doing it for free and in their spare time

This is so true and I think folks sometimes forget that it is a hobby for many authors, rather than a stepping stone for becoming a pro writer.

I wouldn't say I get angsty over an abandoned WiP, but there are a couple that touched me so much because of the quality of the writing, the charactersation and the plot, that I am left with a profound feeling of disappointment whenever I think of them. I would love closure with a synopsis, but we often don't get what we want do we?

As for reading WiPs, there are 3 I do follow, all original m/m fics.

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

it is a hobby for many authors, rather than a stepping stone for becoming a pro writer.

even for pro-writers it's a hobby. i was glad DDG got finished, but she was still doing it in her spare time, while she was working on her actually contracted work.

as a side note, i'm not v. interested in synopses as a whole. so that colours my answer, too, i suppose. still, if it existed i'd probably read it.

[moonlite-tryst.livejournal.com]

Adding to what I sad above, it is free fic but why post it in the public domain in the first place unless the author want to engage on some level with their readers? Having engaged, why not show some appreciation of the readers who've taken their free time to read and comment? A few paragraphs would suffice I'm sure.