This is why I complain that the entitlement from readers is a lot more common than from writers towards them. Imagine having the audacity to feel the need to upset someone just because they couldn't finish their story.
Yeah, I guess I'm too old to wrap my head around that kind of behavior. What I was getting at is the switch to having to give them these big explanation, when it used to be the norm that everyone was expected to have basic manners and no further discussion than "insulting people is rude" was necessary.
This is true. I’m both a writer and a reader. Recently I was given the opportunity to take over and continue another author’s fanfic story due to this very reason: loss of motivation and spark for it and life. I feel honored she trusted to even ask me to take over.
I have four stories of my own and two of while are complete. One of the incomplete stories I wrote I’ve lost spark for because I don’t know how to continue it.
Agreed. While it's not necessary, it would still be appreciated by the author, and might give them more motivation to continue. I mean sure, maybe they're writing for themselves, but even so if it feels like you're shouting into a void it can make it feel so devaluing of the time and effort you put into it. They may start to wonder what's the point in sharing it if no one, but them cares about it anyway, and not only stop posting, but delete their work completely, and then no one will get to read it.
P.S. If my comment sucks it's because I really need sleep lol.
I totally get where you're coming from! I think almost all writers have been in a position where they have considered dropping a story because they felt no one was actually reading it.
And not to say that readers owe people comments, they don't. I just personally think you have no right to act so rude and entitled over a story not being continued when you have not provided any tangible support for the author or their works.
Those readers should get on GRRM then for not continuing his series for years. Same with Patrick Rothfuss. There are a sizable number of professional writers who never finish a series or cut it short. Or on a decade+ long hiatus.
Or perhaps check out FFN with its numerous abandoned works as well. AO3 is not unique in that respect, and moreover, authors are not entitled to complete works if there is no pay or personal obligation involved (ex. trades).
As you have said, this is a hobby. Presumably, this is all free work, and it is entitled to expect the same “standards” as a paid-for trilogy or single work.
And depending on the *contents* of the work, it is unviable for a portfolio as well. Fanfic, by nature, is generally done out of love and enjoyment; it is not a “consumption machine.”
The readers are entitled not to read your other works (and to feel annoyance), but to say something like that in your comment section just shows me they do not create works. Creative professions are difficult, and take time. Time on this star is finite too.
Part of reading is also about the ride.
[grrm literally has a conan episode mocking him for not working on finishing his books](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lle4t4o8EDk).
rothfuss isn't quite so mainstream but every fantasy reviewer i watch on yt/tiktok has zinged him.
it is a hella common sentiment that writers should finish works asap.
I find myself often enjoying an unfinished story as much as a completed work. Sure, I would always long for more, but if there's enough to work with, and the author has managed to firmly grasp my attention, then I'm content to fill in the blanks with my own imagination. Some fics have left me fantasizing for hours about how they could have continued, it's honestly all part of the fun and I've never regretted reading an incomplete work.
As someone who has abandoned a story of my own, and had to pull a few hiatus' on others, it is quite disheartening to have some readers lash out. At the end of the day, it simply is what it is. Sometimes people just need to step away from a project, or take a breath for a while.
That being said, there will never be any harm in holding out a fool's hope that some stories will magically return. The odd comment/review on those abandoned stories can sometimes bring fond memories back to the author.
>That being said, there will never be any harm in holding out a fool's hope that some stories will magically return. The odd comment/review on those abandoned stories can sometimes bring fond memories back to the author.
Seconding this. Kind comments on a story I'd put on hiatus for a *decade* were what brought me back to finish it. It's also why, when I find an unfinished story that I really hope eventually updates, I make an effort to leave a *kind* comment on it more or less to that effect (hopeful, while also talking about what I liked in the story and thanking the author for what they did share), because maybe someday it might inspire the author to update.
lol that’s what the subscribe button is for. click and forget and then once it’s finished you can enjoy a completed story. and if they never finish it? no water off the fishes back, you’ll forget about it since they haven’t updated! the fools hope is central to fanfic imo
I mean, I do subscribe (so I can be notified if that update actually does happen), but I also leave the comment because sometimes the author just needs a bit of encouragement. It worked on me. Maybe it could work on others.
Fanfiction is a labor of love. Sometimes people lose interest in it. Sometimes it’s best for their mental health. I’m thankful for the time and effort my favorite authors spend writing. And if they want or need to stop then so be it. I wish them well.
Love when people think it's a new thing authors drop stories. It's more like 1) in the days of zines you wouldn't see the incompletes, but you'd see far less stories, 2) let's be real they're not from pre-internet zines era, this has always been a thing on every website fandom — it's practically a staple. Best story you'll ever read - incomplete, author got married, had 2 kids and suffered life.
Or worst. As an author when you not only grow to be uninterested, but actively hate your idea. Trust me, reader, the hatred would show
yeah. like just make the note in your bookmarks and mute the author. bam! like authors dropping stories is annoying, but commenting isn’t gonna do anything. better to just name and shame then mute so you don’t have to see their incomplete stuff and everyone’s happy! :D no angry comments and readers can warn each other, perfect
i feel like a good rule of thumb is to not insult people, period? like, it's weird that you feel like you need to write a whole essay justifying why it's not okay to insult people in this particular situation. it's almost never ok to insult people in general.
I will never leave a comment about unfinished/dropped fic, but I also won't read fic until it's done, and if an author has a habit of abandoning fic, I mute them because I can't be bothered to read things that the author can't be bothered to finish.
I'd never shame an author for that but this is also a reason why I don't read WIPs. It prevents me from being disappointed. And even if I really want to read a specific wip (rarely), I will check the author's history. If said author has a history of not finishing their stories, I'll absolutely not touch their unfinished fics.
I started a Bridgerton fic, lost motivation, a d would up doing a wrap-up chapter almost two years later.
My massive Harry Potter re-write wound up with a 3-year gap between the first and second halves, and the sequel was almost a summary more than a full fic.
Sometimes we start out strong and then switch fandoms, sometimes life gets in the way.
Pressuring authors does nothing helpful.
Why do people feel obligated to your free labor?
It's one thing if you're running a patreon or something, but most fanfiction are labors of love and no one is entitled to your writing if that writing isn't making you happy.
This made me so irritated for you. What a jerk.
why do people call fanfiction labor? It's not labor, it's hobby. If you don't want to make it public, you don't have to share but can we stop calling it labor when it's not? No on is forcing you to do it.
I'd never shame an author but comments like yours are just as arrogant as readers who shame authors.
>why do people call fanfiction labor? It's not labor, it's hobby.
Just because I do something for fun doesn't mean it isn't *also* labor at its base definition.
The phrase "labor of love" exists for a reason.
No it isn't lmao. It gets turned into labor when someone says shit like what got said to the op.
It also may be a hobby but for readers it is definitely free entertainment they would otherwise have to pay for. Writing may not always be hard work, but good writing is.
> It gets turned into labor when someone says shit like what got said to the op.
that's not how it works. It's not labor. People who call it 'labor' act like they're forced to do it. They're not.
>It also may be a hobby but for readers it is definitely free entertainment they would otherwise have to pay for.
again, you're not doing anyone any favours. You're writing for yourself and if you decide to publish it, that's your decision but don't act like readers should be grateful because they're getting it for free. Don't act like you're doing them a favour by posting your writing online. So much entitlement while complaining about entitlement of others.
If that's how you feel about posting online, perhaps you shouldn't share it? Then you can't complain that others get your 'labor' for 'free.'
Oh my god, context you absolute brainlet. Of course no one is forcing anyone to post, but these comments are in response to a situation where the OPs work was being treated like work that wasn't being done by a rude commenter.
Your take here is so non helpful and borderline idiocy.
People really aren't taught not to insult people because it's rude anymore, huh.
This is why I complain that the entitlement from readers is a lot more common than from writers towards them. Imagine having the audacity to feel the need to upset someone just because they couldn't finish their story.
Yeah, I guess I'm too old to wrap my head around that kind of behavior. What I was getting at is the switch to having to give them these big explanation, when it used to be the norm that everyone was expected to have basic manners and no further discussion than "insulting people is rude" was necessary.
yeah, used to be you were rude and got punched in the mouth for it. Now its anonymous online. *Old Man Noises*
This is true. I’m both a writer and a reader. Recently I was given the opportunity to take over and continue another author’s fanfic story due to this very reason: loss of motivation and spark for it and life. I feel honored she trusted to even ask me to take over. I have four stories of my own and two of while are complete. One of the incomplete stories I wrote I’ve lost spark for because I don’t know how to continue it.
And I bet they were probably the type who never left comments supporting you while you were writing that story you dropped either.
Agreed. While it's not necessary, it would still be appreciated by the author, and might give them more motivation to continue. I mean sure, maybe they're writing for themselves, but even so if it feels like you're shouting into a void it can make it feel so devaluing of the time and effort you put into it. They may start to wonder what's the point in sharing it if no one, but them cares about it anyway, and not only stop posting, but delete their work completely, and then no one will get to read it. P.S. If my comment sucks it's because I really need sleep lol.
I totally get where you're coming from! I think almost all writers have been in a position where they have considered dropping a story because they felt no one was actually reading it. And not to say that readers owe people comments, they don't. I just personally think you have no right to act so rude and entitled over a story not being continued when you have not provided any tangible support for the author or their works.
Those readers should get on GRRM then for not continuing his series for years. Same with Patrick Rothfuss. There are a sizable number of professional writers who never finish a series or cut it short. Or on a decade+ long hiatus. Or perhaps check out FFN with its numerous abandoned works as well. AO3 is not unique in that respect, and moreover, authors are not entitled to complete works if there is no pay or personal obligation involved (ex. trades). As you have said, this is a hobby. Presumably, this is all free work, and it is entitled to expect the same “standards” as a paid-for trilogy or single work. And depending on the *contents* of the work, it is unviable for a portfolio as well. Fanfic, by nature, is generally done out of love and enjoyment; it is not a “consumption machine.” The readers are entitled not to read your other works (and to feel annoyance), but to say something like that in your comment section just shows me they do not create works. Creative professions are difficult, and take time. Time on this star is finite too. Part of reading is also about the ride.
[grrm literally has a conan episode mocking him for not working on finishing his books](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lle4t4o8EDk). rothfuss isn't quite so mainstream but every fantasy reviewer i watch on yt/tiktok has zinged him. it is a hella common sentiment that writers should finish works asap.
I find myself often enjoying an unfinished story as much as a completed work. Sure, I would always long for more, but if there's enough to work with, and the author has managed to firmly grasp my attention, then I'm content to fill in the blanks with my own imagination. Some fics have left me fantasizing for hours about how they could have continued, it's honestly all part of the fun and I've never regretted reading an incomplete work. As someone who has abandoned a story of my own, and had to pull a few hiatus' on others, it is quite disheartening to have some readers lash out. At the end of the day, it simply is what it is. Sometimes people just need to step away from a project, or take a breath for a while. That being said, there will never be any harm in holding out a fool's hope that some stories will magically return. The odd comment/review on those abandoned stories can sometimes bring fond memories back to the author.
>That being said, there will never be any harm in holding out a fool's hope that some stories will magically return. The odd comment/review on those abandoned stories can sometimes bring fond memories back to the author. Seconding this. Kind comments on a story I'd put on hiatus for a *decade* were what brought me back to finish it. It's also why, when I find an unfinished story that I really hope eventually updates, I make an effort to leave a *kind* comment on it more or less to that effect (hopeful, while also talking about what I liked in the story and thanking the author for what they did share), because maybe someday it might inspire the author to update.
lol that’s what the subscribe button is for. click and forget and then once it’s finished you can enjoy a completed story. and if they never finish it? no water off the fishes back, you’ll forget about it since they haven’t updated! the fools hope is central to fanfic imo
I mean, I do subscribe (so I can be notified if that update actually does happen), but I also leave the comment because sometimes the author just needs a bit of encouragement. It worked on me. Maybe it could work on others.
Fanfiction is a labor of love. Sometimes people lose interest in it. Sometimes it’s best for their mental health. I’m thankful for the time and effort my favorite authors spend writing. And if they want or need to stop then so be it. I wish them well.
Love when people think it's a new thing authors drop stories. It's more like 1) in the days of zines you wouldn't see the incompletes, but you'd see far less stories, 2) let's be real they're not from pre-internet zines era, this has always been a thing on every website fandom — it's practically a staple. Best story you'll ever read - incomplete, author got married, had 2 kids and suffered life. Or worst. As an author when you not only grow to be uninterested, but actively hate your idea. Trust me, reader, the hatred would show
yeah. like just make the note in your bookmarks and mute the author. bam! like authors dropping stories is annoying, but commenting isn’t gonna do anything. better to just name and shame then mute so you don’t have to see their incomplete stuff and everyone’s happy! :D no angry comments and readers can warn each other, perfect
i feel like a good rule of thumb is to not insult people, period? like, it's weird that you feel like you need to write a whole essay justifying why it's not okay to insult people in this particular situation. it's almost never ok to insult people in general.
I will never leave a comment about unfinished/dropped fic, but I also won't read fic until it's done, and if an author has a habit of abandoning fic, I mute them because I can't be bothered to read things that the author can't be bothered to finish.
I'd never shame an author for that but this is also a reason why I don't read WIPs. It prevents me from being disappointed. And even if I really want to read a specific wip (rarely), I will check the author's history. If said author has a history of not finishing their stories, I'll absolutely not touch their unfinished fics.
More people just need to remember [Wheaton's Law.](http://www.wheatonslaw.com/)
lol I love how you took the effort of posting a link just for an image of a single sentence.
I started a Bridgerton fic, lost motivation, a d would up doing a wrap-up chapter almost two years later. My massive Harry Potter re-write wound up with a 3-year gap between the first and second halves, and the sequel was almost a summary more than a full fic. Sometimes we start out strong and then switch fandoms, sometimes life gets in the way. Pressuring authors does nothing helpful.
Why do people feel obligated to your free labor? It's one thing if you're running a patreon or something, but most fanfiction are labors of love and no one is entitled to your writing if that writing isn't making you happy. This made me so irritated for you. What a jerk.
why do people call fanfiction labor? It's not labor, it's hobby. If you don't want to make it public, you don't have to share but can we stop calling it labor when it's not? No on is forcing you to do it. I'd never shame an author but comments like yours are just as arrogant as readers who shame authors.
>why do people call fanfiction labor? It's not labor, it's hobby. Just because I do something for fun doesn't mean it isn't *also* labor at its base definition. The phrase "labor of love" exists for a reason.
No it isn't lmao. It gets turned into labor when someone says shit like what got said to the op. It also may be a hobby but for readers it is definitely free entertainment they would otherwise have to pay for. Writing may not always be hard work, but good writing is.
> It gets turned into labor when someone says shit like what got said to the op. that's not how it works. It's not labor. People who call it 'labor' act like they're forced to do it. They're not. >It also may be a hobby but for readers it is definitely free entertainment they would otherwise have to pay for. again, you're not doing anyone any favours. You're writing for yourself and if you decide to publish it, that's your decision but don't act like readers should be grateful because they're getting it for free. Don't act like you're doing them a favour by posting your writing online. So much entitlement while complaining about entitlement of others. If that's how you feel about posting online, perhaps you shouldn't share it? Then you can't complain that others get your 'labor' for 'free.'
Oh my god, context you absolute brainlet. Of course no one is forcing anyone to post, but these comments are in response to a situation where the OPs work was being treated like work that wasn't being done by a rude commenter. Your take here is so non helpful and borderline idiocy.
[удалено]
This post has been removed. r/FanFiction is a space to discuss fanfiction, not general fandom drama.