Beware the WIP...

[kellifer]

I have a quick question.

For the writers - have you ever started posted a story you haven't finished?

For the readers - do you read WIPS?

Reason I'm asking is because I never post WIPS, my longer stories are finished when I start posting, just being beta'd usually. I usually don't read WIPS unless it's an author I know but I started reading one that is four parts in, I'm liking it and the author seems to have dropped off the face of the earth.

Argh!! Don't do that to me!!!

Comments

[paian]

I'll read wips or fragments by authors I know, because I trust them to give me something that's whole in itself, even if they're not done with the bigger thing it's part of. It won't be randomly cut off or cliffhangery; there'll be satisfaction in it, it'll effectively convey at least one satisfying thing and whet my appetite for more without making me nuts. I'm not crazy about reading stories posted serially as they're being written, but there's a fine history of serialized fiction and I will read if it's recced or written by somebody I trust. Otherwise, no. Just too frustrating, with no idea if there'll ever be a resolution, and if too much time passes between installments I can't remember what happened before.

I posted one start of a fic that's still unfinished, and one fic that I don't feel will be complete until it's got a full sequel, and I'll feel guilty about that first one until the rest is posted ... but neither of them were wips; they were both complete in themselves (full resolution of the immediate story), not partial drafts of a work in progress. And I won't even do that much anymore. For almost a year I've been sitting on two parts of a three-part piece; they're done and I want to share them, but I won't until the third part is (re)written, because it should be read as all one thing and I don't want to subject people to the unresolved chord. It's making me crazy not to post what there is, but better me than other people. *g*

[kellifer-fic.livejournal.com]

*grin* Thank God for you!! *smiles*

The reason I don't post WIPs is because I'd be terrified that I couldn't actually finish the story... I've had stories that have run into the ground and I can't think of a way to finish them so abandon them, but thankfully nothing I've started posting.

I'm the same as you... it would drive me insane to have something unfinished sitting out there... it would be the other undropped boot, mocking me with its undroppped bootness.

unresolved chord.

That's a lovely term...