A Reader's Rant

[shakatany]

I feel there is in essence an agreement in fanfiction: a writer writes a fic, a reader reads and comments. When a writer breaks that agreement and stops writing that fic a reader is left with little recourse; after all we can't take back our egoboo. The power is with the writer and some writer's words can be so powerful that we readers leave ourselves open to possible heartache whenever we start to read one of their WIPs. It's the one drawback with fanfic as no professionally published work would be available to readers while unfinished.

When ladycat777 told me that she wouldn't be able to finish "Hunt Brother" I was despondent. Unlike other writers like Edibbea, Siege and Shara Nesu whose RL has become difficult, she is still writing more fics, many of which are also unfinished. I haven't flamed her with hatemail or anything like that. I still read her fics and often make nice comments but I no longer invest myself in them. When I rec "HB", which I do quite often as it's one of my favorite fics, I write like I did the other day "and finally there's my beloved "Hunt Brother" by ladycat777 at http://www.subtle-salvation.com/stories.htm#series which apparently will remain forever unfinished *sob*". "HB" is a great fic but I cannot in all fairness let others become hooked without warning them. Since I can't walk outside her house with a picket sign proclaiming, "Ladycat's unfair to readers" a *sob* is my only way to show my unhappiness.

Here comes the kerfluffle:
Yesterday someone, not Ladycat, took umbrage at what I wrote (see http://www.livejournal.com/community/bloodclaim/#item1217600). What realy upset me was that she did it in public and not in a private e-mail (my e-mail addy is in my user info and we are both members of 2 Yahoo groups). While I would accept a reprimand from Ladycat I won't accept it from a 3rd party except now Darkhavens has gotten into the act. Is what I wrote in my rec, a *sob*, inappropriate? After all I was reccing "HB" for effing's sake. Was I really out of line or did someone (someones) overreact? And in public too?

ETA: This is not my day. I found Entrenous' addy at m-mSlashaholics and inadvertently sent my e-mail not to her but to the group so our little kefluffle is out there too *wants to go back to bed and start the day over*

Comments

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

I don't know you but I'm guessing you're not a writer? Because if you were you'd realise a few salient facts.

No one starts a story intending to leave it hanging unfinished. No one. Sometimes, not often, it happens and trust me, the person most upset about that is usually the author herself.

Until the day comes that fanfic is something you can buy (which would be never) an author owes a reader nothing, zip, sero. Common politeness and sincere gratitude makes me reply to feedback but I don't _have_ to and I don't have to write to order unless I've signed up for a ficathon, which isn't the case here.

Ladycat is NOT being unfair to her readers and that implies that she's choosing not to finish a story out of malice. Sometimes the impetus to write a fic goes away. It's beyond an author's control and that's all there is to it. If it was a book you'd been paid to write I guess you could grit your teeth and hammer out something but this is fanfic we're talking about. Fic we write because we love doing it.

You seriously expect someone to ruin a fic by tacking on a sub-standard ending? Or to spend hours staring at the screen trying to write when they've got to the point of feeling depressed every time they open the file (I'm talking about me now, btw, and not in any way for Ladycat)?

Sometimes, sad though it is, you just have to shrug, admit you're never going to be in the right head space to work on a fic, and move the hell on. The reader should too.

Nagging, whining and castigating an author for that decision is counter-productive, ungrateful and insensitive.

You've got part of a fic you say you love; enjoy it for what it is; a piece of well-written fiction you got to read for free.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Since I am indeed not a writer I must accept you know what you are talking about. But I do think a writer owes a reader something. So many times I have come across writers pleading for feedback so it does appear that many writers need us, that they are not posting stories simply to be read only by themselves otherwise they should all friendslock their journals and keep their writings to themselves sharing them with no one.

As I said in a previous reply the irony is that "Hunt Brother" is an unforgettable story by one of the finest fan writers out there. If it wasn't no one would care. There are a lot of WIPs that I don't give a darn if they are ever finished.

Shakatany

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

I don't plead for feedback and much though I love it, I'd write if I wasn't getting any because I love writing more. Seriously addicted in fact ;-)

Feedback is sweet but no one worth their salt writes _for_ feedback or tailors fics to get more of it. It's a pleasant side effect of an already pleasant activity.

A fic needs a reader to be complete? Maybe. But it's got one; the author. First reader, often the harshest critic, closest to it.

Just because you've chosen one fic to be deemed good enough that is omg has to be finished, doesn't mean a thing if the author's gone cold on it. You cannot write to order. You can't force it. If you tried it'd be unreadable anyway.

You start a fic, any fic, that has a question mark in the number of parts, or where the author hasn't specifically stated in the notes that the fic is complete, ready, and she's going to post daily or whatever, and you're taking a chance that it might never be finished. It's why some people never start WIPs; they can't stand the thought of never having an ending, or waiting to see a cliffhanger resolved.