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

[riani1.livejournal.com]

I share your grief at unupdated WIPs. I'm digging through Fiction Alley for yummy Harry/Draco stories, and so many of them are unfinished. That "fictis interruptus" feeling is the main thing to keep me going on stories I may get stalled on, because I like to think there are people out there yelling at the screen "Where's the next bit!"

BTW, "word" means "I completely agree but am too lazy to type all that out."

[othercat.livejournal.com]

You might feel differently about this if someone begged and pleaded with you to finish "Nessuno" off with a single chapter so you could go back to writing "Career Change." And even gave you a helpful outline so you could finish "Nessuno" faster.

Re:

[riani1.livejournal.com]

Well, since I did have that, I have to say I wasn't dismayed in the slightest. I thanked them for their appreciation of my work and begged them to have patience. It seems strange to me to be upset about someone taking the time to say, "Gosh, I really loved that story and I'm sad you aren't able to finish it."

[riani1.livejournal.com]

It definitely sounds like something between you and whomever and none of my business.

Re:

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

That's the irony of this whole kerfuffle--if "Hunt Brother" wasn't such a powerful and gripping story I and others wouldn't mind (as much). So many of the people I communicate with in Spander have told me that it's one of their favorite fics so I think my *sob* spoke for them all.

Shakatany

Re:

[riani1.livejournal.com]

There are some stories I've stopped working on--always swearing that "someday" I'll get back to them--and I can hear them crying in the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet.

Stupid non-lottery-winning life.

Re:

[velvet-virago.livejournal.com]

Word.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Thanks for explaining "word"--it's the first time I came across it (in that context). Also I love your phrase "fictis interruptus". There's a lot of it going around usually due to a writer's muse going AWOL. Somebody should invent a better muse trap *g*

Shakatany

[riani1.livejournal.com]

God, I'd sign up for that better muse trap. All I can think of is something like flypaper, which gets icky real fast.

[velvet-virago.livejournal.com]

heh... I actually posted my above monosyllabic response to what Riani said *before* scrolling down and seeing your comment!

Funny, and a little ironic.

Just like the sitch you find yourself in. Honey, I feel your pain- believe me.