Finis

[shakatany]

Well I think the time has come to finish this. I'd like to thank everyone for their comments both pro and con. It's been enlightening.

Someone sent this suggestion to me in an e-mail: "but if you've got a good relationship with LC, and she's confirmed for you that she's not going to finish this, why don't you ask her permission to stage a "Finish HB" contest. It's a classic, so I'm sure that several writers would take a crack at it--I probably would. Feel like asking?"

Little did that writer know about the state of affairs between Ladycat and myself but it's an interesting idea, maybe not for "HB", but for other WIPs whose authors feel they cannot finish their fic for whatever reason. I can't recall it having been done but maybe now that the suggestion has been made it can be discussed...somewhere else.

I'm debating whether I will still rec "Hunt Brother" when people ask for a h/c or a hyena!Xander fic. I cannot, in all fairness, not warn new readers that it will probably not be finished and even with the *sob* removed someone might take issue with that. I'm sure, since it has many fans, others will do it with or without a warning.

This has certainly distracted me from my reviews. I have one that I hope to post later.

Comments

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

I have never once, and never will, ask you to not rec HB without the WIP attached. It is a WIP, it should be listed as such, and nor do I mind the "probably never finished" addendum. That was never, ever at issue here, because it's all very true.

And I'm not ready to give up the ghost on HB, so ... maybe someday I'd ask people to take the story and finish it for me. But I dunno. Maybe another story, that didn't have such a strong personal connection to me.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Understood. And I'll try, as a couple of other commenters wrote, to get over it and move on.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

Little did that writer know about the state of affairs between Ladycat and myself

Also, I'm not quite sure what that means. I think you're an amazingly good reader, dedicated to fandom, and from what I know of your personal life, a wonderful person. I've never thought otherwise.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

It's just that my correspondent assumed we were close friends so that I could broach the subject to you.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. Well, you could :)

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Good to know. So you won't mind if I continue reading and commenting on your current fics? I was feeling a bit awkward. I also intend to do one of my reviews on "HB". I was just waiting to get reviews of complete fics done before I tackled the few unfinished works that are among my favorites.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

Of course I don't! I never minded that at all, in fact, I've always been happy that you have/do -- I've sent the email, so hopefully that'll clear up a few things. If not, email me back and we'll try and hash this out :)

[riani1.livejournal.com]

Boy, the idea of someone else finishing a story I'd said I'd given up on (not that they're are any) is a weird one. Because I know what I want to do with all my stories, it's just a matter of bringing my ass to the chair and my fingers to the keyboard. For me, it would have to be something like sending a child off to be adopted--so long as I know it was well treated, I wouldn't want to know details, because I'd be all "But that's not how I would have done it!"

Have such proposals been made and followed-through on before?

[(Anonymous)]

I've seen them, actually, though I don't know if one's ever been truly finished. And I (still) envy your plotting abilities. I kinda wish I had those :)

[riani1.livejournal.com]

I've got the plots, I'm just lacking, as stated, "Ass in chair, fingers on keyboard" skills.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

Ack, that was me! *kicks ie*

[riani1.livejournal.com]

It's OK, I'm just interested in the idea as a concept, not with any specifics. Because heaven knows I'm tempted to finish lots of stories that haven't been updated in a while.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

As I wrote as far as I know it hasn't been done. It was merely a suggestion by another HB fan.

[riani1.livejournal.com]

The general concept is intriguing. Fanfic is essentially the same thing for shows that don't end the way people want them to.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

I suppose it is theoretically possible to write fanfic of fanfic so to speak.

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

They do this ALL the time in some parts of other fandoms.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Really? With or without permission? And this is considered acceptable by others or are they ostracized? What fandoms?

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

Susan Foster writes a really kinda creepy version of Sentinel and everyone and his dog does fanfic of those stories, and there was a challenge where Spike got "revenge" on Xander. The author challenged people to write Xander's revenge.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Are you referring to Estepheia's challenge that resulted in Yin's "The Hour Series" and other fics? I thought you meant where a writer would write their own versions of a fanfic ie I would write my own version of "Second Verse" or something.

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what happens with Susan Foster's stuff. And the Buffy piece I'm thinking of, the writer did what I did with Deadboy... said that she didn't want to write Xander's revenge and challenged someone else to do it. My brain is whispering kaygr, but that's probably wrong. I have a bad memory for stuff like that.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

What does Susan Foster think of it or does she encourage it?

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

She encourages it, hosts it, gives links for it, and people will put in their disclaimers "GDP universe used with permission"

She write the GDP universe which is so out there that I have trouble believing it and it squicks me no end. It squicks *me*!

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

I gave away one to Ladycat, actually. I put up a notice on Bloodclaim, and she asked to take it. She hasn't picked it up, but if she does ever post it, I'll enjoy reading like I do with any of her stories.