#but idk if people prefer to read very long chapters or short frequent ones

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi!

I'm here for a pretty stupid thing actually but I've always found it annoying to do: summaries for fics. I never know how much is too little, how much is too much, or if what I'm putting is going to make people think “wow this sounds interesting” or “wow what a shit, keep scrolling”

Do you think it is better to make a summary as such, or include some lines from the story? Idk, any advice would be appreciated

Thanks for taking your time to read!

Hugss🥰

Hey Nonny!! *HUGS*

Ah, the bane of all writers... the blasted summary to describe your story in as little words as possible to get people interested. The LITERAL very last thing you have to do on a story. Always a fun time.

And it's daunting and can feel very overwhelming, because, just like in advertising (my professional background), you have a TINY window to grasp people's attention and make them WANT to click on your fic to read. As an avid reader of fanfic, I do have my own preferences on what I look for... but as a professional, I think I can offer some wisdom in this part here, for a change. PLEASE KNOW that this is different for EVERYONE! These are just some things I picked up in my 20 years in advertising, and applying it to – what is essentially – a "classifieds" board for stories.

Attention-Grabbing Title – Not PERTINENT, but the average reader is more likely to continue reading what you have to offer if your headline is interesting. Even one word ones can grab attention. Something whimsical or metaphorical to your story is always a winner.

Short and Concise Description / Call to Action – One to two sentences is an average attention span before someone gets bored and moves on to the next post. You need to entice someone into reading MORE of your summary in those first two sentences, if you have a long summary. Start your summary with the subject of the story. ie. "John has a problem: he's well hung." That example right there will entice someone to read your summary further.

Grammar Check your Summary – BECAUSE the summary is a representation of what's to come in your story, make sure you get that summary spell-checked or beta'd with your beta. It's a small thing, but it can help bring people in, and especially if you're trying to appeal to a language that you're unfamiliar with. Your beta can even help you refine the summary so it's more attention-grabbing.

Rate Your Story – "Not Rated" stories have a lesser chance of being read than something rated. Doesn't matter what it is, just put a rating there. At least, if people are doing a ratings filter, then you will show up in a search result.

If You're Writing a WiP, State the status of your story at the end of your summary. Many people such as myself don't want to start a WiP without the certainty that it will be done. Stating something like "Story is finished, new chapter every Friday" is a GREAT way to get engagement on your story, AND generate excitement and buzz for it from the day-oners. THEY are your advertisers. A LOT of people like the suspense of a week-to-week model... it's why syndicated television is still alive! A lot of our Fandom authors do their stories this way, working on chapters weeks in advance while posting chapters "approved". It gives YOU time to write and proof, while also having a Live / Active WiP Story that will keep people coming back.

So yeah, those are some tips from an advertising standpoint.

As a reader, though, my PERSONAL interest in a fic is based solely on these 4 things:

The Ship Tags – use "/" (slash for Slash-fiction) for romantic and sexual relationships, and "&" for platonic/friendships or non-sexual relationships. I, for a fact, DO filter stories by the ship tags FIRST, so I'm sure other people do too. Make sure that you use them.

The Story Tags – Ao3 has spoiled us with these!... List relevant tags, tropes, Universes, and genres that pertain to your story... these are what help get your story found in the search algorithm. Don't write "tumblr-style tags" (ie. "this story took way too long") into this field. It is a big turn off for many people (myself included), AND it fucks with the Ao3 search results. Use author notes or descriptions to write your Tumblr-style musings! The tags should ONLY contain content within your story that may appeal to people OR help trigger/content warn against stuff. Yes, I understand that many authors poo-poo on "spoilers in tags", but in all the years I have been reccing fics, I have NEVER ONCE been told that people don't like how meticulous I tag everything I rec. A LOT of people will use those tags to filter OUT stuff that they personally can't read or don't like. Apart from the summary, the Tags are VERY important, AND it can help you come up with a more interesting and short summary that doesn't need to be descriptive. Use the suggested tags that Ao3 offers when you start typing – these are tags, I believe, that have been used frequently on the site.

The Summary – I KNOW it is legit the worst thing to have to come up with, but your story has a higher chance of being read if you stick to writing a concise summary as I've pointed out above. Some people also may choose to use an interesting blurb from their stories as a preview, which some DON'T like, but it's honestly better than nothing. I know for a fact that I have skipped over stories that don't have SOMETHING in the summary box NOR any tags. I know this isn't what you want to hear, Lovely, but put something here, even if it's just "A literal fuck-tonne of porn without plot" (I give authors permission to steal that pun, LOL).

WiP or Not – This is one of those "gamble" things. As I mentioned above, some authors do a week-to-week advanced model for their story chapters, while others "post each chapter when done". The latter tends to wind up with stories in limbo. PERSONALLY, I don't read WiP's for the simple fact that I get confused REALLY easily on plot lines when I do – I like reading one whole story in one go. But PLEASE don't take this as the golden end-all/be-all. This is a personal preference, since I read a LOT of fics and I have very little time these days to do it. Some people love WiPs. A good way to indicate that you have a story plotted out, but is NOT a week-to-week model? Add the Chapter count, rather than leaving it as "?". People are more likely to follow your WiP WITH a chapter count, since it gives the illusion that you have a rough draft written out and you know how long it will be.

So yeah! I hope this helped you out a bit, Nonny. Sorry it's so long, but I thought with how long I've been reading fics and with how picky I am with fics, these tips would be helpful for you. Again, at the end of the day, it's ALWAYS up to personal preferences of the readers. And don't take it personally if you can't "get an audience" right away. Just be yourself, write because you LOVE writing, and you will have a fruitful and enjoyable time publishing your story!

If any experienced authors in the fandom want to add their two cents from a WRITER'S perspective, please do! <3

[purplesurveys]

1256

surveys by taco-tuesdays

What steps would you take in order to track down a thief? Not too far, honestly. I accept things pretty easily so if I’ve processed that I’ve been robbed, I am most likely to just let it go. I’ll feel like shit, of course, but I would just let it go and scold myself for failing to be attentive.

What is something that one of your family member collects? My mom used to collect printed table napkins from different restaurants, but obivously she hasn’t been able to continue that for the past year and a half. My dad and brother used to collect magazines but both stopped a few years ago.

What would you do if you were able to have lunch with the queen? The journalist in me will probably just ask her questions about her everyday life, how she spends it, what she’s into and what she’s not into these days.

If you got to create a new flavor of ice cream, what would it be? This is a little hard considering there are a lot of small businesses out there already getting creative and quirky with ice cream flavors so it’s just hard to tell if a certain flavor has already been invented or not. One thing I haven’t seen, though, is curry. I’d buy a pint of that in an instant.

What are some questions that you would ask your favorite celebrity? His latest vlog finds. He once shared a video of this smaller content creator, so I’m guessing that’s what he likes doing in his spare time and I’m sure he would have a bunch of other just as interesting recommendations.

If you were able to set up a stand, what would you sell? Street food.

Would you like to go deep sea diving? Why or why not? Yeah. I’m always willing to try daring, not-the-safest-thing-in-the-world activities haha.

What would life be like if you lived on a cloud? The realist in me just wants to say I’d plummet straight to the ground.

What would you find at the top of a magic beanstalk? Idk, my creativity can’t be bothered to be challenged.

What is one food you would not want to have rain down from the sky? Durian. It would hurt and stink like shit.

Which animal's characteristics are similar to your own personality? I don’t really assign sets of personalities to animals.

If you were in a department store, which aisle would you check out first? I personally still go for the toys/video games section first HAHAHA

What are some of your hobbies? They include going to museums, exploring new food and restaurants, traveling to different cities and countries, and reading about history.

You've opened a store that only sells purple items - what do you sell? BTS merch hahahahah duhhhh

What is something important that you've lost, and did you ever find it? I lost a rosary that came straight from the Vatican. No, I never found it again. I feel bad about it not because it’s a religious object, but because it came from my grandma.

Have you ever moved to a new school before? If so, how did it feel? I mean, I had to change schools when I was moving up from high school to college, but I’ve never changed schools within the same chapter of my studies, like in the middle of elementary or high school. But to answer the question, it had been a very liberating and empowering experience. I hated the rules in my Catholic school and there were so many elements from that place that made me hide so much about myself. The fact that I could wear shorts and curse and attend rallies and cut class and make my own class schedules in college felt incredibly freeing and satisfying.

What would've happened if Cinderella never went to the ball? See magic beanstalk question.

If you had one day to do anything at all, what would you choose? I would drive to Tagaytay and find a cozy restaurant and eaaaaatttt awaaaayyyy.

What are a few of your favorite songs? I really really like Singularity by V, Over the Hills by Hayley Williams, and So Far Away by Agust D and Suran.

Have you ever legitimately forgotten to do homework? All the time. I never wrote down homework.

--

If you were a witch, what kind of a spell would you cast? On who? I don’t care about casting spells on people. I just want my cravings to show up in the snap of a finger hahaha. Can that be part of a witch’s scope of work? Kjdgfhsdfskjfhs

Do you enjoy autumn leaves or spring flowers more? Why? I wouldn’t know. I experience neither over here.

What is your favorite sport to play? What about watch? Table tennis. Favorite to watch would be either tennis or pro wrestling.

Have you ever gone on a cruise before? To where? Yeah. It was an East Asian cruise so I traveled to Shanghai, Jeju, and Fukuoka.

What would you do if you were invisible for a day? Probably go to the bigger houses in the village and see how fancy they get.

Depending on where you live, why might a day of school get canceled? Typhoon, floods. A lot of places are incredibly prone to flooding, so as long as it’s been raining super hard the chances for a class suspension will get high.

What types of transportation do you think we will see in the future? I dunno. It seems like we’re at that point where everything is in the process of being invented or perfected already. 

What were some of your toys you always played with when you were little? I liked kitchen sets and anything with lots of buttons, so like toy telephones or cash registers.

If you were a movie star, what would a day in your life be like? I have no clue apart from the fact that I’m just glad I would assumedly have more than enough money to buy whatever I’m craving whenever I want hahaha.

If you invented a time machine, what year would you like to go to, and why? Realistically I wouldn’t change a thing; but if I had to answer this question I’d go back to 2016 and never ask out Gab a second time, so that the next four years wouldn’t end up being such a waste of my time.

What is your favorite holiday and why? I don’t have one. I’m not a big holiday ~celebrator.

What is something that you like to do while on vacation? Try food I’ve never tried before. The more unconventional or obscure, the better.

If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be? Eh, don’t really have anyone in mind.

What are some common places that people tour when they come to your city? There’s the waterfalls in the upper part of the city – I’m just not sure if it’s still a popular spot but it certainly was when I was a kid. There’s also an art museum that I’m certain is a lot more frequented now.

What's one food that you did not enjoy as a child, but do as an adult? Curry.

How would having no electricity affect your daily routine? I wouldn’t be able to attend work, at least not for the whole day. It would also feel a lot warmer without the electric fan, which would in turn make me cranky.

If you had one wish, what would it be? A renovated room with a dedicated corner for all my merch.

Say someone gives you a magic sweater. What happens when you wear it? Idk.

If you built a new city, how would you convince people to move there? I wouldn’t.

What is one of your favorite movies? Why is it one of your favorites? Two for the Road. It has Audrey Hepburn, it’s a realistic rom-com, and the chemistry between the two leads is superb.

--

If you were given a certain amount of time to live, would you want to know? Yeah for sure, I would want to know in a heartbeat.

What would you do if you were able to stop time? I don’t know what I would do, but that would be a nice...opportunity, I guess? to experiment with or try out certain decisions and see how well or unwell they would work out to be. So that when time resumes, I’d know better on how to best handle a situation.

Do you think that long distance relationships would be for you? I wouldn’t actively go for it, but I’m not shutting down the possibility either.

Is there a popular social media platform that you don't have an account for? I have one for all the main ones, I think. Even Instagram, I made an account not too long ago to finally join the platform.

How old were you when you found out about Santa, the Easter Bunny, etc? I never knew the Easter Bunny was a thing until I started taking these surveys at like 14. I never really believed in Santa either, and the only figure I was super disappointed to learn that it didn’t exist was the tooth fairy.

Who is your favorite Disney Princess? Rapunzel.

Which freaks you out more - clowns or porcelain dolls? Porcelain dolls. They look more innocent, which somehow makes them creepier.

What was the last mistake that you learned from? Hm, just a minor work thing that would be too complicated to explain here.

Do you prefer "regular pencils" or mechanical ones? Why? Regular. I always break off the tips of mechanical pencils.

What is one little-known music artist you'd recommend? Andi made me listen to The Drums recently and I’ve been loving their sound so far; they would be perfect on a road trip. I’ve only listened to one album, though.

What is your favorite Pixar film? Toy Story!

Who was the last person to send you any sort of message on social media? Angela sent me a video meme.

Where were you on September 11th, 2001? I don’t know...probably already being put to bed. Either way I wasn’t fully conscious yet as I had only been 3 and living on the other side of the planet.

Name your favorite green vegetable. Broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, or asparagus. IDK I love veggies hahahaha

Could you handle a friends with benefits type of situation? Not for me. I’m not even into sex. 

Do you prefer using a brush or a comb on your hair? Comb. 

What's your favorite flavor of potato chips? SALTED EGG. I’m obsessed; I had like five bags this week alone.

Would you rather build a snowman or a snow fort? Why? I dunno; I’ve never tried making either.

At what age do you believe children should begin having screen time? I’m not too sure at this point, but I do know I don’t plan on being too strict with my kids. I’d let them watch stuff on an iPad from like age 3 or 4, but one thing I would change from how I was raised is putting a limit on their screen time, maybe half an hour to an hour a day.

If you had to give a speech, what would it be on? I’d be down for any topic as long as I was given ample time to research, honestly. I like public speaking.

[thoseofgreatambition]

Hi sweet! idk if anyone asked this yet, but I'm wondering if you have any tips for new writers? about how to make sure your work reaches the desired audience? I'm asking bc i think you're an inspiration! sorry if this was a bother lol, have a good day!

Oh wow, thank you my love! Well here’s the thing, I’ve posted stories on two places to reach an audience, fanfiction.net and tumblr: here’s the pro’s and cons of each in my opinion

FF.NET

pros:

literally designed to hold long, multichaptered stories

editing is easier

statistics available to see how frequently people view your story, breaks down by chapters, days months, etc. 

you get to put it in the show/ story/ book section and tag characters so when people search those things your story will definitely pop up

a consistent upload schedules (every other wednesday) posted in your story description will get you more readers

cons:

the stats wipe clean each month and it’s difficult to see your past trends

comments/ reviews are less frequent because the option is not there 

no matter how popular your story is, unless people search for it a certain way, it will fall to the bottom if not updated regularly. 

no way to interact with all of your readers

readers (in my experience) tend to not leave constructive critiques and are more likely to write “post more”

fanfiction is losing in popularity compared to other websites lately, and people are posting less in general which means traffic will become less and less

tags for characters limit is five

People can select to look at only completed stories, which means that if yours is a WIP it won’t be seen

TUMBLR

pros: 

you can gather a following fairly easily

you can reblog a chapter several times to make sure that those who didn’t see it posted the first time get another chance without having to dig through your blog

people can share your story easily and can add their own comments on top of that very intuitively

less difficult for people to leave comments via reblogs or replies. 

easier to reach a wide range of people in your intended audience because of how active tumblr is. 

you can make a masterlist of all of your things for your fic so that when it’s over it can all be easily accessed.

cons: 

only your first five tags count

not ideal for extremely long stories with large word counts per chapter. ( extremely possible, but not designed for it)

knowledge of how to format at least a little is preferred so you can put in links, add a read more, make things aesthetically pleasing if you would like 

with tumblr’s new “best first” feature you’re less likely to be seen on mobile

tumblr will also put you towards the bottom as your fic gets older, and when you reblog something that doesn’t put it back into the tags section a second time. 

it’s hard for people to find the next chapter in a series if they don’t know where to look. 

Now here’s the thing. For a short fic like Marry Me, where I only spent about a month on it, I liked putting it on tumblr first so I could see how my preffered audience would like it. I tagged things appropriately (george weasley, george weasley fanfiction, george weasley oneshot, george weasley imagine, george weasley x reader) so everyone who went in those tags for a george weasley fic could see it. That was how i got my audience. 

I got lots of notes and reblogs and likes and comments as I went through, which was encouraging. You won’t really get that on FF.net because until you get people who are willing to read it all the way through, or follow you for it, you won’t see a lot of likes or favorites. Especially if it’s a WIP.

Here’s the other hand-- I’ll be reworking Marry me and either post it on FF.Net now that it’s done or on AO3 (which I have left out in this because I haven’t used it much) because it’s easier to post on there once it’s all done. 

FF or AO3 is also where I’ll be posting Dear George when I’m done, because it’ll be 200+ pages, and that’s too long for tumblr (especially when one chapter was literally 30 pages.) 

To sum things up: You can get to your desired readers on both. But tumblr favors WIP while FF favors things that have been completed already. 

I hope this helped!

[5hfanfiction]

Dope (Lauren/You) — Chapter 4: Inevitable

A/N: Very minor thing, but just remember Y/F/A means your favourite animal. Also if you’re reading this on tumblr a certain part may not make as much sense if the image doesn’t upload.

(Your POV)

My thoughts were screaming one thing solely: I needed to leave.

And that’s exactly what I did, I got in my car and kept driving. Not a single moment was spent hesitating or looking back. When I arrived home, my parents heard the door shut and a plain “I’m back” sufficed. I didn’t want them seeing me in this state, it would only make me cry ten times harder. Damp clothing and puffy eyes would be difficult to explain.

I didn’t have the energy to discuss tonight’s events.

I went through what seemed like a routine, one that would hopefully bring some sort of comfort. My brain ordered me around in steps. Go upstairs. Grab some dry clothing. Take a shower. Dry my hair. And last but not least, fall asleep.

I had the whole weekend to let my emotions boil back down, and to block out this embarrassing night. Compared to what’s happened to me before, this was nothing; in fact, it was trivial. But don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean I won’t hold a grudge.

It wouldn’t make much of a difference avoiding Lauren, it’s not like we talk on a regular basis. And strangely, I was grateful for that fact. I used to find myself wanting to start up a chat with her, yet now, I’d rather pretend we never talked.

Why did my school experience seem like a set of strategy plans? It was supposed to be a new beginning here. I was stupid for thinking like that. Not every person is genuine, and not everything is trouble free. I had learnt that quite a while back, but sometimes it slips my mind.

My bed was warmer than usual tonight, and it became the only good constant I had. My back moulded into the mattress while I snuggled my toy Y/F/A tightly. Quickly, my eyelids became heavy and began to flutter more frequently.  Tiredness tugged at my body as it lulled me into a steady breathing pattern. The comforting feeling of sleep had took over… I was exhausted.

* * *

*3 days later*

It was Monday, and I really felt like the weekend helped me feel better. I just needed a little while to get over it, that’s all. What worried me now was avoiding Lauren and praying she wouldn’t bring it up again. If I really have to, I won’t say a word to her. That would save the awkwardness for both of us.

I only had math class once today, which shouldn’t be too hard to endure. I slumped down in my seat near the back, flopping further into it like I usually do. Lauren wasn’t here yet, I realised. It wasn’t unusual though, she rarely arrived on time.

Five minutes later, she strolled through the doors as casually as ever. Today Lauren was sporting a light, rose pink hoodie, black ripped jeans, and dark combat boots to match. The hoodie was oversized, yet she still looked adorable in it.

Her eyes momentarily connected with my Y/E/C orbs when she made her way over to her seat. I looked away immediately, although I could have sworn I saw her smile at me in the corner of my eye. Regardless, it wasn’t returned.

My earphones were plugged in a few moments later, and the sound levels were put higher than my normal preference. It made me flinch a little, but I decided to keep them that way. I purposefully became accustomed to the high sounds; it served as a relaxation method as well as earplugs. Allowing the music occupy my thoughts, I started to disassociate from my environment.

For majority of the lesson I didn’t talk and only ever looked Lauren’s way a few times. Each time I glanced over she had an unreadable expression on her face, and her gaze was constantly locked on the desk. Maybe she had read my body language and realised I didn’t want to talk. Good. Something is finally going my way.

At last, the lesson was over and I could leave. With my bag in hand, I rose from my seat and advanced out the door. I could tell Lauren was close behind from her signature perfume, which smelled like gardenia, and I clenched my jaw. Why was I suddenly so nervous? I did nothing wrong. Her perfume became stronger, and I heard footsteps nearing me through the hallway.

“Y/N, can we talk?” she asked, trying to keep up with my pace.

I continued to look forward and sped up my tempo, not saying a word. If I walked any faster, it could be mistaken for jogging. She sighed audibly when I blatantly ignored her, and I made my way to lunch. After some time, Lauren gave up and slowed down, leaving her behind me.

I made my way to a lunch table that included three familiar faces. For two weeks I had been sitting at the same bench with a few people from English; they all seemed relatively nice and funny.

We weren’t best friends (after only a month, who would be?) but we all sat together in lesson. Since I joined this school at the start of the school year, it meant that the classes were all jumbled around. It was nice not feeling completely new.

Hallie, Evelyn and Lyla acknowledged me with various nods and smiles as I slid into a chair alongside the long haired brunette.

“Sup, loser,” Evelyn chimed, sticking her tongue out at me.

“Not much, weirdo,” I quipped back.

Lyla laughed along at our banter whilst she unscrewed her water bottle, and Hallie continued eating her food.

“How was that party on Friday?” the blonde questioned curiously.

“It was… eh.”

“Just eh? That bad, huh? Surely the cute guys would have made it more enjoyable,” the short haired girl said.

Yeah, there were cute guys, but I didn’t find myself wanting to spark a conversation with many of them. I only wanted to talk to Lauren at that party, she used to make me feel relaxed.

“I didn’t stay that long. It would have been better if you guys came, though,” I told them honestly.

“Well, we would have, trust me. But this one over here,” Lyla rolled her head slowly in Hallie’s direction, “wanted to have a horror movie marathon.”

Hallie looked up at her with a fry in her mouth and sent her a wide grin.

“Yeah, she basically forced us. But hey! You survived,” Evelyn joked. But in a way, she was right.

Hallie still hadn’t said a word which made her friend throw a scrunched up napkin her way, hitting her on the forehead.

“What was that for!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up.

“Woah, she actually speaks,” Evelyn announced over dramatically, followed by a fake gasp from Lyla.

“Leave me alone,” Hallie pouted, “I forgot to eat breakfast, and these fries are more important than you hoes.”

“Oh my bad, I forgot she turns into a mime when she hasn’t eaten,” the blonde began. “Food does crazy stuff to her, it’s been the same since middle school.”

I chuckled loudly at their interactions, and spent the rest of lunch discussing the party and what they got up to — except for the parts I wanted to leave out. Of course, they teased me about Luke, but I didn’t take it to heart. It wasn’t him who I was interested in.

I had only known them for a month, yet these three girls felt like the closest things I had to friends here. Each week that passed seemed like a month I had known them; there was no doubt we had clicked instantly.

Usually Monday lessons are a drag, but having English last made it pleasant. After lunch had ended, we made our way to lesson and took our seats next to each other. Evelyn was at my right side with the two other girls further down, and the seat to my left was empty.

Mrs. Banks greeted the students and was about to register everyone, but then another teacher knocked at the door.

“Sorry to interrupt. Can you step outside for a second?” the other teacher queried.

“Of course. Everybody, please get out your books while I’m outside. I’ll be back soon,” our teacher announced, dismissing herself promptly.

Shortly after she left, I felt my phone vibrate and whipped it out. I opened the group-chat notification to see Hallie sending sneaky mugshots, ones she had captured recently of Lyla. We all glanced over at each other and laughed whilst the blonde attempted to shield her face from Hallie.

Mrs. Banks walked back in as I tried hiding my phone under my desk, but I was still looking at the group-chat messages. Without looking up, I giggled to myself lightly.

“Everyone, we have a student who has changed to this class. Please make Lauren feel welcomed,” our teacher spoke up, directing her to the seat to my left.

My smile dropped instantaneously when I gazed up. Her intense, verdant eyes were already locked with mine, and she subtlety winked at me with a smirk on her face. You’ve got to be kidding me.

A/N: Hi again, so I think I’m finally getting the grasp of writing the amount I want. My Wattpad

Also, I changed the cover slightly but tried keeping it similar. Hopefully you like it better, idk. And I may or may not have added the picture of Lyla, Hallie, and Evelyn because I was too lazy to describe them… You’ll never know. (It’s bc I’m hecka lazy lol)

Thanks for reading if you did, love you. If you didn’t like this chapter then I’ll try make the next one better.

‘Til next time, stay well lovelies ❤️

[tenscupcake]

i’ve finally compiled my thoughts on the various asks i received and private conversations i had in response to my question the other night, if anyone is interested.

i’d like to clarify, for those wondering, i’m not speaking to people who lack the time or energy to read a certain fic they’re interested in at a given moment in time, but rather to those who have made a decision to avoid reading any wips, even from authors they like about ships they love, and always wait until a fic is finished before reading.

from the few anonymous asks, and various discussions i had with folks last night/today, it seems like these are the most common reasons:

1) they can’t remember what happened in the last chapter (especially if the author updates less frequently), and don’t want to have to go back and refresh their memory each time.

2) they’re afraid the work will be abandoned at some point.

3) they’re worried about unwelcome content surprises, or unsure of the plot direction, and want to confirm these things will not appear in the fic before reading.

4) they lose interest over time.

in fact, these four points encompass nearly all the responses i got.

i’ll try to keep this as short as i can, and i really hope none of it comes off the wrong way.

as someone who has an abandoned wip, sometimes falls behind on my updating schedule, and has a few anxieties about certain tropes/story arcs myself, i can understand at least three of these four points very well. they’re valid. and i appreciate everyone’s honesty in messaging me.

it’s absolutely not my intention to make anyone feel guilty here. what follows is simply my perspective on the results of this miniature survey, for anyone that’s interested in an author’s two cents on the matter. since the readers got to weigh in, i think it’s fair to give myself a chance to respond.

undeniably, #4 hurt the most. one of my (and i think others’) biggest fears is that people tend to just slowly stop caring if you take too long, and it was harsh to see that suspicion confirmed. there isn’t much i can say in response to that one.

for the first two, i would gently encourage trying to weigh such fears against the importance of feedback for the writer. there shouldn’t be any harm in at least considering it, depending on the story and the author, could there? even as a reader, before i started writing my own fic, it has never seemed fair to me to punish writers who can’t update quickly, or who lose inspiration for one particular story for whatever reason, by avoiding their works in progress. it seems to imply that only stories that are finished, and/or that update quickly, deserve readership. but unfinished stories take just as much time and effort as finished ones while they are active, and slower authors pour just as much dedication and love into their works as quicker authors. most of the time, in either case, it’s just that life has gotten in the way.

tv shows often take long breaks between series, half a year to even more than a year in some cases. it’s possible to forget what happened last season over time, but i’ve never seen this actually deter viewers. i’ve yet to see anyone stave off a show entirely until it’s over for good, rather than go back and remind themselves what happened so they can watch right now. is this only a thing in fanfic, then? i’ll admit, it’s preferable to binge watch the entirety of a tv show on netflix, if the option is available, but if one of your favorite shows is actively airing (like when broadchurch or chibnall’s doctor who premieres, for example), it’s exciting to watch the episodes in real time, isn’t it? and discuss it with other real-time viewers, share in the experience?

similarly, when a show you love gets canceled, it’s sad. but one or two seasons of an amazing show is better than none, right? or do people regret ever watching firefly or pushing daisies, and vow to themselves to never watch a show in progress again, no matter how much it appeals to them? it’s hard not to draw these parallels. a few chapters of an amazing fic are still worth reading, even if the story never sees completion. because it isn’t the author’s fault, in the same way it isn’t the television writers’ or actors’ fault. it probably got canceled because of either lack of funds or low viewership. similarly, fics may get ‘canceled’ because of lack of inspirational ‘funds’, or, yes, low viewership. it’s sad, and we wish there were more episodes or chapters we could enjoy, but in both cases, they were great while they lasted. idk, at least in my view.

if a potential trigger or future plot twist is a concern (i do have several of these i watch out for, personally), if it’s feasible, one can always ask the author about it. worst they can say is a) they have decided not to give any spoilers, b) they haven’t finished planning the end so they don’t know yet, or c) yes it will include the trigger/trope in question. even so, it means a lot when someone goes out on a limb and asks, rather than just silently avoiding the fic. it demonstrates support for the author and encourages mutual respect.

but try to remember. regardless of the reason you’re waiting, fanfic authors don’t know that you’re there. they can’t sell thousands of copies of their fics in bookstores, or have their novels turned into films. they don’t get long book reviews in the new york times when they’re finished. the only way they can quantify interest in a fic is through comments, reblogs, etc. and sometimes, in circumstances where real time feedback is scarce, it can seem like no one, or next to no one, cares about their fic. 

i’m not even talking about myself, here. many of my writing friends and acquaintances have confessed feeling this way about their wips at one time or another. it’s unfortunately a very common issue in fanfic. right now i’m lucky that my current wip has a sizable loyal following - i’m incredibly grateful for each of my real time readers and would be sad to lose any. i know them all by name tbh. but when i was publishing my first multichap back in the day (cs), feedback was so paltry i often considered taking it down altogether. every update was a hit to my self-esteem, rather than a boost. so i definitely know how it feels to be on the receiving end of this silence, though i may not be there at this moment.

i guess what i’m trying to say is - if any of you are open to a change of heart - i would just urge you to at least consider approaching fics on a case-by-case basis. especially if it’s a story you see is getting minimal attention, or if it’s written by a mutual of yours who supports /you/ in your endeavors. and if you do end up waiting for one reason or another (which is fine!), maybe just let the author know that they’re awesome and that you’re excited for the story. it’s the least you can do, and chances are the author will get a little boost of confidence that there are more readers on the horizon.