Authors Rant Therapy Thread-- feeling down? Join in!

Good Morning, everyone! I'm glad my little thread is useful

Mar17, I've said it before on this thread, but I am such a procrastinator myself. It's gotten me into so much trouble I don't even want to think about it...

 

Well, if this is the rant thread....


CELEBRATING OVER A YEAR OF BEING COMPLETELY SWEPT UNDER THE RUG ON THESE BOARDS BY OTHER AUTHORS WHO WON'T EVEN READ MY WORK WHICH IS FOUR YEARS IN THE MAKING AND YET THERE ARE THREE LOYAL PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE THAT MY FICS AREN'T QUITE SO BAD...


Whoo. Had to had to had to get that out!

 

This is indeed the rant thread. So, without being judgmental, I'm going to rant yet again:
I JUST CAN'T GET PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO MY FIC! After my first post, (where I got a few people), I've posted twice and upped a lot, and no one is responding at all. Perhaps people are wary of my thread because I killed my old ones right after starting it- but that isn't going to happen this time. Perhaps my posts aren't long enough to move the story along much (which I'm trying to correct.) It still doesn't feel good.

 

I FINALY POST AND ALL MY READERS COMPLAIN THAT IT WAS TOO SHORT. *sigh* There's just no pleasing some people.

 

I have a fic that people say isn't so bad, but I can't get anyone to post without being PMed. It gets very distressing.

 

I feel really depressed today. All I wanted to do was get out of the house since I'm so bogged down with AP Biology work, and even though my parents and brothers kept promising, we never went out. I wanted to write a little while ago, but I have this story idea that just doesn't come out the way I want it to on paper. I have a few friends that are really into writing and it makes me feel terrible that I'm not as good. My mom won't just LEAVE ME ALONE about college applications when all I want to do is relax and do those things tomorrow. I'll never be any good at anything, no college will accept me, and hoping for a car to just run over me will assure that one never will, because my luck is just that bad. I have no confidence, no motivation, and am just wasting my time dreaming about being an author when it'll never happen.

 

::Gives Tahiri a hug::

Tahiri, I started this thread because I've been in the same state so many times. I've also had reason to be concerned about my own mental state before. If you are as down in the dumps as you sound, I would suggest that you find someone you can talk face to face with about this quick. If you let it fester, it probably won't be pretty.

 

I know how it feels to have no time to write in your stories.

I'm to the point now where I may give into the masses all together, and quit. It's very frustrating when you want to write, but can't sit down to try because of real life.

I've been Pming people I've never really talked to before lately out of honest boredom.

I've been noticing things around here that I never took attention too before either. It's rather scaring me. I hope I can write again soon.

 

Sprinkle this post with liberal amounrs of profanity as you will...

My PC crashed and is in the shop... THANKFULLY I had backed up all the important stuff (including my ficcys) the night before but I am only able to access a computer for limited times a day (temporaily...)

Which mean my writing is on hold for about a week and I cn't just write when the plot demands it (like at 5 am in my Jammies!!!)


*ug*

Thank GODS for the library and Kinko$

 

(this is not a flame, Just a suggestion)

Iv been reading countless fics on this site and i thinks its a fantastic place filled with talented people, There is just one thing that spoils it.

As a said iv been reading countless fics.

In around 85% of those fics iv found that iv really enjoyed them, got extremly engrossed and into the story 'thinking' that its going to keep going right up till the end/next update and there turns out to be a dissapointment.

These fics do genrally say something like Updated Finally! or Updated 10/9th or something

you end up thinking 'Hmm that means this may be updated soon, I'll read up to the current post'

Then when you get to the end the update either turns out to be from the year before on that date or a message from the auther saying they are stoping it there.

Thats about when i/we sigh with frustration at wasting 1/2/3/4 hours of my/our life reading something that i/we will never know the end of .

It is the authers choice of course to stop a fic as it is something they do for fun and not out of 'having to do it'.

But is it too much to ask to save the people who get exited about reading these fics from wasting their time by adding onto the title 'Discontinued' or somehow letting the reader know that it is no longer being continued without them having to get the the end and being dissapointed?

As i said this is not an attack at the authers or anything like that it is a simple plea to the authers to help stop people being dissapointed/upset at wasting there time or never knowing the storys end.

Sorry for the rant, I had to spit this out because i just read 5 of these fics in a row and am feeling quite depressed at wasting the last 7 hours of my life and never knowing what the authers were going to end fics like ;_;

 

Hey all.

I have three things that really stick out as sore points with me WRT reading and writing:

1. Plot Bunnies: I have around 35 plotlines on paper and on the computer, encompassing roughly 10 years of writing and/or trying to write. My biggest problem is I'll come up with a great idea for a plot, start writing it, and just drop off all of a sudden when the inspiration runs out. Then, my mind will dangle that plot bunny in front of me as if to say 'nyah nyah, you can't think about this but you want to.'

2. Lack of Readership: My own fault. I'm currently writing an OC story and I know they're not that popular. It'd be great just to have back the original readers, but I know they have their own lives (many of them busy as all get-out). That, and I'm part 7 of a 10 or 12-part series, so it's hard for new readers to get caught up on the back story.

3. Complainers: Let's face it, we've got some real freakin' talent on these boards. Maybe it's not all publish quality, but I've read better stories here than the SW books that exist in print. However, a real turn-off for me is when an author leaves a post on their own thread that asks 'why is no one reading' or 'I'll quit unless I get feedback.' People who have great stories, IMHO, shoot themselves in the foot when they do this, because I think it casts a pall over the story and, unfortunately, the author as well. So instead of making such a statement, just shamelessly up your story with the frequency of a fisherman casting a line and lose the negativity. After all, honey's a better attractant than vinegar.

Of course, that's just my opinion...I could be wrong.

 

I am working in four stories at the same time. Sometimes I have those writer's block that make little sad. I have my readers, and they are my friends. No becuase they read my stories.

I had able to talked with them by PM.

Hmmmm. I used to write almost every two days.

Now college is keeping me busy, plus I have news things to do here. I do not have any complains if my chapters are too long or too short.

Sorry to heard that some writers complained about that one chapter was to short. I think that they were so about happy the updated that they said that.

Now I am facing a new challenge with one of my stories. I have one in Spanish. I have some readers too. My problem with that story is I have to change my thinking,so I have bilingual writer's block.


I am glad that I found this thread.
Thank you.

 

I find that down right annoying too. There's nothing like reading a good story and have the author constantly crying for more replies.

I've always felt you should be here more than for that fact of demanding attention to yourself.

I guess I've never let that bother me if no one replies to my stories though. It would bother new writer's I guess the most. I've always thought that people will either read it, or they won't. I then leave it at that.

When the cry too much for replies though, that is a real turn-off for readers.

 

I must stagger in here and confess.

I began a long fic in May of '02 that I really like, and really believe in, but haven't been able to work on much for over a year. It's not abandoned--it's not! But . . . but it looks that way.

I'm sorry, fic! I'm sorry I left you alone to languish on the boards! I swear I'll make it up to you! I'll edit out your bad dialogue and unnecessary description and give you the decent ending you deserve!

Please forgive me, fic! By all the powers of heaven, I swear I will never. procrastinate. again!!

::collapses on floor sobbing::







Wait a minute.







Up at the top, where it says "stagger?" Make that "painfully stagger." And instead of "in here," it should be something like, "through the oaken church doors, grayed with age and rain-blasted with the wind upon the heath . . ." Yeah.

Yeah, that's better.

 

Personally, I think it?s very important that authors see what Alixen is saying. I know that I have, in the past, stopped working on a story and never advised by readers. I think I?m notorious for doing that, actually.

As a reader, I?ve experienced the same thing. I?ve read a story I loved immensely and then found that it has been discontinued. However, one thing I don?t regret is reading the story. I wouldn?t consider it a ?waste of my time?, just a frustration.

Unfortunately, Alixen, your concern isn?t an easy one to solve. You would have to approach the authors themselves. One thing you could do is contact the authors before you read their story and ask them if they plan on continuing.

It was pointed out to me recently that this thread is a place where people go, rant, then leave. One thing I would like to see in there is people helping others with their problems. For example, giving Alixen some advice and support (that?s why he was redirected here from his original thread). If you help someone out now, when you come in here with a problem, you?re going to receive that same encouraging treatment. Is that a fair plan?

Am

 

That does sound like a fair plan.

As to what Alixen said - I agree. It is frustrating to read something only to find out you'll never know the ending, or it'll take six months for another update.

One thing I do now is if I start to read a story that's been around for awhile, I'll skip to the last couple of posts to see what's up. If there's a bunch of "UP"s or "where are you author?"s I shy away from them, or just mentally prepare myself for a permanent cliffhanger. I once started reading a story that had no dates in the heading, and soon realized after a couple of pages that updates were several months apart. It's an awesome story, so I'm fine with that.

It probably is a good idea to PM the author to find out what his/her plans are for a story, but truthfully anyone can be hit by writer's block or real life without warning. And there are some authors who have haven't even logged on in months and don't have an email, so I don't know what to do about stories like that. I do wonder what's happened to the author, though, when they don't leave a note. I hope they are simply busy.

Maybe we could put something in the FAQs about the problem of unfinished stories or something like it; ask the authors to put notes in the header, and the original post as well, in the same way using the abbreviations are suggested. This could also serve as a heads up to readers; when I first came here I just assumed that all stories were finished or would be finished. I'd never read fan fic before so I had no idea how others went about writing their stories.

Maybe readers can come up with a list of completed stories that they would recommend? Like another index of sorts, a "Completed Story Index" or something. That way people would have a definite lists of stories to go to.

{{EDIT: I just realized that many of the stories in Julie's Index (the "Official Story Index" linked up next to links to the different fiction boards) has many of the stories listed as "completed."}}

Another idea I've heard before but might be a bad one - allow a reader to continue writing a story if it appears to be abandoned by the author? Like if the author hasn't been around in ages? We write fan fiction of published work, so it would sort of be like fan fiction of fan fiction. I wouldn't suggest doing so in the actual thread but starting a new one. I can sense a bunch of possible problems with that idea, though.

 

Rant: They finally start a competition and NEVER POST WHO WINS! I'm so wanting to find out who won the halloween fic comps!

 

Another idea I've heard before but might be a bad one - allow a reader to continue writing a story if it appears to be abandoned by the author? Like if the author hasn't been around in ages? We write fan fiction of published work, so it would sort of be like fan fiction of fan fiction. I wouldn't suggest doing so in the actual thread but starting a new one. I can sense a bunch of possible problems with that idea, though.

A good idea--it would never be allowed though here without the permission of the author to repost their work.
I would suggest writing one of their own first based on the same idea, and then give the author that inspired your story a note of thanks in yours.

 

Author rant: Being sick with the flu and trying to 'convince' your OC's that they don't want to be written as sick too!

 

DarthIshtar - well you know at least it'll be announced before next year's competition.


And an extra thought to my post above about unfinished stories - didn't the past couple of awards shows have a "best completed story" category? Maybe we could find links to the awards, and the nominations as well for a greater number of stories.


edits:

Sara_Kenobi - do you think it would work if the reader-author/story finisher person ( ) didn't repost what the author had written, but simply began writing where the story had left off? Kinda of like, "This is based on HHP's story and I'm gonna write the ending as I see it should be done."

 

::Thinks longingly of 21st birthday, when they had the Awards and she won Best Original Character with her friends from Strands of Time and got Best Author.:: Ah, those were the days... I miss having readers. I miss having padawans that didn't then turn into moderators or VIPs.

 

Darth Real Life and especially Darth Social Life are killing my posting time and my writing time lately, and will probably continue to do so for some time. I really love my friends, and most of them are going off to college next year, so I've been trying to spend every minute I can with them lately, but it does get a bit frustrating when I get so far behind with posting and writing.

 

I would suggest writing one of their own first based on the same idea, and then give the author that inspired your story a note of thanks in yours.


I think this is a MUCH better idea...

I don't know why but the theme of 'theft vs inspiration' comes to mind...

I would (as an author) be furious if someone diddled with my story, finished or not, yet flattered if someone wrote a piece inspired by one of my own...

 

You know what really annoys me? When people plug in my thread without asking me first. Now, I like to plug as much as the next person, but I only do it in threads where plugging is allowed (like "Downtime") or in threads that I created (as in my other stories). And I have no problem if someone wants to plug their story, provided they take the time to ask me first. It's the whole considerate/respect thing and it's really starting to get to me.

~Inyri

 

I suppose you could say outright no plugging on your thread, Inyri... As for people writing endings to unfinished stories, I probably personally wouldn't mind if someone finished a story, especially if I was contacted ahead of time and given credit for the beginning. If I hadn't really finished it, though, or if I wasn't contacted when I could have been, I might not be so gracious, though. And it would sure depend on the original author!

Anyway, a short little poem on writers (or artists) block...

My muse, my muse, the greedy little bugger,
Put a wall around my heart.
He gives me trifles but he keeps for himself
The core of all my art

I'm having difficulty writing my next post, can you tell?