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Hmm, it's just possible that my Spike/Giles story is finished. That is, if I want to leave the action dangling on a horrible cliffhanger. Do I, considering it might take me another two years to write the next part?

If I want to avoid that, would it, in fact, be better to treat the story as an episodic adventure story and try to bang out the parts fairly quickly, rather than spending ages trying to hone each part and fill it with foreshadowing/show references etc?

Opinions gratefully received.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

ningloreth.livejournal.com

When you take pride in your writing, it takes as long as it takes. If 'honing' is part of the process for you, I think you'll find it hard to stop!

From observation, I would say that if you're one of the 'chosen ones' (and I'm not, LOL), people will still be interested, even if it does take you two years (or more) to write the next part. And, even if you're not one of the chosen ones, your new readers (in two years' time) will seek out the earlier parts.

I've just taken part in a fic exchange with exchange bingo. (You're given a bingo card with recipients' names on it and you have to review the appropriate stories and paste links to the reviews into the squares). As a result, I've had to read stories that I would normally have pressed the Back button on pretty quickly. And there's a huge range of quality out there. Reviewers often point out spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, but to me those aren't that important. What's important is that the stories aren't really written -- there's no understanding of plotting and pacing, of characters and motivation or, most of all, of how language works (that you have to consider sound, rhythm, associations; that, if you write a sex scene, you have to make sure the words you use are not just descriptive, but actually sexy, LOL). Some of the stories I consider... naff... get lots of very good reviews, but...

I suppose that what I'm saying is: virtue is its own reward! Keep doing what you're doing!

From:

shapinglight

If 'honing' is part of the process for you, I think you'll find it hard to stop!

True. Whatever I decide to do, I'll certainly be revising it over and over again. I'm just not sure there's enough oomph! to it considering how long I've made people wait, and don't want to make them wait such a long time again. That said, since I posted the previous story in the series, the Buffyverse fandom has shrunk even further, and the readership for non-canon pairings like Spike/Giles further still, as far as I can see, so the readership is likely to be very small indeed.

I perfectly understand your frustration about badly written stories getting good reviews etc. It'll be an interesting topic to discuss again at Writerconuk (assuming you're coming?)

From:

ningloreth.livejournal.com

the Buffyverse fandom has shrunk even further, and the readership for non-canon pairings like Spike/Giles further still, as far as I can see, so the readership is likely to be very small indeed.

I know how that feels -- depressing! It's pretty much the situation I'm in with Legolas/Eowyn. I wonder what it's like to join a fandom when it's all new and shiny, and to be able to write fast enough to to catch that first big wave of fans?

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to come to writercon this year :-(

From:

shapinglight

I wonder what it's like to join a fandom when it's all new and shiny, and to be able to write fast enough to to catch that first big wave of fans?

I have no idea, and since it's unlikely I'll start writing Game of Thrones fanfic any time soon, I'm probably never going to find out.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to come to writercon this year :-(

Aww! :(

From:

rebcake.livejournal.com

Mmmmmm. Spike and Giles by

shapinglight is never unwelcome. Now or in 2 years, it's all good. Since I am terrible about taking stories up to the brink and no farther, I do not feel qualified to tell you how to do yours. Your instincts are good ones, so you'll be okay if you trust them. ¡Yay on getting more writing done!

From:

shapinglight

:) Thank you. I don't know about this one. If it hadn't been so long since I posted the previous part, I wouldn't have any qualms about leaving this one on a cliffhanger. But I'm so slow these days, I'm afraid it'll be ages before I manage to write the next part, and it seems unfair. However, to my mind, the current part has reached a natural ending. Hmmm.

From:

yourlibrarian

I think the nature of the cliffhanger is what would decide it for me. For example, for some people the fact that a story leads to sex but there isn't any makes it seem unfinished. I find that to be fine. However, I recently read a story (a long one at that) that simply ended with no clear point to me. I actually wondered if something was missing from the download copy. I found that the puzzling "meh" ending changed what I thought of the rest of the story.

I guess I can't give a clear opinion without better understanding what's "unfinished" about the story.

From:

shapinglight

I think the nature of the cliffhanger is what would decide it for me.

It's a dum-dum-dummm! moment which relies completely on people remembering what happened in the previous part of the story, which is a bit much considering I posted it in July 2009. :( However, this part does seem to have reached a natural ending, IMO, but only if I can manage to write the next part fairly quickly.

I guess I can't give a clear opinion without better understanding what's "unfinished" about the story.

It's the fourth part of an ongoing series, which retells season 7 from Giles's perspective, and with Spike/Giles as the main pairing. 'Course, since I started it,

indri has come along and posted the definitive season 7 Giles story, but this isn't a gen fic so whole different beast.

From:

yourlibrarian

Ah, I see. Well, I don't know as it would put me off from reading it. If it's part of a series then it's a bit different, plus if it's a retelling of a season endings aren't as hanging as if it were a doing something quite different. I mean, one of my favorite stories was eliade's Spander rewrite of S4 and while I'd have loved it to be complete it was still well worth reading regardless.

From:

shapinglight

I mean, one of my favorite stories was eliade's Spander rewrite of S4 and while I'd have loved it to be complete it was still well worth reading regardless.

I agree. My story can't hope to compare with that.

From:

rahirah

Oh, pish, two years - that's nothing. Compared to me you're the Wizard of Speed and Time. :D

From:

shapinglight

;)

Well, at least you still plan to finish PoM. I feel the same. I don't want to leave any WIPs when I (inevitably) run out of steam for good.

From:

helenkacan.livejournal.com

I think you should do what fulfills YOU, without fussing whether it may or may not satisfy your readers. We do not exist in a vacuum and we'll still be there (like barnacles?), whenever you feel like posting the next part. So please don't put undue pressure on yourself, feeling that you have to maintain some self-imposed schedule that won't synch with your personal writing style.