Yahoo Forum Archive

My original suggestion was not to allow WIPs at all. With the
thought that if it was worth reading, it was worth readying *all* of
it. ... and it could be nominated when it was finished.

Because the nature of this fandom seems to support WIPs, and because
of the positive author support, I suggested, as a compromise, that a
policy be in place that readers only read/comment on the first two
chapters.

The difference between a WIP and a completed longfic is that in the
WIP, you don't have fully developed, completed plot arcs, subplots,
character growth, plot resolution. That sort of thing. I think if
you start a long story and aren't compelled to finish it by the
interest the author creates in your mind for the characters and
plots, it may not deserve the votes. As Elanor said, the author has
to hold the plot and characters together throughout.

A WIP would be looked at for plot and character development,
what 'questions' are asked by the setting, what mysteries are set up,
what heartstring are pulled, are you drawn in, do you want to see
this finished? Have you been made to care about the character? The
readers could read and comment on the first two chapters and bookmark
it to come back later, and have more time for reading and voting on
finished works.

Sulriel

----- Original Message -----
From: elanor of aquitania


> See my recent post on it. I don't think we could or even
> would want to> force readers to only read the first chapter or
two. But it > might encourage> them to read if we said they didn't
have to read more than > the first chapter> or two.
>

Next question,
why then would you apply this rule only to WIPs
and not to novellas ?

It is the same problem: a long story has to be read
before voting with an informed background.

I see no difference between a long WIP
and a novel-length completed fic.

As I said before,
also a WIP could change so much from the first chapter
that one would change ones views on the WIP
if one reads on as intended by the author.

And I have read many a fic
that changed so much along the story line
that only the complete story or WIP should be voted at.

Best wishes from Elanor
who is being obstinate, she knows

> A WIP would be looked at for plot and character development,
> what 'questions' are asked by the setting, what mysteries are set up,
> what heartstring are pulled, are you drawn in, do you want to see
> this finished? Have you been made to care about the character? The
> readers could read and comment on the first two chapters and bookmark
> it to come back later, and have more time for reading and voting on
> finished works.
>
> Sulriel

Hi Sulriel,
I see what you mean but I still disagree ;-)

For me WIPs are something like a many-volume-epic.
I often buy the first of a series of books
just enjoying it for itself and then
eagerly waiting for the next one.

Would you say one could not vote
on FoTR because you know not
the content of TTT and RotK ?

These all are published books !
Written in such a style that the reader is compelled
to buy the next volume.

I think, no one would nominate really unfinished WIPs
only such that have grown already so much as to become
at least comparable to the first volume of a series.

So I think, let's nominate WIPs and vote on them
as usual for completed fics.

Only difference here is that one has to allow
for unclosed story arcs because the WIP
is already in the second or third volume ;-)

And as with other long fics
it is the decision of the reader
if she wants to vote or not to vote on a long fic.
Surely you also cannot police the readers to read
the long complete fic before voting.
It is only an expectation placed in the voters
that they have read the whole fic.

I do not think that you should apply
the problem of limited reading time only to WIPs.

Moreover, if the fic is in a very unfinished state
it will get no comments.

I think the WIP is an important feature
of the internet writing culture
and we should value it as such !

Best wishes Elanor