Yahoo Forum Archive

A general answer to the points brought up. Or several general answers...

To WIP or not to WIP.

As a rule, I'm almost exclusively a non-WIPer. I did write one story as a
WIP and as an experiment. I did know how it would end. And the WIPing did
provide some encouragement. It didn't make the story any better though.
And it wasn't juicy reviews for the most part that I got. Just the
encouraging kind.

I personally don't like reading a story then having it not end. For reasons
I've stated before. They're not finished for one thing. But also, by the
time an author updates I may have read 300 stories in between and not
remember where I left off. And some are so wonderfully angsty that they
become downright painful waiting for the next chapter....

And if that chapter NEVER comes? I do feel cheated. I have a story that I
started with some other writers and it's been abandoned though someday I
hope to pick it up myself and finish it. But it's never been posted! So
it's not driving anyone nuts but me.

To Elanor's point about a wonderful unfinished story vs a mediocre finished
one...no one should be nominating mediocre stories to begin with. Finished
or not. Don't nominate a story just because it's there. Nominate a story
because you think it's great.

I can play devil's advocate on both sides of this. Yes, a short abandoned
story can be great. I once read a wonderful, hilarious 3-chapter story
called The Glass Coffin. It was never finished. And my thoughts: What a
shame.

Minka writes some great torture, but you can't rely on her to finish a story
and so I wouldn't call any of her un-updated stories great.

But it comes down to this: This was voted on. Why limit WIPs to those
updated in a year if we allow those that weren't? Even under a different
term of "unfinished." "A rose by any other name...." We (those who
exercised their right to vote) voted to limit them. So we limit them.
There will be no Unfinished category.

--Ainaechoiriel
MEFA Admin and Founder

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves," Elrond said, "for
it is Windows-compatible, and freeware at that." --H.F.

http://gabrielle.sytes.net/mefa The Middle-Earth Fanfiction Awards
Blog: <http://www.ainaechoiriel.blogspot.com/>
http://www.ainaechoiriel.blogspot.com



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I started a lot of controversy, I guess, but I'd like to give my definition of the difference: a Work in Progress is just that "in progress"; it recieves updates at decent intervals, and the author plans to bring it to a close after however many chapters it takes to get to the end. I myself post them, and I update as fast as I can get them typed into the computer.
An "Unfinished" is one that has sat around for months, and the author has no intention of dusting it off, or if she does, it's of the vague "someday" variety.
The only way I'd ever post an unfinished is if something physically prevented me from posting the end: computer blows up, I die, world ends, etc.
It's very rude, at the least, and inconsiderate to the reader to start something you aren't going to finish. IMHO.
Which is why I agree with the update rule on WIPs. (Although I would probably make it six months instead of a year if it were me. But a year is very fair and more than reasonable.)
Dreamflower
(Barbara)

----- Original Message -----
From: Ainaechoiriel
To: MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 12:14 PM
Subject: [MEFAwards] PM WIP vs. Unfinished



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Well, I think a year is okay because I do know several authors who's WIPs I
began reading way back when, and they haven't updated in over a year. Not
because they don't intend to update but because RL or grad school slapped
them in the head. It is lengthy, I admit, and it is frustrating to wait
that long or to try to remember what happened in the previous chapter. But
they are good stories and I still hope that those authors will update them
sometime soon. (Hint, hint! You know who you are!)

--Ainaechoiriel
MEFA Admin and Founder

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves," Elrond said, "for
it is Windows-compatible, and freeware at that." --H.F.

http://gabrielle.sytes.net/mefa The Middle-Earth Fanfiction Awards
Blog: http://www.ainaechoiriel.blogspot.com



-----Original Message-----
From: aelfwina [mailto:aelfwina@cableone.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 2:46 PM
To: MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [MEFAwards] PM WIP vs. Unfinished


I started a lot of controversy, I guess, but I'd like to give my definition
of the difference: a Work in Progress is just that "in progress"; it
recieves updates at decent intervals, and the author plans to bring it to a
close after however many chapters it takes to get to the end. I myself post
them, and I update as fast as I can get them typed into the computer.
An "Unfinished" is one that has sat around for months, and the author has no
intention of dusting it off, or if she does, it's of the vague "someday"
variety.
The only way I'd ever post an unfinished is if something physically
prevented me from posting the end: computer blows up, I die, world ends,
etc.
It's very rude, at the least, and inconsiderate to the reader to start
something you aren't going to finish. IMHO.
Which is why I agree with the update rule on WIPs. (Although I would
probably make it six months instead of a year if it were me. But a year is
very fair and more than reasonable.) Dreamflower
(Barbara)

----- Original Message -----
From: Ainaechoiriel
To: MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 12:14 PM
Subject: [MEFAwards] PM WIP vs. Unfinished



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make
a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar.
Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/wx3olB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->


Yahoo! Groups Links