How not to convince a stressed author to write more.

[icarus]

Lobbying for updates is always a good thing. Every author likes to hear that you want them to write more. Some strategies, however, are more effective than others.

Effective strategies:

i was wondering, do u plan on writing more for this story, because its really good and i'd love to read more of it!

and the very unusual but kind...

Figures I would get hooked on this, knowing you have a blockage for the next part. I am eager for an update, but this one is worth waiting for.

and the specific quote plus request...

I loved the timid:

quote: so um what do you need from me?

I hope the next update is not that far.


Ineffective strategies:

Helloo~o! Anyone home? I hope so, 'cause I'd really love to see this fic go beyond chapter one!

and...

IF THIS IS THE END IMA GONNA *CRY*!!!!!!!!!!!!
I SPENT 5 1/2 HOURS READING THIS YOU BETTA FINISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and the ever popular...

MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!


Also, can anyone spot why the following may be an ineffective offer?

hey mayb we can collaborate ?????

This has been a public service announcement.

Comments

[passo.livejournal.com]

*stressed* Thank you for posting this! *smooches*

[the-gentleman.livejournal.com]

The 5 1/2 hour one cracks me up. If you've spent that long on fic, then an end to it for a while is probably beneficial to everybody except the optician... Still, must be nice if they're that dedicated!

Advertising the potential of gay Albus chan later in the fic often helps in keeping away the plebe reviews... though I must admit, it keeps away just about everybody else as well.

The gay Albus/Percy chan is delightful. But when will you get to your Snape/House-elf threesome?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

The best part is that that '5 1/2 hour' comment and the offer to 'collaborate' were from the same person.

I suppose she wanted to guarantee the story continued for at least another 5 1/2 hours. (Opticians rejoice.) Think of it. I could have been hearing from her on a regular basis, encouraging me to write. The fount of story ideas I missed... alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I felt briefly guilty about those misspent 5 1/2 hours. Until I recalled that the story took me months to write. That took the edge off my shame, though hasn't erased it completely.

Icarus

[lizardlaugh.livejournal.com]

Oh, and then there are the lovely 'I'm cummin 2 ur house and chaining you to ur key board'. Riiiggghhhht, just hold still while I call the authorities.

Most people are pretty nice about begging for updates, but sometimes... YIKES! I am a slow updater, and I tell people that. Some reviewers have been extremely cool with that 'I know it takes you a long time to update, but this is worth it'. Thank you, lol.

[ptyx.livejournal.com]

Aha, I'm going to try a new approach with you. Just wait and see. *g*

[mad_maudlin]

What do you do when you get people begging you to continue a story that's clearly over, though? I get these for Don't Judge a Book By its Cover every once in a while, and I'm never sure how to respond. Especially when they're the nice "I hope you update soon" kind.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

This is horrible, but the first thought I had here was: Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover is over? *whimper*

Jeeze. Please put a The End at that bottom of that chapter. It stops with so many unresolved issues that I thought there was an Epilogue coming or something. I think one of the pleas there is from me.

In that case, when Icarus begs for updates:

Tell Icarus the truth... "this is the end of the story (you fool)" or "this one is being updated randomly as the whim takes me" or "this story is currently stuck." Then send Icarus to your website with a list of fics Icarus might enjoy ("I see you like Ron and kinky crossdressing -- well, have I got something for you").

For example, when people ask about Snape Manor, I send them to my other Primer stories. If they ask about Reunion, I send them to Beg Me For It. I figure that once they have a starting place, they'll start poking around the site. But if I don't give them some place to start they'll just kick the tires and complain about my sucky layout.

Icarus

[mad_maudlin]

Eeek, sorry. I thought it was fairly clear that the story was over; after all, the central plot issue was resolved. From the moment I decided to make that a chaptered fic (it started life as a one-shot, believe it or not) I had that final scene in mind, and the whole long wacky trip was leading up to it. I guess I was just too close to story to realize other people might not get it.

What, exactly, did you feel I left unresolved?

I also got a few of there for my H/Hr one-shot, "Hallway Scene." I'm very explicit in the header that it was written for a dare, that pairing makes me puke, and it's never going to be expanded. I put a "Fine" at the end. People still sent me reviews demanding more chapters (one even threatened that I would be "bainshed [sic] to the pit of dark underlings" if I didn't update) and I didn't know what to do. Lucky that fic seems to have dropped off the radar now, 'cause I don't think I could take multiple reviews by rabid Pumpkin Pie-rs demanding more of that tripe.

[cheshyre]

What do you do when you get people begging you to continue a story that's clearly over, though? I get these for Don't Judge a Book By its Cover every once in a while, and I'm never sure how to respond.
I rather like what ajhalluk has done, every so often opening up her journal to reader questions about minor plotpoints (what happened to so-and-so? did their relationship work out?) and thus resolving some of those "I want more" needs.

[I have an old paperback guide to SF which includes "if you liked A, try B, C or D" Maybe there ought to be something similar with fanfics.]

BTW, don't forget tomorrow's the last installment of emmagrant01's "Left My Heart"!!!

[miss-magdellin.livejournal.com]

Hey! You've been reviewed by the same people who review me!

My favourite review ever was from 'UPDATE'. The review was 'Update.'
*rollseyes*

It was a one shot!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'd like to say that this was all on ff.net, but no such luck. I don't mind being asked for updates, but guilt and demands just... so don't work.

Icarus

[miss-magdellin.livejournal.com]

Oh, mine was ff.net. *shrugs* it's all good.

[nufaciel.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I know these kinds of "persuasion" all too well. My personal favourite was when Ordinary World was on ffnet. My grandmother had died abruptly, and I just couldn't write anything for a few months (absolutely no will at all). I don't know how many "I'm sorry for your loss, will you update soon?"s I got after that. Made me just want to pitch the story out the window and never look at it again, lol!

Those kinds of feedback are precisely why I won't post WIP fics online anymore, with the exception of my yahoo group.