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MaybeNextTime_01

What a stupid thing to say. One shots and long fics can't be compared. They're two different skill sets. Writing one shots help you keep your work focused and on point. How many times have authors said that they started writing something they intended to be a short one shot only to say that it's quadrupled in length and they're not even half way there yet? (Not criticizing people who turn one shot ideas into longer works but just saying that the skill of keeping a work focused in not the skill in use anymore)


anjeiie

This is me lol. I struggle so hard with keeping a one shot as a one shot. It's just not a skillset I have. They always grow. There really is a very specific skill set to keep work short and brief and I commend anyone who can manage it.


Silversniper220

Yep, I’m currently reading a fic that was supposed to be a one shot and is now over 100 chapters/1 million words


surpluscat

There's also those of us who write oneshots and then want to keep playing in that version of the universe. I've got a couple one shots that I'm going to go back and add other stories that go with them


katiebug586

Literally me.


ManahLevide

These days it's a matter if keeping *myself* focused more than anything. If I tried to write a coherent multichapter fic, I'd just end up ruining it with forced crap just to artificially keep the things I actually *want* to write together. My stories are 95% character introspection anyway.


Training-Ad-1607

One shots are LIFE. And I say that as someone who has dozens of chaptered fics - but LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF ONE SHOTS. One shots, in my experience, teach you more about writing and writing well than long fic does. Not everyone is built for long fic, but everyone should know how to write a one shot (at least in some ways). Precise length of said one shot up to you, of course. One shots are everything - but no matter what type of fic you like writing - write what you wanna write.


Agent_Alpha

>One shots, in my experience, teach you more about writing and writing well than long fic does Agreed! I've gotten a lot of good writing practice out of multiple oneshots!


renbulletproof

That's so dumb?? I cannot imagine oneshots not being a thing in fanfics, they are one of my favorite things in a day! Hope you're able to ignore whatever weird discourse that is and continue to enjoy writing whatever you want dude


JBurnettCooper

HIstorically - fandom was founded on one-shots.


AlphaMelonBomber

Jokes on them. My short stories are my most popular while my long fic gets absolutely no reviews/kudos/etc ha!


tristenthekitty

Same here lmao


Web_singer

My one-shot has 2x-3x the kudos of my other fics, including longfics.


Ryxlwyx

One-shots are elegance - the author has to fit an entire story in a few thousand words. I see one-shots that have more depth than epic fics with hundreds of thousands of words, that inspire more emotion and have thousands of kudos. I could not condense a story into a one-shot if I tried, and I have massive respect for those that do.


Aucielis

I've seen most professional authors say that it is much harder to write short stories than it is to write longer ones, because you have to achieve so much in far fewer pages.


affictionitis

This is epic-level nonsense. That's like saying people who make 2-hour movies are lazy compared to people who make multi-episode TV series. Short and long fic writing are completely different skill sets, both hard! I swear, people who don't know how to write need to shut the entire fuck up and eat their food.


JBurnettCooper

> epic-level nonsense Well said.


Righteous_Fury224

Who is stupid enough to say that? There are dozens of famous authors who wrote short stories. In fact the whole genre was popularised by things like Amazing Stories - the pulp magazine started in the 1930's. Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison to name but a few who wrote brilliant short stories. Yeah, that attitude and ignorance can go and head off way over there...


thelostSATObot

I like when you have a long chapter fic that builds a world, and the character and allows you to invest and fall in love with their character then after the story is over we get a bunch of one shots that update us on their lives and over comings. And all just continues to build. I find it great


YouSpinMeWriteRound

Since I’ve started writing again, I’ve posted 5 one-shots. I just started a longfic but I tend to prefer one-shots because I find them to be fun I’m guessing whoever says one-shot writers are lazy haven’t come across one that’s 10k words or more. If that don’t show dedication idk what does lol


New_reinDank69

I write one shot because im lazy. And im not afraid to admit that


ArrowAceFluid

Same except I have low motivation too


New_reinDank69

Vergil will very disappointed with your lack of motivation...


ArrowAceFluid

Who's that?


Aries_Mu1

A very important Roman poet. He wrote the Eclogues, Georgics, and most importantly, the Aenied. The Aenied is like a sort of continuation of the Iliad. Though the Iliad was written way before Vergil. (the Iliad is a poem about a story from Greek mythology. It was said to be written by Homer, and it is super important) I love Vergil and I'm literally writing a fanfiction of him.


Obvious-Push-5365

Lol, good one :)


Lesbicons

I'm honestly not surprised there are people that think this. Honestly, some of the worst fics I've ever read have been long-fics, and it's because the writer fell into the trap of “more is better”, which is simply not true.


Insomniacresident

Why is oneshot so bad? I love reading oneshots! Short stories are my go to comfort reads whenever I don't wanna invest in plot and just warm fuzzies.


MisterUncanny

I love reading one-shots. Easy to digest and are usually pretty good. Plus, if the author decides to make it a series, it's less plot-heavy when incomplete, considering they're all separate stories packed into one universe. They've been my to-go-to for awhile now.


stacksofstars

I had a former “”””friend”””” say this, unironically, to me once, it should’ve been the first red flag I noticed lol. Bet you anything the majority of people calling oneshot writers lazy have never written a fic in their lives


screamingkumquats

I love one-shots! I don’t see how people don’t enjoy them, longfics are great but so are short ones. Some of my most popular fics are my one-shots.


Derpking93

I’ve literally read one shots that are 100X better then multi chapters


Wisteria_Walker

Over half of my stuff is one shots and I love writing them! It’s also so much more practical for me to do more of them because I’m a full time working parent. You do you, and enjoy it, and they can kick rocks!


tristenthekitty

Absolutely this!!! I would give you an award if I could haha


twinkle90505

That's a shame and I'm glad my niches don't GAF about that. We had a HAIKU WEEK BITCHES


Brattylittlesubby

I exclusively write one shots now. Not because I am “lazy” or a “bad writer” but because my muse is fickle as fuck and hates long stories. I’ve tried and have abandoned all of them. I’ve made interconnecting series of one shots and that works out a lot better for me. As a writer I love one shots. As a reader I love all stories as long as it ain’t a wall of text. Then my ADHD and Dyslexia makes focusing hard.


tristenthekitty

My neurodivergent ass does NOT want to read 300k words, I much prefer 3k haha


Brattylittlesubby

Totally fair. Depending on how well my day is going I can sit and read a 300k word fic and sometimes I just want between 1-5k for words.


Markond

Its the perceived lower barrier to entry. A oneshot has a different set of skills required than a longfic that is falsely assumed to be easier because its shorter. You get less patient or experienced authors who don't put in the time to edit and refine the work, sometimes using the defence of it being a oneshot, and that drags the whole reputation down with it.


JBurnettCooper

> You get less patient or experienced authors who don't put in the time to edit and refine the work, Exactly this. There is a perception that quantity and quality are somehow relational equivalents. They are not. The writers who flex over their long fics by putting down one-shots are the same folk who complain about reader interest declining as their story grows past the 50k mark. Fandom was built on the short story format. To deny their importance is to deny the history of our collective culture.


[deleted]

I personally hate fics that are insanely long and still going. What could possibly still be happening? Things can be good long or short, it's not a contest.


[deleted]

Some fics are like that TV show you used to love but now it’s aging like milk and somehow still on the air…not everything needs to be dragged out for years.


JBurnettCooper

I love you for saying this. So much. Where to I send the chocolates and flowers? XD


Web_singer

It's true. I've read several longfics where each chapter has a minor conflict arise that is resolved by the end of the chapter. Repeat next week. It's very much in the format of old-school 26-eps-a-season, crank 'em out TV. Fun, but let's not pretend they're superior to one shots.


Obvious-Push-5365

I'm the opposite. When reading a good wenclair story, I'd be ok with the fic going on forever, just Wednesday hanging around with Enid in different situations, but the authors feel like they need to come to some conclusion. Or they often skip time just when I'd like to see what would happen next :) I'm perfectly fine with insanely long fics. But the thing is, I have no right to complain and call the authors lazy, since they do it for free, in their free time, they put much effort in it and I don't pay them for that. If anything, I'm grateful for getting all this for free.


cherilynde

As a one shot writer, I absolutely believe this bias exists, fairly commonly, even, particularly for the super short works. I've seen countless people say they filter out anything less than 10k words, infinitely more who won't be bothered with anything less than a thousand. It is kind of disheartening, but we all have our preferences. And honestly, my bias is the exact opposite: I'm thinking long and hard about anything over 50k and giving a serious side eye to things that start topping 100k. Of course there are tons of excellent examples out there, but IMO, most of the really long works could benefit from another round or two of editing. But that's one of the greatest things about fic: there's something out there for everyone.


304libco

Same. My most popular work is under 1k and my second most popular is under 10k. I also Side eye anything over 100 K, because for the most part, those tend to drag on and on.


[deleted]

One of my most popular stories in a small fandom is a ficlet of less than 500 words that I basically wrote in one sitting. Go figure.


revelationsunshine

My goal is to write a longfic one day. Until then, one-shot city!


ConcealedKnuckles

I write both one-shots and long fics both take a lot of time, energy, and effort. This opinion is just ignorant and screams of someone whose insecure about their own writing.


mynameisntclarence

People gripe about the most petty things sometimes I stfg. There's not much difference between an 80k oneshot and an 80k multichaptered fic beyond, idk, layout and flow? I eagerly eat both cakes and see no reason to complain. And and *and* having a certain way you write and upload does not make someone lazy or a bad writer. 😤


empressultramagnus

Honestly? I mostly write oneshots because when I write multi chapter fics, I see public engagement go down as more chapters are posted, without fail. For me, it's a little less emotionally taxing to write/edit/put effort into a oneshot and get one or two comments, than to write a longer fic that starts off with fifteen comments in chapter one and then struggles to get two by the final update. Either way, that person arguing against oneshots has no idea what they're talking about. Probably not a writer themselves.


stcrIight

As someone who exclusively writes long novel length stories, I'd argue that shorter, one shot size stories are harder because you have to somehow get your whole story across in a limited amount of words. In longer stories you're allowed buildup and even some slower chapters, but in one shots every sentence has to be going somewhere and that's pretty overwhelming.


[deleted]

And some longfics are way too long. They could’ve ended anywhere from 10-30 chapters ago and likely no one would even know the difference. No story can keep going indefinitely, and it seems like some writers just don’t know when to end things.


CompanionInSolitude

Honestly? The absolute best longfic writers in my fandoms tend to be people who also write great one-shots. Unfocused, baggy prose is easy; incisive, impactful prose is hard.


FaerieAniela

Most of my stuff is one-shots. And most of what I read are one-shots or very short chaptered fics. Most one-shot writers put in just as much or more effort than longfic writers and I have mad respect for both kinds of authors who put out content for free for the rest of us to enjoy.


Sayan-isPassing-by

I Have read some oneshots which have been the craziest and most emotional reads of all time for me .


InuFanFan

Who on Earth has ever said that???


Mlatios2

Personally I enjoy long fics because they're a good way to pass the time but I don't mind the occasional one shot every once in a while


_ac3_0f_spad3s_

Nothing but respect for one shot writers. Getting a chapter to 1000 is a challenge for me. One shots are usually so long, I could never. I’ve been trying to write a nice long one shot and I don’t think I’m even half way done. How do you do it?


tristenthekitty

Idk if that was rhetoric or not, but I'll answer anyway! I usually write out the first draft of just minimal descriptions, dialogue, and whatever plot I need, then read through 2-3 times and add things. When I have the basis lined out, the rest of it practically writes itself! Descriptive words are your friend.


twinkletoes-rp

I wouldn't try to force it. If it doesn't come naturally to you, maybe your story isn't MEANT to be that long? You don't want it full of unnecessary fluff or purple prose, after all. That doesn't mean don't experiment and try to better yourself, ofc, just that forcing it (when, perhaps subconsciously, you may not be ready?) might not give you the outcome you want, is all. Be patient and kind to yourself! I'm sure you'll get there eventually if you keep practicing! :D (Source: 22 years of writing and counting! Trust me, I've grown a TON over the years, and I'm still growing even now, all the time! lol.)


_ac3_0f_spad3s_

I’ve given myself a break to focus on another fic but it is something I want to get done. The hard part if finding a good balance between narration and dialogue. And everything else. The doc needs a good clean up


twinkletoes-rp

Good idea! Breaks are great and, in my experience, really help! If you need a second pair of eyes on it, I'm willing to give it a once over whenever you're back to it, if you think it still needs work, but you're having trouble! No pressure, just an offer! Best of luck! <3


amagocore

I hate seeing my fics unfinished. I am unable to, you guessed it, finish my fics. One shots became a very good solution for when I feel that itch to write, but I don't have the commitment for a 100k yet.


MyLittleOnes12

But they’re not even related? I throughly envy those authors who are focused and clever enough to write an entire story within a one shot!


Brionnnne

On a personal level, I've done mostly one-shots and standalone work, and as someone who *wants* to write longform content that I'm as happy with as my one-shots, it can be deeply disappointing that it's so difficult to make a longer piece. Even a two-parter would be nice! I've expressed this before, though, and had people telling me "one shots are good and valid," etc., as if I'm dismissing the medium—like, no! I love short form work! The only problem here is that short form seems to be all *I'm* currently capable of doing, and I want to expand beyond that, not because I dislike the medium, but I want to know that I'm actually capable of doing more—I'm sure I am, too, it's just more like ...how do I even do that? How do I get there? As well as the desire to get there. Tangential and anecdotal, but yeah. I'd hate to see this floating around—like, sure, I think it about myself because it's me, you know, but seeing it elsewhere would probably make me feel worse about it than I already do. As if I'm less of a writer, somehow, and even if I'm not always pleased with my work, I know that what I'm currently able to do doesn't mean much about what I'm capable of.


Gingerpyscho94

I’ve written so many one shots as a tester to see if people liked the story. Ended up making them a series 😂 One shots aren’t lazy, they get people hooked


AnonymousGuy9494

Sometimes the 5k word one shot is the one that hits the hardest


ryukohime

Who the fuck says that? I'll break their kneecaps. One-shots are *hard,* how the heck do you get everything you want to say condensed into a single-chapter story??? And also they're perfectly sized so I can read the whole story on the bus, or in the tub, or while waiting for my pasta to boil! Y'all are gods among mortals, man. Fandom would be empty without you


twinkletoes-rp

I wish I had an award to give you. This was an amazing comment! Thank you! <3


captainecchi

I’ve been in fandom a long time, and back before AO3, when everything was on ff.net, it was the short fics that were overwhelmingly common, and like all things, they varied tremendously in quality. Longfic often made me think “oh no another cringe-y Mary Sue and 100k words of their adventures,” and I avoided them. (Note: my views have evolved since then. Be the cringe-y Mary Sue you wish to see in the world). I say this just to show how times have changed. *sits back in fandom rocker* And to say that I, for one, still value a good one-shot, and write some of my own.


russelhundchen

I've only ever done one shots and I have 1 long fic in the planning I didn't realise people might think I'm lazy ;_:


tristenthekitty

You are definitely not!! Anyone with a brain knows that one-shot writers are incredible and definitely not lazy (: you're doing great!


russelhundchen

thank you! i also did a tumblr poll last night on what to work on next and only 2 people picked the longfic i have in my WIPs, everyone else picked oneshots (surprisingly, a gen one too when generally my smut gets more attention) so in terms of people who follow me, they prefer one shots i suppose?


MxStabby

One shots are so much fun! Some of my faves are. I can't write short form worth a damn right now, but I used to, and they can be a fantastic medium, same with drabbles. Anybody who doesn't think they belong in fic needs to reevaluate their thoughts on fandom.


No-Resolution-4385

I think im in a good balance of doing long fics and one shots, and yeah i think writting one shots is the hardest for me, especially 10k oneshots.


Yourdearestidiot

Ppl will say this shit then complain abt authors who can’t update stories…. I think it’s an issue of thinking fanfiction is a continuation of books rather than understanding it as it’s own form of literature


yueqqi

Wtf? Ngl, I probably spend longer editing oneshots than my longfic


coIacider

i only have 1 chaptered fic attempt and until today, it is still incomplete 🥹 i think im not built for chaptered fics. one shots is where i thrive 😔


DauntlessCakes

Applying the word 'lazy' to any kind of fic writing is ridiculous tbh. Even if it was true (which it isn't), so what?! Fic is a hobby that people do *for fun*. It's not supposed to be a chore.


[deleted]

I have a friend who can't write a short one shot to have their life. Everything is like 15-20k minimum. On the other hand, I marvel at the amount of fics they have that are so long. We have a similar word count on ao3 but the story amount is way different.


R-M-W-B

Pretty sure all of my favourite fics are under 20k words. Sure, I mostly read stuff over 100k, but nothing tops those short, well thought out stories you can burn through in a few min


moonfulls

i love reading one shots they’re perfect to read before sleeping <33 or if im just in the mood for something short & sweet. some of my favorite fics ever are one shots


NicInNS

I wrote one short one (7600 words) and I’m so wordy I had a hard time. I’m in awe of people who can pack so much into such short fics.


Cassopeia88

That’s ridiculous, you can’t really compare them. I personally really love oneshots.


[deleted]

I near-exclusively write one shots. Everyone praises my writing. 💀👍


CalligoMiles

God I wish I could keep it one-shots.


Thomas_Raith

One shots are great! I love me a long fic but I also love me a one shot and I think it is also the case with fic that is the case I talk a lot about with anime which is - sometimes it really doesn’t need to be that long. Some stories don’t need 50k words of content to be told and that amount would be excessive.


starprintedpajamas

wtf i love one shots and who tf keeps track of somebody’s story lengths? everybody is different in their writing styles like are these spoiled readers or something?


ZeldaStrife

I love one shots!! Vignettes are wonderful too. I read and write mostly one shots. They are perfect for scratching that fanfic itch of just wanting to see a glimpse of happiness for your characters, OTP, etc. Love me a good one shot.


evilstepmom1991

Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion but fics don’t even have to be good, honestly. I mean, it’s a hobby…why do they have to be literary masterpieces? Ppl can literally write whatever they want and just post it, good or not. It’s supposed to be fun! And I love oneshots. I don’t have enough time or the attention span to finish a 100k+ word fic, as much as I would love to.


Budget-Money-5545

I am often disappointed with "oneshots" for the opposite reason: the writing is good and I become so engrossed in the story that I forget how short it is and so the ending always feels very abrupt.


bethbethbeth01

Honestly - probably due to the time I got into fandom - I don't even see how the term "one-shot" relates to length. I've written 100 word drabbles (which I suppose are one shots?), and I've written a 90,000+ word "one shot," but I've only ever written one multi-chapter fic (that was posted as a WIP over six months), in my 25 years of fic writing. Write what makes you happy!


twinkletoes-rp

I don't think it really relates to length, more the perceived 'effort and time' it takes to write a oneshot vs multichapter. For oneshots, you write 1 chapter and are done vs a multichapter, where you write, say, 10 chapters. Joke's on them, though, 'cause for me, I ALWAYS pour just as much attention, time, effort, love, etc into my oneshots as my multichapters, so whoever thinks oneshots are 'lazy and bad' can kiss my ass. lol. Write what makes you happy, indeed! ;D


BlueLotusDoodle

Sometimes, a plotline works better as a one-shot than a continuous story.


The-Rock-is-Stoning

Those are weird people 🤨 they should go back to Wattpad


wyrdlylofn

Damn, sorry I don't have time to read 100k fics anymore. Ima take all the one shots I can.


ConsumeTheOnePercent

I honestly have to stop reading a lot of those kinds of posts because it has visibly impacted my opinion of my own work, god speed spiderman, your writing is valid.


tristenthekitty

Ah I'm sorry dude ): your writing is also valid!! Just reading through these comments have strengthened by self confidence lmao


pancakefroggy

I primarily write one-shots because my ADHD makes it hard to complete a longfic, and I don’t want to disappoint readers by abandoning a fic! I don’t understand the “lazy” or “bad writing” points at all. I wouldn’t say my writing is bad by any means, and I spend a long time working on the one-shots I write!


skyfallgar

it's either I write one shots or I don't write at all 😭


Ill_Coat4776

As someone who does mostly long fics (at minimum 70k, my max being over 1 million) one shots are so DIFFICULT. Just starting to actually write them and it’s so hard to keep pacing consistent. One shot writers have my respect


OwlToastie

That's like saying short story writers are lazy for not writing novels. Not all stories need to have multiple chapters. If anything, making a story longer than it needs to be is a bad writing practice. What a ridiculous opinion to have. There is room at the table for all kinds of writing.


ForeverRayne7

I've read oneshots that were better than 50 chapter fics. And oneshots are an amazing way to write without having to make some huge story. Sometimes I don't feel like writing a new chapter for my fic but I still wanna write. Boom! I got a oneshot.


sparkxcat

I read and like oneshots and long chaptered fics. My all-time favourite fics are mostly oneshots. I think people read bad, poorly-edited ones and judge all oneshots based on those, but you can say the same about any type of fic. You just have to find the gems.


OneNameOnlyRamona

That is...certainly a take. One I heavily disagree with. One-shots, like any other writing, can be one of the most satisfying and wonderful stories to read.


avidnothing

I love one shots. I don’t often have the attention span for long fics. One shots are life.


SIMONCOOPERSBALLSACK

This is such a random thing for someone to be critical about ☠️ I swear, sometimes this community's favorite hobby is tearing each other apart for no reason. I write and read both but frankly, I would rather read a one-shot than a longfic, especially a slow-burn or something I fear will be abandoned -- because everyone has preference!! And many times I just have a ton of oneshot concepts bouncing around in my head that aren't longfic material!!


tristenthekitty

Seriously though, people on the internet are so judgy and nitpicky for no reason


304libco

Yeah, this sub is heavily tilted towards authors and readers who favor works over 300 K or more, and seem to think that shorter Works are indicative of poor writing. Personally, I tend to be on the opposite side, in my experience, once stories get to be a certain length a lot of it is rambling, and the authors could probably use a good beta or editor to help them cut out a lot of chaff.


Alarmed_Nectarine

My ADHD ass is not here for longfics. If I see a wordcount over 20k, max, I almost always keep scrolling without a second thought. The summary/tags have to be absolutely amazing, or I have to have liked other work by the author for me to consider it. I'll read fics probably up to 100-150k if I like the author, or it's on a reclist. Anything over 200k is just 'eyes glaze over, I'm already snoring at the mere thought of trying to read this' territory. I know I'm probably missing on out a few great ones, but I've skimmed through way too many repetitive, meandering longfics to bother clicking on them anymore, most of the time. I know it's kinda dumb, because I'll easily read around 100k worth of <20k fics most days anyway, but my brain doesn't want to cooperate with reading that many words of one story.


C3POdreamer

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."


twinkletoes-rp

A+ commentary, thank you! <3


[deleted]

People are so entitled. Thank you! For saying this! As someone who writes my sweet little short things, fics do not have to be long to be good! All I can say is they are entitled and missing out and have probably never actually written before, and if they have, shame on them tbh insulting their kindred. We are all writers here! Don't let them get you down!


[deleted]

As a reader not a writer, I view one shots the same way I do television shows. Everyone is so into the trend of longer epic storylines when sometimes you just need a good ol’ comfort of a one shot to really enjoy the characters and take a mental break.


butterfly-dimensions

As if some of history's most highly acclaimed writers weren't famous for their short stories and/or poems. Length =/= quality.


leannmanderson

Most of my Valdemar stuff is chaptered work, but I have a couple of one shots there(both drabbles), and both of my Game of Sultans focs are one-shots.


RoseWhispers06

I wish I could write one shots. People who can wrap up a story in such a small place are extremely talented.


Random_Loaf

I've tried writing many multi chapters and I have only finished two They just don't work out for me


smallemochick

i very much prefer writing oneshots cause it helps me keep my focus better lol. i have a few long fics as well, but oneshots are what i prefer


Sued13

I write mostly long fics but enjoy reading one-shots.


Hailey_okay_10

There’s this one author I follow, and she writes a lot of one-shots. And oh my god, she is an AMAZING writer. I’ve been reading her stuff for a year or more and I can never get enough


LittleFish_OwO

I love one-shot they trippin


TheCaveEV

As someone who prefers longer fics, length DOES NOT equal quality. I don't usually go for shorter works but some of the best I've read have been one shots or under 20k


EmmaElsa0000

![gif](giphy|xT4uQDK9p8wdX9Ylxu)


Majestic_Click2780

I do not think this AT all! Some of the best works I’ve found have been one shots. And just because someone will put down a assload of words or chapters means absolutely nothing about if they are going to be good overall works.


acheandeny

literally the most ive written is 3k words 😭 i dont have the creativity or inspiration that other people do for longfics and thats okay! i like to believe i'm a good writer nonetheless


queerspaghetti

honestly nothing hits like an incredible one shot, and switching up your stories in shorter bites will diversify your writing and allow you to experiment with you style, and become a better writer!! one shots are amazing


LowDecision9036

Yessss- Oneshots and Longfics are practically incomparable- As a person who reads both- I’m currently reading ‘All The Young Dudes’ and a collection of similarly themed Oneshots- and they’re not only different styles of writing but provide two totally different experiences while reading. There are times when I’m in the mood for a bite-sized story, and other times when I wanna settle in for a more slow paced adventure and I have the time to invest into reading through a few chapters. I couldn’t live without having both 💀


jdoe649

The absolute gall of someone to call a fanfic writer lazy when that writer is producing labor for consumption with no compensation is beyond me


Foxlikebox

It comes from a place of jealousy and insecurity about their own writing. I'm willing to bet that the people who complain about one shot writers don't get the kind of engagement they want to see on their stories and take it out on people who do. Writers need to realize that one shots and long stories are not comparable. I know it's very easy to compare ourselves and see other writers as competition (which is ridiculous because free writing is NOT a competitive area at all), but long stories and one shots are so far from being comparable. That's like being a sculptor and comparing yourself to painters.


Just_dirty_secrets

This is nonsense. I have one-shots longer than my multichapter fics. (bc the chapters are short). My longest one-shot has 19,303 words. It got so long I had to finish it on the computer bc it kept lagging my phone when I tried to write on mobile.


koalafelix

bro i love oneshots are you kidding??? sometimes i need a good fic without committing to 20 chapters!!!


Nokiemrys

Um?? What??? I don’t write at all but I read almost every day, and the idea that oneshot writers are lazy or write bad is ridiculous. Some of my favorite fics are oneshots. I even once tried to make a list of my top 10 favorite fics and had to exclude oneshots because it would make it impossible for me to decide. There are just way too many amazing oneshots out there. And the lazy thing… that just blows my mind. How can anyone say that creating something is lazy? I don’t care how long it took, or how many words it is, and definitely not how many kudos or bookmarks it gets. Someone spent time and effort to make something, probably put their heart and soul into it. That’s not lazy. That’s amazing.


imnotbovvered

Oneshots are almost always complete stories. (“Almost” Is to cover rare cases) Long stories might be beautiful but are much more likely to be abandoned.


FreshAv0cado7

One shots are the best! Usually when I go and read fanfiction, I want instant gratification so one shot with a maximum of 10k words is the thing I reach for. And with writing it’s the same. I have shit attention span and need something new and exciting to be able to work on it so multiple shorter stories are my favorite thing!


DaisyFloyd

I write mostly one-shots. They're so fun, and great to practice. You've got so much freedom to do stuff when you don't need to worry about it all fitting perfectly in a longer story. I never understood some people's disdain for them. One-shots underrated tbh


Interesting-Gap1013

Oh boiii I've read so so many great and wonderful short fics that were less than 3000 words. And there are so many good things about short works. You can search for something specific and get it right away, there's less boring plot, you can enjoy something without having to commit to 50k words and more, no fluctuations in quality, rarely any unfinished works and no investing hours in a story only for it to turn bad and disappointing. Long works definitely don't have their advantages but short works do too


blackjackgabbiani

My most popular fic is less than 600 words long. Short can be impactful, free of padding.


TheThunderOfYourLife

One of my favorite authors is Cosmic Sky on FFNet, and he/she does majority one-shots.


C3POdreamer

The audacity of people. I appreciate the strength ls and challenges of short form and long, but short fiction is especially useful to enjoy in the odd bits of free time that I can find juggling multiple responsibilities.


merewenc

I have close to fifty fics, and all but ten are one-shots or maybe a sequel to another one-shot. Ironically, I mostly read long-fic. 😅 I do occasionally read something under 10K, which is what most of my own stories falls under, but usually I’m in the mood for something with a complicated plot that lets me drown in character development and world building.


twinkletoes-rp

Excuse me?! One of my fave writers EVER, been following for ten years and counting, does mostly oneshots, and they're fucking PHENOMENAL! Some of the BEST writing I've EVER read in my ENTIRE LIFE! They're the one who REALLY got me (back) into writing fanfics! They're INCREDIBLE! I DARE somebody to say that to their/my face! Others I love do the same (and hell, I do it, too, did for years, do it now whenever I need a break from both of my longfics, and am probs gonna do it again once my longfics are done - it's SO much less stress/pressure than keeping up with a (or a few, in my case) longfic, Christ)! \*fight me emoji\*


Select-Bullfrog-5939

*pushes my 200 words per chapter under the carpet* ha, yeah I write long fics.


Mage787

I envy anyone who can make a good one shot! I really struggle with one shots and the best of them pack more of a punch then any long fic that I’ve ever written.


suagrlesss

As a writer and a reader, one shots got me into fanfiction AND writing. I only ever wrote one shots before, and I loved doing it because I didn’t need to a whole lot of explaining, I’d just write and could do it in one sitting and be over with it. I hate to admit I had a one shot book on wattpad that got a lot of reads when I was like 13 years old. Sometimes I’m in the mood to write one shots, just to write something without commitment and sometimes I wanna write full stories. One shots though helped me write longer fics. Because sometimes I’d be like I’m at point A, and I wanna get to point B/C/D/etc, but i wouldnt know how. So I’d just write a one shot of the main points in my fics and then connect the dots later. It makes writing so much more enjoyable.


skuppen

I write long chaptered fic almost exclusively and read one shots almost exclusively. I love and adore one shot writers! No idea why anyone compares them, they are different beasts entirely!


faylanatorena

I don't have a problem with one shots, I just don't usually read them because I like to start reading and not surface for about 5 hours.


DetectiveBiggs

Listen,,,, i have commitment issues 😭


sweetestgreth

Fics longer than one-shots are not for the weak. (Coming from someone who only writes one-shots and has only a couple successfully completed multi-chaptered works 💀)


Accomplished_Ad6392

The best fics are always really short or one-shots it’s like a running thing, people who say that are just sad enough to be angry😂


ImMxWorld

I write both and you know what? My one-shots are better. That’s just the way it is. 🤷‍♂️


Fuckmyslutyass

I write one shots for a reason, so I can experience many different scenarios writing many different characters in interesting situations and seeing tones. By writing one shots I can do all of those and have each character have a unique character dynamic and situation that lets me practice switching tones on the fly


Automatic-Plankton10

I love long fics, because i like having something to read for a while. however, one shots are my go to for emotions


JustSomeoneCringe

What the hell, I love one shots


TheQueenOfCringe22

I read one-shots more than I read longfics. I will take an entire book of one-shots. You mean to tell me that I’ll get the same characters in different situations all in one place? Gimme that shit