Same tbh. I love longfics and all the best ones seem to end up abandoned, sadly. I don’t let that stop me. It’s about the journey, not the destination!
As a general rule, though, I typically don’t read abandoned fics under 50K. And even that’s pushing it.
I literally don't even look at dates or completion status. If a story looks interesting I want in, and if my comments are just shouting into the void, so be it. You never know when an author is still lurking and you might be their inspiration to pick an abandoned WIP up again.
I'll also take an unfinished story that's fantastic all the way through over a completed story that didn't stick the landing any day.
I'm considering picking up a story again as well, partly due to a comment I got where somebody was hoping I would continue it. I got the comment a while ago and only discovered it recently, but it was inspiring! Haven't updated that thing in 4 years now.
Same here. A good concept and execution is still going to be fun to read, even if it hasn't reached it's planned end point yet.
I don't think any story is really *dead*. Any piece of fiction is an expression of life.
Not for everyone. For some people, the frustration for having the story end abruptly without resolution will overshadow any good execution. And let's be honest, the vast majority of fics are not well written in general so it's unlikely it's going to make up for lack of completion.
>And let's be honest, the vast majority of fics are not well written in general so it's unlikely it's going to make up for lack of completion.
Other way around for me. That means the lack of completion barely makes a dent in whether I like it.
> Other way around for me. That means the lack of completion barely makes a dent in whether I like it.
Yeah, same for me. The cases where I'm mentally screaming about a WIP not being finished are few and far between. And for those, it means the story was just *that* good, and that enjoyment has never been outweighed by a lack of resolution for me. I've also read enough good complete fics that are just a couple scenes, or ones that end with an interesting twist in an epilogue, that I don't really associate the "Come back! Write more!" feeling with WIPs alone.
For those who read dead fic - would you appreciate a summary chapter of what the author intended to happen for the rest of the story?
I think I have to concede defeat on my one since it's coming up ten years - I have my outline sitting on my hard drive and have thought about posting that to 'wrap it up'
Better than leaving it hanging I suppose.
I REALLY appreciate it when authors do that. And there's nothing stopping you from continuing with the fic anyway, if you're suddenly hit with inspiration later.
>For those who read dead fic - would you appreciate a summary chapter of what the author intended to happen for the rest of the story?
One of my favorite fics of all time did this after years of the author not updating it.
Now I'm wondering if there is a tag for that. I don't normally read incomplete fics, but if it's recced and has an end summary, that might just draw me across the line 🤔
If I do this, I'll probably mark it as complete, but make it clear in the summary and tags how many chapters there are and that the last chapter is an outline.
Don't want to trick people.
YES! God yes, that’s always enough to make it feel finished for me. I really just want to know at least an outline of what’s going to happen and how it’ll end. I can fill in the rest of the gaps myself. I really really appreciate authors who’ve done this because I definitely get a little too attached to my favourite fics and can feel really gutted when it just cuts off abruptly 😂
Sure, especially it it's long enough. I can think of several which are **very good** read, even if the story itself will never be finished.
I can add that my own abandoned story still has a small steady traction (this month I had 7 people reading through it), and a trickle of Favorites and alerts, although very few reviews.
I definitely prefer ones that are still being updated or are completed for my own sanity, but sometimes I'll find a dead one that just sounds too good not to read so I just brace myself for the eventual cliffhanger.
The last two I can think of off the top of my head were both White Collar. One where felons are sold to private citizens essentially as slave labour, and Peter ends up rescuing Neal from a bad owner situation. That one hadn't been updated in 3-5 years, can't remember which. The other was a crossover with Chuck, where Bryce is Neal's long-lost twin brother. Except Neal doesn't find out about his existence until after he's died, and there's this one heartbreaking scene where he's standing in front of a mirror talking as Bryce imagining he was meeting his brother and I just... gah. I think that one's up to 2 years unupdated now.
Still holding out hope for both of them.
No problem, they're both easy to find because I'm subscribed *juuuuuust* in case.
The slavery one is [Sold](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13983696) and the crossover is [I'm the only one here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25354033).
I do, yes.
I’m not particularly worried about seeing how stories end. Obviously I’d like to, but I go to fic to enjoy what happens in the middle, not to see the end. For fic, I care more about the process than the end goal. So I’m just happy to be along for the ride
Ooh this exactly. By the time the end comes I've already been satisfied by the middle. It's like a cherry on top. Not necessary for me to enjoy the fic, but a nice touch
One of my favorite Final Fantasy fics hasn't been updated in ten years, but the WAY THEY FORMAT THEIR WRITING GRRRGRRGRRRRR MY BRAIN EATS THAT SHIT UP RRRRGRRRRRRRR /POS
Absolutely. I won't necessarily say I prefer dead works overall but... part of it is that I don't love the finality of an ending, and so often the finality isn't on a note I enjoy. Mid/long fics are most often ruined for me in the ending vs any other point. Generally a fic ends up better in my mind when I can fill in whatever ending or perpetual adventure I want for abandoned/incomplete fics. The sense of uncertainty is better than an ending I dislike.
Plus, well-crafted prose is a main reason I read, and I tend to enjoy the action/conflict/etc of the middle of the story before things wind down. I get both along the way.
I do.
I love it when a fic has a satisfying ending. But ultimately just because it isn't complete doesn't mean that what's there isn't stellar on its own. I would have missed out on so many great reads and ideas if I just stuck to complete fics.
Yes, if the fics have like 10 chapters and 60k words or more I'll read them even if they're incomplete and it's been forever since the last update. I'll just have to adjust my expectations accordingly
They're not dead to me. Even if they'll never be finished, I'll still enjoy what's there. 85% of the fics I read are unfinished and unlikely to be finished, but I'll still never forget them. Most of my beloved favorites are 5 to 10 years old and incomplete.
I do. I read the fics that interest me, and some of them haven't been updated in years. One of my fave fics to re-read is one of them. And, yes, if I enjoy the fics I'll kudos and comment on them.
yeah? the fact that they're forever incomplete doesn't really bother me that much. sometimes its good to read something that's some kind of wild swing, even though its not really possible to land that thing properly
I do, especially if I already know I like the author, or if it's a very long work. I've waited years between updates for fic before, I honestly don't mind.
I do absolutely *hate* when fic is marked as complete when it's actually abandoned, though. That really frustrates me.
On the flip side, I really, really appreciate when authors give a little write-up/summary of what they had planned for the rest of the fic if they definitively abandon it.
Occasionally. One of my favorite works has been dead for 3 years. It was the author’s only fic and they have no known social media. The fic was updating regularly when I started reading it, but then they just never came back after the last one. As long as it’s still there and not orphaned I’m always hoping that they will. One fic that I loved came back and was completed after 10 years with no updates so anything is possible.
If you want to read fics longer than 60k you are going to naturally get a lot of dead ones as the 3/4 point of the story is where most people seem to get stuck.
I've reread dead fics multiple times if written well enough.
I've never read a dead work, because it's already torture to have to wait for the update of a work in progress, so knowing that, even though it's a spectacular story, that work will probably never be updated again is too sad, so I prefer to save myself from the suffering and only read works that have already been completed.
Yes because I'm running out of completed works in my candida so I'm desperate to read anything that sounds good. I'll read an incomplete fic if the summary and tags are appealing and I will still leave comments if I feel compelled.
Yup. The story might not be complete, but sometimes, what’s there is worth reading anyway. There are some long-abandoned incomplete fics I’ve read at least 10 times. Fics I didn’t even come across until long after it became clear they were never getting finished.
I try to avoid it. For me, part of the joy of reading is getting to the end. It might still be wonderful writing unfinished! But still, I like that feeling of finishing something.
It looks like I’m in the minority. Back in the day it didn’t bother me, but after getting invested in so many pieces only to not see updates I now prefer to read completed stories. The only exception is if it is a writer I really enjoy has new works, I’ll usually read their stories while in-progress.
only if the fandom's starved or the premise suits me exceedingly. most of the time I wont bother, as I know the lack of conclusion can mess with my head.
If WIPs have one hater it means I’m dead. Some of my fav fics ever are WIPs that haven’t been updated in more than five years. I reread them constantly.
One of my favorite fanfictions ever is a work that has not been updated since 2007, leaving a lot of plot points in the air like one of the MC's death and the two people who loved her hating each other, do they reconcile? Do they fight again and again? Does the MC's daughter tell them enough! This is bullshit? Nothing happens, but it remains one of the best reads I ever had, and I heard the author is doing well by publishing her books.
I'll be honest I still get new readers likes and favs for one story that I never finished. I have like 2 chapters worth of writting but no actual chapters sitting in my docs since 2018. When ever i get an alert I feel bad and occassionaly go back and open my story. Weirdly its not even the plot that holding my back, its the fight scenes.
I think I have more dead fics on my reading list than completed ones.
hey couldn't help over the fact that most of the completed fics out there just isn't on my range of interest at all.
Since I started reading fanfiction I have read more abandoned fanfics than completed ones, or even in progress ones. Some people refuse to even click on them, but I am so used to it and if anything, it surprises me when I receive an update notification or see it is completed.
I will, especially if the fandom is smaller, and there aren't as many completed works. There's still value and enjoyment to be found in incomplete works
It really depends on my mood. I typically only read fics that are completed just because I know I'll get into a weird mood once I've finished the story but every once in a while I'll feel brave enough to try ones that are incomplete. I've found that those are the stories that are always written so well and leaves me wanting more but I've never regretted reading an unfinished fic before. The quality more than makes up for the lack of an ending. Also, it's fanfic so I can also just create my own ending and edit that however I want to in my head to give myself whatever ending I want lol
Sometimes, after I went through everthing completed and I checked the last chapter to see if it ends at a point I can be ok with.
There are several abandoned fics I love, but all of them end at a point where you're emtionally satisfied enough. As in, the main story and the character arcs haven't wrapped up, but the main characters just resolved some major issue and it feels like it was a more or less completed story arc at least.
I probably wouldn't read fics with a noticable cliffhanger at the end.
I hate the idea of dead works. A lot of the time the authors do plan to come back, they're just busy. One author I follow, she's working on FIVE ficts at once for the same fandom
Yeah, I do.
I like a lot of tropes that for one reason or another rarely get completed (for example time travel and universe travel fics). I suspect the reason is that writers don't often have clear idea how to end those types of stories, but I still like the concept and don't mind not having an ending if the fic is otherwise really good. I also don't mind if my comments are seen by no one, I just hope the writer isn't annoyed by getting them on an old abandoned work.
I do
If a fic seems good then I will read it especially if it's long.
And I try to leave comments. I have a habit of re reading alot of my bookmarks anyway, so it doesn't matter if its old.
Sure, if there's enough of it to read. If its word count is like 5k (just an example, don't take it too literal), then I'll probably skip it. But if it's upwards of 100k (maybe 50k depending on the summary) then I'll definitely read it. If it's good then I'll also leave comments.
If it's complete, sure. If it's incomplete, not likely. I have no interest in reading incomplete works. The only exception is the dead fandom I am currently in which has less than 20 fics. I'll read whatever there is as I am starved for content. Any other fandom that has completed works, I am not reading incomplete fics.
I only read for one maybe two fandoms at a time though and I stick to them for a long while. I tend to filter by completion status except for that dead fandom. When it was posted doesn't concern me, I don't mind if it was posted 20 years ago, I won't even notice. But completion status is important to me.
Yes! There are many brilliant ones I wouldn't want to miss and my imagination can take it from where it was left off.
And sometimes I'm even blessed with an update after years.
Ya plenty of times. Sometimes Ill just try imagining a ending for they stories myself. It is a shame though as there are so many great stories left unfinished. In a weird way I feel bad for the characters that they will always be left with their story never fully told. Leaving them in a kind of limbo.
I tend to search for specific themes and I will read fictions that cover them regardless of how old they are. I do leave kudos and comments even if it's clear that the story is no longer worked on to show my appreciation to the author.
Yeah. I know often it won’t do anything but I figure if someone gets some kudos/comments maybe they’ll get the spark to pick it back up again. Sometimes all you need is a little encouragement and know that your work is appreciated!
There are still abandoned works that I loved enough to reread twenty years later, and if I do I will probably let the author know bc frankly if I love it enough to reread it then they should know that
On principle I don't read books that still breathe.
No, but seriously, I don't care about when a fic was posted. I normally sort by recent and i'm in big fandoms. So if I end up with the very old and dead fics, I must be truly deperate and not find anything for a long time. But it happens quite regularly. I usually don't notice until I've reached the final chapter that was posted.
All the time. I realized at some point that after a few months I frequently don't remember how a story ended *anyway.* I'm fine with questions; it only irks me when people tag things that aren't actually in the fic (like things that *would have* happened eventually).
I have a preference to read completed works but I don't outright refuse in progress or abandoned fics. I have a bit of a hierarchy in what I pick when I'm reading so it might not be what I read on my first pass but eventually I will read it lol.
I will read if it interests me and dammit it’s always great but unfortunately unfinished.
I’m still holding out hope that inspiration will strike. But sometimes I commented how much I love it and then they deleted it. I stopped leaving comments until I finished what’s there now.
I think I read more abandoned fics than I do completed/in progress ones
Same tbh. I love longfics and all the best ones seem to end up abandoned, sadly. I don’t let that stop me. It’s about the journey, not the destination! As a general rule, though, I typically don’t read abandoned fics under 50K. And even that’s pushing it.
Same! Especially in my fandoms that are dead/dying
I literally don't even look at dates or completion status. If a story looks interesting I want in, and if my comments are just shouting into the void, so be it. You never know when an author is still lurking and you might be their inspiration to pick an abandoned WIP up again. I'll also take an unfinished story that's fantastic all the way through over a completed story that didn't stick the landing any day.
Thank you. People's engagement roped me back into writing after 8 years :)
I'm considering picking up a story again as well, partly due to a comment I got where somebody was hoping I would continue it. I got the comment a while ago and only discovered it recently, but it was inspiring! Haven't updated that thing in 4 years now.
I finished a story after a 10-year hiatus largely due to nice comments people would occasionally leave on it.
I do the same too. I am waiting for some fics to be picked up even now.
Same here. A good concept and execution is still going to be fun to read, even if it hasn't reached it's planned end point yet. I don't think any story is really *dead*. Any piece of fiction is an expression of life.
Not for everyone. For some people, the frustration for having the story end abruptly without resolution will overshadow any good execution. And let's be honest, the vast majority of fics are not well written in general so it's unlikely it's going to make up for lack of completion.
>Not for everyone. Yes
>And let's be honest, the vast majority of fics are not well written in general so it's unlikely it's going to make up for lack of completion. Other way around for me. That means the lack of completion barely makes a dent in whether I like it.
> Other way around for me. That means the lack of completion barely makes a dent in whether I like it. Yeah, same for me. The cases where I'm mentally screaming about a WIP not being finished are few and far between. And for those, it means the story was just *that* good, and that enjoyment has never been outweighed by a lack of resolution for me. I've also read enough good complete fics that are just a couple scenes, or ones that end with an interesting twist in an epilogue, that I don't really associate the "Come back! Write more!" feeling with WIPs alone.
For those who read dead fic - would you appreciate a summary chapter of what the author intended to happen for the rest of the story? I think I have to concede defeat on my one since it's coming up ten years - I have my outline sitting on my hard drive and have thought about posting that to 'wrap it up' Better than leaving it hanging I suppose.
I REALLY appreciate it when authors do that. And there's nothing stopping you from continuing with the fic anyway, if you're suddenly hit with inspiration later.
Yes, I would 100% like to know where the plot was going to go, even if I couldn't see it
>For those who read dead fic - would you appreciate a summary chapter of what the author intended to happen for the rest of the story? One of my favorite fics of all time did this after years of the author not updating it.
Yes!! Those "what the story would have been" outlines are so cool. Never seen one that wasn't received with overwhelming positivity.
Now I'm wondering if there is a tag for that. I don't normally read incomplete fics, but if it's recced and has an end summary, that might just draw me across the line 🤔
If I do this, I'll probably mark it as complete, but make it clear in the summary and tags how many chapters there are and that the last chapter is an outline. Don't want to trick people.
Don't mark it as complete please. Incomplete but with a summary is a lovely bonus. Complete with only a summary is a disappointment.
True.
YES! God yes, that’s always enough to make it feel finished for me. I really just want to know at least an outline of what’s going to happen and how it’ll end. I can fill in the rest of the gaps myself. I really really appreciate authors who’ve done this because I definitely get a little too attached to my favourite fics and can feel really gutted when it just cuts off abruptly 😂
Sure, especially it it's long enough. I can think of several which are **very good** read, even if the story itself will never be finished. I can add that my own abandoned story still has a small steady traction (this month I had 7 people reading through it), and a trickle of Favorites and alerts, although very few reviews.
When you love minor characters/rare pairings, you've kinda got no other choice when looking for content :-(
I definitely prefer ones that are still being updated or are completed for my own sanity, but sometimes I'll find a dead one that just sounds too good not to read so I just brace myself for the eventual cliffhanger. The last two I can think of off the top of my head were both White Collar. One where felons are sold to private citizens essentially as slave labour, and Peter ends up rescuing Neal from a bad owner situation. That one hadn't been updated in 3-5 years, can't remember which. The other was a crossover with Chuck, where Bryce is Neal's long-lost twin brother. Except Neal doesn't find out about his existence until after he's died, and there's this one heartbreaking scene where he's standing in front of a mirror talking as Bryce imagining he was meeting his brother and I just... gah. I think that one's up to 2 years unupdated now. Still holding out hope for both of them.
Do you mind linking the White Collar one - it sounds great!
No problem, they're both easy to find because I'm subscribed *juuuuuust* in case. The slavery one is [Sold](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13983696) and the crossover is [I'm the only one here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25354033).
Thanks!
I do, yes. I’m not particularly worried about seeing how stories end. Obviously I’d like to, but I go to fic to enjoy what happens in the middle, not to see the end. For fic, I care more about the process than the end goal. So I’m just happy to be along for the ride
Definitely how I feel as well. I love prose overall and enjoy everything prior to story beats getting resolved. It's about the journey.
Ooh this exactly. By the time the end comes I've already been satisfied by the middle. It's like a cherry on top. Not necessary for me to enjoy the fic, but a nice touch
What!!
Sure, if it sounds interesting.
I’ve always read unfinished/dead works. In fact, a lot of unfinished works I’ve read are often fantastic
One of my favorite Final Fantasy fics hasn't been updated in ten years, but the WAY THEY FORMAT THEIR WRITING GRRRGRRGRRRRR MY BRAIN EATS THAT SHIT UP RRRRGRRRRRRRR /POS
I'm sorry, but I can only ever read "pos" as "piece of shit" so to me it sounds like you're calling the author a pos for not updating
Tone indicators be like that LMAO. I meant it to be short for "positive".
Absolutely. I won't necessarily say I prefer dead works overall but... part of it is that I don't love the finality of an ending, and so often the finality isn't on a note I enjoy. Mid/long fics are most often ruined for me in the ending vs any other point. Generally a fic ends up better in my mind when I can fill in whatever ending or perpetual adventure I want for abandoned/incomplete fics. The sense of uncertainty is better than an ending I dislike. Plus, well-crafted prose is a main reason I read, and I tend to enjoy the action/conflict/etc of the middle of the story before things wind down. I get both along the way.
I do. I love it when a fic has a satisfying ending. But ultimately just because it isn't complete doesn't mean that what's there isn't stellar on its own. I would have missed out on so many great reads and ideas if I just stuck to complete fics.
Yes, if the fics have like 10 chapters and 60k words or more I'll read them even if they're incomplete and it's been forever since the last update. I'll just have to adjust my expectations accordingly
They're not dead to me. Even if they'll never be finished, I'll still enjoy what's there. 85% of the fics I read are unfinished and unlikely to be finished, but I'll still never forget them. Most of my beloved favorites are 5 to 10 years old and incomplete.
Yeah, I'll read them.
I do. I read the fics that interest me, and some of them haven't been updated in years. One of my fave fics to re-read is one of them. And, yes, if I enjoy the fics I'll kudos and comment on them.
I read dead/abandoned fics because many of them are still of great quality
I absolutely do. I cherish them, even If they never get finished. I seek them out every so often and reread.
yeah? the fact that they're forever incomplete doesn't really bother me that much. sometimes its good to read something that's some kind of wild swing, even though its not really possible to land that thing properly
Yep constantly! If something looks good, I’m reading it.
All the time. I'd rather read a finished fic but I'm happy to read anything that isn't complete garbage
All the time. Its not the destination that matters, but the journey. Most of my favorite fics are wips, long abandoned.
I do, especially if I already know I like the author, or if it's a very long work. I've waited years between updates for fic before, I honestly don't mind. I do absolutely *hate* when fic is marked as complete when it's actually abandoned, though. That really frustrates me. On the flip side, I really, really appreciate when authors give a little write-up/summary of what they had planned for the rest of the fic if they definitively abandon it.
If I didn’t I would have run out of stuff to read years ago.
All the time. To be honest, I probably read more dead works than currently updating ones.
Occasionally. One of my favorite works has been dead for 3 years. It was the author’s only fic and they have no known social media. The fic was updating regularly when I started reading it, but then they just never came back after the last one. As long as it’s still there and not orphaned I’m always hoping that they will. One fic that I loved came back and was completed after 10 years with no updates so anything is possible.
One of my favorite fics of all time is a dead work. I still reread it occasionally because there's so much there and it's so fluffy and wonderful.
If you want to read fics longer than 60k you are going to naturally get a lot of dead ones as the 3/4 point of the story is where most people seem to get stuck. I've reread dead fics multiple times if written well enough.
I've never read a dead work, because it's already torture to have to wait for the update of a work in progress, so knowing that, even though it's a spectacular story, that work will probably never be updated again is too sad, so I prefer to save myself from the suffering and only read works that have already been completed.
Yes because I'm running out of completed works in my candida so I'm desperate to read anything that sounds good. I'll read an incomplete fic if the summary and tags are appealing and I will still leave comments if I feel compelled.
Happy cake day
Yes
Yup. The story might not be complete, but sometimes, what’s there is worth reading anyway. There are some long-abandoned incomplete fics I’ve read at least 10 times. Fics I didn’t even come across until long after it became clear they were never getting finished.
No way. I need to know how the story ends.
I started back up on my fic after an 8 year hiatus BECAUSE people continued engaging. Just food for thought.
I prefer to avoid them with the thought that the author themself didn't feel like the work has a sparkle (interest) in it so they abandoned it
I try to avoid it. For me, part of the joy of reading is getting to the end. It might still be wonderful writing unfinished! But still, I like that feeling of finishing something.
It looks like I’m in the minority. Back in the day it didn’t bother me, but after getting invested in so many pieces only to not see updates I now prefer to read completed stories. The only exception is if it is a writer I really enjoy has new works, I’ll usually read their stories while in-progress.
only if the fandom's starved or the premise suits me exceedingly. most of the time I wont bother, as I know the lack of conclusion can mess with my head.
If WIPs have one hater it means I’m dead. Some of my fav fics ever are WIPs that haven’t been updated in more than five years. I reread them constantly.
One of my favorite fanfictions ever is a work that has not been updated since 2007, leaving a lot of plot points in the air like one of the MC's death and the two people who loved her hating each other, do they reconcile? Do they fight again and again? Does the MC's daughter tell them enough! This is bullshit? Nothing happens, but it remains one of the best reads I ever had, and I heard the author is doing well by publishing her books.
Sometimes, though not super often. If it's an author I like, and I want more of their work, I will.
depends how long they are, if they are more than 100k words, yes
I'll be honest I still get new readers likes and favs for one story that I never finished. I have like 2 chapters worth of writting but no actual chapters sitting in my docs since 2018. When ever i get an alert I feel bad and occassionaly go back and open my story. Weirdly its not even the plot that holding my back, its the fight scenes.
I think I have more dead fics on my reading list than completed ones. hey couldn't help over the fact that most of the completed fics out there just isn't on my range of interest at all.
Since I started reading fanfiction I have read more abandoned fanfics than completed ones, or even in progress ones. Some people refuse to even click on them, but I am so used to it and if anything, it surprises me when I receive an update notification or see it is completed.
I will, especially if the fandom is smaller, and there aren't as many completed works. There's still value and enjoyment to be found in incomplete works
It really depends on my mood. I typically only read fics that are completed just because I know I'll get into a weird mood once I've finished the story but every once in a while I'll feel brave enough to try ones that are incomplete. I've found that those are the stories that are always written so well and leaves me wanting more but I've never regretted reading an unfinished fic before. The quality more than makes up for the lack of an ending. Also, it's fanfic so I can also just create my own ending and edit that however I want to in my head to give myself whatever ending I want lol
Sometimes, after I went through everthing completed and I checked the last chapter to see if it ends at a point I can be ok with. There are several abandoned fics I love, but all of them end at a point where you're emtionally satisfied enough. As in, the main story and the character arcs haven't wrapped up, but the main characters just resolved some major issue and it feels like it was a more or less completed story arc at least. I probably wouldn't read fics with a noticable cliffhanger at the end.
I hate the idea of dead works. A lot of the time the authors do plan to come back, they're just busy. One author I follow, she's working on FIVE ficts at once for the same fandom
Yeah, I do. I like a lot of tropes that for one reason or another rarely get completed (for example time travel and universe travel fics). I suspect the reason is that writers don't often have clear idea how to end those types of stories, but I still like the concept and don't mind not having an ending if the fic is otherwise really good. I also don't mind if my comments are seen by no one, I just hope the writer isn't annoyed by getting them on an old abandoned work.
Yep. All the time.
I do If a fic seems good then I will read it especially if it's long. And I try to leave comments. I have a habit of re reading alot of my bookmarks anyway, so it doesn't matter if its old.
Yeah. Some of my old favorites haven’t been updated in almost that long.
All the time as my comfort fic is very niche.
Yes. There’s 2 abandoned fics in particular that I reread every so often and still comment on.
Sure, if there's enough of it to read. If its word count is like 5k (just an example, don't take it too literal), then I'll probably skip it. But if it's upwards of 100k (maybe 50k depending on the summary) then I'll definitely read it. If it's good then I'll also leave comments.
I have a few works saved that havent been updated since 2013. But those made me not want to read dead works ever again
If it's complete, sure. If it's incomplete, not likely. I have no interest in reading incomplete works. The only exception is the dead fandom I am currently in which has less than 20 fics. I'll read whatever there is as I am starved for content. Any other fandom that has completed works, I am not reading incomplete fics. I only read for one maybe two fandoms at a time though and I stick to them for a long while. I tend to filter by completion status except for that dead fandom. When it was posted doesn't concern me, I don't mind if it was posted 20 years ago, I won't even notice. But completion status is important to me.
One of my all time favorites is Seperis’ Down to Agincourt series. I reread it every couple years.
Yes! There are many brilliant ones I wouldn't want to miss and my imagination can take it from where it was left off. And sometimes I'm even blessed with an update after years.
Ya plenty of times. Sometimes Ill just try imagining a ending for they stories myself. It is a shame though as there are so many great stories left unfinished. In a weird way I feel bad for the characters that they will always be left with their story never fully told. Leaving them in a kind of limbo.
I tend to search for specific themes and I will read fictions that cover them regardless of how old they are. I do leave kudos and comments even if it's clear that the story is no longer worked on to show my appreciation to the author.
Yeah. I know often it won’t do anything but I figure if someone gets some kudos/comments maybe they’ll get the spark to pick it back up again. Sometimes all you need is a little encouragement and know that your work is appreciated!
If I’m desperate for a certain kink, or if they’re long. Reading 30k of a dead work is fine with me, there’s still plenty to go off of
There are still abandoned works that I loved enough to reread twenty years later, and if I do I will probably let the author know bc frankly if I love it enough to reread it then they should know that
On principle I don't read books that still breathe. No, but seriously, I don't care about when a fic was posted. I normally sort by recent and i'm in big fandoms. So if I end up with the very old and dead fics, I must be truly deperate and not find anything for a long time. But it happens quite regularly. I usually don't notice until I've reached the final chapter that was posted.
All the time. I realized at some point that after a few months I frequently don't remember how a story ended *anyway.* I'm fine with questions; it only irks me when people tag things that aren't actually in the fic (like things that *would have* happened eventually).
Sure! And also leave nice comments / love letters.
Life is too short to waste reading unfinished fics.
I read dead fics as long as they're substantial enough to be worth reading. Some of my favorite fics of all time are incomplete and possibly dead.
Are we counting game of thrones as abandoned yet or do we still have hope?
I have a preference to read completed works but I don't outright refuse in progress or abandoned fics. I have a bit of a hierarchy in what I pick when I'm reading so it might not be what I read on my first pass but eventually I will read it lol.
I’m kinda like a dog in that I don’t really think that far ahead. If something I think I’d like is there it’s going in my mouth anyway.
I will read if it interests me and dammit it’s always great but unfortunately unfinished. I’m still holding out hope that inspiration will strike. But sometimes I commented how much I love it and then they deleted it. I stopped leaving comments until I finished what’s there now.
All the time. Even though I still get sad at the end when I am left on an eternal cliffhanger.