Mar
8th
2020
PSA · 4:00am Mar 8th, 2020
Putting my stories in bookshelves like 'Probably Dead', 'Dead Fics' or 'Author Stopped Caring about this Story' does not inspire me to continue working on them! For the love of Celestia, if you're going to make bookshelves like that hide them!
I want to update these stories as much as you want to read them, trust me. But if y'all wanna be passive-aggressive about it, I can be passive-aggressive right back, and you don't want me to do that.
(Tagged Across the Shimmering Sea because I know it's the story people want the most, but this applies to every story that hasn't updated in a hot minute.)
I know that feeling dude.
I'm so sorry that has happened. I love all your stories and want you to be happy with them. I don't mark stories as lost causes in the hope they'll be picked up again one day. You are a fantastic writer and I always like to look to your work when feeling down on my writing. Thank you for all the work you have given and all you will continue to make. I eagerly and patiently await whatever you choose to update next. I hope things are going well for you!
Why do people make folders like that? It's hella stupid to classify a story as 'dead'
I'm sorry you're having to deal with immature people like that. It's unfair to you. :c
This is one of the reasons why I only have the standard "Favorites" bookshelf. Everything stays there, no matter its status. (Even if the author's been confirmed deceased, like MythrilMoth.)
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
It’s so rude. Bet they’ve never written something themselves.
I don't even have any folders with title like that, it's stupid IMO.
I have a favorites folder on this site and my head. Deadfics go in the mental "I am devastated personally" folder, but if they impacted my life, it just hurts. But in some ways deadfics can be masterpieces too and the memories are there. I have a brain and can think so I think that is why this sounds reasonable. Plus, knowing my luck the instant I would put it in a deadfic folder (seriously organized these people are... I wonder if they have other such categories, like "this fic made me shit on a Wednesday and I felt happy about it" folder) the author would update it and then I would feel locked in a stalemate. Do I take the story out of the folder, ignore it, or pretend. So I just ignore it and hope quietly. Is that really so unreasonable?
Is now considering making an Ultra Favorites bookshelf to put your stories on the pedestal they belong
5215962
Also, how long before a fic is "dead?" A year? A month?? Shoot, I've seen stories update after the better part of two years and been right back into it!
I have the default "Favorites" and "Tracking" (which I use for stories I'm unsure about or were good but didn't hook me for whatever reason) and a "Competed Favorites" for Favourites that are done and I've read completely.
Although if it's officially cancelled go for calling it dead I guess.
I’m sorry, I did not intended to sent a message to you. I will be more mindful of my actions in the future.
5215966
I admit I am paranoid. On fanfiction, I usually judge a deadfic if the last updated year was 2008 or 2013. And a profile was last updated not recently. I am a little more hopeful if the last updated year was 2017-2019 as that means it was at least updated recently. But I do admit to panicking slightly if it has been a few years with no update in sight.
Fimfiction is usually good about this, but Fanfiction is considerably older than this site and has stories from 2008 that haven't updated. I panic if it has been a few weeks if the story in question is especially good. There is an especially good Harry Potter deadfic that is so far dead as of 2016 and it was picked up by a new author with permission. This author has the best Harry Potter dark fics and they have died or at least been lengthy. Let's hope she at least gets some free time. Stupid RL
Gaia'r rocky mountains, that's just not cool. When I make folders, it for things like characters, genres or moods. Something not updating and marked as on hiatus, it just lives in whatever folder it belongs in, and gets put in my tracking folder in case they start updating again.
Just know that regardless of how long it takes, I look forward to your stuff Albi. You were one of the first authors I read when I got here, and you've provided me consistently memorable and entertaining stories. So know that you and your works are appreciated.
To be fair I imagine a lot of people might not be aware of how much you can perceive of shelf data (case and point I wasn’t aware you could see names of readers folders till now), as well some people have a general desire to organize things and I wouldn’t see it as overly odd to want a folder of fics you care about but don’t want to scan through and think about how you wish that one would ever come back. Only thing that’s kept me from making a shelf like that in the past is that I dislike giving up hope and in one case I would consider it disrespectful to the author who has literally passed on.
This makes me want to rename my “complete” folder to “fics that probably won’t ever get updated again”.
But yeah. Passive aggressive shelf names are kinda rude. Sorry you have to deal with that crap.
I remember Mythrilmoth being very vocal about this a few years back. I'm sorry to hear the issue is still around.
5215972
TBH, you can definitely have a folder with a name like that, but change the status to "private". Then this won't be a problem.
I just want to note that if I did this as well, I apologise.
I have a folder for stories that haven't updated since 2016 I believe. This made me realize the name of that folder is kinda accidentally a little rude.
I don't think any of your stories are there, but I'd like to at least say you made at least one person rethink how they do folder titling.
I super can relate to this~! This isn’t what killed the Changeling Doll but it certainly didn’t help.
Heck, considering my favorite’s folder is named, Worst Friends 3: Don’t Tell Dad we killed the babysitter, I now wonder what people think when they see that.
The closest I have is a folder marked “Been a while,” specifically for stories that haven’t been updated for at least 6 months and are not flagged “on hiatus.” It’s an innocuous label that doesn’t suggest anything other than, “You know, I guess it has been a while.”
It’s also useful because it tells me, at a glance, why I added a story to that shelf, instead of something like “Dead,” which doesn’t tell me anything except that a story is (ostensibly) not being updated any longer. Was it canceled? Is the author just busy and hasn’t got to it? Is the author dead?
I mean, I guess? I only use three folders, Faves, Read Later, and Porn, but it seems kinda whiny to be that worried about it so much that you make a blog post tagging a story about it. Some people have folders that they add stories to that fit into categories, and 'Dead' is one of them. I assume it's one of those, 'Well, it looks interesting, so I'll throw it here instead in the main on the off chance it gets updated' kinda things. Not everybody knows and/or thinks about hiding, let alone whether or not it's a setting that does anything more than hide the shelf from other users. This is one of those instances where the 'Just let it go' mentality would do people wonders.
I only have "Favourite" folder. I don't even pay much attention to it. It's just a way of showing my appreciation for the writer, besides "likes".
Shimmering Sea is a story I would like continue but I also liked Mechanical Soul. I love your take on Dawn.
Ugh, those. Some people have no sense of the tact. Not surprising; this is the Internet. But that's not an excuse.
5215985
Yeah, he used to throw down some fiery rants on the subject. Nothing got sand in his ass like some twat throwing his stories onto shelves with titles like "Dead Fics," "Abandoned," or "Author stopped caring."
I think not enough people realize you can do this. :/
I keep forgetting I can make more folders. Not that I ever do: I feel like I have everything I need.
Imagine using a bookshelf like that to do something other than meme on friends. What a bunch of dorks.
I have something like that, I guess. It's called Indefinite Hiatus, where things that haven't updated in a year/on hiatus and cancelled stories go. It only exists so I get email notifications about those stories updating and because my Horsewords library got so full of stories that it hit the cap of 100 pages of "Unread chapters" stories at least 1000 stories ago. Also, that shit is private, because calling out authors like that is shitty and they don't need to know about my increasingly complex bookshelf system.
Just put it in your tracking and suck it up people! No need to make obnoxious bookshelves, it's hard being an author!
It's your world, your rules and unless someone is going to drop you a check for $20k to finish a story they can just remember this is for fun. Like I said before, as soon as it becomes more work and pain than fun is how it all dies. Have fun, go at your pace.
5216011
I have a public folder called "Out of Print".
It serves a dual purpose. A reminder to myself of fics that i want to keep an eye on, and a gentle reminder to the author of "hey, this still a thing?".
I only place fics here if it's been over a year with no update - either a new chapter or a blog post - AND the author is still active (less than two months since last log-in).
--------------------------------
In general, I don't agree with the obviously mean-named folders, but plenty of my favorite books are currently out-of-print IRL, but they won't always remain that way. On my part, the folder has never been intended as a slight against anyone. Surely no aggression was intended - passive or otherwise.
--Spade
5216061
I think so too.
People can be jerks sometimes. Don't let it get to you.
People need to understand that writers have responsibilities and lives too.
Damn that's too harsh, I wanted to say something about this but I just don't know what to say.
5216147
I have a separate shelf labeled “MIA” to hold stories where the author has not logged in for at least 6 months for largely the same reason. It also helps to keep the stories on the shelves down to a manageable number.
A shelf with a label like “Dead”? It’s really just someone trying to exert control over the story or perhaps even the author to compensate for the lack of control they feel over their own life; these are opinions that can be safely ignored.
My story is “dead” when I say it is dead, and not a moment before.
5216060
Yeah, especially that last one. It is sometimes true, but not as often as one would think. And never with him, from what I understood of him.
5216147
being reminded that the author hasn't had time to update is exactly what this blog is talking about. You want to remind the author, go actually send a PM.
That's more than a gentle reminder.
That's direct confrontation.
Direct confrontations generally require a response.
I'm just hoping for my message to be more of an automatic reminder that can be politely ignored or noted as the author sees fit.
I understand how life and muses go.
I also understand having my focus pulled into another project before finishing my first.
I also understand the some projects are just ongoing projects.
I don't need a personal explanation from authors on the status of their stories; I just wanted to let them know that their work IS appreciated and that at least ONE reader is looking forward for more.
I would hope that my reminder comes across as encouragement rather than a demand.
--Spade
5216248
And, if the author has been gone a while--at least a year--giving them a poke just to make sure they're not, you know, dead is acceptable. Because shit happens, and it's not always life getting in the way
...
I'm always sad to hear when one of our authors isn't properly appreciated. Writing takes time people and readers have to be patient! I just want to thank you for all of your wonderful work and I am eagerly yet patiently waiting for more.
The person who is treating other peoples' work in this way is focusing on "me" and "me" only. They doubtless lack the wit to understand what you write, and most certainly common courtesy.
Keep faith with those who do care,
Cheers.
5216097
It really isn't. Putting words to paper is actually very easy. It can be difficult to find time if you're a busy person, but if putting words to paper is a struggle, then maybe writing and/or being an author isn't for you. If you enjoy the struggle, more power to you, but if it's hard and you don't enjoy it, then don't continue doing it just to complain about something you've decided to force yourself to do.
(General you, not you-you.)
5217267
Writing is a unique and different experience for anyone daring to put pen to paper. It is NOT a simple matter of simply putting words onto a piece of paper (such an oversimplified answer). Sometimes the struggle is finding the right words to match and describe the concept lurking in the mind.
If writing is a simple thing to you, by all means, keep it simple. But don’t project that simpleness onto other’s.
5217273
Writing is easy. Being good at it is a completely different matter altogether. Anybody can take five minutes and churn out the first thing that comes to their mind. It takes time and effort to make something as good as it can be. It takes almost nothing to vomit up readable words onto a page.
5217276
Again, you oversimplify it. Of course anyone can simply vomit words onto a piece of paper, but like all vomit, it smells foul and leaves you nauseous. It’s good if writing for yourself only, but if that’s all you ever do, then you’ll never actually be a good writer.
You’ll be mediocre at best and abysmal at worst.
But if you want to be good, then it will take time and it will take effort. Which is a lot harder than simply vomiting words onto paper.
5217280
You literally just said exactly what the hell I just said. Quoting me doesn't dispute what I said.
Writing in general is easy. Being good at it takes effort. Being good at writing was never my point. They said writing is hard when it isn't. Shit:
Objectively, yes, but you're on the wrong site for that. There's a stupid amount of poorly written, incoherent garbage that is popular on this site. Sure, some of them, even as bad as they are, probably had authors that poured as much as they could into them, but can you honestly look at the majority of all the badfics and say "Wow, this must have been hard to write."?
5217302
And yet you’ve missed what I was saying completely. Not to mention, you’ve contradicted yourself twice now.
Obviously, writing isn’t nearly as easy your saying, because as we’ve both pointed out, putting words onto paper is easy, but writing is much, much more than that.
Ultimately, no matter what site you’re on is irrelevant. An author should never allow the reader to dictate what they write. If it’s bad, then obviously they should listen to valid criticism.
So no, writing isn’t easy. Vomiting words onto paper is.