I am not trying to make it sound as if I’m complaining. I mint a great writer of Hypno erotica but I do like to have things come to a end. Am I the only on who wishes that some writer would finish what was started instead of leaving the reader in limbo.
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In fairness, I think most authors set out to finish their stories at some point, it just often takes longer than they expected. Plus, when people take a liking to a series, it’s not unusual for them to request more of that series. Sometimes, the author will say no, but sometimes, the author will think it’s a good addition and so they’ll write it. That, of course, makes the series longer than intended.
For myself, I only have one series that doesn’t have a clear path from where it is now to the end, but even for that one, I have an idea of what the end will be once I feel it’s time to wrap it up. All the rest of my stories that I’ve started but not finished yet, I know exactly where they’re going and how to get there…I just need to find time to actually write it all. 
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Yeah.
And I’m one of the greatest offenders in that regard. And I wish I could find the time and - especially - the right way to finish all those stories.
I am really sorry. But I also try to make each chapter to be able to stand on its own.
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I have made the mistake of writing sequels based on public demand rather than needs of plot and in that way lies madness. (Witness my never-ending POLLINATION: The Series, which only got started because I fell victim to fans demanding more — how I regret that.)
If I’m intending to write a multi-part series, I try to get a good head start on it before I publish, so I can deliver the chapters consistently. But that doesn’t always happen. You know, life…
And no one’s paid to make a deadline…
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I definitely echo that sentiment from a reader’s perspective. Reading an incomplete story or series kind of leaves a hole in that story’s fantasy world and holds your suspense hanging.
From a writer’s perspective, I do also share that feeling and it is always my intention from the beginning to carry my stories to the end (or at least how I want it to end on). However, as one may appreciate, unfortunately the creative process is not always as smooth and efficient as we’d like it to be. A lot could come in the way slowing the writing down. Most often for me is time, plot inspirations, motivation, or it could also be a writer’s block. Sometimes it is best to put it aside for a bit and then come back again once the inspiration is high and active. I would certainly prefer to put out something that I’m at least more or less satisfied than chugging out whatever just to keep up for the sake of regular updates.
So please do bear with us… 
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The only time I ever wrote a multi-part series with an actual narrative arc, I had all three parts ready to go before I ever posted the first one. I ended up editing the last couple a bit before they went out, but I knew at least that the story would end and nobody would be left hanging. Honestly, I did that because I knew if I didn’t, I’d never finish, and I wouldn’t want to do that to someone who was really enjoying my stuff.
@absman420 makes a good point regarding public-demand sequels. I’ve tried several times to write public-demand sequels to stories and failed to get any of them going for me.
So I guess what I’m saying is that if anyone is still waiting for a sequel to The Show, it’s not coming. (Sorry!) If anyone is waiting for a sequel to Nod Yes, I can’t tell you it won’t come, but I definitely can’t tell you it will. Maybe if they get into another fight on Twitter. If you really want a sequel, go poke them.
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Don’t be sad. I’m not sure POLLINATION, Book Three will ever get written, either. (Shhh! Don’t tell that to anyone! It will be poorly received…)
That said, I’m working on a sequel to my novel, PHOLUS REBORN even as I type this. I’m only 10k in — chapter one — but it’s fully plotted (and I can “see” a third book beyond). Sometimes the toys demand to be played with, other times, they’re played out.
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I’ve found myself wanting got to jump in and finish what appears to be abandoned stories… I’m just not sure on the etiquette on that.
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I’m not sure if we have an established etiquette, but I’d suggest contacting the author and asking them how they feel, and of course respect their wishes whatever they say. If they don’t respond, I’d say go ahead and write the continuation, but make it clear at the top of the story that you’re continuing it without any input from the author.
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I always intend to complete my stories, but sometimes you just run out of gas inspiration-wise or grow tired of the story, concept or characters before you can resolve it. One of the hazards of serialized storytelling.
With The Reflex, I posted detailed notes in the forum on where the rest of the story would have gone and gave permission if someone wanted to continue the story, either in the direction I had planned to take it or on a tangent of their preference.
With The Malltarts, I picked up a Wiki storyline for a couple of chapters and encouraged others to take it from where I left off.
I can think of one other series that I started and, when I lost interest, asked Martin to take it down rather than leaving it unfinished and frustrating readers. And there are certainly stories of mine that COULD continue further if I had a brainstorm on how to keep them going, but hopefully they’re self-contained enough to be satisfying.
I try to “finish” my stories simply because of something Kyle Cicero, a writer I go to for thoughts, once told me. Namely: if you take a reader on a ride you should make every attempt to bring them to a climax:).
That said, sometimes real life interrupts you. It takes me hours to write and polish a story. Other things take priority.
Worse is writer’s block: sometimes a story plot line stops getting me aroused e.g. the ‘boner’ test if the story is good. Rather than simply put out a bad ending, I’ll wait and hope for inspiration that puts me into the right frame of mind. { absman420 can always get me ‘inspired’ btw.
My point is that I don’t think many writers intentionally go out to not finish. If they don’t, there is usually a good reason. I enjoy feedback so i agree. Write the author.
However, I admit stories that fail to conclude make me want to cry “ARGH”.
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And I oop…yeah, I’m bad about this. Part of it is life, part of it is distractions, part of it is falling in and out of hypno interest. But I know I have quite a few stories I need to continue.
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Better to have read “I Love Him But” and been left hanging, than to never have read “I Love Him But” at all.
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I’m glad you completed that sentence, at least!
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Yeah, so many promising stories have left me hanging over the years so I’m resolved not to publish a chapter one until I have at least a rough draft of the final chapter. Consequently, I only have one published story.
As far as other people doing it, it’s annoying, but some of the best stories over the years here, and on other sites, never got an ending, and I’m still glad I read them even without an ending.
And I know some authors prefer not to end things because they want to be able to write another chapter if they have any new ideas. I get that, but the satisfaction of an ending, any ending, is usually better than some new chapter written two years later.
I completely agree, @Pawn. Honestly, the chapters that come two, three years later are never really necessary and usually feel tacked-on. I’ve usually gotten used to the story the way it is and feel that it doesn’t need more than it’s got.
I’d rather that more authors ended their stories definitively and then wrote sequels, rather than endless “to be continued.”
But I’ll say this, too. Writing an ending isn’t always easy. When does it end? Where does it end? Especially a multi-part story that’s been going on for a while.
Endings usually occur when the plot has been resolved. If the “plot” is merely endless transformations, there’s no plot, per se, just endless actions.
Sometimes as an author it’s hard to walk away from the characters. I just finished PHOLUS REBORN, but I’m not done with the characters. I couldn’t leave them alone or take a break from them. I began churning out the plot for the sequel almost immediately. That’s strange for me, but there it is – I’m riding the wave.
So don’t blame an author for not ending. They may not know how to.
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And sometimes, users don’t pick up on the fact that it is an ending! I’ve had it happen on more than one occasion where I’ve written what is clearly an ending (like, club you over the head with the fact that the story is done now), and still I get people writing me to ask if there’ll be any more in the series. UGH! 
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I was shocked how many people wanted sequels to my Mistwalker story, which I considered a weird but beautiful one-off. I’ve held off on writing anything until I got a story that felt right, and I’m still not all the way there.
I’m also a major serial offender in not finishing my series - I fully do intend to come back to them and often have plot lines ready! But I don’t have the time I’d like to really dig in and pump out column inches the way I did last summer at the height of the pandemic. I’m having trouble finding time to just live a normal life now that everyone wants a slice of my (thankfully) vaccinated time.
I do think that it would be nice if fans or other writers took up the challenge of community series more often. I know @absman420 does a great job playing with other people’s toys and I know for my part, a huge draw of writing is getting my ideas out there and inspiring other people to get horny but also to like, think of new kinks or experiences and explore them on their own. I know there are a couple continuation stories or endcaps and things floating around.
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To be fair, it took me eighteen years to finish CYCLE ONE.
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