But with that obligation — like all things — should also come pragmatism.
Like, you’re obliged to finish what you started in any venture, but not at the cost of greater obligations (for instance; you’re sanity, your health, the wellbeing of children or vulnerable people under your care).
I’m drinking pints of beer right now, on holidays.
That’s a bit self indulgent isn’t it? But I know, because of how difficult life is that it is a necessary indulgence.
All things are contextual. Yes there is obligation, pride-of-work, duty, etc in beginning a story and seeing it through to the end, but, it’s probably just a very small amount, like, about the same amount as… I dunno, starting a D’n’D campaign and not finishing it.
Or going bowling with some mates, enjoying it, and saying you’ll plan another trip cause this was fun, but then not getting around to it again.
Did I pay for the first half of the story? I think it’s implied in that case, and reasonable to expect as a reader, that the author intends to finish the story. And if enough authors don’t ever finish their stories, people are going to stop buying book 1 in a series that isn’t finished. Eventually. If enough authors do it consistently.
Did I read something for free on GKS? Then no, I have no right to expectations of any kind about it. If I have an opinion on that, I should contribute something. Energy to the author, help editing or proof reading. Payment. Etc. and even then, still no.
Readers of stories on a site where the work is posted for free having expectations on the author blows my mind. People don’t seem to understand that you get what you pay for, and anything above and beyond that is gravy, even if that gravy has been flowing for 20 years now. Authors contribute their time and energy to write and post stories here for free, generally. Readers get something for free. There’s no contract, implied or otherwise.
Wow, I’m glad I asked! Every author who replied has been on my most-admired list for a long time; I was motivated to revisit many and discover work I hadn’t seen before with new appreciation.
I’m not surprised at the unanimity of thought here, and there’s an absence of annoyance about “pushy readers” that reflects true respect for the audience.
Enlightening and helpful for my creative process. Thanks to Martin and all who responded.
Sort of a double-edged sword of opinion, this topic. Because it’s just a reflection of the old moral of how many things are just out of our scope of control and we need to make peace that we don’t always get what we want, particularly when it comes to the lack of closure from stories or shows that just STOP without a proper or satisfactory conclusion.
But I do want to lean towards the argument that creators DO have an obligation to finish what they started, as I can attest to several things I’ve loved that stopped on a tragic cliffhanger; this mermaid show called Siren being at the top of the list that left an emotional gapping hole about how the show ended. Teen Titans (the version BEFORE the ‘GO!’ version) also concluded in a highly sad and inconclusive departure. This is also why I avoid watching the show Firefly no matter how many people tell me how good it is because I know for a fact it was canceled untimely. Hell, one of my favorite comedy shows, Trial & Error, was also sadly canceled after ending with a tail for continuance.
Growing up, there’s also a handful of stories that I read online, particularly during my Furry phase, and there are one or two series that just stopped before the plot continued, and that of course deprived the fairytale closure we all look for.
On the other hand, I am regrettably guilty of my own complaint; I also have many stories I have posted and never finished. It’s why I’ve decided to try and work on no more than one or two series at a time, chapter by chapter, until I get the opportunity to give them a proper ending. My only problem with that is that it feels pointless to try and finish because I lose readers because they lose interest; I feel like most readers here only look for explicit sex on a constant basis, and my stories tend to get drawn out because I enjoy filling in a plot and space with narrative. Or worse, I’m afraid of running into the same toxicity I came to know from the readers of Literotica, who often times instead of offering feedback and nice remarks, will instead opt to demand to delete your own stories because they’re sick of seeing updates or they will shout at you remove your story from their precious categories. This is what mainly discourages me and hinders my writing more than I used to.
So while I am obligated to respect the reality law of creative freedom to where creators are free to abandon or conclude what they want and feel, I also want to say that they at least should put their best effort to give a satisfactory ending to the wondrous content they’ve created, not just leave it out to dry and leave the readers hanging and waiting.
Obligations aren’t limited to laws and contracts. If an elderly man gets onto a crowded bus, there’s no law that says someone has to give up their seat for him, but most people would feel obligated to do so.
I agree with that you say here, I hate it when my shows get cancelled and I never get an enduing…BUT…the people who made and worked on those shows got paid, they were literally paid for their effort to do so. As someone who is posting stories for my own fun to share, at what point does me not having fun writing this story balance against people being upset I never wrote and ending? That obligation should go both ways, if the writer has an obligation then the reader should as well, or they both just shrug and go oh well and walk away in my opinion.
I want to throw something out here that I haven’s seen mentioned, there is a lot here about writer obligation but what about reader obligation? I know many writers who have stopped writing a story, myself included, because no one engaged with it. Writing is a lonely hobby and you can feel like you’re screaming into the void when there are no comments, emails, nothing to support you from going on. I have seen writers go crazy because of this and it is generally written off someone begging for attention…but the fact remains this. A lot of comic books get cancelled cause no one reads them the first time, they have low sales and engagement, they get cancelled and collected into a trade paperback. Only then do a lot of people read it and complain why did they cancel it? It is the same for writers, we spend, at times, months writing a story for nothing to be said, no words of encouragement, no comments of I read and loved this, just people consuming our product and wanting more…I am not placing blame on anyone, this is not an attack. But i wonder how many people who have complained about a series not being added to or finished didn’t say anything until the author stopped writing it. For those that write for fun and not for profit, the only payment they expect is engagement, and i see a lot of stories not get that and real good writers walk away because of it. I know every writer out there is nodding because we have all been there, you feel like screaming, “IS ANYONE FUCKING READING THIS!” because we are desperate for that encouragement, that validation that we aren’t wasting our time.
Remember., Opinions are like onions… except with an additional ‘pi’
And you should always share your onions, cause Only Nitwits Ignore Onionless Neighbour’s Suffering, and without ‘pi’ we wouldn’t have circles, and in circles, what goes around comes around.
That’s completely understandable. Story take time like anything else to be crafted. I was just commenting on the final discussion to leave a story unfinished. Again, completely understandable and probably frustrating on a direction if there might be one visible. I wasn’t pointing a finger at any author. Without them (You) this platform wouldn’t be exist. I hope I didn’t hit a nerve Parker.
No I’m cool, sorry if that came off as aggro. I just know for a lot of people there isn’t a, “I am not going to finish this,” moment. It is a lot of, “I will get around to it eventually,” before you just take the idea out back and shoot it in the head so it will stop haunting you. The problem is the reader has no idea what is going on in the writer’s mind and is just waiting patiently for the next part.
I I have a thought – perhaps it’s already in the category list, but what if any unfinished work could be submitted here? This would provide authors and readers with an opportunity to contribute endings or, at the very least, ideas to conclude the story. Authors would have the chance to sift through entries, overcoming any annoyance with the story’s direction. It’s a collaborative approach, where two heads are hotter than one. What do you all think about potential co-writes?"
I’m can only imagine some of the gems you guys are sitting on. It would be amazing to be able to read what’s been written.
Anyway thank again.
In response to criticisms or requests “Tell us about where he got the formula” or where did the characters meet and the story begin, I began 6 or 7 stories I never finished for one reason or another. I started a thread of “Anyone want to run with these” thinking someone would give them life or do something with them. I’m giving them an opportunity to live (if there’s interest). So if no ones picked up the thread, is it because there’s no interest or the reading public liked my style so much they want to see where I go or with it or…? So in a sense I feel justified for not finishing a story line or concept having given it a way to live on
I don’t think authors have an obligation to finish their stories on a voluntary site like this one, but I think it is in the author’s interest, to develop as a writer, to try to finish the story. I think it is in the author’s interest, whether he is a pancer or a planner, to think in terms of story structure and the general direction he sees the story going. He can either plan it ahead of time or discover it as the story unfolds but he should think in terms of bring the story to a conclusion although he cannot be shamed or guilt-tripped into doing this.
You ought to finish your stories. For yourself. For your ability to follow a task through and round out a story well, let’s face it; no one enjoyed ‘Lost’.
Anyone can “begin” a story, and make loads of stuff happen. It takes discipline, skill and experience to finish one, and finish it well.
But, it’s not something you can be shamed or cajoled or threatened into doing. It has to come from within. It’s not about the reader deserving it, it’s about the author achieving it.
There.
I’ve just said the same thing in a crapper, longer, more misguided way.
I’m really late to this conversation and I think most of you have shared some similar views already, so I’ll try not to rehash everything and offer my 2 cents.
As an author, it would only be logical that when I start a new story, I have every intention of writing it out to completion. I might not have a full storyline laid out from the get go to the end, but for sure the intention is there. However, as many have stated already, especially for multi-part series, the writing motivation and inspirations sometimes just go through ups and downs, so the progress just doesn’t always goes as smoothly as one would have liked to. I’m sure many other authors can share a similar feeling: when you’re just not inspired, even if you push yourself to write, it’s like treading a bike through soft sand, you struggle to make sense of what you’re writing. But when you’re motivated and ideas flow, it’s like cruising down a freeway, you’d chug out paragraphs before you even realize. There’s also the element of time that one would need to find and set aside to get into the right mind space to write.
So, for me, yes I have full intention of finishing all my stories, but no, I shouldn’t feel obligated to finish them (other than to answer to my own sense of responsibility). As a reader, I would also never fault or judge an author for leaving us hanging on a particular story. It sucks for sure, but they do not owe us anything either. Afterall, this place should be meant for amateur writers to SHARE their own fantasies with like-minded others, not providing a service or answering anyone’s prayers.
Hi Robin, a “pancer” is a person who writes by the seat of his pants without a blueprint or an outline, whereas a plotter or a planner has already worked out his plot before he begins. Stephen King is a highly-successful pancer, but most pancers don’t finish their stories. Plotters have a much better track record of finishing stories but also often produce rather flat characters.
