How long are you willing to wait for an update before losing interest in the story ??

Title say it all..

Yeah how long??
21st_Century
7 years ago
I wrote a fic here when I was 11 (I'm 16 now) that was... well, discontinued with no further warning. I am VERY GUILTY of the story abandonment trope. I was a terrible author who wrote like sht, short updates, long waits, until NO MORE UPDATES. Looking back to it now, I realize how much of a terrible author I was then. The story plot is long forgotten, so is my acc password back when I was 11. Right now I'm keeping an app, write-o-meter, which tells me to write everyday to ensure that I don't abandon the one I have now.

Story abandonment is such a huge sin for me as a writer nowadays. And if I don't update for months, I appreciate a wake up call like 'PLEASE UPDATE I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG' because I started a story in my own will in the first place. No one forced me to do it. Better finish what is started, right?

As for waiting? I can't wait for more than a year, I guess. With stories I'm not really that invested in, I'd stop waiting in about four months. This is why I usually read oneshots or fics that have already been marked as 'completed', but it's feels really better when you subscribe to a story while it's ongoing and witness it as it finishes.
Karentan123 7 years ago
@mars2611 Hahahah you're a reader all authors could only dream of
Karentan123 7 years ago
@thetenthmuse Oo.. That's a pity really
Karentan123 7 years ago
@GODNA24 Yeah at least they bothered to tell you they are busy. Well we are willing to wait I guess
godna24
7 years ago
@Karentan123 Hmmn I'm quite a newone here.. So yea not yet xD.
Im only into twice's fansfic, lots of them are completed and some of those are updated few months ago. Very dissapointing as some of the plots/openings are very good, I won't mind to wait as some of them says they are busy haha. Im happy as long as they continue xD We will see in next few months.. * ~ * xD
[deactivated] 7 years ago
@Karentan123 The author was in vet school and she didn't update her profile in three years...I tried leaving a message, but she never answered orz.
mars2611
7 years ago
A thousand years :p xD
Bookangel12390
7 years ago
@Karentan123 Yeah, some storis are worth waiting for
Karentan123 7 years ago
@Bookangel12390 Hahahah.. True for me too..
Karentan123 7 years ago
@GODNA24 I see.. Have you ever experienced authors who promise they will update but never did??
Bookangel12390
7 years ago
@Karentan123 Yeah, then when the person updates I am like dafaq is this even. I usually re-read the first chalter then I remember what it's about.
Karentan123 7 years ago
@Sempiternalis Yeah I understand. Authors have their life too. But honestly I'm guilty of keep checking the story again and again to make sure I didn't miss the notification. Haha..
Karentan123 7 years ago
@topbomlover1 Wow that's pretty long.. You must love that story a lot
topbomlover1
7 years ago
@Karentan123 I am still waiting for an update to a topbom/daragon story that may never come. Even the author hasn't been logged in for like 2 years. But I'll wait because you never know if the writer has a sudden urge to continue writing.
godna24
7 years ago
I can wait as long the author comdirms they will update it... Haha just put in subscribe for those which I really wanna read
[deactivated] 7 years ago
I don't really lose interest if it's a story I really like. Maybe in time the plot and everything will go to the back of my head as I'll occupy my time with something else, but when and if the story will be updated, I'd be excited about it and read the update as soon as possible. Of course, having to wait months for an update is a drag and I'd rather authors be more consistent with their update schedule, but I understand not everyone can commit to that due to various reasons.
Karentan123 7 years ago
@Hayaley Yeah totally agreed.
Hayaley 7 years ago
@Karentan123 Yep, I think readers should be given the courtesy of at least an explanation. If I have to ever leave my stories unfinished, which I hope never happens, I would for sure give them an explanation and give them the summary of what happens the rest of the story including the ending. I think that's the least I could do for readers who have faithfully followed and read my story.
Karentan123 7 years ago
@LynXMagiX yeah i agreed. Most of the time the angst stories i read, suddenly have everything solved instantly and a perfect happy ending. It seems a little fake but well, most of them are like that ..
LynXMagiX
7 years ago
@Karentan123 I'd be sad about the sad ending, but I'd prefer it better for complicated or angsty stories cuz I don't really think you can have a perfect fairytale ending after all that stuff, there'd still be something there that'll stop you from having your fairytale ending.
There's some cases where I'd love to have a happy ending, but usually when there's a cliff hanger after someone get hurt and sent to the hospital and everyone's like OMG I hope he/she doesn't die. Then I'm that one person like "but it'll be so interesting if they die XD"
I think that mindset was largely due to the fact that the first fic I read had a satisfying bittersweet ending.
TheHeather 7 years ago
@Karentan123 It doesn't hurt anything to stay subscribed. I bookmarked the first chapter of the stories I really love and I'm 100% willing to wait for so I could keep track of the good ones. But there are a few I kind of forgot about, but decided to stick with just in case. I usually read completed stories, but some are just too good to pass up, so I'll risk the disappointment later :/
Karentan123 7 years ago
@Hayaley I appreciate some who would still explain the reason why they didn't update.

Some just went missing.. Urgh...
Hayaley 7 years ago
@Karentan123 Exactly! I understand life happens but I still think it's really unfair to the readers.
Karentan123 7 years ago
@LynXMagiX Wow you like story that don't have a happy ending ??
I think it is kinda rare you know, most readers would want a happy ending for their idols. ^^
LynXMagiX
7 years ago
@Karentan123 The ones I give up on are my guilty pleasure fics. I usually read sad, angst, psychological, mystery. Generally stuff that don't have the typical happy ending.
I read fluff and comedy as guilty pleasure cuz I can't have too much sadness XD
Those I'd typically would give up on if they don't update after a few months. I Wouldn't say the plot is really boring, but these are the genres that have more predictable endings.
If you'd say a story I gave up on that's one of the genres I like, it stopped for a few months and I can't get back into it cuz these genres tend to get a little messy.

As for my profile pic haha thanks. TBH I don't know why I picked that XD
Asuramaru
7 years ago
I sometimes have to re-read the whole story or catch up with the last/first 3-5 chapters to take a peek into it. But the ones I've subbed to don't take more than 2-4 months to update so yeah. Hehe xD
Karentan123 7 years ago
@LynXMagiX yeah that's what i do too. If the updates gets too long, i would read the previous chapter to refresh my memory. What are those that you have given up on ?? Is it because the plot get boring ??




By the way, i can't help not to look at your profile pic.. hahaha
Karentan123 7 years ago
@TheHeather I am thinking to clean out my subscriptions too. But there are still some stories , i feel it's a waste not to wait. But what can i do ?? when the author is not updating.. :(
TheHeather 7 years ago
@Karentan123 Okay maybe not forever. But I'll keep subscribed to it kind of hoping? And if there's an update, it's been long enough that I don't remember quite enough to be disappointed.. I did just clean out my subscriptions recently, so it's more about each story individually now. Some stories I'll wait a few months before forgetting, and some I'll wait a long time.
LynXMagiX
7 years ago
It really depends on if the fic is interesting and how much you love it. In some cases where they stop updating for like half a year to a year I'd reread the previous chapter to refresh my memory and see if it's worth continuing.
There are some I've given up on, but there's a fic I love that's been on hiatus for almost a year and I'll never give up on that one.
If it's a normal story that I read for fun, not something I love but just enjoy I'd give it enough time until I forget about it XD (like srsly sometimes they just pop up one day and I completely forgot insubbed to it until I read the description again)