"OMG AUTHORNIM SEQUEL PLSZZZZ"

Things I Cannot Stand

I know I'm not the only one when I say that I hate it when people ask (well, to be more accurate, demand) that I write a sequel to a story.

First of all, authors do not cater to the readers' demands unless they specifically ask for it. Demanding sequels is not only rude, but it's an insult to the authors' hard work in writing the original story.

Second, I don't understand why so many people have issues with the way stories end. I've most commonly seen sequel demands for angsty fics (with ridiculously long and cliched fics taking a close second), and I for one am not amused. I know that we all want happy endings in our lives, but there are far too many people on this site that don't know how to appreciate a story for what it is. In real life, not everything has a happy ending, so why shouldn't fics reflect that? Heart-wrenchingly sad fics are great just the way they are, and so are screaming-in-joy fics. You need balance in literature. Plus, there are often times when authors write sad things to reflect issues going on in their own lives, and demanding a sequel can be painful because then if they were to do it, they'd have to bring all those feelings back again.

Third, I especially hate it when people only comment things like "omg this needs a sequel," especially when that's the only content of the comment. I've seen this far too many times, and it just feels so ty when:

a) they didn't even actually say anything about your fic.
b) they don't like the fic the way it is, so obviously it "needs" a sequel.

Fics can need grammar fixes, better characterization, format fixes, etc. But they never NEED sequels.

Ever.

Finally, ending stories is difficult in and of itself. I understand that it can be hard to let characters go (i.e. in Harry Potter, for example), but there are endings to things for a reason. Endings may be imperfect, but that doesn't mean they need to be changed to fit your desires.

If an author decides to write a sequel to a fic, that is up to their own discretion. Not yours.

(On a bit of a tangent, I also despise it when authors write sequels to popular stories simply for the purpose of gaining subscribers. I've read some of those fics and it's pretty obvious that their hearts aren't really in it a lot of the time.)

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!
Back to Top ↑

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
deepbreath #1
Chapter 11: thank you for clearing up the meaning of SNCJ. i keep on seeing sncj santa exchange fics but doesnt have any clue as to what sncj means. and then i searched what it stand for only to be more confuse cause what in the merriam is sonyeoncheonji? i still dont know. but at least it is now clear its for the exo fandom only cause i swear i thought girls generation has something to do with it. thank you for this informative article. and your a/n cracked me up. also, evrything about that lj thing is super true. atleast in my observation. theres a lot of unappreciated writers there.
ChaoticDarkAngel #2
Chapter 4: I think it's silly when people bash authors who write 'you' fics and praise those who write OC fics. Deep down I think those type of AFF users know that both genres have their faults. There are some you fics I've enjoyed greatly actually and ones I didn't enjoy as much same for OC stories it all depends on how the writer portrays the lead character is all ^^
kaedeyuuki #3
Chapter 4: Wanna know something? The Mary Sue trope can be both found in OCs and reader-insert characters. :)

It's total bullsh*t if one says that OCs are a lot better than reader-inserts. I could totally throw a good number of Mary Sue OCs from Fanfiction.Net. :P
lovestillgoeson #4
Chapter 12: While I agree with the majority of things you say in your posts, I have to disagree with the last one.

I personally don't think asking for a sequel to a story is rude (again, asking, not demanding; demanding does is rude). You take the readers wanting a sequel as if they're telling you your story is not good enough, but for me (and I think a lot of people will agree) it means that they liked your story so much that they need to have more of it.

Haven't you ever liked a book or story so much that you wished you hadn't gotten to the end because you couldn't get enough of it, or you've read it more than once because you couldn't get over it? The feeling is pretty much like that.

So no, I don't think people who ask for sequels are implying a story is bad.
j2ster #5
Chapter 12: by far the worst i've ever gotten was a straightforward "i demand a sequel"
MehRainbow #6
Chapter 3: Overall, I found the tidbits about AFF & LJ to be the most interesting. I frequently use both sites, and your points seem very valid. Anyway, I just wanted to say, "Kudos to you!" :)
Iloveanime #7
Chapter 6: Oh God, Mary-Sues... hate them! I dislike it when the OC is perfect. I mean, do you know anyone who is pretty, has an IQ of 700 (aka super smart), virtually speaks ALL languages, is a magnet for hot boys and is popular, all at the same time? The answer is NO.
FullmetalTitan #8
Chapter 8: Mhmmm...I personally like mpreg but to each their own XD This could be very useful to those who have no idea how to write . Hell I've been writing it for awhile and it's difficult to get right .___. I hope to become better at it someday.
FullmetalTitan #9
Chapter 3: *patience* stupid typos...
FullmetalTitan #10
Chapter 3: I have a LJ account though I haven't been on it...oh gosh since last year I think. It's not that I dislike it, I just feel more comfortable on AFF is all ^^ And yeah, there are bad stories on here...but there's also good ones. People just need to have patients is all. They'll find a good fic on here I'm sure.

I just dislike it, when people praise LiveJournal like it's a God or something. It's just like every other site out there and so is AFF. You'll find cringe worthy fics on both sites and good ones :3
Back to Top ↑