The End... Please?

[kriadydragon]

Sometimes, a story, no matter how good and how much we want the story to continue, just needs to end. It's another reason I don't like WIPs - just when you think a story is about to draw to a close, wrap everything up, leave you satisfied with the plot and everything that happened... the story keeps going, and going, and going and you're knee deep in scene after scene of torture and someone's obsession with the chest and abdominal region :P

Thus killing my enjoyment of the story until said story is dead to me.

I like whump, but not whump for the sake of whump, especially not torture for the sake of torture. Stories that drag also make me nervous since you never know the directions they might take. Case in point was the story that led to this post. It was going strong, had a perfect place to stop, then took a big old whopping turn into lots of squicky torture (yes, it squicked even me) and, suddenly, I was skipping to the end because I wanted the story over all ready. And I have no desire to read this story ever again.

Sometimes reading fanfic, as enjoyable as it is, can also be scary :P But I suppose that can be said about anything we read ;)

ETA: The story in question was from another fandom, not SGA.

Comments

[sgafan.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... interesting. I'm in the same boat as you in a lot of ways. I'm not a big fan of whump for the sake of whump without something else, some other plot or some other character exploration/revelation going on. I love the genre but one of the reasons I do is because I think the kind of situations where whump and H/C happen are many times an idea time to explore characters or storylines. Nothing like life or death, for example, to really define a person at the most basic level.

As for WIPs... yeah I'll only read WIPs from authors I know and have a record of liking their work, just for a lot of the same reasons; just when you think things are at a good stopping place and the story wraps up, it gets dragged on. Now, I've seen lots of good stories where you think its done, and it wasn't and what the author decided to do was fantastic and the story wonderful but a lot of times I've found with authors I don't know, what your explaining happens. For me though, I usually just drop off and not even finish reading the story. Probably my bad, but I just lose interest. I'm one to talk though... I've been known to all the sudden take a story in a different direction just when you think its finished (Darkness Runs Deep is a classic example of that...) LOL

I don't often read WIPs, I like to read the whole story in one shot, but that's always been my preference. Which is funny because I do write them sometimes (post a chapter at a time...)

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

When I first got into fanfic I had always considered myself a hard-core whumper, in that, for me, reading and writing fanfic was all about the whump and that the plot had to center around the whump. But as time passed... I don't know if it's because I grew as a writer or simply came to the realization that it was never about the whump after all: that a story that whumped for the sake of it wasn't as satisfying as a story where the whump was just a device in a much larger plot.

"Now, I've seen lots of good stories where you think its done, and it wasn't and what the author decided to do was fantastic and the story wonderful"

Oh, definitely. Stories have a way with running away with you, so I totally understand when a story keeps going even when you come to what feels like a good stopping point. It's something to watch out for, though.

"For me though, I usually just drop off and not even finish reading the story."

I'll usually skim really fast or just skip to the end (if there is an end). I tend to be a "see it through" kind of reader - mostly because curiosity demands it. More often than not, I usually regret it :P I never learn!

"I've been known to all the sudden take a story in a different direction just when you think its finished (Darkness Runs Deep is a classic example of that...) LOL"

Heh, I think we all have stories that have done that ;) I believe mine was Mercy, as well as Just Keep Swimming.

I used to enjoy writing WIPs. But after running into so many unfinished stories I felt the concept of the WIP to be rather cruel. There are so many good stories out there that have been left unfinished. Heck, I've even left stories unfinished - back when I was writing Andromeda fic. AS for reading WIPS, if the author has made it clear that the story is complete, then I'll read each chapter as it's posted rather than waiting for the entire thing to be posted (but, I have to. Can't print up the stories to read at my leisure, and reading on the computer takes longer than reading a hard copy). If the author is making the story up as they go, or writing and posting - unless I know the author to be trustworthy about finishing a story - then I will wait until the story is posted in its entirety.

[theeverdream.livejournal.com]

that a story that whumped for the sake of it wasn't as satisfying as a story where the whump was just a device in a much larger plot.

That can be true for a lot of things, and I think it's one of the differences between good and great writing.

[crashbarrier.livejournal.com]

The sign of a good storyteller is that they sublimate their self indulgence infavour of the story and plot. Rather than banding the plot to breakign point to cater for their self indulgence.

I don't like it when a writer is obviously indulging themselves (it sometimes feels like I am being party to something rather personal that should be kept in private behind closed doors and curtains:/)

Being aware of your story and what is good for it and what is bad for it is a sign of someone who is aware of *Plot*. Rather than just putting their daydream down on paper.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

"The sign of a good storyteller is that they sublimate their self indulgence infavour of the story and plot. Rather than banding the plot to breakign point to cater for their self indulgence."

My newest motto is - don't do anything for the sake of it. Or - check your fetishes. I used to be the biggest indulgence junky in both fan and original fic. Up until people started expressing their discomfort with it. That's when I came to realize that less is more and over-indulgence just numbs you, so I'm now being careful about the things I enjoy putting into fic. If it fits, goes with the plot, then awesome. If not, then toss it.

[sgafan.livejournal.com]

This is a VERY good mentality for writing (my opinion for what it's worth) I can't tell you how many times I've deleted entire scenes and PAGES of writing just because it just doesn't work, doesn't further the storyline or plot and just doesn't fit. *Always* the story has turned out better for it. :)

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

It took me for ever to get to this point :P I used to be so incredibly stubborn about keeping a story as is, especially keeping in descriptions and scenes I loved, even it they did nothing for the story. My first original story ended up being my wake-up call, as I'd gone a little overboard with the whump in that one (okay, a lot overboard :/).

[sgafan.livejournal.com]

I'll do a chapter at a time story every once in a while, but I always take getting it done very seriously and have never left one unfinished. Usually I have a good idea how the whole story will go before I start too. ;)

[crashbarrier.livejournal.com]

Whump is fine as long as it stays within the realms of credible belivability. The human body can take a lot of punishment but not without fall out afterwards. Whether it is torn ligaments, destroyed joints, missing limbs or a good dose of psychological damage. If a whumper is not aware of cause and effect then the story just looses interest because it is just being indulgent for indulgence's sake.

I have a similar problem with WIP's. I am not fond of them because they are WIP's. Because of their nature, unless the writer is very good and able to keep perfect track of their story then I tend to find that over all WIPS have poor flow and story balance and their arch is badly planned. Which I actually find hard to read because I am spotting the inconstancies in story flow rather than just reading the sotry.

I also have a preference for reading stories as a one shot. i.e. begining to end so that I can get the feel of the overall storyline as well as the inner workings of the story itself. Unless you have downloading cap then i don't quite see the point of posting the story in parts. (But then that may just be me and my over active sense of presentation:). if you have the story, write it, edit it, present it. I sometimes feel I may be very old fashioned in my outlook. But in my defence I am more use dto the "old days" of fan writing where you submitted completed stories to fanzines you din't have avenues to post up WIPS for almost real time scrutiny.. Ah the times are movin on..

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I've always been torn between stories posted all at once and stories posted a piece at a time. Some days, I wish a story could be posted all at once so I can read at my leisure. On the other hand, for a story to be posted in parts forces me to take a break and do other things. Stories that are posted all at once I have a tendency to read all in one sitting, which can sometimes take an entire day. I have no will power :P

Plus, posting a chapter at a time allows others to find their way to the story, while posting all at once runs the risk of the story ending up lost among an influx of posts.

What really worries me about indulgence, other than it dragging on, is how weird it sometimes gets. I've come across whump methods that totally smacked of being a fetish. For one, it should have killed the character. For another, there were more effective ways of inflicting pain on a character that wouldn't make the reader wonder why said character isn't dead, yet.

[sgafan.livejournal.com]

hehehe... yeah, nothing turns me off to a story faster than "umm.. that would've outright killed him...." ;) What can I say? I cut my writing teeth in a medical fandom where my RN beta would've raked me across the proverbial coals for doing that. LOL

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Really, I can't talk. I've written my share of whump that the character probably shouldn't have survived ;) But I've learned my lesson and I'm trying to be more careful and realistic about it.

I have few squicks when it comes to whump. But I swear whump-for-the-sake-of-it fic that drag out the torture scenes always manage to incorporate every whump method that squicks me. I'm not exaggerating. It's why such stories make me nervous.

[sgafan.livejournal.com]

Well I still maintain that there's room in fandom for everyone so I really don't wan to come across as critical it's just my reading and writing preference. I think we've all toed the line of survivability at some point, but I think when, as writers, we are aware enough to have conversations like this in the first place, it goes a long ways towards not doing those same things in the fics we write. (if that makes any sense whatsoever...) LOL

[crashbarrier.livejournal.com]

I've come across whump methods that totally smacked of being a fetish. For one, it should have killed the character. For another, there were more effective ways of inflicting pain on a character that wouldn't make the reader wonder why said character isn't dead, yet.

I think that is the crux of my thinking... to me it smacks of a writer who does not understand their art and does not understand the necessity for good research. It isn't hard to find out about the subjects .. You tube, wiki, the internet in general is a gold mine of good and mostly reliable information about everything from how to intubate and its inherent dangers to what exactly hanging by your arms for hours on end does to the joints in said arms. if in doubt at least spend 5 minutes googling for some information:/

[drufan.livejournal.com]

I still find there's a bit of excitement to a WIP. I think of them as a serial. But I only will read if, like many of us, I know the author. But I have read stories that I've had that same thought, Please stop! It's already dead! But such are the pitfalls of fans writing what we love! We can be such amateurs!

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

But we learn :D And the more we learn, the better our stories each time around ;) I think I wouldn't mind WIPs so much if so many weren't left unfinished. I feel that it's rather cruel when an author posts and posts, then stops for whatever reason.

[karri-kln1671.livejournal.com]

*nods* I've read a few stories that really, really needed to be broken into multiple stories; they have multiple, successive, though related plots, with multiple beginnings and what should be endings, except that instead of concluding naturally, the author has chosen to lead into the next 'beginning'. Stories like that drive me bonkers, and I tend to lose interest. I've also read several that kept wandering aimlessly beyond their naturally conclusion, and again, I tend to lose interest.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I've walked away from stories that refused to end, coming back only when I see "conclusion" or "final chapter" or "epilogue." Even when I do, I'll usually just skim instead of read.

[tringasolitaria.livejournal.com]

Magnificent Seven fandom was bad about that. And not even WIPs - there were so many stories in that fandom that just dragged on and on and whumped and tortured their poor character until I was like why isn't he dead already? I used to think it was just me, but I've seen some comments recently that make me think Mag7 is just an overwhumping fandom in general. I know it burned me out on whump pretty badly.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Heh, I've been reading M7 fic ;) but only stories recommended to me by someone I trust, and those written by authors whose work I know of from SGA. But the story in question was an M7 story, the first I ran into that dragged.

I agree, though - it's a whump-crazy fandom. I really enjoy the emotional whump fic, but the torture fic usually has me backing out quick.

[tringasolitaria.livejournal.com]

Oh and there's quite a bit of torture fic out there. :S Just out of curiosity, who was the unlucky whumpee?

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Vin this time.