Music and a poll

[geoviki]

I just posted four songs on audiography, one of which is a gorgeous jazz ballad by Les McCann, With These Hands. Songs available to upload for one week.

My next topic was going to be "Why Frozen Strawberry Daquiris are the Adult Equivalent of the Slurpee, and Why I Need to Find a New Drink To Order In Bars", but I think I covered the whole discussion in the topic sentence. Which means it's time for a poll.

I don't do enough polls. For "not enough" read "more than the lone one I did about a year ago". This one feeds my little worried obsession about whether or not I'm normal. You know the feeling? Am I doing it as often as everyone else or am I abnormal? I'm talking about reading Works In Progress; why, what do you think I was talking about?

I glance through a few of the Harry/Draco comms on occasion, because I can sometimes help with recs or fic searches, but I find I cruise right on by all the WsIPs there, because I rarely commit to an unfinished story. I have a few that I keep up with, but it has to be compelling to tip me over the edge to read them in the volume I used to as a newbie. And it's not only the fear of being left hanging, although that is a concern. Sometimes I want to wait and indulge in one fell swoop - I think it helps my enjoyment of the fic. Well, plus I have a spotty memory these days from being a young adult during the '70's and a menopausal mother now.

What about you? You can even tell me which WsIP you follow in the comments if you like.

[Poll #645057]

Comments

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

I look at a few Snape/Hermione stories when I check into the SS/HG archive, but that's not very often. I *was* following...um...I want to say "The Wind Beneath His Wings," but isn't that a bad song? Anyway, it's a very good Harry/Draco WIP, but I lost track during November/December when I was in a writing frenzy. And right now, I'm following eolianbeck's Vorkosigan wip (Miles/Gregor).

Three years ago, I was following two dozen wips.

Seven years ago, I was following none, and swore I'd never read an unfinished story.

It all goes in cycles for me, I guess.

(Also? When's the smutmas reveal??? I'm going crazy waiting!!! *G*)

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! My old computer is suffering from no-power-itis and I can't access *anything.*

*bookmarks*

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

That fic is the one I'm straining not to read, even though everyone says it's the best thing ever, and I absolutely adore all her other stories. I'm trying not to be tempted to start it, because I want to experience it altogether, but it's like having that secret chocolate bar in the basement and willing yourself not to go down and eat it.

My will is weakening daily.

I can't wait to see who wrote what for smutmas! Any day now....

[elanna9.livejournal.com]

Well ... I cracked, and now I'm DYING!!! omg DYING!!! for the next update. Like, I try to distract myself, but it's just there in my mind and I'm craving more all the time. :P (God, listen to me; I'm a junkie!)

It really is the best thing ever, though. :)

Otherwise I really try to hold off on WIPs, for exactly that reason. The ones I will read with abandon are the ones where the author is generally updating with regularity, and I can count on there being a new chapter out before too long. Like StG, when Emma was updating every Wednesday, or silentauror's stories. That really changes the experience for me into something far more fun.

It's so great to be able to glut oneself on a completed story that otherwise I try to hold out. I was lucky that I didn't find many of the classics -- including yours -- until they'd already been finished. I suppose that's a bonus for being so late to the fandom.

[waterlilith.livejournal.com]

Uhm, I didn't start that one yet, after all. I'll just sit and watch you dying instead :P Enjoying my peace of mind. In fact, I think I'm not following any WIPs at the moment, and I never really were. The first ones I did were fatal mistakes of a clueless newbie. I thought I learned my lesson after being totally upset because of an unfinished story. However, I'll probably find myself engaged to some WIP by tomorrow, so I better not say anything.

So it takes about a year more fanfic reading to be a long-time fan :)

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

I read so many WsIP at once, at first. Then I found that more and more of them were just hanging, and I couldn't fathom that at all. I even wrote begging letters to some of the more notable authors. Didn't help.

The 18 month cut-off was wholly arbitrary, though!

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I allowed myself to read Emma's fics as they were being written. And mistful, although I was happy when Underwater Light was finally finished. And then I let myself start her two newest WsIP, so I don't seem to learn where she's concerned.

BTW, I never posted my stories as WsIP. I dump them on the world all finished. I could say it's for a lot of noble reasons, but mainly it's because I don't write in order at all. The prologue of my last one was the last thing written, for example.

[elanna9.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, well. Underwater Light was one of the ones I was thinking of; I'm not sure I would have survived reading that in installments, especially since the installments seem to have taken awhile to come out (understandable, obviously.) But man. I was dying even when I was reading it straight through in a fit of utter madness. (I really have no patience and I'm somewhat obsessive with regard to reading, which is a bad combination where WsIPs are concerned. :P)

BTW, I never posted my stories as WsIP. I dump them on the world all finished. I don't write in order at all.

Interesting. I'm always fascinated by how people write (mostly because I'm trying to figure out how to optimize my own.) I mean how specifically in terms of managing to carve out time, where, when, outlining, plotting. Anyway, I'm just happy your stories were all there when I did find them and read them. :)

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Ooh, ooh, Gina's adding the names as we speak. Type. Whatever! Go look!