The Ties that Bind

[Brown Eyes]

Well, Fortunate Son isn't a new story... it's been in the works for quite a long time.  She has several stories in progress at the moment including one of my favorites called All I Want, which has also been in the works for a long time. 

I understand that waiting can be frustrating, but I also think it's reasonable to expect a writer to jump around and work on their different stories at different paces and times.  As we all know, a lot of authors here work on multiple stories at once.  I think it's a positive sign when any one of the stories is updated because it shows continued motivation and excitement for writing.

[dot-matrix]

Well, Fortunate Son isn't a new story... it's been in the works for quite a long time.  She has several stories in progress at the moment including one of my favorites called All I Want, which has also been in the works for a long time. 

I understand that waiting can be frustrating, but I also think it's reasonable to expect a writer to jump around and work on their different stories at different paces and times.  As we all know, a lot of authors here work on multiple stories at once.  I think it's a positive sign when any one of the stories is updated because it shows continued motivation and excitement for writing.

Well, we will have to agree to disagree on this one.  This jumping around that fan fiction writers do is the major reason I have always avoid fan fiction before and I am learning a bitter lesson now.  I don't find it reasonable to get a lot of people involved in a story line and then shift to another one before you've finished, leaving your readers hanging often for months at a time, and yet still expect them to be there if and when you decided to add another chapter.  Wither it be Fortunate Son, All I Want or The Ties That Bind....I find it rude and insensitive to the readers.   

I understand these are not professional writers, most of the time they get an idea and write on the fly, dashing off chapter after chapter without benefit of outline or having thought the story out in advance.  This is most often the reason a vast majority of serial fan fictions are never finished, have an abrupt unsatisfying ending or are abandoned completely.  I'm NOT putting them down I am saying I was right in my initial reaction to fan fiction... it isn't for me.  I like a story with a beginning a middle and an end and if I take the time to become emotionally involved with the characters than I want the writer to see it through. 

I think I need to stick with published authors hence forth.  It really is time to be moving on from this BBM obsession.

[louisev]

one thing that readers often do, Dot, is to stick with "finished works", and in this fandom there are quite a number of them.  Not every author abandons their work, but recently, I would say the past three months or so, many authors, whether it be personal disillusionment, quarrelling within the fandom, or the demands of real life, have stopped writing, abandoned their stories for something else, or found other things to do.

This does happen in the "published" world as well, an author will get an advance for a book and simply never complete it, leaving the publishers to pursue them for the advance money once the original schedule gets broken.  That is an endemic problem with the creative arts, though I am sure it happens far more often in the amateur, unpaid world!

I will add, too, that there are a small number of works in the BBM fandom which were not completed due to legal pressure from lawyers for Annie Proulx.  This pressure may also have scared away other serious fandom authors who were afraid of getting a lawyer letter.  I myself got one, and my response was to rewrite my stories, and I am spending much of my energy rewriting and editing rather than cranking out new tales.  But the ones I wrote, I finished.  All nine books plus a number of stories.  Works that were interrupted due to legal action were:  Force of Nature, the sequel to the completed "Somebody New" by Jenna Sinclair, and "An Uneventful Life" by no_reins, a sequel to the completed "Riding Fence."  The originals of these stories, like my former Laramie Saga, are no longer available in the fandom.

[blacktears]

Well, we will have to agree to disagree on this one.  This jumping around that fan fiction writers do is the major reason I have always avoid fan fiction before and I am learning a bitter lesson now.  I don't find it reasonable to get a lot of people involved in a story line and then shift to another one before you've finished, leaving your readers hanging often for months at a time, and yet still expect them to be there if and when you decided to add another chapter.  Wither it be Fortunate Son, All I Want or The Ties That Bind....I find it rude and insensitive to the readers.   

I understand these are not professional writers, most of the time they get an idea and write on the fly, dashing off chapter after chapter without benefit of outline or having thought the story out in advance.  This is most often the reason a vast majority of serial fan fictions are never finished, have an abrupt unsatisfying ending or are abandoned completely.  I'm NOT putting them down I am saying I was right in my initial reaction to fan fiction... it isn't for me.  I like a story with a beginning a middle and an end and if I take the time to become emotionally involved with the characters than I want the writer to see it through. 

I think I need to stick with published authors hence forth.  It really is time to be moving on from this BBM obsession.

I'm not an author in the Brokeback fandom but I have written in other fandoms and original things and I can only say that unless you write, its very hard to understand the process. An author can't just stop the voices from coming on a new story or idea and really, the work you are invested in as a reader suffers more if they DON'T listen to those voices because the pipes need to be cleaned out before they can continue writing works already in progress and giving it their full attention.

I can understand your frustration, but it seems you may have more of an issue with your own obsession with the fandom than the actual writing itself which is something I think we've all gone through. I would just gently remind you that these authors are not getting paid and to try to be as understanding as you can. I for one think its fantastic most of our best authors such as Wannabebrit are bursting forth with so many ideas that they write more than one story. That's more for us to enjoy, whether its two weeks or two months between updates.

We are very spoiled in the Brokeback fandom. In my other fandoms, it's sometimes 6 months between updates and here most of the stories update fairly frequently and trust me, 2 months is frequently in any fandom for a story to update, especially when the author is writing 2 or 3 other stories. So yes we are very spoiled in the Brokeback fandom.

And it is my understanding that Camden Yards is still being updated as are her other stories, perhaps not at the pace we would like but they are there and she has said she will finish them as does Wannabebrit with her three stories. And most of the stories I have read in this fandom DO have a beginning, middle and end and though we may not always like the ending, most authors have given us at least that. And I am grateful for it.

I don't find it rude, I just try to understand the creative process and I can't make demands of an author even if they don't let me know why or when or the what if of their posting schedule. I just feel lucky to be able to read. Novels can take years to finish, a chapter every two months seems fairly reasonable to me.

It just sort of sounds like your issue is with fan fic in general, that it wasn't (or perhaps it was?) what you expected. It sounds like you would be happier just reading published works and if you are, that's great. There are billions of fascinating, finished books out there for you to check out. Please let us know what you're reading in the future (I believe there is a book thread here for that.) 

[Brown Eyes]

I for one think its fantastic most of our best authors such as Wannabebrit are bursting forth with so many ideas that they write more than one story. That's more for us to enjoy, whether its two weeks or two months between updates.

I completely agree with this.  It makes perfect sense to me that Ties that Bind has been on hold a bit (perhaps) because Fortunate Son was being updated.  I think it's a good sign that this author is still very active and inspired to write.  I also agree that patience is in order when it comes to authors who are doing this for its own sake and not for a paycheck.  I think there's actually something really exciting about that aspect of fanfic.

[louisev]

very interesting information about the perspective of other fandoms. I didn't know that it took so long for story updates in other areas, because I haven't had a lot of contact with other fandoms.

I can say that when I have explored some other fandom story links, I find nothing but unfinished fics!  Some of them haven't been updated in a year or more!  without explanation or apology.  So it could be that in BBM we are quite QUITE spoiled!

[alexisg]

Hey guys -

I don't really post in forums much anymore, but someone directed me over here, and said that folks were frustrated that I wasn't updating TTTB.  I am genuinely sorry you are waiting.   I do try to keep folks updated over at EnnisJack, where I will pop in from time to time. 

There are many writers who can stick to an update schedule, due to the flexibility of their work schedules and commitments.  I am not one of those writers.  I try to update on a pretty regular basis, as I can.  And there were always be times when I am more able to put chapters out every 2 to 3 weeks.  Right now is not one of those times. I also have a very limited amount of time to write, due to life and work commitments, which only get worse for me as the year-end approaches, due to the nature of my job.  However, I always finish what I start, and I don't abandon a story.

I think someone here mentioned other fandoms.  In my other fandoms, waiting a month, two or even more was is not unheard of.  Also, on the flip side, sometimes you'd wait a year for someone to finish and post a story.  Brokeback fandom is very serialized, more so than any fandom I've been involved in.  I always feel quite lucky as a reader to get as many updates we do still.

So in short, I am sorry you are frustrated.  And if you choose to stop reading, that's okay.  I'll still keep posting, and if you want to swing back around when the story is finished, and take a read, it will still be there.

Be well.

Alexis (wannabebrit)

[Brown Eyes]

Hi Alexis,

Thanks for stopping in!  It's great to see you here.  As I've said in earlier posts I think it's no real hardship to be patient.  So, I hope you don't feel too pressured.  And, it's completely understandable that there are times when you can write a lot and other times when you need time for other things.
Thanks for all the great writing in all your stories.

cheers,
Amanda
 

[ifyoucantfixit]

       Thanks for the report Alexis...I cant wait to see your next update, no matter what it is...
                                                                                     janice

[mariez]

Thanks, Alexis.  As Amanda said, I think it's no real hardship to be patient, either, for such wonderful stories.  And like Janice, I look forward to whatever - and whenever - you update. 

What a gracious post.  You're a class act. 

Thanks,
Marie