Fic Talk > General Discussion
The Reading Thread
nicksgal:
New question: Do you prefer reading fanfics one chapter at a time as they're being updated, or would you rather binge-read a story that's already finished or at least pretty far along?
I think they're both good for different reasons. If you read stories as they're being updated, you get to enjoy the anticipation between chapters and also serve as a motivating force for those authors who say they update as they write or those authors who are still writing as they're beginning to post.
If it's almost complete, or already complete, and it's so engrossing that you just want to keep clicking next, you can keep clicking next until however many hours have passed to your heart's content. I think it's easier to commit to binge reading a novella size story (10-20 chapters) than a novel (20-50 chapters) or an epic (50+ chapters). Because with the shorter ones, you can say: This will probably take me a few hours, but an epic is probably days unless you get sucked in and do nothing else for however many hours.
I feel for anyone who saw PNecklace appear and thought: A new story being updated! I'm going to try it! Wait... I have to read this whole other novel for it to make sense? Wait, you're updating weekly and I'm still reading the first one! Wait!
To all two of those people (Possibly ten? It's hard to tell.): sorry.
As a writer, I also think maybe it's preferable for people to read as they go? Because if they were going to leave feedback, they'd be more likely to leave it on each chapter. Whereas if they have a lot to catch up on, they'd likely only leave one large feedback, so you would miss hearing about the subtle things from each chapter. But then all feedback is good feedback? So... :shrug:
RokofAges75:
I agree with all of the above! It's the same as with TV shows - it's fun to binge-watch a show that's already complete or has several seasons to catch up on, but I also enjoy the experience of watching an episode a week as it airs. I enjoy following fanfics as as they're being written, but it's also nice to read one that's already finished and be able to go at my own pace and not have to worry about being left hanging.
From a writing standpoint, it's absolutely more fun to have readers read the story as it's being written and leave feedback on every chapter. I do enjoy getting random reviews on old stories that someone has just discovered and read in their entirety, but like you said, most of them just leave feedback at the end and don't review every chapter.
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 07, 2021, 01:41:58 PM ---I agree with all of the above! It's the same as with TV shows - it's fun to binge-watch a show that's already complete or has several seasons to catch up on, but I also enjoy the experience of watching an episode a week as it airs. I enjoy following fanfics as as they're being written, but it's also nice to read one that's already finished and be able to go at my own pace and not have to worry about being left hanging.
--- End quote ---
I do like binging TV shows, but I think it's easier with a half hour comedy than the hour long dramedies or dramas. It's that novella versus novel thing again.
It must be pretty heartbreaking as a reader to invest time in a story and then wait however long for an update. I feel for them when that happens. Not as much as for myself if I'm the one writing it because of course I want to update, but also here we are.
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 07, 2021, 01:41:58 PM ---From a writing standpoint, it's absolutely more fun to have readers read the story as it's being written and leave feedback on every chapter. I do enjoy getting random reviews on old stories that someone has just discovered and read in their entirety, but like you said, most of them just leave feedback at the end and don't review every chapter.
--- End quote ---
Mare was talking about that with Protect and Serve. I think that must be really fun to have someone pop into something older and let you know that it still holds up however many years later.
mare:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 07, 2021, 11:10:22 AM ---New question: Do you prefer reading fanfics one chapter at a time as they're being updated, or would you rather binge-read a story that's already finished or at least pretty far along?
--- End quote ---
When I used to read, I always preferred to read it after it was done as opposed to waiting on chapters because of lack of updates. You all know my memory sucks, so if too long went by between chapters, I would end up forgetting what happened and have to reread the previous chapter and eventually that really started to annoy me, and my thinking became, well if I have to reread the previous chapter it probably means it wasn't worth remembering so I'll just wait until it's done. LOL
As a writer, obviously it's the opposite. We all want that instant praise and don't want to wait. That's another reason why I used to make sure I stuck to my update schedule because I absolutely HATED waiting forever for updates.
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: mare on February 07, 2021, 05:45:20 PM ---As a writer, obviously it's the opposite. We all want that instant praise and don't want to wait. That's another reason why I used to make sure I stuck to my update schedule because I absolutely HATED waiting forever for updates.
--- End quote ---
Once again, Mare is so wise. Everyone (readers and writers) likes predictability .
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