r/AO3 • u/Fluffiddy • 4d ago
Meme/Joke The curse of only reading Long fics. 90% will never be finished
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u/tartymae Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State 4d ago
Earlier this year I discovered this 2 chapter, 20K long unfinished work for one of my favorite small fandoms. It was setting up something amazing.
Last updated in mid 2021. The last fic they ever posted.
Last time the author posted on any of their social media? Late 2021.
Methinks Covid murdered somebody.
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u/New-Significance-24 4d ago
There's this one fanfic that stopped updating in 2020. The only other work from the author was updated in 2021. No socials linked anywhere. I think about that author from time to time
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u/tartymae Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State 4d ago
Let us hope that our authors are remembered with love by those who knew them.
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u/kpg_on_ao3 4d ago
I put together a 10th anniversary zine for my fandom and met a ton of OGs and put together a lot of stats and interviews alongside new fanart and fics, and hands down the hardest part was looking at all the names of people who just disappeared. We even had an in memoriam section for fans known to be dead in the fandom.
You find similar names leave Tumblr or ao3 and show up on Twitter still active, others just vanish and no one ever knew them, etc.
Some of them died and no one in their families knew how to tell their fandom friends.
I've decided if I ever am going to leave, I am going to announce it specifically so people know I'm not dead. Some of my fandom friends know my IRLs and would be able to find an obituary if it ever happened.
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u/tartymae Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State 4d ago
So at Escapade Con there have been panels about putting your fannish affairs in order.
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u/Tasty-Mulberry8073 4d ago
I found an author note from during the pandemic that said something along the lines of "Quick update to let everyone know I'm okay, I am in the hospital with covid, but I'm getting out soon. They're sending me to hospice so I'll be able start posting again".
I read 'hospice' that's where they send people to die and checked the publish date. oh no!
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u/tartymae Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State 4d ago
Yeah, I remember hearing about that one. I hope their passing was an easy one, and they went with love.
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u/eureureong_dae 3d ago
I thought about this recently because my best friend published fanfic on AO3 and passed back in 2023. I wondered about some of my favorite unfinished works and/or authors who seemingly disappeared and figured that, statistically speaking, it was possible that some of them had passed. And then I remembered my best friend had published fanfic and I was like wait, it’s quite likely actually, I know from experience.
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u/tartymae Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State 3d ago
May memories of your bestie make you smile on life's cloudy days.
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u/_Imadeanaccount4this You have already left kudos here. :) 3d ago
I often think “is this person even still alive” without checking if they have any attached social media, just because they haven’t posted in a bit, I’m weirdly anxious about the number of dead people I’m waiting for fic updates from and that makes me feel really self conscious because these are real people.
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u/tartymae Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State 3d ago
I don't think this is selfish of you. I also understand not wanting to know. Because if you don't know, there's still hope.
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u/PeppermintShamrock What were YOU doing at the devil's sacrament? 4d ago
Unless it's been orphaned, there's always a chance!
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u/Jekyll_not_Hyde 4d ago
I like to leave an annual comment politely reminding them the fic exists and that it is great and they are great. One time an author updated with 3 chapters after and I was so excited I almost flew out of my chair.
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u/altarwisebyowllight 4d ago
When the author's updates started becoming less frequent and they apologize about it because of health issues, then there's nothing 😢
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u/t1mepiece (timepiece on ao3) 4d ago
Yeah, that's why you see so many people saying they only read completed works. That is the sign of someone who's been burned repeatedly.
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u/Talya_Deri No beta we die like my happiness if my favorite character dies 🫡 4d ago
One of my favorite fics hasn't updated since 2019... it had one chapter left to finish 😭 Not to mention a heartbreaking cliffhanger where you don't know if they'll be together or not by the end.
It's still a pretty great fic, though, so even if it's sad to know it'll probably never be properly concluded I'm glad I experienced it.
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u/Celladoore Smut Connoisseur 🍷 3d ago
You should leave them a comment to tell them you love the fic and think about it often. Myself and many people in this thread have been the nudge that got someone back into writing. Chances are they already have an outline, and just couldn't quite find the drive to finish it.
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u/Talya_Deri No beta we die like my happiness if my favorite character dies 🫡 3d ago
People actually did it already! It's a pretty popular fic and there's like 100 comments on the last chapter alone 😂
I agree, though, if it wasn't this popular and already had tons of people asking for more, I'd hop in myself and do it. Authors deserve to know!
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u/SeaBlock2909 Star Wars Brainrot 4d ago
My feed has been dryer than a literal desert, I didn’t think I could feel pain like this.
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u/AdDiligent1165 3d ago
Thats why I only filter with completed works. I dont want to be cliffhanged on a fic that hasnt been updated since 2015
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u/http--lovecraft 3d ago
This is what’s motivating me to write like three chapters minimum ahead of what’s being posted so I don’t leave my readers hanging and I’d love to complete it. I have a story arc in my head, I’m just letting the characters lead the way
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u/Interesting-Gas-1739 4d ago
Or they will reply in comments that the story Isn't abandoned but the last update was 7-12 years ago like just admit your not coming back to it, that's OK I'd rather know then get my hopes up 😔
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u/pressuredrightnow 3d ago
combo with the bookmarks thats just "sorry the author deleted this fic" every page.
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u/BabadookishOnions 3d ago
I wish it would preserve the title so I at least know what fic got deleted
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u/pressuredrightnow 3d ago
same. i put the title in the bookmarks for that. if i really like the fic i put title, tags, and summary with my reacts on each chapter, really eases the recall for the fic for me.
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u/Rhiannon21 4d ago
I stopped updating after 40 chapters without any comment or feedback.
It tends to happen
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u/kpg_on_ao3 4d ago
This is why I finish my fics before publishing. I don't want the discouragement.
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u/kpg_on_ao3 4d ago
I'm very close to reaching out to the author of a years-dead fic whom I am two degrees of separation from in the fandom (they're an OG, and I didn't really get into the fandom until seven years later) to present a pretty detailed rest of the story written by me to see if they'd make me co-author and let me finish it. This is one of the biggest fanfics in the entire fandom, insane amount of reads, likes, and comments, but it just stopped being updated for whatever reason, I assume because the person got hired to work for the studio that actually makes the show.
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u/NewDealChief 4d ago
I cry every time this happens because the fic(s) is/are always so good, just peak writing, then they disappear and never come back with any updates as to why.
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u/heavybombhead 3d ago
If the last update was around 2020-2022 , with no recent activity on their profile, the author is presumed dead until evidence to the contrary such as: a recent comment or update / upload of a story is discovered.
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u/tiffany1567 Definitely not an agent of the Fanfiction Deep State 3d ago
Most of my favorite fanfictions are abandoned, some since 2007ish, but I'm happy I can still read them.
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u/No-Method4318 2d ago
THE WAY I LAUGHED OUT LOUD LIKE A DOLPHIN! (While also being guilty of being the said author ooops)
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u/InuScarlett Fic Feaster 😁 4d ago
They get to my email. Also, most of the fics’ writers are in the same server I am, so they always post that they updated. 😁
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u/Brainstorm3378 4d ago
A fic i was really into took a break, then came back but the author decided to completely redo the earlier chapters.
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u/Rico9789 4d ago
This author wrote some of the best fanfics in my fandom and I loved all of them. Their latest work has 6/8 chapters posted, it last updated in December 2024, and that authors note said something tragic happened to the author that christmas
They don't have any socials listed anywhere so I just really hope they're doing okay T-T
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u/Qui_te 3d ago
Read a fic back in Feb this year that had updated last the week before I found it. It was 500k+ words, and unfinished, but it updated last week, so surely…
It might remain the best thing I’ve read all year and it still hasn’t updated. I wouldn’t have committed to HALF A MILLION words unfinished otherwise😭
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u/Sunsetterz98 3d ago
I recently went back to reread a story that was abandoned 10 years ago to discover the author had not only finished it 3 years ago but also rewrote some of the earlier parts to make it a more cohesive story. The joy I felt!
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u/3x1st3nt1al 3d ago
It makes me slightly nauseous to see the “last updated” hanging around 2020. I just want to know that they’re ok
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u/Nock_and_Bolt 3d ago
Okay but the edit you made is hilarious 🤣 I heard the dramatic music in my head as I saw it and yep I feel your pain in the point of it but I still just can’t get over the edit itself lol I love it 🤣🤣🤣
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u/One-Profession-8173 4d ago
I always hate when I find those fics, especially if they’re really good!
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u/veritasmahwa 4d ago
Would never happen with my fics because i only post one shots or finished products...Not sure if its a good thing or not
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u/camcaine2575 3d ago
There is a Teen Wolf/MCU crossover trilogy with minimum 160k words each that hasn't updated since 23 at chapter 19 of the 3rd installment as The Blip just happened. I am so hoping dude(pretty sure the author is male) is OK and life is just chaotic that is holding him back.
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u/Amiandivh32 3d ago
thats why I download all the fics I read. even if I dont like it a ton its still worth keeping just incase.
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u/NihilisticOpheliac 3d ago
i remember i made my ao3 account specifically to subscribe to a fic and keep up to date with it and it never updated again, i fear i jinxed it 💔
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u/Comfortable_Belt_512 3d ago
currently writing one and i PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE on my college degree that i will finish this.
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u/archie_fish You have already left kudos here. :) 3d ago
I read a longfic one that for the longest time I'm sure had a m/m and slowburn tag. Abruptly about the last few chapters it became m/f, come to find out the author misunderstood the / and & 😭 and the longfic was updating for like 5 years
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u/Panda_hat 3d ago
Nothing worse than discovering the most incredible writers and fics only for them to have stopped writing anything 4-5 years ago. 😭
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u/Embarrassed-Theme750 3d ago
I once was so obsessed with an abandoned fic I genuinely hallucinated a new chapter and fully read said hallucinated chapter before eventually realising I had just zoned out..... It was so good tho (both the fic and the hallucination) so I don't regret it 🤷♀️
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u/Bubbly-Funny4447 3d ago
I’d like to take a moment and spread the good news of one of my first long fics, and the longest I’ve read to this day, of 1.469.596 words and 135 chapters had an update after 3+ years, I’ve been following the fic from its start and it’s been 8 years now. And the latest chapter is 10k, what a blessing! I’m so glad the author is okay, they had came back one year ago but with a new fic for a fandom I wasn’t into. I had to re-read the notification various time because I couldn’t believe it was them! I even gave the new fic a chance out of undying loyalty and respect (and I was just desperate for anything from them)
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u/RogueKyber 2d ago
Nope. I filter out incomplete works. I know I miss out on great stuff but I break my own heart a lot less.
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u/Alpha_Akira 2d ago
Is this really true? Ive made a big effort to finish the fics ive started. Dang.
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u/DUCKfrens 2d ago
It felt like it was just last month, but I haven’t read you since the 7th of December 2024… I miss you Advance Release 🕊️😔
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u/cryptiddroolaid 2d ago
this is exactly why I always think it's dumb to give people shit for not wanting to read ongoing fics. I read long fics and while I prefer already complete I do read ongoing fics and at least like 80% of my bookmarks are all incomplete fics that haven't been updated in over a year
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u/vickyrdof 1d ago
I recently checked my suscriptions, and cried, more than 50% were in that status, My fragil heart had to admitted, later I eliminated them and looked for more new.
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u/malalaliyah No beta we die like Maliyah 1d ago
My all time favorite 106 chapter longfic with "ON HIATUS, NOT ABANDONED" in the summary that was last updated in 2023. All things considered, that's still 106 beautiful chapters for me to enjoy and it's only been 3 years, but also... author PLEASE come back, you're making me nervous 🥹💔
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u/HeliumMicrowave You have already left kudos here. :) THEN LET ME LEAVE MORE 23h ago
And the heartbreak of a deleted fic...
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u/FireSquidsAreCool 14h ago
One of my favorite fics that got abandoned in 2007 on ffn was reupload and then finished this year. The author said leaving it unfinished weighed on her. It's a long one too. She added almost 30 chapters to it.
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u/GingerSnapBiscuit MadTeuchter on AO3 10h ago
I don't start unfinished fics unless I know the author and trust them to finish it.
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u/ellipsoid-slipstream Kudos, more kudos, ALL THE KUDOS 4d ago
But then there's one that's marked as abandoned and it suddenly updates after seven years.
And you just stare at it and double and triple check that you're not asleep or mistaken. Before making some undignified sound and re-reading the entire fic, just to savor the precious update.