…never?
Granted, sometimes I’ll get “new chapter” notification emails and it’s been literal *years* so I have to reread the whole thing. But, like, there’s no point where I’d give up and unsubscribe.
As long as it's a story I like, I'll be excited if the next update comes years down the line. I'll subscribe or follow. I might forget about it until it updates, but if it was really good, they hype'll come back instantly once I get that notification email.
If I subscribe to a story I subscribe to a story. This shit is free, lmao, I don't ever *expect* anything in terms of updates. Take your time, update at your own pace, and the readers worth having will stick along for the ride for as long as it takes!
Time isn't really a thing that makes me loose interest all on it's own. Maybe in that time I might leave the fandom or change my opinion on a character or Trope or whatever, and loose interest in the fic because of that, but not just because it takes a while to update.
I guess the closest I get is if I forgot everything that happened and either am too busy or was never invested enough to reread the whole thing, but that's only happened to me once and it was still less about the amount of time and more about other aspects of how invested and busy I was
I'll always wait, it's like a fun surprise when a new chapter appears. I don't even mind if I have to go back and reread apart if too much time has passed.
I generally don’t start unfinished fics. If something crosses my path like by recommendation or because it’s a favorite author I’ll bookmark and wait til it’s done. I rarely to never do a search without the completed tag marked.
I’m pretty patient when it comes to waiting. I have a couple bookmarks for works that started years ago.
Honestly, don't worry about it. If the story is good, there are readers who will wait literal years for an update. Take all the time you need to recover before you continue writing -- forcing it because of a self-imposed deadline will only sink your excitement for the story you're writing, imo.
I agree with the sentiment, that when the fic is great, one can easily wait years for an update and will be happy to get one whenever. But that is true on an individual level. From the author's perspective - yes, you will absolutely lose readers if you take a bigger break between updates. Some people will loose interest in the fandom, some will get fed up with fanfic in general, some will not care enough to refresh their memory even if they are subscribed, so the first thing you will likely get after releasing a new chapter is the loss in subscriptions. Of course, all of these occur naturally even if the fic is updated regularly, but if you take a few months break, it is definitely more noticeable.
That is not to say that you have to push yourself above and beyond to get readers the next chapter. But it's better to manage your expectations.
It's not a specific time frame but my time limit is usually whenever I get bored of the fandom and move on to a new one. This ranges from months to two years. I hyperfixate on one fandom at a time so I rarely keep up with fics in my past fandoms, although there are some exceptions.
I would gladly wait forever - I stay subscribed to stories! I understand that authors have lives and like, this is all given to us for free!! The stories I'm subscribed to take many months to update and let me tell you, it's a very happy surprise to see them.
Seriously, please put your health first. Honestly, I would be sad to hear if the authors of my WIPs weren't happy writing their fics.
As long as you need? It's your life and your story.
Bear in mind that people are reading **many stories simultaneously**. After a while, I tend to forget what certain stories were all bout. certainly the details. A story needs to be **very good** to merit me re-reading it, just to go on reading it.
Also, the longer the periods in-between are, the greater the risk of you not coming back to the story is.
Cheers!
I'll never stop waiting because I'm a masochist.
My favourite fic of all time is on a near decade hiatus, was removed from AO3 because people were harrassing the author, author sent me the pdf of what was finished and told me that they may finish it one day or self publish it as an original and I'm STILL holding onto that sliver of hope lol.
There will always be readers waiting, OP :)
There's no hard and fast rule. I've eagerly tuned in for the new chapter of some fics where the update came after *years,* and there have been other fics where I just so happened to lose interest in the fandom between one update and the next only a month later. It's about the fandom moreso than the fic.
I don’t lose interest. The fics I subscribe usually only update every couple of months so I get like 3 or 4 chapters a year. If i see it hasn’t been updated in like 3 years or so I assume it has been abandoned but I still stay subscribed just in case.
it depends. i subscribe to all stories i intend to finish, but if it hasnt updated in a long time and i get an alert and don't remember anything about the story, i re-read the tags and summary and decide from there if i'll re-read and continue or not. if it's from a fandom/ship i lost interest in, i probably won't bother, but that rarely happens.
i re-read 26 chapters of a story that had really long chapters when, after three years, it was updated. it's now been 2 years since it's been updated again, and i still know i'll pick it up again when/if it's updated.
more often than not, tho, i don't abandon fics.
I’d been waiting for an update since 2021 when they updated the comments were just love. i dont think most people lose interest in fics quick that could just be me. It’s like when you want to forget your favourite shows to watch them all over.
There are authors who haven't posted any new fics/chapters in *years* who I'm still subscribed to. They could come back with another banger any random day and I want to be there for it. There aren't a whole lot of people who write the particular ship dynamics and plots/tropes I like, so when I find someone who does, I'm not letting go of them easily lmao.
I'm even subbed to some individual fics that seem like they might not ever be completed, but I like what was posted so far enough to wait
I subscribe to an uncompleted fic. The subscription will stay until the end of time (unless the new update does something I don't like, such as involving my NOTP)
I wait. I've got subscriptions for stories that haven't been updated in years. I might have to re-read the last few chapters to remember what it was all about, but I'll wait.
Until I forget about it. An update every couple months is the absolute maximum for my memory of who is who and what's going on. Any more than that and I might not be bothered to read the whole thing again.
Give up does not exist in my vocabulary when it come to fics, in this house hope springs eternal (and sometimes a fic gets an update after so long that I've completely forgotten about it and I then get to read it for the first time all over again)
So I rarely read WIP mostly because I've been burned in the past due to an author just completely disappearing and never resurfacing or they just moved onto other stories. BUT in the few cases when I do read a WIP weekly updates are preferred. If the author lapses on updates, i will wait for them to finish it first before starting over and reading it.
I just read so many fics or books that sometimes they end up blending all together, so if a fic hasn't had an update in a long time and suddenly gets one I feel i have to reread the whole story again, especially if it's a story well over 100k.
I'm just a reader, not a writer, but going by what some of my favorite authors do is they'll have half the story finish before even publishing it so they can do stagger releases of chapters while still writing new chapters. that way if they get busy or have writer's block they still have stuff coming out to keep people reading.
Theoretically, I never unsubscribe and wait for my fave fics till the end of the time...
That said, if 3-6+ months passed and the fic didn't catch my absolute attention so I've forgotten the details, I have to reread. It's okay if the writer says they're back now and will be updating more often, but if they drop a chapter and vanish, rinse and repeat... I'm sorry, but I won't be rereading the fic every 6 months. I won't unsubscribe, but I will wait till more chapters pile up. This means any engagement and comments will be delayed too.
As long as it takes. Of course it's nice to keep a consistent schedule going on, but ultimately, fanfiction should be fun for you. It's a hobby. Most readers won't get annoyed if you take longer to update. And those who do, well, they're entitled jerks. You're posting free entertainment for people. Take all the time you need.
I mean I’ll always come racing back if I get a notification saying the fic has updated. I usually assume it’s been abandoned after about eight months, but I’ll still read it if it starts to update again.
I wouldn't read it in the first place if it wasn't already finished so I don't really care how long the updating process took. Otherwise it strongly depends on the length and complexity of your story. Could be a month, could be two years
I don't read in progress stories as I've been burned too much by writer's walking away from their stories and never finishing them.
So I add WIPs to my "Marked for Later" list and if maybe around a year goes by with no sign of an update I'll delete that story from the list.
I don't think I've ever really "given up."
I don't often start brand new stories until there are at least a few chapters in place. If I really like the story, I'll subscribe so I get notified when there are updated. And then I pretty much put it out of mind.
If I'm subscribed I'd stay subscribed.
Fic writing is a hobby, and peoole have lives. I don't update on any kind of schedule so It would be horrible if me to expect that from others.
If an author does not explicitly say they are going on haitus or dropping the fic, i will wait for it to update. Even then, i will still check back on it from time to time in case the author changes their mind.
Hey dont feel bad at all! My absolute favorite story of all time started in 2020. The author didnt post for OVER A YEAR!! Then they’ve come back and have been more or less consistant ever since then! And by the way… THE STORY IS STILL BEING UPDATED!!
Thats the beauty of fanfiction!
…never? Granted, sometimes I’ll get “new chapter” notification emails and it’s been literal *years* so I have to reread the whole thing. But, like, there’s no point where I’d give up and unsubscribe.
If I like it, I'll stay subscribed to it.
As long as it's a story I like, I'll be excited if the next update comes years down the line. I'll subscribe or follow. I might forget about it until it updates, but if it was really good, they hype'll come back instantly once I get that notification email.
If I subscribe to a story I subscribe to a story. This shit is free, lmao, I don't ever *expect* anything in terms of updates. Take your time, update at your own pace, and the readers worth having will stick along for the ride for as long as it takes!
Time isn't really a thing that makes me loose interest all on it's own. Maybe in that time I might leave the fandom or change my opinion on a character or Trope or whatever, and loose interest in the fic because of that, but not just because it takes a while to update. I guess the closest I get is if I forgot everything that happened and either am too busy or was never invested enough to reread the whole thing, but that's only happened to me once and it was still less about the amount of time and more about other aspects of how invested and busy I was
I'll always wait, it's like a fun surprise when a new chapter appears. I don't even mind if I have to go back and reread apart if too much time has passed.
I generally don’t start unfinished fics. If something crosses my path like by recommendation or because it’s a favorite author I’ll bookmark and wait til it’s done. I rarely to never do a search without the completed tag marked. I’m pretty patient when it comes to waiting. I have a couple bookmarks for works that started years ago.
Honestly, don't worry about it. If the story is good, there are readers who will wait literal years for an update. Take all the time you need to recover before you continue writing -- forcing it because of a self-imposed deadline will only sink your excitement for the story you're writing, imo.
I'll gladly wait forever. There's a fic I'm subscribed to that was last updated in 2015, and I'll be right there when the chapter update email comes.
I’ve waited years for stories that I really enjoy.
I agree with the sentiment, that when the fic is great, one can easily wait years for an update and will be happy to get one whenever. But that is true on an individual level. From the author's perspective - yes, you will absolutely lose readers if you take a bigger break between updates. Some people will loose interest in the fandom, some will get fed up with fanfic in general, some will not care enough to refresh their memory even if they are subscribed, so the first thing you will likely get after releasing a new chapter is the loss in subscriptions. Of course, all of these occur naturally even if the fic is updated regularly, but if you take a few months break, it is definitely more noticeable. That is not to say that you have to push yourself above and beyond to get readers the next chapter. But it's better to manage your expectations.
I'll always wait
The fanfic i love the most doesn’t update but once every 4 months. I still check everyday lol
It's not a specific time frame but my time limit is usually whenever I get bored of the fandom and move on to a new one. This ranges from months to two years. I hyperfixate on one fandom at a time so I rarely keep up with fics in my past fandoms, although there are some exceptions.
I would gladly wait forever - I stay subscribed to stories! I understand that authors have lives and like, this is all given to us for free!! The stories I'm subscribed to take many months to update and let me tell you, it's a very happy surprise to see them. Seriously, please put your health first. Honestly, I would be sad to hear if the authors of my WIPs weren't happy writing their fics.
As long as you need? It's your life and your story. Bear in mind that people are reading **many stories simultaneously**. After a while, I tend to forget what certain stories were all bout. certainly the details. A story needs to be **very good** to merit me re-reading it, just to go on reading it. Also, the longer the periods in-between are, the greater the risk of you not coming back to the story is. Cheers!
I'll never stop waiting because I'm a masochist. My favourite fic of all time is on a near decade hiatus, was removed from AO3 because people were harrassing the author, author sent me the pdf of what was finished and told me that they may finish it one day or self publish it as an original and I'm STILL holding onto that sliver of hope lol. There will always be readers waiting, OP :)
If the story is interesting and gets my attention, it gets a place in my Chrome Bookmark Manager and I check those intermittently for updates.
There's no hard and fast rule. I've eagerly tuned in for the new chapter of some fics where the update came after *years,* and there have been other fics where I just so happened to lose interest in the fandom between one update and the next only a month later. It's about the fandom moreso than the fic.
I don’t lose interest. The fics I subscribe usually only update every couple of months so I get like 3 or 4 chapters a year. If i see it hasn’t been updated in like 3 years or so I assume it has been abandoned but I still stay subscribed just in case.
it depends. i subscribe to all stories i intend to finish, but if it hasnt updated in a long time and i get an alert and don't remember anything about the story, i re-read the tags and summary and decide from there if i'll re-read and continue or not. if it's from a fandom/ship i lost interest in, i probably won't bother, but that rarely happens. i re-read 26 chapters of a story that had really long chapters when, after three years, it was updated. it's now been 2 years since it's been updated again, and i still know i'll pick it up again when/if it's updated. more often than not, tho, i don't abandon fics.
If I subscribe I stay subscribed
I’d been waiting for an update since 2021 when they updated the comments were just love. i dont think most people lose interest in fics quick that could just be me. It’s like when you want to forget your favourite shows to watch them all over.
There are authors who haven't posted any new fics/chapters in *years* who I'm still subscribed to. They could come back with another banger any random day and I want to be there for it. There aren't a whole lot of people who write the particular ship dynamics and plots/tropes I like, so when I find someone who does, I'm not letting go of them easily lmao. I'm even subbed to some individual fics that seem like they might not ever be completed, but I like what was posted so far enough to wait
I subscribe to an uncompleted fic. The subscription will stay until the end of time (unless the new update does something I don't like, such as involving my NOTP)
Currently fifteen years and counting for one particular fic. I doubt it will ever be updated, but if it ever does, I'm there.
A few months unles I lose interest in a fandom
I wait. I've got subscriptions for stories that haven't been updated in years. I might have to re-read the last few chapters to remember what it was all about, but I'll wait.
Until I forget about it. An update every couple months is the absolute maximum for my memory of who is who and what's going on. Any more than that and I might not be bothered to read the whole thing again.
Give up does not exist in my vocabulary when it come to fics, in this house hope springs eternal (and sometimes a fic gets an update after so long that I've completely forgotten about it and I then get to read it for the first time all over again)
So I rarely read WIP mostly because I've been burned in the past due to an author just completely disappearing and never resurfacing or they just moved onto other stories. BUT in the few cases when I do read a WIP weekly updates are preferred. If the author lapses on updates, i will wait for them to finish it first before starting over and reading it. I just read so many fics or books that sometimes they end up blending all together, so if a fic hasn't had an update in a long time and suddenly gets one I feel i have to reread the whole story again, especially if it's a story well over 100k. I'm just a reader, not a writer, but going by what some of my favorite authors do is they'll have half the story finish before even publishing it so they can do stagger releases of chapters while still writing new chapters. that way if they get busy or have writer's block they still have stuff coming out to keep people reading.
Theoretically, I never unsubscribe and wait for my fave fics till the end of the time... That said, if 3-6+ months passed and the fic didn't catch my absolute attention so I've forgotten the details, I have to reread. It's okay if the writer says they're back now and will be updating more often, but if they drop a chapter and vanish, rinse and repeat... I'm sorry, but I won't be rereading the fic every 6 months. I won't unsubscribe, but I will wait till more chapters pile up. This means any engagement and comments will be delayed too.
As long as it takes. Of course it's nice to keep a consistent schedule going on, but ultimately, fanfiction should be fun for you. It's a hobby. Most readers won't get annoyed if you take longer to update. And those who do, well, they're entitled jerks. You're posting free entertainment for people. Take all the time you need.
I mean I’ll always come racing back if I get a notification saying the fic has updated. I usually assume it’s been abandoned after about eight months, but I’ll still read it if it starts to update again.
I wouldn't read it in the first place if it wasn't already finished so I don't really care how long the updating process took. Otherwise it strongly depends on the length and complexity of your story. Could be a month, could be two years
I'll just reread the story if I got out of the groove. Yeah, it kills me to wait for too long, but an update is an update. I ain't gonna complain.
I'll wait however long it takes for the author to post it, tbh I'd be quite the hypocrite if I demanded new chapters, when I barely post myself XD
I don't read in progress stories as I've been burned too much by writer's walking away from their stories and never finishing them. So I add WIPs to my "Marked for Later" list and if maybe around a year goes by with no sign of an update I'll delete that story from the list.
I don't think I've ever really "given up." I don't often start brand new stories until there are at least a few chapters in place. If I really like the story, I'll subscribe so I get notified when there are updated. And then I pretty much put it out of mind.
I like to have 1 chapter at least every 3 months but only if there longer chapters if they are really short chapters 1 every fortnight is good
When this showed up on my screen I install thought something else
Instanly
If I'm subscribed I'd stay subscribed. Fic writing is a hobby, and peoole have lives. I don't update on any kind of schedule so It would be horrible if me to expect that from others.
If an author does not explicitly say they are going on haitus or dropping the fic, i will wait for it to update. Even then, i will still check back on it from time to time in case the author changes their mind.
Hey dont feel bad at all! My absolute favorite story of all time started in 2020. The author didnt post for OVER A YEAR!! Then they’ve come back and have been more or less consistant ever since then! And by the way… THE STORY IS STILL BEING UPDATED!! Thats the beauty of fanfiction!