Finishing Stuff Off

Anyone recognize these titles? Ragwood Hall, The Secret Spanking Society, The Locked Room, The Governess, The Bottom Inspector, Dominatrix, Three Merry Maids, Underwood Hall.

I have to confess that they are all serials of mine that I haven't got round to finishing! I can dong out a short story in half an hour, but serials are a different kettle of fish .... my enthusiasm sometimes wanes before I get to the end, so I forget about them and move on to something new. How bad is that?! Do others have this problem, or is it just me?

IMHO you should merge all of those into perhaps two serials, then you might be more inclined to finish them:

"The Secret Spanking Society in the Locked Room Under Ragwood Hall"

"Three Merry Maids: Governess, Dominatrix and Bottom Inspector"

Semi-seriously, it's a problem I have as well--rather like my darling wife and her household projects... --C.K.

Oh yes! I can relate. My unfinished story file is a graveyard of good ideas that somehow never made that final trip out the virtual birth canal. For me, a serial is far harder than a single story. I write so slowly that I feel it is only right to get most of the writing done before I release the first episode. Who wants to wait years between episodes?

"Dong out a story in half an hour"????? I wish! That's just not the way it works for me. For me, writing is a multi-pass, iterative process.

I am also honestly convinced that my writing urge is hormonal. Sometime I MUST write, and other times I haven't the slightest urge for weeks at a time.

Guy

I've got unfinished stories where I became unhappy with the story and dropped it, but no, any planned serials I've finished.

I can totally relate, Flopsy. My serials will be finished when they pry my cold, dead fingers from this keyboard. I hope that's a while yet, but tomorrow is promised to no one. Car Trouble was a single story back in 2002. When I published it here, the commenters noted that it wanted a sequel, so 13,000 words later, part 2 was born. Part 2 left Sandy undealt with - well, heck we can't have THAT! And a few commenters on part one said, Francie's long-suffering mother Edna needed a spanking man in her own life to add some much-deserved spice - so Edna Norton Gets a Fella is coming soon. And when Francie and Sandy get to college and get assigned their "monitor," - well - it's so difficult to have a perfect freshman year. So, when will I be done with the Nortons? When my cold, dead, etc. etc.

Treat it as an opportunity, Flopsy. And get your little self busy, else I might have to send a referral with your name on it to Miss Thrashbottom. How's that for "motivation?"

Serial? What's a serial?

It's always frustrating as an author to get to a point with a story where you don't know where to go or simply don't have time to sit down and finish. I've had several stories, short ones and longer serials, that I've failed to finish because I can't seem to move forward with them, I grew bored of writing it, or my original idea just didn't come out as well as I wanted it to.

As a reader, it's definitely disappointing to see a wonderful serial be discontinued. I've had quite a few that I follow, here and elsewhere, that haven't been updated in months or even years. But the writing we do is recreational, and no one should feel obligated to complete a serial they no longer have the interest or ability to write

nice to know that quilters don't have a corner on the 'unfinished' market!

I had one unfinished story for 6 months, and another for 10 years, only to discover when I went to work on them, that they were already 90%+ done. Perhaps elves stopped by to help.

Nick, a serial is what I generally eat for breakfast I think!