marguerite_26: (holiday default)
marguerite_26 ([personal profile] marguerite_26) wrote2013-02-05 10:58 am

Hi, my name is Maggie and I’m addicted to WIPs.

If you ever ever click the Teen Wolf tag on AO3 you will discover in about 3.2 seconds that Teen Wolf is up to their eyeballs in WIPs. I've been following about 20. Yesterday I started another 6. I decided on the following:

Murphy's Law of Teen Wolf WIPS


  • It's been so long since the last chapter that when the new chapter starts with: 'Ten days later Derek is still furious' you have about 20 different plots run through your head as to WHY he's furious before you finally give up and re-read previous chapters.

  • Summary is the greatest idea ever; author is that one person you'd sworn off after they abandoned their millionth WIP.

  • You find a WIP that you'd never seen before, summary looks really interesting and OMG! It’s now complete! 27/27 chapters… you are tingling with hope. Then Scott is called a dumbass, a bad friend and basically the reason for everything shitty in Stiles life, all within the first 2 paragraphs. -_-

  • You are 17 chapters in and you realize you honestly don't give shit any longer.

  • You've been following along and loving it and the last chapter finally got posted. You can barely breathe until you start reading and WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?

  • Fic starts awesomely amazing. Best best best thing. Give me all the WORDS!!! Current status --->1/? Last updated: 3 months ago.



that said... I can't can't can't give them up because there exists the rare glorious beast: the perfect wip. [not to be mistaken with the perfect fic, which is a whole different topic]. The perfect wip is lovely to read, leaves you thinking about it for the days in between updates. It sinks into your mind and you dream about it, thinking of the ways the next scene will go... it becomes a living breathing part of you until that last chapter is posted and you utter a satisfied sigh because yes yes yes the author came through. YES! Damn that was good. *wipes brow*

It's a completely different experience then reading a fic in one sitting, devouring and moving on to the next.

anyway... while we are on the topic, here's a WIP that is now complete and left me very very happy.

Gravity's Got Nothing on You by zosofi
Derek/Stiles | 83k | NC-17
Summary: “Three weeks,” Derek says.

“Still don’t want to,” Stiles says.

“I’ll pay you,” Derek says, and that… that has Stiles interested. Alf’s Antique’s may be a great job, but it’s not a high-paying job, and half of Stiles’s tuition is coming from financial aid, so…

“How much,” Stiles asks, “are we talking here? Because I know your family, dude. And it’ll be kind of awkward after.“

“My family thinks you’re some sort of fucking gift to the world,” Derek seethes, like he’s jealous, “they’ll probably be pissed at me when we break it off, so don’t worry about that. Five hundred bucks.”

“A thousand,” Stiles says, because screw ethics. Also, the Hale family is loaded. Derek can deal.


Pretend boyfriends/no-Hale fire AU. The rest of the world stays intact (ie: Scott is still bitten, Scott/Stiles and best friends, and also have good relations with the Hale pack). This is set outside of Beacon Hills, in a college town where Scott, Stiles and Derek all attend school. When Laura comes for a visit, Derek has to scramble to find a boyfriend and Stiles is conveniently there. Beyond the pretend boyfriend awesome ust stuff they is a great magic!wtf! subplot. This fic is funny and hot. A really charming read.

[identity profile] mickeym.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I just want you to know that I blame you *completely* for the handful of WIPs I'm now following. *sigh* And yep, your Murphy's Law seems pretty dead-on.

[identity profile] mithborien.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I completely agree with bullet points 1), 3) and 4). They describe my reading habits perfectly!

And I also really liked the fic you recced. I was subscribed to it as well and thank god the author was updating regularly.

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sorry. I honestly aim.

I'm painfully addicted, because for each fic that scorns me I need to read 3 more just to ease the burn.

hair of the dog that bit you and all that. D:

I'm afraid to tell people what I'm reading because I'm only encouraging this self-destructive behaviour! D:

Emerald's Guild to WIP's

[identity profile] witchyemerald.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I followed that one so hard.

I understand what you mean about WIP, I now have a new system because I really can not follow every WIP and understand what is going on when I read as many fandom as I do.

I now will read the summary and the first few chapters as a preview. If a like what I see I bookmark the story. When it is done then Ill read it. If I LOVE the story in the preview read AND the author has a good update time table(like zosifo did) Ill read as she updates. But I really don't have time to reread the story every time an author take 3 months to update. If no updates after a year I think the aurthor has abanded the story and remove it from my list.

I also started to look at how many WIP a person will have if there is 15 and nothing has been finished I will double think on spending the time on the story. I break that rule for 3 authors but I know them so ...

As a write I NEVER post a WIP, because I know me. I don't think its fair to a reader that you gave me your time and I dropped the story etc.
Edited 2013-02-05 16:21 (UTC)

[identity profile] mickeym.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
It's okay :) I forgive you. ;)

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
3 is a bit of a epidemic in fandom. >.> so.

The author of Gravity immediately went on my list of 'trusted wip' authors. Organized, frequent updater, well-executed plot with no surprise 'lol. gotcha'. *stamp of approval*

Re: Emerald's Guild to WIP's

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
OMG. so organized. \o/

tho, I could never... ever... stop at 3 chapters of a fic that I was loving. Not if there were like 7 chapters posted. I just... woah. impossible for me.

I completely lack self control when it comes to reading.

[identity profile] dornfelder.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
That's so, so true.

I've actually started sorting the Teen Wolf fics by "complete" on Ao3. But I'm still hooked on some WIPs as well.

The worst thing, I'm currently also a WIP author with irregular updates (*hides and runs to edit*), so I can't even blame anyone anymore...

[identity profile] wooly-bear.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
*bitter laughter*

It's a slippery slope, my friend. Here (http://archiveofourown.org/works/654177/chapters/1191576)'s another one for your list.

*smirks*

[identity profile] littlelostcat.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 05:12 pm (UTC)(link)
First? GGNOY? I want to marry that fic and have dirty sex with it. I know how that sounds but It's true, I'd do the deed with a digital publication.

But -- I think it's interested about the WiPs. I feel like I've been burned so many times that I fall in love with a fic and the authors stops (I've even done it before) ... and I just become so bitter. LOL. Do the WiPs that you follow ever not finish? Does that bother you?

[identity profile] brunettepet.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
The WIP is why I started my idiosyncratic "reviewing" style. I can go back and read each my chapter bullet points rather than having to go back and read twenty, thirty or forty thousand words. AGAIN! So frustrating.

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Do the WiPs that you follow ever not finish? Does that bother you?


OMG. ALL THE TIME.

And I'll be honest, I swore off WIPs in every other fandom. I was strong once upon a time. But I fell into the hole in TW and it feels like the only way I can live with the heartache of an abandoned WIP is to remember the joy of reading those first few chapters. So I every time I curse lack of updates, I go seek out a new WIP. 3/? calls to me like a beacon.

-_-

But those few, those happy few that do in fact finish, and finish in a way that leaves me loving it just as much in the last chapter as the first... those are babies I cherish.

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 05:49 pm (UTC)(link)
The worst thing, I'm currently also a WIP author with irregular updates
OMG!!! GO WRITE!!!!

*g*

I usually sort by 'complete' on AO3 and then I have a bad day (yesterday) and I just fall into every half written thing out there. D:

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
ahhaha... you try to trip me up! but la! I am already reading that one, and also Parks and Edifice (http://archiveofourown.org/works/590136/chapters/1228892) just got updated so LIFE IS GOOD!
Edited 2013-02-05 17:50 (UTC)

[identity profile] wooly-bear.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
*narrows eyes*

This (http://archiveofourown.org/works/642795/chapters/1166402) one then?

And I dare you to read this without ugly-crying into a convenient piece of paper toweling. Not that that happened to me or anything.

[identity profile] littlelostcat.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
What I love about AO3 is the subscribe option -- I'll usually read the first chapter, see if it works, and then subscribe.

And I feel like ... there is a semi-drought in TW at the moment ... where I can't find any long, well-written (i.e. actually edited by someone other than the author ten minutes after they've written it) fic. So maybe WiPs are the way to go, LOL.

ext_90239: (Default)

[identity profile] faithwood.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Current status --->1/? Last updated: 3 months ago.

D:

It's like my worst nightmare! WHY WOULD YOU CLICK?
mothlights: (sterek_huff)

[personal profile] mothlights 2013-02-05 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
You're dead on with all of those!

Not to be an enabler, but I am reading 1 (frequently updating) WIP: A Mating Moon by unpossible. If it isn't one you're already addicted to, I highly recommend.
mothlights: (whip_will_speak)

[personal profile] mothlights 2013-02-05 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, this!

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
yup, got one eye on that one. I like the story but I can't really deal with Scott in that fic. D: I just... scott being the ultimate shitty friend to make stiles woobie makes me insane. D:

But Peter tho!!! Peter is why I'm still reading. The Peter/Stiles stuff is so hot.

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure if it's a semi-drought or just that I'm insatiable. LOL.

either way, I agree... the need for long, well-written fic is driving me to WIPs

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
oh! interesting. And lol that makes so much sense. after awhile they all blur together to summary-like comments really are helpful. ;)

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
THE SUMMARY! THE SUMMARY FAITH. I AM SO WEAK. D:

[identity profile] marguerite-26.livejournal.com 2013-02-05 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
unpossible is one of the only WIP writers I ever followed in Merlin fandom. She is amazingly reliable! \o/

And yup, am reading. :)

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