When is it okay to quit a thread?

[Niceandbrutal]

I've perused the list of threads on SRP and I can't help but notice the many threads that have been abandoned. There are countless threads that are closed and with no replies. If someone don't want to do a thread after all, shouldn't they at least PM and say "Sorry, I don't want to do this."

I have a rule: If, after three weeks I haven't heard from my co-writer, I cancel my subscription and PM them to let them know that they need to PM me if they want to continue writing. If they have submitted to other threads during the three weeks, I'll take it as a sign they're no longer interested in writing on the thread and PM to inform them that I'm quitting the thread.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Niceandbrutal]

I'm not too sure about the 100 posts rule. If the person has less than 100 posts in the course of say, more than six months, then sure. But if it's a newbie (less than a month on Lit) I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I don't feel that one of the authors should post a THE END on a thread that's finished, as long as there is agreement between the writers to give it up.

I've quit some threads for various reasons. I didn't like disappointing the co-writers on those threads, but when writing a thread starts to feel like a chore you owe it to yourself to quit. But you need to do the polite thing and inform your co-writer.

 

[Baelnorn]

Just not worth it...

 

[prettyserpentine]

That's just rude, really.

Any threads I've dropped out on, I've always informed the partner that my creative juices for the topic have simply dried up. But like Indigo, I'm very careful about who I couple with for RP. I have to say though, I've been very lucky. I do four threads now and I enjoy each partner's creativity and imagination immensely.

 

[thestruggle]

I think it also depends on posting speed and what you expect. All of my threads - and really, any thread that I'll ever write - are begun with the understanding that the inspiration to write a post may be slow in coming. This also includes RL time restraints, etc. If I ever happened to write a thread with someone I didn't know well, I'd probably let them know in a PM or something that I'd be unable to post at an accelerated speed. I guess the point of my post is that sometimes you just aren't feeling a character or story at that particular time, but as Vail said, it's best to leave the thread open - just in case. I'm sure most of my threads look "abandoned" but are really just waiting for that bolt out of the blue.

It's an entirely different matter if the story becomes completely uninteresting, though. That's another reason why I give my threads such a long grace period: the story has to be intriguing enough to develop over that time period, and in that way I can avoid the whole "Eh, this thread is zzzzz" conversation.

Edited to add - I also don't think it's fair to call something "rude" if the co-writer just plain doesn't feel like writing that particular thread. Ruffles and I are writing Jericho, and that thread only has three posts. Etham and Rough Trade, on the other hand, have been moving apace. That's just kind of the nature of the muse. But it would be rude to just never post back again without explanation, yes. But if you see your co-writer posting a lot for another thread... so what?

 

[Niceandbrutal]

I've never been abused when quitting threads and I would be disappointed if that ever happened.

There are some interesting points for me to consider here. I find myself being more lenient when people on the more interesting threads I contribute to take their time when posting. This is because they've invested time and creativity in their postings and/or I just adore their writing style.

If I feel I've invested my time and energy in a thread that is a non-starter or a dud I walk away. But I always PM to tell of my decision. Or rather, I Pm or get PM'ed. Sometimes I try wringing my head to find a good reply to a thread and come up with nothing. When my partner PM's me to ask if I'm going to reply I then have to tell her that I can't continue.

 

[musicankane]

I've had threads abandoned by me and by my partner. It is something that happens. I know that in the past couple of years I've had so many changes in my life spring up on that it was simply impossible for me to continue writing or inform people of what had happened. I've been in Earthquakes where power and service goes out for weeks, I've been kicked out of my house and had become homeless for 6 months, Hell I've been simply overloaded with working 3 jobs to stay alive that Lit was the last thing on my mind.

Not to say that I haven't simply bailed on threads outright because of other reasons too. I've written with people who made me edit every post I wrote because they "didn't like that direction" and it seemed to me that they wanted to write a story on their own, not a SRP. So I left that thread and let them do that.

I left threads because I was either getting bullshit two sentence replies to my 1/4 page posts, or grammar was just making my brain melt.

Explain this to me please, why don't people use quotation marks? And new paragraphs when people are speaking? Dashes don't signify speaking characters? Italics indicate a memory, not dialogue.

Now my grammar is utter shit too, but at least the word flow is easy to follow.

 

[musicankane]

Right well italics are a funny little formatting tool. Because they can be used as a inner voice in someone's head, perhaps something from another world like a demon or something. Generally though, quotes .

 

[thestruggle]

I've had threads abandoned by me and by my partner. It is something that happens. I know that in the past couple of years I've had so many changes in my life spring up on that it was simply impossible for me to continue writing or inform people of what had happened. I've been in Earthquakes where power and service goes out for weeks, I've been kicked out of my house and had become homeless for 6 months, Hell I've been simply overloaded with working 3 jobs to stay alive that Lit was the last thing on my mind.

Not to say that I haven't simply bailed on threads outright because of other reasons too. I've written with people who made me edit every post I wrote because they "didn't like that direction" and it seemed to me that they wanted to write a story on their own, not a SRP. So I left that thread and let them do that.

I left threads because I was either getting bullshit two sentence replies to my 1/4 page posts, or grammar was just making my brain melt.

Explain this to me please, why don't people use quotation marks? And new paragraphs when people are speaking? Dashes don't signify speaking characters? Italics indicate a memory, not dialogue.

Now my grammar is utter shit too, but at least the word flow is easy to follow.

To be fair, a lot of writers don't use quotation marks. James Joyce and Cormac McCarthy are two that come to mind. Whether due to stream of consciousness or the rhythm of conversation - there's a lot to play with there. In this medium, particularly, there's a lot of wiggle room. I find it sort of fun to play with. It allows me to place different emphases on varying contexts - though, speech, emotional reaction, whatever.

 

[musicankane]

This is true. However those are professional writers who know exactly how to flow their words in which the reader is not confused with the story because of lack of punctuation.

The people on this site and this forum are generally not skilled enough to use those tool in any manner they feel like.

If you can pull it off then that's great and more power to you, however as a general rule (which is why they called them general rules) I like to see structure.

 

[thestruggle]

OK, not really fair using Joyce as an example.
I mean, Joyce is ALWAYS an example of not following rules.

Well, no, but Cormac McCarthy doesn't particularly walk the line, either. But his is like an homage to Joyce anyway and the whole Faulkner comparison is pretty true. And if we're talking in that respect, there are several other writers I can think of who shrug off convention and have been lauded for it. Being aware of the box and still choosing to kick out the sides, yeah, that's a different point entirely but I thought it was good to mention here. Now I want to read weighty literature, damn!

This is true. However those are professional writers who know exactly how to flow their words in which the reader is not confused with the story because of lack of punctuation.

The people on this site and this forum are generally not skilled enough to use those tool in any manner they feel like.

If you can pull it off then that's great and more power to you, however as a general rule (which is why they called them general rules) I like to see structure.

Well, to be fair, this isn't really the place for "general rules." It's a hobby-writing forum. The majority of the people on here aren't looking to publish - they're looking to get off. This also brings up one of my major gripes about rules. If you can't express yourself on a site made for expressing yourself, where do you go? I've sold short stories. Does that make me a "professional writer"? This reminds me of the whole "who decides art is art" argument. McCarthy doesn't write his work with the purpose of making it easy to read - All the Pretty Horses has a passage in it that I remember flows on for two pages with dialogue included. The point is clarity, and that can differ from person to person. The minimalist approach has that idea in mind. Anyway, I think (in respects to the original point of this thread) to be straightforward about your preferences is important. I'm pretty picky about who I write with and it's gotten me accused of elitism in the past, so... that's probably why I'm trying to be more allowing to general expression, although most of the people on here aren't trying to recreate Ulysses.

 

[musicankane]

Oh man but recreating Ulysses would be so much fun!

 

[thestruggle]

I agree, I just felt like hassling you for bringing up Joyce.

As is generally noted, though, ignoring the box and not knowing the box exists are two different things.

I think everyone gets hassled for bringing up Joyce. Joyce himself got hassled. Everyday he's hasslin'... Sorry.

 

[musicankane]

I think everyone gets hassled for bringing up Joyce. Joyce himself got hassled. Everyday he's hasslin'... Sorry.

Did you just use LMAFO in a literary reference?

 

[thestruggle]

Did you just use LMAFO in a literary reference?

Actually, Rick Ross.

Joyce is a troublemaker.
Its types like him what breed unrest!
(put that in a slight cockney accent and its a bit funnier)

Now I just keep thinking, "the rain in Spain stays mainly..." Ugh, why do things stay in our heads?

 

[Niceandbrutal]

Joyce is a troublemaker.
Its types like him what breed unrest!
(put that in a slight cockney accent and its a bit funnier)

You ARE a loony!

 

[thestruggle]

I gotta tell you, the rain in Spain goes where ever it fucking feels like. Thats just the way Spain is. Spain is like the Joyce of weather.

I choked on my tea. I'm seriously still giggling over this.

 

[Niceandbrutal]

I'll add that to my list of 'things I am'

I'd have replied: "I am not a loony! Why should i be attired with the epithet 'loony' just because I've got a pet halibut!?"

Which makes me the biggest loony. Or a Monty Python fan.

 

[thestruggle]

Well, don't get me started on Gibraltar. Gibraltar is the Elliot of giant rocks.

I think literary jokes are my new favorite form of humor.

 

[thestruggle]

Snob.

It's not like I'm giving up on the non sequitur. I don't think that's possible, my brain would break.

 

[musicankane]

The focus on this thread surely changed.

 

[thestruggle]

Into delicious, delicious pieces?
licks lips

That makes it sound like brain candy... Hmm. I want cherry.

@Kane, that's kind of par for the course around here.

 

[musicankane]

God I really want to write a thread. Why does the forum seem so dead these days? Or maybe I'm just black listed.

 

[thestruggle]

Dammit. I am SO getting cherry licorice when I go out.

I hate licorice but I love this stuff. If you've never had it before, you should try it sometime. I wonder if there's anyone who actually eats black licorice.

 

[Britwitch]

I hate licorice but I love this stuff. If you've never had it before, you should try it sometime. I wonder if there's anyone who actually eats black licorice.

They eat tons of it over here!