What Would You Prefere? Unfinished or Never Made at All?

[misskitten]

I got a review on a story I haven't written on for five years (mind you, it's over 100 chapters long, so it's not like I threw out some unfinished piece of work and left it there, I dedicated two years of my life, fully indending to conclude it at some point), as much as I would love to continue it, I just don't feel the inspiration anymore. The reviewer more or less demanded that I get off my butt (to put it nicely) and finish it or they would report me (how you can report a person on a fanfiction site for not completing a story is beyond me). This is not a new thing (although it's the first time threats have been involved), but it got me thinking.

If given a choice between enjoying a piece of work that just never was completed - and it never existing in the first place - which would you honestly choose?

I personally am a huge fan of stories being concluded, however, there are stories out there that I've really loved that just was abandoned at some point. And as annoying it was to see it being dropped before getting a proper conclusion, I wouldn't prefer it never existing. Because at least with only getting parts of a story, there's always the option of making up the conclusion in your own mind - while if it was never made, you would probably not imagine any of it.

 

[Big Octo]

In virtually every medium, I would prefer if it wasn't made/released at all. Often times, a cancellation indicates that the creators know that what they have made is not up to par (and, in most cases, wouldn't make enough money). Of course, I might be down in the dumps upon hearing that the project won't be released, but over time, I realize that it was probably for the better. In other occasions, it might be months or even years until I learn about how something was in development and also how it was cancelled. Similarly, I realize that it was probably for the better.

Now, an unfinished product that is released is something I really can't tolerate. It shows that the creators knew that the project wasn't completed and that they either don't care or are content with mediocrity, which are both red flags to me. Regarding the product itself, the unfinished factor more often than not really shows, especially for the likes of video games, in which many bugs are present and the gameplay is unpolished, and for television, in which the pacing of an episode or episodes is incredibly poor and detracts from the overall quality of the show. In any case, it's a real shame to be given something incomplete, especially when the creator is aware of this.

 

[Clank]

It depends I guess, provided I have the freedom to finish the work if I were to so choose, then I would rather have a unfinished work that I could complete if I decided it was worth it.

Otherwise they might as well just not publish it.

 

[Salem]

I prefer finished stories, BUT if the ending leaves room for more adventures, or future stories.

 

[Vanessa28]

As a reader I rather wouldn't have it published at all. Especially when it is halfway through the story and something is going on and it suddenly stops. But as a writer I prefer unfinished because that means whenever I feel up to it I can read it back and see what I wrote and continue. But then I wouldn't publish it. But it is all a personal choice of course

 

[misskitten]

Am I really the only one who actually think something not being written is worse than it being unfinished? Or am I the only one who are thinking more in the lines of epic long stories that go on for hundreds of hundreds of pages?

 

[Beauts]

This is an interesting question and I don't know. I honestly think it's better to be unfinished than never done. I mean, I've also written stories that I just ran out of steam on, but at the beginning I really loved them and enjoyed writing them. I hate leaving things unfinished though, so I guess it's kind of a 50/50 for me. It's annoying when you're like reading something and it gets discontinued, but, especially in a fanfiction scenario, I think it's fair enough.