The Coal Game

[coalcube]

We're scrolling
And watching coalies make errors
The most pathetical errors!
We're watching experienced coalies
Who stayed up all night tracking a source in its original Latin
Up, writin'
And writin' bad!

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Comments

mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

At what point in writing a treat that's coming out nothing-special would you decide to just not finish it? Or is it always worth finishing up a treat?

Does it make a difference if:
- the fandom is not super rare
- you're already X% done
- you do/don't know if the author will love it
- you're enjoying/not enjoying writing it

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

The first 500 words or so is usually when I figure out if it's got legs or not. Either I have a good idea where it's going at that point, or it's just not going anywhere, at which point I stop.

Fandom and recip don't matter at that point. Those are what get me to start the treat, not to finish it.

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

Usually what makes me stop is if the fandom isn’t super rare or that recip already has another treat. If I think it’s likely I’ll get another shot at it next Yuletide or in another exchange, sometimes I’ll shelve it. I have 3 treats this Yuletide that were mediocre last year but will be good this time around.

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

Whether or not I'm enjoying it and real life circumstances would be the deciding factors for me.

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

If you want to write the story you should write it? Even if you finish it and decide it wouldn't be a good gift, you'll have learned by writing it, and nothing's stopping you from posting it as not a gift.

If you're not getting anything out of writing it, stop.

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

+1000

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

I have definitely been in this situation. I'm always going to push to finish if I have a certain number of words/percentage complete, though I don't have specific set numbers in mind right now. But I'm also confident enough in my writing to feel like something I write that feels mediocre for me is still middle-of-the-pack for the collection, and as a reader I'd rather receive a middle-of-the-pack treat than none at all, so.

I have had it happen though that I've started a treat, gotten a few paragraphs or few hundred words down, and then ditched it because it just wasn't working.

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

If it's just not coming together. That can take anywhere from three sentences to 1000+ words for me. A mediocre treat is still a treat (if I don't want it to become a main gift, it ends up in Madness), I'll write and post it so long as it's coming together.

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

The only time I'm going to choose to or finish it is if I'm not enjoying myself.

Re: mediocre treat

[(Anonymous)]

Assuming that I'm just starting to write the treat, if I'm not enjoying myself and if offline life is getting in the way, I'll park it for now and possibly come back to it at a later time and gift it in another exchange. Sometimes some ideas need some more time to simmer.

If you're not enjoying yourself, trash it. I only write treats that I enjoy writing.