How do you feel after reading a segment of a story that ends in a particuliarly evil spot?

I'm 'other'. I secretly love them (don't tell anyone or I'll hunt you down and beat you with a ficus), but at same time they ARE extrememly frustrating, especially when you know the

I'm another "other" -- can't say that I love cliffhangers, although I do enjoy some of them. But I recognize that it's a feature of stories posted in installments -- just to make sure all your readers stay with you til the next section -- and I'm okay with that.

PJ

Yeah, I voted for other - you need an all of the above option. <g>

I think cliffhangers come generally into the love to hate category.

LabRat

I went with other as well. I really *like* cliffhangers, as long as I get to read the next part almost immediately. This is honestly done of the reasons I don't read many stories on the boards and wait for them to be done. (I'm actually just as likely to read all the parts from the mbs as I am to read from the archive - it's not about format, it's about completion.) I just can't wait to get to the next part. I'm the type of person who reads novels cover to cover too. I just don't like not knowing what is going to happen next. However, if the author has to break it anyway, I really have nothing against ending on a cliffhanger. It's a gread device, I just don't like them to wait too long to post the next part. (And you can't yell at me for not following my own advice, because from my second story on, I've never waited more than 1-2 days between sections <G>.)

Annie

I'm in the 'other' category. I love writing cliffhangers and leaving my readers with them , but I don't really read stories in parts very often, precisely because I don't like the cliffhangers. Don't ask me how I survived the summer between S2 and S3 and then again between S3 and S4. I nearly worried myself (and my whole family) to death.

~Anna (who is posting from the on-campus computer lab and hoping that no one is looking over her shoulder to see that she is posting on a mbs for show that was cancelled 6 years ago)

I `Can't wait to hunt down the author and wring their scrawny necks!!`

But seriously on the one hand I just kinda hate cliffhanger, I mean who doesn`t?? You don`t know what will happen and most of all you have to wait -most of the time- a whole week to see what`s gonna happen. And that can get really on my nerves, especially when I am writing an exam and can`t stop about the story all the time.

But on the other hand I kinda like them, because they make you want the part for a looonnnggg time and when the part is finally there you are really happy and content to just there and enjoy reading. That is till the next cliffhanger decides to come up

sunshine

i voted "other." as a writer, i go by "always leave 'em wanting more." as a reader, i go by "what?? you can't leave me there!!"

Paul

ROTLMAO! Yup, that pretty much sums it up, Paul!



LabRat

ROFL!!!

As much as I don't like to be kept waiting (as far as I'm concerned, patience is NOT a virtue ), I do like cliffhangers because it leaves me wanting more.

There are, however, a couple of exceptions:
1. There is no major follow-up to the cliffhanger - i.e., it's really built up over nothing (see this past year's Friends cliffhanger I spent three months waiting for nada.)
2. There is no follow-up to the cliffhanger (the most evil of all ... I still have yet to forgive NBC for leaving Earth 2 fans in a lurch)

Interesting topic, thanks to Missy for posting this poll.

ROFL! You should see me when I post from the newsroom. I'm paranoid. My friends and coworkers would think I was seriously crazy.

Annie

oh, come on, guys! take it as an opportunity.

"uhm... Lois and Clark? hasn't that show been off the air for a while now...?"

"well, yeah, but it's really cool.. there are all these fans and they write stories and there are awards and...."

(half an hour later, after you've finished summing up how cool FoLCs are...)

"ooo! where do i sign up?"



Paul

1/2 an hour?! They'd have me in a straight jacket on my way to the looney bin before 30 minutes was up.

~Anna (who is now safely on her own PC, comforted by the fact that her roommate already thinks she's crazy)

LOL, Anna and Paul... this is one of the times I really appreciate having my own house and my own computer, and the only people who think I'm crazy are my own family, and they knew that already

On the other hand, it is kind of a distraction... I've heard a rumor that there's this thing called... housework? Gotta check that out one day

PJ

I went for "love them", but I hesitated with the option where I hunt down the author to wring their neck. I usually don't wring their neck... but I beg and beg and beg and beg some more until they agree to show me what comes then.

Kaethel

Housework? Oh right. That's the thing that would make my place clean if I stepped away from the internet for a few minutes.

PRO-CLIFFHANGER right here! I love cliffhangers, I love to hate the authors who write them, and I love pulling my hair out waiting for the next installment should I happen to read some WIPs.

LOL! I knew we had more in common, Pam!

Yeah, I know. I really should. But I don't think they would understand. I do think some of my friends know about my obsession, we just don't discuss it. They've all used my laptop, which has tons of lnc links in the favorites folder, and they've seen me working on my lnc website at times. We just don't talk about it. <G>

Annie

I'm with Shadow on this. I love cliffhangers! That's the fun of reading in installments, the suspense is great!

Christine

I'm one of those who love good cliffhangers. It's nice to read and a bit suspence never hurts. But then comes the moment (mostly right after reading the cliffhanger) that I wanna know what happens next. So I've learned to be patient since it's usually worth waiting.

But lately I found I'm getting a bit not-so-patient anymore. So I've started nagging. I'm afraid that second option will apply for me soon.

But good cliffhangers are always nice. Now if certain people would just hurry on and post more!

Saskia

I almost voted "Can't wait to hunt down the author and wring their scrawny necks!!" buut in trhe end I voted Other. I have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers. I love, them I really do. The sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your finger nails feeling is almost unrivalled. However, at the same time I hate them, cause you have to wait days/a week for the next part! (Or there is also the possability that the author loses his/her muse... permanently )

Cliffies are best when you reach one and then discover that the next part has already been posted!

Loriel

I know the feeling! I'm in the computing lab at the moment! Whenever friends come over to talk to me I usually minimise the window. This is a great option, unless of course, you also have the Archive on the next page, another mb page open on the fic you're also in the middle of reading (while waiting for the first mb page to finish loading), then another page with your inbox full of posts from the fic list...

Despite all that, surfing at uni is usually better, mostly due to the (usually) fantastic connection speed. Also the fact that I don't think my parents know the full extent of my obssesion, so if I'm online at Uni, they don't see it! I can't wait til I have my own place (and a job) so I can have (and afford) a broadband connection...

As for the housework? I'm lucky in that I still live at home and am not responsible for a whole house worth of cleaning. My mum left my sister and I to our own devices to our own rooms years ago, though, and I have to say, it *looks* she did! The shock would probably kill my mum if she saw a duster or hoover near my room!

Loriel (hoping that noone is looking over her shoulder. )

I went for wring their scrawny necks. But I mean that in the nicest way possible.

I like cliffhangers when it's natural, but I've noticed with some stories that when you go back later to read the whole thing in one sitting, there are a bunch of forced cliffhangers that make no sense when it's one piece. Cannot for the life of me think of any examples, though.

And I have absolutely no qualms about accessing L&C stuff at school. I blab about my obsessions so much that just about everyone who knows me knows what I like and dislike. :p

And...housework? Housework? What's that? Oh, yeah, cleaning and stuff... Nah, I don't do that.

(Seriously, though, I like dishes. They're fun. It's dusting I don't like.)

Bethy