Hit or Miss: Length Edition

[cruiscin_lan]

So we've already been over what we like to see in titles, summaries, ratings, and warnings. There's not much wank-free territory left to cover in headers, but still I persevere in poll-making.

Last category to do: length. Do you like to indulge in something epic? Do you prefer your fic in bite-sized portions? Do you perhaps give something a try because it's short, and thus you won't waste a lot of time? Or is a fic only worth your while if it has a lot to offer, verbosely speaking?

Rules are pretty self-explanatory at this point; jump in on discussions if you feel so inclined!

[Poll #1363928]

Comments

[speccygeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

As with any other part of the header, I'm willing to read longer stories from authors I know are good. The most obvious example I can think of is Last Man On Earth by seraphtrevs. It's brilliant from beginning to (unfinished) end, but it's massive. I would gladly read it in book form, that's how good it is.

But, you know, most schmucks, not so much.


I just realized that both my series fall into the 5000+ category. But they can be taken as standalones... at least, Nymphmomania can...

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

That's a good way to go about it. Sometimes if something really massive is recced to me, I'll try reading the author's shorter fics first, so I can get a feel for it. I mean, if you could do the same with authors of books, why wouldn't the same rule apply to fics?

[aurilly.livejournal.com]

My vote comes with a big caveat. Many of my favorite stories are huge epics, but I don't want someone to post 10000 words at once. Spread it out over a few days/weeks. Therefore, I say epics are the BEST, but my preferred length for each chapter/post is 2500-5000 words (this also goes for how long I prefer one-shots, which I love, too). That's just a good length to feel satisfied. Crack is usually good at about 1500 words. I never read drabbles before comment fic. If it was less than 900 words, I didn't see why I should bother clicking on it. I like to sink my teeth in. I still feel that way, but think of comment fic as a different beast, for some reason.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Many of my favorite stories are huge epics, but I don't want someone to post 10000 words at once.

SECONDED. I lose my place too easily if there's a huge chunk of text on the page. I like it when it's broken into chapters or parts for easier mental digestion! I would say my attention span is just a little shorter than yours, because I'm usually completely satisfied with fics that are 500 words or so in length.

[candlewaxdreams.livejournal.com]

I love longer fics, but only if they're well-written and about characters I like. I'm not a huge fan of drabbles/100 words because a lot of the time, I'm left wanting more of whatever plot/idea it is.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Drabbles are like candy - they taste good but you need to eat like a handful at a time. But then sometimes they turn your mouth a different color, and your teeth ache from... wait, this analogy is getting out of hand.

[acinogan.livejournal.com]

i like epic fics, usually broken up in portions, especially if they're angsty.

drabbles i like to read, but usually only if it's characters i know really well. otherwise i'm like "what just happened? did i miss something?"

for a oneshot, i like in the 1000 - 5000 word count range the best.