hot take but i genuinely think more people should be reading fics while they’re still in progress
like not in a “you’re doing fandom wrong if you don’t” way, more in a “you are missing out on one of the most unhinged and delightful corners of the entire reading experience” way
because finished fics are great, obviously. they’re complete, they’re clean, they’re ready to be devoured in one sitting at 3am while you pretend you’re going to sleep at a reasonable hour. but in-progress fics? in-progress fics are a living thing.
because you’re watching it happen in real time. you’re there when the author is still figuring out what kind of emotional damage they’re about to inflict. you’re there when they post a chapter and you can practically feel them hovering like “so… thoughts?” through the screen.
and then you comment. and suddenly it’s not just reading anymore. it’s you and a stranger on the internet collectively losing your minds over fictional people like it’s a shared research project.
you start recognising usernames. you start waiting for updates the way normal people wait for weather. you get replies from the author that feel like inside jokes forming at lightning speed. sometimes you’re not even sure where the fic ends and the group chat energy begins.
it’s chaotic. it’s intimate in a very fandom-specific way. and i think people underestimate how much fun it is to be part of a story while it’s still becoming itself.
anyway. read more wips. leave comments. become slightly unwell about chapter updates with the rest of us.
that being said, if you want to witness me actively spiraling in real time, here’s the link to my canon rewrite of merlin.
