Forum: Author Hangout

Anyone Making Plans for NOT Making it?

Vincent Berg 🚫

Since many of use here are older authors, with no current jobs limiting our writing time, I assume that most are still busy writing, but we need to realize that we're still the front-line of casualties in the current health crisis.

First of all, how's everyone doing? Has anyone had the Covid-19 virus? Has anyone suffered from it, or suffered significant health impacts?

Secondly, is anyone making alternate plans for their writing? I know that many of us won't even acknowledge to our families that we write 'online porn'. Is there anyone who can act on your outstanding, nearly finished stories if something unfortunate happens to you?

Is anyone's family willing to step in and keep your existing stories alive, or (gasp) finish up and post your still-in-development stories.

Editors (often just as old as us) are a reasonable alternative, as they're already familiar with our work, and often have limited access to our stories via online-accounts like Google Docs or DropBox, but we'll need to put up our in-development stories too, just so there's some history that they exist. While those authors may not be able to carry them across the threshold for us, they at least had other author contacts who may be interested in finishing partially uncompleted works by somewhat well known authors. (by the way, I haven't done this yet myself, so I doubt that anyone else has either).

It's a bit morbid planning for your own death, but if you want your stories to live on after you, we need to be aware of these details.

So, does anyone have any alternate plans in case the unfortunate happens to them?

Replies: Remus2 joyR

Remus2 🚫

@Vincent Berg

I don't consider planning for the inevitable to be morbid. No one gets off this ride alive. The only wild card is what will eventually get us.

As for plans, everything I have documentation wise, is stored in triplicate. My living family, wife, son, siblings etcetera, won't be at all surprised. It would surprise them more if they found nothing.

joyR 🚫

@Vincent Berg

I don't qualify as 'older' and I'm doing my best to avoid qualifying as 'victim', so this isn't exactly a reply to your post.

I makes a lot of sense for authors to 'plan ahead' with regards to posting their work etc. I'm wondering how Lazeez handles such things without a direct request by the author..?

Perhaps Lazeez could add an item to the "My Account" page that would allow authors to insert their nominated 'story executor(s)'. That would hopefully make Laz's job easier and ensure the authors wishes are followed.

Yes, this could be posted in 'Bug Report and Feature Requests' but before doing so, what do others think?

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@joyR

Joy, Lazeez has previously expressed support for authors taking on each other's work once one becomes indisposed. I'm sure, if a known SOL author's editors were to reach out to him, he'd likely allow them to post an as-yet unposted/unpublished story (thus keeping the author's stories active).

Perhaps more importantly, rather than posting unfinished works, is having someone occasionally sign in to your account, so that your stories do not get 'archived' and removed from the public's view.

Replies: joyR

joyR 🚫

@Vincent Berg

Perhaps more importantly, rather than posting unfinished works, is having someone occasionally sign in to your account, so that your stories do not get 'archived' and removed from the public's view.

If I understand you correctly, you think it important to give someone access to your account after your death with the express intent of stopping your stories being archived. That is a blatant evasion of site rule (16) and I would expect Lazeez to act if such behaviour was evident. Every author here has agreed to that condition.

Replies: Vincent Berg Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

Vincent Berg 🚫

@joyR

If I understand you correctly, you think it important to give someone access to your account after your death with the express intent of stopping your stories being archived.

That wasn't quite the intent--though Lazeez allows that--at least from family members after an author's death. I merely meant that, if a couple of outstanding stories get posted afterwards, it will keep them before readers for a little longer, which is especially sweet, as readers will appreciate the stories more, knowing the author's no longer around to critique. (Not to say it's sweet that reader's won't get a voice, just that readers will likely appreciate the stories more, knowing they can't angle for new, different stories from them.)

But, no, I have NO plans for anyone to keep my account active if anything happens to me. I was just saying that it's been done in the past.

Replies: richardshagrin

richardshagrin 🚫

@Vincent Berg

it's been done in the past.

rache stories were posted for about a year after her death.

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@richardshagrin

rache stories were posted for about a year after her death.

From what I understand, she also left several completed stories that she'd never posted--largely due to their controversial topics which she thought to much, even for her. Thus it was easier for others to polish up and post, rather than having to finish the creative aspects of the work.

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

@joyR

If I understand you correctly, you think it important to give someone access to your account after your death with the express intent of stopping your stories being archived. That is a blatant evasion of site rule (16) and I would expect Lazeez to act if such behaviour was evident.

The site's rule is 'if you stop logging into the site'.

I don't care who logs into the site using the account. As an author, you can share your login with whoever you want: another author or family members.

Some authors have given access to their pen names to other people. The system allows multiple users per pen name.

Darian Wolfe 🚫

Due to my health issues I have handed a story off that was still in development. LT3 Will more than likely be my last large story. At least for now,I don't have the mental capacity for larger stories.

I hope to write short stories again. We'll see.

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@Darian Wolfe

Due to my health issues I have handed a story off that was still in development. LT3 Will more than likely be my last large story. At least for now,I don't have the mental capacity for larger stories.

I hope to write short stories again. We'll see.

I was having some significant health issues--despite being generally healthy, as they were mostly cognitive issues. However, after visiting my ex for several weeks, reviewing my past medical issues with her and getting onto a new holistic approach, I've largely turned the corner. I still have significant concentration issues I didn't have a few years ago, but they're no longer the roadblock they were, and I'm no longer considering having to quit writing entirely (which I'd been wrestling with for quite a while).

Sometimes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but sometimes, it's down a separate tunnel than the one we're currently stuck on.

But like you, I'm now eschewing the overly complex 'unwritable' plots I used to focus on, instead going for faster, more enjoyable reads without throwing roadblocks in front of me.

Replies: Darian Wolfe

Darian Wolfe 🚫

@Vincent Berg

Congratulations on turning that corner. I turned a small one myself. After about five months of not working I've De-stressed enough that's long as I avoid my triggers and take it REAL easy I can function decently. The least little change in temp or noise, light or stress is enough to put me in a bad spot. But there you go.

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@Darian Wolfe

Congratulations on turning that corner. I turned a small one myself. After about five months of not working I've De-stressed enough that's long as I avoid my triggers and take it REAL easy I can function decently. The least little change in temp or noise, light or stress is enough to put me in a bad spot. But there you go.

Aside from any medical issues, this is a common issue among authors (stressing ourselves out and overthinking things). I'm reading a great book that deal with these and other issues, Anne Lamott's bird by bird, which just issued it's 50th Anniversary edition (though there are plenty of online sellers reselling the older books, plus I'm sure your local library (if it's open) likely has a spare copy).

She lists the panic that authors routinely go though (her father was a well-known author, with loads of heavy-drinking author friends (who mostly committed suicide in their later years), and she taught a series of class on "Writing and Authors") as well as a series of specific steps you can take to mitigate each (though most are directed at quieting the inner critic).

Mushroom 🚫

For me this has been a double edged sword.

Like so many, I was put out of work because of the panic keeping everybody at home.

And on the other side, the military is talking about recalling me to active duty for 6 months. So at least that will solve the issue with being unemployed.

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@Mushroom

And on the other side, the military is talking about recalling me to active duty for 6 months. So at least that will solve the issue with being unemployed.

And we're all eagerly awaiting your Catch 22 version of the entire FUBAR enterprise. ;)

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Forum: Author Hangout

Anyone Making Plans for NOT Making it?

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