I did a search earlier and their are three thousand five hundred and ninety nine stories with less with five chapters. Many may be new stories but some or fairly old ones that go back to sixteen years ago from the old site. Approximately nine hundred and fifty of them have only one thread. Some may be new stories but most where created and never touched or the writer didn't come over when the new site was created. At what point should a story pronounced dead?
depth or total? Well, a story with one "Chapter" could be a whole novel or short story if it isn't done in adventure style. Many may probably be "dead", though the story idea could be a good one and some writer may want to continue the story.
Depth, but I am mainly talking about the 950 stories that got made then the writer gave up on. A writer might want to add to them but right now they are just culture hiding among the other stories. They are not even on the adopt a story page in the forums.
I can't remember how I stumbled on it but my spark of inspiration to start writing on this site was a two chapter story (only one from the owner.) left abandoned for a very long time. It was just one that I thought had to be continued and as no-one was decided to do it I started writing a few hundred of chapters for it. Do not underestimate the value of a "dead" story or their power. I thought about writing many times but this was this that did it for me. Without this I might still be a lurker reading here without adding to it.
Problem is finding them. Someone may like to pick them up and write them again but unless you do what I did and actually go looking on purpose then that may never happen. Maybe a section for lost stories looking for a home.
I agree with the second Idea, something like "James' Home For Abandoned Stories"... Heck, this is half of what I do on the site, find abandoned stories and contribute to them...
