First off I'd like to start off this blog by taking a bit of a poll... I know I'm likely to get a broad range of answers, but I'm wondering what is your preferred length for a serial? I will try chose the more natural breaking points, but really its not that difficult with my writing style to find a good break points. Right now I'm leaning towards breaking things up into pieces ranging from about 3000 to 6000 words, but I was wondering what you guys and gals all thought.
Now on to the rest of the blog...
So unfortunately I haven't been able to get much writing done the past few days as my muse has been fuelling a different side of my creative process. Fortunately it is story related.
I've been creating a series of images for my latest effort Battle for Earth (or B4e as I tend to think of it)... At the moment the plan is to break the story into three parts each of which will be posted here as a serial. (FM and elsewhere I'll probably just do each part in a single post.) Anyway, I'm fairly certain there will only be three parts, but it really depends on the length of each. The titles will be: Battle for Earth: Resistance, Battle for Earth: Coalescence, & Battle for Earth: Liberation (this third one may still change).
I've created a different teaser image for each for the main page. I do realize that they are all quite similar, but I believe they're distinct enough for my purposes.
I've also created similar images for the organizer pages and the ebook which will be available for free download once I've finished posting the entire story.
And finally for the story update.
B4E is coming along rather nicely and has kept up its momentum which is more than can be said for some of my other projects. At the moment I'm about 83,270 words in (including chapter headings and the glossary which is around 640 words). Part one is roughly 48,000 words and I think part two will probably be just a bit longer. Part one is mostly complete I'll probably add to it (there are some scenes that end rather abruptly) and I'm considering changing the time span to allow for certain events to play out over a more realistic period.
That's a wrap for this blog so have delightfully demented day,
D.A.W.
Comments
I have my own opinion
I don't really like serials, unless they are more like our favorite soap opera called by the fans as "Bike", really titled Easy as Falling Off a Bike, or something like that. I prefer to sit down and read a story without a lot of frequent breaks. My current favorite, I think can be called Last of the Fey, or something like that. I think that is posted with about 20 pages or so, I can't recall. Just as I really get into it, it stops. Another one is posted as SEE, or Somewhere Else Entirely. The postings are the same. I really get into it, and it stops. One of my favorite ways to read something like this is to save several chapters and then read them. That helps me keep continuity in the story, otherwise I have to go back and re-read several chapters so I can keep events straight. This is not a hardship, as I am able to read them at work to pass down time. I also may pick up on details I have flat forgotten in my old age. I am getting ready to re-re-read a serial called Spellbinder, as I know I will pick up things I have forgotten. Same with a storyline about a Physical Adept. When a chapter is posted I eagerly jump on it, then have to go back and pick up all the good stuff I missed. I would think 20 pages at a minimum, maybe more, especially with an involved plot line. But that's just me. I had to go back and read the last 7 chapters of Last of the Fey to keep that onvolved plot line straight to follow the action properly... BTW, love the artwork.
I prefer either chapters with
I prefer either chapters with about 5k words lenght or the whole story in one post. So what you do right now works okay, I guess. It can kind of suck though if the book isn't written as a web-serial though.
I agree with Stacy
I am a very frequent reader of BCTS. I really enjoy the books and stories. I spend a lot of time at my computer or online with my Kindle.
Chapter length is not as important as frequency. Serials that post once every few days or perhaps a week are best. Chapters that post once every two or three or four months usually lose my interest. Totally unfinished works usually make me lose interest in an author. To string a story for ten or twenty chapters then leave a cliff hanger for years really burns my butt and may turn me off that author for a while. I often will look at the end of the last chapter to see if it's continued or finished. I really like when an author will list with the title chapter number and the total number of chapters. I will usually wait until at or near the end then start reading. Karin Bishop is really good about this. I have read and like most of her works.
I am not an infrequent poster of comments. Many authors have heard from me. I try to post encouragement or perhaps constructive critism. I have read some of yours and like most of what I've read. Please keep writing but don't leave us hanging too long.
Much Love,
Valerie R
I never post a serial
I've never posted a serial before the story is finished so that's not an issue with me. I'm glad you've enjoyed at least some of my stories and thank you for the input.
Have delightfully devious day,
Rethinking the serial thing
Thanks everyone for the input, but I've really given myself some time to rethink things. And I actually refrained from posting while I muddling things over. I haven't come to decision, but I'm now reconsidering the whole serial thing. Perhaps I'll just post all three parts as a whole and see how they do.
Have delightfully devious day,