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how to transition from one in story block of time

Freyrs_stories 🚫

Right now I'm working on what will be a long story. It will cover about 4 years of in world time written in one year blocks at around 100K words each.

I really want to get out the first year once I'm happy with the draft. that will post on a schedule yet to be decided with the plan that while that is rolling out write the next block while making minor edits to the previous segments based on feedback if I get any.

I'm worried that there may be extended periods between blocks and having that as a perpetual 'in progress' worries me but I don't know if I want to go separate postings for each 'year'. I know roughly what I want the focus of the second year is and the carry overs from one to two and two to three. no ideas yet for year three at it's core with a couple of scenes from the end of the 4th year floating in my head but no primary arc.

so I'm not 100% sure I can be sure to keep meeting that 100k target 'year' on 'year' in story time. I don't see shorter and shorter sequels working as well as a continuous stream of chapters.

Wondering what method tracks with readers better for medium to long format works here.

Replies:   irvmull  akarge  JoeBobMack  tblev2011
      
irvmull 🚫
Updated:

@Freyrs_stories

Sounds a bit dangerous for the writer, unless you are an especially thorough planner.

As a reader, it's just one opinion, but I've grown to be wary of long stories with no end in sight, because too often there isn't one.

The better the story, the worse it hurts when it just

Replies:   JoeBobMack  richardshagrin
     
JoeBobMack 🚫

@irvmull

The better the story, the worse it hurts when it just

Funny!

      
richardshagrin 🚫

@irvmull

when it just

It is unjust to readers if it just quits.

      
akarge 🚫

@Freyrs_stories

You could post each one-year portion as a separate story, as it is completed, using the same title with part 1, part 2, etc.

Obviously this depends upon the story itself.

Replies:   Switch Blayde
      
Switch Blayde 🚫

@akarge

You could post each one-year portion as a separate story, as it is completed, using the same title with part 1, part 2, etc.

I think the OP post wasn't directed to authors — how they should break their stories up. I think it was directed to the way SOL handles it when an author has chapters within parts.

Replies:   Dominions Son  Freyrs_stories
      
Dominions Son 🚫

@Switch Blayde

I think the OP post wasn't directed to authors — how they should break their stories up. I think it was directed to the way SOL handles it when an author has chapters within parts.

I thought it was about how to handle the transition over the time gaps within the story.

      
Freyrs_stories 🚫

@Switch Blayde

well what I was wondering is one of at least 3 options:

1: continuous story, one chapter after another

2: 'books',not sure how this one works but I've seen stories with 'breaks' in the chapter breakdown, a block of blue i think on my settings and then another set of chapters, chapter count seems to carry over

3: separate stories. one 'story' per year done as a series.

all of these have advantages, right now the first year will be at least 100k words but I don't have any clue the count for subsequent 'years' but there aren't any plans past 4 years except maybe an epilogue.

thoughts?

F.

Replies:   Switch Blayde  helmut_meukel
      
Switch Blayde 🚫

@Freyrs_stories

thoughts?

I'm the wrong person to ask. I write either a short story or novel with the only thing In mind is what it's going to look like when finished. I doubt I would ever write something like "Lord of the Rings" where I would consciously break one story into 3 books, and I think that's what you're asking.

As to transitioning, I just finished the first draft of my latest novel. The 1st 71 chapters span a little over 3 years. The 72nd chapter (last chapter) begins almost 70 years after the previous chapter ends. I begin the last chapter with "Nearly seven decades had passed since that life-changing night in Byron's studio apartment."

      
helmut_meukel 🚫

@Freyrs_stories

2: 'books',not sure how this one works but I've seen stories with 'breaks' in the chapter breakdown, a block of blue i think on my settings and then another set of chapters, chapter count seems to carry over

How you name these 'breaks' is your decision, I've seen 'Book' and 'Part'. 'Book' may be irritating if you sometimes after concluding your story decides to write a sequel. E.g. "Mayhem", "Mayhem 2". If one reader refers to "Mayhem Book 2" others won't know if he meant Book 2 in Mayhem or Mayhem's sequel Mayhem 2.

You can restart chapter numbers for each 'Part/Book' (see Second Chance by Number 7) or continue with your chapter count (see A Fresh Start by rlfj).

You can even continue the chapter count during the sequels, e.g. "Mayhem"(chapters 1–72), "Mayhem 2"(chapters 73–137).

HM.

      
JoeBobMack 🚫

@Freyrs_stories

Make a series or universe. Make each year a new book.

      
tblev2011 🚫

@Freyrs_stories

I kinda just add it in narration or staight tell up you that were jumping forward - actually just did that in my most recent submission. In my mind, thats better than shocking or confusing the reader with information that doesn't add up.

"When the hell did they get a 17 year old?" "Holy shit - did I miss something - Jim died?"

Maybe use time stamps so we can follow along, let us check the date. So many options.

      
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