Forum: Author Hangout

Writing for serial publication

JoeBobMack 🚫

Some SOL authors publish as they write, or close to it. I can't, at least not yet. Still finding my story, and things I've learned writing book five and planning book six have caused me to change major aspects of earlier books. But, I can see where it would be fun to react to reader comments, and I admire those who can publish at least close to what they are currently writing.

Anyway, I thought this Reddit thread with an answer from a historian about past serial publication like Treasure Island might want some discussion. Would love to hear from authors currently publishing as they write!

Replies: whisperclaw DBActive StarFleet Carl tenyari richardshagrin Fanlon

whisperclaw 🚫
Updated:

@JoeBobMack

Well that was a downright fascinating read. Thanks for sharing it. Ending serials with cliffhangers was no surprise, but I hadn't considered the other ways that serialization affected story structure.

I can't speak directly to your question though. I'm a plotter and not a pantser, nor would I dream of releasing a story until the whole thing is written. This is mostly because my first drafts are garbage and the magic happens during revision. People who can crank out quality chapters on the fly amaze me.

DBActive 🚫

@JoeBobMack

The one done this way that's been successful this century is 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith. The first book was a newspaper serial. That led to 14 additional books (not serialized) in the about the characters.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@DBActive

The one done this way that's been successful this century is 44 Scotland Street

Stephen King wrote "The Green Mile" as a serial of 6 short pocketbooks (they were eventually released as a novel with six chapters). Someone who was fascinated with the Dickens' serial writing approached him. King realized the sum of income from 6 low-priced paperbacks was greater than a single novel.

Replies: DBActive

DBActive 🚫

@Switch Blayde

I was referring to his first book being published a chapter at a time in the newspaper on a daily or weekly basis. It was only after that was successful that it was turned into a book and then a series of books.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@DBActive

I vaguely recall from my childhood some examples of cereal publications. There was a series of magic tricks, for example. Because they were inside the cereal packet, you had no idea at the time of purchase whether you were getting a duplicate. Another series came as a small,thick booklets. When you flipped through the pages quickly, it looked as though the subject character was moving.

AJ

StarFleet Carl 🚫

@JoeBobMack

There are two obvious differences between dead tree serials and electronically published serials.

First is the size - you've only got so much paper to fill. Second is the ending - you know WHEN it's going to end, so you have to do like Picard and 'make it so.'

I'm not QUITE publishing as I write, but darned close. My goal is a fifteen chapter buffer, so if Real Life™ screws with me, I have some room. I'm down to a fourteen chapter buffer, but that's still 150,000 words between what's published now and where I am in the story. That gives me time for research as I'm writing and the editing process.

Replies: JoeBobMack Grey Wolf Freyrs_stories

JoeBobMack 🚫
Updated:

@StarFleet Carl

I also think the frequency of publication makes difference.

Anyway, what you, and Grey Wolf, and others do, amazes me. Glad you can make it happen!

Grey Wolf 🚫

@StarFleet Carl

My ideal buffer is 40 chapters. I'm just under 30 right now, which is frustrating but okay.

I've previously said that if it goes under 20 I will drop to 2x a week. It's not dropping right now, so there's no imminent threat, but at under 20 I think quality would suffer. I don't often have to jump back that far to add or revise, but it happens.

The other factors are the editing cycle (each chapter takes roughly a week to edit, with each editor taking a day or two) and my own editing cycle, which benefits from getting significant space between when I write it and when I go back and proofread and edit. If I reread too soon I'm more likely to read what I meant and not what I wrote.

That's not a typo comment, either. Often it's a piece of phrasing, where (at the time) I knew what I meant, but on a reread it's 'What exactly WAS I thinking here? How did that ever make sense?'

As long as I can write 3+ chapters a week on average, all is well.

Also I'll note that my chapters are significantly shorter than StarFleet Carl's chapters; my target is 3,000-6,000 words with a very few under 3,000. Average is around 4,000 words. Based on what Carl's above comment, he's at 10k+ per chapter.

Replies: StarFleet Carl

StarFleet Carl 🚫

@Grey Wolf

If I reread too soon I'm more likely to read what I meant and not what I wrote.

I do the same thing. Typically the day before I post a chapter, I'll do a final reading, so that way a chapter is 'fresh' for me.

Based on what Carl's above comment, he's at 10k+ per chapter.

I'm running about 12,000 - 13,000 words per chapter. I use Libre Office, and Times New Roman 14 point font. When I'm writing, I try to stay right about 25 pages in length using that metric.

Freyrs_stories 🚫

@StarFleet Carl

Is that 'buffer' in a single story or across many?

Written a good chunk of an 'alpha' draft of a story that covers part of the first year of a four year story and that's at 90K. At least half that will be added again before I call that draft done. maybe that much again by the time it's to 1st draft stage. The problem I have is do I get the first year 'finished' then post it while I write the second and repeat the pattern with years three and four. Or do I write the whole four years out, getting at least the first two finished and post on the run as it were. Or the final option write all four. then post with edits to match reader feedback, if there is any.

I do have some much shorter stories under draft, but I'd kind of said to myself that this story should be my first and out as a 'block' posted weekly of course. There are a lot of others in the wings, maybe 20. I'm glad I didn't start posting as I went with this current story as I decided it needed a lot of story put into the front of it as what was originally going to be at most 50k now looks like it might go as far as 500k, a very big difference.

So, the point is, is your buffer a general one or split over many projects? Whilst I can happily chop and change 'project' if I do that 'nothing' seems to get done if you know what I mean. So I'll be 'happy' if I can get this long one out and then post it while I work on some of the other projects and hope that they finish in lock step with the big one tapping out. I write 'steam of consciousness' until I run out of puff on an idea stops working, then go back and read and edit in many many passes. Eventually getting to a cohesive draft that I can show to an editor. This is not a 'good' way to write 'long form' and I'm realising I need construction documents to help with my writing and I am primarily working on those at the moment.

What does your 'workflow' look like? I know no two writers do things the 'same way' but I'm asking for any hints and tips you can offer.

Replies: StarFleet Carl

StarFleet Carl 🚫
Updated:

@Freyrs_stories

Is that 'buffer' in a single story or across many?

Single story.

I have ideas for other stories, and even a few with a couple of completed chapters. But for me, when I'm ready to sit down and work on an idea, then that's what I do. My subconscious only works on one topic at a time.

As an example, when Laz announced the Valentine's Day contest, I immediately had the story title in my mind. Then I spent the next two weeks writing it - with appropriate research, as well - to the exclusion of other writing. Once I got it back from my primary editor, then I finished it, submitted it, and flipped the switch in my mind to get back to working on Cal's stuff.

What does your 'workflow' look like?

I have no set time per day when I sit down and write. I can't - I'm a Realtor™, so I never know from one day to the next when I'm actually free.

The fun part is research, because I might end up spending two or three hours doing research into something just to make sure one line is right. A lot of people don't do that, and I think that makes a difference. Someone from Reno County, Kansas - which I've had a lot of people comment - have told me how accurate my descriptions are.

Replies: Grey Wolf

Grey Wolf 🚫

@StarFleet Carl

Single story for me, too. Since I'm serially publishing, it has to be that way, since I'm on a schedule, and no other story is on a schedule.

It would be very different if I was writing smaller stories.

I agree that research can be pretty time-consuming, but that it's also very much worth it.

tenyari 🚫

@JoeBobMack

I recently published a story I had sat on for a year while working on the next chapter.

I get the desire to want it finished before publishing. I also really want to see it out there and see what people think of it.

I'm glad I chose to put it out there even though there's another chapter coming. A second spinoff story would not have ever happened unless I had hit the point where I could think a little past it. And now that spinoff is also out there.

For the spinoff I didn't sit at all. I wrote the whole thing in a rapid stream of consciousness. Took two days to edit it, and sent it to three different erotica sites. It probably could have used a bit more time to 'cook' or maybe gone another chapter first. Some of the reception has been great, none of it's been bad, but it hasn't "scored" as high as prior parts.

That said, for the spinoff I wanted it out there right away and I also wanted to see how people would react to me putting out something that was not finished, and now I am seeing if I will be able to finish it.

******************
Thankfully, I still feel inspired.
******************

That is the key.

Make sure to end each chapter feeling inspired and wanting more just as much as your readers might.

Year and years ago when I wrote my Alandra story it was the opposite. At the end of each chapter I was often angry and needing a break. A story I thought would take me a month or two to get out there took 6 years to finish even though it only had 6 chapters.

If you ever step away from your story while not feeling it, or worse feeling against it, it risks lingering.

By contrast with my new Jacandra at Blanke Schande College CMNF story... the ideas are still there and I still very much feel the story in a positive, inspired way. It helps that I'm not fighting against other authors over what the canon is... but it goes beyond that too.

Making sure I stop writing at a point where I still feel inspired means I'm carrying the 'high' forward.

Hopefully.

After all, if Chapter 2 takes a year to get out there - this will have been wrong. But I'm hopeful it will be a lot sooner. ;)

Replies: JoeBobMack

JoeBobMack 🚫

@tenyari

If you ever step away from your story while not feeling it, or worse feeling against it, it risks lingering.

This makes a lot of sense to me. Not only for serially published, but for any WIP. Try to end on an upnote. I'm both planning the sixth book in my series now AND getting feedback and revising the earlier books. Focusing on what needs changed in those books motivates me to make them better, but kills my motivation for book six. I want to get things right in the earlier books before I go on, especially since some of this is things like having made magic develop too quickly in earlier books. I want to play out the story more, which means more things will be going on in book six, which means revising the earlier books is important first.

But, when I think about book six, and especially story lines that will be launching or expanding in it, I get excited for it. So, motivation comes from finding the "up" for each task. But, for me, I had already published the earlier books, I think it would be harder to go on because I'd be writing around what I did in those books that no longer fits with my version of the story. Again, why I am so impressed with those who publish serially!

When to publish? I think I'll probably end up following your path. I'll hit a point where I'm "done" with the first books, and publication will begin. That doesn't feel so far away anymore. It won't be because they are perfect. Probably more just saying good enough and let's move on. I like writing the new stuff best. So revising is an exercise in commitment and skill building that I'll likely just tire of and "punch it"!

richardshagrin 🚫

@JoeBobMack

A story about corn flakes is likely for cereal publication.

Fanlon 🚫

@JoeBobMack

I am a discovery writer in general. I have an idea of where I want the story to end, but how it gets there, I don't have a clue until I actually write it. Pinhole, my largest success (ratings wise), was published as it was written chapter by chapter. It wasn't at all consistent in its release frequency, but it didn't linger too long between uploads.

That story was a lot of fun, namely because I got a lot of interaction from the readers both in the comments and privately. Those conversations spurred me on and kept my mind excited about what I was writing. There was little to no risk of me not finishing it, regardless of what happened in my daily life.

That said, I used that method to test to see if the readership would even read it, accept it. It's not your typical erotica, not even close. Which I was worried about, and those initial comments were vital for me personally.

TWP book 1 was also released as I wrote it chapter by chapter. That was a disaster.

Fanlon

Reply to topic

Forum: Author Hangout

Writing for serial publication

WARNING! ADULT CONTENT...