Temporarily closing a series - good idea?

[Gamblnluck]

In my current series, after a flurry of writing, I have published five stories. I have outlines for another five or so; however, it will take a couple of weeks before the next one is ready.

Instead of adding stories one by one, I am considering closing the series now and reopening it when all the stories are ready in around two months' time.

Does anybody have experience doing that? Was it good or bad?

My question is why? Just leave the series as is, unfinished for now. I have a series that I have not added to for almost a year because I was busy with another project. Oh, I wrote, edited and then rethought where I wanted to go. But I left the story open. It is some 11 long chapters.
I plan to get back to it for the simple reason it is unfinished.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Is there any reason to do so? Does it really matter? Would readers even notice?

Kinda my question as well. Then I think I found my answer.

I viewed the OP's stories and they don't really fit what I would consider a "series".

Picking one in the middle of the grouping of tales left me unsure of many of the characters and the backstory. If I have to go back to previous submissions to gain a full appreciation for the one I started with, IMO, that is a chapter story and not a series of distinct and separate episodes comprising a series.

I compare this to watching an episode of a television show such as "Yellowstone". If you came in at season 2, episode 7, would you gain the full appreciation for what you were watching? That is different than watching an episode of a show such as Magnum, P.I., where each episode (typically) could stand entirely on its own.

Having two true series on Lit, I leave them both open in case I ever decide to write another episode. Leaving them open has no impact on the episodes already published because those are all stand-alone and distinct stories that merely share a common theme with the others and don't rely upon them for contest. This is not what I see with the OP's stories.

 

[Writer61]

No, but I haven't had a negative experience of not doing it.

As I said, it is often said here that some readers do not begin a series until it is marked as complete.

 

[Writer61]

Kinda my question as well. Then I think I found my answer.

I viewed the OP's stories and they don't really fit what I would consider a "series".

Picking one in the middle of the grouping of tales left me unsure of many of the characters and the backstory. If I have to go back to previous submissions to gain a full appreciation for the one I started with, IMO, that is a chapter story and not a series of distinct and separate episodes comprising a series.

This is why the author's note at the top of each story recommends that readers start at the beginning.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I have a series here that isn't about the same character, so there is no order to it. But Mr. Lucky has an order to it, so I have numbers on them.

This is why the author's note at the top of each story recommends that readers start at the beginning.

 

[Writer61]

I have a series here that isn't about the same character, so there is no order to it. But Mr. Lucky has an order to it, so I have numbers on them.

And what do you deduce from the numbers?

 

[MillieDynamite]

The order of the stories! Part One, Part Two. Those are the only ones on here. There are others, but not here, not yet, at least. The other series emphasizes that it features different characters and has no particular order.

And what do you deduce from the numbers?

 

[BobbyBrandt]

This is why the author's note at the top of each story recommends that readers start at the beginning.

That's great.

I'm just saying that I don't consider it a true "series" if a note such as that is required. I consider that a chapter story, and how or if you should temporarily close it should take this into account. The impact on readers is different.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I have a series here that isn't about the same character, so there is no order to it. But Mr. Lucky has an order to it, so I have numbers on them.

That is similar to my "Before They Were Stars" series. The same theme to all the stories but with different characters.

Sort of like "Red Shoes Diary" episodes.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

A series: Self contained episodes featuring the same characters. See, Married With Children, Cheers, et al.

A chaptered story: Each continues more or less where the previous one left off. See Dallas, Dynasty, et al.


Lit's version is closer to the second example.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

I find it’s simply easier to post an update to my profile with an explanation of what I am doing so that my readers know what’s going on - I should probably do that today honestly. That way there’s no concern that you’ve walked away for good.

 

[Writer61]

Thanks for all your opinions.

What I am looking for is feedback on real experience.

 

[cw5523729]

Closing an unfinished series explicitly so people will read it thinking it's finished even though it isnt seems like a fabulously efficient way to piss readers off

Real world: my series got many thousands of views before all parts were published. The final part being published did not magically cause thousands more to start it.

 

[Writer61]

Closing an unfinished series explicitly so people will read it thinking it's finished even though it isnt seems like a fabulously efficient way to piss readers off

Which is why I am asking for experience of doing so.

 

[MillieDynamite]

@BobbyBrandt
I have a three-part mini-series of novellas in the same universe, featuring all the same characters. Well, two parts right now. I'm sure at some point, when I'm over my hissy fit from the suspected AI rejection, I'll put them up here.

 

[Britva415]

Lit's version is closer to the second example

Does Lit enforce that? Writers can and do do it either way.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Was that a rhetorical question? Yes, yes, @Brtva415, it was. Oh, shit, there I did too.

Does Lit enforce that? Writers can and do do it either way.

 

[Gamblnluck]

This is why the author's note at the top of each story recommends that readers start at the beginning.

Having an author's note to go read a half dozen other stories in order to understand what is going on leaves many readers already not liking the story. Number the damn things so the reader knows. He may go ahead and read a little to see if he wants to bother.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Does Lit enforce that? Writers can and do do it either way.

Writers can go both ways.

 

[Gamblnluck]

As I said, it is often said here that some readers do not begin a series until it is marked as complete.

Many story series are never marked complete. A couple of mine are because in the description I say Finale.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I find it’s simply easier to post an update to my profile with an explanation of what I am doing so that my readers know what’s going on - I should probably do that today honestly. That way there’s no concern that you’ve walked away for good.

Few authors update their profile more than every few years if then. I'll be most readers don't look at the header page of a profile often either even if they are checking for updates/new chapters. They go immediately to the works page.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

@BobbyBrandt
I have a three-part mini-series of novellas in the same universe, featuring all the same characters. Well, two parts right now. I'm sure at some point, when I'm over my hissy fit from the suspected AI rejection, I'll put them up here.

I too have a similar series in my "Uncle Sugar Daddy" tales. Each is stand-alone yet progress off each other serially. If I chose, they could all be combined as chapters of a longer novel but I left them in their current form in case I want to add to the series at some point.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

A series: Self contained episodes featuring the same characters. See, Married With Children, Cheers, et al.

A chaptered story: Each continues more or less where the previous one left off. See Dallas, Dynasty, et al.


Lit's version is closer to the second example.

There are a lot of examples that could be cited.

I used "Red Shoe Diaries" as an example of a series where the characters are different, but the thematic plot is the same between episodes. Most situation comedies, such as the ones you mentioned use characters as the common denominator.

The examples you cited for a chaptered story bring up a way that I think more people should look at the difference;

If the individual episodes could be combined to make something like a feature film without a lot of redundancy, then they should be considered like chapters of a book (novel). If your published episodes could be combined with little repetitive backstory or content to create a larger story, then you are publishing chapters and not a series.