Readers didn't like the end of the series

[ThePracticeShortStories]

The first 18 parts of my first series, "The Practice", all seemed well-received. The first six parts received ratings around 4.4, and parts 7-18 received ratings around 4.1.

But then the final three parts, 19-21, were rated 3.92, 3.5, and 3.73! So, obviously much worse than the rest of the series. My guess is that the readers found the gradually-revealed cosmic horror plotline to be too strange, surprising, and confusing to really enjoy.

But does anyone have any great tips for ending a series strong?

 

[lovecraft68]

Here's the more important question.

Are you happy with your ending?

If you are? Then that is what counts. You need to write your babies your way and not sweat the readership because if you start with the "what would they like?" you're losing your identity as a writer.

Now if you're not happy with what you did, then that could be worth discussing, but we'd need more details.

 

[ThePracticeShortStories]

I'm happy with the destination, but I'm not sure I brought everyone along on the journey... does that make sense? I like the ending, but I am not sure I used/have enough skill to put the ending together in a satisfactory manner.

Here are two comments from the final part:

by Anonymous
08/12/16
That was...interesting

It was well-written, but I didn't understand it completely. Probably never will. The was the strangest thing I've read on Literotica. Not in a bad way, though.

Though I'm still walking away from it going "huh"? or rather, "What the fuck?" Is there a reference I'm missing? I have no idea.

---

by Anonymous
08/12/16
Thank you

Really enjoyed your story, I've been reading it avidly with every new chapter and I'm glad to finally get the answers and wrap up to the story. Really enjoyed it though a few of the last chapters felt a little rushed.

Overall though very enjoyable and filled with mysteries that kept my attention, keep up the good work

 

[lovecraft68]

Now see those two comments show you that every reader is different and one seemed to not get, the other did get it and was happy things were a little vague.

So you have the type that needs it gift wrapped and spelled out and the kind that likes to think and be left with some open territory

Now...check my username. I am all about cosmic horror and I can tell you that for me the definition of that genre is to leave things up in the air a bit

 

[ThePracticeShortStories]

Oh yes, nice username! If you like cosmic horror, I would love for you to read "The Practice" and tell me what you think. Of course, I realize that's a huge request, but if you're ever bored and looking for something to do

It was loosely inspired by Kenneth Hite's Maddness Dossier GURPS supplement.

Maybe you're right that some readers just didn't "get it", but I can't help but feeling that I could have crafted the ending with more skill. I didn't rush it, but maybe it needs more polish.

 

[lovecraft68]

And no better way to get that polish than to keep writing. You'll get better as you go and next series maybe the ending falls in a lot better for you.

 

[NotWise]

The first 18 parts of my first series, "The Practice", all seemed well-received. The first six parts received ratings around 4.4, and parts 7-18 received ratings around 4.1.

I skimmed over a few parts but didn't read the story since it is rather long and outside my realm, but I can point out a few things and ask a few questions even without following through on the whole thing.

You describe the story as BDSM/Cosmic horror, but it's posted in Nonconsent/Reluctance. Perhaps you would have had a more comfortable audience had it been posted in either BDSM or Sci-Fi.

A series of chapters usually builds an audience of readers who follow along because they like the story, and the readers' ratings commonly increase as the story goes on. Perhaps your first chapters built a following of people in one genre, then the shift to cosmic horror knocked them out of the story. Could it have helped if you foreshadowed the changes?

You posted the first 15 chapters on a pretty regular basis. That's great for keeping and building an audience that is familiar with the story line. You waited a month between chapters 15 and 16. Perhaps that lag knocked a lot of your regular readers out of the story and your new voters weren't as pleased with it.

Your readers' comments suggest that you started pretty well, but didn't finish that way, with the slide starting after the first three chapters. Did you lose focus and let the original story line wander?

 

[ThePracticeShortStories]

I skimmed over a few parts but didn't read the story since it is rather long and outside my realm, but I can point out a few things and ask a few questions even without following through on the whole thing.

You describe the story as BDSM/Cosmic horror, but it's posted in Nonconsent/Reluctance. Perhaps you would have had a more comfortable audience had it been posted in either BDSM or Sci-Fi.

A series of chapters usually builds an audience of readers who follow along because they like the story, and the readers' ratings commonly increase as the story goes on. Perhaps your first chapters built a following of people in one genre, then the shift to cosmic horror knocked them out of the story. Could it have helped if you foreshadowed the changes?

You posted the first 15 chapters on a pretty regular basis. That's great for keeping and building an audience that is familiar with the story line. You waited a month between chapters 15 and 16. Perhaps that lag knocked a lot of your regular readers out of the story and your new voters weren't as pleased with it.

Your readers' comments suggest that you started pretty well, but didn't finish that way, with the slide starting after the first three chapters. Did you lose focus and let the original story line wander?

These are all great questions, thank you.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what category to post in. In your experience, would sci fi as a theme override the other elements?

As for regularity in posting, well, life happens. I'm sure you're right that being predictable would be ideal.

 

[SamScribble]

I have a little section in one of my (physical) bookshelves which I think of as ‘Books I have started’ – started, but not finished. At some stage, for some reason, I lost interest in these books and didn’t get to the end on the first pass. But I still thought that I’d get back to them at some stage. So they weren’t quite ready for the recycle bin.

Last weekend, I took out one of these books and pressed on bravely. I made it to the end. But I wasn’t cheering. I felt cheated. I felt that the book had started out well – but then it felt as if the author was just going through the motions. I thought that he had lost interest in the project.

I know that a lot of Lit readers like multipart stories. They like the idea of 20,000 words (although give me a well-crafted 1500 words any day). But I also think that if you are a serious author, you have an obligation to have a clear idea of where the entire 20,000 words are going before you post the first part. In fact, I think that you should write the whole piece before you post the first part.

That said … you can’t please all of the people all of the time. The big question is: how do you feel about what you have written?

 

[NotWise]

To be honest, I wasn't sure what category to post in. In your experience, would sci fi as a theme override the other elements?

Sci-Fi isn't a 'trump' category like Incest/Taboo or Gay Male. I'd have to read the story and understand the relative importance of the different themes to take a good guess, but I think if there's a BDSM theme then maybe it should have gone to BDSM.

As for regularity in posting, well, life happens. I'm sure you're right that being predictable would be ideal.

Yep it does, and maybe it doesn't have to mess up the story. I don't have a lot of experience with this. The one still-ongoing chapter story I have up was partially written long before I joined Lit. I posted the first five parts spaced by a couple days, then waited six months to continue the story. When I did continue it, I added one part then waited another month-and-a-half, then added three parts over the course of the next month. That was three months ago. Despite the starts and stops, my last two chapters are the highest rated.

I don't know why this story seems to buck the general advice. It may turn out that my good luck will end when I post the next few chunks.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I had a couple people that didn't like the end of a four chapter story I posted here. But some people did really like the end.
I'm happy with the ending so that's what matters I suppose.
But it's odd to me that the second chapter is the highest rated because it's the shortest and in my opinion is just kinda meh. Maybe I should go read it again.

ETA ok I take that back, it's such a sweet chapter and made me fall in love with the characters! So that makes sense that it has the highest ratings of the chapters.

 

[Dream_Operator]

I read the first chapter -- it came off as a dude trying to write from the female perspective (Hannah) and it didn't feel genuine; it felt fake.

He was wearing a dark red plush robe and sitting in a large, pillowed, armless chair made of dark wood. He was of average height and build and had a short beard; Hannah thought him moderately handsome, if twice her age. His deep brown eyes bored into her, and she stammered. "You don't? It's beautiful. You can see everything!"

Urgh!

 

[ThePracticeShortStories]

Thanks everyone for the feedback and perspective. I'm working to improve my skill, not just tactically but also strategically