Launching Unfinished Multi-part Stories

[LAHomedog]

An idea comes into my head, so I write the story. Many of them are unfinished tales that desire more chapters. I've done that a couple of times, but mostly I get enticed by the new idea and forget to follow up on the prior story.

I now have 4 or 5 of these published that I should go back to, but I have at least 6 that I have started and my creative part wants to jump on.

Anyone else ever experience this? I'm not looking for suggestions on how to continue, thanks but I know how to do that. I'm wondering if this is a common problem?

 

[MadeleineSinha]

An idea comes into my head, so I write the story. Many of them are unfinished tales that desire more chapters. I've done that a couple of times, but mostly I get enticed by the new idea and forget to follow up on the prior story.

I now have 4 or 5 of these published that I should go back to, but I have at least 6 that I have started and my creative part wants to jump on.

Anyone else ever experience this? I'm not looking for suggestions on how to continue, thanks but I know how to do that. I'm wondering if this is a common problem?

I only have a few stories published, I started with a multipart series but found I wanted to build the back story for my main character so wrote some standalone but connected stories to go with.
I have some ideas on where the main story will go but part of it involves the supporting characters so I may start up a second multi part but it will depend on where the first goes.

 

[tomlitilia]

Yeah, and nowadays I never publish the first part before the whole series is done, save for editing.

 

[XerXesXu]

An idea comes into my head, so I write the story. Many of them are unfinished tales that desire more chapters. I've done that a couple of times, but mostly I get enticed by the new idea and forget to follow up on the prior story.

I now have 4 or 5 of these published that I should go back to, but I have at least 6 that I have started and my creative part wants to jump on.

Anyone else ever experience this? I'm not looking for suggestions on how to continue, thanks but I know how to do that. I'm wondering if this is a common problem?

All mine are complete, then submitted in chapters. Recently I changed a chapter to include a humorous response to a Lit poster, which derailed the story line. I may try to get it back on track when I'm in the mood for a rewrite.

But generally I've completed a story before I start posting.

 

[JGittes]

It's the story of my fiction writing life. My first story submission was a six parter that took 38k words to describe four hours of tme. Had I known about the Nude Day contest then, or contests in general, I would have submitted it as one long story.

The plotting of that story contained the seeds of a sequel, which I began to write. Unfortunately, the sequel would cover two weeks time, and at my rate of 9k words for each hour, well. I needed to learn how to write a novel. I'm now almost 80k words into it and am only half way.

The original series also contained about 4k words of backstory narration. Somewhere in writing the sequel, I got the idea to strip out the backstory narration and make that an entire story of its own. I've finished the draft of that, clocking in at 45k words which will be my Nude Day submission this year.

The backstory, though, was set at six years in the first story, and my 2021 Nude Day story will only cover the first year of that. I'd better get to work then.

I also have two, unrelated stories I'm working on. They are both just shy of 30k. One is close to finished and will be the next one to complete, the other I'll get to sometime, if I live long enough.

 

[ElectricBlue]

It happens to me. It's a trade off between taking a sabbatical to write a long thing with no visibility for a year (which I've done) versus getting out stand-alone chapters at a reasonably steady rate to keep content flowing. There are pros and cons to both approaches. The thing is to make sure you reach natural end(s) and publish in fair sized chunks - I aim for 15k - 20k.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've begun three multi-chapter series, but finished only one. That one, which had 8 chapters, was completed over a period of 9 months. I wrote three chapters of another series in April 2017, and I haven't completed it. I started another series and wrote only one chapter in December 2019, and I haven't completed it. In the cases of both unfinished series I've outlined the remaining chapters, but not written them.

So, yes, I sympathize.

I think it's ideal to finish a series first before publishing the first chapter. But this isn't always easy to do, or practical, and I don't think an author should feel it's required.

I'll finish them someday.

 

[MelissaBaby]

i wrote 36 chapters of Mary and Alvin, and published each as it was finished. For the most part, I was able to stick to a chapter per month schedule.

Setting aside the now moot risk of my sudden unexpected demise, the biggest drawback to doing so is that you will retain a diminishing pool of readers. On the other hand, the loyalty of those who stick with you will result in high scores.

It took me three years to finish the entire project. Publishing it on Lit as one massive 350,000 word novel just seems totally untenable. Who is going to read all that at once?

I could, of course, waited until it was finished, then schedule a chapter a week until they were all posted. I know that many authors do just that.

But, for me, the deciding factor in publishing chapter by chapter, is that I did not want to go years without feedback. My highest priority was to improve as a writer, and I believe I have, but would have made far less progress without the input from readers and especially from other authors, that I received throughout the process.

 

[NotWise]

An idea comes into my head, so I write the story. Many of them are unfinished tales that desire more chapters. I've done that a couple of times, but mostly I get enticed by the new idea and forget to follow up on the prior story.

I now have 4 or 5 of these published that I should go back to, but I have at least 6 that I have started and my creative part wants to jump on.

Anyone else ever experience this? I'm not looking for suggestions on how to continue, thanks but I know how to do that. I'm wondering if this is a common problem?

I think it's a bad idea to write stories with open endings so you can go back and add chapters. This leads you into an unfinished series. The readers don't like unfinished series. If you're going to add chapters, then don't add any until they're all written. Better still, don't even publish the first story until they're all written.

To me, it's hard to close a story so that it doesn't need more chapters. It's a part of my writing I'm trying to improve. In my last story, the extended closing scene was written largely as denouement. I tried to tie up every detail I could think of, but I couldn't avoid the fact that the main male character, who was leaving, would be back in three months.

That inevitably led to comments asking for more chapters. If the readers like a story, then some of them will use any angle to ask for more chapters. It can be important to resist those requests.

 

[TadOverdon]

Tad 1.0 started a couple of books that languished half-finished for years (but eventually were). I insist that we not start posting until we have a final or near-final draft of the entire thing.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think it's a bad idea to write stories with open endings so you can go back and add chapters. This leads you into an unfinished series. The readers don't like unfinished series. If you're going to add chapters, then don't add any until they're all written. Better still, don't even publish the first story until they're all written.

To me, it's hard to close a story so that it doesn't need more chapters. It's a part of my writing I'm trying to improve. In my last story, the extended closing scene was written largely as denouement. I tried to tie up every detail I could think of, but I couldn't avoid the fact that the main male character, who was leaving, would be back in three months.

That inevitably led to comments asking for more chapters. If the readers like a story, then some of them will use any angle to ask for more chapters. It can be important to resist those requests.

As with everything, I think it depends.

In the case of both my unfinished chaptered series, they are not open ended. I have outlined the story arc for both and already know how both will end. I could have written the whole thing before publishing the first chapter, and it would have made sense to do so, but to be honest I didn't even think about it when I began the first series. I was writing about a chapter a week and figured the whole thing would be done in two months. Then I got bogged down, and then I got side tracked with other projects.

On the other hand, I have another series that isn't really a series. The two chapters I have so far are more like independent but connected episodes. After I completed the second story (which is not numbered with the first) I had no intention of writing more. Now I've changed my mind, and I'm working on a third episode with a somewhat different name. I don't see anything wrong with doing this. There's enough finality with each episode that it doesn't obviously call out for another episode, but it's open enough to allow more if I want to write more.

 

[Comshaw]

I think it's a bad idea to write stories with open endings so you can go back and add chapters. This leads you into an unfinished series. The readers don't like unfinished series. If you're going to add chapters, then don't add any until they're all written. Better still, don't even publish the first story until they're all written.

To me, it's hard to close a story so that it doesn't need more chapters. It's a part of my writing I'm trying to improve. In my last story, the extended closing scene was written largely as denouement. I tried to tie up every detail I could think of, but I couldn't avoid the fact that the main male character, who was leaving, would be back in three months.

That inevitably led to comments asking for more chapters. If the readers like a story, then some of them will use any angle to ask for more chapters. It can be important to resist those requests.

I rarely if ever try to tie up all the loose ends in a story. The reason I don't is I see it much like life, rarely at the end of one incident along life's path will everything be neatly concluded. I view my stories as a snapshot of one specific period in a character's life. Consequently, I get a lot of the same type of comments, "this needs another chapter".
Sometimes if it feels right I will continue with another chapter or two. Most times not though.

I do have one series that I started with the intent of multiple chapters. I chugged along pretty good up to chapter five, then it seems my muse turned into a gremlin and I hit a wall. I work on it from time to time and try to get the story line to coalesce, but nothing so far has felt right. Hopefully an idea or story line will come to me that i like so I can finish it.

But to answer the OP's query, I try not to publish if I know it's going to run to multiple parts, mainly because in the past I've gotten to a spot in one part and realized I needed to change something in a prior chapter to make everything consistent. I cringe enough over the mistakes I do make. I don't need that particular boogeyman on my back.

Comshaw

 

[Javahead]

Yeah, and nowadays I never publish the first part before the whole series is done, save for editing.

Yup. Maybe I’m a little OCD about it, but I get a little frustrated when a story I really liked is left hanging unfinished on a cliffhanger - I don’t mind “to be continued” if each part is reasonably self contained.

So I’ve had the first five parts of a multi part story hanging for months because I’m unhappy with one major scene in part six - I’ve rewritten that scene half a dozen times but until I’m happy with it nothing gets posted. And it’s eating all my creative juices - the one story idea I could easily write is a sequel that depends on the first one to make much sense.

I don’t have that problem for new stories with the same setting, BTW - several of my stories are loosely tied together, and some share the same characters. But if it’s a long multi part story arc, I just can’t/won’t post until I know I have all of it done.

 

[Blind_Justice]

I try to eventually finish what I started, even if it takes a few years to get there. My "Fading Stars" story hangs on a cliff since 2016 and "Mud & Magic" is almost done, just one final chapter. Once I have my "Tales of Lienyere" side story done, I will wrap up one or the other.

The rest of my stories is complete, even though there is room for sequels.

 

[KeithD]

Yeah, and nowadays I never publish the first part before the whole series is done, save for editing.

This is my approach. I don't leave unfinished pieces to put readers in suspension because I don't post it until I consider it finished.

 

[lovecraft68]

An idea comes into my head, so I write the story. Many of them are unfinished tales that desire more chapters. I've done that a couple of times, but mostly I get enticed by the new idea and forget to follow up on the prior story.

I now have 4 or 5 of these published that I should go back to, but I have at least 6 that I have started and my creative part wants to jump on.

Anyone else ever experience this? I'm not looking for suggestions on how to continue, thanks but I know how to do that. I'm wondering if this is a common problem?

I'd say yes, I've done it a couple times, and have seen a lot of unfinished stories here.

Some will act like its some kind of sin, that you're leading someone on, and never finishing. Some-and I fall into this group-leave it at, the readers aren't paying you anything and you owe them nothing if you lose interest, you lose interest.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think it's a bad idea to write stories with open endings so you can go back and add chapters. This leads you into an unfinished series. The readers don't like unfinished series. If you're going to add chapters, then don't add any until they're all written. Better still, don't even publish the first story until they're all written.

To me, it's hard to close a story so that it doesn't need more chapters. It's a part of my writing I'm trying to improve. In my last story, the extended closing scene was written largely as denouement. I tried to tie up every detail I could think of, but I couldn't avoid the fact that the main male character, who was leaving, would be back in three months.

That inevitably led to comments asking for more chapters. If the readers like a story, then some of them will use any angle to ask for more chapters. It can be important to resist those requests.

I think its worth noting that no matter how you end a story, the readers will ask for more. So, if you're trying for total closure because that's what you want, go for it, but if its trying to cut off readers acting like you left them hanging don't bother, they will keep asking.

 

[lovecraft68]

There's an opposite of this where series go forever with no intention of ever finishing so they can keep cashing in on patreon or winning monthly contests with chapter score advantage and dominating top lists.

To me, seeing stories at 100+ chapters and still going is more annoying than someone who wrote 5 parts and never came back, one couldn't finish, the other never plans on it.

And as many have pointed out here, until the words the end are typed you have not written a story, you're just writing like a 5 year old telling you about their day "and then and then and then, and then..."

 

[SimonDoom]

That's the way I think.

There are tons of unfinished stories here. If you are a reader who's even slightly aware (and not all are, I admit), you know this. When you start reading a chaptered series that isn't finished, you take the risk it might not finish. I've read some incredibly enjoyable series that never finished. I might prefer to see a real conclusion, but I'm happy to have read several chapters of an unfinished series rather than never have read any of the story at all, because the author chose not to publish a series that wasn't done.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I think Lit readers are mainly looking for a payoff in each chapter, and not many care about whole story arcs.

I've only posted one series here, highlighting at the start that it was complete and would have a new chapter every few days - but readers clearly focused on the tagline and tags, so several later chapters had more views than early ones. I thought people starting at chapter 5 and enjoying it would then go back to start at the beginning, but that didn't happen.

 

[TadOverdon]

I think Lit readers are mainly looking for a payoff in each chapter, and not many care about whole story arcs.

Probably true. Never a chapter without a climax...or two or three.

 

[Blind_Justice]

Probably true. Never a chapter without a climax...or two or three.

Depends on the category. I have several chapters in SF/F without sex and they score as well, if not better, than some of my sexy ones.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think Lit readers are mainly looking for a payoff in each chapter, and not many care about whole story arcs.

I've only posted one series here, highlighting at the start that it was complete and would have a new chapter every few days - but readers clearly focused on the tagline and tags, so several later chapters had more views than early ones. I thought people starting at chapter 5 and enjoying it would then go back to start at the beginning, but that didn't happen.

That's a good point and why when I wrote my long SWB series I had sex in every chapter and at times I felt it was forced, but we're going back to my first year writing so I was under the impression it had to have sex.

When I put the series into the market I realized how there was just too much sex in it when being read in several e-books and removed over half the scenes because if they're reading a long e-book they can still get a few 'payoffs' but it doesn't have to be one every 15k words

 

[LAHomedog]

I think Lit readers are mainly looking for a payoff in each chapter, and not many care about whole story arcs.

I agree and make sure to have sex scenes multiple times throughout a story. My belief is if you haven't made them hard or wet you haven't done your job as a writer.

I also write each story as a stand-alone with a beginning, middle and end like an episode in a multi-part TV series. Each episode in complete, but the characters and story arc have more tales to be told.

It's just that I have been getting comments seeking the next episode in a story and I now have a bunch that are dangling out there. Maybe I'll go back and take on one or two...

 

[Emirus]

An idea comes into my head, so I write the story. Many of them are unfinished tales that desire more chapters. I've done that a couple of times, but mostly I get enticed by the new idea and forget to follow up on the prior story.

I now have 4 or 5 of these published that I should go back to, but I have at least 6 that I have started and my creative part wants to jump on.

Anyone else ever experience this? I'm not looking for suggestions on how to continue, thanks but I know how to do that. I'm wondering if this is a common problem?

Two words come to mind. Self discipline.