Do You Prefer Sub-Arcs Be Self-Contained In Serializations?

[anthrodisiac]

I'm frontloading the TLDR because I know this is quite a verbose post—shocking nobody who knows me

TL,DR: When serializating, do you/readers prefer sub-arcs be spread out with chapters between sub-arc elements that don't directly deal with the sub-arc (ex: sub-arc covers chapters 3, 5, 7), or self-contained in chapter groupings (ex: 3, 4, 5)?

TL,BIRA (too long, but I read anyway):
I'm new to serialization. I've either written short stories or novels prior to this, so the narrative arcs and sub-arc structures were a bit easier to manage, due to being published at the same time, instead of spaced out over several months. But now, I'm wondering how to approach the next chapter in my current series Once You Go Anthro.

I've come up with the ten chapters for this series, each with its own distinct lessons and insights, and I'm partway through the D/s sub-arc. The MC's gotten a bit cocky, thinking he got over some bad sexual habits (being far too analytical, overprotective, and fretting during sex with his past girlfriends instead of treating them like equal partners who don't need to be coddled), and decides that being a Dom isn't too far off from what he did in the past, so it shouldn't be that hard. So he goes to a sex club and meets a sweet red panda who wants to be his good girl for the night. Shockingly, he fails, misunderstanding what she actually wanted out of the encounter. As he's sitting outside the sex club, beating himself up for being so stupid, a polar bear finds him and shows him how a D/s interaction should be by Mama'ing him, which stirs up some raw emotions for him.

Now, I have the final part of this sub-arc: an axolotl who will give him a chance for redemption, but with a different type of sub than the sweet, good girl type from before. Instead, she's a bratty, you-can-get-rough cum-slut.

However, I'm not sure I should have that whole narrative arc in self-contained 3-chapter set. I feel like the lessons from the polar bear might take time to percolate, and in the meantime he gets with an emerald skink and her gecko wife. I know I can have the next chapter be the axolotl, but time has passed where he's absorbed the lesson and is finally ready to try again.

If it were a novel, my preference would be to spread out the lessons and have this arc not be so tight, allowing it to interplay with other arcs, amplifying and conflicting with different aspects of the story. But given it's a serialization, maybe the better route for readers is to keep things tidy by having the three D/s chapters together. That way, there isn't a gap between the D/s sub-arc and the readers don't have this unresolved issue hanging over his head during the MFF threesome.

I've been waffling on this for a week, so I figured I'd see what people with a better track record and understanding of writing serializations think is the better route to take for sub-arcs (either specifically in this case or more broadly, I'm good with either), and how readers react to self-contained sub-arcs vs. more spread-out sub-arcs.

I know the answer for these things is usually, "It depends," but I feel like, given the Literotica structure, readers tend to have a preference one way or another, and I'm curious if anyone knows what that tends to be, or what yours is as a writer and/or reader.

If you made it this far, you deserve a freaking medal, and are greatly appreciated!

 

[TheLobster]

I know the answer for these things is usually, "It depends,"

That, and write the entire story before publishing any of it, as a few people would repeat.

Anyway, what I’m wondering about is this:

If it were a novel, my preference would be to spread out the lessons and have this arc not be so tight, allowing it to interplay with other arcs, amplifying and conflicting with different aspects of the story.

You are implying that the story in question is not a novel, but rather “a series.” But at the same time, the plot of it is apparently complex enough to have multiple story arcs and that’s clearly a hallmark of a novel.

Which raises the obvious question: why not treat it as such? The fact it’s released slowly over time is kind of irrelevant, really; there had been many well-known novels in the past released in multiple installments in newspapers and periodicals. What matters is how the story will be shaped after it’s all out, and if it has an overarching plot with multiple interlocking threads then yes, it is most definitely a novel.

I realize this doesn’t really answer your question, but hopefully it will make you consider the option that what you’re doing right now isn’t all that different to what you’ve done before.

 

[ElectricBlue]

If it were a novel, my preference would be to spread out the lessons and have this arc not be so tight, allowing it to interplay with other arcs, amplifying and conflicting with different aspects of the story. But given it's a serialization, maybe the better route for readers is to keep things tidy by having the three D/s chapters together. That way, there isn't a gap between the D/s sub-arc and the readers don't have this unresolved issue hanging over his head during the MFF threesome.

You're thinking too much about your chapter release strategy.

Once the whole thing is published, and in a year's time, two year's time, none of this matters, because the whole work is out there.

Release in pieces, release all chapters once the whole thing is written - doesn't matter, that's irrelevant. Write the novel, release it however you like - readers won't care, because more readers will see the whole thing over the next five years than will read in the first month.

 

[Ianus4]

I think the answer also depends on whether, after the conclusion of the D/s arc, the MC's character development progresses to such an extent that it would influence or perhaps even make the MFF episode unnecessary from this point of view. As your loyal reader, I don't think the order is particularly important in other cases.

 

[Statius]

I'm probably not a good enough writer to offer an opinion, but follow your instincts. If you feel that it should take longer than three, or a ch. should be skipped before bringing it up again, do that. Personally in a series (I have one), I like hinting at things to come or leaving something hanging for a bit before concluding it. When I'm reading I kind of prefer it as well. There's no fun in reading or writing if everything is concluded or answered immediately. Leave your readers hanging, and yourself. The anticipation for you, the writer, is fun too.

 

[old_prof]

Like @Statius says about himself, I'm probably not a good enough writer for anyone to take my feedback too seriously. I'm certainly not experienced enough yet.

My first series did what you are suggesting with story arcs that crossed multiple stories. My series was not chapters in a novel, it was more of a true episodic series. Although there is a series long story arc and the characters continue and there is a single timeline they all occur on, each story has a clear beginning, middle and end with both a story arc and at least one character arc. Each individual story averaged about 16K words, so they weren't overly, but certainly not short either. There were multiple story arcs that required three to five stories to complete. For example, the fourth most important character in the series, the most important one never to have POV for a story, lost his job at one point. It took five stories I think before he found another one and this background arc had a major influence on most (but not all) of the intervening series. I think it worked well, especially since I had no idea what I was doing

 

[Britva415]

TL,DR: When serializating, do you/readers prefer sub-arcs be spread out with chapters between sub-arc elements that don't directly deal with the sub-arc (ex: sub-arc covers chapters 3, 5, 7), or self-contained in chapter groupings (ex: 3, 4, 5)?

I have no single answer. It depends how good a job the author did of interleaving them, or of siloing them.

I mean, rarely have I consciously thought, they should have done it the other way, but definitely I have thought, this isn't working very well.

Many other times it worked fine without calling attention to itself - regardless of which way it was written.

Just do it how you like and do it well.

 

[Statius]

I like to look at a series here like a comic book or sitcom. Each issue/ episode is its own thing, own story; however these mediums also carry certain arcs/ sub plots through multiple issues or episodes. So feel free to do it how you want. The difference between these and a novel is the complexity of the story and how sub plots affect main story, and perhaps how many sub plots you have. My opinion only. Ok a tad more. Novels have more foreshadowing and back references as well, probably. This isn't an all encompassing post, please be nice.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think it's very hard to answer questions like this in the abstract. The key is in the details of the particular story, and what "works" -- and what "works" is going to depend on the particular story.

I would just say this. If your question concerns how the story is to be written and told, then don't focus too much on "how will this play at Literotica" and focus instead on just writing your story your way, and then see how it goes.

If, on the other hand, your question concerns how the story should be broken apart into serialized chapters, then look at things from the readers' point of view. Think less about story arcs and just ask yourself, will this be a satisfying chapter to a reader?

The first is a question about your art, and the second is a question more about marketing and publishing mechanics. Figuring out what you are "really" concerned about should shape which approach you take.

If the story is fun and interesting, that will be far more important than all of these abstract issues about how to weave arcs together.

 

[anthrodisiac]

You've all given me a lot to think about, which is both great and also, damn, more thinking

I think I need more analysis of the overall arc and interplays, causality of how the MC goes from one encounter to another, and how the lesson from one impacts the encounter of the other, which better compounds the growth. But, I'm probably overthinking it, it's been known to happen (or more accurately never not happen). I've been questioning my writing instincts a lot since I started writing again, unsure if they're still trustworthy after nearly 6 years away, but maybe I should be leaning into it more. I have the full arc of the story and chapters sorted out, it's just the ordering of these two chapters.

Truly appreciate all your feedback

 

[THBGato]

"It depends,"

That, and write the entire story before publishing any of it, as a few people would repeat.

I mean, yes, both things.

However, as regards B (or even C and D arcs), these may not resolve in the main story itself if you are writing a series. Just don't be too frustrating about it.

For example, my first story here (more of a vignette, really) was The Hardest Step which introduced Georgie and Beccy/Bex. The outcome of their reunion wasn't really resolved until the very end of Eve & Lucy, in which they were part of the supporting cast. Georgie's backstory was elaborated on quite a bit in both stories, but apart from becoming a mother to two boys, what Bex had been up to during the 22 years apart wasn't made clear at all.

So that's still an unresolved story arc, if you like. I've dropped hints - a girl named Beccy had a fling with a guy named Teddy at Glastonbury Festival in Forty, while a woman named Beccy divorced her husband Nick in Four weddings and a leaving do. Maybe they are the same person? Maybe I'll never know?

But it's little things like that that keep me interested as a writer...

So, for me, I like to leave a few threads dangling.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I mean, yes, both things.

However, as regards B (or even C and D arcs), these may not resolve in the main story itself if you are writing a series. Just don't be too frustrating about it.

For example, my first story here (more of a vignette, really) was The Hardest Step which introduced Georgie and Beccy/Bex. The outcome of their reunion wasn't really resolved until the very end of Eve & Lucy, in which they were part of the supporting cast. Georgie's backstory was elaborated on quite a bit in both stories, but apart from becoming a mother to two boys, what Bex had been up to during the 22 years apart wasn't made clear at all.

So that's still an unresolved story arc, if you like. I've dropped hints - a girl named Beccy had a fling with a guy named Teddy at Glastonbury Festival in Forty, while a woman named Beccy divorced her husband Nick in Four weddings and a leaving do. Maybe they are the same person? Maybe I'll never know?

But it's little things like that that keep me interested as a writer...

So, for me, I like to leave a few threads dangling.

The series I'm working on is kind of more self-contained at the moment, so I feel like a lot of the major threads are going to be resolved, but I'm leaving open a pretty big one for future work, as I might tie it into my Valentine's Day 2026 story, since the characters work at the same company and there's a lot of good cross-over potential with helping the Valentine's MC grow and experience new things.

I guess I'm more used to self-contained fiction, since a lot of my work over the years has been short stories. The few novels I wrote were also pretty one-and-done, with a couple exceptions: one being a 600k-word trilogy that left open several arcs and follow-ons that I never got around to because I stopped writing. Even in the novels, though, it's always nice to leave a few things open, just to give readers something to speculate about: What happened to Bob? Did Frank ever figure out who stole his parakeet?

Bob: Eviscerated by metaphysical abstractions.
Frank: Nope, parakeet mystery unsolved.

I don't know why I'm treating my erotica writing any different. Maybe because the writing process is different for me, or I took so much time away from writing that I kind of forgot what it felt like. I'm definitely more uncertain than I used to be. But I'm only 4 months in, I'm sure hoping once I shake off the cobwebs a bit more and get those creaking writing muscles back into finer form, I'll start trusting my instincts better.

Appareciate the feedback!

 

[RocketGrunt]

For very long pieces, having stopping places clearly marked where people can onboard is very good. For short and medium length works, it doesn't matter.

If you look at a serial and see that it's one hundred and thirty-one chapters, that's going to put you off from starting it. On the other hand, if you see that a new chapter is "chapter 4" and the author has eight other finished series, you're much more likely to take the plunge and start one of them. This is why comic books restart the numbering from time to time. After 129 issues of Web of Spider-Man, there were 33 issues titled "Sensational Spider-Man" that started over from number 1 rather than being issue 130+.

The question of where it makes sense to cut things is an open one. Personally, I probably should have started new numbering for Pocket Monster University before the Museum Arc, but I'm definitely going to want to start new numbering after the Poison Master Arc. Fighting Them There is already 300k words long and it isn't at a good stopping place. Both works are probably going to start new numbers around chapter 40.

3 chapter groupings are small enough that it probably doesn't make any difference.

 

[anthrodisiac]

For very long pieces, having stopping places clearly marked where people can onboard is very good. For short and medium length works, it doesn't matter.

If you look at a serial and see that it's one hundred and thirty-one chapters, that's going to put you off from starting it. On the other hand, if you see that a new chapter is "chapter 4" and the author has eight other finished series, you're much more likely to take the plunge and start one of them. This is why comic books restart the numbering from time to time. After 129 issues of Web of Spider-Man, there were 33 issues titled "Sensational Spider-Man" that started over from number 1 rather than being issue 130+.

The question of where it makes sense to cut things is an open one. Personally, I probably should have started new numbering for Pocket Monster University before the Museum Arc, but I'm definitely going to want to start new numbering after the Poison Master Arc. Fighting Them There is already 300k words long and it isn't at a good stopping place. Both works are probably going to start new numbers around chapter 40.

3 chapter groupings are small enough that it probably doesn't make any difference.

Breaking it into books and then having smaller chapter counts is definitely a better approach. I know when I see Story Ch. 381 there's 0% chance I'll jump in. But Book 2, chapter 11? Doable.

I try to keep each chapter self-contained-ish, as in it has enough backstory and details that someone can jump into that chapter and have some idea what's going on, who the characters are, what the stakes are, etc. I always appreciate that in serial work. I'm probably maxing at at 10 chapters for this, plus maybe an epilogue.

I think I'll probably save the axolotl for after the threesome. I've been noodling on it and it feels like a more natural progression in terms of how the character gets there, plus it'll be nice to get a break from three straight chapters of D/s.

Thanks for your input, everybody!