Grouping short tales into a 'story cycle'

[000zing]

Some fair while back I wrote a series of a dozen or so stand-alone short stories set in a particular place, all taking place in a modern, contemporary setting. Nothing more than the geography and the time connected them, in all honesty.

It had been my intention to revamp them at a later date, making them mesh more with each other with (some) characters appearing and reappearing perhaps as MCs here and distinctly minor/cameo types there. Possibly, I could even link some of the plot lines.

Frankly I've acquired cold feet when faced with the scale of the exercise... having looked at it repeatedly, the task only seems to grow, particularly as regards plot linkages.

I wonder: as a writer I do fancy the idea of a conjoined series - there would definitely be a sense of completeness and 'job satisfaction' to the thing - but from a reader's angle would there be much to gain from it?

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

I think it's a minority of readers on Literotica who read everything a particular author has written. The way the stories are categorised and displayed doesn't really lend itself to that.

Unless all your stories would be published in the same or similar categories, I probably wouldn't waste time on it from a reader's perspective.

But ultimately you're the author and if you think it would be satisfying, then do it. If nothing else, it might be a good way to develop skills in writing.

 

[dirk2024]

Opinions vary.

Some don't like series, as often, an authors real life can't allow them to produce follow-ups quickly enough. Now if yours is complete, you could add that in the title, so potential readers would know that before they start.

 

[NotWise]

Some fair while back I wrote a series of a dozen or so stand-alone short stories set in a particular place, all taking place in a modern, contemporary setting. Nothing more than the geography and the time connected them, in all honesty.

It had been my intention to revamp them at a later date, making them mesh more with each other with (some) characters appearing and reappearing perhaps as MCs here and distinctly minor/cameo types there. Possibly, I could even link some of the plot lines.

Frankly I've acquired cold feet when faced with the scale of the exercise... having looked at it repeatedly, the task only seems to grow, particularly as regards plot linkages.

I wonder: as a writer I do fancy the idea of a conjoined series - there would definitely be a sense of completeness and 'job satisfaction' to the thing - but from a reader's angle would there be much to gain from it?

If you mean to edit your existing stories into a story cycle, then I'd argue against it. It would be a lot of work, the edited stories would never appear as new stories, and they wouldn't get new readers.

You'd be better off writing another set of stories that are planned to be part of a story cycle. It's probably more work, but at least you'd have new stories and new readers.

 

[000zing]

I'm sorry - I should have mentioned that this has little or nothing to do with Literotica. I am talking about the perspective of a hypothetical reader, not one who visits this site.

 

[MrPixel]

Oh, crap. I misread the title of this thread as "Groping short tales" and was going to go on about shower scenes I've written.

Apologies.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Some fair while back I wrote a series of a dozen or so stand-alone short stories set in a particular place, all taking place in a modern, contemporary setting. Nothing more than the geography and the time connected them, in all honesty.

It had been my intention to revamp them at a later date, making them mesh more with each other with (some) characters appearing and reappearing perhaps as MCs here and distinctly minor/cameo types there. Possibly, I could even link some of the plot lines.

Frankly I've acquired cold feet when faced with the scale of the exercise... having looked at it repeatedly, the task only seems to grow, particularly as regards plot linkages.

I wonder: as a writer I do fancy the idea of a conjoined series - there would definitely be a sense of completeness and 'job satisfaction' to the thing - but from a reader's angle would there be much to gain from it?

A couple of things... I have several characters and setting that make cameos throughout my stories(no guarantees if or when). My readers love it, calling them out without miss. Also, I have a longer story that has spawned two and a half shorter stories based on the main premise. No repeat characters, just a common theme. They also seem to be well received. I'd suggest you write what you want to write and put it out there. Let teh chiopos fall...

Good luck.