How long is “too long” before the next chapter of a story?

[OldDog_NewTricks]

First off, I like the “Is this already being discussed?” as you are typing in a thread title. It lead me to a discussion that somewhat addresses my question and I was able to add my opinion to.

Now then, on to the question…..

I’ve had a group of stories I told my wife that seem to fit into a nice timeline if I changed the main characters in those stories to be the same. I’m sure that sounds confusing but I’m not sure how to explain it. I touched on it in a different thread I started.

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/turning-your-previous-story-ideas-into-a-series.1613299/

The series that inspired this idea was by @OutdoorCat

https://www.literotica.com/series/se/270895604

I liked the idea that it was individual chapters but tied into one overall story.

With all that being said, I’ve decided to give it a try. The question becomes how to write and then submit the chapters? Should I write all the chapters and then submit them as individual chapters over the course of something like a week, write all the chapters and submit them on the same day but as individual chapters (I don’t want to create a ton of work for the site owners), or write and submit them as I finish them?

The last option is what I’m leaning towards but it takes me a long time to write a story. I have the first chapter finished, but it was months getting finished because I don’t have much time to devote to it and the constant re-read and re-write. I’m happy with it, but if it takes 2 months to finish the next chapter, I’m betting the reader won’t remember what happened previously. Like “The Keys”, my idea is that each chapter can be read as a “stand alone” story, but there is an underlying story line and character development that ties it all together. Unlike “The Keys” it happens over the adult lifetime of the main character rather than over the course of one night.

Thank you for any advice. I’m just trying to submit my best efforts.

 

[Bramblethorn]

If you're good with writing all the chapters before submitting, that's probably best. If you then submit them all together, the site will probably post them at one chapter a day.

That said, I work better with posting as I write [edit: or almost so, I aim to have chapter n+1 drafted before I post chapter n, leaving me a little bit of room for back editing], which has meant delays of anything up to a year between chapters (more usually about a month), and from what I can tell a lot of readers were still there for me when I resumed after that hiatus.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I've been told that I was a horrible cunt for suggesting this before but it's the absolute truth and I will say it emphatically every time.

There are several advantages to writing the entire story before you publish any of it.
1 ~ You can guarantee your audience a complete story with an ending. Many readers feel disrespected by neglected/abandoned stories.
2 ~ You can publish chapters on a consistent schedule that you are comfortable (once per week, say) or that could get you the most views (as soon as you drop off the recent 25 list, say)
3 ~ You can edit vertically. That is to say that if you get a cool idea in chapter 6 that requires going back and adding something to chapter 2, you can do it no problem.

Basically, you give yourself every chance to make your story as good as it can be.

There is only one advantage to publishing chapters as they are written.
~ You get the instant gratification of applause and the vanity that goes with it.

However, you only give yourself one shot to make your story as good as it can be, and that is to write each chapter perfectly as you go. There is no margin for error.

Some will argue that they "need the feedback to inspire the next part". If that's the case, fine, but understand that the writer is admitting wholeheartedly that they are writing primarily for the accolades and approval of others.

 

[Bramblethorn]

There is only one advantage to publishing chapters as they are written.
~ You get the instant gratification of applause and the vanity that goes with it.

However, you only give yourself one shot to make your story as good as it can be, and that is to write each chapter perfectly as you go. There is no margin for error.

That's a big part of why it works better for me.

Nobody ever actually writes a perfect chapter, but the urge to do so can be crippling. The stories I'm proudest of here all have flaws, because if I'd polished them until they were flawless I'd never have been done polishing. For long works, post-as-I-go helps me find a reasonable balance between over- and under-editing. It lets me focus on the chapter I'm currently writing, getting it good, without being constantly pulled away to make some tiny improvement in some previous chapter.

Some will argue that they "need the feedback to inspire the next part". If that's the case, fine, but understand that the writer is admitting wholeheartedly that they are writing primarily for the accolades and approval of others.

Everybody who goes to the trouble of putting their stories through the submission process here wants those stories to be seen. For new authors, that feedback can be critical to building the confidence they need to push through something ambitious.

I'd frame it less as "accolades and approval of others" and more as "permission". It's all very well to write for the Love of the Art *dons fancy Poet Shirt, swoons dramatically in a garret* but nobody wants to write a hundred thousand words, publish it, and be told "nobody here wants to read this".

 

[alohadave]

Last week I saw chapter 2 of a story in the new list. Chapter 1 was published in 2000.

 

[Voboy]

It's possible to write a successful series whether it's "as you go" or "complete before posting," but the AH conventional wisdom does suggest it's best to write the whole thing first and then release every couple of days.

I did not do this, mostly because I wrote a piece I DID NOT conceptualize as a series. So when my muse wanted me to write a Chapter Two, I did so. Several more chapters followed at very irregular intervals: they ended up posting as far apart as a couple of years and as closely together as a few weeks. I will say I felt a lot of pressure to get the later chapters done for the sake of the series' 2k or so steady readers.

I didn't enjoy that pressure.

Again, it worked out just fine: my series is good, and it's found its audience and then some. But I write best when I feel free to go at my own pace, so I do believe I'll think twice before doing another one that way.

 

[Naughtylit81]

Not sure there is a to long between chapters. Hell certain mainstream authors are approaching 15 years between books.

That said I am someone that is publish as I go. I strive to create chapters that advance an arc but are themselves self contained stories.

Earlier this year I had a pretty solid publication schedule and then life jumped on me with both feet. As short delays became longer I made sure to post comments on the last chapter of each delayed story apologizing for the delay so readers did not think they were abandoned. That seemed to work really well.

 

[lovecraft68]

Just make sure not to submit another chapter until the previous one is live. If you submit the following too soon and the first one is kicked back for some reason, or gets stuck in the pending glitch that's been going on for some time that they haven't addressed, you could end up having the chapters post out of order.

 

[Voboy]

Just make sure not to submit another chapter until the previous one is live. If you submit the following too soon and the first one is kicked back for some reason, or gets stuck in the pending glitch that's been going on for some time that they haven't addressed, you could end up having the chapters post out of order.

For this reason, I suspect that if I ever do complete another series, and if I get it all done before publishing any of it, I will not do the thing where you submit the whole piece and just tell the site to post each chapter automatically. I'll submit each one manually as soon as I see the prior one up and running.

If my readers stuck with me during multi-year gaps before, they won't care whether the prospective "next one" posts every four days or every ten days.

I will add that the readership went WAY up once I posted the last chapter, with a clear description telling the world it was all finished. I think a lot of folks just won't start a WiP. I can understand that, since I tend to feel the same way.

 

[THBGato]

Like “The Keys”, my idea is that each chapter can be read as a “stand alone” story, but there is an underlying story line and character development that ties it all together. Unlike “The Keys” it happens over the adult lifetime of the main character rather than over the course of one night.

A really brilliant example of this is St. Clair by @Todd172 (Superb smalltown sheriff stories with hints of the supernatural. Very little sex but the writing and plotting is so good you won't give a damn.)

Exactly as you describe, each story (there are five) stands alone but develops characters from previous installments. He took around 18 months to publish the whole series.

My point? I think if the chapters are truly self-contained, it really won't matter how long you leave between them.

Good luck!

 

[JGittes]

I've been told that I was a horrible cunt for suggesting this before but it's the absolute truth and I will say it emphatically every time.

There are several advantages to writing the entire story before you publish any of it.
1 ~ You can guarantee your audience a complete story with an ending. Many readers feel disrespected by neglected/abandoned stories.
2 ~ You can publish chapters on a consistent schedule that you are comfortable (once per week, say) or that could get you the most views (as soon as you drop off the recent 25 list, say)
3 ~ You can edit vertically. That is to say that if you get a cool idea in chapter 6 that requires going back and adding something to chapter 2, you can do it no problem.

Basically, you give yourself every chance to make your story as good as it can be.

...

I may disagree with many of your other posts, but you are completely correct here (not about being a horrible cunt).

I rushed to release my first story and started publishing as soon as I finished what I thought was a good chapter. All three points you've made were problems with that story. Subsequently, I've edited it from six chapters to two and will eventually republish it into one story.

Part of the rewriting has been taking out the extensive backstory I thought I needed and writing and publishing those as completely separate stories. You don't need a backstory. If you think you need a backstory, write it and publish it as a separate story, then write ahead with the other story.

Your writing life will be much less anxiety-driven.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Other than echoing the advice of PSG, I will only add some of my own preferences as a reader, and my experiences as a writer:

As a reader, I will not begin a story where the title or description implies it has chapters or parts unless I can see that it is complete and posted in its entirety. By the way, if a story has a beginning, middle and end, I don't consider that a chapter. That's a story and any subsequent stories with the same characters or plot concepts are part of a series. I won't invest my time on incomplete work. There are too many good, complete stories here to bother with impatient writers. A lot of readers feel the same way.

I have always completed my stories before posting any part of them. While I no longer post by chapter or parts (based upon reader feedback), when I did, I submitted them all at the same time and allowed Laurel the opportunity to review the entire body of work before deciding whether or not to post any of it. If there was content in chapter one, three, or sixteen that touched on subject matter addressed in one of the site rules, she was able to judge the context of the material against the "big picture" aspect of the entire story.

 

[mildlyaroused]

Last week I saw chapter 2 of a story in the new list. Chapter 1 was published in 2000.

Do you remember which story or author it was? I'm curious to see how their writing has developed over two decades...

 

[Bramblethorn]

Last week I saw chapter 2 of a story in the new list. Chapter 1 was published in 2000.

Gosh, I think that beats Ogg's 15 years between chapters...

 

[SimonDoom]

There are people who have very strong opinions about what you should do, but I think you should do whatever works best for your writing style and pace and your artistic goals. Dickens wrote his novels serial style. If he did it, so can you. For many of us, if we had to write the whole damn story before we published the first chapter, we might not ever get the thing done.

That said, there are practical considerations:

1. Try not to wait too long. You will tax your readers' patience, and the longer you wait the more readers you will lose.
2. On the other hand, wait a few days. It makes no sense to publish chapters of a story one day apart. Give each chapter time to get plenty of attention and reads before publishing the next one. I think a good rule of thumb is to wait just long enough that the previous chapter has just fallen off the new story list for that category. This varies from category to category. Generally, I'd say time it so each chapter is published no FEWER than 3-4 days after the previous one.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Dickens wrote his novels serial style. If he did it, so can you.

Well, not necessarily. I know that you're trying to be encouraging (and I applaud that) but just because Evil Kneivel jumped Caesar's palace doesn't mean that just anyone can. If we are specifically speaking of new writers, they will probably need a little practice before writing at the level of pick-your-classic-author and taking on such challenges.

If a series features the same character(s) just in different largely unrelated situations, then I suppose one can publish each chapter on the fly, but if there are overarching plot elements tying things together, there is every technical advantage to finishing everything before submitting anything.

I also get it that you make the point to do what you like and what feels right, and for writers who just want to have fun flinging stuff out there I would agree, but as the OP asked the question, once can assume that they did so with the intentions of upping their game (read: writing better), in which case the advice stands, finish everything before submitting anything.

And yes many classic authors (Tolstoy, Dickens, RL Stevenson, etc) have written serially but in almost every case it was because they were getting paid to do so, which is the professional equivalent of the instant gratification that I mentioned above.

 

[SamBomb]

It's never too late!

 

[alohadave]

Do you remember which story or author it was? I'm curious to see how their writing has developed over two decades...

I do not. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Everybody who goes to the trouble of putting their stories through the submission process here wants those stories to be seen. For new authors, that feedback can be critical to building the confidence they need to push through something ambitious.

But if the project is that ambitious, such as series tend to be, there are beta readers for that kind of feedback.

 

[StillStunned]

It's never too late!

Great, now I have Kylie Minogue stuck in my head.

... OK, not necessarily a bad thing.

Well, not necessarily. I know that you're trying to be encouraging (and I applaud that) but just because Evil Kneivel jumped Caesar's palace doesn't mean that just anyone can. If we are specifically speaking of new writers, they will probably need a little practice before writing at the level of pick-your-classic-author and taking on such challenges.

If a series features the same character(s) just in different largely unrelated situations, then I suppose one can publish each chapter on the fly, but if there are overarching plot elements tying things together, there is every technical advantage to finishing everything before submitting anything.

I also get it that you make the point to do what you like and what feels right, and for writers who just want to have fun flinging stuff out there I would agree, but as the OP asked the question, once can assume that they did so with the intentions of upping their game (read: writing better), in which case the advice stands, finish everything before submitting anything.

And yes many classic authors (Tolstoy, Dickens, RL Stevenson, etc) have written serially but in almost every case it was because they were getting paid to do so, which is the professional equivalent of the instant gratification that I mentioned above.

I agree there are pros and cons to writing the full story before publishing, but I think there's one factor that hasn't been mentioned.

You don't necessarily have to keep publishing in the same series to hold your audience's attention. You can publish other things in between, and they'll still stick with you. You'll even get new readers that way. They're not necessarily hung up on a particular story or characters. Keep feeding them the good stuff and they'll stay happy.

 

[SamBomb]

Yeah between most parts of my last series I posted single stories.

 

[CaliforniaLove]

What counts as a Novel/Novelette versus a simply longer "Story"?

I am publishing chapters of a longer work in the Novels/Novelette section, which will probably end up being well over 50k words, but in the comments people are telling me it doesn't belong in Novels. Maybe because the chapters aren't too lengthy? Or are you supposed to publish all chapters of a novel at once?

My question is, should I follow their advice and start posting new chapters in "Erotic Couplings" or just keep on posting in Novels?

 

[AllenWoody]

I published Lost Colony chapters as I finished them, roughly one month apart. That’s way too long. Now I finish multi-chapter works before I publish the first chapter, then space them ten days or so apart.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

What counts as a Novel/Novelette versus a simply longer "Story"?

I am publishing chapters of a longer work in the Novels/Novelette section, which will probably end up being well over 50k words, but in the comments people are telling me it doesn't belong in Novels. Maybe because the chapters aren't too lengthy? Or are you supposed to publish all chapters of a novel at once?

My question is, should I follow their advice and start posting new chapters in "Erotic Couplings" or just keep on posting in Novels?

There could be a couple of influences triggering the comments you mentioned:

1. Readers of the Novels/Novellas category EXPECT longer reads. Submissions less than four Lit pages will not impress them.
2. The premise of your story so far indicates that it has a strong tie-in to another category, such as Incest/Taboo. Non-Consent, etc. By submitting piece-meal, readers have only a portion of the content that could place the entire work into better context for them.

I have published 10 stories in Novels/Novellas, four of which were submitted as individual chapters. The feedback I received from readers was that they preferred longer, single-submission stories. I had the chapters all replaced with a single submission and the scores increased in every case.

 

[CaliforniaLove]

There could be a couple of influences triggering the comments you mentioned:

1. Readers of the Novels/Novellas category EXPECT longer reads. Submissions less than four Lit pages will not impress them.
2. The premise of your story so far indicates that it has a strong tie-in to another category, such as Incest/Taboo. Non-Consent, etc. By submitting piece-meal, readers have only a portion of the content that could place the entire work into better context for them.

I have published 10 stories in Novels/Novellas, four of which were submitted as individual chapters. The feedback I received from readers was that they preferred longer, single-submission stories. I had the chapters all replaced with a single submission and the scores increased in every case.

You can request to "resubmit" a story under a more appropriate category?