Web Fiction Guide Forums » Tag: best practices

Web Fiction Guide Forums » Tag: best practices - Recent Posts http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ Web Fiction Guide Forums » Tag: best practices - Recent Posts en Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:10:14 +0000 Chris George on "Special extras/in betweens?" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/special-extrasin-betweens#post-7580 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:15:47 +0000 Chris George 7580@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ You've probably seen what I did, Erin, but whilst I did just follow straight on from the end of volume one of Shadow into the extremely mixed-up world of volume two, I did plan two include an 'extra' which actually filled in a gap earlier in book one. So far that project has not gotten off the ground properly, but post NaNoWriMo me is confident that I'll get back onto it soon. In fairness though as volume one was generally speaking a single definable arc and volume two has an arc which is constantly being interrupted by other, smaller events, perhaps it is fulfilling the same kind of thing anyway - in fact almost too much. I really need to kick it into shape and get Siren's ship back! Tim Sevenhuysen on "Special extras/in betweens?" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/special-extrasin-betweens#post-7579 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:09:55 +0000 Tim Sevenhuysen 7579@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ For all the same reasons as everyone else has said, I definitely think extras or in-betweens or short stories, etc., are a good idea. It's good for the reader to get a bit of variety too, I think. And it allows you to build up your world in some different ways. Regina on "Special extras/in betweens?" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/special-extrasin-betweens#post-7578 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:10:54 +0000 Regina 7578@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ I stick extras into my serial all the time. I sort of now do a special Halloween short where I write a creepy tale involving the characters. Also, I very often throw in a 1,000 to 2,000 word or so stand alone prequel or backstory after referencing the scene in the story (for instance, someone is thinking about or talking briefly about something that happened in their past). Sometimes I will write out the scene in question. The readers really like that. In fact, before it became a regular thing, a couple readers actually commented "hey, are you gonna do back-stories for this or that character?" So it's something they are clearly interested in reading about. Plus, it gives me a fun break from writing the same thing every week. Murazrai on "Special extras/in betweens?" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/special-extrasin-betweens#post-7361 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:24:02 +0000 Murazrai 7361@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ I did 1-2 short stories after I finished an installment, which is mostly side stories about side characters. A few of them were actual sequels though. Additional extras would include miscellaneous information and main character poems. Sarratum on "Special extras/in betweens?" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/special-extrasin-betweens#post-7360 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:20:49 +0000 Sarratum 7360@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ In between my main arcs, I wrote mini-arcs that had .5's on the title. As in Arc I, Arc I.V, then Arc II and Arc II.V, etc. The main arcs contained the point of view of one specific character, while the mini-arcs were individual chapters containing the point of views of other characters that readers wouldn't always get to see, and allowed them to either do some serious foreshadowing or 'filling in the spaces' of previously unanswered questions. I found it worked to really build suspense. Jim Zoetewey on "Special extras/in betweens?" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/special-extrasin-betweens#post-7359 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:47:47 +0000 Jim Zoetewey 7359@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ I suspect you're aware of what I do, but for the record: Between book one and book two of Legion of Nothing, I wrote one short story about the main character's grandfather. I wanted to get back to the series' main storyline immediately. Between book two and book three... Well... I've written another short story about the main character's grandfather, plus three other shorts about the modern characters, and Robert Rodgers wrote a story too. I may write another after this. The end of book two was intense, and drawn out over several months. I needed to write things that were shorter and lighter for a little while, so I have. Erin Klitzke on "Special extras/in betweens?" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/special-extrasin-betweens#post-7358 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:40:49 +0000 Erin Klitzke 7358@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ For about the past week, I've been following some advice that I've seen in various places: I've been assessing different projects and figuring out which ones are viable and worth hanging on to, which are salvageable, and which should be given the heave-ho. This has resulted in considering the broader "universe" of Awakenings. I have a novelette that I'd considered developing into a larger work, though I've since decided that I probably will never get around to it. However...there is significant promise for this work as part of the Awakenings universe. My question to folks is thus: I'm within a few chapters of the end of Book One of Awakenings, and I was wondering what everyone does when they come to the end of one major story arc. Do you just launch into the next one, or do you divide it up by adding extras and "filler episodes"? If you do special extras, where and when do you post them? I look forward to thoughts and such! Erin Klitzke on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6713 Tue, 03 May 2011 08:29:55 +0000 Erin Klitzke 6713@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ I think I'll be okay. I finally did the actual mapping yesterday on a hardcopy and realized I have this thing written out into the second week of July. Even if I scale back my writing pace, I'll still be well on-target for updates going forward. This was a good week to make a decision, too! I had a reader yell at me for Monday's cliffhanger chapter ending. Ellipsis on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6710 Tue, 03 May 2011 06:43:44 +0000 Ellipsis 6710@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ I post once a week, every week, on Sunday mornings (my time). Sometimes I have had up to 9 weeks scheduled in WordPress. Other times I have been flying by the seat of my pants... but I have always posted once a week on Sunday morning, like clockwork. The only exception was four weeks when I scheduled "omake" instead of posts because I was overseas. I've seen other discussions (on Weblit.us?) from experienced Webficcers like MeiLin Miranda that an update schedule of two to three posts a week is optimal, even if the posts are shorter, so if you can sustain it, going to three updates a week is probably a good move. However, only if you can sustain it! Good luck. :) Erin Klitzke on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6705 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:43:02 +0000 Erin Klitzke 6705@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ Thanks to everyone for the words of advice and discussion of possible pitfalls and such I hadn't thought of. I've decided to increase my update schedule to three days a week. Erin Klitzke on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6704 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:48:46 +0000 Erin Klitzke 6704@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ A little bit of neither and both at the same time! I'm ending up pretty far ahead right now because the characters are really, really talking right now. I just need to stay far enough ahead to handle the weeks writer's block hits (or when everything I seem to be writing feels like crap). Thereamid on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6703 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:31:44 +0000 Thereamid 6703@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ I started out with a daily schedule just because I wanted to get stuff out there. Without a buffer. This is insane and I would advise against it. You've got the opposite problem: you're way ahead and you're not sure if you want to keep the buffer at its current size or to update faster. I think the big question is, what kind of writer are you? Are you more productive with a tight deadline, or do you get stressed out when your buffer is running out? M.C.A. Hogarth on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6702 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:32:28 +0000 M.C.A. Hogarth 6702@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ My posting schedule is based on how much money I think is reasonable to ask per episode per week. Erin Klitzke on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6701 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:45:03 +0000 Erin Klitzke 6701@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ I do have a several chapter buffer at this point, so that helps to alleviate concern about getting behind (I'm currently in the process of posting chapter 2 while I'm just finishing up the writing of chapter 7). Jim Zoetewey on "How do you define your update schedule? Thinking about changing mine" http://forums.webfictionguide.com/topic/how-do-you-define-your-update-schedule-thinking-about-changing-mine#post-6700 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:40:35 +0000 Jim Zoetewey 6700@http://forums.webfictionguide.com/ Personally, my goal is to have a schedule that I can always make. If you've got a buffer that makes it easier. If you don't have a buffer, and something happens, you'll have no choice but stop posting. Another aspect of the conversation is this: Do you have other writing you might want to be doing? For example, you might have a story you don't plan to put online, or you might want to edit what you're putting online for an ebook at some point. If you're writing more quickly than you need to, you can do that. If you're putting everything online immediately, you can't.