I'm toying with the idea of writing some short works set in Shoregrave (similar to the Ethan Banning short stories), or doing a serialised story featuring Yasmine Stoker (protagonist of AFTERLIFE). How do readers feel about serials versus shorts? Are they a worthwhile investment for you? Does it raise your interest in longer works?
I like the idea of releasing a story episodically. I love the idea of writing more stuff set in Shoregrave, especially to help me dive back into that setting for the sequel to AFTERLIFE. I know a few authors are doing serial novels for the Kindle. But it does seem like a big time commitment to release something on a regular schedule like that, produce a cover (my artistic skills being somewhat lacking...), format, etc. So I'd like to know whether people think it's an interesting idea before I decide whether to go ahead.
I'm fine with shorts, but NOT a fan of serials. I need a full story in one go, because my memory can't remember what happened earlier, and there are too many unread books to spend time re-reading ;-) Besides, the author may change their direction, thus rendering earlier chapters useless - I just want something complete.
ReplyDeleteSerials worked fine back in the days of longer attention spans and less distractions, when it could take a week for a message to travel from England to Rome. Personally, I'd rather read a short in one featuring my favourite characters.
ReplyDeleteThanks for feedback, guys!
ReplyDeleteShorts, for the above mentioned reasons ... but a serial could work, so long as there wasn't too long a break between episodes ... a week at the most. We've been trained by TV to carry a storyline in our heads for a week ... although, a 'previously on Buffy the Twilight Wolf' sentence or two might be needed anyway.
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