Little and often, or long and slower

[Caz Pedroso]

Hi

 

I couldn't see this any where so I hope I'm not repeating a topic.

 

I want to know what people think is better.

 

Short chapters posted often - once a week or more

 

longer chapters but spaced further apart - Bi weekly or more

 

Would love to hear your views.

 

Also please vote and we can see the overall consensus.

[Graeme]

My preference is simple regular postings. Weekly (or faster) is good, but I can live with a longer period if necessary. The chapter length isn't really important -- it's the reliability of when the next chapter comes out I find most useful.

[Ron]

I'm with Graeme on this. Printed books from ... well, since they first began printing them, have had chapters of various length. A chapter should be as lengthy as it needs to be in order to say what needs to be said. What's import for me is a consistent posting schedule and the more closely spaced the better. The greatest news as a reader: "This story is complete and chapters will be posted every ?day until the end of the story." The only thing better would be twice a week; it's a good fantasy.

 

To add: I know some authors write stories with contrived limits, to achieve certain goals, but these limits are generally stated beforehand and if you begin reading, you know what you're in for at the start.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Ron

[Ben Highlander]

It's hard for me to vote because I think that one should post as often as possible with what length one can manage. I would rather post a longer chapter but would rather post a short one when I can, than leave it too long. Make sense? so I vote, as a compromise, short often

[Suvitar]

Chapters may be short or long, but regular posting is good. 

[craftingmom]

I don't care about chapter length either, but definitely prefer regular postings and knowing when they'll come--the sooner the better (probably why I post like I do).  I've been sucked into too many stories that were dropped, so I often will bookmark it and wait until it is complete to read it.  As long as I have other books/stories to read this works out well.

[Caz Pedroso]

Thank you for all your comments. 

 

I agree with Ron that hearing a story is finished and will be posted every so often is good.

 

in my first story i started finding it hard to keep to the targets i set and then another story i wrote started overlapping and now well you can guess at the mess i got in. 

 

now I have decided to nit post any unfinished stories so I know I will be able to pre post everything and schedual everything. 

 

Thanks again for the help 

[Graeme]

I don't wait for a story to be completed before I start to post, but I need to be confident that I will complete it, and that I can post on a regular schedule. That's why I build up a buffer of edited chapters before I start posting. It not only means I can post at a regular rate, but that I'm not under pressure (unless the buffer runs low). For example, I posted chapter 15 of my current novel on the weekend. I have up to chapter 30 edited, and up to chapter 34 drafted. If I want a month off from writing, I can and I'll still not be under pressure.

[Caz Pedroso]

Wish I had been that organised. 

 

I got to a certain chapter then found myself so busy I fell behind. 

[MarcW]

looking at the topic title i was wondering what was being asked 

as a reader i like regular chapters - but totally understand tat for writers that might be difficult, framing a story circle and some times that pesky thing called real life can get in the way ... either way all hail the writers - you're the reason us readers are here

[Krista]

As long as the chapter flows and reads like a complete piece of work... although I know myself, if I see that chapters are around 1,000 words I tend to not read it, even if the project is listed as complete and there are a number of chapters available. 

 

I have learned that Regular posting is the ticket to gain readers... I've just now really tried to re-work my writing habits so when I am posting, I can do so regularly with little delay between postings. I've not gotten anything of length ready to go yet, but working on it. 

[Timothy M.]

The emphasis on regular posting is bad news for a writer like me. I only have two stories going, one with long chapters far apart and the other with short chapters more often, but neither of them have regular posting.  

I tend to write long stories, because I get so fond of my characters I find it hard to let go and finish. But I also need the reaction and feedback and even advice from readers in order to keep going. So if I waited till the story was done before posting, I'd never get anything up.

I guess I'll just have to be grateful that I have readers who are patient with me.  

[Graeme]

When I started, I would post chapters as soon as they were edited. I changed that with my third novel. What I did was to write a number of chapters (not the entire story) and once I had a reasonable buffer of chapters, I'd start posting what I had on a regular basis. I miscalculated the first time and had to take a hiatus at one point to build up another buffer of chapters, but because I knew it was going to happen I could pick the time when it occurred and I could tell the readers.

 

Some authors prefer to complete a story first, which certainly gives more freedom to go back and make tweaks to earlier chapters to enhance the story, but I don't have that much self-discipline With my current novel, I waited until I had about eight chapters edited and then posted at a rate of a chapter every two weeks. That gave me enough time to build up a bigger buffer and then switch to posting weekly. Even though the story is much longer than I originally expected, I still expect to be able to keep ahead of what's posted so I can maintain a regular posting cycle.