Serialized Fiction

[Voss Foster]

Hello, all!

So, I'm basically all brand new and shiny when it comes to serial fiction. Anyone with experience in the matter of serial fiction? I tried my hand all of once, but it went as far as four installments of it before life intervened. But this time, I have everything written and ready to go after edits, so that's not (most likely) an issue. But I'm hoping that, with a little help from more experienced parties, I can take a real stab at it.

Hoping to hear back soon,

Voss

[Ron Hepner]

Voss, I've written a series of Intel thrillers, each book and story is stand alone, not a finale blockbuster to continue in next novel. When you say you're writing serialized, are these inter-connecting, continuing theme, plot, subplots>

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[Voss Foster]

I was talking about a serialized novel, actually.

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Demon Hunting and Tenth Dimensional Physics

 

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[Jonathan Ems]

My last novel started as a series of serialized novelettes, which I combined into a single volume when it was done. What sort of help were you looking for?

[Voss Foster]

I basically know next to nothing about serial work. So I was just looking for any general advice.

[Jonathan Ems]

Well, for what it's worth, these are the sorts of things I kept in mind when writing my serialized work:

1. Think of it like a TV show. Each chapter is an episode that can be enjoyed by itself. You don't need to reintroduce each character at the beginning of the chapter, but at least make sure your characters are developed enough that their voice and nuance comes through. It's doubtful that you'll have any reader starting in the middle of the story, but there may be a lot of time between chapters, and they may need gentle refreshers to remind them of who's who.
2. Avoid filler chapters. Each "episode" needs to advance the overarc in some way. If you feel the need to delve into a specific character's backstory, make sure it's made clear in the same chapter why that's important.
3. Keep your chapter endings open-ended. Not the same as a cliffhanger ending, (which can also be used, but sometimes can feel like a cheap trick) but is just as good at giving your reader a sense of anticipation for the next installment. Try to bring the chapter to a close at the moment of a big reveal or important decision. Try not to make them in the form of a preview of the next chapter, but more like the culmination of what the chapter was leading to and how it advances the plot. 

I can't say with any certainty how much this will help, as I'm still in the early experimental stage of my writing, but these were the sorts of things that came to mind when writing my serial, and I feel the results were positive. The handful of readers I've gotten feedback from seemed to react positively to these elements. I hope they help you.

Jonathan