I have a problem with my plotting. To condense or not to condense

[Starsign]

Hey, I have a problem with how my plotting of my Warhammer 40k fanfic has been going and I need your opinion

So I am using kishotenketsu plotting for my volume and said volume is made up of kishotenketsu mini plots, this mostly because I had a lack of content and ideas to write about

and seeing how big One Piece was I decided to imitate its plotting style

however because of said plotting style I have a problem.

The first kishotenketsu mini plot took up about 8 chapters, and now the second one might take 30 chapters.

And when I read other books, their volume ones are around 40 to 60 chapters

And again these are mini plots of a larger volume that will take up 8 mini plots

So here is where your opinion comes in should I condense the story or keep it the same way even if volume one could take 300 chapters?

 

[LilRora]

Is there a specific reason why you want 8 mini plots in a volume? You could do 3 or 4, that should be good as well and keep the volume shorter; you'll just end up with more volumes.

I recommend you don't condense it too much. You can try shorten the story a bit, but forcing a significantly lower word count is generally a bad idea.

 

[EverenVale]

That's a good question. I write long novels, usually book series. The principles are not the same, but I sometimes face the same problem. One book may be longer than others or even be in a completely different genre.
Here is what I normally do. I make a list ? I know, typical, right?
But hear me out:

1. Condense the Story
• If you want to keep the volume at a reasonable length (like 40-60 chapters), you should trim unnecessary scenes and speed up some plot points.
• This might improve pacing and keep readers engaged.

2. Keep It As-Is
• If you are okay with a long and sprawling story, you can continue with the same pacing.
• Some fanfic readers don’t mind long stories, but you should make sure each chapter adds value to keep readers hooked.

3. Balance Mini-Plots More Evenly
• If the first mini-plot was eight chapters and the second is 30, that’s a big jump in length.
• You could restructure to keep mini-plots more balanced (e.g., 10-15 chapters each).

See? That makes it much easier to decide?

• If you want a tighter, more structured story, you should condense it and make sure each mini-plot is evenly paced.
• If you don’t mind having a massive epic, you can keep going as long as you ensure each chapter remains interesting.

I hope it helped. Happy writing

 

[Starsign]

Is there a specific reason why you want 8 mini plots in a volume? You could do 3 or 4, that should be good as well and keep the volume shorter; you'll just end up with more volumes.

I recommend you don't condense it too much. You can try shorten the story a bit, but forcing a significantly lower word count is generally a bad idea.

Thank you, I didn't think about that.

You a life savior