Question for Writers with Ongoing Stories

[Kimsuya]

Hi everyone! ?

I’m currently writing an ongoing story, and I wanted to ask a few general questions from people who’ve been here longer or are also serial writers:

How do you usually balance pacing when posting chapter by chapter?

Do you plan everything in advance, or let the story grow naturally?

How often do you post new chapters, and what schedule works best for you?

How do you deal with motivation dips while a story is still ongoing?

I’d really love to hear different experiences and advice.
Thanks in advance—this community already feels really welcoming ?

 

[Wamba2K]

I'm still pretty new to this myself but I'll give my two pennies.
1. I'm working on three different stories and they have varied degrees of plans. One I'm literally flying blind. One I have extensive outlines for and ones somewhere in the middle. For me it just depends on the story.
2. I treat chapters like mini stories. Even if the plot isn't rocketing forward, something has to happen. Otherwise it'll just feel like the story is stalling. I obviously don't mean there's a huge plot event in every chapter, just something that makes the chapter deserve to exist.
3. I've been posting every day in the week since I started posting. Now I've worked a plan out where I'm going to posting every day but Sunday. I'm not sure how it works for me because I haven't quite had enough experience yet.
4. I write crap. The biggest thing that drains my motivation is feeling that it just isn't good enough. And I just accept that my work is crap and make myself write it anyway.

 

[Kimsuya]

I'm still pretty new to this myself but I'll give my two pennies.
1. I'm working on three different stories and they have varied degrees of plans. One I'm literally flying blind. One I have extensive outlines for and ones somewhere in the middle. For me it just depends on the story.
2. I treat chapters like mini stories. Even if the plot isn't rocketing forward, something has to happen. Otherwise it'll just feel like the story is stalling. I obviously don't mean there's a huge plot event in every chapter, just something that makes the chapter deserve to exist.
3. I've been posting every day in the week since I started posting. Now I've worked a plan out where I'm going to posting every day but Sunday. I'm not sure how it works for me because I haven't quite had enough experience yet.
4. I write crap. The biggest thing that drains my motivation is feeling that it just isn't good enough. And I just accept that my work is crap and make myself write it anyway.

This was actually really helpful to read, so thanks for sharing your experience. I like what you said about different stories needing different levels of planning — it makes me feel less guilty about not having everything figured out ?

Treating chapters like mini stories makes a lot of sense too. I think that’s something I need to work on, because sometimes I worry my chapters exist just to “fill space.”

Posting consistently every day except Sunday sounds intense but impressive. Respect for that discipline.

And honestly… the “I write crap but I write anyway” part hit hard. I think a lot of us struggle with that, and it’s kind of comforting to hear someone say it out loud.

 

[MakBow]

Hi everyone! ?

I’m currently writing an ongoing story, and I wanted to ask a few general questions from people who’ve been here longer or are also serial writers:

How do you usually balance pacing when posting chapter by chapter?

Do you plan everything in advance, or let the story grow naturally?

How often do you post new chapters, and what schedule works best for you?

How do you deal with motivation dips while a story is still ongoing?

I’d really love to hear different experiences and advice.
Thanks in advance—this community already feels really welcoming ?

1. I don't. I just make sure stuff doesn't happen to fast as I have two stories ongoing, one more active, the other more for fun and training so its uploads will be when I want to post
2. I only plan the major players in the novel by writing the on a document. Everything else is just improvised.
3. What works for me is 2 minimum as it allows free days not to stress over posting, knowing the readers know it's only 2 a week.
4. Just take a break, then come back. I don't focus on the readership because if I do, I will feel less motivated, but I still like feedback.

 

[Exiled_From_Earth]

Hi!

These are great questions, and I want to take time to answer them because I find them really interesting.

Pacing: I like to think of my series overall as a long-running tv show in the fact that, like an episode of television, every chapter has to both build on the previous one, set up the next one, and accomplish something all at the same time. This is tricky, but it's important to remember that the thing that happens or is accomplished in the chapter doesn't always have to be big. For example, in one of my upcoming chapters, the main cast of characters discuss traveling to a certain planet, and it turns into a debate on some of the actions they took previously, but they still do end up on the planet. It's not exactly major, readers will probably infer that the characters were already pretty much guaranteed to go to that planet anyway, but the fact that they did arrive there and that the characters argued is still a plotbeat that did happen, and it not only helped expand characterization but got the characters to the planet, which means that the chapter contributed not just to characterztion but to plot as well. Now that sort of thing shouldn't be every single chapter, I tend to think most "traveling" chapters are pretty boring myself, but I feel it's fine to have chapters that are a bit slower as long as something does still happen in them, and it makes the chapters where the major plotpoints happen feel even more important by comparison.
IMO, everything is fine as long as the chapter contributes something to the plot. If you find yourself thinking that nothing would change in the narrative if you cut it out, then you're probably doing something wrong.
(Ironically, I feel like this one part of my response went on for far too long...)

Planning: Yes and no. I do let some of my story grow naturally, but I always like to know where it's heading. Before I sit down to write a chapter, I have to have in mind what one thing absolutely needs to happen in it to further the story and let myself fill in some of the blanks from there. I also do bullet point outlines a lot for every twelve or so chapters that are literally just a list of, this happens, then this, then this, and I find that actually really helps me because it's basically just a checklist.

Posting: I used to overthink my schedule a lot, but I always knew that posting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday was going to work best for me. Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekends are when I have the most free time, which allows me not only to write new chapters but also to adjust and schedule the upcoming ones. The main problem for me starting out (and the main thing you should avoid) is figuring out what time to post. I would worry far too much about what timezone I should target, what hour would get the most traffic, what sort of other stories would I be competing with for that timeslot, etc. I quickly learned that it does not matter at all. I got my most traction when I just picked one consistent time and stuck to it, and even then, most of my returning readers seem to just wait until the end of the week to go through all the chapters for the week, which is completely fair and probably a better overall reading experience.

Motivation: My main motivation is the story itself. Even if no one were reading it, I probably would still write it somewhere, or at least daydream about it, because of how much I've come to love my characters and the universe they inhabit. I'm not delusional enough to say that it's perfect or even good, but I've been having a lot of fun working on it, and it's pretty much become my main hobby. Writing overall is very therapeutic for me, which may seem horrifying to say, given how grim my series and some of the short stories I personally wrote for myself can get, but I do get a lot of catharsis out of a good sob story or seeing a character finally overcome the odds and succeed in their life. I'm an emotional person, and I get very emotionally invested in the things around me, the reason I keep writing is because I am emotionally invested in the journey my characters are on right now, and I will do anything to make that journey as compelling for my readers, even if it means ruining the characters' lives for the sake of the narrative.

I only started posting a few months ago myself, but I wish you luck on your journey, and I not only hope that your series becomes successful, but I sincerely hope that you enjoy writing it as well ♥

 

[Eldoria]

How do you usually balance pacing when posting chapter by chapter?

Well, pacing requires a keen sense of precision. Essentially, use fast pacing for action scenes through cinematic narrative and short dialogues with emphasis on symbolism. Conversely, use slow pacing for reflection, SoL, character development, and building suspense through descriptive narrative, sensory elements, and complex dialogue.

To test how balanced the chapter pacing is, you can read the chapter and feel how immersive your chapter is?

Do you plan everything in advance, or let the story grow naturally?

I already have a guide or outline outlet for the arc that will occur, but the narrative of each chapter can develop flexibly according to the needs of the narrative and new creativity.

How often do you post new chapters, and what schedule works best for you?

Updates twice a week. The schedule is uncertain, but I usually look for days before a break in the week, such as weekends, Fridays/ Saturdays, or sometimes Sundays. And Mondays/ Tuesdays, or Wednesdays.

How do you deal with motivation dips while a story is still ongoing?

Imagine a piece of fiction that embodies your experiences, thoughts, values, and tastes... a piece of fiction is like the fruit of love—it's a child who embodies the hopes of its parents. I want to write at least a series and let it grow as my own child.

Good luck. Regards.

 

[Nekyo]

1- I try for each chapter to deliver at least one full scene and if the scene is too long at least far enough until there is a good cutting point for a cliffhanger. Usually aiming for that 2k-2.5k sweets spot.

2- I let it play out, sometimes a scene that I think it'll be a chapter turn into more.

3- I try to at least post one weekly. I'm definitely a sprinter that I rather write in chunks of high productivity and then rest rather than consistent but, that's non negotiable in the web novel world as far as I've heard so it's a bit daunting. But it does motivate me, rather than delaying my story.

4- Probably keep the story interesting for yourself first and foremost, I personally know my ending to the story so I strive to reach that final moment as I carve the path to the destination. Wanting to really get there.

Best of lucks on your journey!

 

[CharlesEBrown]

How do you usually balance pacing when posting chapter by chapter?

Very carefully. Unless I feel like pushing it over for kicks.

Do you plan everything in advance, or let the story grow naturally?

You can't plan everything - either the characters will rebel or will feel stilted and robotic unless you're REALLY, REALLY good at planning minutia.
For example, I have a character in one story who was meant to be mostly a passing joke, a sort of "Sir Not Appearing in this Story" who decided she just HAD to be a main character and that I had to do some revision just for her.

How often do you post new chapters, and what schedule works best for you?

Far less often than I'd like.

How do you deal with motivation dips while a story is still ongoing?

Have other stories to work on.

 

[Kimsuya]

Hi!

These are great questions, and I want to take time to answer them because I find them really interesting.

Pacing: I like to think of my series overall as a long-running tv show in the fact that, like an episode of television, every chapter has to both build on the previous one, set up the next one, and accomplish something all at the same time. This is tricky, but it's important to remember that the thing that happens or is accomplished in the chapter doesn't always have to be big. For example, in one of my upcoming chapters, the main cast of characters discuss traveling to a certain planet, and it turns into a debate on some of the actions they took previously, but they still do end up on the planet. It's not exactly major, readers will probably infer that the characters were already pretty much guaranteed to go to that planet anyway, but the fact that they did arrive there and that the characters argued is still a plotbeat that did happen, and it not only helped expand characterization but got the characters to the planet, which means that the chapter contributed not just to characterztion but to plot as well. Now that sort of thing shouldn't be every single chapter, I tend to think most "traveling" chapters are pretty boring myself, but I feel it's fine to have chapters that are a bit slower as long as something does still happen in them, and it makes the chapters where the major plotpoints happen feel even more important by comparison.
IMO, everything is fine as long as the chapter contributes something to the plot. If you find yourself thinking that nothing would change in the narrative if you cut it out, then you're probably doing something wrong.
(Ironically, I feel like this one part of my response went on for far too long...)

Planning: Yes and no. I do let some of my story grow naturally, but I always like to know where it's heading. Before I sit down to write a chapter, I have to have in mind what one thing absolutely needs to happen in it to further the story and let myself fill in some of the blanks from there. I also do bullet point outlines a lot for every twelve or so chapters that are literally just a list of, this happens, then this, then this, and I find that actually really helps me because it's basically just a checklist.

Posting: I used to overthink my schedule a lot, but I always knew that posting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday was going to work best for me. Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekends are when I have the most free time, which allows me not only to write new chapters but also to adjust and schedule the upcoming ones. The main problem for me starting out (and the main thing you should avoid) is figuring out what time to post. I would worry far too much about what timezone I should target, what hour would get the most traffic, what sort of other stories would I be competing with for that timeslot, etc. I quickly learned that it does not matter at all. I got my most traction when I just picked one consistent time and stuck to it, and even then, most of my returning readers seem to just wait until the end of the week to go through all the chapters for the week, which is completely fair and probably a better overall reading experience.

Motivation: My main motivation is the story itself. Even if no one were reading it, I probably would still write it somewhere, or at least daydream about it, because of how much I've come to love my characters and the universe they inhabit. I'm not delusional enough to say that it's perfect or even good, but I've been having a lot of fun working on it, and it's pretty much become my main hobby. Writing overall is very therapeutic for me, which may seem horrifying to say, given how grim my series and some of the short stories I personally wrote for myself can get, but I do get a lot of catharsis out of a good sob story or seeing a character finally overcome the odds and succeed in their life. I'm an emotional person, and I get very emotionally invested in the things around me, the reason I keep writing is because I am emotionally invested in the journey my characters are on right now, and I will do anything to make that journey as compelling for my readers, even if it means ruining the characters' lives for the sake of the narrative.

I only started posting a few months ago myself, but I wish you luck on your journey, and I not only hope that your series becomes successful, but I sincerely hope that you enjoy writing it as well ♥

Thanks, after reading your reply I got to

Very carefully. Unless I feel like pushing it over for kicks.

You can't plan everything - either the characters will rebel or will feel stilted and robotic unless you're REALLY, REALLY good at planning minutia.
For example, I have a character in one story who was meant to be mostly a passing joke, a sort of "Sir Not Appearing in this Story" who decided she just HAD to be a main character and that I had to do some revision just for her.

Far less often than I'd like.

Have other stories to work on.

understand many things.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Hi everyone! ?

Hi!

I’m currently writing an ongoing story, and I wanted to ask a few general questions from people who’ve been here longer or are also serial writers:
Congratulations!

How do you usually balance pacing when posting chapter by chapter?
Scheduling. Find a good schedule for you. Sit without distractions. Relax.
(edit. I'm dyslexic. lol I though it read balance life and posting chapters)
For pacing:
Action scenes should be rushed, but clear on what's happening.
During normal 'daily life' type scenes, you want to be more particular, explain with dialogue, but also show with environmental narrative. paint a picture, but don't go off on a three page tangent of world lore. Keep things to: "who asked? why did they ask? how is this info relevant to right now?"
for Dramatic scenes, you want to show emotions, drama, trauma, internal struggles, anything and everything which will slow down the story but really tighten down who your characters are. let them talk about things, crash out, lash out, breakdown, or whatever which way they show their personalities. Not every character is going to crash out. Some characters bury it down until later, other characters might turn a blind eye not wanting to deal with the dramatics. etc etc.
if things feel as though they've slowed down enough, and are beginning to erode, drop a bomb, author in the next issue, drop it into a character's lap, make a problem -just don't drop a problem, or an issue you aren't ready to write. Keep the story moving.

Do you plan everything in advance, or let the story grow naturally?
Advance. Making sure you know where you're heading, or where you want to go keeps you from writer's block.

How often do you post new chapters, and what schedule works best for you?
2k words every 2-3 days per story (I have 3 stories going). but that's just me.

How do you deal with motivation dips while a story is still ongoing?
Write because you enjoy it. If you're writing for other people, or numbers you'll quickly burn out. Remember to have fun.

I’d really love to hear different experiences and advice.
Thanks in advance—this community already feels really welcoming ?
Just keep doing your best, dude.

 

[Zagaroth]

How do you usually balance pacing when posting chapter by chapter?

The internal pacing of a chapter is based on the current events of a chapter, rather than the overall pacing of the story. If one were to look at a pattern reflecting how fast each chapter was, one would find that the fast paced chapters tend to be clustered together, as part of an ebb and flow between slower and faster parts of the story.

Do you plan everything in advance, or let the story grow naturally?

I started with nothing but a scene and a couple of characters in my head, and let it grow from there as I fleshed out the characters and the world

However, fleshing everything out as I wrote helped me find my primary antagonist and such, and to start laying out major beats of the story. I don't pre-plan a lot of the details, and often surprise myself with events that crop up in the of a chapter because they make sense as the result or respond of previous events.

How often do you post new chapters, and what schedule works best for you?

Twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. Which days you chose does not matter nearly so much as aiming for consistency.

How do you deal with motivation dips while a story is still ongoing?

I rarely have motivation dips so much as energy level and focus issues, but I have ADHD.

I always want to write, I just don't always have the ability to focus on writing.

 

[Thiris]

I've usually written about 10-15 chapters more than I have published here. So if the writer's block hits, I have chapters stored so I can still keep publishing them regularly. And it gives me a little bit of freedom to change things also if a new idea comes to mind. So I can still alter the latest chapters in peace since no one has seen them yet.

I have mentioned in my synopsis when I post new chapters (3 times a week). But now I'm posting every day, since I have been able to write so many chapters in so little time. So basically, I tell the minimum, but possibly post more. But usually posting 3 times a week suits my rhythm. I don't want to be too pressured by writing, since I'm afraid that then it's starting to be more like a forced job and not a joyful hobby. So I just like to keep the pace steady, but not too harsh or demanding.

I have planned the main storyline in advance, but as I write the story lives and I invent more scenes constantly. So the ending is clear, but the road to reach that ending lives constantly.

And as for the motivation dips, I really haven't encountered any yet. There have been times when I struggle to finish a chapter, so I put that on hold and just keep writing the next one. And in time, I will return to write it when I feel more in the mood for it.

 

[Naravelt]

How do you usually balance pacing when posting chapter by chapter?
I think this is quite hard myself, but I agree with Eldoria’s, CinnaSloth’s, and others’ posts above.

Do you plan everything in advance, or let the story grow naturally?
The important general events are planned from arc to arc and up to the ending. The arc and action scenes (strategy on how to win) usually grow naturally if there’s a better idea, but the outcome always stays the same from book to book. For myself, this helps reduce plot holes and makes foreshadowing and symbolism easier.

How often do you post new chapters, and what schedule works best for you?
I post 2–3 times per week. If I’m very busy, I do 2 times. If not, 3 times. I usually write on weekends when I have free time.

How do you deal with motivation dips while a story is still ongoing?
You need to like your work. If you don’t like it, it might lead to abandonment.
Maybe don’t start a new series and abandon the previous one. If you keep doing that, it can become a cycle of abandonment.