Let’s talk comments. The major benefit of serialising a story and releasing it weekly like this is that you get a sense of readers interacting with the material. In the case of A Day of Faces my readership is still pretty tiny (just over 400 reads currently) but there’s still a palpable sense of people are reading my stuff.
A comment dropped in on this chapter:
“WHAAAAAAAT? Nice twist!”
Writing in a serial format enables that kind of thing to happen. Sure, if I release ADoF as a completed novel the reader might have a similar experience, but they probably wouldn’t share that specific moment with me.
And, actually, perhaps they wouldn’t have the same experience. By serialising you add an additional layer of tension and excitement, at least for those readers who are encountering the story at the same time I’m writing it. It’s not just a twist at the end of the chapter: it’s a twist which won’t be picked up for another week.
Really, though, 2015 has been my most productive year by far for writing. A big part of that is having the sense that people are reading. It drives me onwards to keep making stuff. Outside of ADoF I’ve also written my first short film screenplay for years. I’ve been blogging much more actively. I’ve started creating regular YouTube videos again. I’m working on my first proper game.
Pretty much all of that I can put down to using Wattpad as a publishing platform. It’s truly invigorating, much like YouTube has been for video creators.
If you’re experiencing writer’s block, try exploring serialised writing. It’s terrifying and exciting and rewarding all at the same time.
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