Status and Support

[Transwarp]

Okay, I got back from R&R yesterday, and I'm ready to start work on chapter three of 'Convicted'.

That is, once the jet-lag subsides. And I get caught up on all the cool new threads in the forum that seem to have sprouted like mushrooms in my absence. Oh yeah, and all that pesky 'real-world' crap that my boss insists I take care of...

My last chapter set a personal record for comments, which in my world-view constitutes a Good Thing, even if many are inspired by disagreements with my plot's basic premise.

At least now no one can accuse me of being able to dish it out but not take it!

[Aquarius]

Welcome back!

[Alelou]

At least now no one can accuse me of being able to dish it out but not take it!

Yeah, you've definitely earned your stripes in that regard.

Keep safe (except, of course, in your fanfic).

[WarpGirl]

So glad you're safe dear Transwarp, stay that way! I'm typing like a fiend. I think I'll be ready for a beta by Monday. Then I'm taking time off for Russia. Gots to keep the mother happy. Oh and my darling loving most awesome family that I so do not deserve in any way are springing for cable internet! Happy day soon no more wireless to make me absolutely insane!

[WarpGirl]

Sorry for the double but I truly need advice. I'm in the thick of Ch 5. But there's a catch... it's 34 pages long! I know I'm insane. I could cut off right now, and it would be a natural ending. But I really wanted to get Elizabeth's funeral done in this chapter. I'm afraid that the pace of the story will get completely screwed up if I don't. However, I had to write what I have already because it also sets up the entire tale. This isn't just about TnT and them getting their acts together. Please HELP! Where's the begging smiley?

[Transwarp]

Sorry for the double but I truly need advice. I'm in the thick of Ch 5. But there's a catch... it's 34 pages long!

Where is it written that a chapter can't be 34 pages long? (And what is the word count?)

I could cut off right now, and it would be a natural ending. But I really wanted to get Elizabeth's funeral done in this chapter. I'm afraid that the pace of the story will get completely screwed up if I don't.

If it destroys the pace when its all in one chapter, then the pace will probably be off even if you split it into two. Inserting a chapter break won't really change the pace.

However, I had to write what I have already because it also sets up the entire tale.

It sounds like an essential part of the story, so you should add it, and the word count be damned!

Here's the REAL question: Is the story moving along at an acceptable rate, and if not why not? If the answer is 'yes' then the length doesn't matter. I will accept FULL responsibility in the unlikely event anyone dings you for the chapter being too long.

[WarpGirl]

OK word count is... 15,476! Sometimes I even amaze myself. Personally I like what I've got going on. To me the pacing isn't a huge deal. But I can see people saying "OK what are you doing?" But on the one hand, I've got TnT in mourning, and wanting a wedding licence. And on the other I got big plans for the Enterprise and her crew. The time span I'm covering is exactly two weeks after Terra Prime and the day the Romulan War starts. Because I don't dare to go into it, nope no way I leave that to experts. I know my limits. But since it is a relatively short frame of time, in order to do what I planned out, some chapters are just necessarily going to have to be packed. The story I want to tell is incredibly specific, but the details change constantly... OK time to eat and take a break before my head . You get the idea.

[panyasan]

Got chapter 17 of The Captives ready to post, still have to work on the epilogue and then... I finished the Captives. Have been thinking of my challenge of writing a funny fic about an episode of season 3 and 4 and finally starting to write. About ugly men and handsome Klingons.

[Asso]

Got chapter 17 of The Captives ready to post, still have to work on the epilogue and then... I finished the Captives. Have been thinking of my challenge of writing a funny fic about an episode of season 3 and 4 and finally starting to write. About ugly men and handsome Klingons.

[WarpGirl]

Awesome!

[Alelou]

OK word count is... 15,476! Sometimes I even amaze myself. Personally I like what I've got going on. To me the pacing isn't a huge deal. But I can see people saying "OK what are you doing?" But on the one hand, I've got TnT in mourning, and wanting a wedding licence. And on the other I got big plans for the Enterprise and her crew. The time span I'm covering is exactly two weeks after Terra Prime and the day the Romulan War starts. Because I don't dare to go into it, nope no way I leave that to experts. I know my limits. But since it is a relatively short frame of time, in order to do what I planned out, some chapters are just necessarily going to have to be packed. The story I want to tell is incredibly specific, but the details change constantly... OK time to eat and take a break before my head . You get the idea.

Are you sure you're not really writing two stories, one of which is a sequel to the other?

You can do chapters any length you want. (See "Lerteiran Chronicles.") However, speaking solely for myself, I tend to start feeling fatigued after 12 pages or so. Frankly, you have to REALLY enthrall me to get me to read something that's super long and that just ain't going to happen if it's slow-paced, unless you're a literary genius and I'm REALLY in a reading mood. But I'm sure plenty of other readers will happily plug along, so above all please yourself.

Besides, isn't this your first draft? Worry about such matters later.

[panyasan]

I promised my self to write shorter chapters. It doesn't always work out that way, but I feel a short powerful chapter works better. That's why it ended on my list "things to do to improve my writing".

[WarpGirl]

Well like I said, so far I don't think it's slow. I mean I've been re-reading pages, dialouge, and stuff, because inspiration strikes me mid-sentence and it requires finessing stuff. So I'm assuming that if someone is just reading straight through and not "working on it" it should be fine. Mainly I think the dialouge and double spacing is just taking up a ton of space. It looks long but the flow (hopefully) isn't too bad.

I actually thought about turning the thing into two stories. But honestly I don't have the time, or energy to separate anything. I tried working on two stories at once... Long story short, didn't work.

I wrote all those Word Challenges in an effort to learn to write short chapters. However, a prompt about TnT only makes that easier. If you try to add the crew and extras it gets messy.

[Alelou]

I actually thought about turning the thing into two stories. But honestly I don't have the time, or energy to separate anything.

Well, at the very least your readers expect you to do the work of making a story a pleasure to read. As long as they don't have to feel like they're working because you didn't, though, you'll be fine.

[WarpGirl]

What can I say? I always work as hard as I am able on my fiction. But quite honestly I refuse to kill myself over it, my health problems make life and doing this complicated. If people think I haven't worked hard enough to make the story fun for them to read, or they feel they are working too hard, I can't change that. They have the option to stop reading. All I know is I've done my best. It really doesn't mean anything to me if other people don't.