Hey gang. I recently started a separate story (Rune Wolf) which is the rewrite of this one (RRH). Even though I'm paying someone to provide edits for my RRH posts, this is still the first draft. I posted the first scene on 19 Oct which has garnered a total 73 readers but very few have read through to the latest post.
I made the first Rune Wolf post on 4 Jan and received 32 readers in under 48 hrs. I realize that this story is in far better shape and that readers would rightfully be more interested in this story. However, I still want to support those few that have continued through to the end of the current RRH posting. A lot of great things start happening (in my opinion) from '7.1 Ravens' onward, which is mainly because my writing improved and I gained an understanding for several backstories.
So my feedback request is for those that have read into later portions of the story (looking at you @Kaetii). What would you prefer to see happen? I want to respect the time that you've put into the story, but I also want to give you the best story possible. Would you rather see me continue posting the drafted (albeit edited) chapters or would you prefer that I shift the bulk of my effort to Rune Wolf? I can probably shotgun-post an unedited completion of the RRH draft if you want to see how that unfolds. I think some would find it interesting to see the different versions.
Ultimately, my dilemma is what to post for RRH. Should I continue posting as usual, or barrel through the rest of my draft to focus on Rune Wolf. What are your thoughts?
On a side note, I already know the rest of the concluding events, even though I haven't put them down in a draft. Other options would be to provide a synopsis post for the story's conclusion or individual chapter outlines for what takes place within each.
I've added a poll with these options, but feel free comment other thoughts as well!
Also, (my regulars) should comment with your poll #1-5 so I can weigh your option more heavily against someone who might only be interested in seeing more Rune Wolf! haha
The poll will be up for 7 days. I value your time and feedback, so let me know!
Thank you and happy reading!
JT
-
1. Continue as normal. Votes: 0 0.0%
-
2. Shotgun unedited posts as they are completed. Votes: 0 0.0%
-
3. Synopsis for unwritten/posted story. Votes: 0 0.0%
-
4. Chapter outlines. Votes: 0 0.0%
-
5. Shift priority to Rune Wolf posts. Votes: 0 0.0%
Paypal
The writer must be happy with what they are writing, otherwise I think it would suffer.
So, the answer I think is for you to do what you want. That said a synopsis for closure's sake would not be a terrible thing unless it spills the plot for the new rewrite/version.
I'm happy with the way things are going in RRH and the story overall. Rune Wolf is essentially the same storyline. I think there are some great things that happen along RRH with most of the better things in the mid to back-end. The story setup is currently weaker than it could be, and it's turning away most readers before they get to those story high points.
Rune Wolf is going to be the same Red Riding Hood formula and have identical character arcs, but the individual journeys are more pronounced and drawn out. You can immediately pick up on this shift by comparing the first post from each. The difference is immediate.
There are some structural changes that are going to take place, such as the zombie thing in Ch 13.3 being moved closer to Ch 6 or 7. I'm sure there will be a few other alignment shifts, but that 13.3 shift is the most significant one I'm tracking at the moment.
I posted Ch 13 this past week, but I have 14-16 completed, with only 16 being unedited. Things take a turn during 14-16, and a lot of foreshadowing/background elements converge in Ch 17, which I'm drafting now. Ch 17 is going to be a huge reveal, and if you haven't picked up on the clues, it'll almost seem like a Deus Ex Machina. But it isn't.
After that, we're looking at a downhill cruise to a story completion of approx 22 chapters (with my current format) and an epilogue, which should be 9 weeks of posting.
That being said, if you're the only one that gives feedback on this, how about I send you a synopsis directly? You would just need to give me an idea on what level of spoilers to include/avoid. The same events will happen in Rune Wolf and it will be the same key players, but there's going to be some level of spoiler in a synopsis no matter how I slice it.
The main upcoming reveals are:
-The rest of Mioko's background in Ch 15.1 & 16.4 via the dream/memory scenes. (4 of these in total)
-The antagonist's origins, Ch 18.
-A Legendary relic that the antagonist is pursuing, Ch 17.
-The identity of a 3rd party that's looking for the same relic, Ch 18.
-Mioko's father's origin, Ch 18.
-Relic's identity? Ch 20-21.
All of these are interrelated though, and they signify a far grander story than what RRH and Rune Wolf would have you believe is present here. The Little Red Riding Hood isn't the only well known theme at work and this upcoming portion of the story will make that plain.
I'm going to leave the poll running for a week, but let me know your preference on this.
And thanks for following along and for the feedback :)
@jtwrites I'm good I can read the new improved story :) now with Retsyn.