Are you looking for a way to get your fiction out for people to read?
In late 2024, I began writing my first full-length novel. Writing was a slog, and getting feedback from one or two people wasn't fast enough to gauge how the story progressed.
It was painstaking and couldn't satisfy my desire for insight into my writing.
Then, I began reading stories on Royal Road, thinking, "What if I turned this story into an episodic piece of fiction?" That was the kick in the pants I needed to start outlining a piece of fiction released in episodes. It made sense for me to pursue serialized fiction for a few reasons.
I wanted to engage my readers (and quicken the feedback loop).
It offers me greater creative flexibility.
It helps me generate a sustainable writing practice.
If this interests you or you want to know how to publish your fictional work, let me help you by sharing ways that writing serialized fiction can help you on your fiction writing journey.
Benefit #1: I want to engage my readers (and quicken the feedback loop).
Serial fiction creates a sense of anticipation by making the reader wonder what will happen next.
Readers build connections with the characters and the story, allowing them to share theories about where the story is going, draw fan art, and connect with other work fans. This sense of community creates engaged readers. Fans can also provide feedback on the writing at the end of each episode, which speeds up the feedback loop.
Serial fiction can be similar to a reader's favorite TV show with a devoted fan base.
Benefit #2: It offers me greater creative flexibility.
Serial fiction provides me with a vast canvas to create art.
Characters can go on numerous arcs to create complexity and depth. It also allows me to develop multiple subplots and pay them off with the appropriate care and satisfying conclusions. The world can also come to life to create an engaging reader experience.
More importantly, the variety in worlds, character arcs, and subplots can prevent the story from going stale.
Benefit #3: It helps me generate a sustainable writing practice.
Serial fiction breaks down a large-scale project into more manageable parts, allowing me to avoid burnout.
It also creates deadlines as I have a release schedule, meaning I can be more productive in writing regularly. I must maintain that writing schedule, increase my writing productivity, and avoid writer's block by simply writing more. Writing serial fiction also allows me to gauge input on whether or not a subplot or character isn't working, allowing me to make changes in future episodes and giving me room to breathe.
Serial fiction makes it easier to maintain momentum, lowering procrastination.
These benefits are why I've started writing my serial fiction, which will be released later this year.
Discovering these benefits released the pressure of writing a full-length novel and made creating a piece of fiction fun and engaging.
Writing shouldn't be slog and lonely.
It should be fun and an experience to share with others.