Pre-plugs

blimp - who stole our PinkAngel and replaced her with this one? she's being NICE to us!

Thank you very much, NewPinkAngel!

njrick
It wont last

I just think we are all different and all have different likes and dislikes and therefore each different method suits a portion of authors and readers and each to their own... there is plenty of room for all

... and some are more 'different' than others. Take blimp, for instance...

This is too much, NJ! It is like the slow drip of a tap! PinkAngel being nice to us?!! Where is the real Queen of Mean? Where is the real PinkAngel?! Obviously she is an impostor and the real PinkAngel has been kidnapped. A huge ransom will have to be paid! All cheques should be sent to me, c/o Blimp Towers and clearly marked PinkAngel Release fund!!

At least we know you haven't been kidnapped NJ!!

I know. I was merely suggesting that for YOU. But {sigh} no one would.

I regret my choice of words; I was referring to the effort I put in to serials; which is massive and incredibly time-consuming, against the time it takes to write and edit a single stand-alone story.
I had no intention of inferring that a single story is in any way inferior; as with all things some are excellent, some good and some- well not to one's taste.
Many of my favourites have in fact been single stand alone favourites. My late friend and mentor Alex Birch was superb in producing a fairly long (magazine length) stand alone story. I often wondered why he only rarely continued themes that appeared to be crying out for enlargement. And a number of my favourites on this site are single stories.
It does mystify me just why serialised stories aren't much more popular; unless NJR has got it in one, in that the true readership of a story is judged by the second episode.
I know for myself that I often end up skimming or giving up on a story that I've opened that doesn't catch my imagination, whereas my usual form of reading is to speed-skim and if I like that to go back and read it thoroughly.
Nevertherless it is much more disconcerting to see the readership slowly decline on something you hsve really slaved over.
My excuse is that when I chose those words my recent medical procedure was troubling me a lot, and that the irritability in my nether regions became widespread.

BTW OPB I republished my two stories from "The Saddlemaker's Apprentice" As a tribute to Alex-
The Sailor's Tale and The Nurse's Tale

Perhaps I'll give up writing serials ; but when I've discovered characters I like; then I like to enlarge on the story, so perhaps stand-alones around a theme is a good compromise- but if NJR is right then my stats will look better if I just change the names.

I guess that depends whether you write to get 'stats' or whether you write what you enjoy... I personally write what I enjoy and if a few others enjoy it too, all the better

Stats are a nice to have but not a need to have, for me anyway.

Well nothing was to be inferred except what I said. That's my very unscientific opinion.


They never are. Yours are always very clever short pieces of fiction that usually have an amusing twist or some clever plot device. That's what short stories are supposed to be and you do it as well as anybody.

My point was supposed to be that the most popular (however you define that) stories seem to be in that word range and get to the "good parts" fairly quickly. Mine are neither short, nor are the "good parts" out front. My philosophy of writing in this genre is stated on my author page and I'm sticking to it, even if it means my stories tank, like the last one. That particular failure has me rethinking my publishing model.
I have by my last count 8 stories in the tank or close to it and I have to consider what I want to do with them because they don't fit the model of what appears to be popular here at this point in time.

Well good for you for sticking to your guns.

I'm not so sure that your latest story has 'tanked'. Just because it doesn't have a sensationalist plebian title and is well written as opposed to pure 'wank fodder' doesn't mean it has failed. On the contrary, I'm convinced plenty of people enjoy reading something of good quality - and if they don't - their loss! I have noticed over the past month or so that more people are browsing the bookshelves and reading & commenting on some of the older stories that have been sitting gathering dust. This is great. There's probably far too much emphasis placed on the Latest Loaded list.
Anyway, does it really matter what appears to be popular here at this point in time? Be selfish and write for yourself.