Why publish chapters?

One thing I totally don't get is why people would want to publish their story chapter by chapter. I could understand it if the chapters had any considerable length, but sometimes they're just a few paragraphs. Considering how short they are I'd at least expect that they'd be posted in quick succession. However, with a few stories it's years between a couple hundred words and the next.

What's the reason for that? The only one I can think of is that people publish their story before it's finished. That wouldn't work for me, but to each his own.
Are there other reasons, too?

Part of it is structure, breaking a story up into sections - earlier today I was reading a story by Aurelie Catena, with a series of escapology challenges, each written as a separate chapter. In my case, chapters are more about releasing work earlier rather than waiting months or even years for a complete story in one go - and I like to get feedback and tailor future chapters based on how earlier developments were received and any requests from readers. Sometimes I get stuck on a particular plot - as with 'Flashbacks' - then reader feedback can steer me to develop the next instalment in a particular direction, or even come up with an idea for a new character or development I wouldn't otherwise have thought of.

Personally, if I didn't release things by chapter people would be waiting until 2018 to read anything I have written. I tend to write fast but slow at the same time - I type fast when I actually have the time to write, but there can often be an entire week where I don't get the chance to sit and write at all, other times I can have two or three multiple hour blocks I can devote.

I also agree with js207 regarding feedback. I have had some really great feedback that has helped me to make my writing a little tighter. If I had completed hundreds of chapters (and yes this is what it looks like my stories will end up being) before realising some small deficiencies I had it would have been a daunting task to go back. I am just dabbling really, so when a recurring problem is pointed out I find it immensely helpful.

A lot of people also read quite slowly. I have had feedback that they really enjoyed chapter two and will try and read chapter three this week. For them, a few chapters at a time is no big deal, it is actually preferred. My chapters do tend to be long though (sometimes longer than complete stories I have seen posted) so that might make up for it - one of my stories is 36 chapters already, clocking in at 400,000 words and is only just starting, yes I tend to write long :)

I also tend to post in a serial format, a few chapters at a time, so if I hit a patch where I cannot write at all I can still keep the story moving. My blog has a lot more stuff hosted than has currently been posted to the library, and if people want to read ahead a little, they know that they have to wait on my timing. I have no control over the random posting dates at the library so I try and keep my blog chugging along with a new chapter of something each week (though I can't always manage that).

Serialisation used to be the way stories were distributed to the masses and I personally think it's a great idea. After all, how many of us can have the opportunity to sit down and read an entire book in one sitting. I rarely have the time and even tend to read the books I do, a few chapters at a time.

I guess I don't sympathise with your problem lucy, because I haven't read anything posted at the library for quite some time and when I did, I completely avoided stories that were extremely short. I guess I just like the epics.

Hope that has given you a little insight into some other reasons why serialisation is preferred by so many.

Thanks for your answers. I don't have a problem at all with people posting chapters. I was merely curious as to why authors would chose to do that.

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Originally Posted by lucy

Thanks for your answers. I don't have a problem at all with people posting chapters. I was merely curious as to why authors would chose to do that.

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Ah I may have read a little more emotion into what you said than was imparted.

I do agree with you in one respect though. I, too, find it a little difficult to understand the shortness of some chapters/stories that are posted. I can read and enjoy a short story - after all some ideas suit themselves to this style perfectly. To extend them would just be adding filler. But when a complete story takes me 10 minutes to read (and I am by no means a speed reader) then I do feel it to be a little underdone. Chapters that are over in the blink of an eye, and feel more like small codas to a proper chapter, also bewilder me.

I will always post my stories in a serial format, but I will always endeavour to give my readers some bang for their non-existent buck :)

I think it is much harder to write a story if you publish chapter by chapter. The reason being that if you get to chapter five whatever and you want to bring another person in, then there is no way of introducing him/her casually earlier in the book. Or if you need to put a twist in the story, that needs to be refferenced in another chapter, it can be anoying. I feel that it is like writing with blinkers on, and all that is behind and to the side of the blinkers is history. Having said that there are a few good writers on this site that have mastered the art. There was a good one by a young lady, and the story was called Stable Boy. It was was well thought out and although it was linier in my opinion she wrote a remarkable story. It always left me waiting for the next chapter which is what a good story is supposed to do.

Be well IAN 2411

I once had to face the problem IAN 2411 mentioned. It was not with a chapter as such, but with a complete story, which is the first part of a larger series. Once I knew what things needed to be changed, I changed them, added some passages and called it "Special Extended Version"... :D

Peolpe do what they do primarily for themselves. Not for you self appointed critics.
Leave them alone.
There are reasons for all human actions and the lack there of.
Who is anyone to judge them?
Some seem to thrive on the percieved short commings of others.
sigh

Problems much, MistressPC? Did anyone criticize anyone in this thread? Huh? Or did you just not understand any of it? My money is on the latter.

MistressPC...Did you even bother to read the thread? obviously not. The OP was a question which you failed to answer in your post, "Why"? I think that you are being the self apointed critique of the other posters in the thread.

Be well IAN 2411

I see it as a multi-edged sword. On the technical front, that is losing importance, publishing by chapter allows a reader to see if they like it without downloading the whole thing. Still relevant for many who read on handheld devices.

From the writer's perspective, it was covered in other posts, it allows us the flexibility to publish as we write rather than waiting until it is all done. For me, I value the feedback I get and can decide to change direction to please the readers who choose to speak up. The downside, as has happened to me already, sometimes a later chapter needs to be moved forward and integrated into the beginning of the story. That results in an almost new story, which is not a huge deal in he modern world of writing on computers.