Sunday, May 3, 2009

Will readers lead a story astray?

I post my work in progress stories in serial format on my website www.steamydarcy.com and readers follow the stories and make comments every chapter.

I find I strive on these comments to the point I take into their questions and try to answer them in the stories, thus changing my planned plots from time to time. For example with the latest Pride and Prejudice and Angels story (called Really Angelic), readers have so many questions about Himins (the heaven I created in this story), how it works, how do the gods function and react etc, I find I have a lot to answer for.

Do you think this is good to a story or will it only lead it astray?

8 comments:

  1. Hard to say, but I'm interested in seeing what you do with it.

    Lynnette Labelle
    http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com

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  2. Stopping in to see how it's going - so far, so good. ;)

    Dani
    http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com

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  3. Interesting dilemma. Here's what I plan for my non-fiction book... write it in full, and then publish one section at a time on my blog, serialized.

    But for my fiction novel, I was planning what you're doing - and your question will make me think hard before going ahead!

    All success
    Dr.Mani

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  4. I've been told, by MANY expert-type people, to listen to comments carefully. If more than three people are saying the same thing, you should take a look at changing your manuscript. In the end, tho, they stressed that you write the book YOU want to write.

    If not, then thank them for their opinion and move on. I guess if there are more than three people clamoring for info on the Himins, then you might want to toss them some bones.

    Brief story of my own experience: I teamed up with one other writer to read each other's stuff and critique. She loves the romance genre. Guess what I had written by the time I was finished? A romance. Here's the thing - I don't read romance and didn't want to write one. That manuscript lies, cold and alone, in a folder on my backup drive. Live and learn.

    Gayle
    http://gaylecarline.blogspot.com

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  5. Interesting idea. I guess I'd be a bit concerned about being plagiarized and/or ripped off doing that, but it does have its upside - getting feedback and ideas as you go along.

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  6. I'm not familiar with this approach, but it is intriguing. I like the red background- sexy.
    Lose the "s" on "ansers" in your first graph.

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  7. Thanks, I amended the "s". Yes, some other writers did "borrow" some of my plots and characters from time to time. We are pretty friendly community so I don't mind. And the 3 persons rule is very good. I will bear that in mind.

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