A fairly important question for you all · 8:52am May 26th, 2017
It seems that a lot of people want to get into reading my stories, but are intimidated by the rather high word count. I don't like that. I like new readers. Not only for reasons of possible new patrons, but mainly because I'm a comment whore and realy like seeing new faces down there in the comment section.
I have thought of a solution, but my real question is "Would anyone actually use it?"
The solution is simple. All of my stories from the Beta timeline through the end of Catalyst are a narrative arc. We got to see the bigger characters, get to know them, see some the world, witness important events, and then it all came together for a finale. All while being self contained stories... For the most part. It's a good stopping point.
I could advance the timeline by 10 years after Catalyst, and the next story picks up then, starting a new arc. Inorder to get new readers up to speed, I could make a document detailing the critical information from each previous story in simple bullet points. Like so:
The Bridesmaids:
* Deals with the Canterlot invasion.
*Shows the adventure which made Luna notice Lyra, Bonbon, Vinyl, Octavia, Colgate, and Twinkleshine/Meep (Who isn't my self insert FYI, we just share a name. It's changeling for Silly.) which leads to Luna knighting them, mostly as a way to let them hang out with her in the palace, partially to have her own task force.
* Provides basic lore for Changelings.
* There are many hives, differentiated by color. (Similar to red and black ants)
* Changelings need love/positive emotions as food.
* Changelings have biological castes, IE specialized rolls one falls into due to their body's capabilities.
* Chrysalis is a phyco.
* Something odd happens to Colgate. Foreshadows her transformation into a (friendly) windigo.
I could then link it at the beginning of stories as a "Summery of First Series".
Would this be a good idea? Would people read this to get up to speed on the AU if I also provide a jumping on point?
Seems like a good idea to me. Definitely something I would have used.
Not just for commentsAs for the more serious nature, it could work, it could also not work. You'd be frontloading a metric shit ton of information to people, which some people would appreciate the context and others would be like "Fuck this shit, I don't wanna study to read a book". You're running into the same problem, say, One Piece has. Holy fuck does that anime have a lot of episodes, and mos of the fans are people who have been there since it was new. It's sheer size makes it nigh inaccessable for new viewers, and not even the fuckhuge corporation could come up with a way to change that.
4547532
I've only been payed for sex in the form of cuddles. As that's not a recognized currency, I'm not a whore. (Or if I am than like, so is EVERY collage age girl XD)
As for the rest. I styled my AU on comicbooks. I think I need to do an equivalent to the Technis Imperative. A 'who these people are' and then do something simple and fun as a story.
It will probably work... if such summary will not actually be needed. You can just put a reference to the summary into a story description.
I think it would be fine, but you probably should mark it as spoilers for those who want to read through the whole thing. I'm only part way though Cataclysm, and I really wouldn't want it spoiled with a synopsis.
4547666 I've already put a spoiler warning on the Gdoc I'm using for it. But yes, good call!
4547656 No, it wont be needed for the next story. I'm doing something entirely self contained (though hinted at in the current story).
You could also write a story specifically to bring people in... It is certainly an intresting conundrum.
Like the others have said, it could help
I'd probably use it if I was a new reader and wanted to read a specific one, but not the ones before it.
4547741
If you did do such a thing, you could write it so that the new people are introduced to the world, the basic characters, and critical concepts and events. Maybe from the point of view of a character new to the world... this way you wouldn't necessarily have to spoil all the plots, and could just tell people what the common knowledge is.
Heck it could probably be a small slice of life of a new immigrant from... let's say a new zebra... maybe an foreign aid worker who came to help Equestrian rebuild from recent cataclysmic events. Don't give them a huge heroic arc, and just let them find out about the world as a newcomer before they head home.
Then later down the road, when you have this problem again, you could add a few chapters as they return to discover what else has happened to the ponies they met last time... then you can point newcomers to the introductions story and they know it contains everything they need to know to catch up to current events.
YES PLEASE YES PLEASE YES PLEASE
i think it would be useful just to refer to even for one who have read the hole thing incase we forget something, but for the original question i dont know. I think starting at the begining is a good place. But im not a normal brain function person so...
Hm. Honestly, I'd tell new readers to stop being wimps and start reading from the alpha timeline. I mean, I did it no problems, why can't they?
But then again, you're talking to the dude who can read the entire Harry Potter series of books from cover to cover in about three days. That's seven books, several thousand pages. So while I might not have an issue with the "word count" I suppose other people just might.
Personally, I'd suggest doing something like this but marking it with a spoiler tag. Warn potential new readers that, hey, this synopsis thing is actually the events that took place across all of my fictions, and let them make the conscious choice to go back and read all of them even if they're just curious, or simply reveal the spoilers and get the abridged version.
4547964
...Extending on the idea, since my words seem to be liked...
Act 1: Ms. Zebra discussing the current world order with a friend... lets say Mr Minotaur (Who's recruiting her into a foreign aid program), all really the overarching background things. This would be a state of the world, and take place before any of the B verses stories.
First Breakpoint-Links to Bridemaids, Dinner at Ravenloft, Horseshoes, maybe the Queen is Dead and All Hail the Queen
Act 2: Ms. Zebra goes and assists some other country (Maybe the few ponies who live near and are tormented by Griffons) and during Ms. Zebra's work she hears about what's going on in Equestria as she works along Equestrian aid workers. Maybe mentions the Multiverse and other higher concepts because some of the aid workers had heard of Lyra.(This comes before Lyra 7% new readers jumping into Lyra or Cataclysm, desperately need to know about the multiverse.)
Second Breakpoint- Links to the stories leading up to and including Cataclysm, including Lyra 7%, Exiles Journey, Lifegiver and The Chambermaid
Act 3: The Cataclysm happens, and Ms Zebra has to go and do foreign aid in Equestria, a place she never expected to even go. The ponies she helps explain all the proceeding stories from their viewpoints.
Third Breakpoint- Right after Cataclysm, links to Catalyst
Act 4: (Not written yet) Equestria has recovered, and Ms. Zebra marries her friend Mr. Minotaur
Fourth Breakpoint-I'm not in this loop, so I dunno
Etc, etc, etc
I think what you really need is audio books.
Till I see how the latest story wraps up I cant say much about jumping the time line so much. A decade is a long time and yet it could work.. A lot depnds on what is left hanging with the current story
It maybe alittle off putting, upfront facts often are when you feel behind. You could write a opening as a historian detailing recent history. It would not be quiet so daunting a information dump and could flow into the begining of the new story.
4548669 I think I worded my intentions poorly. I do love that idea, I I think I'll do that too. However what I meant is "Should I make a summer of each story written so far as a Gdoc and link to it at the beginning of the next story?"
Also it's been forever since I've seen a Chakat :D Tell Goldfur hi for me.
Ah yes I get you now, I believe that would work well
Pffft... come on Meep, if someone wants to start they can start at the beginning. You are active enough that they can get questions answered as if they were following from the beginning (even though they aren't). But a story explaining what has been going on would certainly be a good idea. Just remember to have fun with it, and I'll follow (once I catch up that is).