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Questions about updating my old stories
17 May 2015 17:14 #42113
by YAGS
Questions about updating my old stories was created by YAGS
So as mentioned elsewhere, I'm back. For now, anyway. I've been working on an update to one of my stories that I posted here years ago, and I have a few questions.
1. For longer stories, should I put each chapter into the library as a separate story, with the chapter number in the title, or just keep making the one story document longer and longer? My chapters tend to be around 1000-2000 words per chapter, and I'm working on a story that I intend to hit around 20 chapters before I'm done with it, so I was thinking that breaking it up might be a good idea.
2. I'm redoing my old story, because there was a chunk of the the original that I really didn't like. I had rushed to finish before the workshop deadline, and I wasn't happy with how I ended it. So I'm removing and revamping those sections. Should I completely delete the original edition of the story before posting the new "version 2.0"? Or just update the existing document? Does the fact that it was part of a workshop, so we may want to retain the original version for historical posterity, affect the answer?
I guess that's it for now. When I'm ready to post the story (probably within a day or two, but I'm not quite there yet), I'll look at the submission process for the site more. It's been so long since I submitted a story here that the whole web site and submission process is completely different. I think we used to just email our stories to Admin, because the current submission form didn't exist the last time I posted a story here.
1. For longer stories, should I put each chapter into the library as a separate story, with the chapter number in the title, or just keep making the one story document longer and longer? My chapters tend to be around 1000-2000 words per chapter, and I'm working on a story that I intend to hit around 20 chapters before I'm done with it, so I was thinking that breaking it up might be a good idea.
2. I'm redoing my old story, because there was a chunk of the the original that I really didn't like. I had rushed to finish before the workshop deadline, and I wasn't happy with how I ended it. So I'm removing and revamping those sections. Should I completely delete the original edition of the story before posting the new "version 2.0"? Or just update the existing document? Does the fact that it was part of a workshop, so we may want to retain the original version for historical posterity, affect the answer?
I guess that's it for now. When I'm ready to post the story (probably within a day or two, but I'm not quite there yet), I'll look at the submission process for the site more. It's been so long since I submitted a story here that the whole web site and submission process is completely different. I think we used to just email our stories to Admin, because the current submission form didn't exist the last time I posted a story here.
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17 May 2015 17:44 #42114
by TwiceOnThursdays
Replied by TwiceOnThursdays on topic Questions about updating my old stories
I always like the original sticking around.
If you can link from one story to another (something I don't know if you can do), it'd be nice to put a "I've made a new revision of this story, you can read it [here]" on the older ones, and s mall blurb on the new "I've updated one of my older stories, blah" (much like this post).
If you can link from one story to another (something I don't know if you can do), it'd be nice to put a "I've made a new revision of this story, you can read it [here]" on the older ones, and s mall blurb on the new "I've updated one of my older stories, blah" (much like this post).
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17 May 2015 17:56 #42116
by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Questions about updating my old stories
While I can see your point, I think part of my problem is that I dislike the original version of the story so much that I just don't want people to even see it. I'm definitely leaning towards bringing it down and replacing it, but I'm willing to leave it for historical context of the old workshop. But I'll still add a note at the very beginning of the old version along the lines of "2015 UPDATE: DON'T READ THIS VERSION! READ THE NEW VERSION OF THIS STORY AT <insert link> INSTEAD!!!"
There are parts of it I love, but those parts are all still there in the new version, with just tiny fixes here and there. I completely rewrote the parts I didn't like, which as I'd say, I'd rather nobody read. I'd prefer if people forget the original and just enjoy the new version as a new story.
There are parts of it I love, but those parts are all still there in the new version, with just tiny fixes here and there. I completely rewrote the parts I didn't like, which as I'd say, I'd rather nobody read. I'd prefer if people forget the original and just enjoy the new version as a new story.
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17 May 2015 18:48 #42117
by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Questions about updating my old stories
So I decided to go ahead and submit the story one chapter at a time. Just so everyone knows what I'm talking about, this is a new version of "21st Century Magic: Gotcha!", here's the author's note I put at the beginning:
This is the “revised” 2nd edition of this story, which differs from the original edition that was previously shared on one public web site. Seven of the first eight chapters are nearly identical to the original versions, with the exception being chapter 5, which is entirely new. Chapter 9 is a heavily revised version of the old chapter 8, and everything after that is completely new.
I'm submitting chapters 1-9 now, and I'm almost done writing chapter 10, so expect that in a day or two. After that, we'll see how much I can continue writing, since I tend to be pretty slow about this stuff.
This is the “revised” 2nd edition of this story, which differs from the original edition that was previously shared on one public web site. Seven of the first eight chapters are nearly identical to the original versions, with the exception being chapter 5, which is entirely new. Chapter 9 is a heavily revised version of the old chapter 8, and everything after that is completely new.
I'm submitting chapters 1-9 now, and I'm almost done writing chapter 10, so expect that in a day or two. After that, we'll see how much I can continue writing, since I tend to be pretty slow about this stuff.
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17 May 2015 19:29 - 17 May 2015 19:31 #42119
by AuGoose
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Replied by AuGoose on topic Questions about updating my old stories
((Shakes fist at the sky)) Why do they have to be right!
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Last edit: 17 May 2015 19:31 by AuGoose.
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17 May 2015 19:35 #42120
by lfan
If it is a rewrite/edit it won't show up in the latest story feed. I'd suggest you maybe post a link to help steer new (and old) members to them.....
ElF
Replied by lfan on topic Questions about updating my old stories
YAGS wrote: So I decided to go ahead and submit the story one chapter at a time. Just so everyone knows what I'm talking about, this is a new version of "21st Century Magic: Gotcha!", here's the author's note I put at the beginning:
This is the “revised” 2nd edition of this story, which differs from the original edition that was previously shared on one public web site. Seven of the first eight chapters are nearly identical to the original versions, with the exception being chapter 5, which is entirely new. Chapter 9 is a heavily revised version of the old chapter 8, and everything after that is completely new.
I'm submitting chapters 1-9 now, and I'm almost done writing chapter 10, so expect that in a day or two. After that, we'll see how much I can continue writing, since I tend to be pretty slow about this stuff.
If it is a rewrite/edit it won't show up in the latest story feed. I'd suggest you maybe post a link to help steer new (and old) members to them.....
ElF
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17 May 2015 20:15 #42121
by fats
Replied by fats on topic Questions about updating my old stories
there is so much that I can help with this, if you want to add the story to the existing story where the new version is at the top and a link is placed so that a user can click on that link and go to the older version which is at the bottom, that is one thing can be done, the other is a new story with a link to the old one is also possible, on the matter of chapters I would go with a new chapter for each, if you look at the series library section of the menu (under library) you will see that many of the stories listed at in essence chapters of a longer story.
the library software is hugely powerful, we have only touched the surface of what it can do.
Fats
the library software is hugely powerful, we have only touched the surface of what it can do.
Fats
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17 May 2015 22:19 #42128
by Woodclaw
Given a lenght of 1000-2000 words per chapter I think that the most sensible thing to do is to bundle the chapters together in groups of 4-5 so that the overall length of each installment is in the 5000-10000 range.
This is a tricky question, many stories from the site have been around for quite a while and -- both as a readed and as librarian -- I don't like the idea of seeing them taken down. It's a very subjective matter, since an author should maintain control over his stories as much as possible. I think that the best way is to consider what the changes are: a simple clean-up, fixing grammar, rewriting a few confused scenes and so on shouldn't require a new verion, but just an update of the existing one. If the story is complete rewrite then a new installment seem to be the most sensible thing to do.
Replied by Woodclaw on topic Questions about updating my old stories
YAGS wrote: 1. For longer stories, should I put each chapter into the library as a separate story, with the chapter number in the title, or just keep making the one story document longer and longer? My chapters tend to be around 1000-2000 words per chapter, and I'm working on a story that I intend to hit around 20 chapters before I'm done with it, so I was thinking that breaking it up might be a good idea.
Given a lenght of 1000-2000 words per chapter I think that the most sensible thing to do is to bundle the chapters together in groups of 4-5 so that the overall length of each installment is in the 5000-10000 range.
2. I'm redoing my old story, because there was a chunk of the the original that I really didn't like. I had rushed to finish before the workshop deadline, and I wasn't happy with how I ended it. So I'm removing and revamping those sections. Should I completely delete the original edition of the story before posting the new "version 2.0"? Or just update the existing document? Does the fact that it was part of a workshop, so we may want to retain the original version for historical posterity, affect the answer?
This is a tricky question, many stories from the site have been around for quite a while and -- both as a readed and as librarian -- I don't like the idea of seeing them taken down. It's a very subjective matter, since an author should maintain control over his stories as much as possible. I think that the best way is to consider what the changes are: a simple clean-up, fixing grammar, rewriting a few confused scenes and so on shouldn't require a new verion, but just an update of the existing one. If the story is complete rewrite then a new installment seem to be the most sensible thing to do.
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17 May 2015 23:00 - 17 May 2015 23:02 #42130
by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Questions about updating my old stories
Yeah, the idea of grouping the first 9 chapters into bunches of 4 or 5 occurred to me after I'd already entered the first 4 or 5 into the library one at a time. That might have made sense, but by then, I already had so many of them as individual chapters that I just kept going.
Going forward, I'll probably be dropping in new chapters as I finish them, so they'll be one at a time, anyway, starting with chapter 10, which I'm almost done with.
I just added this note to the original version of the story in the library:
Going forward, I'll probably be dropping in new chapters as I finish them, so they'll be one at a time, anyway, starting with chapter 10, which I'm almost done with.
I just added this note to the original version of the story in the library:
NEW NOTE ADDED BY THE AUTHOR MAY 17, 2015 (6 YEARS AFTER THIS WAS ORIGINALLY SHARED HERE ON SWM):
Please don't read this version of this story. There are parts of it that just didn't work as well as I'd intended, so I rewrote some of it, keeping the good parts, and posted the second edition today. New chapters will be added to that 2nd edition. The only reason I'm leaving this version up on SWM is because it was part of workshop 1.12, and I want to keep the library record of that workshop event accurate. But I'd much prefer if you read the newer version of the story instead of this old version.
Everything past this line is the original 2009 version of the story, which I haven't changed:
Last edit: 17 May 2015 23:02 by YAGS.
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17 May 2015 23:24 #42131
by AuGoose
Replied by AuGoose on topic Questions about updating my old stories
Well, I'm looking forward to re-reading them with fresh eyes 
.
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18 May 2015 15:38 #42143
by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Questions about updating my old stories
Thanks to whoever it was that cleaned up my submissions, and grouped them into chapters 1-5 and 6-9. That's probably for the best.
So it looks like chapters 1-9 of the "revised" edition of "Gotcha!" are now available for the public to read. I hope you all enjoy them.
Though I do feel I should warn you, this was my one story I was reluctant to post here to SWM, because I wasn't sure if it was technically "on topic", due to the lack of super strength and invulnerability. The official stance of the site admins here has changed over the years as to whether or not those elements are absolutely essential for a story to be allowed here. My main character's a dominating bitch, but it's telepathic/telekinetic domination, not your typical kryptonian type powers.
So it looks like chapters 1-9 of the "revised" edition of "Gotcha!" are now available for the public to read. I hope you all enjoy them.
Though I do feel I should warn you, this was my one story I was reluctant to post here to SWM, because I wasn't sure if it was technically "on topic", due to the lack of super strength and invulnerability. The official stance of the site admins here has changed over the years as to whether or not those elements are absolutely essential for a story to be allowed here. My main character's a dominating bitch, but it's telepathic/telekinetic domination, not your typical kryptonian type powers.
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19 May 2015 22:50 - 19 May 2015 22:55 #42187
by YAGS
Replied by YAGS on topic Questions about updating my old stories
So now that they've been grouped into 4-5 chapter clumps, how do I get rid of the rejected single chapters that are currently in a "Trashed" status in the library? They're cluttering up my list, so it would make sense to permanently delete them, just to get them off the list.
Woodclaw suggested that going forward, I should probably post individual chapters to the forum, then post them to the library in groups of 4 or 5 chapters once I have a few done. So for now, I'll go with that, though if it takes too long for me to finish more than one or two, you might end up with some small groupings in the library.
Chapter 10 is essentially done, but I want to re-read and edit it. I'm a perfectionist. I also started chapter 11 already. After the way I ended chapter 10, the opening of chapter 11 practically wrote itself. Now I just need to figure out how the rest of the chapter will go. I had a plan for how I wanted this story to go, but my characters took on a life of their own, and keep derailing me.
Woodclaw suggested that going forward, I should probably post individual chapters to the forum, then post them to the library in groups of 4 or 5 chapters once I have a few done. So for now, I'll go with that, though if it takes too long for me to finish more than one or two, you might end up with some small groupings in the library.
Chapter 10 is essentially done, but I want to re-read and edit it. I'm a perfectionist. I also started chapter 11 already. After the way I ended chapter 10, the opening of chapter 11 practically wrote itself. Now I just need to figure out how the rest of the chapter will go. I had a plan for how I wanted this story to go, but my characters took on a life of their own, and keep derailing me.
Last edit: 19 May 2015 22:55 by YAGS.
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19 May 2015 23:25 #42189
by Woodclaw
Already on it.
Replied by Woodclaw on topic Questions about updating my old stories
YAGS wrote: So now that they've been grouped into 4-5 chapter clumps, how do I get rid of the rejected single chapters that are currently in a "Trashed" status in the library? They're cluttering up my list, so it would make sense to permanently delete them, just to get them off the list.
Already on it.
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