FortySixtyFour
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Short Chapter Form
🕑 Added 2018-09-06 20:39:36 +0000 UTCI know, I know. We just went through the short chapter versus long chapter format debate. I'm personally in the long chapter camp; I'm a fast reader, and I prefer having a whole bunch of story consolidated together so I can just read it all at once. However, my girlfriend again pointed out her views in the short chapter camp; she only puts a bookmark in if she's at a chapter break, and she gets frustrated if a chapter runs on too long, somewhat like not having a save point in a game, I suppose.
So, while I'm keeping large-chapter format online for simplicity's sake, I'm going to also plan the story in short chapter form for eventual digital and physical publication, assuming an average chapter to be in the normal three thousand to six thousand word range. Yeah, I know, that hypothetical where the story's done and it turns into a book... I feel pretty full of myself for daring to dream it'll happen someday. All the same, can't hurt to plan ahead.
- Before the Convention
2,227 words, Emily gives Brian the charm, works as a story prologue.
- Gijinka Capture
5,308 words, Steph POV, at the convention up to the first kiss.
- Wolf, the Sheep, and the Shepherd
3,493 words, Kelly POV, Gets a free con badge from a pair of weebs.
- Painting the Roses Pink
4,688 words, Steph POV, Holding hands and talking with Brian.
- Fighting His Past
4,655 words, Emily POV, Banter and arguing during a car ride.
- Flight from the Poisoned Oasis
3,871 words, Steph POV, An unexpected and nauseating turn of events.
- Effort and Opportunity
7,936 words, Kelly POV, Chatting after hours with a weeb.
- Brian's Hotel Room
6,671 words Brian/Steph POV, Showering, and sleeping arrangements.
- Truth or Dare Round 1
3,951 words, Brian POV, Articles of clothing, ends on a massage for Kelly.
- Truth or Dare Round 2
3,433 words, Brian POV, Getting to know each other, uncomfortable truths.
- Truth or Dare Round 3
7,865 words, Brian/Kelly POV, Game escalates, ends on "Do you wanna get lucky?"
- A Taste of Pink
3,447 words Brian/Steph POV, Guys actually can go down on girls.
- Break's Over
4,845 words, Chloe POV, Arrives at con and changes into costume.
- Stephanie's Morning
7,260 words, Steph POV, Discussion with Kelly, ends on kiss interrupted.
- Brian's Morning
2,944, Brian POV, Breakfast, confronting his baggage, shower.
- Kelly's Morning
6,896 words, Kelly POV, Seducing an innocent girl, dressing gothic.
- Out of the Blue pt 1
6,948 words Emily POV, Reacting to Chloe, freshman crush flashbacks.
- Out of the Blue pt 2
6,822 words Emily POV, Akane outfit, Brian's family/Emily bullied flashbacks.
- Out of the Blue pt 3
7,396 words Rebecca/Emily POV, Shady Oaks, drunk kiss flashbacks.
- Out of the Blue pt 4
4,719 words Emily POV, Fantasizing about Brian and first con flashbacks.
- Out of the Blue pt 5
3,769 words Emily POV, Realizing her real feelings and ready to go.
- To the Con
4,451 words Kelly POV, Banter and introspection on route to AnimeCon.
- Mayday, Mayday
3,074 words Brian POV, A text for help and separating from the girls.
- Fetish 101
6,683 words Kelly/Steph POV, Educational panel visit and spanking.
- Mary and Foxy
4,026 words, Brian POV, Chaperoning the girl (and her suitor?)
- Cafe Breakfast
2,931 words Foxy/Mary POV, Friendly chats and subtle struggles.
- Vendors Room Friends
4,728 words Kelly/Mary/Steph POV, Acquaintances with Pocki.
- Discreet purchases
6,818 words Kelly/Mary/Foxy POV, Ball gags, Final Kiss, Pocki pact.
- Upper level
3,034 words, Brian POV, Steph makes the Gazette, talk about plans.
- Effortless
2,729 words, Steph POV, Kelly shot down, Steph walks with Brian.
- Opportunity Struck
3,582 words Chloe/Brian/Steph POV, Stephanie misled out of the con.
- Bad End pt 1
2,071 words Emily POV, Mara fierce, Steph to safety.
- Sovereign Swords
5,084 words, Sulric POV, Poorly organized LARP event at the con.
- Mara the Nightmare
4,030 words, Sulric POV, Newcomers each fight Mara the Nightmare.
- Cosplay Contest pt 1
5,526 words, Jordyn/Fletcher/Brady POV Line for auditions, staff explosion.
- Cosplay Contest pt 2
4,923 words, Mel/Jordyn/Foxy POV, Strange colors and biased auditions.
As you can all see, a casual skim and cut pretty easily separates the story into small chapters based on perspective changes between characters, small time breaks, or story events. This is my rough outline of the short chapter division, although I may break down a couple of the larger ones a bit further, still.
What I'll need at that point is better titles for each chapter that are A) Astoundingly clever with double-meanings, and B) Won't technically spoil the story if a reader were to glance at the table of contents before reading.
Feel free to suggest short chapter titles, thinking up witty things for thirty different chapters is daunting.
Comments
FortySixtyFour
I've actually been referencing the short list here a lot as I post the story to LushStories, because they don't accept submissions longer than ten thousand words--so, having these arranged as somewhat self-contained little modules already is extremely helpful. In addition, I'm noticing the Out of the Blue modules could be split up among other chapters with just a tiny bit of tweaking. I know one of the major complaints was that Emily's story wasn't so much interwoven as it was suddenly heaped on everyone out of the blue (haha) so, this would be a much easier fix moving some of those sections around a bit before I publish this as a book someday.
FortySixtyFour
Check where it's placed in the draft, I don't see much continuity editing needed. F101 and M:tM happen at an indeterminate time, I'm not sure what gave you the impression they happen around noon. When offering to buy the girls a meal, both Steph and Kelly respond that they've just had breakfast, helping indicate the events occur very early in the day. Not sure what you mean by your Dan Andrews question. We haven't seen that Kelly rejoin them after Ch 5 at all, yet, just Steph hinting at it in CC. Brian is used to Mark's attitude and doesn't think of him as a brat--the course of his life has tempered his patience for other people to a high degree. F101 and M:tM take place amidst Ch 5, not before. Chloe knows she can stake out the Mana room to eventually find Brian, but won't wait there the whole time in a static position. She wants to pull off a "look how much more fun I'm having without you," not a "I missed you so much I had to find you," when she reveals herself. She doesn't happen to see Brian exit the M:tM room. She might have noticed Foxy loitering around earlier on as she stalked back and forth the areas of the con she has access to, but as CC will reveal, Foxy really rubs her the wrong way and that will make her even less likely to stick around. When they meet Mark to "return" from chaperoning Mary, it isn't in the M:tM room, it's just outside the vendor's room.
jmundt33a
If this is your order you have a major editing project. The Gazette story as presented currently sounds like it happens just as Brian, Kelly, and Steph reach the main convention, signing in for the first time as a trio. All of Chapter 5 is listed as happening before noon. Fetlife and MtM are described as if they happen around noon. There's a meal in there. So, how does this square? If they meet Gazette-Man after they've already been at the convention for two hours, when is this actually happening? When is Kelly actually supposed to rejoin them? And why is Brian returning to Game Room 4 after his friend was such a colossal...brat. If Part 5 happens after Fetlife and MtM, how long did it take everyone offsite (Chloe, Mara, Emily, etc.) to reach the Con and get signed in? If Chloe's texting him during his morning run already in line and can maneuver her way through the crowd expertly, shouldn't she see MtM? Shouldn't she be about to intervene with Brian and then see he's babysitting Mary and his "flings" are back from wherever he sent them off to with HER pass? Long way of saying that content of your bonus chapters doesn't quite match your posted timeline here (yet).
