Ongoing Storytelling: Consistency In Interactive Storytelling

With the increase of platforms like Kindle Vella and StoryForge, writers can upload their stories in sections with readers returning regularly to read the updates. With the added bonus of readers being able to leave feedback for improvements and insight on their favorite scenes, characters, and themes, writers can take feedback into consideration not just for their next update but for achieving publication through StoryForge.

Ongoing stories are a great way to build your audience and hype up your story before it even hits the traditional shelves. However it can come with its fair share of challenges like balancing the pre-determined plot with reader suggestions or keeping details consistent between first updates and updates that happen months later. With these tips you can at least feel a bit more balanced and organized to get started.

Maintain a story handbook

Utilize character sheets for detailing a character's appearance, tone, body language, motivations, and flaws. Refer back to this whenever you mention a physical detail or include them in dialogue. 

Use a plot template to create your initial story plot and update with changes if the story shifts with reader suggestions. Beta readers are great at pointing out scenes that aren’t integral to a story or areas where pacing is slow. Updating your plot template with these notes can make it easier to go back and quickly edit or cut scenes.  

World-building templates can touch on many specific aspects of a world like politics or the economy. After checking out our templates, you will see how those affect almost all aspects of a world and how your characters interact in the world. Keeping these details written down can keep scenes, dialogue and character motivation in line with the worlds rules and expectations.
Lastly, keeping beta reader feedback sheets in your handbook can keep you up to date with planned changes before starting new scenes or editing scenes you have determined are no longer necessary.

Planning with flexibility

When you’re writing an ongoing story you get to decide if you have a set plot you’re writing or if readers can help determine how the story will end. No matter which way you’re writing it’s important to start with a basic plot outline so you can determine if you have a strong enough concept to build an entire story off of it. It’s a terrible feeling to write half of a novel and find out your basic concept doesn’t really make sense or have a clear resolution. 

Once you have your basic plot and feel good with the introduction, conflict, and resolution points, you can decide if you want to get more detailed or leave room for flexibility and reader suggestions. If you’re plotting alone then now is a good time to break down the beginning, middle, and end into more specific scenes and determine what needs to happen in each scene to move the plot forward. 

If you’re leaving room for reader suggestions, it’s a good idea to end each update with some questions like “how do you feel about this new character? Do you think ‘character name’ is going to have any issues on her family vacation?” Questions like this can hint at your initial plans while also opening up a ton of speculation and brainstorming from your readers.

Managing a large reader audience with Circles

As your audience grows, if it becomes hard to keep feedback organized, we suggest creating a Circle specific to the story. Circles on StoryForge are discussion groups where members can discuss anything and share stories directly to the circle. This means your circle members can receive story updates before anyone else and can also discuss suggestions with each other and you all in one place. Build your own system like polling readers on Mondays, sharing insight into your writing process on Wednesdays, and posting new updates on Fridays before the updates are released to the entire platform the following week.

Introducing new elements with intention

As new subplots develop, tie them into existing themes so that they don’t feel out of place. Use subtle foreshadowing before adding major new developments and twists to create the illusion new concepts were always in the overall plot arc. Remember, if you’re working towards traditional publishing through StoryForge, another publishing company, or self publishing, your story needs to eventually hold up as a standalone story rather than an episodic series.

Play with Format

Play around with formats that would make sense in your story’s setting. A historical drama could have updates in the form of a letter, a Y2K or current day story might have interactions through email, while a fantasy’s update could be a wanted poster. Play around with alternating point of views where one chapter is from the perspective of one character and the next chapter is from another character.

Know when to wrap up

Continue to gauge your audience’s excitement and consider your own interest in the story. If you start dragging your feet when update time comes around, maybe it’s time to start writing the resolution and wrapping up loose ends. Some signs you’re losing interest might include less description in your settings, slow pacing, “filler episodes” or scenes that don’t progress the plot, and dialogue between characters without unique tones and word choices.

Resolutions

If you took reader suggestions for plot development you might have ended up with several subplots. While a story can have more than one subplot if you have four or more than can be seen as excessive and make it hard to determine what the main story is. Consider the subplots you’ve created and determine which are the best. This could be between characters you really love or events that strengthen the story more than others. These should be the main stories you’re wrapping up in your resolution. Any other subplots should be resolved briefly with the expectations that they might be cut entirely when you start editing for publication.

Celebrate

If you’re just now starting your ongoing story then this is simply an event for you to look forward to months from now. However, if you’re nearing the end of your story any week now, congratulations! That’s an exciting accomplishment. Be sure to let your readers know in advance and hype up the day of the update so everyone is ready to read the moment your update drops. If you’re in our Discord Community, you can invite your readers to stop by the voice channel to celebrate with you on camera, through voice, or chat. Discuss your process, favorite scenes, plans for publishing, and more!

So let us know, where are you at in your ongoing story? We can’t wait to hear all about it!