Any Advice For Starting a Novel On Tapas?

[Mandy_was_here]

Hey! As the title says I am looking for some advice for starting a novel on Tapas. I'm not totally new to writing. I do have some experience with writing short stories and novels I never finished.

I'd like to start a new novel here on Tapas. I don't have any ideas yet, but it will be a BL story.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you.

[joannekwan]

When posting, make sure your episodes are around 700 to 1,500 words long. I wouldn't go much over 2,000 words and no fewer than 500 words.

A lot of authors don't like the limit of 15,000 characters and think even that's too short. But Tapas' main audience read on mobile devices, so they enjoy shorter more bite-sized updates. It has its benefits too, shorter episodes mean you have more updates in your queue, so you'll have a better chance at a longer run and more exposure.

But don't update more than once a day! Don't wanna blow through your buffer!

[therosesword]

I usually have the novel completed and then schedule the chapters for one a day (depending on the length) although I'll sometimes start the first day with three chapters.

[cherrystark]

Use the schedule feature!!! A lot of readers (especially me) feel overwhelmed if a story has 30 chapters ready and waiting. Readers are more likely to stick with the series if you have updates. As a writer, it's also nice as @joannekwan said to have a buffer in case your story is still in progress.

[HippieGhost]

I second the schedule feature. I have quite a few stories in my subscription list I haven't gotten to yet if only because the 80+ chapters that are out seems very daunting with my limited schedule. Having separation in arcs is good too. If I see a great story with 30 episodes unseparated I'll be a lot more overwhelmed than if I see a series with the same amount of episodes divided into smaller arcs.

[ISNEKO]

Write ahead of your posting schedule, so you don't feel pressure to update.

Don't quit. No matter what. You never know when your audience will find you.

[Maps]

Only post a new chapter once or twice a week and post at the same time on the same day of the week. Having a schedule helps a lot. And keep a buffer (keep ahead of your publishing so you don’t feel forced to write chapters on a whim - try to be ahead by a few chapters in your writing always).

Be active in the forum and share your work to get it out there.

If you ever feel like you’re stressing yourself out or getting writers block, take a break. Sometimes it’s nice to recollect before continuing to write again.

[CakeDive]

Start with an outline, breaking down everything from who the characters your story is focusing on are and how your story will go, it gives you enough structure to start without spending months trying to figure out what to write about and how.

[kmlangleyauthor]

If you have a few short stories you’ve already written, you could start posting those to get a feel for uploading and scheduling as you write a longer story

I agree with everyone else saying to make sure you have a buffer. My main story was mostly finished before I started uploading (so I was doing last minute edits as I uploaded instead of trying to write an episode) If you’re someone who enjoys writing last minute, then go for it, but if you struggle with ending stories, it’ll hurt your rep to drop a story if you lose interest part way through.

Whenever you decide to upload, definitely utilize the author’s note section! It doesn’t have to be long or overly personal! But a tiny little note to your readers can go a long way!

Make sure your thumbnail has your title and that you can read it when it’s super small (like on the phones app). You can make covers in Canva (that seems to be the popular option) if you’re not an artist.

Work on your summary! Having a good hook for your story is absolutely vital!

And try to interact with people! Replying to comments on your story, interacting here on the forums, maybe making an IG or twitter account!

Lastly, make sure to have fun. This is supposed to be enjoyable. Unless you end up making a ton of money from this and quitting your day job, this is just a hobby and it’s supposed to be fun. It’s always good to push ourselves to get better at something we enjoy (and not every stage of that is 100% fun), but this should be a good thing for you overall

[Ordinaryaverageguy]

I don't have any ideas yet, but it will be a BL story.

I suppose it's obvious that you'll have to find that idea. At least kinda know some of the characters & what direction the characters will be going in the story. Without those, I'm afraid you may write a lot that later you regret because you've discovered a better plot for the story. Are any of the unfinished novels calling to you still?

[Mandy_was_here]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I appreciate you taking the time to help.

I have an idea for my novel now so I just need to get an outline written and then I can start writing. <3

[surenlicious]

I actually am going to split my chapters over the course of 3 weeks for the first time, keeping my episode updates a lot smaller this time. I love writing big chapters but I want to see if this is okay too. XD