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Iris-Grimoire
Feb '20

I tried asking this on twitter but got no response. Do you guys consider content that comes before/after a chapter, usually called an intermission, essential to reading, or should it be something skippable? They're usually shorter, not in the same time frame as the chapters it's sandwiched between, and it changes from story to story to having lore or important interactions, and usually has a different/simpler style.

To clarify, I don't mean extras like guest art, though there are guest pages that adds a ton to the comic. I've been thinking this because my comic's structure will have that by design soonish, and I'm not too sure if people will go right through it for having a simpler style than the "real" chapters.

  • Yes, they can be essential
  • No, they should be optional
  • Other (comment)

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    Feb '20

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    Feb '20
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therealbereth
Feb '20

If an intermission isn't essential to the plot or some overarching development, I'd say you should leave it out. Optional content in a work just sounds weird to me if it's not some unrelated episodes/cases like in old crime fiction for example. So, yes, if it's essential, go for it. Why would readers complain over more content?

rajillustration
Feb '20

I mean it is just making more work for yourself, but if it's important to the plot or if it's giving you a little bit of hiatus from your other stuff, go ahead. It's up to you.

Iris-Grimoire
Feb '20

In the story's structure, it's to be set in a flashback, dream, or a sequence that's out of the story's main sequence; but also in the comic side, it means I can get a few pages of buffer done REALLY quickly and making time for the really impactful scenes. It might also apply to other people's works, but I can't remember any off the top of my head.

rmdooley
Feb '20

Not necessary. Unless it is a holdover for a hiatus as the next chapter is being prepped, I don't see much point in it.

Darth_Biomech
Feb '20

Law of conservation of details demands that if something isn't essential for the story - it belongs in the trash bin. So any intermission thus is vital to the story or the setting's exploration, if the author had spent time and effort on making it.

Maps
Feb '20

I don’t if these are similar to the “.5” chapters in Mangas that are usually shorter, not in flow with the story, or a side story. I usually skip those because I don’t like to lose the flow when I’m reading through.

Kura
Feb '20

They should be optional, and readers should be able to skip them without being confused when they return to the story.

There will be plenty of readers that will of course want to read everything, but you will also get readers that don't, and you don't want to punish those readers for not reading what can be seen as an 'extra'

That's not saying you can't have improtant or fun information during thses in-betweens, just nothing that will directly interfear with the flow of the story.

Take Prof. Oak at the end of pokemon episodes (not sure if they're still doing this). He'll talk to kids a little bit more about the pokemon featured in the episode, which is fun for the kids that would be interested in that and ads to the lore and factoids for the series, but also leave the series 100% watchable for the kids that don't want to watch that / just don't have the attention span for it.

elyss
Feb '20

I like the idea of using them for a stand in of time passing within the story. For example, in the comic version of my novel, I plan to use a couple 4 komal style strips to stand in for some interesting moments or just a peak into daily life during a 4 month jump of time.

I also think they make good things to post while the next chapter is being prepped.

Iris-Grimoire
Feb '20

This is an interesting response, I was expecting people to be more 50/50 on it!

Follow up question on the comments then. If those simpler scenes are part of the chapter then, with the art shift to indicate that they're not part of the current sequence but still being part of that "arc", would that be too jarring or is it an interesting way to sell that "cold open/beginning of episode" feeling? I know some examples off the top of my head of monochrome flashbacks, or different styles entirely to show a dream or hallucination, but something specifically at the start (with proper warning), I wonder if that would work just as well...?

theBoskov
Feb '20

It is a fact of knowing how to manage them, don't try to put some heavy plot stuff there because most ppl just jump those kind of chapters and they would be confused, try to keep everything plotwise on the main episodes and anything on the side chapters must be like the extra dip to your hamburger xD

darkone4587
Feb '20

If its not in the main story then it's side content, but if something main plot relevant happens in side content then there's a problem.

Maps
Feb '20

And even though I don’t read the “.5” chapters during a story, I love reading them at the end when I’m sad that the story is over and I want to see the side stories (to learn more about the characters or story that wasn’t necessarily given during the main plot). I think if it could wait, then maybe hold off on it.

skicoak
Feb '20

Having recently read a bunch of series from beginning to end, the practice seems important when trying to follow a regular schedule but for readers that find your series later and binge it. They are often awkward and break the narrative. It forced me to rethink a lot of things that we do on our series.

burginlewis
Feb '20

I agree with @skicoak. If it's part of the story flow, bring it on, even if it's just a few paragraphs. But if it's side material, save it for your Patreon or put it in an Arcana volume. I have enough trouble trying to follow everybody's story that I'm genuinely invested in. Please don't make me wonder if I'm starting to have early onset Alzheimers by throwing in white rabbits.

kitschensyngk
Feb '20

Between-chapter content can be fun. It can compliment the previous chapter, it can set up the next, or it can be a brief side story to take a break from the main plot. If you can swing it, I say go for it.

33rdCenturyCaveman
Feb '20

Many first-person stories am improved by chapter that use another's viewpoint. Worm am make good use of interlude, for example.