How'd you keep your story fresh after hundreds of chapters?

cherrystark 2020-08-13 20:40:27 UTC #16

My series is actually a bunch of smaller stories (episodes) strung together. As much as I loved the concept while I was writing the first story, I knew I couldn't sustain it as a full length novel. There just wasn't enough information especially when the story only takes place over the course of a week.

One day, I'd love my work to be adapted into a TV series so a 50ish page story did work out to be an hour long episode

Aykay 2020-08-13 20:42:15 UTC #17

I actually like Fairy tail I iust dont think it's the greatest. Hiro Mashima was against anything that had lasting effect Shelly when activating her third orgin should lose her magic. But then the ending shows she just needs to relearn it.

He killed of Hades and one other character. I'm pretty sure a lot of the fan based wondered why no characters actually died. And I'm not saying kill everybody or that anybody has to die. It's just actions have consequences and Hiro Mashima was like Nah.

NickRowler 2020-08-13 21:05:48 UTC #18

I guess one way to look at it is that is more or less just a bunch of short stories tied together with similar characters, settings, and/or theme. 100 chapters does not need to be one continuous story, it can be broken down into parts.

MrOwl 2020-08-13 22:41:17 UTC #19

I like Fairy Tail too, but that's why I see so many flaws,no lasting effect like you pointed out, no consequence to anything, no central plot, lots of fanservice, one dimensional characters, weird power creeps, shipping overtook the focus after a while, and so on, FT was a lot of fun, and adventure in the first arcs, but then it went downhill.

Aykay 2020-08-13 22:48:35 UTC #20

For the longest time I thought Natsu had a thing for Lisanna. And then I realized Lucy had a thing for Natsu. I didnt think their relationship worked that way. Then at the end it was like these two are into one another.

They never even explain why Acnalogia waited to attack he could have defeated the main characters but instead just flew around being all I'm a dragon.

I dont even wanna start listing my issues with the final fights between Zeref and Natsu. And Acnalogia and the dragons slayers.

MrOwl 2020-08-13 22:51:18 UTC #21

I'M A DRAGON!!! lmao, plot convenience I guess.

Please do it, list 'em all. xD

Aykay 2020-08-13 23:12:36 UTC #22

Firstly Zeref is super powerful. It take a lot before Natsu is able to stand toe to toe. That battle shows that Natsu was about even with Zeref. But then Zeref gets the fairy heart a limitless source of magic. Zeref is then much more powerful than Natsu. Natsu beats him. After exhausting a bunch of his energy because he burns his feelings....what the hell does that even mean?

Hiro Mashima was like here ya go. If you don't like it screw you. Dragon slayers rule. Like I get battle shounen the power of friendship, there's an extent where that works it awesome I get. And then there's what happen in that fight. Natsu has exhausted his magic and Zeref has limitless magic now. He was already freakin ridiculously strong. Natsu power of friendship beats him as if the fact that it's limitless magic means absolutely nothing.

Fairy Heart could power the faces forever. Natsu's friendship power is greater than that. Natsu's friendship power is greater than infinity fairy nukes. It feels like he wrote himself into a wall and then said good guys win power of friendship.

And then Acnalogia doubles down on that. Acnalogia could devour everything. Well super power of friends himself plus the power of dragon slayers equals whatever the hell I want it to.

Like the fairy heart could have rejected Zeref considering who it came from and Zeref's whole motif that would have made sense even more so if it powered up Natsu since he's fighting for fairy tail and embodies its heart in that moment. But nah.

Acanalogia was beefed up to be too strong same issue with Zeref. This has to do with power scale. In fact I watched a video which explained the issue with constant increases of power scale for the next enemy because eventually you get I can make universes disappear by blinking and then you get some who's like I never blink so I win.

MrOwl 2020-08-13 23:24:25 UTC #23

I FCKING CAN'T xDDDDD POWER OF FRIENDSHIP > GODLIKE POWERS

Yep, fairy tail's next villain will throw galaxies at them, break the universe apart, but friendship trumps them all, fck decades of hardwork, talent, or whatever else the villain had to do like sell his soul.

Aykay 2020-08-13 23:35:42 UTC #24

The ending was a very non ending. Hiro Mashima continued with the thousand year quest which revolves around dragon eaters. I haven't read any of it though.

Mob Psycho does a good job of using types like even if your strong someone who fights a certain way can win one of the best and most hilarious examples is Reigan's self defense rush.

Also I feel like I need to point this out. I don't necessarily hate power scale. Some epic and awesome stuff happens. But this has do with planning. Again actions have consequence. If a character is powerful what does that do how does that effect everyone they come against.

Throughout the entire series I had a hard time telling what the scale of Natsu and Co.s powers were. And this make certain things in the series a little problematic for me. Also Natsu can't beat Erza but at the same time comes off as stronger than her like 7/10 or 8/10 times. Remember she blocked Demon Natsu and Demon slayer Gray's attack at the same time....so what's the power scale?

I also feel like I'm super casually spoiling Fairy tail for people.

MrOwl 2020-08-14 00:53:12 UTC #25

I like Erza very much, but she's like Natsu, she always wins in the end, maybe she's the true main character/MC, some people say that the real "MC" is Lucy instead of Natsu, because she's the first character to show up, and the diary thing, so I'd rather bet on Erza, she's way too OP.

Possum 2020-08-14 01:10:42 UTC #26

Plan ahead! Know what your main plot is and be happy writing it. Then find little subplots you enjoy and can go on tangents on. For an episodic format it is really useful!

MrOwl 2020-08-14 01:20:12 UTC #27

Thank you, What do I do if the subplot gets more interesting to me, than the main plot? do I drop it anyway? create a spin-off? something else?

Possum 2020-08-14 01:38:51 UTC #28

If you were writing a Novel to be published under a big publisher, I'd not recommend letting yourself get swept up in a subplot. But this is Tapas and stuffs supposed to be in episodes, so take advantage of it and do what's comfortable!

MrOwl 2020-08-14 01:48:31 UTC #29

Thanks, then I can turn the subplot into main plot since it's Tapas, right?

Possum 2020-08-14 01:50:13 UTC #30

Maybe! I've read a few comics where the mainplots resolved and the subplots go on, but it can be a bit off to the reader as the characters they're attached to no longer have anything to do. That's actually how I feel about the BL Manhwa Here U Are. The main plot got resolved and now I'm having to read about side characters I don't really care too much about because the main 2 characters were the reason I was reading it in the first place.

MrOwl 2020-08-14 01:59:34 UTC #31

I see, then maybe it's best to do this as an anthology?

Aykay 2020-08-14 02:58:42 UTC #32

The series is essentially Lucy narrating one of her stories of something that happened. Just like how Yu yu hakusho is a recording they made of Yuksuke s adventures called the spirit files.

BreakingChalk 2020-08-14 03:01:52 UTC #33

If we are talking of a story of hundreds of chapters, I'd go for the Jojo formula and change the main character for another one while keeping characters from previous arcs and keep developing the world from the point where the first MC stopped being the MCC, but still adding new elements that work with what was previously stablished.

Otherwise it's easier to fall into exaggeration (Homer being annoying, Naruto becoming god, etc)

Possum 2020-08-14 03:15:53 UTC #34

Potentially! Be creative, you're in a medium of flexibility! If it doesn't work, it's not hte end of the world!

Inspector_Spinda 2020-08-14 05:08:56 UTC #35

If you're getting bored after a few issues is it the concept that is lacking, your ideas or are short comics just your personal preference? Not everyone needs to or should do a super long comic. It may just not be your thing. But assuming the issue is one of the others I mentioned, it is important to have a very large concept to start off. If the world isn't large and developed it may be hard or even impossible to keep a story going and have it still be good. And when I say world, this includes the characters too. Most episodic shows can't go on forever and if they do they surely decline in quality after some time. And shows with stories don't tend to last forever, at least not without a lot of filler. I guess the best place to look for ideas of how to make a longer story that has a story is manga like Naruto and One Piece, though the quality of those shows are debated.

in short i'd say it's important to have a deep world and figure out different stories you can tell while exploring it. either that or have a single story with lots of depth that takes a long time to tell. pepper in those character moments and slice of life.