Xenolan
Really Experienced
Hey everyone,
Just a little commentary... I have a particular story on CHYOA (It's Good to be the King), which I kicked off about six months ago and have grown into a story with 126 chapters and one thread which goes 42 deep and comes to a conclusion. I intended it from the beginning to be a complex story with defined characters and threads which relate to each other - in other words, stuff which happens directly to the protagonist in one thread might be going on in the background in others. I've really enjoyed writing it, much more than I thought I would; I feel like I'm throwing myself into the writing of a story with real enthusiasm for the first time in years.
Here's the strange thing... I started the story with the intent that others could contribute (and indeed, it's still open to submissions), but as time goes on, I begin to feel more of a sense of ownership over it. I'm not sure I WANT outside contributions anymore, because even if they're good chapters, they might contradict the ideas I have formed about this world and the people in it. Obviously, this is CHYOA so for every thread which goes in the "wrong" direction, I can just make another one which goes the way I want it to, but I'm still not sure I want others playing in my sandbox anymore. Maybe if I'd had chapter submissions from moment one I'd feel differently about it, but for whatever reason, no one has ever sent in anything - and I'm seriously thinking about keeping it that way.
I do sometimes wonder WHY this particular story hasn't attracted any writers... it seems to be well-liked, according to the comments and the numbers. I think it may be because I put a little too much work into defining the characters (I have a chapter off the introduction which briefly describes over two dozen characters in the story, some with pictures), and would-be authors may feel like there's too much restriction. Sometimes, when I feel like stroking my ego a little (I use my left hand), I imagine that it's because readers are really intrigued by the plotlines I've set up, and they'd rather wait and see how I resolve them than pick up the thread themselves!
Anyway, just wondering if these are feelings that others share. Does anyone else have stories over which they feel somewhat protective, to the point where they don't want to see anyone else add to it? And, just to satisfy my own curiosity, can anyone suggest why this story of mine hasn't seen any contributions from other authors?
Just a little commentary... I have a particular story on CHYOA (It's Good to be the King), which I kicked off about six months ago and have grown into a story with 126 chapters and one thread which goes 42 deep and comes to a conclusion. I intended it from the beginning to be a complex story with defined characters and threads which relate to each other - in other words, stuff which happens directly to the protagonist in one thread might be going on in the background in others. I've really enjoyed writing it, much more than I thought I would; I feel like I'm throwing myself into the writing of a story with real enthusiasm for the first time in years.
Here's the strange thing... I started the story with the intent that others could contribute (and indeed, it's still open to submissions), but as time goes on, I begin to feel more of a sense of ownership over it. I'm not sure I WANT outside contributions anymore, because even if they're good chapters, they might contradict the ideas I have formed about this world and the people in it. Obviously, this is CHYOA so for every thread which goes in the "wrong" direction, I can just make another one which goes the way I want it to, but I'm still not sure I want others playing in my sandbox anymore. Maybe if I'd had chapter submissions from moment one I'd feel differently about it, but for whatever reason, no one has ever sent in anything - and I'm seriously thinking about keeping it that way.
I do sometimes wonder WHY this particular story hasn't attracted any writers... it seems to be well-liked, according to the comments and the numbers. I think it may be because I put a little too much work into defining the characters (I have a chapter off the introduction which briefly describes over two dozen characters in the story, some with pictures), and would-be authors may feel like there's too much restriction. Sometimes, when I feel like stroking my ego a little (I use my left hand), I imagine that it's because readers are really intrigued by the plotlines I've set up, and they'd rather wait and see how I resolve them than pick up the thread themselves!
Anyway, just wondering if these are feelings that others share. Does anyone else have stories over which they feel somewhat protective, to the point where they don't want to see anyone else add to it? And, just to satisfy my own curiosity, can anyone suggest why this story of mine hasn't seen any contributions from other authors?
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