New Weekly Serial

What would you like to see? All feedback and suggestions appreciated!
Tony Summerfield
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Tony Summerfield »

So would I, Rob.
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Julie2owlsdene
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Must admit, I prefer to watch a serial weekly too. It keeps you on edge until the following week. :lol:

8)
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Daisy »

It's a different way of enjoying fiction. The best thing about our serials and of course the original Enid Blyton ones in Sunny Stories and the later Magazine, is that we enjoy(ed) the anticipation of the following chapter over a space of time, and have the whole thing available to re-read at the end, if we so desire. Serials on TV are a window on a segment of fictional life which goes on ...and on, but we can't save it all to re-visit in any practical way. Not that I would want to have huge chunks watchable all at once!
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Moonraker »

Tony Summerfield wrote:It always amuses me that people find a week too long to wait for the next part when the majority of television serials are done in weekly episodes.
A book isn't the same as a television programme. For one thing, I only read one book at a time, whereas I might watch 6-10 tv programmes a day. Having said that, I dislike tv serials too as by the next week's episode, I have forgotten much about the previous one! If it is a six-part serial, we always wait and 'binge-watch' it in one or two goes.

The idea of buying a book and only read one chapter a week seems to me to be totally absurd. But then, each to his own.
Tony wrote:I suppose you can always record six episodes and when it is finished binge watch the whole thing for six hours, but most of us can't spare the time.
Says he who has purchased a Game of Thrones Box Set! :roll:
Rob wrote:I've never understood the 'binge-watch' culture. I'd much rather watch an episode every week if watching a series
Good for you! I wasn't asking you to understand it, I was just expressing my preference.
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Haha! No, I was serious. I didn't realise that the Secret Seven, Famous Five, 'R' Mysteries, Find-Outers and all the other series were first released as serials.
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Moonraker wrote:...whereas I might watch 6-10 tv programmes a day.

Wow - that many?!
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by John Pickup »

Does it really matter how each of us read the serials? I much prefer to wait and read them as I would a book, over a day or two so I don't have to constantly refresh my memory by re-reading the previous instalment. I rarely watch serials on TV for the same reason, I mostly struggle to remember what happened last week.
Whether we read them weekly or on completion, the important thing is that we read them. Many thanks to Julie, Rob and Daisy for writing them for us all to enjoy.
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Daisy
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Daisy »

What helped of course in the days of Sunny Stories was a brief resumé of the previous chapter at the beginning of each new one.
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by sixret »

Yes, it does help to refresh our memory. Thank you for the suggestion, Daisy. :D
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Domino »

With regard Tony's comment about the gaps between a sequence of books, it seems to me to be a fault of the author. If there are facts established in previous books that the current book's readers need to know, then the author should be able to recount those, preferably with subtlety rather than the sledgehammer approach. A sequence is not intended to be a serial. The books should be capable of being stand alone.
Mind you, a lot of publishers these days are only interested in (at least) trilogies. I'm not sure that is really a good thing.

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Tony Summerfield
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Moonraker wrote:
Tony wrote:I suppose you can always record six episodes and when it is finished binge watch the whole thing for six hours, but most of us can't spare the time.
Says he who has purchased a Game of Thrones Box Set! :roll:
I am not sure how this is relevant in any way. The whole point of the DVDs is that you can watch them at your convenience and don't have to binge watch them. I work in the day but I was able to watch DVDs gradually when there was nothing I wanted to watch on TV in the evening. The other real advantage of many DVDs is the extras that they have on them telling how and where things were filmed and there are some really interesting ones on the Game of Thrones DVDs for anybody who enjoyed the series.
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Like Tony, I appreciate DVDs and catch-up services like iPlayer as it's great to be able to watch things when it's convenient. I don't have Sky so I'm a bit behind with Game of Thrones (I've only just finished Series 4) but I found the DVD extras fascinating, discussing things like sets and props, rehearsals, camera work and special effects.

Getting back to the weekly serial, I have the chance to read the serials before they're put on the website so I don't comment on them as they unfold in case I accidentally give something away. I thoroughly enjoyed The Rawlins' Reach Mystery though and I'd certainly recommend it to all Barney fans.
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Rob Houghton »

From a writer's point-of-view, I don't think it really matters if someone reads the books weekly, chapter by chapter, or in one go at the end - except that often readers don't report back if they wait until the series has finished, as a new one has already started and so it wouldn't seem right to start talking about a previous serial.

As one of the serial writers, its just nice to know, week by week, that someone is reading your story - after all, we aren't paid, obviously, and we do these stories as a hobby, and for pleasure, so our only 'payment' is feedback - and its just good to know a few people are enjoying what we created (or not, as the case may be!) :lol:

We don't expect praise -it is just nice to know that a few people are following the story - or have read it all in one go, and have enjoyed it, or even hated it. Either way, it doesn't matter. :-D Feedback is always good. 8)

I do think it would be great if, as the writers, we could see how many 'views' a chapter/serial gets, as we can see for forum posts. :-D
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Julie2owlsdene
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I agree that it is nice to know who is enjoying our serial as it goes along, Robert. But some as I think others have mentioned they don't want to put each week they are reading and enjoying, as they have not much to say really apart from 'enjoying'.

I've had mention at the beginning of one of my serials, and nothing else for the whole time it was running until it ended. It's just the way it is. Looking back at the other author who had his serials on here at one time, he had no feedback at all, just people going up to him on an EB Day and thanking him then!

As you say, we do it for the love of writing and for the love of Enid's characters, any praise is a bonus. :)

8)
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Eddie Muir »

I’m a great fan of the weekly serials and enjoy reading them. Thank you to all the serial writers and please keep them coming. :D
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Re: New Weekly Serial

Post by Moonraker »

Hear, hear, Eddie! I didn't mean to start an argument (although I think Rob actually started my train of thought!) - as John says, it doesn't matter how we read them. I was just expressing my preference in regard of reading a book. Although, in the case of Dickens' work, sometimes a serial is preferable. A book forum I sometimes look at had a 'readathon' on Nicholas Nickleby - and they read in a section of chapters - as the book was originally serialised. It made for a much easier way to digest this book - I wish I had done the same instead of trying to read as much as I could each time.

When all is said and done, we are fortunate to have some great authors amongst us - I enjoy reading all of the books, they are all on my Kindle!
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