How Often Should You Update?

Seventh:

frankly: if you're updating several times a day, i fail to see how you can be putting enough effort in to make it worthwhile. either your chapters will be very poor quality, or ridiculously short - or both. i HATE fics with dozens of shitty 100-word chapters.

I update everyday. Sometimes more then once a day and my chapters are usually 1000-3000 words on average. I write it up in about an hour, proofread it and post it immediately. No ones ever complained. In fact most readers comment they are glad I update frequently. I guess it depends on the type of story it is and who it reading it.

Mrs. Melting Crayons:

Say I'm fourteen chapters behind, I go to post a comment, something someone else said completely gives it away.

As for the comments giving away the plot, when you click on comments does it not bring you to page one? can't you enter your comment there? why go to the last page if you dont want to.

I don't see how some one could complain about falling behind. Its the same as having a book in front of you. The chapters are there, You open it and read as much as you can, when you can. But it is all there waiting. Unless the story is interactive where the readers are participating in what will happen then it does not matter.

there are always exceptions.

if you have the time to write 3,000 words of quality every day then i applaud you.
personally, i have too much Real World stuff to do to be able to do that. *shrugs*

but in the vast majority of cases, frantically quick updates = drop in quality.
as compared with a more considered turnover of chapters.

oh, and if you're PRE-written your story, then it's all good!
you'll probably get a better readership updating once a day or every other day, gives you a steady trickle of time at the top of the list for people to see your fic.

It all depends. With some of my stories, I update them very often, and that's because I enjoy updating. For example, with the latest story I've posted on this site, I have a clear idea of what's going to happen in my head, and I'm excited about writing it and getting the chapter out to my readers. So I'll probably update about once a day.

Though, I am guilty of my chapters being short. :cheese: When I write a chapter though, I always have a clear idea of what point I want the chapter to end, and even if the chapters short, I tend to alway finish it how I planned. Otherwise, it spoils the effect I wanted for that chapter.

I am updatin' once a week "No Future" cos it usually takes me like an hour to write each chapter, but ages to edit, and I don't have much time since I am on french, so I update every monday
My other stories are stuck but I really don't mind, I will get to write em later

I usually update anywhere from five to eight days, it depends on my schedual. I just have too much going on in my life to update any sooner, and besides, I'd rather take the extra time to write a good quality update than rush and end up with a horrible one. But something something unexpected will come up, like getting sick, and that can space my updates to two weeks, which I really hate to do.

I don't like lengthy chapters. I don't like updates every day, but I don't like long waits (even though I'm so guilty of doing that) I would say once a week is what I like to see. If a story is updated say, once or twice a day, I won't read it, it kind of shows that not a lot of thought is put into writing. Writing takes time, good writing takes longer.

My opinion, anyway.

:cute:

I update when I get a sudden burst of inspiration. Like with my story February Stars I update that more than my others because it's easier to update. My other ones require more thought because for me I'm stepping out of my box with with them. I guess it just depends. I am guilty of updating at random points in time though. I think it just depends on the author. But, if you're not going to update for long periods of time you should let people know so they don't get frustrated.

I update...hm. I think maybe I update every story every few days, say three or four, or if I've had enough time, I might update 2 days in a row, but that's rare...

This has been a huge help!

I'm about to post my second story on here... all pre-written and was wondering what everyone else thought of the timeline for updating...

My first story was done chapter to chapter and i ended up posting everyday, which is something i now regret, but i know that having it all written out and completed is a much better way for me personally to post it.

Depends on the story. There's one story that I have where I can update anywhere from once to five times in a day, but it's because of the way the story is set up. But others I update like once every two weeks, if that....it's kinda funny I keep my reader's waiting so long, because I know I hate it when the stories I read take too long to update for my taste...

I don't have a set schedule for updating. I like to keep ahead of my chapters, so I'm usually one or two chapters ahead of what is updated, but I only update once every week, or every other week. My chapters are usually anywhere between eight and twenty pages, so updating every day would just kill me; I'd have to do nothing but sit in front of my computer and write! And as much as I'd like to, I'm a full-time college student, hold a job, and like to hang out with my friends - there's just not that much free time for it.

Somewhere between every seven to fourteen days is fine, for me. It gives the readers a chance to get through the chapter when they get the free time, and then perhaps comment, and it allows me to keep ahead with the chapters in general. :)

I hardly ever update. They usually come unexpectedly and very slowly. I have stories I haven't updated in almost a year and a half.

I find it much easier to update my story page with oneshots. I have a lot of them and they help me bridge the gap between me and an update for a chaptered story.

Recently, I've been updating one story like every other day. It's a record, really. I haven't written like this, ever.

I don't update regularly.

It depends on when I've got the chapter written, edited and if I'm happy with it. Sometimes it'll take me months to update, due to lack of inspiration or if I feel the need to rewrite the chapter.

Also, it depends on the story. Some, I find harder to write than others.

Once there was a time when I could update every week, at least one story.
Aye...yeah, not now. I'd say on average I update about one story a month, and write about two one-shots.
Most stories have just been discontinued, except for one Frerard, and two Rydon's.
They're updated about monthly, when I feel like it.

Dude...if you update that often, how do you edit? I'm sorry, but...how can you post anything without editing?

CoolinaCUP:

Dude...if you update that often, how do you edit? I'm sorry, but...how can you post anything without editing?

Some people don't.
And others use Mic. Word, which can tell you most of your errors.

doll face.:

^ Yes, absolutely!
Even though I don't actually have any reader's demands.

:cheese:
I HAVE DEMANDS!

...anyway. :]

I don't update very often, & I know it interferes with the rhythm of my story, but there's really no alternative. I get writer's
block after every update, & no matter how hard I try, I really just have to wait for the inspiration orrr whatever to come back. ><

I, myself, prefer author's who update whenever they actually can, rather than just updating because of their readers or whatever. But I also love reading stories that are regularly updated.

Stories that are updated every 5 or so minutes sort of bug me, though. Especially if they turn out to be crap. Plus, it gets immensly confusing for me because I have to find out what was the first update. Or if I aleady read those updates but they just keep on coming...well, I've got a lot of emails to read & delete.

But I'm a horrible updater as I always tend to update...every few weeks or so. I just sometimes get inspiration or sometimes I don't. Really simple, actually.

I guess often is alright, just as long as it isn't 50235 updates in one fuckin' minute. ;) haha.

CoolinaCUP:

Dude...if you update that often, how do you edit? I'm sorry, but...how can you post anything without editing?

There's programs you can use to check spelling & grammar, and some users are also pretty fast readers so they just re-read their chapter(s) and check for errors that way.

But, I myself (as well as some others on here), don't re-check chapters before updating. ^__^

I enjoy reading stories that get updated regularly. It doesn't have to be a daily update, but I really hate reading stories that get updated once a month. I forget the story and the plot and everything.

I used to update daily for A Picture Changed My Life Forever. Then school came and I could barely update. Like, once a month. And my readers missed the daily update thing.

But I suggest that you update whenever you can. :mrgreen: