I really need some advice about my novel

[Kazehiro]

Hey guys, Kaze here.

I’m currently stuck in a bit of a dilemma, and I really need some advice.

My novel has started getting some attention, which I’m really grateful for. But I’m also very aware that the early part of the story, especially Arc 1 from Chapter 1 to 60, has some serious issues. The writing feels rough, the translation isn’t polished, and in some places the wording is too technical when it shouldn’t be. It doesn’t fully deliver the emotions I originally wanted to convey.

Because of that, I keep worrying about new readers. I’m afraid they’ll start from the beginning, feel put off, and drop the story before it gets better.

At the same time, I don’t want to let down the readers who have stayed with me so far. They’re the reason I’ve been able to keep going, writing new chapters and even working on extra content like making some progression-visuals.

So now I’m stuck between two choices. Should I go back and revise Arc 1 first, or should I keep moving forward with Arc 2 and finish it before taking time to fix the earlier chapters?

My biggest concern is this. If I keep ignoring the messy early arc, will I lose too many potential readers along the way?

I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts or experiences on this.

 

[Jerynboe]

Personally I have similar worries about the early parts of my story. I’ve gotten better at writing since I started it, but I also release new chapters weekly. If I took out time in my writing to do serious edits on my earlier chapters that would take out time from actually continuing the story and might cause my current, consistent readers to fall off. Given that I only have around 5-6 hours set aside for writing a week, that’s a pretty big issue.

 

[Kazehiro]

Personally I have similar worries about the early parts of my story. I’ve gotten better at writing since I started it, but I also release new chapters weekly. If I took out time in my writing to do serious edits on my earlier chapters that would take out time from actually continuing the story and might cause my current, consistent readers to fall off. Given that I only have around 5-6 hours set aside for writing a week, that’s a pretty big issue.

Right? I feel like it will take a long time and I'm afraid my loyal reader will feel left out and eventually stop reading

It's a big issue lmao, and I can't find the right answer for this

 

[RebelLion]

Hey guys, Kaze here.

I’m currently stuck in a bit of a dilemma, and I really need some advice.

My novel has started getting some attention, which I’m really grateful for. But I’m also very aware that the early part of the story, especially Arc 1 from Chapter 1 to 60, has some serious issues. The writing feels rough, the translation isn’t polished, and in some places the wording is too technical when it shouldn’t be. It doesn’t fully deliver the emotions I originally wanted to convey.

Because of that, I keep worrying about new readers. I’m afraid they’ll start from the beginning, feel put off, and drop the story before it gets better.

At the same time, I don’t want to let down the readers who have stayed with me so far. They’re the reason I’ve been able to keep going, writing new chapters and even working on extra content like making some progression-visuals.

So now I’m stuck between two choices. Should I go back and revise Arc 1 first, or should I keep moving forward with Arc 2 and finish it before taking time to fix the earlier chapters?

My biggest concern is this. If I keep ignoring the messy early arc, will I lose too many potential readers along the way?

I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts or experiences on this.

My brother in Gathering Wives, look at Solon and ask, "How bad is the Jinzhou Arc?"

Move forward to the next Arc and finish it. You can fix the earlier chapters after that and maybe add some foreshadowing for future events, like Yangyang being GA.

 

[EliseValkyria]

I did have the same problem, and from what I could see. The people truly don't truly care, but not in a bad sense.

If you make them know that you will like to take some time to remakes the begining because you want to make it better, they will let you. Hell, I ever take like six months to remake half of my novel of like 300 chapters and published on another name, and the majority of readers did come over.

Just think it like it is a statue, and you are working on details has your go, don't need to be finish right now, it needs to be the best artwork 100 years later.

 

[Joyager2]

I have found that the best way to write (for me, at least) is to finish the entirety of my first draft before doing any major revisions. If you have ideas about how things could be improved, keep a separate document (I usually label it 'Concerns') that tracks the things I feel could use some attention later on. Otherwise, I get trapped in a feedback loop where I only ever work on the first couple of chapters over and over again, forever. It also helps to get the whole thing out o my head, put it aside for a few months, and then return with fresh eyes rather than having an eternal work-in-progress. That said, I'll still go back and make minor changes if need be, or insert a single scene in a couple of chapters if I realize I've forgotten something especially important or if I feel that I'm really lacking a major thematic through-line that would prevent the rest of the novel from working at all if I kept going without it.

 

[Kazehiro]

My brother in Gathering Wives, look at Solon and ask, "How bad is the Jinzhou Arc?"

Move forward to the next Arc and finish it. You can fix the earlier chapters after that and maybe add some foreshadowing for future events, like Yangyang being GA.

Lmao after thinking about it you ware right about the kuro part, I really need to think it through wil keep updating and improving and the same time

I did have the same problem, and from what I could see. The people truly don't truly care, but not in a bad sense.

If you make them know that you will like to take some time to remakes the begining because you want to make it better, they will let you. Hell, I ever take like six months to remake half of my novel of like 300 chapters and published on another name, and the majority of readers did come over.

Just think it like it is a statue, and you are working on details has your go, don't need to be finish right now, it needs to be the best artwork 100 years later.

I see you ware right, whatever I do at least I need to let my reader now about it. I really hope I can make the right decision without mess it up and suddenly goes of for more than a week

I see, what I need to do is keep polishing it until showing its true shape

I have found that the best way to write (for me, at least) is to finish the entirety of my first draft before doing any major revisions. If you have ideas about how things could be improved, keep a separate document (I usually label it 'Concerns') that tracks the things I feel could use some attention later on. Otherwise, I get trapped in a feedback loop where I only ever work on the first couple of chapters over and over again, forever. It also helps to get the whole thing out o my head, put it aside for a few months, and then return with fresh eyes rather than having an eternal work-in-progress. That said, I'll still go back and make minor changes if need be, or insert a single scene in a couple of chapters if I realize I've forgotten something especially important or if I feel that I'm really lacking a major thematic through-line that would prevent the rest of the novel from working at all if I kept going without it.

Noted, maybe it will help me. I, most of the time writing after I already finished my Story outline for one arc and after that just Yolooo, as long i keep the track of my outline for that arc.