Should I Mainstream Webnovel?

[Love4NovelGuy]

The last Webnovel I’m writing has a fatal flaw: It isn’t the type of novel you can read mainstream.

There are only two choices I have…

The first would be turning what I’m currently writing into a prequel and continuing the same story, but in another person’s eyes. Making it a good set-up for things to come in the future.

Maybe even including characters in this sequel title to show a sense of time progression from one volume to the other.

The second choice would be to continue with my non-mainstream story (with its sexual content and NSFW themes) to keep things ‘pure’ in a sense. Rather than polluting it with extra stuff.

I’ve already planned out the conclusive ending for this volume I’m writing, which will tie up everything before it in a finale that won’t need the current main character to progress further.

You could say the character development intended for him in the beginning of the volume will be done by the end. Which in turn will make him highly disposable in terms of killing off.

But whether he dies or not is up in the air until I’ve concluded what form my story shall take.

And for those who point out the inherent contradiction between saying it’s my ‘last story’ and splitting it between prequel and sequel, the latter is just how I’m portraying it to my audience.

To me, new chapters will always be heading towards the bigger and conclusive ending in the distance. Any ‘ending’ before that being a milestone. Like big changes in Mushoku Tensei.

Anyway, I understand the idea that if I want to explore the seriously-too-dark-and-edgy themes I’d set up in this volume, I need to be able to consistently hold onto it without causing reader whiplash.

Disorientating my readers by going from pitch black darkness which goes into things people might not be able to stomach… to a typical fantasy adventure with a smidge of some dark themes… would never be a good option.

I’m leaning on the option of concluding this darker part of the story by introducing the Final Boss at the end (which would thematically conclude the arc of the villain I’d set up for the current volume), but wanted to hear opinions.

Is a mainstream Webnovel worth the effort put in? Maybe it’s not important to pander to the larger audience, and that I should keep it as one story if I want to keep the attention high.

Different choice. Different results.

 

[SailusGebel]

What do you want?

 

[Love4NovelGuy]

What do you want?

“I’m leaning on the option of concluding this darker part of the story by introducing the Final Boss at the end (which would thematically conclude the arc of the villain I’d set up for the current volume), but wanted to hear opinions.”

 

[SailusGebel]

“I’m leaning on the option of concluding this darker part of the story by introducing the Final Boss at the end (which would thematically conclude the arc of the villain I’d set up for the current volume), but wanted to hear opinions.”

"Should I Mainstream Webnovel?" What do you mean by the mainstream? Do you want to gain popularity? Do you want more readers? Get into trending?

"The last Webnovel I’m writing has a fatal flaw: It isn’t the type of novel you can read mainstream." What do you mean by a fatal flaw? Who said it's a flaw?

 

[Zirrboy]

"Should I Mainstream Webnovel?" What do you mean by the mainstream? Do you want to gain popularity? Do you want more readers? Get into trending?

"The last Webnovel I’m writing has a fatal flaw: It isn’t the type of novel you can read mainstream." What do you mean by a fatal flaw? Who said it's a flaw?

Kill off the MC and lighten the mood of the story in hopes of appealing to a larger audience or keep it edgy and sexual for purity of theme and continuous for current readers?

The last Webnovel I’m writing has a fatal flaw: It isn’t the type of novel you can read mainstream.

There are only two choices I have…

The first would be turning what I’m currently writing into a prequel and continuing the same story, but in another person’s eyes. Making it a good set-up for things to come in the future.
Maybe even including characters in this sequel title to show a sense of time progression from one volume to the other.

The second choice would be to continue with my non-mainstream story (with its sexual content and NSFW themes) to keep things ‘pure’ in a sense. Rather than polluting it with extra stuff.
I’ve already planned out the conclusive ending for this volume I’m writing, which will tie up everything before it in a finale that won’t need the current main character to progress further. You could say the character development intended for him in the beginning of the volume will be done by the end. Which in turn will make him highly disposable in terms of killing off. But whether he dies or not is up in the air until I’ve concluded what form my story shall take.

And for those who point out the inherent contradiction between saying it’s my ‘last story’ and splitting it between prequel and sequel, the latter is just how I’m portraying it to my audience.
To me, new chapters will always be heading towards the bigger and conclusive ending in the distance. Any ‘ending’ before that being a milestone. Like big changes in Mushoku Tensei.

Anyway, I understand the idea that if I want to explore the seriously-too-dark-and-edgy themes I’d set up in this volume, I need to be able to consistently hold onto it without causing reader whiplash.
Disorientating my readers by going from pitch black darkness which goes into things people might not be able to stomach… to a typical fantasy adventure with a smidge of some dark themes… would never be a good option.

I’m leaning on the option of concluding this darker part of the story by introducing the Final Boss at the end (which would thematically conclude the arc of the villain I’d set up for the current volume), but wanted to hear opinions.

Is a mainstream Webnovel worth the effort put in? Maybe it’s not important to pander to the larger audience, and that I should keep it as one story if I want to keep the attention high.

Different choice. Different results.

What's "dark" now; how should it be after?
How well would the MC's death tie into his development up to that point?
Would the subsequent story be independently readable?

 

[InstantRicePack]

Tbh just go with what you want, I mean lots of web novels and stories have meh endings or get worst as they near the ending because the author kinda ends the story because they are no longer interested / are tired of writing that story. Just look at the Kumo Desu Ga Nani Ka webnovel or Warlock of the Magus World. Just kind of write what you feel like writing.

 

[Slothy2.0]

“I’m leaning on the option of concluding this darker part of the story by introducing the Final Boss at the end (which would thematically conclude the arc of the villain I’d set up for the current volume), but wanted to hear opinions.”

Bro if that's what you want that's all you need to know. It's your story take it where you want it. Opinions are good but this is your story. Don't compromise because then the story is no longer yours but the community's. And that will make it generic.

 

[Theirl]

The last Webnovel I’m writing has a fatal flaw: It isn’t the type of novel you can read mainstream.

There are only two choices I have…

The first would be turning what I’m currently writing into a prequel and continuing the same story, but in another person’s eyes. Making it a good set-up for things to come in the future.

Maybe even including characters in this sequel title to show a sense of time progression from one volume to the other.

The second choice would be to continue with my non-mainstream story (with its sexual content and NSFW themes) to keep things ‘pure’ in a sense. Rather than polluting it with extra stuff.

I’ve already planned out the conclusive ending for this volume I’m writing, which will tie up everything before it in a finale that won’t need the current main character to progress further.

You could say the character development intended for him in the beginning of the volume will be done by the end. Which in turn will make him highly disposable in terms of killing off.

But whether he dies or not is up in the air until I’ve concluded what form my story shall take.

And for those who point out the inherent contradiction between saying it’s my ‘last story’ and splitting it between prequel and sequel, the latter is just how I’m portraying it to my audience.

To me, new chapters will always be heading towards the bigger and conclusive ending in the distance. Any ‘ending’ before that being a milestone. Like big changes in Mushoku Tensei.

Anyway, I understand the idea that if I want to explore the seriously-too-dark-and-edgy themes I’d set up in this volume, I need to be able to consistently hold onto it without causing reader whiplash.

Disorientating my readers by going from pitch black darkness which goes into things people might not be able to stomach… to a typical fantasy adventure with a smidge of some dark themes… would never be a good option.

I’m leaning on the option of concluding this darker part of the story by introducing the Final Boss at the end (which would thematically conclude the arc of the villain I’d set up for the current volume), but wanted to hear opinions.

Is a mainstream Webnovel worth the effort put in? Maybe it’s not important to pander to the larger audience, and that I should keep it as one story if I want to keep the attention high.

Different choice. Different results.

im not a writer, but if writing is a hobby shouldnt u write what make u satisfied with your work? if u take satisfaction from viewership u should focus on it i guess

 

[Slothy2.0]

Bro if that's what you want that's all you need to know. It's your story take it where you want it. Opinions are good but this is your story. Don't compromise because then the story is no longer yours but the community's. And that will make it generic.

Also fuck mainstream. It sucks. My method of looking for novels is eliminating the harem tag cause I don't like it. This cuts most trending pages in half and it eliminations most of those so called 'mainstream'. I as a reader activity avoid mainstream and your novel sounds fun. I just don't read on Webnovel anymore. There is an audience for you, no matter what you write.

 

[Legi0n]

If you write for yourself, follow your gut.

 

[Love4NovelGuy]

Kill off the MC and lighten the mood of the story in hopes of appealing to a larger audience or keep it edgy and sexual for purity of theme and continuous for current readers?


What's "dark" now; how should it be after?
How well would the MC's death tie into his development up to that point?
Would the subsequent story be independently readable?

It would. I’m not going to spoil it here, but I have a method to continue the former protagonist’s development even if I introduce a new main character into the mix. It’s because: Although the prequel story gives a lot of context, it can exist independently from the arc after it.

Even if I killed everyone in arc 1, there wouldn’t be much to change for me to continue the overarching plot.

the ‘darkness’ might be an overstatement on my part, but Arc 1 is basically turning into an Erotic Action Romance Fantasy, with a lot of kinky stuff happening in terms of relationships.

The protagonist of arc 1 is destined to have an unwanted harem, who all contribute to the ending on that arc. But the sexual themes and gore isn’t really relevant to anything past that arc.

Also fuck mainstream. It sucks. My method of looking for novels is eliminating the harem tag cause I don't like it. This cuts most trending pages in half and it eliminations most of those so called 'mainstream'. I as a reader activity avoid mainstream and your novel sounds fun. I just don't read on Webnovel anymore. There is an audience for you, no matter what you write.

I’m posting it everywhere. But you’ll have to be disappointed since this is a harem caused by messy relationships in all directions. Also, the MC has split his consciousness into two people.

I’ve recently renamed it “The Otome Game’s Extra” to go with the kind of story I wrote.

I’m only now understanding what I’m writing 50 chapters in.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Write the story you want to read, and someone else will also love it!

 

[Temple]

Can go back to the question up there of what do you want. Let's say you want to be popular + earn money, then you go with the most 'sellable'. So yeah, what do you want? Because there seems to be a disconnect between what you want (whatever that is) and what you're writing, so compromises have to be made.

 

[Love4NovelGuy]

I

Can go back to the question up there of what do you want. Let's say you want to be popular + earn money, then you go with the most 'sellable'. So yeah, what do you want? Because there seems to be a disconnect between what you want (whatever that is) and what you're writing, so compromises have to be made.

I guess that’s just what I wanted to get acknowledged externally. Sacrifices must sometimes be made to get what you want.

 

[Temple]

Well, I can say that changing things later in the story to be something more for general audiences usually won't work to pull in readers because they still have to go through the other parts to reach that. Can just write that story until its end and then begin a new one that will be more for general audience?

 

[Ai-chan]

If you write for yourself, follow your gut.

This gets macabre and gory pretty quickly.

 

[Love4NovelGuy]

Well, I can say that changing things later in the story to be something more for general audiences usually won't work to pull in readers because they still have to go through the other parts to reach that. Can just write that story until its end and then begin a new one that will be more for general audience?

I see your point. I’ll have to start from scratch if I truly want to make the sequel it’s own standalone work, but hey, if Fate/Zero can be a prequel to Fate/Stay Night, maybe I have some hope.

I’ll completely separate the two stories in setting and character then. The characters from the prequel only coming up as window dressing and references for those who are interested.

I’ll have to introduce the power system again, but this will make things easier once I’ve found similar ways of explaining it by experimenting with the prequel. Will give good experience.

I have a better understanding now. Thank you.

 

[Legi0n]

I see your point. I’ll have to start from scratch if I truly want to make the sequel it’s own standalone work, but hey, if Fate/Zero can be a prequel to Fate/Stay Night, maybe I have some hope.

I’ll completely separate the two stories in setting and character then. The characters from the prequel only coming up as window dressing and references for those who are interested.

I’ll have to introduce the power system again, but this will make things easier once I’ve found similar ways of explaining it by experimenting with the prequel. Will give good experience.

I have a better understanding now. Thank you.

I like your solution.

 

[Armored99]

While this doesn't fit entirely into your question its still relevant, and I feel like it should still be said.

Don't cave to mainstream appeal.

YOUR VISION AS A WRITER/ARTIST/CREATOR IS MORE IMPORTANT.

The best pieces of work aren't those made for the lowest common denominator of the masses, but instead are the works that seeks to best embody its creators ideas.

Lovecraft, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Harper Lee, Mark Twain, These are all writers who had creative visions and something they wanted to tell with there creations. They didn't try to cave-in and make some trash everyone would be content with.

Write the story you want to write, not the story others want to hear.

 

[Love4NovelGuy]

While this doesn't fit entirely into your question its still relevant, and I feel like it should still be said.

Don't cave to mainstream appeal.

YOUR VISION AS A WRITER/ARTIST/CREATOR IS MORE IMPORTANT.

The best pieces of work aren't those made for the lowest common denominator of the masses, but instead are the works that seeks to best embody its creators ideas.

Lovecraft, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Harper Lee, Mark Twain, These are all writers who had creative visions and something they wanted to tell with there creations. They didn't try to cave-in and make some trash everyone would be content with.

Write the story you want to write, not the story others want to hear.

I will keep that in mind. Thank you for understanding.