How’s the Pacing in the Web of Secrets series?
Added 2023-02-04 19:44:25 +0000 UTCI’ve gotten a lot of comments lately (mostly on Royal Road) that imply the pacing in this series is too quick. One comment mentioned time jumps, and how they happen too frequently with not enough explanations. Other comments asked for more worldbuilding, more magic system explanations, or more time with the side characters.
The current pacing was always intentional on my part—I set out to create a longer series of short, fast-paced books, and I’ve mostly been happy with how that’s turned out. However, I’m also not opposed to slowing things down by 5-10% if that’s what everyone wants. I’ll admit that a part of me uses constant conflict as a crutch, and that I’m far less confident writing the more slice-of-life style scenes. But maybe that’s something I need to work on, and the books would actually improve if I did.
I also decided early on that I’d limit the amount of POVs in this series to just the main characters. (Akari, Kalden, Relia, and Elend.) This was mostly because I’ve read other webnovels, and I’ve gotten the most bored on interlude chapters. But I’ve read an equal number of books that handled lots of POVs well, so maybe it all comes down to execution. Would Web of Knowledge have been better if I’d included some brief scenes from these new side characters’ POV (Elise Moonfire, Tori Raizen, Zukan, Arturo, etc.) I’m starting to wonder if might it have been.
Anyway, I made a quick poll for this, and I'd be curious to know what you think!
Comments
I would say, yes it's a little bit too fast and I'd appreciate more slice of life scenes but it's not more than 10% too fast. Basically I enjoy that it's faster than the vast majority of fictions on royal road and wouldn't slow it down much, just add a few slice of life scenes
giom
2023-02-05 14:06:15 +0000 UTCI CURRENTLY like the pace. Please don't slow down the academy/tournament arc any further. However, the more main plot, like Kalden's brother, the Mystic, and the Elend/Irina's coming adventure could do with a bit of slowing. Also character development and power progression feels a bit fast/shallow. For example the Kalden/Akari romance, and Kalden coming to terms with his missing hand resolved pretty fast for what we're shown as deep personal struggles. Also both of them aspecting their mana, after it was framed as a near impossible feat, ended up feeling pretty anti-climactic.Idk where exactly changes could be made, bc the story plot logic makes sense, it just feels a bit fast. All that said, again, I can only take kids playing in this weird mock war for so long..
Notcreepycreeper
2023-02-05 04:54:20 +0000 UTCYeah, seeing the MCs from other characters' perspectives is something I think I'd really miss out on if I keep up this "rule" later on. The same goes for antagonists ... it's hard to make them interesting if we never see inside their heads. Most of the antagonists so far have been a bit on the shallow side, and I'm honestly surprised no one has complained yet. :P
David
2023-02-05 02:16:28 +0000 UTCP.s. I think the WoK chap25 addition was great and honestly a perfect opportunity for another (short) PoV - what's better than MC showing the teacher they can do 'the impossible? The teachers thought process as they're shown the impossible!
Reodude
2023-02-05 01:56:42 +0000 UTCI like the current pace personally, but I wouldn't be outraged by faster/slower. PoVs are more interesting - I think most negativity is about when they're done wrong. A different PoV can be used to give readers info that the MC doesn't have and we get to wait in suspense for them to find out/get caught out. They're also great for 'here's a normal person's perspective of the monster MC has become' but beacuse MC's achievements has become normal to the readers. Common pitfalls are: PoVs too often, PoVs at a cliff hanger (without really gd reason), PoVs that could be MC perspectives easily, etc (I'm sure there's more but not an expert). Lastly, worth saying other PoV's don't have to be a whole interlude - a paragraph/two before switching back to MC can achieve the same benefit without the 'negative' of a whole post dedicated to other PoV's and readers having to wait days for the MC again
Reodude
2023-02-05 01:54:41 +0000 UTCI think this reader was referring to my tendency to skip ahead. For example, how there was basically just one chapter between the first day of class and midterms, and only two chapters between midterms and the qualifying rounds. He/she wanted to see more about what happened in between ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I
David
2023-02-05 01:14:31 +0000 UTCLess povs plz
WindGunner
2023-02-05 01:02:59 +0000 UTCBut, I don't understand these "time jumps".... Does the commenter mean "flashback"? Those are really self explanatory I thought. Do we really need to obviously express to the reader "flashback in progress..."
Mohammed Mahedi Hasan
2023-02-04 21:37:36 +0000 UTCSome pov actually help the story, like for example Tori and Lyra, when did they start suspecting kalden. That scene added will enhance the story imo.
Mohammed Mahedi Hasan
2023-02-04 21:34:21 +0000 UTCI can only remember a limited number of side characters. More fun scenes with the main cast would be cool, but really not more side PoVs.
Addicted_Reader
2023-02-04 19:56:42 +0000 UTC
