Episode Release Struggle

[kellyzollo]

So last night my laptop decided to be satan and crash, taking with it my thumb drive files as well as episode 10 of West Lake. New note to self save copy on desktop hard drive, thumb drive, laptop, google doc and a backup file on the external from now on to avoid losing stuff.

I am now in a bind looking at the episode outline the things playing out in episode 10 could easily be inserted into a few of the later episodes of season 1. Thus, making me kinda stuck I really do not want to rewrite episode 10 and I have the rest of the season already written. So I am not sure if I should just push all the episodes up one and add the scenes in throughout the remainder of the season.

Feedback would be so much appreciated guys!

Thanks,

Kelly

[bexeth]

I'm so sorry to hear that about your technology failure. This will be a warning for me too, since I almost always save my episodes to my flash drive only. Must start backing that up, ASAP.

What I would do is just insert the scenes into the following episodes, maybe a few per episode. It sucks to have to rewrite it at all, but I think this might be the best option consistency wise, as the rest of your season is already written.

This just sucks. I'm so sorry that happened, Kelly. But best of luck getting it straightened back out!

[Allan]

Kelly, that really sucks. I remember I'd written 13 episodes of this season of H&S and then my laptop crashed and took them all with it. Thankfully, it led me in a new direction and the stuff I've written now is a lot stronger as a result of revisting scenes I'd already written and being able to redirect entire storylines as a result, but the fact I'm only just ahead of where I was a good year ago is very depressing.

I suppose, since you've written beyond that episode already, losing episode 10 does not award you with that reset button. Why not just put a recap of that episode up and rewrite later? Have it as a sort of 'lost episode' and perhaps add the scenes into future episodes as flashbacks?

[bexeth]

Oooooh, I like Allan's idea of the lost episode! That actually, given WL's dark and mysterious theme, could work.

[kellyzollo]

Thanks so much for the support and tips guys! I love both ideas I think adding the scenes in could be beneficial. I also really love Alan's idea of a "lost" episode too. That being said I'm not sure what type of a recap I should do, my episodes normally have six scenes to them, do I just recaps the basics of what went down and then use the meaty stuff in the flashback later then?

Kelly

[bexeth]

Maybe you could have a little placeholder page explaining that this episode was "lost", and giving a brief recap of what it would've contained. Just the essential information that the reader would need to know to comfortably dive into the episode after that.

Then, after a little while, maybe during a break in seasons, you can rewrite Episode 10 & have a special "the lost episode of WL finally sees the light of day" promotional type thingy.

[Allan]

Maybe you could have a little placeholder page explaining that this episode was "lost", and giving a brief recap of what it would've contained. Just the essential information that the reader would need to know to comfortably dive into the episode after that.

Then, after a little while, maybe during a break in seasons, you can rewrite Episode 10 & have a special "the lost episode of WL finally sees the light of day" promotional type thingy.

I like this idea very much.

[Pat]

First of all, I am sorry to hear that your laptop crashed on you. I too have had technology fail me, on more then one occasion, sadly with the same series.

I like Allan's idea of having it as the lost episode.

[Dallas]

Best of luck Kelly!

[kellyzollo]

Update guys, thank everyone for their suggestions. I am going to be doing the lost episode idea. I will do a blog post about it here in a bit and on the site when episode 11 is released later this weekend the recap will appear on the previously on above the episode with of course it being stating the episode will air in full in the summer. Thanks so much again everyone for helping me out in making this decision for the show!

Kelly

[Dallas]

So, I have another question regarding Episodes and releasing them.

How do you come up with your schedule of releasing material? Are you ahead of the game so you can have a set schedule? Or do you release as you write/complete an episode? what are pros and cons of each way?

[kellyzollo]

How do you come up with your schedule of releasing material?

I have a pretty set schedule of posting every 2 weeks or 14 days. I choose every 14 days to balance school on top of a series and so that I had a deadline, when I don't have a deadline I like to procrastinate.

Are you ahead of the game so you can have a set schedule?

Interestingly enough I am very much so ahead of schedule for season 2, I have up to 22 completely written with bits and pieces of the remaining episodes written as well, a reason why in the videos I do I have voice overs for dialogue that has already been completed. So come May 23 if I keep writing like I have been over the last few weeks I should be completely done with all 14 episodes of season 2.

Or do you release as you write/complete an episode?

I release on a schedule to keep me in check and so that I don't just go off in la la land with all the other stuff I have going on around me. If I didn't have a schedule I would be lost.

What are pros and cons of each way?

I can't see a pro or a con to it, it all comes down to personal preferences for me as a writer. I'm not going to post/publish an episode till I am happy with it. But my personality calls for me to need a set schedule in order to accomplish that.

Kelly

[Jay]

How do you come up with your schedule of releasing material?

I honestly haven't had both serials (Pac Heights and South Beach) active at the same time as of yet, but I am basically going to try and post one episode of each before I post another of the same series. For example, I would conceivably post an episode of PH, then one of SB, then another of PH, then one of SB, and so on. I think that will work best for me and therefore one series won't garner too much of my attention- I don't want to play favorites with my 'babies'.

Are you ahead of the game so you can have a set schedule?

Ha! I don't think I really have to answer this question for many here....I usually don't write ahead and therefore I have that dreaded word 'hiatus' attack me from time to time. I will go onto the pros and cons of such below though.

Or do you release as you write/complete an episode?

I do release as I complete an episode for a few different reasons. I will get into those below....however, I have made recent strides to write ahead. We'll see if I can work this out.

What are pros and cons of each way?

Okay, so here we go....the major pro of releasing as you finish an episode is that you can really gage what the audience is wanting and feeling about particular stories before you move on. Now don't get me wrong, I give major props for those who write ten episodes ahead of time (I'm quite envious!), but what if a particular storyline just isn't working for the audience? Now do you just keep running with it even though it's turning potential readers off or do you have the hassle of going back and changing things ahead that you wrote? I would just rather save the time and while I have a thorough outline of where I want my stories and characters to go, I do rely heavily on audience interaction to fuel a particular storyline. Therefore, I release episodes as I write them after hearing audience feedback.

The major con, of course, is that when writer's block sets in, you're basically screwed. The audience has to suffer with the lack of updates, let alone the writers who drives themselves insane often times with guilt as they don't post anything for a long while. Trust me, I've felt this guilt enough...as I'm sure others around here have felt at one time or another.

J.

[Dallas]

^ Interesting Jay. I'm the type of the writer, where I honestly don't care if a storyline isn't working for one or two audience members. Because I wrote ODaaT years ago, I know where the storylines are going. Every single thing that happens on my series happens for a reason. I can't get to the next phase of a storyline or the next storyline for a character(s) without each thing happening. So if there is a particular storyline that some aren't feeling, I still go forward with it. I don't change my plans based on audience response.

[bexeth]

How do you come up with your schedule of releasing material?

I came up with the idea of releasing something every Wednesday, with the actual chapter update being one week and the Insights from the Author feature being the next. I don't know why I picked Wednesday, but it just sort of happened. I choose to release my chapters every 2 weeks instead of weekly because I think it gives people more time to read and absorb between episodes (especially as my chapters can be lengthy) and it also gives me more time to write ahead.


Are you ahead of the game so you can have a set schedule?

Absolutely. I panic when I get too close for comfort (as I did last month).


What are pros and cons of each way?

Well, to me, the pros of having stockpiled material is  you can release material steadily and you can more confidently and eloquently discuss the series with your readers. I find that knowing what happens in the next few chapters allows me to discuss it with more than, "wow, thanks. that's awesome." Not to say that writers who don't write ahead cant do that, but I know that it would be difficult for me to attempt.

The only con I can think of is what Jay mentioned, which would be limited impact from your reader opinions on the stories, but like Dallas, if a few people don't like something, I usually encourage them to just wait it out. For instance, Michael was the direct result of people not liking Shane all that much. So I do listen to you guys...but sometimes, it takes a little while for the changes to be implemented.