text: #Hello r/Shortstories! It’s time to and congratulate another writer here on r/Shortstories! u/OneSidedDice has completed their serial, *Looking Homeward*, on Serial Sunday with 12 chapters. What an accomplishment! They’ve been an active participant in and for quite some time, and their writing is always a pleasure to read. You can find more of their work on their personal subreddit, r/2Space! They’ve even begun a brand new serial. Congratulations, Dice! You should be proud of yourself! Now, let’s take a few minutes and see what they had to say about their serial-writing experience. &nbsp; *** #Looking Homeward - Written by u/OneSidedDice **A brief synopsis from Dice:** Early in the next century, rising sea levels are devastating coastal cities and communities. The resulting refugee crisis has strained economies to the breaking point; homelessness, joblessness, and food shortages have become global crises. In the United States, pressure from financial institutions and insurance conglomerates has outlawed individual bankruptcy, turning insolvent debtors into a population of propertyless second-class citizens. Russ and Larry are two young Floridians living in a FEMA camp, working off their families' monumental debts. A walk into town in search of a way to call their loved ones turns into a journey into danger, conspiracy, and opportunity. | | | | | | | | | | | &nbsp; *** #A Chat with OneSidedDice about Serial Writing ###**What have you learned throughout the serial writing process?** I began this serial with the goal of bringing out a character’s development and growth over the course of an adventure that takes him far outside his comfort zone. One characteristic of the very short stories I’ve been working with lately is that you tend to get a one--or two--dimensional snapshot of a character; for this series, I wanted to draw out that process over time to try to create a realistic sense of the main character evolving into something more than he was at the beginning. I don’t think I pulled it off perfectly, but I did make progress with an aspect of storytelling that has been difficult for me to use effectively. ###**What did you enjoy most about writing this?** I really, really loved and appreciated all of the feedback I received. The criticisms were extremely helpful in pointing out areas where I had been sloppy or indecisive, and almost always included suggestions that seriously improved the quality of my writing. The many encouraging remarks inspired me to carry on when I wasn’t sure if I was going in the right direction, as well. Through both, I’ve also learned a lot about critiquing others’ work, and I hope I’ve given close to as good as I’ve received. I’m not sure I have a favorite scene, but I most enjoyed writing the point in the story where Russ is thrust into a dangerous situation he’s not prepared for, and has to dig deep into himself to find the courage to do it. I think that process actually deserved more space than I gave it now that I look back over the whole story line--it was a stretch goal for me, and I’ve learned some things that will help me handle it better in the future. ###**What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?** What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it? I’ve been writing very short pieces for some time, trying to get a feel for what makes good dialog, relatable imagery, a decent pace, and so forth, and boiling that down to as few words as I could while keeping the story intact and, I hope, interesting. I think my biggest challenge in writing a serial was keeping that tight focus on word economy when the theoretical final length suddenly stretched beyond the horizon. The 850-word limit on each chapter helped quite a bit with that transition, and my instinct to keep the story moving so that something engaging happened in each of those chapters paid off as well, I think. ###**What advice would you give to writers who are thinking about writing a serial for the first time?** Serial writing is a great way to transition into writing longer stories if you are used to writing short fiction. It’s also a great way to learn to discipline your writing if your longer stories tend to go off track or suffer from verbiage creep. I’ve experienced all of the above, and I think I have a better feel for what works and what doesn’t after completing just one. Before starting, I strongly suggest that you make at least a very basic outline of the plot, and make some notes about the main characters’ backgrounds. You don’t have to use any of it in the actual story, but it helps keep the characters consistent and the action moving. Lastly, if you’re new to critiquing/giving feedback on others’ writing, take some time to read through the responses from previous weeks’ stories. That’ll give you an idea of what to expect, and what’s expected of you. Don’t be intimidated; accepting and giving feedback is an integral part of the process, and it will help you develop your skills much faster than working through it all on your own. &nbsp; *** ###Wrap-Up Thank you so much for your time, Dice. I’m glad you have been such an active presence on the sub and in Serial Sunday. I’ve enjoyed reading your words and watching you weave worlds together. I’m excited for your new serial; I wish you good luck and good words! Congrats again! Readers and writers, please don’t forget to leave u/OneSidedDice in the comments below. Feel free to ask additional questions or just say . &nbsp; *** ###Subreddit News - Try your own hand at serial writing with - Sharpen your micro-fic skills by participating in our brand new feature, - Have you ever wanted to write a story with another writer? Check out our brand new weekly feature on r/WritingPrompts - You can now post serials to r/Shortstories, outside of Serial Sunday.