Let Me Know Your Thoughts! (Patreon)
Content
Hello hello!
I've been thinking about this topic a lot, and I'd love to hear your opinions!
As I've been writing solo stories (a breath of fresh air btw), I've been somewhat torn on how to layout the scripts.
Before, when my work was 8-15 minutes long, the title would be the attraction, and the action of the title would manifest in the audio at the 1-3 minute mark. Basically, the meat of the story would start almost immediately. However, now that I'm more accustomed writing much longer audios, the promise of the title might appear around 8-10 minutes into the audio—sometimes even further in.
While I was writing Clyde's next part, I was thinking that I could deliver on the title's promise faster if I deleted the first scene, but at the sacrifice of character development and a deeper story. I haven't found the golden ratio of how to lay out an audio, but I'm always trying to refine my content to make it the most enjoyable for you.
I think I might be writing with a novel formula more than an audio roleplay. I naturally tend to start with a neutral point, begin a conflict that enacts change, and then end with a new equilibrium. For example, Matthew's audio was the neutral start entering the cabin (establishes their relationship), the conflict (being stuck together and forced to confront one another), and the equilibrium (establishes a new relationship and more understanding).
My question to you is: What do you prefer in an audio? Do you prefer to get straight to the point without much backstory, or do you like a slow build into the story?
In my eyes, there are pros and cons to both.
Straight to the point = You're not waiting that long for the reason you clicked. There is minimal backstory, gratification is given, but at a cost: an established past can't be presented as organically, and it needs to be exposited quicker or shoehorned into the plot to make it appear like characters have a deep connection. It's also possible that this method would make audios a little shorter.
Slow build = You're waiting to get to the core of the plot, and the neutral might not be as interesting. But in the mean time, I can add character lore, how they interact with one another, and a small level of worldbuilding. The beginning of the plot arrives, and the conflict achieves some type of resolution so the equilibrium (or cliff-hanger) can begin. And as you've seen, the audios typically run longer to make their conversations breathe and flow naturally.
Of course, there will be exceptions. I'm already thinking of the siren solo story; the most plausible start is being with the siren xD
Perhaps I'll do some experimenting next year with solo stories and see if I can find a happy medium (if I need to), but I'd love to know what you think! <3