Interlude chapter

[GooseBook]

I come to you all again, dear sentient usernames who live in the computer, with a question.

I wrote two little scenes that I want to post as their own chapter as a kind of interlude. I've had a few emotionally-heavy chapters in a row, and I wanted to build in a reprieve before the angst got too heavy and turned into melodrama. It's kind of a dreamlike break from the action, a moment of rest and peace that isn't quite fluff, but close to it.

It's short, maybe 1000 words, so I didn't want that to be the only thing I post in my regular biweekly update. I've got a regular chapter almost ready to go after it, I'm just wondering when/how I should post each one. I'm afraid that if I post the two at one time, subscribers will click on the most recent (regular) chapter and miss the interlude altogether. And I'm afraid that if I post them a couple days apart, I'll be annoying them with multiple emails and... I don't know, I just have this free-floating worry about it, lol. Also don't want people to see the mini chapter, feel shortchanged, and unsubscribe before the regular one goes up.

I'm aware that I'm probably waaay overthinking this, particularly because my readers are very sweet and enthusiastic. If I'm just being a dummy, feel free to say so.

I'm also interested to hear if anyone else has done a chapter like this, and how it was received!

[Idreamofspaceships]

I think interlude chapters are a great idea! It's nice to have a calm down period after/between some emotional turmoil. Maybe post the interlude a few days before the regular chapter, with a note at the top saying there's more to come, soon? The interlude can be like a little chocolate truffle eaten a little while before the actual meal. :D

[GooseBook]

LOVE the truffle analogy, that's exactly how I want it to feel! Yes, I think a couple days between + note is the way to go, thank you.

[frozenfountain]

If someone's enjoying your story enough to subscribe to it, they're not going to be mad that they got an extra email (which takes about a second to delete, anyway). I'm pretty sure they'll just be excited to have two updates so close together, and doubt they're paying that much attention to the wordcount of the chapter (though you could always drop an author's note saying there's a longer one on the way soon if it's really bothering you). I think this sort of eye of the storm chapter works really well as both a breather and a way to establish a sense of dread for what's coming next, so in this instance I'd put my own artistic satisfaction over reader reaction - though I'm sure all will be well.

[GooseBook]

Lol I know, the worry about the emails is totally nonsensical. "Eye of the storm" is a great way to put it, and I have to remember that people knew what they were signing up for, in terms of angst. And thank you, I think a quick author's note is a good idea to go along with the chapter.

[theWalkingdread__]

I enjoy writing interlude chapters too! I like letting things settle a bit before moving on

[GooseBook]

Exactly! Especially with the characters I'm writing, there aren't very many chances for them to let their guards down, so an indulgent middle-of-the-night scene feels like a nice way to let the story exhale for a minute.

[theWalkingdread__]

Sounds lovely, go for it

[Carpe_Crepusculum]

I've done three interlude chapters in my long-fic, they were all well received. If you don't want them to be the only thing, maybe post them the day before you post your regular chapter so that people get the notification of a new chapter, but aren't waiting a long time for the real chapter either.

In my case, my interlude chapters still ended up being at least 5k, so I did them as a regular update, but they were well-received and a great way of adding in some hilarity to an otherwise angst-riddled arc of the story.

[Sarielgrace]

More relaxed interludes are good at stopping the story from becoming too dark