Hi all. Just want to announce my latest venture. My hero Charles Dickens used to publish his novels in monthly instalments, and it set me thinking - what about a book in daily instalments?

This is a children's adventure story, with one chapter a day between December 1 and December 25. You can read it to the kids each night, or let them read it themselves. Like an advent calendar, with a new one to open every evening.

I would really appreciate it if people could share this and spread the word. A free Christmas adventure for the kids.

This is a sort of social experiment to see whether a story can be serialised today the way it was in Dickens' time. Please help me spread this far and wide by sharing! Tony

www.jiggersjournal.blogspot.com

As long as it's a physical book. Then yes.
But if you're talking about an ebook, then no.
Never. The experiment is not comparable.

I would love to do it with physical books, but at this point I don't have that clout within the publishing world. The day may come.

Just shared it with my small online world, Tony. Hopefully it'll bring you a few hits.

John

Dickens serialized in magazines and newspapers. Not so different.

Very, very different.

What would make the audience attention/feature similar?

Perhaps a weekly "new" thread that builds for a few months then gets collected/parsed into longer form content?

I think it's a good idea, Tony. Lots of folks on YouTube have video series which are five minute episodes which come out every week or so. It's kind of the new way that unknown actors and scriptwriters hope to get their work seen.

I'm wondering about the every day, though. How long between episodes for Dickens? Would people need to sit and digest a bit between episodes? I know I would.

Magnus, thanks.

Landmark, Dickens wrote long. For this I will be writing short - about a thousand words a day. The idea just came to me on Sunday because I guess I had too much time between shows. As my agent said when I told her, at least it will get my creative juices flowing.

If it is rubbish no one has shelled out money for it. If people enjoy it, I will be delighted. So it's a no lose situation.

An interesting endeavour, Tony, good luck.

I have read a book or two which have been serialized in news papers which a normally good but today I hardly buy a newspaper.

Aa a writer and teller of tales I support what you are trying to do. Anything that could be read out loud to kids in family setting would be grand.

The opportunity to even stop the story and explain things to the kids would be wonderful --just as watching TV with kids provides an opportunity to explain and expand.

But, there may be a trust issue that makes the project difficult. What are the messages, themes, religious and cultural bias that will prompt these discussions?

The problem is "for kids."

When I recommend a book, story or movie to a grandchild I know what questions might come up. I don't have to agree with the theme or messages -- just that I understand the issues involved.

I never recommend a TV series because we never know what issues will appear in the next issue. The plot selection is biased by public opinion and social pressure and Twitter count. Bah humbug!

So, sadly -- I would never start exposing kids to a running story that I could not preview first -- with confidence that the messages would not change along the way.

Not your fault. I help homeschool one of my grandchildren for the same reason. I no longer trust what is taught in schools -- especially when a lesson plan is unwritten and left to popular opinion.

Dickens work and Doyle's were written for adults who could balance ideas against ethical issues -- fiction against reality. KIds' exposure must be monitored (not controlled) and "made relevant."

Write the book most certainly. The serialize it if desired. Write this book as if you are creating in "on the fly" with kids sitting at you feet. Just do it!

Someday I might read it to my great- grandchildren. After I have read it.

Funsway, that is an interesting perspective.

As a parent I have a completely different perspective. I encourage my children to read voraciously, and if they see something that they need to or want to talk to me about, I am there for them. I place no restrictions on what they have access to, but I do expect them to discuss things intelligently with me afterwards.

I agree -- same perspective. If this idea will get adults and kids to do something together it will be great. Most do not seem to get involved in what there kids think or are exposed to.

but that is different from starting a series where no idea where it will go. Why would they be enticed to take part? What is it "they have access to?"

Funsway, many authors wing it. I generally plan my books loosely, so this is an exercise in creativity for me. I don't know day to day what will happen to the characters, but I just hope readers enjoy the ride. If people feel that they can't read this with their children without knowing where it is going, it will remain live after December, giving them the opportunity to vet it before reading it to their young ones.

Terrific -- thanks.