Get Hooked on Serial Fiction
You'll have hundreds of years' worth of reading material
If you're a fan of fast-moving stories that keep you hooked, you might be interested in learning more about Serial Fiction. This form of storytelling is similar to a TV series, with an author publishing episodes over time.
Like a television series, episodes usually follow an ongoing storyline. The format is also excellent for anthologies with separate short stories playing into a larger narrative.
The serial format allows writers to experiment with different genres, styles, and themes. It also enables readers to follow the adventures of their favorite characters over a long period. Serial Fiction is wildly popular on Substack and has made a big comeback in recent years.
I invite you to explore the history of Serial Fiction, my Substack serials, and some of my favorite authors on the platform.
Serial Fiction Is Nothing New
Serial Fiction became popular in the 17th Century to cater to the growing demand for reading material among the middle class. Publishers could reduce prices, effectively expanding the market by producing low-cost installments. These installments also allowed publishers to gauge the popularity of a work before spending money on large print runs.
Traditionally, literary magazines, periodicals, and newspapers provided avenues for serial publication. The format introduced new forms and styles that appealed to a diverse audience. The stories were entertaining and offered a way of exploring and questioning society's values and norms.
One of the most influential authors who popularized Serial Fiction was Charles Dickens. He first published all of his novels in serial form, starting with "The Pickwick Papers" in 1836. Dickens used Serial Fiction to create engaging characters, humorous situations, and social commentary while experimenting with different genres and styles.
His most famous serial novels include "Great Expectations," published weekly from December 1860 to August 1861. Dickens wasn't the only author who used Serial Fiction to significant effect. Many other writers followed his example. Wilkie Collins serialized "The Woman in White" and later one of the first detective novels, "The Moonstone," published in Charles Dickens's magazine All the Year Round.
French writer Alexandre Dumas released "The Three Musketeers" in serial form in 1844. The story gained instant success. Elizabeth Gaskell explored social issues and regional differences between the North and South, and Gustave Flaubert scandalized the public with his realistic portrayal of adultery in "Madame Bovary."
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the iconic "Sherlock Holmes" stories for The Strand magazine between 1892 and 1893. Then he killed off the detective and would have been done with it. However, Sherlock Holmes fans took it personally and protested. In 1902, Doyle published "The Hound of the Baskervilles." A year later, he published "The Adventure of the Empty House." There are 56 short stories and four full-length novels in the Sherlock Holmes adventures.
Serial Fiction became popular with American writers such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain, Henry James, Edith Wharton, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 40 weekly installments from 1851 to 1852 in The National Era, an abolitionist weekly in Washington, D.C.
Serial Fiction Authors of the Old West
Serial Fiction became popular in the Western United States in the 1700s and 1800s, providing a cheap and accessible form of entertainment for the settlers.
One of the authors who wrote Serial Fiction in the Western United States was Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote a series of autobiographical novels based on her childhood experiences as an American pioneer. Her novels were first published as serials in magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and McCall's. Some of her most famous works are "Little House in the Big Woods," "Little House on the Prairie," and "On the Banks of Plum Creek."
Willa Cather is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who wrote about the lives of immigrants and pioneers in the American West. Her novels were often serialized in magazines such as McClure's and The Century Magazine. Cather's stories depict the harsh realities and the beauty of the Western landscape, as well as cultural conflicts and the strength of the human spirit. Some of her most acclaimed works are "O Pioneers!," "My Antonia" and "Death Comes for the Archbishop."
Zane Grey was one of the most famous writers of Western novels, many of which were serialized in magazines such as Argosy and Adventure. Grey's stories featured rugged cowboys, outlaws, Indians, and frontier romance. Some of his best-known works are "Riders of the Purple Sage," "The Lone Star Ranger," and "The Last Trail."
James Fenimore Cooper was one of the first American novelists to write historical Fiction. Cooper is best known for his "Leatherstocking Tales" series, which follows the adventures of Natty Bumppo, a frontiersman who interacted with various Native American tribes. Cooper's novels were serialized in Graham's and Putnam's Monthly magazines. Some of his most famous works are "The Last of the Mohicans," "The Deerslayer," and "The Pathfinder."
20th-Century Authors Who Used the Format
By the 20th Century, authors, including Isaac Asimov, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury, published serials in pulp magazines. Like many of his peers, Bradbury later compiled the stories into short collections or published them as novels.
Isaac Asimov's "I, Robot" was initially published in science-fiction magazines between 1940 and 1950 before being published together in book form. In all, there are nine stories. These tales link through a reporter's interview with Dr. Susan Calvin, a former robo-psychologist who worked with dysfunctional robots. Asimov and his mentor, John Campbell, Jr., developed a set of ethics for robots that are still used today.
Alan Moore published "Watchmen" from 1986 to 1987. Stephen King, Agatha Christie, John Updike, and Tom Wolfe continued the Serial Fiction tradition.
Stephen King published his supernatural serial thriller, "The Green Mile," in six monthly paperback installments from March to August 1996. King set his story in a small Southern prison, Cold Mountain Penitentiary, in 1932. "The Green Mile" refers to the lime-colored linoleum leading to Old Sparky, the penitentiary's electric chair. Paul Edgecombe, the former block supervisor, narrates as an older man looking back on the events. As with many other serial novels on this list, the story eventually became a movie adaptation in 1999.
Digital Media: A Perfect Format for Serials
Like its predecessors, modern Serial Fiction allows for developing more complex and immersive narratives. In the 21st Century, the stories spread across various media, such as blog posts, printed novels, podcasts, and video web series.
Serial Fiction also spans different genres, including science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, horror, paranormal, and historical Fiction, to name a few.
Serial Fiction in the 21st Century
With digital media, the concept offers aspiring writers more engagement and interaction with the audience and more creative freedom and experimentation. Substack is an excellent example. The number of authors writing Serial Fiction has exploded recently.
Writers approach serials in different ways. I've noticed an influx of well-known writers serializing novels on Substack. Many writers, such as Chuck Palahniuk, use serials as a testing platform.
I write first drafts of my serials on my Substack, Feed Your Head. My readers will notice that I regularly revise and update my work. I look at the platform as an opportunity to get the stories out of my head and into the world. Once I feel a draft is as complete as I can make it on my own, I add a note *complete. The note is as much for me as it is for the readers: I'm turning the draft over to editors and proofreaders to prepare it for print.
I envision Book 1 of The Truth About Sadie Wilkins serial to be complete with Episode 10 on Oct 31, roughly 10,000 words. I'll reverse engineer the process with the second book, meaning I'll write it, publish it first, and release the episodes later. Depending on how it goes, publish Serial/Publish 1st Book and Publish 2nd Book/Publish Serial may be the format for my future episodic stories.
The Shift is an epic saga with several storylines. It's a fun read, and stand-alone episodes read like flash fiction. The first book, Agents of Chaos, introduces the characters, the world, and many concepts that will run throughout the Serial.
My third (and final serial for now) is called Opt-In. The first three episodes are complete.
I’m creating a table of contents for this one and am experimenting with a choose-your-own-adventure concept for the next set of installments. I’d also love to partner with other writers on these stories. Let me know if you’d like to join me!
Serial Stacks
Here are a few more Substacks serials to enjoy this fine October.
That's it for now! If you like my work and want to contribute to my habit, I've joined Buy Me a Coffee, so I can accept tips!