Expanding Universes vs. Standalone Stories
Choosing the Right Path for Your Narrative
- Social
- Published
Sheepsidian
Storytelling often falls into two general approaches: expanding universes and standalone stories. Both methods come with their own strengths and challenges, captivating fans in different ways. Let’s dive into what makes each approach work and why they resonate with audiences.
Expanding Universes
Expanding universes offer the potential for stories to continue indefinitely. Characters like Isom and Bryan Solari, for instance, can have adventures that evolve as long as fans remain invested. Today, they’re navigating the dangers of Florespark. Who knows? In a decade, they might find themselves on distant planets facing new and unexpected conflicts—or even crossing paths with other characters in exciting ways.
One of the significant advantages of an expanding universe is the established world-building. The rules and confines of the universe are already laid out, providing a foundation for both new and experienced writers. They know the boundaries they’re working within, and they can build upon established characters with well-documented histories. Readers, too, benefit from this framework. They don’t need elaborate explanations or a web of charts to understand why characters act or succeed in specific ways. With these shared rules, it’s easy to reference past stories to contextualize a character’s current capabilities and motivations.
However, the popularity of characters or series in an expanding universe can wane. A fan-favorite character might fall out of the spotlight—not due to any fault of their own, but simply because new characters emerge and captivate the audience. While it’s possible for old favorites to regain prominence, this hinges on their ability to recapture reader interest.
Character(s) history can also be a double-edged sword. Familiar scenarios can become repetitive, and a once-exciting storyline might feel formulaic over time. That said, this challenge can inspire creativity, pushing writers to innovate within the familiar and encouraging readers to reflect on how characters might evolve in response to similar circumstances.
Standalone Stories
Standalone stories, on the other hand, come with a clear beginning and conclusion. The goal is to craft a satisfying journey that resolves completely. Whether it’s a hero’s quest to retrieve a MacGuffin or a rebellion overthrowing a villain’s oppressive rule, standalone stories provide a focused narrative arc.
For writers, standalone stories offer freedom from the weight of years of backstory and continuity. Readers, especially collectors, appreciate the self-contained nature of these tales. There’s no need to track decades of issues or volumes to follow the story—its completeness makes it timeless. Titles like Ghost of the Badlands and the Achromatic Chronicles are prime examples of stories that can be revisited and enjoyed long after their release.
However, this format has its drawbacks. A writer may look back on a completed story and feel tempted to expand or revise it. While some readers welcome such additions, others may find them unnecessary or even frustrating. Revisiting a completed narrative runs the risk of alienating fans who were satisfied with the original conclusion. Worse still, a writer might struggle to create additions that align with the established tone and quality of the original work.
For collectors, re-releases or revisions of a complete story can be daunting, especially if they’ve already built their collection around the initial version. While this may sound like nitpicking, history has shown that revisiting standalone stories is a gamble. When it fails, it can tarnish the original work’s reputation.
What Do You Think?
This debate between expanding universes and standalone stories is a fascinating topic for discussion. Hearing fan perspectives on storytelling approaches helps us understand what makes a community tick.
The Rippaverse exemplifies the beauty of both methods, offering standalone stories like Goodyng: The Polymath and The Horseman: Welcome to Florespark, alongside ongoing series such as Isom and Yaira.
What’s your preference? Do you enjoy the endless possibilities of an expanding universe, or do you prefer the satisfying closure of standalone tales? Let’s keep the conversation going—there’s plenty to explore in the world of storytelling!
