I have been lurking around the forums for a bit and have become very interested in possibly creating my own WIP. However, since it’s still in development I was unsure when I should actually post what I have done so far.
when you have a demo for peoples to see for themself ?
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I’d say, anytime is a good time. But obviously, the earlier you post it, the earlier you’ll get those spicy comments and critiques. This means you can fix those mistakes before they’re rooted in your story.
The catch is [Requires 55 Thick Hide]
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I’ve seen some interests checks and prologues, I’m still very new to the forum and was unsure what the proper etiquette was. Lol
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Oh man, guess I better start stacking defenses, lmao
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For me personally I would post a WIP when there’s a demo and the prologue/introduction is completed, but its mostly up to you and when you think its ready. The interest check thread is also a good place to start, if you want to see how many people are interested in your story.
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I’m sure opinions vary from person to person. Some authors like to post, when they have a big chunk of the story done (say at 10% of the game), some start with character customization pages or even with just a summary.
It depends what you are looking for - the more you post, the easier it is for readers to give feedback, comment on the characters etc.
If you post a shorter example, it is easier to spot mistakes, bugs, things like that. And you can check, whether people would be interested in playing your story, before you write a mountain of words.
Interest Check Thread might be a good start in any case.
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well don’t think you have to have a demo . But it’s kinda solidify your story , also…free bugs hunting you will get from peoples from the get go (which can be helpful if you are not an expert codder) .
Smack the table here is mah money! Sign me up for 1st dibs on your story! I read it! Gimme! 
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I think that the very first thing to do is to give the people a proper summary of what your story is about. The premise, the characters,what things to expect, the things we’ll see, the thing we won’t, etc… Then wait a couple of days for the hype to rise and then post it.
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I have a pretty decent amount of it written, (prolog and chapter one) just learning how to code it all together now.
Well, then you could certainly post an excerpt (along with a summary) in the interest thread, if this is what you would like to do.
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Thank you for the recommendation! I will definitely keep that under heaven consideration.
Lmao! That is true, bugs are such a pest, coding and irl
Here, interest checks go into the interest check thread.
We defined that your project is an interest check if there’re “no playable game/story/demo available.”
If you have one, you can post it as a standalone WiP thread.
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Thanks @Szaal that is very helpful!
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At what length would you consider a WIP ready to share? One chapter? Two? Once an act is finished?
It will vary from person to person. I’d say it’s never too early to post a WIP. Posting it at all and getting feedback (even if it’s all negative) is better, imo, than waiting to post it. You can always revamp/edit/ or change things that need changing
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If you want to get general feedback it needs to be complete enough to be at least somewhat enjoyable to play. It’s never too early to get technical assistance, but if you don’t have it to a good intermediary point 95% of the feedback will be “needs more wordcount”.
Probably one complete chapter is a good idea; if the chapter doesn’t end at a good stopping point that’s a sign you should rethink your chapter breakdown.
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In your opinion, what is the best time to post a WIP in order to maximize efficiency for both the readers and the writer with regards to advice/comments/corrections. Is it after the first chapter so that testers can comment on each individual chapter, or after a good chunk of it (let’s say 1/3 of the story) is written?
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I’ll link my answer from similar topic some times ago.
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