Is it okay if an episode doesn't have any choices?

Hi! So I’m planning on writing my first episode. To be honest, I soon realised that rather than an actual episode what I wrote became more of a visual novel. I just find it hard to implicate choices that will make an actual impact to an already solid script I have in my head…
Just want to know what your opinions are on episodes that have choices without much of an impact or with just no choices at all!

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I would love to ready a story with no choices at all. Just read read read. I’m fine with that because Ive read a story with no choices and actually enjoyed it. But, if you WANT to NOT include choices then go ahead, if you want to add a little amount of choices then do so, its your story.

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Thanks for the reply! That definently makes me feel more confident in my story :sweat_smile:

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I would love to read a story without choices!! It’s completely up to the author (you) and sometimes I just loathe choices. I’m very indecisive so I’ll stare at my phone for minutes weighing out which choice to choose. Tbh, I’d love for it to be just a visual story, plus, write for you and what you want! Not for others

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I have the same problem as you! I often waste my tickets replaying a story just to see what the alternative ending was :sweat:. Really happy to know that people won’t get bored of a story lacking choices!

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I like stories without choices! I’ve never been one to care too much if a story has choices, honestly: I can enjoy it either way. If choices won’t work for the story you have in mind, that’s perfectly fine. “Visual novel” style stories are awesome in my opinion.

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That’s great to know! Honestly surprised at the amount of people who enjoy stories without choices :laughing:

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Yes, there are some who do and some who don’t.

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I personally prefer stories with no choices.

Personally, I’m fine with a story without choices so long as it’s a good story. There’s certainly nothing wrong with a story full of choices, in fact sometimes it’s just what I’m looking for. But I also really enjoy just reading a straight story. And I totally understand having a solid script already figured out in your head and wanting to stick with that. Heck, mine barely has any choices and they don’t really impact the plot in any significant way. :sweat_smile:

Imo, choices don’t really dictate whether a story will be good or not. I find that Episode stories fall under a spectrum of “Novel” to “Video Game,” neither being inherently good or bad. Quality happens on an entirely different scale.

That said, it’s definitely harder to give a “Video Game” kind of story the same depth of characterization, and therefore emotional depth. Someone who can has mad skills, but there’s nothing wrong with a writer who can’t balance both.

In the same vein, some stories really don’t support a wide range of choices, for example if the MC has a mental health issue and the plot focuses mainly on that, a healthy reader would want to make healthy decisions that would undermine the character’s problem. Likewise, some stories easily support choices, like ones with a very complex setting where the MC has to be somewhat of a “typical-MC” or the story would just be too dense.

Some of my favourite stories have no choices, while others have plenty, and some just have a few. So, long rant short, no choices wouldn’t stop me from reading. :+1:

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I only just realised that episodes do often range from being games to novels! I definitely get where your coming from with the mindset of the reader vs the mindset of that character!
Thanks for your opinion as well as that unexpected enlightenment!:grin:

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I’ve read some great stories without choices, as well as great stories with them. Sometimes, when I’m writing, I’m getting so into the plot and the characters that I forget to include choices— oftentimes, if a character has a set personality or the plot has to move in a certain directions, adding choices could hinder that.
So, it’s totally fine! Go for it.

personally i prefer choices because i feel like thats what episode’s about and it makes me feel more in charge of what happens to my character, but i did read a story without choices that i enjoyed…i say just do what you want of course some readers will love no choices and some readers will want choices, but just write for you not everyone else :two_hearts:

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I know Episode as a platform in general is very used to choice-driven stories (or at least the illusion of choice), but if you really feel like this story would be suited to not having any, I’d say go for it. Everyone has their own preferences. There isn’t a single author alive, dead, or not yet living who can write a story that would suit everybody’s tastes without fail, so you might as well write the story that suits your own.

On the other hand, if you would like to write choices in a guided narrative, I would just suggest making choices that will allow readers to view different scenes depending on what they chose. No long-term branching impact really. Just something that gives you new insights into the story. The trick with this is that you gotta be careful that readers are still given any crucial information they must know in all the branches.

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I feel you with not wanting to have pointless choices - though sometimes readers prefer non-important choices as opposed to none at all. That’s part of what makes Episode such a unique platform - that we can include choices.
However, it is ultimately up to you. You have complete creative control, and if you want to not have choices that is totally fair! I’ve read stories with few or no choices and didn’t even really notice because the story was so engrossing that I didn’t feel I need them.

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people have diffrent opinions. personally I dont like stories with out choices. it has to be a really good story for me to read it. because the choices is why I am here. the choices dont need to have a big pimpact on the story (honestly most choices dosent) but what I hate more than no choices. is the its actually not a choice choice. it can be simple stuff like go left or right.

Where it goes. os sorry you pick wrong now you to go back and pick the other choice. I pick going to the gym instead of the cafe. ups look like the gym is closed now you have to go to the cafe anyway.

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I always wondered the same thing.

I usually use some choices but some chapters don’t need them.

I guess it depends on the storyline and how you want to deliver the scenes…

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So my story Second Chance Charlie which was recently featured on the PWD shelf doesnt have many choices and was more of a visual novel. However I feel like for reader engagement ive been ‘forced’ to implement choices that dont actually really effect the story because of how many people were up in my fan mail about it!

I prefer stories with choices, but that doesn’t mean I won’t read a story without them. However, I am a lot more likely to recommend a story with choices (especially ones that matter), than a story without. Part of the reason is because I include a lot of choices in my own story and I’ve found in the past when I’ve shared other stories, one of the main questions I get in DMs is readers asking if those stories also have choices that matter.
I personally downloaded Episode because I was looking for a choose-your-own-adventure game :woman_shrugging:t4: but I know there are some people who don’t care.