I've read the threads attached to this one and the ideas are good, BUT would they add trafic? It sounds to me that they would just be new branches rather then a new tree.
I'd personally take what works for YAWYW and start from fresh. The other stories are just a MacGuffin with no hero. Not that I'm about to come up with a story now...
Personally I would have a "hero" but make him or her a bit older and very different to Jon, the first person seem to work though it dives in and out so maybe avoid it on the first page.
As such I'd suggest maybe having two stories on the first page for people to follow and a shared McGuffin, for example a man and a woman split up (two stories, one from each perspective) then introduce a magic item / secret society / alien race / all of the above and more? I'll go with magic lamp.
E.g
Jame's Story
Erin and I had just had another arguement, she was always complaining about my time with my friends and maybe she was right, I was avoiding her. But only because she was so distant lately.
Erin's Story
James finally left, I couldn't stand him, Steve was right about him. I had talked about Jim never taking me out or enjoying the same things as me for a few months now and Steve is so much more understanding. I grabbed my phone quick and started typing a message 'Hi Ste, Jims just stormed off, I feel so fed up with him, please text me x' I wrote and held my breath waiting for a reply. The phone buzzed and vibrated, I smiled seeing Stevens name pop up with that image of an envelope I looked forward to each day.
Meanwhile: the shop keeper signed off on the box of junk, a local museum had lost its government funding so was having to sell its exhibits to pay off its debt. Stan loved the recession, to him it meant bargains, it was the third public building to close down already this year. The last was a library and he had made over $10,000 online on just a handful of first editions, nobody minded the library stamp on them and his story was full of many more books to keep him open for years.
"Time to open the crates" he said to Sandra his assitant, she was cute and on work experience. He liked having staff he didn't have to pay. "Cool" she cooed and handed him a crowbar.
Cracking the first box reviled a...
I feel something like this would add both the options and the familiarity for people, so they can continue the story but have the freedom to change it too, much like YAWYW but with the added flexibility of having both a male and female POV character in the opening chapter.
Anyway I am all for a new story, I hope it goes well designing one
