because that's what a lot of people want to read. even if people are into, say, more "taboo" things like zaylor, that's about as taboo as they want it.
THAT SAID, i wrote a story years ago called The Consequences That Are Rendered and it got tons of comments. it was graphic and disgusting and described child abuse in detail, but people really seemed into it. so honestly, i don't think it's about finding the most taboo and outrageous plots you can. it's about doing what you're good at, because people will respond to that better than just a story that's being written for shock value.
Agreed. Some people do like the extreme, they want to read something different and "escape" their reality and go somewhere so different from what they know themselves.
But I think a lot of people just want to feel. They don't care how normal or outrageous the plot is, they want to care about the characters and get lost in their story and their world and feel what they feel and cry when it's sad and laugh their asses off when it's funny. You can write a crazy, over the top plot that no one has ever written anything like before, and that's great and creative and all, but if people don't care about the characters, if they don't connect, then I don't think they feel invested and they're less likely to comment.
Thank you! ;-) We thought it was an awesome idea for a community as well. So please, feel free to post and rant and get as much stuff off of your chest as you like!
why does it seem the most mundane, practically all the same, stories get the most comments, when those who actually have a different plot than the typical 'mary sue/gary stu' stories get practically nothing?
I feel ya! I wonder about this on a daily basis, seriously. Like you, I too write about not-quite-normal topics such as vampires and werewolves. I have maybe like 2 stories with mundane, cliche, lovey-dovey plotlines, and those 2 stories are pretty much all I get comments on. My weird, AU or substance abuse stories get maybe a couple comments a month because, I agree with the other commenters, people relate to the mushy stories more. They want to escape reality and live in a fantasy world where they can imagine themselves being a Hanson girlfriend. Even if the story itself isn't even written that well, people will gravitate towards it if it even slightly resembles a soap opera. It sucks, but the occasional comment I get on my "taboo" stories makes me happy. ;-)
lol I don't think that's entirely fair. lol I mean, I'm sure some readers do want to pretend to be a Hanson girlfriend, but I don't even read Het fic, so that's not the case for me. I used to read/write Het when I was 15/16 years old, but now I mostly write and read slash.
And I love vamps and werewolves and stuff like that, I've been totally into the supernatural and sci-fi for years now, I've even written fanfic involving it (just not hanfic) but I just... *shrugs* I don't really have any interest in reading a hanfic involving it unless I know the writer is amazing and is going to be able to pull it off and make it real enough to draw me in.
I don't know, I'm sure my stories are considered mushy, cliche and mundane, but whatever. I guess I like to focus on emotions and relationship drama and try to make real, every day crap into a story that people can enjoy, and maybe I don't always succeed, but I still have fun trying. I just have always been as fascinated by relationship dynamics and struggles just as much as anything
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THAT SAID, i wrote a story years ago called The Consequences That Are Rendered and it got tons of comments. it was graphic and disgusting and described child abuse in detail, but people really seemed into it. so honestly, i don't think it's about finding the most taboo and outrageous plots you can. it's about doing what you're good at, because people will respond to that better than just a story that's being written for shock value.
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But I think a lot of people just want to feel. They don't care how normal or outrageous the plot is, they want to care about the characters and get lost in their story and their world and feel what they feel and cry when it's sad and laugh their asses off when it's funny. You can write a crazy, over the top plot that no one has ever written anything like before, and that's great and creative and all, but if people don't care about the characters, if they don't connect, then I don't think they feel invested and they're less likely to comment.
But I could be completely wrong. lol
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I'm really enjoying how well this is going...
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I feel ya! I wonder about this on a daily basis, seriously. Like you, I too write about not-quite-normal topics such as vampires and werewolves. I have maybe like 2 stories with mundane, cliche, lovey-dovey plotlines, and those 2 stories are pretty much all I get comments on.
My weird, AU or substance abuse stories get maybe a couple comments a month because, I agree with the other commenters, people relate to the mushy stories more. They want to escape reality and live in a fantasy world where they can imagine themselves being a Hanson girlfriend. Even if the story itself isn't even written that well, people will gravitate towards it if it even slightly resembles a soap opera. It sucks, but the occasional comment I get on my "taboo" stories makes me happy. ;-)
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And I love vamps and werewolves and stuff like that, I've been totally into the supernatural and sci-fi for years now, I've even written fanfic involving it (just not hanfic) but I just... *shrugs* I don't really have any interest in reading a hanfic involving it unless I know the writer is amazing and is going to be able to pull it off and make it real enough to draw me in.
I don't know, I'm sure my stories are considered mushy, cliche and mundane, but whatever. I guess I like to focus on emotions and relationship drama and try to make real, every day crap into a story that people can enjoy, and maybe I don't always succeed, but I still have fun trying. I just have always been as fascinated by relationship dynamics and struggles just as much as anything ( ... )
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