What makes a good story on this website?

[RavensQuill]

Hey everyone. I'm at a bit of a loss as to how I want to start this post, to be honest.

I've been on this site for nearly five years now, and I'm struggling against some kind of invisible barrier. I don't know what's keeping me from going from where I am now to a higher place with more readers, more feedback, and more... well, everything.

So... What makes a good story for you? When you get absorbed into a story to the point that you keep up with all the updates, why is that? Is it a specific theme? Or something that the author does outside the story? Whatever you can think of, please tell me. I'm eager to learn.

 

[Fairemont]

So long as I am better than ZachyCards I am content.

 

[Tegar2088]

Consistency

 

[RavensQuill]

Consistency

Is that it? You want authors who post on an regular, predictable schedule? There's nothing else?

 

[Fairemont]

Perhaps consistency in the story itself? That is a big thing. Being able to keep track of your own content is a valuable skill that allows better use of foreshadowing and callbacks.

 

[Dec]

What makes a good story for you?

Worldbuilding and characters that feel alive.
I dislike stories that don't focus on what the world looks like, but instead go "they went into the tavern, there was a lady at the bar *dialogue starts*". It feels shallow and unfinished, like the world is just a backdrop instead of something lived in.

When you get absorbed into a story to the point that you keep up with all the updates, why is that?

Just like above -- worldbuilding and characters that feel alive. If I can immerse myself in the story and see what the author had on his mind while creating the scenes, I can feel like I'm there with them. I can relate to their choices, their emotions. That level of immersion makes me forget the real world -- until the morning sun reminds me I did it again and the pain of living starts anew.

Is it a specific theme?

Not really, but I dislike Xianxia and the likes. The moment I read a Chinese-sounding name, I get yeeted out of the story, and it takes me a long while to immerse myself again, just to be yeeted when I read a name soon after.
I also don't read BL. GL, on the other hand, is fine

Or something that the author does outside the story?

More like doesn't do -- being a dick.
I lose interest fast if the author acts like a jerk. If they can’t take constructive criticism (and I mean constructive, not "haha story bad do better") and lash out instead -- or worse, sic their fanbase on someone -- it kills the fun for me. I like giving feedback and tossing in suggestions, so I need to feel like the author can handle that.
Sure, if the author says that he doesn't want any of this, that's also fine -- as long as a minimum of respect is maintained (on both sides).

 

[RavensQuill]

Worldbuilding and characters that feel alive.
I dislike stories that don't focus on what the world looks like, but instead go "they went into the tavern, there was a lady at the bar *dialogue starts*". It feels shallow and unfinished, like the world is just a backdrop instead of something lived in.


Just like above -- worldbuilding and characters that feel alive. If I can immerse myself in the story and see what the author had on his mind while creating the scenes, I can feel like I'm there with them. I can relate to their choices, their emotions. That level of immersion makes me forget the real world -- until the morning sun reminds me I did it again and the pain of living starts anew.


Not really, but I dislike Xianxia and the likes. The moment I read a Chinese-sounding name, I get yeeted out of the story, and it takes me a long while to immerse myself again, just to be yeeted when I read a name soon after.
I also don't read BL. GL, on the other hand, is fine


More like doesn't do -- being a dick.
I lose interest fast if the author acts like a jerk. If they can’t take constructive criticism (and I mean constructive, not "haha story bad do better") and lash out instead -- or worse, sic their fanbase on someone -- it kills the fun for me. I like giving feedback and tossing in suggestions, so I need to feel like the author can handle that.
Sure, if the author says that he doesn't want any of this, that's also fine -- as long as a minimum of respect is maintained (on both sides).

This is the kind of direct, comprehensive answer I was hoping for!

Thank you for sharing! Also, I feel like my stories might fit that category (I pride myself on worldbuilding and well fleshed-out characters). I share your opinion on xianxia. Though I am considering at least *trying* cultivation once, I'm definitely going to put my own spin on it.

 

[Dec]

This is the kind of direct, comprehensive answer I was hoping for!

Happy to deliver

Also, I feel like my stories might fit that category (I pride myself on worldbuilding and well fleshed-out characters)

You had my interest, now you have my sub. Will dig into them when I have some free time.

I am considering at least *trying* cultivation once

I did try a lot, but... Eh...
Every single one of them is THE EXACT FKN SAME! You read one, and you know them all.
Big sad

Good luck with your twist, tho. May the imagination be with you!

 

[Madmcgee]

Consistency

Idk about that... I'm horribly inconsistent with my uploads, and I somehow still manage to get readers. I know I've said you gotta upload slow and consistently, but I admit to having a hard time with that myself. Though, when I think about it, I might get a lot of people moving from book to book.

My two most popular stories are about a fantasy/found family slice of life, vs a sociopathic and horny AI girl that's really not much of a good person...

Some of my stuff people seem to like, other stuff is just me, plodding along without anyone looking at it.

Whenever I figure out the secret code, I'll share it lol

That said, as a reader, if I see a synopsis that's super long, I probably won't go past it. Same goes for people 'telling me' what to expect. That just ruins the surprise. The cover is another thing. If there's a crazy amount going on, clashing strangeness, etc, idk, it can just really turn me off, especially in conjunction with a bad synopsis.

 

[DeepWater]

All you need is a story with popular tags, a good cover, a good title, a good synopsis, and to post constantly. The quality of your work is like the least important part of being successful.

 

[Kurotsuki007]

What makes a good story for you?

Living characters. A good author breathes life into their characters and you can feel the story warp around them. A story can have a fantastic world with hand drawn maps and beautiful vistas, but a bland character will kill the story.

When you get absorbed into a story to the point that you keep up with all the updates, why is that? Is it a specific theme?

Build up to a proper climax. A good story is one that will build upon itself until bursting and then tapers off into a relaxing after care. This can be with multiple small successes built in each chapter building to an arc's finale or it can be mini arcs building on the success of the previous arc.

One way to kill any type of love I have for a story is to drag out an arc for too long or suffering from DBZ syndrome. Too many times have I gotten into a story only for an author to drag out a tournament arc or having an enemy that just refuses to die.

Or something that the author does outside the story?

I share the same feelings as @Decaded about how an author interacts with the community they build for their story. If an author is fun to interact with or responds happily to questions or critiques I am more likely to continue to read.

On the flipside, if an author snaps at their readers for shipping characters or is down right rude, I will be less likely to continue to read their work, even if they are a good writer.


What should an author never do?
If someone wants to bring in readers, never use AI to write the bulk of your story. It is painfully obvious when it is used as characters feel flat and it gets overly descriptive on the oddest things. Now, you can draft with AI or use it when you can't seem to figure out how to describe something, but never have it write your story.

 

[Placeholder]

> What should an author never do?

1. Any kind of personal drama or apologies should go in chapter afterwards, not forwards.

2. Avoid exposition dumps unless they move the plot or mood along. Don't lecture me about the magical system, show me them trying to vaporize an orc. I don't care about the local currency or how many steps between trash-tier and god-tier cultivator there are, unless it involves an immediate plot point - I mentally downrank the story when I see this.

3. First chapter should have plot and actions, not exposition. It does not need truck-kun, or the world being constructed by the gods, or where the neighboring countries are, or the protag being expelled/born/enrolled/disfianced and so on instead of having that as a flashback later. Show them dealing with it or dealing with the consequences.

If you're going to read one of two stories, and in one the fleeing protag is punching a bandit in the head/hiding under a barrel, and in the other she's being lectured at by a student coucil/dad/fiance, which one grabs you?

En media res, gentlefolk!

 

[Paul__Michaels]

Hey everyone. I'm at a bit of a loss as to how I want to start this post, to be honest.

I've been on this site for nearly five years now, and I'm struggling against some kind of invisible barrier. I don't know what's keeping me from going from where I am now to a higher place with more readers, more feedback, and more... well, everything.

So... What makes a good story for you? When you get absorbed into a story to the point that you keep up with all the updates, why is that? Is it a specific theme? Or something that the author does outside the story? Whatever you can think of, please tell me. I'm eager to learn.

Hey, I read a few of the first chapters from your books and I noticed a few things that might be holding you back from getting an audience.

I don't want to post my thoughts here. Plus it's late for me, but if you want to hear what I have to say then DM me. If not, that's fine, too.

Best of luck.

 

[Rhaps]

Drug fueled madness. Just chuck down two red bull or a bottle of your favorite liquor and let yourself go wild

 

[CharlesEBrown]

A sense of humor and an interesting hook.
Also (and this makes me a complete 180 from most members of this site) something that is either finished or only has about 20 or so chapters so that I might be able to catch up at some point.

 

[Arkus86]

For SH in general, LitRPG, harem, smut, optionally cultivation. As long as you have those tags, quantity of chapters is more important than quality, and you are sure to find readers.

For me personally, of course theme is important, but so are proper world building and (main) characters. Writing style and language (grammar, structure, the use of formal, informal, archaic or vulgar language...) also has a major impact. I also don't read stories under around 1k works per chapter.

As for your case specifically, I'm noticing about a third of your stories are not completed and in hiatus, which can discourage some potential readers. Besides that, some of the reviews on them seem to offer good points to consider.

 

[Corty]

The fantasy genre is also one of the best ones for SH.

 

[RavensQuill]

Hey, I read a few of the first chapters from your books and I noticed a few things that might be holding you back from getting an audience.

I don't want to post my thoughts here. Plus it's late for me, but if you want to hear what I have to say then DM me. If not, that's fine, too.

Best of luck.

Please do. I'm always open to feedback!

Idk about that... I'm horribly inconsistent with my uploads, and I somehow still manage to get readers. I know I've said you gotta upload slow and consistently, but I admit to having a hard time with that myself. Though, when I think about it, I might get a lot of people moving from book to book.

My two most popular stories are about a fantasy/found family slice of life, vs a sociopathic and horny AI girl that's really not much of a good person...

Some of my stuff people seem to like, other stuff is just me, plodding along without anyone looking at it.

Whenever I figure out the secret code, I'll share it lol

That said, as a reader, if I see a synopsis that's super long, I probably won't go past it. Same goes for people 'telling me' what to expect. That just ruins the surprise. The cover is another thing. If there's a crazy amount going on, clashing strangeness, etc, idk, it can just really turn me off, especially in conjunction with a bad synopsis.

Bad synopslses can definitely cause a lot of damage to a book early on, I can agree with that. I wonder how mine present to readers

I hope you figure out the secret code o/ I promise to do the same if I figure it out.

Happy to deliver


You had my interest, now you have my sub. Will dig into them when I have some free time.


I did try a lot, but... Eh...
Every single one of them is THE EXACT FKN SAME! You read one, and you know them all.
Big sad

Good luck with your twist, tho. May the imagination be with you!

Well, like I said, I'll try to put my own twist on it. I'm still in the building and planning stage xD

If there's one thing I'm known for with my readers, it's my worldbuilding and magic systems. I take great pains to make each character feel different via their use of magic and combat styles. I think I could make a unique cultivation novel, but I guess only time will tell

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Forums are non-representative.

 

[RavensQuill]

Living characters. A good author breathes life into their characters and you can feel the story warp around them. A story can have a fantastic world with hand drawn maps and beautiful vistas, but a bland character will kill the story.

Build up to a proper climax. A good story is one that will build upon itself until bursting and then tapers off into a relaxing after care. This can be with multiple small successes built in each chapter building to an arc's finale or it can be mini arcs building on the success of the previous arc.

One way to kill any type of love I have for a story is to drag out an arc for too long or suffering from DBZ syndrome. Too many times have I gotten into a story only for an author to drag out a tournament arc or having an enemy that just refuses to die.

I share the same feelings as @Decaded about how an author interacts with the community they build for their story. If an author is fun to interact with or responds happily to questions or critiques I am more likely to continue to read.

On the flipside, if an author snaps at their readers for shipping characters or is down right rude, I will be less likely to continue to read their work, even if they are a good writer.


What should an author never do?
If someone wants to bring in readers, never use AI to write the bulk of your story. It is painfully obvious when it is used as characters feel flat and it gets overly descriptive on the oddest things. Now, you can draft with AI or use it when you can't seem to figure out how to describe something, but never have it write your story.

I love this feedback! I'm still working on building up my community, but I got a small core of regular readers that I love chatting with (even if they bully me into taking breaks and doing self-care )

> What should an author never do?

1. Any kind of personal drama or apologies should go in chapter afterwards, not forwards.

2. Avoid exposition dumps unless they move the plot or mood along. Don't lecture me about the magical system, show me them trying to vaporize an orc. I don't care about the local currency or how many steps between trash-tier and god-tier cultivator there are, unless it involves an immediate plot point - I mentally downrank the story when I see this.

3. First chapter should have plot and actions, not exposition. It does not need truck-kun, or the world being constructed by the gods, or where the neighboring countries are, or the protag being expelled/born/enrolled/disfianced and so on instead of having that as a flashback later. Show them dealing with it or dealing with the consequences.

If you're going to read one of two stories, and in one the fleeing protag is punching a bandit in the head/hiding under a barrel, and in the other she's being lectured at by a student coucil/dad/fiance, which one grabs you?

En media res, gentlefolk!

This is excellent feedback, especially your second point! If there's one thing I had to learn the hard way, it's that my intros used to use WAY too much expedition. In more recent novels, I've since cut down on that. I do learn from my mistakes, but all things bear repeating, especially if it's good advice like this.

For SH in general, LitRPG, harem, smut, optionally cultivation. As long as you have those tags, quantity of chapters is more important than quality, and you are sure to find readers.

For me personally, of course theme is important, but so are proper world building and (main) characters. Writing style and language (grammar, structure, the use of formal, informal, archaic or vulgar language...) also has a major impact. I also don't read stories under around 1k works per chapter.

As for your case specifically, I'm noticing about a third of your stories are not completed and in hiatus, which can discourage some potential readers. Besides that, some of the reviews on them seem to offer good points to consider.

I like to think I've got the worldbuilding, characters, and pacing (chapter size) down pat!

As for the unfinished/hiatus characters, well... You got a point. The only excuse I can offer is that those are commission-based. Someone is paying me to write those stories one chapter at a time, and so updates will not be as frequent as they could be.

The fantasy genre is also one of the best ones for SH.

I sincerely hope this is the case, because that's my favorite fantasy to write in

Hey, I read a few of the first chapters from your books and I noticed a few things that might be holding you back from getting an audience.

I don't want to post my thoughts here. Plus it's late for me, but if you want to hear what I have to say then DM me. If not, that's fine, too.

Best of luck.

Actually, I think I'll be alright. You've enjoyed a great deal of success on this page, and I love that for you!

That being said, I'm here to share my stories with people, so I'll focus on the quality and plot development of my stories, and improve until I reach more people. I'm not interested in smut or cliche tropes that are common on this site. I want to be a unique author.