If you could write any type of story, what would it be?

If you could write any type of story what would it be, and if possible why?


And I have wondered what you all think about this question:


From what you have seen at the boards, do the better stories recieve less/more of a reader response or do the pretty good/average stories recieve more/less of a response?

If so, is it because of what the audiance in general prefers to read or is it because the author may not be as well known?



Or whatever you feel it to be!




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I have always wanted to write some great thriller/suspence story that had this angsty romance. It would be neat.

 

If I could write any type of story, I'd like to be able to write a good one.

 

I generally write a story either when I have a really good idea that I would like to explore (like with my Legacy) or if there is something inside me that is demanding to be written (as with The Other Half of My Soul). They range through all genres and time periods. *shrug*

I read stories by authors whom I know are good, or if the title intrigues me for whatever reason and I enjoy the first post. I don't read stories that are formatted so that they hurt my eyes, which are sensitive, and I rarely read prequel stories (feel special, Am ).

 

Ups!

 

If you could write any type of story what would it be, and if possible why?

A coming of age-passing of the torch-endearment story. I have one in mind, but I don't have the time to post it. All ready I can hear folks saying 'Not another Jedi-Padawan' story or 'Oh goodie, a Jedi-Padawan' story.

Oh no, it isn't like that at all; in fact the Force isn't involved. I think the type of story I would like to write would be both different and challenging.

From what you have seen at the boards, do the better stories recieve less/more of a reader response or do the pretty good/average stories recieve more/less of a response?

If so, is it because of what the audiance in general prefers to read or is it because the author may not be as well known?

That's more or less the same question all together, but I see what you are driving at and can more or less give you an idea of an answer.

The majority of Good stories and Bad stories with a large fan following are due to Kliqs; groups of friends prodominately found in each others threads. They more or less write one type of genere, or the same character sets, and thus a target audience isn't just found but set. Most are found together in Round Robins, and generally they gather their outside fan base that way. Folks do get readers outside the Kliqs, but you can more or less analysis those readers reading habits by going to their post.

The author may not be that well known, but that is a figuartive term; we see author's names on the boards everyday. And sometimes first time authors get on the boards without having read a single thread, post a story, and wonder why they don't have an audience. It does help to read some folk's stories first. And when you post on the thread you will gain that author's, or his fans', attention.

Going back to the first Kilq paragraph a little is Genere specific readers: it's like a Coruscant fashion trend- just about everyone wears it, and they wear it out of style. Not too long ago these boards were filled to the gills with Ani-Ami mush; so much if you were a fan of that type of fiction you had to spend 48 hours in a 24 hour day to read all of it. Now you don't see it much: probably one thread of Ani-Ami per hour on Page One, compared to 20 different Ani-Ami variations per hour a few months ago. There are groups still loyal to a genere specifically, and they hang tough on it, but ultimately for outside reader interest the Ani-Ami genere is pretty much dead until Episode Two comes out. It is like a wait and see.

Finally, if you do something totally and complete original as possible, that will determine your fan base. Some folks don't like different in the sense of original characters, original plot, etc. They are a little too familiar with the product which we are borrowing from and stick with that. Also folks are timid towards orginality because, unfortunately, there are some here that have stuck with an author trying to tell such a story, and then have the author not post in a while, or give up on it. Fans take it the wrong way and don't let themselves enter a Original Story format. Time is a precious thing on these boards and based on the vast majority of internet connections still in the 28k or less range folk's tolerance for that is nil.

There are a ton more reasons why folks don't tune in to a super excellent story. I won't go into them in detail though.

 

Ani-Ami genere is pretty much dead until Episode Two comes out. It is like a wait and see. >>

So you mean I'll have 2 months of relatively little competition? heheh

-Tim

 

Please, Casper, do go into those "tons of reasons" why people don't reply to a super good fic. I'd be interested in hearing your views. I really do wonder why the stories that I consider to be excellent and close to the quality of published work only have one or two readers.

I have a faint desire to write a mystery/thriller type story. I have to say that the desire is faint because I'm up to my neck in several other story projects at the moment and don't really have time to even think about it. But some day.

It seems to me that the "pretty good/average" stories (and in fact some that dip right down close to "mediocre") get the biggest response.

The really excellent stories get much less reader response.

I'm still trying to decide why this is, although I've been noticing this phenomenon for months now.

As a member of Talon Intelligence Squad, Albion should have been well known to at least ten or fifteen readers. His excellent story "And When I Close My Eyes" only had two or three people responding. So I can't say that it's because the author is not well known.

It must be the audience, then. I'm inclined to believe that Casper's theory about cliques is correct much of the time. I have even visited threads where it seems like there's a separate story going on in the replies, one that I didn't understand because I was an outsider.

Sometimes, I'm sure it's because many people here are "fans" first and then "readers". They have their favourite characters and want to hear more about them. They're not interested in original characters, or even "good" stories. They just want more A/A romance, Obi-Wan adventures, Obi-Wan plus little-girl stories, or whatever.

Here again, Casper is right in saying that fashions get worn out. Along with his example, I've also noticed that there aren't as many JA stories on the board anymore, and therefore not as many JA readers, and I'm sure that every genre goes in and out of fashion, partly dependent on the books that are published in the EU.

I'm also wondering if "birds of a feather flock together", or, that people will naturally gravitate to those stories where they feel most at home, where they feel they are among their peers. In the case of readers who are also writers, if they are teenagers who've achieved a certain level of writing prowess (or not, as the case may be), will they congregate at the stories of other teenagers who are also at this level of ability, no matter how high or low it is? Maybe that's the reason why the best stories don't get many responses, because there are so few really excellent writers out there who feel comfortable at that level?

 

If I could write any kind of story? Hmmm...I would like to do one that's like "The Neverending Story" which like magically comes to life. And it would involve me, Han Solo, and assorted oils......