MESSAGE BOARD TOPIC #12

[Comicality]

There are literally millions of stories to choose from online right now at this moment. All of them with their own special vibe and purpose. I'm sure that there are as many undiscovered classics online as there are undiscovered stars in the universe. And with all of these choices, there has to be something to truly grab a reader's attention if you want to keep them from passing you by. Some kind of 'draw' for an author's audience. If you bring it out too fast, it might make the story seem like you're skipping details just to get to the 'good stuff'. If you do it too slow...people may get bored with it and won't read long enough to get to the 'good stuff'. There's a definite pacing and technique involved when trying to pull someone into a story, and it's an important part of the writing process. So this week's question is...

 

=What can a writer do to 'hook' a reader into reading their work from beginning to end? And how can they pace it so the story stays interesting and fresh?=

 

This is for readers and writers alike. What is it that makes you start a story and get sucked into it almost instantly? Is it the word usage? The characters? The storyline? Sometimes it's the title. There are many people who don't judge a story until they've read it all the way through, but how do you give them enough encouragement to do so with that first initial burst of creativity? Then...once you've got them interested...how do you keep those 'hooks' coming at an even pace to keep things from 'sleeping' in between major events?

 

The board is open! Let me know what you think!

[stud24]

This may sound stupid but I look for a few things when I first start reading a story.

 

Environment: I like to read about several locations, time settings and such, but if it is something i find unnappealing or uninteresting then that can end the story for me right there.

 

Characters: I look to see if i can identify with them at all. Sometimes I even specifically look at their name. This is the part that sounds stupid, but if a story has MY name or my crushes name *dillon* then sometimes i will read it regardless if it is stupid lol.

 

Realism: This differs if I am reading sci fi stories or fantasie, but for the more realistic setting stories I look to see if what is happening is possible. For instance; I was reading a story the other day, where the rules were bent and all this stuff cuz "we can see your in love" and that doesnt' work for me. I don't want a suggercoated story where everything is perfect and societies laws and morals are as open as can be, because thats not realistic

[fear1980]

The big three traits that I look for in a story:

 

1) Appealing names.

In my opinion, names that are "too pretty" or "too beautiful" are often just as distracting as names that are too old fashioned or whatnot. I'm talking about names like Skye, Tallon, Iylwain, Harrix, Wreith, etc. and all the weird spellings that manage to get created. Speaking only for myself here, these names are just too goofy for my tastes and they distract me from the the story. I'd rather have a nice, easy name like Kyle, Alex, Robert, Jamie, Josh, etc.

 

2) Contractions.

Some stories have lines like: "I could not imagine pain like that," Jesse said. Abbreviating phrases like can't, couldn't, won't, don't, haven't, didn't, etc. can make a big difference in the believability of the story. If it's in a high-tension moment, then I understand but otherwise, it doesn't hit the eye quite right.

 

3) Skin quality.

Again, this is just me, but in a story when the narrator specifically tells me that the main love interest has flawless skin or pefect skin, I get a little thrown off. Nice skin can definitely be a big deal with a guy but if I'm going to feel affection and real interest for a character, I need a little hint that the narrator loves him regardless of physical perfection. It's minor but this mention of a specific type of perfection seems a bit materialistic for my tastes. Not mentioning the skin quality is an acceptable omission, IMO.

[Dabeagle]

Good topic, Com. I wade through lots of stories on Nifty, and hit the <back> button so many times, if it were a physical key the markings would be worn off it.

 

I like a story that grabs you with an opening line, something that gets your attention. NOthing gets me backing out faster than being late to school or running into someone in the hallway. Even moving has to be handled carefully, just cause it's been done so many times.

 

I like humor in my reading, one good smartass character can make a story.

 

One thing I am finding form a writers POV is to write ahead so that you can maintain a reasonable posting schedule. At one time, before boyfriends and retail management, I could write a chapter or more a week. Now, I can go quite a while before getting back to something. I did come to the conclusion that if I write something down just so I don't lose the idea, I keep it put aside until I really have time to work on it.

 

Sex is one of those things that, honestly, I tend to skip over more often than not. A good sex scene is tough to find, and ot my mind that means we don't finish the erotic, sensual tenderness with something like the term 'dick snot'. Call me crazy, kinda breaks the mood.

 

Contractions, spelling and grammar also play a big part. I once read the beginning of a story, was pretty good, except every blessed line of dialogue ended with an exclamation point. I used word to 'find and replace' 178 of them in a single chapter.

 

So! There's my overstated response. Hey Com, how's My Only Escape coming along, eh? Keep up the great work! (BTW read the Secret Life of Billy Chase today, one sitting of course. No one does it the way you do.)

 

Dabeagle

[Comicality]

There are very few things that would turn me off from a story right away and make me back out without reading any further. The easiest is formatting. If I open a file and see everything merged together into one long paragraph with no breaks or separation of dialogue...then I know it's going to be a real effort to read and understand it. A lot of times, I'll avoid those. Also, I don't mind some spelling errors or grammar mistakes if the heart is there in the story. In fact, if I can figure it out, I may stumble a bit, but generally know what the story is about and can enjoy it anyway. But sometimes it can be so chaotic that I have to stop reading. Those two things more than anything can turn me off.

 

As for some other things, easy sexual situations where it's like, "What's your name? Wanna f**K?" can be a bit disarming. Especially when it jumps from a touching story to "Pee on me, f**K boy!" in the course of five sentences. In the same respect though, if the opening is too long and doesn't seem to be progressing anywhere, I get bored with it pretty quick. I don't mind there not being any sex or anything in the first chapter, or even first FEW chapters. But if I don't feel the story moving forward, if it feels like it's standing still for no particular reason, then I might turn it off and move on. There's a delicate balance in between that makes the difference.

 

Now I know I've been guilty of all of the above 'turn offs' above in my own writing, so I won't pretend to know all about it. But I'm trying to find that perfect balance in between through trial and error. (More errors than trials, I'm sure! Hehehe!) When I'm writing, I try to open on a scene that would mean something to people reading. Something that introduces the character and gives everyone an insight into their mind. I try to give a bit of a description and a personal history without making it sound like a lecture in a classroom. Then, I try to add humor and inner thoughts of the main character to move the plot along in a natural and free flowing manner. Not too slow, not too fast. I try to make sure that EVERYTHING that happens in the story, somehow is related to the plot of the story. I don't want to go too far out on tangent, or introduce characters that won't have any impact on what's going on. If you can hook a reader in the beginning, you can only propell them so far before you have to find a way to hook them again. Otherwise, they turn around and go home. Even if the story becomes an award winning novel at the end, it won't matter if everyone backs out in the first chapter. You know?

 

I think that stories are created by many special moments, little events that create a beautiful scenery once it's finished. The skill comes from being able to 'connect' those events in a smooth and fluid way where people want to get to the next big moment. Carrying them from one event to another in a way that's fun for them to read. Humor can do that. Small pieces of drama can do that. Inner conversations from the main character can do that. OTHer characters being introduced or going through problems of their own can do that. As long as what is happening is relevant to the story in some way, it will keep the rollercoaster running, and people will come back for more.

 

That's just my two cents.

[Frank Aiden Ryan]

Well, speaking as a writer, I'd certainly say that the main way to attract a reader, unless you're doing fantasy settings, is REALISM. I agree with the folks above, those impossible names belong in a fantasy setting. Original names are one thing, I'm all for it in fact... but there are other ways to personalise your characters without calling them odd-sounding names. Here's one technique I always tend to use. LAST names.

 

I'm certain there are no people here in our western style world that go without last names. So my characters are going to have last names. Baddies in my stories are going to have last names. In fact, baddies are usually referred to by their last names alone, to give the dialogue an extra feel of dislike. Last names add realism.

 

What also works for realism is attention to detail. If YOU, the writer, don't see it in front of you, your audience won't see a thing either. It's the little things that do it. Even in a situation that does not require a lot of describing still gets that treatment from my main character, simply because it provides my character a chance to speak his mind about a certain situation and how he feels about it. Not everything has to be a monologue of doom, but a few sentences help. Add some detail to your average situation and things will go great.

 

Second thing for added realism: Dialogue. Dialogue is my trade mark. I use so much dialogue that my story time line hardly progresses at all. However, the details in the dialogie tell you something about the character as well. It's been said about my characters that readers are able to gauge who's saying what simply by the way he speaks. That's a big compliment, but I also do it on purpose. Jason always has that subtle hint of sarcasm. Robbie has that boyish, gentle, polite demeanor. Vince drops the occasional crude modifier, and usually sounds like he's certainly not enjoying himself. Scott - he's just the motormouth, his sentences bounce like he does. This sort of recipe for your main characters is essential if you want to make your dialogue sound believable, and works absolute magic for your characters. They seem like real persons that way. Don't make them sound alike! (I'm looking at you too here, Com.)

 

Also, remember that your plot works for your characters, not vice versa. The characters do NOT exist to advance the plot. No! The plot is there to advance the characters. Think about that.

 

I dunno, I get lost easily in my own rants. The point is: Realism draws readers. At least, it'll sell your characters way better than a good adventurous plot or an extremely perfect looking boy with the most exotic name there is. In our genre, the characters matter. It's them we fall in love with while reading. Like any soap on TV, it's the characters you care for, the reasons why you come back next time. People like Tom Clancy and Stephen King worry over plot. In this genre, your characters MUST be good, well rounded, thought out, characterised. They don't call it characterised for nothing. Once you hook the readers, they'll be back. Just make sure they have a character to care for.