Assessing a story

[Handley_Page]

It strikes me that assessing a story is a bit of a 'personal' thing; one is biassed by personal ideas, preferences, etc..

What general headings would you put together for an 'assessment' or rating of a story. For example, I reckon:

Grammar, Spelling, Pace, [completion?]

would all be applicable to almost any story. One might have to add 'diction' and 'clarity' with Audio stuff, I think.

So what criteria can you dream up for a serious marking of any story ?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

1. Is It A Story?
2. Is It Readable Without Too Many Trips To The Dictionary?
3. How Well Does The Writer Handle Problems? Are Solutions Elegant Or Ham-fisted? Does The Writer Cut Corners?
4. Is The Prose Clear, Coherent, And Cohesive? Any Doubts As To What Is What?
5. Is The Prose Interesting?

 

[lovecraft68]

If we're talking erotica (as in the stories here)

I only have two criteria.

1-it is a story and not a "scene" A story here that consists of a guy sitting in his office and his secretary comes in locks the door and for no explicable reason starts sucking his cock is not a story it is a scene.

2- This is a simple one, but the most important one. I enjoyed it. If the story is good and the author can tell it to me then I can overlook some grammar and typos and all the things the "elitists" like to judge by.

If it entertained me it was a good story.

 

[Euphony]

It strikes me that assessing a story is a bit of a 'personal' thing; one is biassed by personal ideas, preferences, etc..

What general headings would you put together for an 'assessment' or rating of a story. For example, I reckon:

Grammar, Spelling, Pace, [completion?]

would all be applicable to almost any story. One might have to add 'diction' and 'clarity' with Audio stuff, I think.

So what criteria can you dream up for a serious marking of any story ?

Character development is a big one for me where people fall down.

Unless it is completely fantastical some level of realism should be present.

Understanding of the basics of sex (few men have a trillion orgasms in a row, women don't all geyser at the mere sight of a penis, a penis actually reaching the end of the esophagus and into the stomach if even possible would be highly uncomfortable (yes, Ive seen this text)

Pace, flow, zip, all same names for simply keeping the narrative interesting and rolling. If it feels like a slog, the longer than goes, the exponentially worse the overall feel gets.

Plausible dialog. Efficient sentences, not too many name or relation references (Daddy or Mum or whatever) b/c people know who they are speaking to.

Some sort of uniqueness to the sex will always get extra credit from me. If its BJ just to get to the penetration and then an unnatural rush through to somehow super mutual orgasms then immediately everybody splits I sigh.

Also, I'm a big stickler for continuation of Conflict. Once the protags get together, some authors just drag the perfect lovers sex on and on and on. It's okay to end on a high note. No sense in carrying on for just the sake of carrying on.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Some of the stories I have most enjoyed where fairly long...Lit pages and pages. Yet others were only one or two Lit pages.

My first item in my assessment would be does it hold my attention.

There may be many reasons that it doesn't hold my attention.
Spelling, grammar, formatting. Although I have continued reading a story even with those problems. If I know the author I will provide them with an edited version if the wish. Some stories do rise above those menial things like spelling and grammar.


The second is, does it get to the point quickly.

That point is, does it at least start to arouse me within the first or second page (lit page).

 

[sr71plt]

I did a series of comparative assessments of the 2008 Earth Day contest entries, using the following criteria:

The criteria for ranking of story entries (in descending order of importance) was/will be (1) Use of/relevance to the Earth Day topic (clever or particularly strong affinity to the topic will get extra credit; merely convenient or cursory linking—or hackneyed application—might get negative marks); (2) story line/storytelling; (3) writing proficiency; (4) technical presentation. I personally think that, this being an erotica site, stroke quotient should be a criteria too—but there seems to be some disagreement on that as a requirement, so I haven't assessed on that criteria.

I also assess on how well I think the author has done what he/she seems to have wanted to do (if I can discern that or the author notes what they are trying to do)--rather on how I would have written it. Too much of the feedback I see on Literotica advises the author how the critiquer would do it, assuming the critiquer can do it better or thinks it should follow her/his preferences, which isn't necessarily the case.

 

[Bramblethorn]

So what criteria can you dream up for a serious marking of any story ?

Some of the things I'd look for:

Technical elements: spelling/punctuation/grammar.
Characterisation: are these people believable? Do they talk like they should talk?
Emotional investment: do I care how the story ends?
Consistency: making allowances for genre, are there jarring mistakes in the setting?
Flow: do I have to stop and squint at your sentences to figure out what they mean? Does the action feel fast when it needs to be and slow when it needs to be?
Author: if you are a horrible person and you allow that to seep through into your writing, damn straight I'm marking you down for it.
Structure: does the way you've shaped your story fit with what you're trying to do with it?

I'll make exceptions to just about any of these if the author had a good reason for breaking them and did it well.

 

[robertreams]

I look for several things. Are the people real, that is, not true, but true to life?

Is the story believable within fairly wide conventions? As Lovecraft said, is it a story? I had a writer write me a 'story' about a 40 year old man, staying at his mom's house where his sister also lived. The characters were flat because the author could not wait to get to the fuck scenes, but even more importantly: the brother's only motivation for fucking his sister was his accidentally seeing her breasts. A 40 yr old who loses control over seeing tits? I did not believe it, even if it really happened, that is not a story!

If I am reading erotica, i use my peter meter. Does it make me achingly hard and draw it out to the point of inevitability? The harder the hard-on, the higher the rating.

One hint. If I read the word 'boobs' I stop reading.

 

[oggbashan]

I think that the technical parts are far less important than the story-telling.

If the story is believable, enthralling and holds my interest I will overlook any technical failings of spelling, grammar, tenses, points of view. I might want to rewrite it to correct all the technical errors, but I won't.

If all the technical parts are perfect but the story doesn't work, or I can't suspend disbelief, then the story is a failure for me.

Of course, if there is a great story that is technically perfect, that would be the ideal. But very few of us ever meet such a story even if we might aspire to write it. Many classic authors complained that they never wrote the ideal story that they pictured in their heads. They, and we, always fall short of perfection because we are human.

 

[Catchalot]

One hint. If I read the word 'boobs' I stop reading.

Seriously?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

All this chatter reminds me of the criteria for good gladiator bouts.

In the gladiators mind a good bout was a quick kill. The gladiators lanista preferred minimal injury to his fighter, plus a good showman. The audience demanded raw carnage and maximum violence. The emperor had his favorites and usually murdered his favorites opponents. Sometimes the emperor caught his protégé fucking the empress, and it was good or bad depending on the emperors esteem for the empress. Marcus Aurelius was cucked by Fautima, and it went bad for the gladiator-lover, but MA adopted the lover's baby...Commodus.

 

[Swilly]

Is it well written?

Is there enough detail given so that you can picture a character or situation in your mind's eye?

Is the story consistent, without continuity or other similar errors.

Is it readable and believable? (Even a fantasy or sci-fi story should allow the author to believe if they can accept the premise).

Is it grammatically correct, at least to the degree that you don't find the breakdowns bad enough to make you want to stop reading? (I'd say most stories may have and issue or two, but if the thing is filled with mistakes...as if there was not even a second read by the author, then...no.)

I hesitate to use the "does it turn me on" criteria. For my own personal use, okay. But if I were to have a job assessing such things, then I'd have to think about whether it COULD do the job for someone else. For instance, GM stories are not for me. I'm straight, and have no interest in those stories. If I had to rate one though, I'd have to ask myself if I think it could work for a fan of those stories. Of course, if you could get a rise out of me writing a story that doesn't do it for me, that could work in your favor. Now THAT would be good writing.

 

[patientlee]

When I read, I need to be able to experience the action and feel what the characters feel. Good storytelling stays out of the way and lets me do that.

 

[PayDay]

Bender: "I can't see, are we boned?"
Leela: "Yeah. We're boned."

 

[Edward Teach]

I think that the technical parts are far less important than the story-telling.

If the story is believable, enthralling and holds my interest I will overlook any technical failings of spelling, grammar, tenses, points of view. I might want to rewrite it to correct all the technical errors, but I won't.

If all the technical parts are perfect but the story doesn't work, or I can't suspend disbelief, then the story is a failure for me.

Of course, if there is a great story that is technically perfect, that would be the ideal. But very few of us ever meet such a story even if we might aspire to write it. Many classic authors complained that they never wrote the ideal story that they pictured in their heads. They, and we, always fall short of perfection because we are human.

What he said.