Aaargh!

[Nathan_Brazil]

Pardon me while I scream!

I let myself get sucked into reading a very long and very high-rated story... And while the plot and characters are interesting, it is sooooo fucking repetitive.

Kill me now for my stubbornness in wanting to finish it.

End rant.

 

[Hypoxia]

You get what you pay for.

 

[lovecraft68]

How long is 'very long?" curious because that varies from person to person. More than a few here think anything over 3 pages is too long, but for me 'very long' isn't until maybe the 10 page mark.

I agree with Hypoxia, you didn't pay for it, so all you've lost is time. But I know what you mean, it sucks to have interesting characters in bad writing because you feel the story does have some value and that makes it more frustrating than if it flat out sucked.

I used to force myself to finish anything I started reading, especially years ago when I would read 2-3 novels a week, Now if it doesn't grab me a fair way into it I scrap it. Time is too precious to 'endure' a book or story, I want to enjoy it.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

Long

The first chapter ran 21 pages.

I really like the characters, and to me, that's the meat of the story... But geez, the author has them thinking...and thinking...and thinking...and...

 

[jsmiam]

The first chapter ran 21 pages.

I really like the characters, and to me, that's the meat of the story... But geez, the author has them thinking...and thinking...and thinking...and...

I take it that repeating "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" won't help? ;-)

Careful with the identifying descriptions though.. If the author recognizes their story and is a forum participant, you'll have an enemy for life!

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

I take it that repeating "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" won't help? ;-)

Careful with the identifying descriptions though.. If the author recognizes their story and is a forum participant, you'll have an enemy for life!

Heh! Yeah, I got that.

I've noticed that many of the authors seem to be whin...umm... Bitc...err...tempestuous.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

Careful with the identifying descriptions though.. If the author recognizes their story and is a forum participant, you'll have an enemy for life!

I'd be overjoyed if another well-regarded author openly criticized one of my stories and there was an extended discussion of what worked and didn't and why.

Anyone who puts their work up for public consumption autmatically loses any right to whine if it's criticized, anyway. If someone's kvetching about how their work got received, they need a different hobbby.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

Yes. I got that. It's why I hijacked your other thread.

Posted a bit of my holiday story... Nothing.

2300 views of story... Exactly one comment.

Heh! I think Laurel may have liked it though.

 

[loquere]

You get what you pay for.

Agreed

 

[Bramblethorn]

Heh! Yeah, I got that.

I've noticed that many of the authors seem to be whin...umm... Bitc...err...tempestuous.

HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT ME

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT ME

I'm a bad person. The absolute worst sort.

 

[Hypoxia]

I'm a bad person. The absolute worst sort.

Oh, so you're that Anonymous fucktard that posts all those DIE NOW comments and PMs. Okay, I've got your number. Watch out for rubber ducks.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

Okay fine...

That wasn't me.

Can I have my number back?

 

[HandsInTheDark]

That wasn't me.

Can I have my number back?

No, but we have other numbers. Here's a 71. Enjoy.

 

[NotWise]

Getting back at least a little on track...

I don't think that "you got what you paid for" really covers readers' reactions. They don't pay a thing, but they still invest time and attention into reading a story that they might better use doing something else. There is that cost to the reader.

I don't have that many stories up, but I have posted a 5-part series from a novel that I started then lost to a disk crash. What I had left was the early part of the story that I found on a thumb drive. I posted everything up to a transition point in the story -- not the end, but a transition. I posted each section after I had an initial reaction from the previous section, so they came out every 2-3 days. It didn't have a lot of readers, but there were a few people who followed it loyally through 20,000 words or so.

There was a lot of gnashing of teeth and rending of garments when the last instalment came out. It wasn't an ending and it didn't make them happy. I love the last chapter myself, but they did not. I've kicked myself since then because even though it didn't cost the readers anything I still abused them by not rewarding their investment of time and effort.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

Happy Ending

That's a tough one.

Artistic vision vs. Satisfying your readers.

Most times, I think I'm going to side with the readers; I was a reader well before I was an author. But then again, if you don't enjoy yourself, why are you putting forth the effort?

I suspect this is part of finding your market.

Let's be honest, some of these folks write stories I would NEVER read... Like ewww... But they each have followers who are passionate about their stuff.

So... I guess the answer might be proper foreshadowing maybe.

 

[TxRad]

Was this a single story or a multi-chapter one?

 

[NotWise]

Was this a single story or a multi-chapter one?

It was multi-chapter but all one story, and all written two years before I posted anything to Lit. I could have written a new ending, but I didn't. I actually liked the transition (which ended in a minor sort of tragedy) but the readers didn't get what they wanted out of it.

 

[TxRad]

I meant the story NB was ranting about to start this mess.

 

[lovecraft68]

Getting back at least a little on track...

I don't think that "you got what you paid for" really covers readers' reactions. They don't pay a thing, but they still invest time and attention into reading a story that they might better use doing something else. There is that cost to the reader.

I don't have that many stories up, but I have posted a 5-part series from a novel that I started then lost to a disk crash. What I had left was the early part of the story that I found on a thumb drive. I posted everything up to a transition point in the story -- not the end, but a transition. I posted each section after I had an initial reaction from the previous section, so they came out every 2-3 days. It didn't have a lot of readers, but there were a few people who followed it loyally through 20,000 words or so.

There was a lot of gnashing of teeth and rending of garments when the last instalment came out. It wasn't an ending and it didn't make them happy. I love the last chapter myself, but they did not. I've kicked myself since then because even though it didn't cost the readers anything I still abused them by not rewarding their investment of time and effort.

I played best of both worlds with my long SWB series. The thing was so bleak people kept saying "I know this will end bad, but I keep reading"

So I played them all. I announced I had four parts left(and I knew I had five) then in the author's note I mention "hope to hear what you think, that is if you even want to talk to me after this"

I then 'killed' the two characters one dies, one commits suicide on the others grave. At the very end, you find out it was a nightmare and that there would be a next installment.

I got a ton of "I want to kill and kiss you" style messages for that.

So I pretty much gave it a surprise HEA ending, but showed them the 'If I wanted to kill them, this is what you would have gotten"

I still recall one author-a poster here on occasions-being upset that I took my foot off the gas and wussed out."

 

[legerdemer]

I played best of both worlds with my long SWB series. The thing was so bleak people kept saying "I know this will end bad, but I keep reading"

.....

I then 'killed' the two characters one dies, one commits suicide on the others grave. At the very end, you find out it was a nightmare and that there would be a next installment.
.....

Goodness, Mark and Megan = Romeo and Juliet? I need to (re)read SWB for that reinterpretation.

 

[legerdemer]

The first chapter ran 21 pages.

I really like the characters, and to me, that's the meat of the story... But geez, the author has them thinking...and thinking...and thinking...and...

Was this a single story or a multi-chapter one?

The answer to your question, Tx.

To NB - I'm one of those people with a short attention span when it comes to Lit stories, though part of it is practical - it's hard for me to stay on Lit for long enough to read very long stories, so they better be f'ing good to make me keep coming back to them, or go to the trouble of copy-pasting them to whitewash the wrapping, so to speak. The stories I've done that with so far can be counted on the fingers of one hand. I'd be very curious to get pointers to stories people REALLY love and think are worth the word count. For me, such stories better be great both from the writing quality aspect and from the characters/plot/drama aspect - otherwise they won't hold my interest. I've found I've become much more ADD with age - I've come to really appreciate pithy.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

I meant the story NB was ranting about to start this mess.

Multi-chapter...

And I read chapter 2 as well.

I may be a masochist.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

The answer to your question, Tx.

To NB - I'm one of those people with a short attention span when it comes to Lit stories, though part of it is practical - it's hard for me to stay on Lit for long enough to read very long stories, so they better be f'ing good to make me keep coming back to them, or go to the trouble of copy-pasting them to whitewash the wrapping, so to speak. The stories I've done that with so far can be counted on the fingers of one hand. I'd be very curious to get pointers to stories people REALLY love and think are worth the word count. For me, such stories better be great both from the writing quality aspect and from the characters/plot/drama aspect - otherwise they won't hold my interest. I've found I've become much more ADD with age - I've come to really appreciate pithy.

Pithy... Hmm, I think I'm starting to see why you've liked my holiday offerings.

I'm a reader from way back. I don't watch television at all.

So I read the long ones, the short ones...whatever. I prefer the serials and I find myself really looking forward to the next installment of whatever I'm reading currently.

I find myself mostly reading in the less erotic categories: sci fi, fantasy, romance, novels, humour, tho I read others too.

The two that are current automatic 5s from me are Sigil and New-Hire.

 

[TxRad]

Multi-chapter...

And I read chapter 2 as well.

I may be a masochist.

With the first chapter being 21 pages, that lets me off the hook.