As a reader, how much do you need the MC to be "like you" in order to engage with the story?

[nice90sguy]

This question has come up for me while writing my latest story game.

I'm male and in my 60s, but find it easy to relate to MC's who are portrayed as in their 20's or 30s.

I start my game with a questionnaire to set expectations (and set traits for the MC that match the readers preferences). But, for the game to work, the MC needs to be male, heterosexual, and belong to a certain socieconomic group, and be in their 30s, and to find male sexual submission arousing.

Should I add "Sorry, but I doubt this game is for you" if the reader diverges too much from the MC's character? Or is that failing to give the reader's flexibility and imagination due respect?

In general, are you ok reading stories where the protag is unlike you?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

While I see where you are coming from, I am OK with stories with MCs unlike me. I do have some limits, of course, but half the fun is stretching the experience.

 

[StillStunned]

I can engage with any story as long as the writing is good and the characters and events are compelling.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Should I add "Sorry, but I doubt this game is for you" if the reader diverges too much from the MC's character? Or is that failing to give the reader's flexibility and imagination due respect?

If the story isn't their thing, readers will back click and be gone.

That's what tags are for, to sell the story's primary kinks,

In general, are you ok reading stories where the protag is unlike you?

I'm okay writing them (first person female narrator, that's not me, but over written several), so the answer to that question must be yes.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm fine with a protagonist who is unlike me. I like stories with female protagonists, for example. I like stories with characters who are more prone to take sexual/kinky risks than I am.

 

[iwatchus]

That's what tags are for, to sell the story's primary kinks,

I really wish I knew how many readers ever look at the tags. And especially how many use the tags to find a story. My guess is the number is much smaller than many of us assume.

But that is just a guess with no real basis, which is why I would love to know.

 

[SimonDoom]

I really wish I knew how many readers ever look at the tags. And especially how many use the tags to find a story. My guess is the number is much smaller than many of us assume.

But that is just a guess with no real basis, which is why I would love to know.

I suspect you are right. But it's just a guess.

I wonder if this feature could be added: a counter that measured how many times readers clicked on your story's tag symbol.

 

[iwatchus]

I suspect you are right. But it's just a guess.

I wonder if this feature could be added: a counter that measured how many times readers clicked on your story's tag symbol.

Or a report of how people reached our stories (Author List, New stories, Category new stories, top lists, similar stories, .tag search)

When you talk about monetizing, how many of us would be willing to pay $10 a year to get better analytics. (Not enough to make a real difference to Laurel and Manu is the honest answer).

 

[SimonDoom]

Or a report of how people reached our stories (Author List, New stories, Category new stories, top lists, similar stories, .tag search)

When you talk about monetizing, how many of us would be willing to pay $10 a year to get better analytics. (Not enough to make a real difference to Laurel and Manu is the honest answer).

I suspect you are right about that, too.

 

[AG31]

When it comes to erotica, I pretty much only like stories where the MC is unlike me. I'm female and I (almost) only like stories with male MCs.

 

[yowser]

I generally, unless the MC is particularly despicable, vastly enjoy an MC unlike myself. A chance for exploration. Take me into someone's head and show me around, I'm game for that.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Why would I want to read about someone just like me? Isn't part of the point of reading to step out of your own head?

Yeah sure, them having a few things in common with me is nice, but as long as they're not a despicable person then that isn't necessary. Although, even if they're the kind of person that I love to hate, then I still might like it if the story is well written and they keep suffering comedic karmic justice. Or if it's a story about someone growing and changing into a better person.

 

[Erozetta]

I can hate read if necessary. (And vote based on the storytelling, not the content.)

 

[StillStunned]

Yeah sure, them having a few things in common with me is nice, but as long as they're not a despicable person then that isn't necessary. Although, even if they're the kind of person that I love to hate, then I still might like it if the story is well written and they keep suffering comedic karmic justice. Or if it's a story about someone growing and changing into a better person.

I've written a few despicable characters, and it's an interesting experience. Trying to make them believable and engaging, without leaving any doubt that they're intended to be awful. It can be liberating to tap into your darker side, but coming back is a bit of a shock.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Whether any characters in the story are like or unlike me is never even a consideration. I suspect that we as writers are in the minority though. The majority of readers here self-insert. I'm waiting for any of the regular folks who preach that they leave their main characters blank to let the readers self-insert. Where are they today? There is usually a fuckton of them.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Just in line with how much readers need to like a character to read about them, I have the following observations. Let's look at two MC in books. I'm limiting it to books, not the movie based on one character, or the TV series inspired by the first novel of the other.

Patrick Bateman, from the novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, and Dexter Morgan from the Dexter series of books by Jeff Lindsay.

There is nothing likable about Patrick Bateman, and yet one can't put the novel down. AP is a deep dive into insanity, and I loved the book. I've read it twice and never watched the movie, just in case it made me not appreciate the book. Pops is telling me to watch it, and it won't ruin the book for me.

But now consider Dexter Morgan, I don't like Dexter, I love him. Love every book. Hoping, apparently in vain, for another. Yes, he's got mental issues. Yes, he's a killer, and yes, one of his victims (in the books) was innocent, and his actions caused the death of other innocent people. Even so, I admire him using his curse (literally in the books) for good, and even when he freed himself of "Dark Passenger," he kept up his crusade.

While I enjoyed American Psycho, I wouldn't have read a sequel to the novel featuring Bateman.

 

[Off_base]

I really wish I knew how many readers ever look at the tags. And especially how many use the tags to find a story. My guess is the number is much smaller than many of us assume.

But that is just a guess with no real basis, which is why I would love to know.

The tags are good, but they need to be at the top of page one of the story, between the header and the Author's first words.
I don't think many people scroll to the bottom of the last page, where they're currently located, before they read the story.

 

[Off_base]

This question has come up for me while writing my latest story game.

I'm male and in my 60s, but find it easy to relate to MC's who are portrayed as in their 20's or 30s.

I start my game with a questionnaire to set expectations (and set traits for the MC that match the readers preferences). But, for the game to work, the MC needs to be male, heterosexual, and belong to a certain socieconomic group, and be in their 30s, and to find male sexual submission arousing.

Should I add "Sorry, but I doubt this game is for you" if the reader diverges too much from the MC's character? Or is that failing to give the reader's flexibility and imagination due respect?

In general, are you ok reading stories where the protag is unlike you?

I can enjoy a wide variety of characters, as long as I don't find the story offensive.

 

[StillStunned]

The tags are good, but they need to be at the top of page one of the story, between the header and the Author's first words.
I don't think many people scroll to the bottom of the last page, where they're currently located, before they read the story.

You can click on the tags tab right at the top of the story:

 

[Off_base]

You can click on the tags tab right at the top of the story:

View attachment 2573511

This might illustrate my point. I've been a reader for years, and an author for a little over one year, and didn't know.
I wonder how many other readers don't know either?

 

[iwatchus]

You can click on the tags tab right at the top of the story:

View attachment 2573511

I only discovered that in the last couple of months. After reading here for almost 25 years.

Yet another tidbit that I included in my how to for new authors. Grumble Grumble. Still in pending after almost 7 weeks. (Yes I have deleted and resubmitted, every three weeks)

 

[StillStunned]

Yet another tidbit that I included in my how to for new authors. Grumble Grumble. Still in pending after almost 7 weeks. (Yes I have deleted and resubmitted, every three weeks)

Just the other day I was wondering how it was doing. Sorry to hear it's pending like my uncle's balls.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Like me? Not at all. Likable? Yeah.

 

[alohadave]

I really wish I knew how many readers ever look at the tags. And especially how many use the tags to find a story. My guess is the number is much smaller than many of us assume.

But that is just a guess with no real basis, which is why I would love to know.

I use tags two different ways.

When a story is not part of a series, I can see on the author's story page what the tags are. They help tell what to expect in the story. Plenty of times I skip a story if I don't like some of the tags.

The other way is when searching. Good tags give good results of things to read.

 

[NuclearFairy]

You can click on the tags tab right at the top of the story:

View attachment 2573511

On the kindle, those tabs are right above the story.

It's a bit more intuitive to go clicking on things above the story than beside it so those that read on tablets might be a bit more aware of tags.