What do you love in a story?

[CyranoJ]

I've seen multiple versions of the "What do you hate in a story?" thread in my brief time on the Lit forums. This one seems less common and has me curious.

What keeps you coming back? Outside of your own personal kinks or fetishes, what do you go looking for? Or what keeps you clicking on a story or series you hadn't expected to like?

 

[NOIRTRASH]

For me its the arrangement of words that best reveal something as it is.

 

[le_kitty]

I've seen multiple versions of the "What do you hate in a story?" thread in my brief time on the Lit forums. This one seems less common and has me curious.

What keeps you coming back? Outside of your own personal kinks or fetishes, what do you go looking for? Or what keeps you clicking on a story or series you hadn't expected to like?

Haha!

What keeps me coming back to a story, comes down to the writer's skill and talent at weaving a story. I can't get into that without getting into personal kinks because that is pretty much the driving force behind erotica/porn for me. To be honest, if I don't think I'll like it, I probably wouldn't have clicked on it to begin with, unless there is a very good reason for me to be curious. However there have been times where I only look for 'stroke' stories, but instead find myself drawn into a well written and plotted story, in which case I will forget about what I came for and let myself get drawn into the story, and if the sex gets in the way, I'll skip past it unless it's something I'm into. If the story has both, then that's perfect for me.

 

[Hypoxia]

It changes, depending on time (hour / week / year) and mood. The same story I re-read fervidly a couple months or minutes ago now seems trite. But basically I want 1) plot, 2) characters, and 3) sex, in about that order.

LIT has ruined me. I can barely read mainstream fic any more. Even good stuff without serious erotic incursions just seems like blah-blah. So I love compelling stories, literately written, with sneaky snarky elements and non-stereotypical sex. Do I ask for much?

 

[lovecraft68]

Good character development as in I give a shit about them. Some type of conflict to set up a reason for the sex and end of the story. Believable premise and realistic sex.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Good writing with a twist or a turn. For me to 'love' it (whatever that means), it must have a genuine heart, a moment of truth, something real, even if it's just a taste. And if it stirs some heat, that's a plus.

And if it's really good, there's usually a touch of envy - damn, that's good, wish I'd written that (knowing I couldn't)

 

[Ewobbit]

I had a friend describe to me the characters in a book he re-read as friends he hadn't seen for awhile and wanted to catch up with. Since then, I haven't been able to come up with a better way to say it.

Son of a bitch decided to become a lawyer and wasted all that talent with words. I really hate that guy now I think about it.

But, for me, I think that almost has to be it.

Scene setting is nice, don't get me wrong. I love to be able to smell the scents and feel the air on my face from nothing more than the descriptions writ in black and white. But, I'll read westerns, fantasy, and sci-fi with equal fervor.

Moral and philosophical quandaries are all well and good also, but if the people experiencing them are nothing more than interchangeable cardboard cut-outs, then I probably won't get far enough to realize it was there.

So, the characters, characters well written enough for me to give a damn what happens to them, are what does it for me. I want to know them as well as my closest friend and my dearest enemies so that I can work my way up out of apathy over what happens to them.

Otherwise, I may sit and listen to some of their story once, if I even make it through. But, I will invariably find something more interesting at the other end of the bar when they start a drunken telling of that same story again.

 

[SisterRobin]

A good storyline.

 

[SamScribble]

What keeps you coming back?

Hope over expectation.

 

[HeyAll]

I love writing where, it's too the point.

Equally as important, I love writing where you can read it at a casual pace, and you can visual it, just like watching a movie.

To me, that's great erotica. Reading it, and you know the characters and you can feel the sexual tension they're feeling.

 

[rjordan]

I've seen multiple versions of the "What do you hate in a story?" thread in my brief time on the Lit forums. This one seems less common and has me curious.

What keeps you coming back? Outside of your own personal kinks or fetishes, what do you go looking for? Or what keeps you clicking on a story or series you hadn't expected to like?

The main thing I'm looking for is something that has none of the things I hate.

I read a novel about every three days. SF (no fantasy), Westerns, noir, general fiction (Jane Smiley/Daniel Woodrell type things). I have very eclectic tastes. Maybe even Hollywood tastes--for some reason a lot of my favorites have been made into movies (Elmore Leonard, Jim Harrison, Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, etc.). Long is fine. Series are fine.

But my Lit tastes are very different.

I look for short stories (1-2 pages) with tension. I don't want anything longer, but I have read maybe a dozen multi-chapter stories from SirThopas, Francis Macomber, Joesephus, angiquesophie...even NoirTrash.

I look for realistic seduction whether for sex or other interaction. I want to see how they get to the sex or whatever they were after, but details of the sex are irrelevant, and I'm likely to skip over it. If it gets too graphic and long, I might bail entirely.

I look for realistic characters within the confines of the story. I don't need nor appreciate backstory (I skim at best), but I want to care about them enough to listen to their story. None of them need to be likable for me to enjoy the story.

Simple story line. No tangled, complex, clever plots. I do like a twist at the end, especially a humorous one, but dark twists are also good.

I don't need a traditional beginning, middle, end. Things never end, except for those who die in the story. I get as much satisfaction from an interesting vignette as a full blown three act story.

 

[sunandshadow]

Worldbuilding and humor.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

I rarely read here. Every time I read someone's erotica I'm "correcting" it in my head. I'm here to write.

If I read anything it's strokers; odd, since I don't write them. Since I like realism and characters that act reasonably, I rarely find things I like, but there have been a few.

 

[LostBabygirl3489]

Emotional connection. A lot of authors lack that.

 

[GforGraham]

Characters that mean something to each other. (eg not strangers having a quick bonk because they were bored)
Storyline that flows.
Has a plot or reason and stays with it. (reason must be within the story, not just to write sex)
A description of something or someone must be recognisable in my imagination.
Predominantly happy theme or mood.
All actions by characters are consensual.

 

[HushHushCrush]

The best experiences I have on Lit are the ones where I feel like I'm really getting to know someone else. Whether it's a character or an author. There are lots of ways to do that, and it's great to be surprised once in a while. Take a chance, be real, and show me yours, ya know?

 

[DreamCloud]

Emotional connection. A lot of authors lack that.

Ditto. If I don't care whether the characters live or die, what's the point. Boredom I can achieve on my own.

 

[lovecraft68]

A strong female character that makes the sex on her terms.

Bonus points if its the type of story where she kicks someone's ass.