Interesting stories

[Takushi Rena]

Time for more help with writing, huh? :D;

I'm writing a KH fanfic [...well, i'm not currently, but i'm trying to get back to that D:] that is supposed to be a weird take on the generic KH adventure, but much MUCH darker with suspense and gore in it. It's also supposed to be a bit scary, too... However, there's one little problem: it's my blood, sweat, and tears, I've been working on it for 3 years in October, and nobody is really reading it. If I'm forced to rewrite bits and pieces of it, I will DEFINITELY do so, if it means more people will be interested in it.

So, that's my dilemma, and now here's my question: how the heck do you make a story interesting and get people to read it? The chapters are long, part of the reason why people might not be reading it, and the story is going slow right now because it's basically just an introduction to this alternate world, but it's supposed to be suspenseful and thrilling and it's not doing a very good job right now.

Thanks in advance and sorry that I keep on making these threads 8D; I'm trying REALLY hard to improve my writing, so yeah...

[Gildragon]

I don't know which fic of yours this is supposed to be, but you have several things to take into consideration

1. who is my audience and would they like that?

2. am I letting enough people know?

3. am I letting the right people know? (people who will give feedback)

you obviously want people to read your story but you need feedback. so you need to get the right people to read it.

[All-Star Gamer]

Well, I've read some of your work, And I don't think the problem is you. You're an excellent writer, that much I'm certain of. The problem could just be your audience. In most cases, If a person doesn't like a story, they generally won't read it. You might be trying to reach out to the wrong audience for what you have in mind, sort of a KH/Horror show, right?

The thing is, a lot of people on KH insider seem to be tired of seeing KH based fanfics, so unless it's really exceptional, a lot of them tend to get overlooked. However, you could consider posting some of it on a site called Fanfiction.net. They break things down into genre, Age appropriation rating, and series, so if somebody is looking for a horror fic and a KH fic, they might just be interested. And if you do consider putting it up on the site, be sure to ask for feedback, otherwise, you might not get it. I've been posting a bit of my fic, and it seems to have been working pretty well. Link below.

Unleash Your Imagination - FanFiction.Net

[bizness86]

Your question is a very good question, as I can't even get Beta Readers to read and respond to one chapter of a fic. I would propose a few answers, though they are answers that I'd consider a lesser evils:

Read others stories and reply to each Chapter

it's next-to-impossible to have a story which makes people read it; readers actually have to make an initial effort. What better way to understand this then to become a reader of other's work. Put forth the effort, and find something that you could potentially get into and read the first chapter; however long or plain it may be (I say plain in the sense that the story development may have a slower pace than others). If the writer respects the fact that you've put forth an effort to make a constructive response, then perhaps the writer may return the favor.

Asking people to read a chapter or two

this may be unreliable, but who knows, you may find an avid reader with this method. Try PMing a member who is regularly active and whose post that you find informative. PM them once or twice at the most, and hope for a response.

Asking friends to make comments, or gaining a fan-club

This is most of what I've seen in the Fan Fiction section; 500+ post of "Good chapter! Please write more." If those types of posts are inspiring, then by all means find a few members who will undoubtedly post each time you write a chapter.

Reply to a previous post

Originally Posted by Gildragon

I don't know which fic of yours this is supposed to be, but you have several things to take into consideration

1. who is my audience and would they like that?

But what if you are not writing for the audience? In all honesty, that limits creativity and self-expression, and is the reason why most animes exist. A fan fiction is an expressive work. But then again, fan fictions also have to endure fans, of which range from--WOOT SEPHIROTH VS CLOUD!! AGAIN!! HUNDRED HEARTLESS BATTLE--to people who like to rip and tear at the psychological and philosophical aspects of a literature.

Originally Posted by Gildragon

2. am I letting enough people know?

Good point; and also "Am I letting people know too much?"

Originally Posted by Gildragon

3. am I letting the right people know? (people who will give feedback)

you obviously want people to read your story but you need feedback. so you need to get the right people to read it.

Truest comment, down to its very essence.

Replying to a previous post

This can go a long ways, leading to theories and speculation about a story that you wrote. If you do this in you thread and others' threads, then you are, in turn, becoming a catalysis for activity within the thread , which is a good practice.

I hope that this helps.

EDIT: You are an excellent writer (I think I've read and replied to some of your work once). FanFiction.Net is an excellent resource. And being on a KH site, people do tend to neglect KH fics. Good points All-Star.

[Grimmjow Jaggerjack]

^Fanfiction.net sucks. No offense to you.

My advice: Passion. I haven't really read your work, so I wouldn't know if it is passionate, but that really is the key. Loving your own story, loving to write your story, and appreciate your own work. You can't sell something you don't believe in. If it is writen with love, people will read it. (Lol, that sounded so corny.)

But the thing the people stated above can be a problem as well. The audience. People around here really are getting tired of KH fics I think, at least I am. But as All-Star said, if it is really exceptional than that doesn't really matter.

You also said the chapters where quite long. In a normal book or something, that is good, but on a site...well, at least for me it really keeps away my will of reading it. I'm always getting tired just by seeing to long chapters, even though a story looks cool.

Well, based on what you said, and what the others commented, my advice to you is maybe create a new thread. Shorten in the chapters a bit, if they really are too long, and make a good intro. Intro's are the key to getting people hooked in the first place. Don't know if you have it already, but write a prologue that really hardly has anything too do with the main story. Make a picture of the story and post it at the top, or write a poem. Let people appreciate the story first, and let them longing for more. don't just throw out the story for some to like and some to hate. And make good use of italics, colors, bold, etc. etc.

Also, Advertise it a little, and don't post everything you already have at once. Wait a few comments for posting another, unless it takes too long.

Then again, I haven't read your fic, so I can't really comment. What I said above are just some general tips. Send me the link to your thread if you want, and I'll try to give you some better advise.

Hope I helped!

Edit: Bizness...We are BETA READERS. We said we would comment on one chapter if it is already going, yes, but your fic is already like...30 chapters long all togheter? Well, off course I'm out of place saying you can't ask for it, sorry. I looked at it before, and there hardly is anything too comment on your writing...so, yeah. =P

[Gildragon]

Originally Posted by bizness86

But what if you are not writing for the audience? In all honesty, that limits creativity and self-expression, and is the reason why most animes exist. A fan fiction is an expressive work. But then again, fan fictions also have to endure fans, of which range from--WOOT SEPHIROTH VS CLOUD!! AGAIN!! HUNDRED HEARTLESS BATTLE--to people who like to rip and tear at the psychological and philosophical aspects of a literature.

Thats the tough part about audience.

You can't select it, and the fact is if you know that certain peopel liek certain things but don't really have interest into what you are writing they are not going to read it. you just plain aren't goingto get encouragement if you go to the wrong audience.

I know this especially well in acting.
Say in a comedy play the audience is roaring wiht laughter one night.

The next night the actors are just as good, but its a completely different audience and they only chuckle a little.


The advantage for an experienced writer ona website is that you usually can tell if you look into it what kind of stuff people like. incorporate that into your story and flow with it.

Audience is the most important part.

If Martin Luther King Jr. Was going around to exclusively whites for african american freedom, then nothing woudl have happened. instead he knew his audience and what they wanted. this got people to act and (give feedback)

[bizness86]

Originally Posted by Grimmjow Jaggerjack

Edit: Bizness...We are BETA READERS. We said we would comment on one chapter if it is already going, yes, but your fic is already like...30 chapters long all togheter? Well, off course I'm out of place saying you can't ask for it, sorry. I looked at it before, and there hardly is anything too comment on your writing...so, yeah. =P

Hopefully, you didn't take that as a personal attack .

I only asked for one chapter, and (I think I read this in the recent Beta Thread rules) it's better to post in the writer's topic after reading, so that they'd know that you've read and found no errors (as I'm assuming that as Beta Readers, you all are only looking for grammitical and syntax errors).

To expand on Gildragon's comment
I suppose you could always type a brief paragraph at the beginning of your story to identify the genre and overall mood and pace of your fiction. You could also try gaining experience in writing several different genres, moods, and paces (easily said, difficult to do...I know)

You're getting a lot of feedback from this topic, Rena! Did you expect that?

[All-Star Gamer]

Originally Posted by bizness86

Hopefully, you didn't take that as a personal attack .

I only asked for one chapter, and (I think I read this in the recent Beta Thread rules) it's better to post in the writer's topic after reading, so that they'd know that you've read and found no errors (as I'm assuming that as Beta Readers, you all are only looking for grammitical and syntax errors).

No, we aid in improving the writer's over all skills by reviewing their work and point out any flaws we might see. We ain't spell check, pal.

[Takushi Rena]

Wooooow. Thanks for the advice! That's brilliant advice, seriously. D: *wiggles arms*

I've actually already posted my fic on FF.net and I think, though I'm actually not quite sure, I get better/more comments on there than I do on here. :[ However, I don't get nearly as much constructive feedback as I do on here, since I ask for it more on here than I ever do on there. 8D; And, apparently, I need to work on advertising my story more. ...And figuring out how to appeal to different audiences, or at least who exactly my audience is. I'm guessing that calls for a bit of a rewrite, or at least some major editing. >.>;

I'm also not nearly as passionate about writing my story as I used to be. I may love it to bits, but I don't like writing it very much anymore. :[ So... um... if you don't mind answering them, I have two more questions. 8D; First one's more important than the second, I guess...

Can anyone tell me how I could shorten my stories? I tend to use lots and lots of details, but that has it's drawbacks, so much that it lengthens the story quite a bit. Should I cut out or do something to all of those descriptions? Also, does anyone have a clue on how to make writing more fun? xD;

Sorry for more questions, but thanks for taking the time to write all of the advice! IT'S REALLY HELPFUL, EVEN IF I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT OTHER BITS OF STUFF D:

[All-Star Gamer]

Fun for you or Fun for the reader? for me, the two seem to go hand in hand. I like to write my fics and people seem to like to read them. Part of the problem might be because you're trying to hard. Try to have fun with it.

I'm into details when I write too, but in other cases outside of my stories, I tend to paraphrase things. What do you tend to add description to? Emotion? Settings? Characters? Scenery?

I'll tell ya what. Since I kind of feel like I've unintentionally given you a hard time a few weeks ago, I'll make sure to keep an eye out for your story and I'll see if I can give you a hand with anything.

[Gildragon]

Can anyone tell me how I could shorten my stories? I tend to use lots and lots of details, but that has it's drawbacks, so much that it lengthens the story quite a bit. Should I cut out or do something to all of those descriptions?

Well First off I would find ouy what all the necessary details are to at least illustrate or get the picture across. keep those. then the only other details that you shoudl keep are the ones that make it intersting in the way hat you write it.

I mean if you are describing in detail like: "Her hair was an auburn red. It extended 1 half inch over the eybrows and was messy." bring that down to " Her messy auburn red hair extended just over her eybrows." you still have the essentieal details there but some in a different order and without being to specific.

Also, does anyone have a clue on how to make writing more fun?

I know what you mean. I like to write, (when I am actualy writing) but I have trobule getting myself to do it. I need help here too

[Grimmjow Jaggerjack]

Can anyone tell me how I could shorten my stories? I tend to use lots and lots of details, but that has it's drawbacks, so much that it lengthens the story quite a bit. Should I cut out or do something to all of those descriptions?

To ellaborate more on this following what Gil already said. Don't use facts. Like his example 'It extended 1 inch over her eyebrows' or when for example describing a building: 'The building was about 30 foot high, and 50 foot in width.'

Again, don't do this. It is enough, and even better to just say 'It was a large building.' It is a story, and the story is different for everyone because of his/her imagination. No one will see the building exactly like you see it, and room for imagination is essential for a reader to stay hooked. No one will care for such facts, because they imagine it the way they do anyway. It really is unnecessary.

(Btw, I don't know if 30 X 50 foot is a large building. xD I have know idea how foot and inch and all work.)

Also, does anyone have a clue on how to make writing more fun?

There is only one thing you need to do with your story to have fun. Write it. Creat it. And on that note, write and create it how you like it. It is YOUR story. It is the story you write, where you can do anything you want, anything you like and don't like to add. You can choose! Off course there are some borders because you write it in a particular genre, but still. If you yourself don't like the story which you write...then what is the point really?

If you are a bit lost at the moment; re-read your own story, think about it, brainstorm about it, and have fun in figuring out new plottwists, new character traits, everything. Think about your story while re-reading it and think what can be changed, what do you like, and what not. Keep the things you like, because if YOU like it, and you show your appreciation and love for your own story...then others will like and appreciate it too.

Well, I hope you get the points I'm trying too make. xD I tend to suck at explaining.

And again, link please?

[bizness86]

Originally Posted by Takushi Rena

Can anyone tell me how I could shorten my stories? I tend to use lots and lots of details, but that has it's drawbacks, so much that it lengthens the story quite a bit. Should I cut out or do something to all of those descriptions? Also, does anyone have a clue on how to make writing more fun? xD;

Sorry for more questions, but thanks for taking the time to write all of the advice! IT'S REALLY HELPFUL, EVEN IF I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT OTHER BITS OF STUFF D:

Question No.1

A question that I often struggle with. As a matter of fact, is there an answer? I'm actually a person that does not see the problem in detailed writing, but can accept the fact that detail can be intimidating. That's just that. Stories that have more content are intimidating; it's the reader's choice to pursue a story that has long paragraphs and heavy vocabulary. Many factors apply in which the reader cannot control: The limits of the reader's current vocabulary and the pace which the reader expands that vocabulary, the reading level of the reader, the reader's free time - all are independent factors.
I suppose that three standing factors decide the length of stories that I write: Imagery/setting, action, and dialogue - and each of these factors has a core point and descriptive context. If this is the case...then perhaps I should establish my core point and determine whether my descriptive context is superfluous...?

I'll give a brief example:

We'll be analyzing the bold sentence...

Takushi Rena sought solace in witnessing the proach of noon; the fiery globe sat stagnant in the sapphire space of the sky.

At it's core, this simply states that: 1) the sun is in the sky, and 2) that its seemingly standing still. So now we check the descriptive context:

fiery globe as in the sun. sat stagnant as in stood still. the sapphire space of the sky as in in the sky. Also, from the other sentence, we know that Takushi Rena is 'witnessing the proach of noon' when would suggest that she is probably looking into a sky in which a fiery globe would be (this is called context clues).

So...what is superfluous? Well fiery globe's not that bad; it's a decent alternative to saying the word 'sun' over and over again. Sat stagnant could probably be improved, but the sapphire space of the sky...this needs to be fixed. After fixing:

the fiery globe stood [although there are much better words than stood, stood is a large improvement over sat] stagnant in the sapphire sky [sapphire space of the sky is too much! Simply shortening the phrase made a substantial difference].

Or this could even be 'dumbed down' for the sake of the audience:
the blazing sun stood still in the sky.

The same goes for actions and dialogue though complications occur when dealing with writings that are dialogue-driven. Just find the core, and manage your descriptiveness. Does the audience need to know that he placed his hands in his coat before pulling out a pencil? Etc.

Question No.2 <- edited ("You answered question 1 two times. xD" - Grimmjow Jaggerjack)

Please. Don't push yourself into writing. If you are tired or bored of a story, then before pushing yourself, try just typing and organizing ideas in a word processor. And if you need a break, then by all means, actually take the break, and forget about the story for a while. You torture yourself when thinking about finishing something that's supposed to be creative and self-expressive.
That way, you'll find that when you do begin writing, you'll be able to write for a longer period of time.

I apologize if my response seems rushed, by I must be off shortly.

Thanks
bizness86

[Grimmjow Jaggerjack]

1. Rushed bizness? That post is gigantic. xD

2. You answered question 1 two times. xD

3. On the last thing you said, I like to add another tip. I once did a course on writing. (still have it, never finished. xD) Most of it I already was familiar with, but there was one amazing tip. Write three blank pages (pen and paper) everyday after you wake up. Just everything that comes up in your mind. This is a good way to get your mind straight, even for people who don't write it is a good thing to do every morning. But in the case of a writer it is even better, as you put down all ideas that are dwelling in your mind, and can organize them, like bizness said. And then, you can even make room in your thoughts for an idea you've lost inspiration for, and try to create new ideas without being diturbed by all other ideas tumbling through your mind.

[Time]

Hey, also, remember. It is your story, no one else's. Make sure you like it, and don't change something of your heart just because someone else wants it that way.