|
|
Post by Wendy on Dec 6, 2010 14:35:30 GMT
I have a question that's been bugging me for a while now. What do readers like to, well, read? So far, it's been 'someone comes up with an idea, and posts it, and people tell you what they think', but I think that readers should have a say in what they read. So, this is mostly to help us, so we can help you. What kinds of Bellice stories would you like to read? (Characters' personalities or pairings [besides the obvious AXB] or maybe even different species.)
|
|
|
|
Post by JocelynTorrent on Dec 7, 2010 6:45:50 GMT
Hm, that's an interesting idea. As a writer though, I have to admit I would find it difficult to write what someone tells me to write. It has been done before though so who knows? I myself really love character explorations. Especially since Twilight has such pathetic character development, the possibilities are endless!
|
|
|
|
Post by Hollowgo on Dec 7, 2010 7:13:12 GMT
I have to agree with JT on the character exploration thing. That's something that appeals to me. I also like it when Bella has a gift that's actually useful, not that worthless little "mental shield" crap that she had in the books. What else? I like original starts to stories rather than following Twilight and just switching Edward with Alice, but sometimes it's done in a way that I can deal with and I like it. I don't mind Bella or Alice being a werewolf, vampires, humans or half-vampire/half-humans, but any other sort of race I don't like. No crazy hybrids for me.
What I dislike in stories...well, there's a good amount of that, too. But this is for what is liked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Enjorous on Dec 7, 2010 15:12:59 GMT
I generally write for the side of me that is a reader. And the reader side of me loves stories that pushes boundaries. So I hate to be locked in a small confine of a world, and since we know there are werewolves and vampires here why can't they're be something else as well? I generally feel that I'm already written in a corner by the canon. Most of the characters are in high school and we're in a Podunk Hallow town in the middle of Washington. So it's a bit harder for me to explore characters in situations like that when there can't be that many trials by fire.
I don't know what my original point is...but I'm sick so do forgive the ramblings of a mad man.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wendy on Dec 8, 2010 10:32:30 GMT
Interesting replies. I agree with the fact that it gets annoying to have a story that starts in the middle of Twilight and then switches pairings. It has to be a darn good story to be able to pull that one off and still be in my good books. I have an active story, but I have more than 20 ideas on the side, and I just don't really know if I'm willing to post them while I have a story going. I think it would be too hard for me to concentrate on more than one story at a time. However, the idea of starting a story from scratch is appealing to me, and I do that a lot when writing about Bellice.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hollowgo on Dec 8, 2010 16:01:23 GMT
Enjorous: I can understand where you're coming from with the pushing of boundaries, but putting in other fantasy races just irks me. I was reading a story once, I forget what it was, and it was decent up until the part where it started mentioning elves and a bunch of other fantasy races. To me, none of them could fit into the Twilight universe. Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I can't comprehend the addition of other races. But that's just me. Wendy: I know what you mean by that. I actually started doing that after telling myself I wouldn't, but the idea wouldn't go away. I've got a bunch of other ideas (see my ideas thread for a basic outline) for stories that I really want to write, but I'm forcing myself to stray from them until Blood Solstice ends and I've given my second story some love. It can be complicated trying to write out more than one story at a time. But then, I have loads of time on my hands, so maybe it's a bit different for me than it would be for you. Anyways...I guess I will list what I dislike in stories. First and foremost, I detest overly angsty/tragedy stories. In my eyes, Bellice is supposed to be a, well, a happy couple. A bit of angst here and there is all well and good, but overdosing it is just too much for me. If I wanted to deal with angst, I would look at the real world and real life instead of fiction. I don't expect a story to be all sunshine and bunnies, no, but when every chapter is full of angst and there isn't a single hug or a single shred of anything good, I lose interest in the story pretty quickly. I've quit a story for that very reason, in fact. Another thing I am not particularly fond of is when Bella or Alice die. Just...no. I cannot enjoy a story that does that. It's just not in me. Being injured? Sure. But killing off one of the two people that should be in the main pairing? Why? It doesn't make any sense to me, none whatsoever. I guess I'm just a romantic at heart, none of that tragedy crap. Sorry to any who do like it or write it, I can't enjoy it and I won't lie and say that I do. There was another story, I won't name it, but it started off okay, but then it got way too damn confusing to me because of all the stuff that the author was putting in it. I quit it recently because I had had enough of it. Too much fantastical stuff being thrown in is not something that I can understand or enjoy. I'm sure that it's probably just me that feels this way (maybe not, but I dunno). What can I say, I'm a picky reader. One little thing that irks me on FF is when a story has Bella and Alice as a pairing and it's a romance story, yet they don't end up with each other. In fact, more times than not it's B/E and A/J, which means that the pairing shouldn't be B/A! It's a small pet peeve of mine and I don't see a reason to go rant about it. Pay no mind to me. 
|
|
|
|
Post by Enjorous on Dec 8, 2010 18:45:11 GMT
Enjorous: I can understand where you're coming from with the pushing of boundaries, but putting in other fantasy races just irks me. I was reading a story once, I forget what it was, and it was decent up until the part where it started mentioning elves and a bunch of other fantasy races. To me, none of them could fit into the Twilight universe. Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I can't comprehend the addition of other races. But that's just me. Elves...yeah no elves. But they don't even fit the feel of the world. What I get from all of this is that the "supernatural" is more of an evolutionary ideal. Elves would have an entirely separate lineage, society, hieratic, etc etc. So Elves wouldn't work. In this particular universe the idea that less is more is definitely up there. It can be done so long as it can be interwoven seamlessly with the canon. Oh I should mention that I've done just that. But then again whether or not it appears in writing I can answer all the questions involved with it to a large degree. But I agree that you can't plop them in there without reason. I prefer it when happy endings are earned tooth and nail, but again Your mileage may vary. Something I love when done right. Because I'm a fan of tragedy going all the way back to Ovid so...when one of them dies in sacrifice to the other a poetic part of me says "Aww" and almost cements the notion of true love. Or maybe it's because I've loved someone enough to sacrifice myself for them. And again ymmv. Oh yes, this one bugs me, mostly because I read one for like five chapters totalling 20,000 words before the author said "Yeah...this story isn't an A/B story...sorry." |
|
|
|
Post by Hollowgo on Dec 8, 2010 18:53:48 GMT
Different strokes for different folks. We can't all like the same thing.  Well, aside from A/B, seeing as how that's why we're all here. I don't mind the characters earning their happy ending, but I don't consider angst stories to be happy to begin with. Maybe it's because I've dealt with a lot of angst in my life that I prefer to read about happier experiences and write out happier experiences. That could be one of the underlying reasons why I loathe angst and tragedy stories. Oh well. |
|
|
|
Post by Enjorous on Dec 8, 2010 18:59:39 GMT
I don't know. I've always liked stories that give me a visceral reaction, like a hard blow to the stomach. Maybe that's why tragedy has always appealed to me in the way that it does. It gives me a stronger reaction than a happy story.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hollowgo on Dec 8, 2010 19:08:29 GMT
I can see your point, it's just not for me. |
|
|
|
Post by Enjorous on Dec 8, 2010 20:16:37 GMT
Again YMMV
|
|
|
|
Post by Wendy on Dec 9, 2010 4:25:22 GMT
I agree with most things that Hollow said. Especially "I hate it when Alice or Bella dies" and "when they don't end up together". I think the latter defeats the purpose of having a fic with A/B. On another note, I also don't like overly angsty stories. I'm not a fan of pain or hurt. Breaking a leg or something is okay, but not dying. Maybe I'm just too soft for this world. *sigh*
|
|
|
|
Post by Hollowgo on Dec 9, 2010 4:27:51 GMT
There's nothing wrong with that, wendy. And hey, we agree on pretty much everything. Tis good news in my book.  |
|
|
|
Post by Enjorous on Dec 9, 2010 4:30:37 GMT
Yeah as far as I'm concerned you all are the normal ones. My liking angst and death and destruction is the oddity. |
|
|
|
Post by Hollowgo on Dec 9, 2010 4:32:42 GMT
You're a sadist, we know. |
|
Well, aside from A/B, seeing as how that's why we're all here. 