Dicussion: how can a story impress you?

Idk if my topic is clrealy so I will explain it down here.
Like, when do you say this story is good and worth sharing or somethings else positive.
Is complicated choices or directing skills important?

And what do you hate while reading story? (Eg: meaningless choice, etc)

Feel free to share your thoughts with me :heart: I’m a new author and I want to know

Thanks a lot :heavy_heart_exclamation:

5 Likes

Personally, I don’t like choices at all, I just like to read. Plus the directing skills can be medium, not too boring, not so advance.

@cece_hunter, has something on this, I believe.

8 Likes

I made a whole topic answering this: ANSWERED: How do Episodians like their stories?

5 Likes

dang, I’m new to the forum and I didn’t see it. Thank you so much lovely :heart:

1 Like

Hope it helps you :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

1 Like

The plot and writing matters the most to me. Good writing and having an interesting plot is helpful for any author. Directing would need to be smooth. I wouldn’t want to read a story that has butchered directing, bad grammar and spelling is a turn off too which is why when I used to review, I recommended a proof-reader. I love cliffhangers and short episodes. I don’t mind a story not having choices, but I do like them. Sometimes I’m so invested in reading when a choice pops up, I get a little annoyed :joy:

5 Likes

omg same here. Like I’m so into the story and a choice pops up. “Good mood has been destroyed” LOL :joy:

1 Like

:red_light: Disclaimer: please don’t PM me to check out your story, I’m stressed as is, just had this happen to me so I’m putting this warning here so no repeat sessions occur, thanks, I’m sorry if I sound rude but am pretty tired :red_light:

1 Like

I like that phrasing. I don’t need a story to have super complicated directing and I think a lot of authors get caught up trying to do too much. I just want something smooth, simple is fine as long as it conveys what it needs to.

1 Like

In short, a story genuinely has me when I feel a connection.

I’m not really that warm and fuzzy, so it takes a talented author to get me to actually feel for the characters. But once I do, when I gasp at a twist or tear up in an emotional scene, the author has me under their thumb.

But that takes time. A story has to catch me in the description and in episode 1 for me to continue. A story can be a masterpiece by ep20, but that doesn’t matter if I never got past ep1.

So it has to catch me with some ep1 hooks, like:

  • Interesting plot. If there are 700 stories on this app like yours, chances are, I’ve already read one. I’ve gotta see something that I like and haven’t seen before.
  • Just the right amount of drama and action. Episode 1 is normally pretty subdued, yes, but it can’t just be all introduction, there has to be some promise that it’ll be interesting, maybe a vague flash-forward, a flashback to the “moment it all began,” or just the beginning of what makes the story interesting.
  • Quality. This is vague, but you can tell when a story is well-thought out through various measures. How’s their grammar, did they get help from a proofreader? How does the dialogue flow, like a human or like a robot? Do I see Stella chillin’ in the background like she’s taken over the app? Minigames and advanced directing aren’t a necessity, but they are a relatively obvious way to flex, like “Look at me, I put work into this.” I’d just better see that work turn into a story. If I want to see a masterful program with no soul, I’d google something.

But that’s just me haha, Cece’s poll answers help you get a feel for what a pocket of the forum users feel. :+1:

Good luck and happy writing! :grin:

3 Likes

I honestly don’t even mind. I used to love highly advanced directing with a million overlays but now having basic overlays and basic directing is legit okay. As long as the storyline is interesting I really don’t care :joy:. For example, (I in now way shape or form am meaning to sh^t on this story and author, literally I’m in love with this story) But Falling for my student (before y’all say sum I have to say something…BYE) it doesn’t have overlays and has mediocre directing yet it’s still good like really good! Idk if u catch my drift :joy:

1 Like

when the writers are rlly good researchers and its good information

also fashion lol

as for directing as long as it isn’t fragmented/glitchy its cool, to me art scenes are cooler

Tbh what’d really impress me personally is an interesting yet really original plot; given the fact that millions of ideas had already been used, it’s super difficult to come up with a good plot without it being taken already.

If it doesn’t have mini games…
IT’S GOING TO MY HATE LIST :joy:

Regardless of whether the story has a good plot and well-developed characters? :no_mouth:

1 Like

This isn’t an absolute necessity to make a story good, but the way some authors utilize overlays will never not impress me… it just makes the reading experience all the more special :two_hearts:

So relatable!

1 Like

I don’t care about choices and would be fine with just reading. A good plot and interesting characters is enough for me, that is obviously written out good.

1 Like

It can be worst grammar and it could be mafia story ( Which will be fine to be cause lately I started liking mafia stories);
BUT MINI GAMES

You can just play mini games online.

2 Likes