Stories You Want to Read

[Entrisic]

What sort of stories do you wish there were more of? I don't mean 'well written' ones so much as what type of stories you like. What plot, what cliche, what character type, etc. What is the one clincher that would make you want to read the story just because it has that plot element?

For example, I have a guilty pleasure in teenage / young adult 'Coven' type stories. Like the Craft, Secret Circle and the Covenant. I think the basic concept has a lot of potential and at the same time it's just a fun thing to play with. It's not always used wisely but I always want to see/read it. It's my weakness.

I wrote a fantasy slash story a few months back about a knight and a dragon. A few of the reviews I received expressed glee at having found a slash story with dragons, and requests that I write more/something along the same vein. For those people I think I can safely say that dragons and slash together was the pull for them.

Another type of story that I love to see is one based on the fae, the Seelie and Unseelie Court. Changelings and other such things.

So what type of stories grab your attention, and wish there'd be more of? Ones with a main lead that is blind? Nefarious organizations gathering psychics under a guise of benign intent? An author's creation coming to life and puzzling their creator? Time traveling?

Bring on the tried and true, the cliche, the silly, the strange. Hey, a good number of us are writers here, yeah? Maybe someone will be inspired to write something with your clincher.

[Ginevra]

I read mostly X Men fics, though sometimes I browse through Teen Titans (Cartoons), some of the other comic fandoms, Harry Potter, and CSI. I've only started browsing the Original Stories, but I'm looking for essentially the same things there, too, minus the fandom characters.

I come to AFF looking for two kinds of stories:

1. Stories with plot that show some of what happens "off camera" in the lives of my favorite characters. I especially enjoy darker stories and angst. However, I'm not into seeing cannon characters maimed or killed. I do like a bit of romance or sex in these stories, but they don't have to be too graphic. I don't mind OC's if they're well developed, but we've all encountered the ones that aren't.

2. Good smut that features my favorite characters (Nightcrawler and Gambit especially). I prefer M/F pairings but I read plenty of M/M and a little F/F. I've dabbled in the BDSM lifestyle and find it a bonus if a story includes some of my favorite kinks (ex. Spanking, Bondage, D/S, slavery, mild-moderate pain play, etc.). I enjoy reading about non-consensual and borderline consensual sex, though I'd never promote it in real life.

BTW: If anyone has seen any stories with good needle-play scenes--send them my way. Any fandom...I don't care...

Can't stand syrupy romances....

Anyway, I've found it so hard to find enough of what I'm looking for to keep me occupied that I'm writing it now. I often follow links from my reader reviews to what they've written. I'm hoping that if they like what I wrote, I'll like what they wrote.

Edited September 7, 2007 by Ginevra

[madlodger]

For those people I think I can safely say that dragons and slash together was the pull for them.

Very true. I remember reading that story whan it was posted as one chapter, not sure where it was. But the Human/Dragon Slash combo definetely made it very interesting. I liked that and the fact that the story avoided seme/uke cliches. It was something different and fresh.

Overall, I like stories where fantasy world bleeds into reality, be it Demons, Vampires, Aliens, Elves, you name it. Harry Potter is like that

I like mixed pairings like:

Wizard/Human,

Human/Demon,

Demon/Elf and so on

Let's not forget Were-whatever beasts! There is a Slash fic in the Horror/Thriller section where this school teacher gets bitten by a werewolf and is slowly changing. Pretty deep descriptions of how it went and the story will most likely end up as Human/Werewolf pairing.

[Entrisic]

I'm fairly sure you either read it (Into the Fire) on LJ on the creative journal I had before I left in protest, or on my old domain. Those are the only two places where I've posted it as a one-shot. (Unless, uhm, someone's reposting it without my knowledge... )

Wizards/Demons with humans make my day. (along with fae) I'm constantly saying "I want to write that!" and then realize I still have stories to finish. Tsk.

[madlodger]

you either read it (Into the Fire) on LJ on the creative journal I had

Most likely, yes; I've read it some weeks before it was posted on AFF. It was probably your LJ. Not sure how I got there because I do various searches and follow chains of links looking for cool staff to read. The Dragon/Human pairing did catch my attention and I read the entire story rather than just skimming through. At some point it looked as if the story might turn into the typical Demon seme tortures a poor helpless Human uke, but it didn't turn out that way

So, the Demon/Human pairing was a hook

The plot development was great

Wizards/Demons are very interesting as well. I think that having unusual pairings gives so much more for the plot to develop, because the main characters have extra special quirks.

[Entrisic]

Anyway, I've found it so hard to find enough of what I'm looking for to keep me occupied that I'm writing it now. I often follow links from my reader reviews to what they've written. I'm hoping that if they like what I wrote, I'll like what they wrote.

- Ginevra

I'd like to start doing that too, but I know myself. If I start clicking and searching I'll start getting hooked on stories and ignoring my own. (I admit it; I easily fall prey to distractions, and reading is a massive addiction for me.)

I think that having unusual pairings gives so much more for the plot to develop, because the main characters have extra special quirks.

- Madlodger

Exactly. It brings a different point of view to things easily and opens up an insane amount of posibilities. Simply because of race. I started writing on AFF last December but I can see myself in three years with a profile full of odd/unusual pairings.

You know something else that is almost a secure pull for me? Mermaids. Sirens. Particularly mermen. Or heck, selkies. Selkies hold my undivided interest. (although I suppose they somewhat count as a fae....)

[thepeace]

Im too damn picky with my stories. Thats why i cant find alot of what I like.

I like any genre, it can be fantasy, romance, sci fi, supenatural anything. What i look in a story is drama and some angst, and any other genre you might wanna add to it but having those two as main. What i specificly look in a story is people struggling with ¨happenable¨ situations. Stuff like love triangles, war, rejection you know, fucked up situations.

What i look for in a story is the depiction of the characters as what they are, humans, with ther flaws and virtues, no matter how ugly that might make them look.

The setting for the story can be anywhere, in the future or past or wherever.

I dont like reading about rich people or nobles or kings and such, unless they lose alot of wealth in the story.

I can read about anything, chracter death is pretty cool concept, violence makes it very exciting sometimes, about sexual stuff well. I just read M/F, not reall interested in f/f or m/m but i dont mind, as long as its not the main characters relationship. BDSM, Rape, underage sex or whatever ill read it. as long as the plot is good.

Charachters can be any age and any sex.

Kinda picky huh?

Anybody got any ideas were to find something like that???

Edited September 29, 2007 by thepeace

[Ele]

I quite agree with 'thepeace': I'm very picky. It's all about the plot and the way the characters develop. Perhaps the latter is even more important. I don't need an action filled storyline. I find it very hard to discover good fiction... and here on AFF people tend to focus their imagination entirely on the smut scenes... they alone don't make me happy.

I've found a few good Potter-fics (I usually prefer the Snape-centered) that got me really addicted and I've read two nice original stories on the Aarinfantasy forum but that's it. *Recommendations welcome!* Until they fly in I'll try to contribute a nice story myself .

Edited December 13, 2007 by Ele

[Acal]

I'd love to see more well done Werewolf and Vampire stories theres just so few good ones that don't get abandonded. I'm writing my own vampire story, but i'm a little discouraged at how few hits and reviews i have for my 40,000 word monster so far

[Terri]

The first thing that comes to mind for me here has to be of age bro/sis stories. Granted, the "we're home alone, let's hop in bed" types bore me for the most part, but still I just haven't been finding enough for the last year. Especially those that don't include what I already mentioned.

Beyond that, I agree with there not seeming to be a whole lot of Vamp fics, especially not well developed ones. Which could be part of the reason you're not getting too many hits, Acal - most people just might feel too let down by the underdeveloped ones and those that hardly if ever get updated

[tally.k]

The first thing that comes to mind for me here has to be of age bro/sis stories. Granted, the "we're home alone, let's hop in bed" types bore me for the most part, but still I just haven't been finding enough for the last year. Especially those that don't include what I already mentioned.

I have to agree with you Terri. I would really like to see more plot based stories of this nature.

I also really enjoy Professor/Student stories (with a dom/sub feel to them). Again, I like ones that are realisitic and not pure smut. Plot can be good

Edited December 11, 2007 by tally.k

[Terri]

Woot! I'm not alone ^.^ lol, sorry people still tend to look at me like a freak for those being my favorites lol... ask me if I care

Yeah, same here - though if you haven't already seen it I've got a fanfic called "So Much for Training" which does involve teacher/student in a dom/sub situation. Granted it's a fanfic, but you don't really have to know much about the characters if that's your kinda fic

[kiix]

I prefer stories with a supernatural bent. Apparently I keep gravitating over to the dark side with vampires, demons, were-thingies. I attempt to read all the offering I can find but, I said attempt. I can forgive the grammar and spelling (so many put up with my beta virgin territory) but if the characters are flat or cliche I just can't get into their world.

I don't mind 'darkness' in a story as long as there are consequences. ie, non-con. There are far reaching problems that should happen. If a swarmy Harlequin happens then I just have to back out of my browser.

As long as the characters are believable, I will follow a story right through to the end and in come cases, my wallet followed them right to the checkout counter.

[sunshine818]

Very true. I remember reading that story whan it was posted as one chapter, not sure where it was. But the Human/Dragon Slash combo definetely made it very interesting. I liked that and the fact that the story avoided seme/uke cliches. It was something different and fresh.

Overall, I like stories where fantasy world bleeds into reality, be it Demons, Vampires, Aliens, Elves, you name it. Harry Potter is like that

I like mixed pairings like:

Wizard/Human,

Human/Demon,

Demon/Elf and so on

Let's not forget Were-whatever beasts! There is a Slash fic in the Horror/Thriller section where this school teacher gets bitten by a werewolf and is slowly changing. Pretty deep descriptions of how it went and the story will most likely end up as Human/Werewolf pairing.

Can you post links of said stories? please!!

[Keith Inc.]

What sort of stories do you wish there were more of? I don't mean 'well written' ones so much as what type of stories you like. What plot, what cliche, what character type, etc. What is the one clincher that would make you want to read the story just because it has that plot element?

Mad Scientists. The loopier the better.

There just isn't enough truly Mad Scientist porn. And i don't just want it to be a rape scene that takes place in an evil-genius' lab or world-domination-headquarters. Or a GI Joe foe that's employed as a MadSci getting lucky in a motel room.

There need to be stories where the madness of the science is integral to the plot. Or integral to the sex. Unless that's redundant....?

I'm trying my best, but i've only gotten 8 or so written.

Just not loopy enough, i guess.

[eatenbyweasels]

I like human, real world m/m, with men drawn as men, emotional illiteracy and all. I want to read something gritty, darkish and maybe a tad kinky, whilst remaining a romance. If Ian Rankin or Lynda la Plante wrote smutty m/m novels I'd be down the book shop like a shot.

I like a good villain, but a degree of moral ambivalance in of all the main characters makes for a more interesting read; I've said of my own writing that my favourite anti-hero is love itself. I don't mind moderate violence and harsh sexual/sexualised language is fine where it's appropriate. I have no problem with reading non-con if it's honestly described and the writer doesn't gloss over the consequences.

I'm also a fan of mpreg fics, but it's really hard finding good quality original mpreg that fits the above preferences. (I have found only one pleasing example on AFF and the chaps in that story develop female organs, which would normally have made me hit the "back" button but to his/her credit, the writer already had me snared by merit of their storytelling. )

Squicks/ "back" button triggers: scat, underage, incest, anthro/non-human, surprise!vaginas. Weepy little "bottoms" with the physical description of 13-year-old girl with a penis stitched on as an afterthought. Arty-farty names for characters. Stereotypical "top"/"bottom" power balances. Poor spelling/grammar/punctuation, malapropisms.

Picky? I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Any recs?

Edited January 30, 2010 by eatenbyweasels

[canterro]

Picky? I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Any recs?

yeeeeah... as immodest as I am, I dare to say that you might like my "The Jigsaw". Of course, you might not, as well, but then I'd appreciate the critical review

[eatenbyweasels]

yeeeeah... as immodest as I am, I dare to say that you might like my "The Jigsaw". Of course, you might not, as well, but then I'd appreciate the critical review

I have bookmarked "The Jigsaw" for perusal. Thanks for the rec.

[CloverReef]

Ohh, oh, I love supernatural thrillers! With the exception of vampires and shapeshifters.

As for character types, It depends on how they're portrayed. Of course I love the whole hate/love relationship thing, but really love/love and repress/love can work too if the characters are interesting.

[canterro]

I don't like sweetness. I don't like this 'uke' type that stares with his/her eyes full of tears, is always clumsy and can't take care of anything, reacts with hysteria, and makes me wonder why, the heck, somebody would fall in love with that, ekhem, 'thing'.

For me, a story must seem real, believable (even if it's fantasy), and so must characters.

I like complications, but hey, not too much. Too much spoils the thing...

Well, I'd call it maturity, what I'm looking for

I'm not really interested in mpreg thing, incest, and strange genitals :] Not that I'm disgusted or something, I'm just not interested (usually; if you manage to catch me with your story that involves subjects mentioned above - congratulations; you're a magician ).

[CloverReef]

I don't like sweetness. I don't like this 'uke' type that stares with his/her eyes full of tears, is always clumsy and can't take care of anything, reacts with hysteria, and makes me wonder why, the heck, somebody would fall in love with that, ekhem, 'thing'

LOL! Uh huh, I'm not partial to the teary-eyed ukes either. Although... Maybe it could be fun to try and pull one off...

[canterro]

LOL! Uh huh, I'm not partial to the teary-eyed ukes either. Although... Maybe it could be fun to try and pull one off...

Well, that would be hell of a challenge for me

I might even get motivated

[Guest Guest]

I usually only read original stories, though I can get into other things like Buffy, Batman and a few others if the characters are written well. I really enjoy stories with monsters in them, or aliens and other weird stuff. Vampires and werewolves I also enjoy. I can be a bit abusive too...I tend to like forced love a lot.