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Want More Readers?

Shinneth said:
Hm. How many chapters is the story? If it's like over forty chapters and you do the math, then one wouldn't have very long chapters at all and then it would probably be easy to see why people see a lack of detail. A story's word count and amount of detail, while not always following this rule, is largely dependent on the chapters. My fic is apparently over 250,000 words long and this is only through 14 chapters. Often when I see what fics I stack up with against in word count, usually said fics that are on par or longer than my current story have at least twice as many chapters as I do, if not more.
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That's a good point: Galactic has about 11 stories and 109,470 words so far.
 
I think one of my main factors in not attracting readers is that I have abandoned the same fic about 5 times now so people who have seen it before are immediately turned-off because there's a good chance that I won't finish it.
That's why I've decided to start work on a much shorter fic: about 10 chapters so I should be able to write it. I will also have written a couple of chapters before I have even asked for a banner (completely new fic, gotta stop using the same damn AMAZING banner).

So, yeah, don't abandon your fics all the time, it drive people away.
 
I'm strictly a reader on here so I offer a diff POV. I like to read stories that are interesting. I think a lot of the longer stories are too advanced and aimed at adult audiences. I like stories based off the anime the best. So while some people don't like anime fics, I think sometimes OC stories are boring if not well done because we readers don't care about the new characters if they aren't well done. Anime fics already have the characters we love.
 
Shinneth said:
Hm. How many chapters is the story? If it's like over forty chapters and you do the math, then one wouldn't have very long chapters at all and then it would probably be easy to see why people see a lack of detail.
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It's 26, averaging about 3,500 words per chapter. Not very long, I know, but my chapters are generally shorter and break the plot up into smaller pieces.

A story's word count and amount of detail, while not always following this rule, is largely dependent on the chapters. My fic is apparently over 250,000 words long and this is only through 14 chapters.
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That's... almost 18,000 words per chapter! O_O

Often when I see what fics I stack up with against in word count, usually said fics that are on par or longer than my current story have at least twice as many chapters as I do, if not more.
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Yeah, pretty much, I guess. Rival's Story is now over 100,000 words, I think, and it has more than 80.

Scherb10 said:
I think sometimes OC stories are boring if not well done because we readers don't care about the new characters if they aren't well done. Anime fics already have the characters we love.
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A lot of people think that way, that canon characters should be the important ones in fan fiction. While that is true when you're intermingling canon and original characters, a story created entirely using original characters does not follow that same restriction.

Also, it's somewhat harder to write the canon characters, as most writers will often write them out of character. It's just as hard, if not harder, to write the canon characters well.
 
OC are more fun to write about in IMO. A lot of the anime characters actually have bland, cliche personalities, except for TR and Paul, and sometimes the Pokemon. With OC, you can do whatever you want with them, and a lot of people prefer OC's more.
 
AceTrainer14 said:
OC are more fun to write about in IMO. A lot of the anime characters actually have bland, cliche personalities, except for TR and Paul
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Ahem, Paul's is blandly cold-shouldery, and TR has bland humour. I personally find Paul to be the least likable character out of the whole anime. No sympathy at all for a guy like him. He may have a wading pool's worth of depth, but that doesn't stop him from being bland.
 
I was just giving my two cents worth about the anime characters. But I personally find that you can shake up Paul and TR better in stories to make them more comical/villianous etc. Trying to make Ash interesting is practically impossible.
 
Zekurom said:
It's 26, averaging about 3,500 words per chapter. Not very long, I know, but my chapters are generally shorter and break the plot up into smaller pieces.
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And that's perfectly alright; 3,500 is a fine length for a chapter. That's plenty of room to get your point across, so if it's details you're being critted about, then it may be an issue of style. Again, lots of variables.



That's... almost 18,000 words per chapter! O_O
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Yeah, it's... crazy. XD Granted, that is only an average. My first few chapters were quite short; I didn't hit 5-digit numbers until Chapter 4, and even then that was only barely reaching the barrier and Chapter 6 went back down to 7k. Chapters 7 and beyond are quite crazy-long, especially Chapter 8 (which is easily the longest chapter in the entire fic; almost twice as long as the ones that come next in line) with 42k words. I've kinda mellowed out since Chapter 10, but 15's probably going to skyrocket if only because it's a major episode adaptation. Either way, yeah... even my shortest chapters are pretty lengthy, though I dare say it's not a coincidence that my fic was getting the most attention during my short, early chapters.


Also, it's somewhat harder to write the canon characters, as most writers will often write them out of character. It's just as hard, if not harder, to write the canon characters well.
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While I won't deny it's tricky getting canon characters just the right way, OCs have always been murder on me. I lack the inherent love for my OCs that I do canon characters, and when you don't have love for your OC, then it's obviously not going to get very far. That's sort of a requirement if you're going to make an OC-centered fanfic, hence why I just never bothered and only make OCs for pure, limited function. I always figured I was an odd duck in that respect; I always found canon characters easier and more fun to write for... hence why I guess I'm a better at expansion and refining than I am creating. Apparently that's not the case for a lot of people, as even many people who do write for canon characters eventually "move on" to make OC fics. It seems really kind of portrayed as "growing up" as a writer, which I've just never caught on with even at the age of 24. That's another thing warranting a topic in itself, though: the matter of using OCs versus canon characters.

Ahem, Paul's is blandly cold-shouldery, and TR has bland humour. I personally find Paul to be the least likable character out of the whole anime. No sympathy at all for a guy like him. He may have a wading pool's worth of depth, but that doesn't stop him from being bland.
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I reeeeally hate tooting my own horn, but I've found a lot of potential depth with Paul seeing as my fic sorta centers around him and the theory that never ended up being canon. On more than one occasion I've had reviewers say the fic completely changed their view on Paul (and in other cases, Brandon and Conway and others); I figure if good writing can actually change someone's opinion on a character, then in theory any anime character can be made interesting even without resorting to AU or OOC behavior. Even someone like Ash.

There are really a lot of good ideas by many writers who write anime-based fics. It's just sort of a tragic coincidence that most people who have said ideas are really crappy writers. Anything's possible with just an extra amount of effort.
 
Shinneth said:
While I won't deny it's tricky getting canon characters just the right way, OCs have always been murder on me.
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Eh, we are who we are. I just happen to prefer OC's more.

I lack the inherent love for my OCs that I do canon characters, and when you don't have love for your OC, then it's obviously not going to get very far.
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Guess so. But like I said, we are who we are. You like the canon better.

That's sort of a requirement if you're going to make an OC-centered fanfic, hence why I just never bothered and only make OCs for pure, limited function. I always figured I was an odd duck in that respect; I always found canon characters easier and more fun to write for... hence why I guess I'm a better at expansion and refining than I am creating.
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And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Apparently that's not the case for a lot of people, as even many people who do write for canon characters eventually "move on" to make OC fics.
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I think the reason that OC fics are seen as more "advanced" or "mature" is because they have another element of creativity in them - the characters. With the canon characters, you're just putting them into new situations, and sometimes it can get boring reading about what some random author has to say about these characters.

Meanwhile, with the OC fics, you're just borrowing the universe, nothing else.

It seems really kind of portrayed as "growing up" as a writer, which I've just never caught on with even at the age of 24. That's another thing warranting a topic in itself, though: the matter of using OCs versus canon characters.
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I'll get right to that.

I figure if good writing can actually change someone's opinion on a character, then in theory any anime character can be made interesting even without resorting to AU or OOC behavior. Even someone like Ash.
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And it's happened before.

There are really a lot of good ideas by many writers who write anime-based fics. It's just sort of a tragic coincidence that most people who have said ideas are really crappy writers. Anything's possible with just an extra amount of effort.
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It is, but for some reason, I don't even like well written canon-character fics. Remember that I don't follow The Power Inside? That's a good example.
 
10. Finally, don't write for the thread views and comments. In the end, who really cares about the exact number of views or comments you have? After all, fanfiction writing is mostly enjoyable to the writer him or herself. Just focus on doing what you love to do, and the readers will come.
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I am so guilty.
 
This is some great advice, Legacy. My personal favourite is point number three - I actually wrote out the plan for the whole of Rival's Story before I posted even one chapter online (that's why Blue ends up getting the Leaf Stone to evolve his Exeggcute a good thirty something chapters before he ends up using it - forward planning) I find it also really helps me update regularly because I don't have to think too hard about each individual chapter. Obviously I have to do some work to move it from plans to chapters but it really does make it so much easier.
 
man this is good advice, and yes, i am guilty of multi fics. i found myself typing one story, have half a chapter of it and then the rest of the chap was about a whole different fic.
 
One thing I think needs pointing out is that sometimes you need a huge balance of humor and plot and suspense and whatnot. Some fics end up going form plot fics to crackfics because they can't keep balanced. Others stay balanced and have an even distribution of humor.
EX. GIROG's Reverto Sicilis ut Vox. I have to say this is one of my favorite stories, for one simple reason--somehow, he incorporates a ton of humor and still stays ont he plot at the same time. Somehow, he gives his characters so much depth that I often find myself laughing at some of their comments.
This kind of balance would really help when you're writing, I think. Just something I thought I should point out.
 
Someones probably already pointed this out but I cant read all these pages.

The thing many people will read is a story with a good title. Once you get past a bad title, the story could be great but a lot of people will bypass a story with a lengthy title or a wordy first chapters.

Writing is like selling. Draw people in with a free/short sample and a catchy slogan and then once theyve got a taste for it, rank up the price/length. Theyll be so drawn in they dont care because they realise its a good story.

I am guilty of finding snappy title and great, short first chapter and before I know it, Im on the thirteenth chapter Ive forgotten what I was going to do.

Although all the points are mentioned before are important too. Especially No. 11.
Being a writer is all about waiting for a killer idea. Unfortunately, I contradict this and love to just start writing, completely unprepared and let the ideas flow. I work better in the heat of the moment.
 
Title is very important, I agree. I tend to stay away from stories that have titles that don't draw me in.

Obviously, (like you said) it's up to the author to keep the writer coming back, but the title should be effective at attracting people initially.
 
Please note: The thread is from 13 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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