What makes you read a fic?

[Andrea]

And spelling. Oh, dear God. When people don't capitalize the I's, or mistake your for you're, its for it's, than for then... I hate that. Sweet for sweat!? I feel like telling them, <i>learn how to write properly, and THEN give it a try.</i>

[Shaoli]

i get the feeling we're all just venting stuff we've been too diplomatic to say in our actual reviews. XD

Back on topic, loathe as i am to admit it, i sometimes read a fic just for a specific pairing, regardless of how bad it looks.

Then i throw subtle insults at the author. XD

[Andrea]

Hmm... Well, as much as I sometimes think that the writing could have been better or whatever, I've never, ever flamed an author. I don't like it when it's done to me, so I don't do it. If you want to flame me, do it so privately, and then we'll talk. There's no need to bring someone down and insult them publicly. But, again, that's just me.

[Shaoli]

i think FF.Net encourages writers who lack standard, and doesn't help them improve. Most of the readers there are very easy to please, and even absolute rubbish gets very good reviews as long as they contain enough perversity/random humour/romance.

It's kind of a balance against that. i leave them unsigned so they can delete the review if they can't take my criticism. It's never so much of a flame as it is a detailed pick-apart of the fic, and i might also mention to the author that i don't see anything good to say about it.

[Andrea]

I don't think FF.net cares for the quality of the fics they upload. Really. They just want quantity, not quality. But, again, I believe in freedom of speech and such. If someone wants to write a fic, be my guest. If I come across it, and I don't like it, I just hit back, and all's fine. I don't have to read EVERY fic I come across. I know there are people out there who don't like my fics, and I know that there are fics out there that I don't like. But, people are civil. And, again, I don't think bashing someone would prove me useful. On the contrary, I don't care if a person knows how to write, or doesn't. They're free to do so, just as I am.

And in a site such as FF.net... That place was created for that sole purpose: to let people post their fics.

So, sadly, but without regret, I have to tell you that I disagree with you. But, just the same, I respect your views.

- Andrea.

[Shaoli]

i'm arrogant, elitist and prefer to deal out doses of reality to the ignorant scum who think themselves good writers simply because their friends say so than leave them alone. Same goes for the teeny-boppers who claim to be "published writers" and "manga-kas". Calls for a sound smacking, especially since they know nothing about what standards are really like in the industry.

And my ego is extremely difficult to dent, so talk about "karma" (which only the deluded believe in) and "do unto others" have no effect whatsoever.

There's also absolutely no shame in not agreeing with my point of view. i've not the best of natures.

It's true that FF.Net doesn't give a monkey's for quality, since authors are free to post their work on their own. It's a great way to bring fans of a genre to where they can find people who share their interests.

So long as there's no rule that says "please only say nice things" in FF.Net, i'll continue my honest critique. It's entertainment of sorts.

[Cinpii]

First and foremost, the pairing. I'm picky. If I can't tell, I won't click. If it's a pairing I can't stand, for SURE I won't click.

Once I find a pairing I like for a certain anime, I'm just very stauch on it and don't sway easily. The minor charas can hook up with whoever, but my fave male chara has to be w/ my fave female chara.

Of course, there are exceptions. Desperation is one. Ex: For the anime Prince of Tennis, there are only 6 fics on my fave pairing, and if you don't count my own, that makes only _5_! *sobs*.

Ahem, anyways, yah, it's pairings. If it's a pairing I don't mind, I'll click. But the summary counts for a lot. However, most of the time, if it's an author I don't know, I check their bio first to get a feel for them and their story reviews as well. I need to know their maturity level first. Then I look out for my major pet peeves... OC, ooc, and lack of proofing. I find that I gotta do this to ensure an enjoyable reading experience. Sad, huh?

What makes me keep reading though? The mechanics of the writing itself. If they obviously don't care enough about their work and their reader to proof their own piece, then I'm not gonna give them anymore of my time. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my own works, so not posting the very best you can possibly produce boggles my mind.

Another thing that makes me read a work, or at least interested... if they reviewed my own work. That tells me we already have something in common (a love for the same pairing) and well, if you review my work, I will just automatically like you. ^.^

And one more thing? The favorite fics of my favorite writers. Then you know you're reading something good. I found a lot of awesome fics this way. ^^ Looking at the fave fics of my reviewers also help. =9

[Andrea]

Looking at the fave fics of my reviewers also help.

That is so true. Found some of my favorite stories that way.

[Tomorrow]

Many of you have brought up some good points. However, the title doesn't really matter to me. I've read some great stories named things like "Heero and Relena," "The Dove and the Warrior," and various generic titles such as that. It's a matter of taking risks, and using other clues to deduce a good story (at least for me), like the summary, writing style, and grammar.

I will have to agree, though, that the summary counts for a lot... but not everything. If I see grammar mistakes in the summaries and titles, then I assume that the story will be just as sloppily thrown together. It's a logical conclusion, and about 90% (or greater) correct. The summary is usually what makes me click on the story, whereas the first few paragraphs are what hook me-- With one-shots. I'm much more lenient with series/novels, because sometimes even the best novels have insanely boring/weird beginnings (like Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and The Wicked Day). Yes, the writing styles are superb, but if the story lacks a plot, substance, and point you might as well label it as prosaic poetry. It would do the writing justice and not defame "fiction."

However, if I had to choose between style or plot... I would have to say that writing style is more important to me. Sometimes, when stories are just written so perfectly, my mind puts the events on the backburner, soley focusing on diction, syntax, and semantics. That's how I feel about Shakespeare: although many of his plays are masterpieces, it's the intrinsic beauty of the writing itself that astounds me. His clever word choices and subtle associations. Such language tricks amaze me.

~Tomorrow

P.S. Yes... paragraphs are a must when reading a story.

[Calla Lily]

P.S. Yes... paragraphs are a must when reading a story.

How very true, when I first glance at a story, it's overall appearance has to be somewhat visually appealing or else I'm left befuddled and obliged move on.

But it's not so much the title of the story as it is the summary. Granted, I usually look for a particular pairing that I'm fond of and then see what the summary holds, or else I'll take a peek at the genre of the story and see if my interest is sparked. It bothers me greatly when a story is not rated properly or the reader is not warned that the story may contain some yaoi. And always, there is the danger of OOC.

But realizing that I'm a glutton for humor, it's hard to sift out the clever ones in a category amongst some 'rubbish.' I'm referring to those authors whose only purpose is to shamelessly use self-inserts and type out meaningless conversations between the characters and themselves resulting in the whole story being absolute nonsense. I understand why some would do this, but the point of fanfiction is to write about the characters and not go off on an absolute tangent. When this happens, I usually just leave the story and look for another one.

Like many of you, I also like to see what other authors recommend and take a look under their favourite authors as well as their favourite stories. (and yet that can be dangerous at times...) Furthermore, taking a look at the review help. It's not the quantity that I'm interested in, it's how the reviewers respond. (and again, that can be a dangerous thing too.)

My patience level is pretty reasonable, or so I'd like to think. I could wait for a year or more for a story to be updated and still love it, I suppose it varies from person to person. The A/N's at the beginning of the story and the author's biography page are given large amounts of attention just because it reflects the state of mind/mood that the writer has been in, and how they address their readers is crucial to me and will hopefully transcend into their writing style. Hilarious Disclaimers are a plus.

And as a last note, simple spelling and grammatical errors are indeed a bother and I usually point it out in a subtle way when I review the story. I've done my part and leave the rest up to the author to fix. As of late, FF.net has improved it's services so hopefully the quality of writing will improve in the new wave of stories that always seem to appear there.

And someone remind me to update my stories...

~Calla.