Why Do You Read Our Stories? [PAGE 15!] - Page 11

First of all, I'm a person who has rarely read novels. And all the books I read are 90% of the times, only thrillers and mysteries. I haven't read a single MB book or any other book of that equivalent, nor have I read any drama genre books. So you know what my preferences are.

Coming to the point,

Why do you read our stories? And by us, I mean any writer that you choose to read here and have been reading.

I really don't know why I read certain stories. I read randomly. If I'm in the mood and have some free time with me, I'll read any random writer's work. Mostly, I check the no. of likes and read some few comments to know what kind of story it is. If I like the response, I read it.

What are you requirements for choosing and sticking with a story?

I like stories with meaningful plots. I stop reading an FF if I find the couple randomly making out every other chapter. Basically the story should be logical and as close to reality as possible, so that I can relate with it. And I like to read something different and unique. I don't like the cliched paths.

It should be my favorite couple (Arhi) centric. The story should revolve around them. If too much attention is given to side characters, I lose interest.

And honestly, I, unlike most other readers don't like too much of description. I'm a movie person. So I want the writing to flow as quickly as the movie. If you stick around explaining a lot of things that are insignificant, I'm going to be bored and will stop reading it coz I have a very short attention span.

And one more thing. I cannot bear to read dialogues in Hindi. It slows down my reading speed and I get annoyed with it.

How important are things like spelling and grammar?

I have a high tolerance level unlike most people here. I can forgive grammar and spelling errors to a great extent coz for me, the idea is more important than how it is written. If the idea is conveyed, I'm happy.

That was my view as a reader. Now my view as a writer.

When I started out writing in IF, I hardly knew how to write a story. I wrote it in a script form. I did that for a long time and I struggled a lot with the vocabulary too coz frankly, creative writing is not my forte. I'm a person whose writing was rejected everytime in school. I use simple english coz that's my limitation. But inspite of all that, people on IF appreciated it. And today, in just a matter of few months, I can proudly say even I've written a full fledged story. And that gives me a sense of personal satisfaction with myself.

Now why I'm saying this is because if, when I had started, people had criticised my writing, I would have lost all the confidence I had mustered up and would have never dared to write again in my entire life. So the same goes to all the other writers out there who write with grammar or spelling errors. Not everyone out there is talented enough to write so beautifully like some talented writers here. So I think even if we cannot appreciate such people, we can atleast refrain from criticising them coz we don't know the exact reasons why a person writes. It can be as a way to relax yourself or it can even been to raise one's confidence or just to get plain attention or like me, to live in an alternate world to escape the real life for some moments. We never know.

Why do you read our stories? And by us, I mean any writer that you choose to read here and have been reading.

What are you requirements for choosing and sticking with a story?

How important are things like spelling and grammar?

I started reading FFs because they had to do with the shows. (I mean, why else would anyone read FFs. ) I have always loved reading, anything from articles in magazines to novels. When I discovered FFs, I was so excited. Two of my favorite things in one! Most FFs I started reading because of the titles or prologue. I stuck to reading them because I had developed a personal connection to the stories. I could be going through my day and, randomly, think of a character and what he/she would think of a situation. Now that doesn't happen with every thread I click on. Sometimes the stories start out with a bang, but then they fizzle out because of various reasons. I read the stories I read because there is something that draws me in, whether that be the writing style, the storyline, or the characters. With the start of the school year, I have cut many stories off my list because I had just been reading them to pass time, but I was not truly interested in them. I read because I love reading, and I stick to a story because I genuinely enjoy the story.

I am also called a Grammar Nazi. I can't stand it when people use texting lingo while writing. I've always been taught that any type of formal writing should be completely written out, no shortcuts. While that does contribute to my reading or not reading a certain story, if a FF has a well, thought-out story line, I will still stick to the story. (But I've only seen a few rare cases of this.) After almost two years on this forum, I do have certain writers that I shadow. But if I am looking for new writers, the first thing that appeals to me is correct grammar. If I read a title of a thread that has symbols where letters should be, I will most likely not click on it. Grammar and spelling do play a major part in my picking a story to read.

English is my preferred language, but I can read Hindi (if it's written in English). I don't mind reading things in Hindi, but when writers try to write in Hindi and it's not correct that does turn me off from reading. I would rather a writer write in their preferred language, then them be uncomfortable trying to write in Hindi or English.

D, thanks for the topic. :)

P.S. I read through all the comments after posting my initial reply. I did get a PM for that podcast because I follow many of those writers. But I have no idea what happened so I'll keep my nose out of it.

Nice post!

Why do you read our stories? And by us, I mean any writer that you choose to read here and have been reading.

I used to be an avid reader during my high school days, but got busy in life. So now, I only read a book or two in a year. When I joined IF (by curiosity), I actually discovered something known as FF. (Please overlook my ignorance, but I never knew such things existed!). Now these stories allow me to de-stress and be happy!

I read some FFs and got hooked. I spend quite a lot of time on my computer. The reason I prefer reading FF over a book is because, when I want a distraction from work, I just have to open another window. (without moving my a**!)

I like IPKKND so reading a FF about them, help in visualizing the characters. Hence it takes less time to read than reading about completely new characters. I can magnify the font size unlike a book.

What are you requirements for choosing and sticking with a story?

I have read some great works here, which to me are publishable (with a little bit of editing).

- Good plot.

- Maturity in writing (edited, readable font and colour)

- I stay away from reading something in yellow, lemon green, etc since it is hard on my eyes.

- No SMS lingo

- Unnecessary sexual acts - Not that I don't enjoy reading them, but they should tasteful and justify the plot.

- I refuse to read contents which involve sexual violence against women. Some authors glorify it and think if ASR would do it, it is justified!

- Regular updates

- I do not check the number of likes or comments before trying out a story. But if someone recommended a story I will check it out (but not everyone has the same taste). If I liked an author's work earlier, I will definitely read his/her other works!

- I know this might sound silly, but I do read the author's note before the prologue. I don't like authors forcing for a like or a comment (Some authors are pretty adamant about it - I would just click the back button even if it could have been a great work that I missed). Liking and commenting should come naturally.

How important are things like spelling and grammar?

Very important for me. Typos, SMS lingo just break the flow. It also reflects how serious the writer is.

Though I do understand Hindi, I cannot read it in Roman script! So the lesser, the better for me - allows a smoother reading.

Sometimes I do overlook some minor grammatical mistakes over a good plot.

i read ff because i love reading and arhi soo much:)