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1813 - The Social Experiment


JP Caballero

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  • 1 month later...

Go figure, huh?

I think Gary's stories are among the very best posted anywhere, and 1813 is no exception.  His style is quiet and  seductive, and that may be why people save their praise for the end.  Gary doesn't do cliffhangers to hold an audience, but there's never any doubt when there's more just over the horizon.

With all the recent noise about incomplete stories, Gary might raise his profile by putting 'the end' after each chapter and change the status, to 'Always complete, with more to come.'.  I may try that myself.

 

d

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There are a lot of things going on here. Given the number quoted you have, what 200 - 250 readers of the story, maybe a handful of members who can comment. But that's not really the point. Sadly members don't come onto the forum to comment, which is detrimental to authors and their stories.

I looked at this story because it was mentioned. It's that simple. Well an included link to the story would have been better. https://castleroland.net/story-synop/?id=6702  

Every story on here and especially those currently being serialised deserve a mention by a member or two who is reading the story. A simple: this story looks interesting, or I like the beginning, or even if you like historic tales you might like this. 

Another question is: what do you say if you don't like a story? Perhaps you don't comment? I looked at the story, read the summary, read the opening paragraphs. I realised I'd done that before, I recognised the story. The author is telling a tale, it didn't immediately pull me in, all telling, no showing. It wasn't that it had no interest, but there are so many stories to choose from. 

It made me wonder what draws me into a story. I clicked a few authors at random. One was Adam,  https://castleroland.net/story-synop/?id=5693 one was Wiliam King, https://castleroland.net/story-synop/?id=3662 they both start with dialogue, and that drew me in. I looked at Driver, Sudden Storm,  https://castleroland.net/story-synop/?id=5881 the opening was interesting, but could have been better, imo. 

Unfortunately, very few members comment for good or bad about stories, and as they say any publicity is better than none.

 

 

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Cut is out, Talo!  You and Adam started this by complaining that we don't know how to (or don't bother to) finish our stories to your liking.  That's fine, you can like what you want just like everyone does.

But when you start a new topic you should start a new conversation.  Now you don't like how we begin our stories, and that's a whole 'nother matter. I don't suppose that your technique for selecting stories is much different than  mine or anybody's.  You read some, and if you like it you continue;  If not, you put it down.  If you only like stories that begin with conversation, you'll probably find that you have to discover them by trial and error, which you're already doing.  It still belongs in its own thread, not tagged onto the popular unfinished stories debate.

 

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@Driver I think we have a misunderstanding here.

I was commenting on this story: I went to read the summary because the story was mentioned here (I often look at stories mentioned on the forum). Then I was answering the question, why no comments about the story? Finally, I'm saying that if the first couple of paragraphs don't grab the reader you don't read on. I just randomly took some examples, not saying you need to open a story with dialogue. Not even saying your own story opening was bad (could have been better, that's just my opinion, but not bad). But when it comes to the opening of this story, no, I don't think it was that great. The author is telling us the story, it doesn't take you into the action. Yes it's an interesting history, but it doesn't put you there on the ship with the convicts. And my ultimate point: it's okay to say you don't particularly like a story, because giving a story a mention will make people look at it, and some will like it and read it.

I think we don't speak the same language, I regret being misunderstood, but it happens frequently when talking to Americans (that is not a criticism, just how it is. We don't seem to read the same meaning and you misinterpret good intentions as bad criticism). I'm sorry about that, I'll try harder, but it's difficult because the points you make seem totally off topic.

 

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Talo, I was only speaking about you hijacking the thread about unfinished stories with a completely new topic, ie: what it is that gets you to read a story in the first place.Every  new topic deserves a new thread.

"It made me wonder what draws me into a story. I clicked a few authors at random. One was Adam,  https://castleroland.net/story-synop/?id=5693 one was Wiliam King, https://castleroland.net/story-synop/?        id=3662 they both start with dialogue, and that drew me in. I looked at Driver, Sudden Storm,  https://castleroland.net/story-synop/?id=5881 the opening was interesting, but could have been better, imo."

Exactly what conclusion should I take away from what you said about dialogue here?  It's what you said, and what you keep repeating in our offline interaction, so I do know what you  mean.

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