[Orbwar]

i been writing for a few months just for the reck of it but when people read my stroys they find them boring and unintresting. so how can i make them more fun

[This message has been edited by Orbwar (edited March 03, 2002).]

[Alucard]

What kind of stories do you generally write? Are you going for a serious kind of story, or something more lighthearted? I ask because, before I could pitch in my two cents, I'd have to know a little about what you're aiming for.

[nicba]

Well, I would say that for me to find a story "fun," or interesting, it would have to contain one of two things:

a) An exiting new idea, or a good twist on an old one. That is, the story should be original in some fashion.

b) Above-average writing and some especially engaging characters. Stories capable of taking the reader on an emotional roller-coaster ride.

In category A I would place much of the really good hard SF out there, books and stories that hinges on the exploration on some specific idea or concept, for example the idea of communicating across time in Gregory Benford's 'Timescape' or the idea of a race experiencing darkness and night for the first time in Isaac Asimov's nightfall.

In the second category I think much fantasy litterature belongs. But also a special love of mine: Short stories giving a glimpse of the life of some person through a particular event in that persons life. For example Roger Zelazny's 'This Moment Of The Storm.'

Thus I enjoy both stories of stunning new scientific ideas or well-crafted tales about interesting characters. Of course, books containing both these elements are the absolute top http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif.

But, to return to your original question about how to make your stories more fun, I'm not sure how much the above helped. Maybe it could serve to set of a discussion of what defines a good story? A checklist for 'things to include when writing fiction'? And anyway, to get more specific help I think you have to either give us some more details of what you're trying to write, as Alucard suggested, or post one of the stories in question and see if someone has some input.

[Penumbra]

Try some humor, unintentional or pervasive. It is often possible to sustain interest by injecting something that appeals to the funny
bone. Since most every story has a problem for the protagonist to overcome, there ought to be a way to turn things around so that readers are intrigued.

[Orbwar]

thank you for your suggestions. i'm writing a fantasy adventure. but i will now try to make it light-hearted. you are truly kind for helping. i will post up im story soon so you can see it. but it may be sometime because i've only started.

Orb

[This message has been edited by Orbwar (edited March 05, 2002).]

[milamber_reborn]

At the same time though, it needs to ber serious. You need to find appropriate places for humour and be a little subtle most of the time. Characters need to struggle with others and themselves within a good plot.