What draws you or turns you away from a comic/story?

@pixxiepinks Pixxie Pink
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 14:00:25 +0000

@pixxiepinks wrote:

Turn away - "False Advertising."

In the sense that a story is marketed and framed in a certain way, but that's not at all what the story is about. I find romances tend to suffer from this the most, portraying a "good wholesome romance everyone wants!" but when you actually read it, the love interest is a walking red flag and does things that would definitely get a real person arrested.

The thing is I don't mind reading dark stories, in fact, I really like reading dark stories, but tell me it's a dark story, don't try to pull a 50 Shades of Gray on me and lie about how this is sweet. If you want to write dark themes, then let the audience know, don't trick younger readers into thinking certain behavior is okay in a partner or trigger someone who didn't know certain content would be inside.

This obviously applies to other genres as well, but I've found the female lead romances to be the most problematic.

Draws me in - "Relationships"

Not in the sense of romance (though that is one kind of relationship). I mean the connection between characters. If the MC doesn't feel like they are attached to anyone or anything (a common problem I find in fantasy works), then I don't want to read it. But this also applies to MCs who have relationships that feel unnatural and/or stiff.

I like seeing the interconnections between people build and change. How a group of strangers can become each other's family, or how a friendship can be torn apart by different ideals. It doesn't even have to be healthy relationships, I just want realistic connections. I want to be able to believe the story being told, and personally, a lot of the story depends on how well a character fits into the larger narrative based on the other characters tied to them.