@Rodimus13 Aw man ahah, you're in for a long trip then. But it's really good that you're sticking with it!
I do feel though that, there are interesting and like story-hooking ways to tell the story while you're setting everything up before things get moving. 'Cause if the information is necessary for the central plot, then it can still be wrapped in like a setup sub-plot to keep a smaller story arc that readers can follow before the main plot rolls in.
@ar-ninetysix YES. Yes it is. I'm aware it's so much easier said than done.
That's why I waited so long before like bringing up the subject? I didn't know how to go about it cause it's not like flipping a switch and the last thing I want to do is be super discouraging to creators who may be on their like VERY FIRST story. And at that point i"m like pls just finish it and then you can at least have that under your belt before you grow and go on to the next story.
In terms of content, yeah I'll concede that stories can be subjective. But I do believe that a good story will always grab someone who already has a preference for the genre/content that the story has. It feels impossible that an objectively 'good' (it would take forever for me to define what I mean by good OTL) story wouldn't hook anyone.
I feel there is. It's just....it's a set of principles you see. Not exactly a hard and fast set of checklist boxes or rules that say if you do it this way it's a good story.
And yeah you're right. It's not easy advice to follow and I almost feel bad for bringing it up ahaha. I get so intense about just wanting good stories out there to read and make and I want creators to get the subs and views and likes they really want but also make good stories and improve as creators too! It just...there's so much that goes into it that there's no easy or concise way to package the advice.
@Cavechan ; I mean yeah. That's where 'marketing' or putting it where people can find it comes in. Plenty of mediocre/passable stories get heavily marketed and thus they appear popular simply because they have found people, while a good story might get passed over simply because it's not easily accessible/findable.
I agree to your last point somewhat. I think if done right, you should be able to craft a smaller twist (story in miniature is a scene) that hooks a reader in the first 15-20 panels or the first chapter {I personally give a comic one chapter/scene to hook me}. The hook is nothing more than some kind of ironic surprise or something you didn't expect.
small example: A character set up as a selfish jerk, is then shown in the first handful of story beats to be doing something truly selfless, before going back to their facade. Something like that, contradictory, is intriguing enough to hook people even if the main plot is a ways off.
@Pandastrophic : Honestly, yeah you're right. That's why I don't think I've replied much on those threads, if at all, cause 'write a better story' isn't appropriate advice in that case. I just....sometimes I see the stories they link and I'm like...it's passable but you might hit a wall in terms of reader retention because it's not a compelling story? And that is rude and kind of mean cause I know it takes a lot to post your creations in a public setting. And sometimes if the creator is young or just starting out, it really is the best they can do and at that point my only advice is 'finish the story. Get it done, get it under your belt and then go and finish another story so you build up your experience and skill while also learning from others who have accomplished careers in storytelling (like Stephen King's On Writing or Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing).
No, no this is true. I don't doubt people are doing their best. It's becoming clear to me that like, 'tell a good story' isn't good or useful if someone's already in the midst of telling the story. Cause the last thing any creator needs is to get self-conscious and go back and try to change things cause then that can create a negative feedback loop. It's more important to get things finished.
I think initially yeah, art does attract, but I've also seen and stay hooked to stories with different styles or less than polished art. But it is fair to mention that the skill level of your art is one of the many factors, especially here on Tapas.
And yes those are also valid points. To me, the plot = characters so the characters and story are intermingled inextricably. But if the paneling is confusing and text too small, then that can also hurt chances of success. I also won't really stay reading a comic if it's not easily read on the phone cause I don't want to always sit at my desktop and read.
I feel my focus on story is narrow, but also I guess for me it's just priority number 1 long before I even think of publishing it? Cause the panelling, the text bubbles, the marketing, those only follow after a story that works. And there are ways to test the story in miniature form (your one-line/logline, the synopsis/pitch) to others to ensure the core of the story works before you spend time developing it.