Things You Love in Stories

I love established relationships where the characters are already together and you get to see how their relationship grows and matures. Getting together is the most boring part of the relationship to me. And, in my experience, it doesn't often lend itself to six months worth of drama. It's more like 'hey, we fucked once, wanna date now'.

I'm a sucker for romance...especially the forbidden love kind. It's my guilty pleasure.

I love subtle humor in the dialogue and/or narration.

I love when the author naturally slips in just little everyday things that happen.

Like, when a character will just stumble over words, spill something on their shirt, stub their toe, pretend to understand something they don't, be paranoid that they have bad breath, etc.

Just things that happen in everyday life that you don't normally see in stories.

One example I remember is in this one story, a girl is on a date and she accidentally had water dribble down her chin. And it was done in a way that wasn't all "oh my gosh i'm such a klutz omg wahhh", it was just done so naturally that it was humorous.

Another time, she forgot she had eye make-up on and rubbed her eye and had to go about the rest of the day with uneven make-up.

I dunno, to me it helps me relate to characters more.

coward.:

I love when the author naturally slips in just little everyday things that happen.

Like, when a character will just stumble over words, spill something on their shirt, stub their toe, pretend to understand something they don't, be paranoid that they have bad breath, etc.

Just things that happen in everyday life that you don't normally see in stories.

One example I remember is in this one story, a girl is on a date and she accidentally had water dribble down her chin. And it was done in a way that wasn't all "oh my gosh i'm such a klutz omg wahhh", it was just done so naturally that it was humorous.

Another time, she forgot she had eye make-up on and rubbed her eye and had to go about the rest of the day with uneven make-up.

I dunno, to me it helps me relate to characters more.

This so much. It's so believable and true to life.

I also love when characters have a mental disability, but it isn't obvious, but once spoken you can see it, and they don't kick up a huge fuss.

Physical imperfections, if only because I feel like those things are the features that give people character.

I'm a sucker for some well-done social media, especially if it's true to the time period the story is written in. It can really add a whole new level of realism.

Vivid imagery

When fanfiction characters are just unbelievably on-point.

When the characters say witty/funny things that just fit the moment so perfectly.

Anything Douglas Adams has ever done, ever.

Well-paced plots

Protagonists that aren't straight. I really love it when the protagonists aren't straight or gay, but something that gets even less representation like asexual (my favorite), bisexual, pan, etc. Pretty much anything people say "doesn't exist."

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Cyberpunk. I love cyberpunk.

caves of steel.:

Cyberpunk. I love cyberpunk.

This, so much. Biopunk and steampunk, too.

- Really well-written description. I'm a sucker for metaphors, but use them right.
- Stories set in a distant future different from how we expect it (ie not a dystopia or a technological beehive)
- On the other hand, cool tech gadgets!
- "Fantasy" topics made believable, such as the science of vampires, or genetic mutations.

Conversations that are realistic and in-character. Also, accents that are readable.

I love male characters that calm and collected but very sexy, like they always have something witty and inappropriate to say, particular when they've angered the girl they're speaking to.

And I love tension between characters, like raw sexual tension, like I wanna' rip your clothes off kind of stuff, where one moves and the other's skin prickles, and they want to touch but their parents are in the room or something.

I think I prefer the acts leading up to a relationship then the actual relationship. Like the wooing, flirting, trying to get into their pants phase.

Stories about ordinary, real people going through common problems and overcoming obstacles.

I understand that affairs, love triangles, and other things of that nature do happen in life, but there are so many other things that people go through that are much more common.

I like to see in stories when the author portrays the main character as actually having a best friend outside of their significant other. Especially in slash because that's honestly all I read

But like, too much I see that the main guy only hangs out ever with his boyfriend. And that's it. They may have friends but no one too important. In some situations, your significant other will be your best friend completely. But you can have very close, platonic friends that you have one on one time with. That's healthy, you know? And that element is usually missing from stories.

Stories that have more things going on than just the main character's problem(s). I like a story that has minor characters with things actually going on in their lives, even if it is just to show the main character's reaction to it (though that is not my preference). Although the main character's issues should still be the focus, I think it's important to remember that "we" are not the only ones who have things going on, and "we" are not the center of the universe.

Plots that are well-thought out and written.

Characters who are very easy to fall in love with.

Realistic dialogue and witty humor in any type of situation.

MINOR CHARACTERS WHO AREN'T THERE JUST FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER'S EGO BOOST.

Ambiguous endings if it fits the story well.