The Importance of Story Layouts

Cakecup:

To put it bluntly I probably won't read a story with a crappy layout.
I don't like most of the default ones so I guess I prefer it when the Author has made it. A decent one though of course.

Yeah, it's the same for me...
I can't take it when the background doesn't blend it, either. I like it when it tiles.

I turn away from stories a lot when there are blinding layouts...

I like it when the layout fits the story and is something unique.
Not much a fan of tiles, but I like it when the image blends with the background a bit. :)

Like everyone else, I don't really like to read layouts that hurt my eyes.

I'm not too fuzzed on the background wehn I'm reading it
but i tend to make a different layout for every story i do, one that fits the story, makes the reader more involved
if that makes sense

I make my own, so I can customize it to the story. I think it is a bit important, because if the layout is too big or the text is unreadable, you don't want to bother reading the story.

Chances are I won't read a story if the layout's premade.
I like the default layout, though.
One of my favorite stories on here uses it, and I think it makes it simpler.
Plus, sometimes a layout simply doesn't and could never fit a story.

I just made the layout for The End of Days right after I finished it. And it took forever. I made two version of the banners. And I went through about five background pictures and just ended up making my own. Then I went through three pictures for the bottom of the page.

It took forever, but I like my layouts to be as close to perfect as I can get them.

Most of my older stories have generic layouts that I've made and I'll just choose them to fit the theme [because I have over 200 layouts, but only 170-something stories]. But almost all of my Panic-era stories have custom layouts.

And sometimes, I'll remake layouts for older stories. I just redid the layout and banner for Room 242 and a few months ago I completely redid the layout and banner for Billie Jo.

I don't agree with layouts never being able to fit a story, though. At least, in my case. I've never had difficulty with it. I have more difficulty with banners than layouts.

laryngitis.:

Cakecup:

To put it bluntly I probably won't read a story with a crappy layout.
I don't like most of the default ones so I guess I prefer it when the Author has made it. A decent one though of course.

Yeah, it's the same for me...
I can't take it when the background doesn't blend it, either. I like it when it tiles.

I turn away from stories a lot when there are blinding layouts...

Me too. I think a layout sets the tone for a story and if an author can't be bothered to make a layout then they're not dedicated to their story which means it probably won't be good :file: Layouts and titles are just as important as the content.

I wont read a story if it has a weird layout where you have to highlight the text just to read it.

But other than that, I'm not too fussy. I do like a good layout, though :yah

I like ‘em if their simple. I mainly have a layout called ‘ONE SHOTS’ and another titled ‘REGLUARS’ the regulars one stands for the chaptered, and the one-shots, is well, obvious.

I like it if the layout matches the feel of the story or something close to it. Default layout, I don’t mind. Um? If there is anything flashly—I just won’t the story, because of my ADD, and I’m usually fucked over if I do read the story, because my eyes will mainly wander over to the flashy design.

Layouts made by other people… those ones—forgot what their called. I like and don’t like ‘em. Some are tacky, and others just mind blowing awesome.

So basically, I’m pretty simple on this.

I hate the preset layouts. I'm sorry, but I mean no offense to the people who made them, but...I mean, there is a generator thing for a reason, use it! It just kills a story when the layout it one I've seen a billion times before :/ .
I'm a very creative person, and I love to see originality and style in story layouts, something simple and effective, and most importantly relative. I hate stories with stupid layouts that have nothing to do with the story.
Also, I hate really tacky layouts, where they have the MSpaint edited picture on repeat down the side, thats just gross.

Just my opinion on the matter. :)

I didn't realise layouts were important at all. I hate the really fussy ones and was going to go with default for my own story.

I, personally, prefer light words on a dark screen.
That's just my personal preference, though.

As for my own layouts, nine times out of ten there is a tiled background.
The banner is centered above the story section and not repeated.
The story section is set in slightly thinner than the banner.
There is generally no story title because it's usually on the banner.
I have 160% spacing.
My font is almost always 81 or 80. I prefer it a little smaller.
And if there is a border around the story area, it is generally no more than two pixels wide.

I usually have the same format with layouts. Lately, though, I've been trying another style thing.

I always have everything in the center, except for the story content. There's usually no title, instead there's a banner. The colors usually go with the ones in the banner.

The other one, it's really plain. Like, two colors and no banner. Everything in the middle except for story content. There's like, 90% thickness in the border. And that's about it. :XD

I like my layouts really simple. But I despise the default layout.

Layouts are quite important to me. Even to an extent that I will click off a (maybe a good story) if the layout slacks.

I don't know what it is. If it's pre-made then I don't have a problem, but if they made it they own and it looks sloppy, to me it shows that much effort wasn't put in (Probably wrong, but that's what it represents to me).

Like many people like really bright colours and where you have to highlight is a turn off... also mismatched tile background. I like it when it's a tile background, but plain and simple... icons as tiles :S that's an automatic turn-off... I don't like the default, so I never bother clicking that button.

If it's a fixed background, I don't really mind as most cases I won't actually see it all the way through the story... so most of the time is a plain colour background :)

I'm quite picky when it comes to the way a story looks.

^ Same with the icons as backgrounf. Major dnw.

And like... you go on reading a Pete Wentz stories and the background's full of Gerard Way's face.@_@ Guh.

I like when a person makes their own layouts. Except when its a really hard to read of the words of the story go out onto a picture meanie you have to either switch to default layout or highlight.

Usually I highlight the words because honestly I cant stand the default layout. It annoys me.

As for the premade layouts. Some of them I like. Some of them not so much. I've always wondered how people submited the storie layouts to become like public ones. Does anyone know?

z3r0iC:

^ Same with the icons as backgrounf. Major dnw.

And like... you go on reading a Pete Wentz stories and the background's full of Gerard Way's face.@_@ Guh.

I've done the icon thing.
But they were separated and put on a different background.
It was what worked with the story.
September 6, 2007.

And occasionally I'll have an icon separating chapter title from story on my older ones. But they match and everything.

It depends on how it's done, I suppose.

Although, maybe that layout sucks. I dunno.

Dead.or.Alive:

As for the premade layouts. Some of them I like. Some of them not so much. I've always wondered how people submited the storie layouts to become like public ones. Does anyone know?

There's a thread for it. But no new layouts have been added for close to a year if not longer.
On the New Mibba we'll be able to "share" layouts with other users.

I like a few of the premade ones, but I mostly use my own, because I like them to either relate to the story or be exactly the kind of thing I want. :XD

I make a layout for every story I post and generally a banner for every story I post. It's just me being the artistic director as well as the writer and deciding the way I would like my story to be presented to the audience.