The Importance of Story Layouts

fleur de lisbon:

So... all this talk about layouts for stories being pretty and such made me inspired.

That's such a gorgeous banner! What program did you use to make it?

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Layouts are highly important to me. It acts kind of like the cover of a book and also, besides the writing itself, the first impression of the story. I really dislike sloppily put together layouts and layouts where the colours don't seem to match or you have something like pink font on a yellow background.. that kind of thing. It just doesn't look good at all.

I think the right kind of layout can compliment your story and set the right tone. Like if I had a horror story, the background would be black, brown or grey. Instead of like pinks and other happy colours because it's just not setting the right tone for the story.

Also, I have had a tendency in the past to click back if the layout looks terrible to me or, as Dru said, the person has used a premade and then a banner pasted over it that's so huge and out of proportion of the dimensions of the layout.

It makes me sound so snobby But it is a bad habit of mine because, to me, layouts are most definitely important.

I don't like extravagant layouts but they still have to be well-made. I like simple layouts. A banner up top with a matching color background and then a white background for the writing area. That's always looked professional to me.

I don't mind it when the words are on a background, as long as you can still read them.

^^ Yeah. I just don't like it when some parts of the picture are dark and you can't read some words. But I do like that if it's made right.

burning matches:

I don't like extravagant layouts but they still have to be well-made. I like simple layouts. A banner up top with a matching color background and then a white background for the writing area. That's always looked professional to me.

I've always done my layouts like this; it might just be my opinion, but it's always looked cleaner in a way for me.

However, I have seen quite a few different layouts that work, and they're different from that.

As long as it's readable, and reasonably nice to look at, I don't mind. But a better layout does encourage me to read the story more.

Rocket Queen:

That's such a gorgeous banner! What program did you use to make it?

Oh my gosh! Thank you for the first time compliment!

The picture is just some random picture from Google Images, and since I'm really rusty at Photoshop/don't have the money for it, I use www.picnik.com. Not sure if you're aware of the site, but it's basically a free basic photo editing site. I use it a lot.

fleur de lisbon:

Oh my gosh! Thank you for the first time compliment!

The picture is just some random picture from Google Images, and since I'm really rusty at Photoshop/don't have the money for it, I use www.picnik.com. Not sure if you're aware of the site, but it's basically a free basic photo editing site. I use it a lot.

You're welcome. :) I was literally in awe when I saw it though. It looked so pretty to me and the red & blue seemed to contrast well, which I loved.

I have heard of that site, but never used it. I may just have to look it up.

Since I'm not very skilled with the layout maker myself, layouts don't really mean much to me. It's kind of like the age old saying, you can't judge a book by its cover. I'd hate to think that people would turn down my stories simply because my layouts are rather plain, usually with one picture as a banner over top or a picture off to the side.

I figure the words mean more than its cover, much like I would hope that my mind means more than the clothes that I'm wearing.

charlie chaplin.:

Since I'm not very skilled with the layout maker myself, layouts don't really mean much to me. It's kind of like the age old saying, you can't judge a book by its cover. I'd hate to think that people would turn down my stories simply because my layouts are rather plain, usually with one picture as a banner over top or a picture off to the side.

I figure the words mean more than its cover, much like I would hope that my mind means more than the clothes that I'm wearing.

As a reader, if the author puts his/her time and effort into making a layout, the chances of me reading it is much much higher. It's not exactly the most fair system, but really, I want to be honest. I am, after all, human - and we are visual by nature whether we try or not. The layout catches my eye first and foremost - only the writing can keep me there. But that's just one reader's opinion.

^ I understand what you mean by that. And even I admit to disliking when layouts are really very flashy and distract from the words. However, I understand the struggle to make a half-way decent layout, and most of the time, I know I'm not very good in that respect.

Not everyone is skilled in computer editing or even just understanding the layout creator. It took me forever to figure out how to put a banner where the title is. So, I forgive if a layout is less than spectacular, or if a pre-made one is used.

I only don't like flashy or too bright layouts it makes it look messy. And I think it reflects the author in someway, but if it's a good story I click the 'default' button. I don't really care if they used the pre-made or they made their own as long as the content is awesome.

Personally, layouts don't matter much to me. My condition is for them to be readable. I do admit though that I have a slight preference for dark-ish colours and backgrounds (I find them a bit easier to focus on), but still it doesn't meant that I will click away if the background is white.

I like dark font on white, I just can't get it to work for my layouts most of the time. It just makes the layout too bright and if the story is dark, it doesn't work.

charlie chaplin.:

It's kind of like the age old saying, you can't judge a book by its cover.

I always do that.
With layouts too. Not so much if the layout's bad the story is too, I judge the other way around.

Generally I glance at the summary and that tells me if the person just sucks at layouts or if everything about the story, in general, will suck.

I really dislike it when people request a story and they add something like 'only if it has a pretty layout.' That irks me. I do like stories with nice layouts, but to be honest, I click the default layout button 95% of the time.

I think that layouts shouldn't be important, but they are very important. They set the mood and tone for a story. It's like a book. The cover of a book has a lot to do with if most people will even read the summary

ipod lover:

I really dislike it when people request a story and they add something like 'only if it has a pretty layout.' That irks me.

I couldn't agree more, especially because "pretty" is such a subjective term. What I find to be pretty and what someone else considers pretty could easily be two ends of the spectrum.

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I have to admit that I prefer simple layouts because they're less distracting and in general, easier to read, but as long as it's readable, I don't really care.

I can't read white text on a black story area without it giving me a migraine. There's just something about that contrast that makes the text hard to read for me.

Also, I'm not huge on those layouts that have a pattern jutting off to one side of the story area. It makes everything look off-centered to me.

Personally, I'm a fan of black-based layouts, but that's probably just me xD

But the best are simply yet nifty layouts, for sure.

^ Black-based layouts are so much harder on the eyes. I think white backgrounds with grey/black text should be a rule, to be honest.