I started looking at the search feature of Chyoa and noticed that it only allowed users to sort by Chapter Depth. Looking at the story's details I am able to see the number of chapters total. It got me thinking would you rather read/write a story where there is one really long story arc but with less choices or a bunch of shorter story arcs but with more choices? I know it's subjective and depends on the author's quality, but I think it would be interesting to find out.
I prefer more choices (not much of a choose your own adventure without them). A lot of linear stories on here seem to be really well written, but it's very disappointing to see that your only choice is basically "turn the page". Of course there's a fine line. Too many choices and the story will never end, or you end up with 7 choices on page one... leading to 6 dead ends.
A linear Story is pointless in my regard. If I want to read linear, I go somewhere else. My own goal is to offer at least 2 choices at the end of every chapter. Which also means the chapter should end at a point where a choice makes sense. My observation is that in quite a few cases writers don't even seem to take the "choice" aspect into account when they start writing.
My 2 cents: I hate it when there are quite many choices without meaningful follow up content I don't mind if a story continues for a few chapters on a single thread, but a few choices from time to time are nice Of course every choice you offer requires you to write additional chapters or content I like it if a story arch is leading to some sort of conclusion or ending, be it after 10, 20 or 30 chapters.
I'm very guilty of writing linear stories with very little choices only because i tend to write on the fly and rarely map out what's going to happen next. There have been time when i go back to add a choice only if it's a logical option to include one! Of the stories i read i do prefer choices only to help me see the story the way i would have wrote it
Some explanations: The depth I see it that way – the ‘A’ author writes a linear story (no deviation). The ‘B’ author reads the story, but in one moment says ‘wait a minute! I don’t like it, it should go that way!’ and add his own linear story. F.e. Imagine Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ on Chyoa. It’s long story and a good one (maybe too much descriptions and too few females, but for the needs of presentation it will suffice). So I read it and get to the thread of the council were Elrond says ‘You 9 will go to the mount DOOM and destroy the ring!’. And-Hold on a minute! That’s stupid! The ring is highly radioactive mind controlling artefact! Frodo shouldn’t wear it on his neck (where it has contact with his skin)! It should be in chest – preferably one made from lead. And why walk? You have eagles! Just fly and drop the damn ring into the mountain! It's faster and safer too! And in this moment I would start writing a monumental linear story. One story two threads, much contents… but if both are boring, then… well… that’s the weakness of deep threads. The number Imagine, that you have a first thread of a story as an introduction, with choice ‘is the hero male/female’ in next threads, you choose the hair colour ‘blond/brunette/red/grey’ and we have 8 exit threads (f.e. blond male/red female etc.) next we choose eye colour… and so on and so on. By the time we are finished with character creation choices, the author got bored with writing of all of 180 chapters that described the protagonist in every possible way and started another story leaving this one. I know, it’s very negative example… but still pisses me off. Of course, another author may now find the hero that he/she liked and start writing in one of the threads. Anyway, personally I prefer writing a linear story with maybe one deviation from it. I don’t like writing too many choices, I have a scenario and stick with it. It’s from other authors that I except deviations, new choices. It’s from them that I except to get some idea, while reading my story, and at some point, deviate from my scenario and write their own... solid scenario. That’s also what I try to do. P.S. Let that what you see above this line be my contribution to the depth of this thread. P.S.2. Let that what you see below this line be my contribution to the number of choices of this thread. In the end I would vote for great middle. With this vote, can the author of the discussion add that choice ['the mix of number of chapters and depth of chapters'] to the voting (following the spirit of the chyoa)
It´s a fine line... Sure you want plenty of choice, but it´s kind of hard to write elaborate descriptions and set ups and then have to do that for every branch. I also think that "choice" and "quality" can sometimes stand in opposition to oneanother. Like, if you have a good story with good characters and setting you want to tell, it gets harder to create branches that describe stuff that you don´t actually think would happen in your story... If the story gets too complex, there´s only one way it really can go. Honestly, that´s why I think very "porny" stories (thinking of "Blowjob Universe" and "Breaking the Amazon" specifically here) work best. They´re simple, full of sex and let you take control fairly regularly and easily. Also, there´s nothing worse than a story with a billion branches, only one of which actually goes anywhere... I try to regularly put a branch in my stories, but since I like writing fairly long-winded stuff, I´m reluctant to double my workload every time.
My main story has 235 chapters with only 35 being the deepest, the only reason I got into this type of writing was to introduce choice, I don’t understand why some of the stories here only have a next page option, however if you like a story, add to it, contribute, lead it down a path that you prefer? I have and enjoyed it, breaking up my usual monotonous damsel in distress series of being fucked against her will in an attempt to try and keep my individual and collaborative work fresh
I'm going to write a couple rebuttals in defense of the linear stories hosted on this site. I think that there are a few good reasons why this can be a great place to post a more linear story. The first is akin to the 'tolkien' post by majus. Since we've already mentioned literotica, I'll use that as a comparison website. The mere fact that an author uses chyoa (or similar) as the basis for their story grants potential for reader involvement without 'ripping off' a story and branching it that way. A story may be linear, but it can hold great potential for branching, especially if the author is mindful of making good breaks and working in alternate little set-up details into their story. The next point I would like to mention is that even a story that only branches once or twice, as long as those branches are legitimate and fleshed out, has used chyoa formatting in an effective way to give their story/characters/set-up more life. Doing so on chyoa, as opposed to literotica, is a much more elegant way of grouping, reading, and writing a story with even minimal alternate branches. A story doesn't need to have branched at every turn to have effectively used chyoa formatting to good effect. Then I can again refer to the first point, where even minimal branches, by hosting them on this site, also hold the potential for more branching through reader interaction. Chyoa formatting is also a great way to create a universe or theme and then group stories in that universe or theme. Let's say I love the idea of a universe where women have vaginas for mouths, and create lots of set up and background for this universe in an introduction. Then I make a number of characters with linear or mostly linear stories. Hosting such a grouping of stories on chyoa is, imo, much more elegant from a formatting perspective than restating your universe premise across many different stories, or assuming the reader has read your first story (where all the set-up is) when all they really wanted to read was about the Asian step-mother with a pussy-mouth. Finally even for a linear story chyoa can still be a great way to write in installments, and potentially get feedback (even if its in the form of likes/dislikes) All these, again, have relevance in my first point where users can become authors, expanding a story. My point with all this is that I don't agree with saying that only stories with tons of branching as the goal are using the site fully and/or effectively. The formatting system here is useful and versatile, good for many different story and writing styles. Back to the original question, though, searching by story depth is definitely way too limited.
A linear story can also have some advantage from a writer's point of view. I suppose, that on most other sites you have to write and publish a "whole" story at once or break them into Story part 1, Story part 2, and so on. On CHYOA you can write your introduction and check if readers are interested and if they like your idea. You have the chance to continue or discontinue your story or adjust the further outcome. You can use the feedback to immediately alter the last chapter without reworking the whole story. You can use the feedback to improve your writing skills.
