Writing Stories that are so frustrating they are good

[TotallyHuman]

We've all seen stories that are so bad they are actually good, but how about stories that are so frustrating that they are actually good?
I've read a couple stories like this online, where on the inside I feel like the story is really pissing me off, the ways the characters act and just... are, are just so, so annoying and the general flow makes me want to bite my fingernails off, but they still made me come back for more, like a sick form of self-harming, self-torturing addiction and for a while now, I've been thinking of writing a story like that, but I can't really catch the vibe, you know? That magical feeling, that little thing that makes those stories good with how frustrating they are, instead of just being frustrating.
Good examples come from this site's sister site, novel updates:
Loli Elf & Her Happy Life
Complicating Love
Though, the second is frustrating to a much lesser extent and I do understand that what I find good or frustrating may not be your good or frustrating
How would you go about writing a story like that?

 

[Reisinling]

Hmmm. I think it strongly depends on mood. The last two stories I read that were good enough to make me think "Holy shiet. I couldn't write stuff this good" would be
Sousou no Frieren - manga about immortal elf dealing with other ppl dying... or at least it starts this way, as time goes on we learn more about surrounding people, while the MC is a pretty wallpaper that we sometimes look at. But the story is really good.

O Maidens In Your Savage Season - the first one or two volumes, don't remember how many, were great. But as usual for this writer, it goes to "meh" tier as plot progresses.

And why not continue the streak of stories with female MCs -
Ikoku Nikki is a manga about girl whose parents die and she goes to live with her aunt. The aunt quite often falls into author self insert, and the frequency of topical issues is slightly off-putting, but there are many great chapters.

Well, damn. Here a male-centric manga that is also great: Kannou Sensei

If we are talking about SH-I enjoy many stories here, but none have been so good that it was annoying.

 

[SailusGebel]

It's highly subjective, that's why it's hard to write something like this intentionally. If you need advice, try to write about ntr. This is the most divisive genre that makes people feel exactly like you described.

 

[Daitengu]

I can't relate. When I get frustrated with a story, I just stop reading, then forget about it after a month.

Repetition of arcs, like in dbz announcement of a world ending baddy - train - fight - filler - repeat. Or characters with no mental growth like Goku. Stupidity, like one novel I dropped the protag monologues a danger and to watch out for it, but falls for that exact danger, REPEATEDLY. A love story plot based around misunderstanding. All frustrating. I'll drop it and run away like it's radioactive poo. There's no going back for me. I'm just not enough of an M to like or stick with things that actively pains me to put up with.

 

[Mechaphobic]

It's highly subjective, that's why it's hard to write something like this intentionally. If you need advice, try to write about ntr. This is the most divisive genre that makes people feel exactly like you described.

I decided to write it myself as an experiment, but I didn't post it anywhere. I wanted to explore why I hated this genre so much, and I made a discovery. It is a combination of feeling disgust for a pathetic male character and hatred for the female character. It makes it to where I can not respect the characters regardless of how they grow. It doesn't even have to be ntr if the characters fit just right into the categories.

If they aren't main characters I don't care, but if they are it is enough that I will drop the story outright. I believe strongly this is why some books can be different from ntr but still get nailed with an equally bad rating. Pathetic, bitchy, rude, sadistic, stupid, these are all traits that seem to really piss off readers and turn them away.

 

[Internet-Degenerate]

OH! THIS IS PERFECT! You see, I am currently writing a harem story that makes me wish my dad actually beat me to death with his heavy duty extension cable. If you don't care about the quality of the story, then the trick is to be insufferably inconsistent. Have scenes that are unbearably contrived and nonsensical that they ruin everything. Once you set concrete rules in the story, be incredibly inconsistent with them to create plot-holes and/or damage previous scenes in retrospect.

If you do want to make a good story, then ignore the first part. The trick to making a good but frustrating story is to go absolutely NUTS with the writing. I'm talking balls-to-the-walls with descriptions, scenes, and actions. Spend an entire chapter describing a table the character/s are sitting at or something. Make sure there is a reason for every little thing and explain it. Treat your readers like their infants that don't have object permanence or a functioning hippocampus, and re-describe everything whenever you get the chance. "Oh, you know how I just spent half of last chapter describing this item that will most certainly have little to no significance in the overall story? Watch me fucking do it again!" Have characters constantly act completely out of line with their personality, but only just enough to keep whatever readers you have. Instead of letting readers think for themselves and use their imagination, constantly shove exposition/environmental description/filler down their throat.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[SailusGebel]

I decided to write it myself as an experiment, but I didn't post it anywhere. I wanted to explore why I hated this genre so much, and I made a discovery. It is a combination of feeling disgust for a pathetic male character and hatred for the female character. It makes it to where I can not respect the characters regardless of how they grow. It doesn't even have to be ntr if the characters fit just right into the categories.

If they aren't main characters I don't care, but if they are it is enough that I will drop the story outright. I believe strongly this is why some books can be different from ntr but still get nailed with an equally bad rating. Pathetic, bitchy, rude, sadistic, stupid, these are all traits that seem to really piss off readers and turn them away.

Usually, the novels that are so bad they are good are interesting novels. You keep coming back because you want to know the ending, but you can't read it cause it's bad. That's how I see this. And the whole ntr genre fits this theme. The very thing that attracts readers to ntr(except those who have ntr fetish), in my opinion, is interest and investment. That's all. They hate it, but they want to see the ending, especially readers who see ntr for the first or the second time. Also, what you mentioned is what cliche ntr is all about. I'm not a fan, but I think there are ntr stories that delve much deeper into this theme. Without usual character traits, usual tropes, and stuff like that.

 

[Mechaphobic]

Usually, the novels that are so bad they are good are interesting novels. You keep coming back because you want to know the ending, but you can't read it cause it's bad. That's how I see this. And the whole ntr genre fits this theme. The very thing that attracts readers to ntr(except those who have ntr fetish), in my opinion, is interest and investment. That's all. They hate it, but they want to see the ending, especially readers who see ntr for the first or the second time. Also, what you mentioned is what cliche ntr is all about. I'm not a fan, but I think there are ntr stories that delve much deeper into this theme. Without usual character traits, usual tropes, and stuff like that.

I drop books all the time, so I guess I have never experienced this, I just don't ever let myself get that invested. I think that you are a special type of person, I tend to fall into about average in most categories and the things I like to read and watch are usually considered cliche. I even fall for most of whatever is popular at the time, I have 6 or 7 fidget spinners on my work desk. Most people tend to just drop what they find frustrating and most books that start like that struggle to get readers. There are only a few instances where a book opted for frustrating situations and was able to get over 400 readers.

 

[Minx]

My own story. I want to write it better, make the flow much smoother, making the dialogue less awkward, but I don't know that many English words since I'm not a native speaker, it's my second language.

I got it all in my mind, but when I write it down, I feel unsatisfied as if I'm a baker that forgets to add sweet to my cake, such a basic thing to do yet the restriction is real.

 

[SailusGebel]

I drop books all the time, so I guess I have never experienced this, I just don't ever let myself get that invested. I think that you are a special type of person, I tend to fall into about average in most categories and the things I like to read and watch are usually considered cliche. I even fall for most of whatever is popular at the time, I have 6 or 7 fidget spinners on my work desk. Most people tend to just drop what they find frustrating and most books that start like that struggle to get readers. There are only a few instances where a book opted for frustrating situations and was able to get over 400 readers.

Nah, I'm not like that. I do drop the things I don't like, I'm not that invested. That's why I told you it must be something interesting. A good example is an Attack on Titan. I was really frustrated with the way this manga developed, I didn't like it. However, I was still curious about the ending. To see if an author can somehow save it, subvert the expectations, etc. And I've seen people like me in comment sections. People see an interesting concept, a one of kind, and they want to know the endings. We are talking from the point of personal experience of those people, of course.

Oh, and I do have two spinners myself.

 

[HelenBold]

The first story I've written was like that and it wasn't intended. I had readers commenting on how frustrated they are with the characters and their mindset. And still, they kept commenting chapter after chapter. I think that comes from the difference between the mentality of the reader and that of the characters. But if the story manages to stir something important inside the reader's mind or heart, that is more than enough to make him continue reading the story :)

 

[K5Rakitan]

Does my story Kaiba's Prostitute (Link in signature) fit the bill?

 

[Mysticant]

Does my story Kaiba's Prostitute (Link in signature) fit the bill?

Not really, aren't you just fishing for 1 star despite being able to get 5 stars easily? Not that I mind that admirable behavior, already given you that delicious one since you whole-fully deserved it.

Back to the main topic of frustrating to the point they are good...most that I have seen that are frustrating are usually dropped. Things that extend forever like emperor's domination for example...I read up to 2.5k chapters and decided it was just never going to end and dropped.

On a side note, infuriating but good definitely exist though, things like NTR, green tea bitches(those nasty two-faced white lotuses that are just complete vixens), beta blackhole dense mcs and once again NTR has some interesting premises that frustrate me based on the way the author chose to progress. Still going to admit these authors' writing skills are amazing, though their morality are definitely incompatible with mine.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Not really, aren't you just fishing for 1 star despite being able to get 5 stars easily? Not that I mind that admirable behavior, already given you that delicious one since you whole-fully deserved it.

Pretty much. It's the subject matter that makes some people give it one star rather than the writing style, so I decided to go all out and just collect them!
These days, I'm convinced that it's the haters who are giving the 5-star ratings.

 

[JM_Webb]

Pretty much. It's the subject matter that makes some people give it one star rather than the writing style, so I decided to go all out and just collect them!
These days, I'm convinced that it's the haters who are giving the 5-star ratings.

to be fair, I gave it a 5 because I think it's good comedy that you are actively seeking low ratings.

 

[K5Rakitan]

to be fair, I gave it a 5 because I think it's good comedy that you are actively seeking low ratings.

Noooo! Take it down to a 1 pleasepleasepleaseplease!

 

[JM_Webb]

Noooo! Take it down to a 1 pleasepleasepleaseplease!

Done, lmao

 

[K5Rakitan]

Done, lmao

Thanky <3 <3 <3