Rusty Shackleford wrote:Where is the line between personal fantasy and interesting story for others? At what point do your particular interests make the story not very generalizable? And should it be generalizable, or is that what gives it character? At what point should you just post your personal stories and say who cares what others think? Is a quality story good enough or does it need to be mainstream? And really, what is a quality story if not one that you personally enjoy?
I actually see this from another point of view: why would I want to share my fantasy?
So much of the best material only works in your imagination, and only makes sense to you, and that often is enough "pleasure" to enjoy. Sometimes I run through story ideas in my head, maybe start a paragraph, but trash the idea, having satisfied that I've "experienced" the fantasy without having to put in the time and effort to turn it into a workable story. There's no stress in hoping that other people might enjoy your fantasy.
While the generation of ideas might be inherently selfish, the production of a piece of work and the act of sharing it means that, also inherently, you are pitch your idea and your fantasy towards someone else, and that means you have to frame it in a way that they can make sense of the particular elements of your story. It's like getting someone to share in your favourite restaurant or TV show. You can always enjoy these things by yourself, but bringing someone else along means that you kind of have to hold their hand so that they get to experience the "best" moments.
The generalisation/mainstream question is a good one. To me, it isn't a matter of making specific subject matter mainstream. It's about enabling a reader - any reader - to connect to something in the story, and that's what keeps the reader hooked. For example, you might frame the quicksand as a "peril", of which there is a large interest because many readers get a kick out of "peril" themed stories - damsels in distress, detectives and spies, falling victim to the trap of the week. Or you might envision quicksand as a sexual conduit, one of bondage and entrapment. Some of my favourite QS stories don't stick out because of the quicksand, but because of a peripheral topic, character or event that makes me want to read on. Maybe it's because I like a particular element of your fantasy, and I'm able to turn it into MY fantasy.
Then you've hit your goal.