On the other hand, I try not to rule a story out just because of its genre or storyline either. Cause I've read fantastic stories of all genres and with all those cliched plots. Opening act romance... one of my favorite trilogies starts out as one of those. Bus crash fic... Whitney Richter's "Where Can We Go From Here" is one of my all-time favorites. Cancer fic... 2 words: Swollen Issues. Kidnapping/Stalker story: I've read quite a few awesome ones with this sort of plot. I think a lot of these storylines become so overused because they're GOOD! With the right author, that is. A truly good writer can take an overused storyline and pump some new life into it and come out with a really amazing story.
I should clarify what I said earlier lol I really have tried to read stories etc... gotten a few chapters in and then suddenly it turns into a fic I have no interest in. I do look at the genre but the summary also has a lot to do with it as well. It seriously just has to pop out at me to get me to read it.
And I agree with what you said too Mel and I also think it's sad that we aren't reading but like Julie said in her post I just think it's mainly a time issue with most of us. When you find the time to do one or the other I know for me the answer is obvious. I enjoy writing more than reading so I always go for that option. Plus for me as well, I don't enjoy getting sucked into a story that in the end will never be finished. That is the worst , to get all involved and invested in a story and suddenly have the person disappear. It's happened more than once and it sucks major monkey butts!
The other thing is sometimes when reading you think it's going to be an incredible story but ten chapters in suddenly a new character (for me usually Aaron lol) gets introduced and takes center stage and I almost feel gipped that I spent so much time on it lol
I know as i've gotten older I have grown very picky about what I read. I know what I like now when it comes to BSB fanfic. I know that if it's mainly centered on anyone other than Kevin and Nick, i'm not going to enjoy it. I know I don't enjoy reading about the families (i.e. Baylee, Leigh, Kristin etc...) and I know I don't like the girl centered stories. I know what you mean too, there are a lot of sexual assault ones up now, those aren't for me either.
So, yes even though I do look at the genre before reading NOW lol I didn't always do that. This is just a lately thing for me.
And I know i'm probably missing a lot of great writers in the process but it's kind of like the whole you either like Nicholas Sparks or you don't thing. He may be a great writer but I can't get past two chapter of any of his books without saying eh, not for me. lol
I am loving this thread and everyone's different points of view.