If you are just here for the results, scroll to the bottom.
First of all, a big 'Thank you!' to everyone who left me some feedback, whether it was in form of a comment, taking the poll or both.
Then there are those who left a comment (optional) under the poll.
To my reader who wrote to me in what my iPad deduced was Russian – thank you for your kind words and I am happy to hear that, after six months, you are still happily reading my stories. Here's to at least twenty more (stories) coming your way!
To my reader leaving additional feedback regarding 'May the Fourth' - thank you for bringing up the questionable age I mentioned I might start them off at. This was a big issue for me as well and nothing is written in stone yet. I can definitely shift some things around to make it more palatable. Honestly, I only wrote down in the plot outline what is/was more an accidental dick grab with an immediate reaction from poor Eric. I was trying to find a middle ground while working out the age difference and age gap for when they enter puberty respectively. The only part I have written is where their parents sit them down and talk about what is coming down the road and Eric asking them how long they think he has and if there is a chance he might be a 'late bloomer' and enter that 'stage' at the same time as Tris. So there are options and it is not like the moment puberty hits Eric he is demanding sex. He loves Tris in an innocent way at first and his love doesn't falter when it turns into more as they age.
So, yes, it has always been a slippery slope and will remain that way until I find the perfect solution. The way the story is rated, I will have plenty of time to figure it out. Btw, another option is to make them choose a faction aged 18 which takes some pressure off making them a couple before Eric goes and becomes a leader in training. If Tris follows at 18, is a leader by 19, then them having a baby and marrying when I wrote they would could work. Only time will tell.
To my reader saying the age gap in 'Surrogate' is a little icky – maybe I will do the same and make it choosing at 18 instead of 16 but with the same ten year age gap between Tris and Eric. One of the things that made me write the plot was the power imbalance. The established leader offering his help to the initiate that needs it the most with conditions attached. While he backs off, it's still a power play even when it turns into idiots in love due to the issues caused by said initial power imbalance.
So, with all that said, the results were a very mixed bag. Stories some people love were 'hated' by others. Some stories created a lot of feedback, others barely got any at all. What I did to achieve a fair result was, I tallied the numbers and compared them with the amount of people that left feedback on the individual story. Then I looked at those that said they couldn't care less about the story.
In the end, three factors played a role in the ranking below: rating, voting frequency and don't want to read that' counts.
So, without further ado – this is the order you, the readers, would like me to finish and publish the stories I gave you samples for.
1st
Banned
13 votes
Rating: 3.0 (13/13 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/13 votes
2nd
Let your fingers do the talking
16 votes
Rating: 3.625 (16/16 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/16 votes
3rd
Eric's nephew
14 votes
Rating: 3.85 (14/14 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/14 votes
4th
Nightwalker
13 votes
Rating: 5.538 (13/13 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/13 votes
5th
Who done it
15 votes
Rating: 6.26 (15/15 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/15 votes
6th
Quarantine
15 votes
Rating: 6.33 (15/15 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/15 votes
7th
Progeny
13 votes
Rating: 6.615 (13/13 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/13 votes
8th
Surrogate
17 votes
Rating: 6.647 (17/17 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/17 votes
9th
Pure
11 votes
Rating: 7.27 (11/11 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/11 votes
10th
Compatibility
13 votes
Rating: 7.69 (13/13 votes)
Don't want to read that: 0/13 votes
11th
Dystopian Chicago
13 votes
Rating: 3.583 (12/13 votes)
Don't want to read that: 1/13 votes
12th
Prima
14 votes
Rating: 4.0 (13/14 votes)
Don't want to read that: 1/14 votes
13th
The Keeper
14 votes
Rating: 4.769 (13/14 votes)
Don't want to read that: 1/14 votes
14th
Peter dared me to
12 votes
Rating: 4.9 (11/12 votes)
Don't want to read that: 1/12 votes
15th
The alpha's mate
17 votes
Rating: 6.81 (16/17 votes
Don't want to read that: 1/17 votes
16th
Awakening
10 votes
Rating: 7.3 (9/10 votes)
Don't want to read that: 1/10 votes
17th
Fates
12 votes
Rating: 8.81 (11/12 votes)
Don't want to read that: 1/12 votes
18th
The Birthers
13 votes
Rating: 9.916 (12/13 votes)
Don't want to read that: 1/13 votes
19th
May the Fourth
11 votes
Rating: 9.55 (9/11 votes)
Don't want to read that: 2/11 votes
20th
Fairytale
10 votes
Rating: 9.2 (5/10 votes)
Don't want to read that: 5/10 votes
So there you have it, the road ahead for my long stories. Shorts will still post as I see fit and as always, everything is absolutely dependent on what's happening in real life. I will leave this up for a week or two and then all of this will vanish and the next thing you know 'Banned' will get posted. 😱 just kidding. While I have a substantial amount written, I don't know if I dare start posting before it is all said and done. With this kind of story I tend to go back and change things around when I figure out something does not work at all. Like, this is a survival story and no matter how much certain people hand them, they need to figure out a self-reliant way of getting by day by day. Can't just throw a whole farm and a couple of fully fitted and furnished houses over that wall.