Recently, I've received a lot of inquiries from patrons and free members asking why their submissions were not selected for polls, or why I believe their suggestion did not perform well in the poll. I've tried to answer as many of these messages as I can but the question keeps coming up. This post will shed some light on what I am looking for in a suggestion, both from a creative standpoint and a business standpoint. This advice will not guarantee your suggestion will be selected, but it will increase your likelihood of submitting a winning idea.

Making a Winning Suggestion

Suggestions generally break down into two categories: A Story, or a Concept. Most suggestions are Stories, so I will go over that first.

A Good Story is a Clear, Concise Story

Both Cs in this sentence are essential. A clear plot is a premise that is easy to follow. A concise plot is one with all necessary details, and perhaps a little flourish - nothing more or less. As an example, I will outline the plot beats in Super Smash Bros. Stall Free-For-All in this context. Please note this is not some sort of masterpiece narrative. What it is, is clear and concise in conveying all necessary information.

The Inciting Incident. A brief scene to establish the information a listener needs to understand where the story will go. It will establish a baseline for what the characters expect to happen, and then depict a sort of "X-Factor" that determines why what should have been an average day for our characters will turn scatological. In this audio, we begin with Palutena making dinner, Lucina setting a table for all the other girls in the story, and a reference to Palutena's poor cooking. Things go wrong when Palutena realizes she is missing a key ingredient for her dish. In a panic, she improvises, sealing the girl's fates.

The "Fun Part". In screenwriting Act Two is often considered the hardest part. The best way to think about it is this is where you get to have fun with the premise. Everything that happens here is entirely up to you. In this instance, we hear Palutena blow the bathroom up while Bayonetta, Samus, and Lucina bicker and fart. What this demonstrates is that you do not need a lot of actions to fill out this part of the story. The girls remain in one place and talk to each other. But because they are in a shared situation, and have differing viewpoints, there is room for entertaining banter that leaves the listener wondering where the story might go. All of this builds up to--

The Make-Or-Break Point. The character(s) reach the most extreme point of their situation, as well as the most extreme point of their emotion. The bubbling anger of Lucina, Bayonetta, and Samus reaches a fever pitch, and the decision to attack her leads to Palutena's success, and the other girl's downfalls. The bathroom scene would be the "Climax" but for a suggestion it's not necessary to go into detail.

The Resolution. This can be one or two sentences at most, telling us what happens at the very end of the story. This is just a ribbon that ties the story together and is largely optional in a suggestion, but if you have something for it, use it. At the very end, Palutena is declared a Winner, adding a dash of Smash to close the audio.

The thing to take from this is that your story does not need a lot of details or scenes to be a successful story. You are writing to entice me and other patrons into liking your comment and inevitably voting for your story. But say you don't have a very full-fledged story, just a concept.

A Good Concept is a High Concept

A High Concept is an easily pitched, instantly understood idea with clear potential. If you don't have a mind for stories, developing a High Concept is a good way to get your suggestion into the poll. For example, the upcoming WarioWare audio was just a three-line synopsis. To paraphrase: "Mona, 5-Volt, and Ashley are desperate and play gas-based Microgames to reach the bathroom." It's rooted in the premise of the WarioWare series, and when you read it you start to think about the potential Microgames the girls might play. As a rule of thumb, a good story is also a high concept. So if you can summarize your story in a single, appealing sentence, you have a hit on your hands.

Key Factors When Forming an Idea

It goes without saying, but a Suggestion starts with an Idea. You may have an idea that you're obsessed with, or one you're very proud of. But that idea may be antithetical to what I am looking for or what an audience wants to hear. So if your idea didn't do well in a poll or suggestion box in the past, here's a few tips on coming up with a new one.

Character Choice is #1

People come to an audio for the featured character(s). But more importantly I have developed an audience with a particular taste. A character may be popular or trending on social media, but generate no interest here on Patreon. That's because the voting audience are paid members - cash elastic adults, usually in their early-to-late 20s. When I look through suggestions, I consider what that audience might be into, not just what is generally popular. Still, you need to be authentic to what you want to hear, and do not assume that any Flavor of the Month girl is guaranteed to succeed. For example, Marvel Rivals has never performed well in any polls, and none of the Marvel Rivals audios I've done have been profitable or even moderately successful.

Draw From Old Favorites

You may think your idea needs to be extra special, or particularly lewd to stand out. In actuality, a lot of winning suggested audios are essentially remakes of famous toilet humor movie scenes, such as Battleshits, Not Another Teen Movie, or rely on classic desperation tropes like being stuck in an elevator. While I am always delighted by something wildly creative, there is nothing wrong with a tried and true concept.

Choose One Core Idea

A common mistake I see in suggestions is that there is often two or more stories in one. The opening scene will be an audio premise all on its own, and the story will continue in another direction after. Other times, a story will be overstuffed with dirty concepts. Don't dilute your own ideas by thinking More is More. Pick one lane and stick to it.

Use Data

HotRamenAudios.com features a "Most Viewed" search function that will show you the most popular audios by view count. Consider the characters or scenarios in audios with a lot of views, especially recent or currently paywalled ones. See if you can find a pattern with what resonates with people by listening to them.

tl;dr

A good story is a clear, concise story. You do not need to spin an epic yarn, you just need to structure your premise in a way that's easy to follow and teases the imagination.

A good concept is a high concept. Think about the potential an idea has to evolve in fun and interesting directions.

Keep in mind what your fellow patrons may like. Use existing audios and poll data to your advantage. And remember, the voting audience is a paying audience!

I hope this advice serves you will in making future suggestions! At the end of the day, HotRamenAudios is a business as much as a creative outlet. While you may find it discouraging to suggest something and see it lose, it is your fellow patron's money that is on the line here.

I look forward to future suggestions!