Name One Thing That Kills Your Interest in a Book Immediately

[Stacy-Deanne (Novelist)]

Hi All,

I had to vent about this book I've started reading so I decided to start a thread about it. This book is frustrating me.

What is one thing about a book that causes you to lose interest before you get even halfway? What's one thing that really frustrates you and makes you wanna give up on the book?

I have to say, and this has to do with the recent mystery novel I'm reading, TOO MUCH NEEDLESS DESCRIPTION!

I am trying to give this book a chance but this writer is too obsessed with description. He's describing things that don't matter and not describing things that do. He is not describing the main character at all, but then he describes every other secondary character. There's a scene where the MC is going to the grocery store. He starts describing a man at the store who has NOTHING to do with the story! It's just a man at the store. The man doesn't even speak to the MC. Yet we know what he has in his grocery cart, what he's wearing and what the MC thinks he might do for a living! WTF? Do I need to know this about someone who doesn't even matter? This dude is describing everything! He even had his character take a walk in his backyard and started describing the trees and bushes! Heck I know what trees and bushes look like! Get on with the story! Unless the killer lives in a tree, we don't need to have it described.

I want some idea of how the main character looks! This book is also told in first person (books I often avoid), so I am wondering if this is why he's gone over the description deep end and finds it hard to even describe the main character.

I started this book last week and I think I'm just getting to page 100. The book has about 400 pages! I don't want to quit but the description is killing me. He took THREE pages to describe a person's living room. The room didn't matter! He took TWO pages to describe the model and style of a lady's pick-up truck. It didn't matter! He had to drive across town but instead of simply shifting us to the next scene to quicken things up, he shows us in DETAIL after DETAIL, how long it takes to drive on this particular freeway, what he is listening to on the radio, what the stupid dog is doing in the backseat, when he gets off the freeway and every freakin' street he drives on UNTIL he gets to this lady's house! I swear it took five pages to get to this house! That was ridiculous! I live in Houston, but as I was reading this driving scene I felt like I'd been riding to California! That's how drawn out and long it actually felt to read it.

When I write, I describe what's necessary, what I feel my readers need to know. I don't describe everything because some things should be left to the reader's imagination. I'd rather read a book with minimum description than one that's stacked with it! I am beginning to think that this author wrote all this description to make up for a lacking plot and to get his manuscript to a certain word count. It's ridiculous! It's got me pulling at my hair going, "Get to the freakin' point!"

I am more critical of this book because this is my favorite genre and the genre I love writing the most. You can get away with a lot of description if you are writing a historical novel or literary fiction. But in mysteries, things gotta move fast or the reader will quit. I am going to give this book another chance to wow me and if it doesn't, I'm through! I am frustrated because I feel that the plot could be decent if he stops describing everything and I don't want to stop reading it. But it's going downhill the more I read. I hate that damn dog! The dog has no significance yet the MC wastes tons of time describing everytime the dog eats, drinks, pees and poops! Please!

(for those who caught my thread about my taste in modern male writers...well you see I am trying to give more a chance. But not this dude if this writing doesn't improve!) I've seen politicians that get to the point faster than he does. Sheesh!

So, what instantly ruins a book for you?

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[Jane]

You made some excellent points and I appreciate your taking the time to make them. When I mentioned rants I wasn't thinking of beliefs or opinions on a certain issue. Characters need to have those and are an important part of the story. It's fine and appropriate to make those known.

I am talking about actual rants. Of course in certain non-fiction books that is the whole point. But fiction is different. And no, they don't happen that often thank goodness, but wow, I have read a couple of real doozies. One last year (I won't mention the title) went on and on and became so ghastly and inappropriate, it was hard to believe it got past the editing desk. I found it doesn't even matter if I agree or disagree. It doesn't matter if it is the character speaking or the author. It just makes me feel uncomfortable and turned off.

[Stacy-Deanne (Novelist)]

I definitely understand what you mean, Jane! As I think about it, I can see where some novelists do have some characters coming off as preachy and it does get to be redundant. I do think that authors should let characters be themselves but they shouldn't come across as if they are trying to shove someone's belief down the reader's throat, whether they are the author's belief or just the character's.

I also agree with you on ranting. Characters can rant sometimes but some go on and on, LOL! They should shut up and do something in the story.

Best Wishes!

[Stacy-Deanne (Novelist)]

Hey All,

Another Update!

(Sigh)

Well, I was starting to enjoy the book a little bit. Can you believe it? Yes, it's picking up even though I wish it had been before I made it to page 230. And remember this baby is over 400 pages, way too long for a mystery in my opinion. Anyway, the MC's girlfriend came back from out of town and so she has spiced it up for me. The men were boring.

He's still describing step by step EVERY place he goes. He never skips to a scene but thinks we need to be in the car with him every single time he drives somewhere. It takes place in LA like I mentioned before and he's described almost every freeway and street by now! It's like reading a book based on a Google map.

Now where it's going downhill fast:

He has the most racially stereotypical characters! I hadn't noticed at first until I sat back and realized it. He has three black characters. One is a janitor, one a valet parker and the other is a drug addicted hobo that lives under the freeway. Most of the people under the freeway are ethnic. Yet, the hobo under the freeway speaks perfect grammar so I guess I should be happy about that right? Wrong, deeply disgusted. In this day and age there is no excuse for these stereotypes in writing. The only Hispanic character is illegal and is a house painter. WOW! Can we get anymore stereotypical than that? He is also covered in tats from head to toe yet he is just an average Joe. He's not in a gang so why does this man need to be covered in tats???

He also stereotypes the white people in the book. The poor ones are perceived as white trash. They all live in a trailer home, guzzling beer and most of them belong to the Aryan Brotherhood in the local area. Also the women in the book are as weak as feathers. The men clearly call the shots.

So now do you see why it's hard for me to read male authors? Because when it comes to how women are written, this is what most of them do! They always make women to be weak but the average woman is not some weak ditz!

This author has insulted an entire slew of people from all walks of life. And did I mention that the poor white people all have teeth missing? It's no excuse for this and how the heck did these racist-painted characters make it past an agent or editor's desk? Anyway...

I found a big content problem that had me laughing out loud. It's a scene where a psychologist call the MC to meet with her. She has some very important yet secretive papers that he should see! Yet, GASP, he has to keep this a secret and she practically begs him not to tell anyone or it could risk both their lives. I could buy that...if they weren't doing this in a crowded restaurant in the middle of the lunch rush!

Oh, someone get me an editor for the content please!!! How did they miss this? You mean to say that these papers are so important and must be kept a secret yet she whips them out in a crowded restaurant? Ooh, I know when I have a bunch of secretive papers that can risk my life, I make sure I head to a place full of people to share the news! Note the sarcasm. Yes, I laughed at the scene. I had to.

As for the characters, I am waiting to see the Hispanic maid, the Asian that runs the cornerstore, the Italian that's in the mob and the gay hairdresser.

I bet one pops up.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[drey]

OMG, I just snorted at your post...

As for what kills my interest in a book? The fastest way is with bad grammar. If English is your primary (or only) language, and you're a writer, you'd better know how to write in English (and this is only because I only--currently--read books in English). I don't need to be mentally correcting your mistakes while I'm trying to read a book. I'm not your English teacher, maybe you should've paid better attention in school, or gotten a better editor.

Blatant stereotypes does it too. I can't stand stereotypes. I don't mind it so much if it's completely integral to the plot, but c'mon, how often does that really happen? Use of stereotypes equals lazy character creation to me. And if you're lazy about that, what else are you lazy about? Plot? Character development? The whole book? In which case, why should I bother reading it?

Oh well. Let us know what else pops up! =)

[Peter Joseph Swanson]

When it doesn't suggest other senses (so it's just dry).

[Natalie Monzyk]

Poor character development and excessive grammatical errors. I have the hardest time flipping pages when I want to get out a red pen and make corrections.

Natalie @ Mindful Musings

[edyta kozlowska]

If the start has nuttin to do with the plot. Or it goes for a hundred pgs without action andd nothing quite relevant. I never bought a book like that, though I read it at school. It was annoying! Now I've got a automatic distaste for the authors books. And maybe it's also because it's not my favorite genre and it has a lot of censorship. Wich isn't my thing 'cause I don't think that there is a person, who ain't a priest, that doesn't swear at all. Not even in his/her head.

[Shesten Melder]

I'm the same... if the author gets too descriptive, I put it down. As with Shannon, I also don't appreciate excessive cursing. And, I'll put a book down if it seems to met that the author was more concerned about their word choice than their plot.

I too like to use my imagination. If I wanted someone else's picture of a scene, I might as well just watch a movie, right?

[Nishita Kumar]

I am usually quite forgiving when it comes to books. I guess two big turn-offs are the usage of slang and deliberately dumbed down or overly intellectualized books

[Jessica W]

I agree with you 100% Stacy-Deanne. I absolutely like rich description, don't get me wrong. I hate lack of description just as much as extensive description. But I find if the author rambles about the same thing for pages, I have to really push myself to keep reading further. I like my stories to move at a walking pace...at the very least. Glacial pace doesn't work for me.

Jessica W. - Book Bound

[Joan Enders]

Heavy-handed messages and, same as you, too much description!

[Danielle]

I hate it when authors Name Drop the Latest Hot Young Things in order to appeal to their younger audiences. Not every teenager responds to a character wearing Hollister.