Name One Thing That Kills Your Interest in a Book Immediately
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
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
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joan Enders on -
And that is the kiss of death as it becomes so dated!
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Permalink Reply by Stacy-Deanne (Novelist) on -
Hi Danielle,
Interesting point. I don't read YA or children's books but what you said is enlightening. Maybe more YA authors need to hear it. I can see why that might be annoying to a teen or reader of these books. I think it's unfair how people judge young people, as if they are all into the same things. I was always one of those wiser than my years and still am. I'm not a teen anymore, but when I was, I wasn't into the same things some of them were. They were too immature acting to me, LOL. It always upset me how adults would lump me in with all the others, until they listened to me speak and saw I had more mature interests. A lot of adults talk down to teens in real life so I can imagine a YA writer's tone might sometimes do the same in their books. There are a lot of intelligent and worldy teens who are not all into cell phones, pop music and sagging pants, LOL.
I think a YA writer can alienate their audience (even if they don't mean to) if they do what you mentioned. I am sure many readers of the genre might feel the same way.
Best Wishes!
http://www.stacy-deanne.net
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Permalink Reply by Constance Reader on -
Ugh! That sounds just awful.
I really hate it when children are too smart for their ages, like in Arthur Phillips's Angelica. The girl is four, and speaking in complete sentences, with perfect grammar and understanding of adult concepts. I don't mind this when it adds to the story, but here it only detracted, so blech.
My full review of Angelica is here.
http://constance-reader.blogspot.com
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Permalink Reply by Stacy-Deanne (Novelist) on
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LOL, that author must not understand kids or haven't been around them! They need to ask questions if they aren't sure how kids should act by a certain age. I can't stand bratty kids! I don't like them on television or in books. I think a lot of authors base their child characters on those rude, talking-back, smart-butt kids on television. You know the ones everyone can't stand, LOL!
I look at some of those kids and if I talked to my parents the way they do on some of those movies and shows, I tell you I wouldn't be here now, LOL!
When I was a child, we couldn't even speak when grown folks talked. They'd say, "Grown folks are talking, go outside or somewhere else." I'm from Texas and that is how most Texas children are raised. I think it's a good thing. I don't know how they do it in other places, but I tell you that the kids on the television wouldn't make it down here, LOL!
Best Wishes!
http://www.stacy-deanne.net
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Permalink Reply by theBookChubi on -
My personal pet peeve is a novel where the author doesn't do their research. Historical or not I feel all books need to have some basic research involved to make the location believable. For example, if you are setting a book in a specific time period you should use the proper lingo appropriate to the age. The characters should be dressed in the appropriate manner and behave according to the rules of society (or have the correct reaction when they purposely do not).
Even fantasy novelists need to do their research. Don't just make up what you think some mythological creature is like, actually read some forklore on the subject. For instance, I can buy into a book about a school for magical children where brooms and potions are involved because nothing in that description is out of line with common assumptions. Making a mythical creature sparkle instead of burn to death just because you can gives me a migraine.
http://thebookchubi.blogspot.com
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Permalink Reply by Stacy-Deanne (Novelist) on
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Hi,
That's laziness and there is no excuse for it with the Internet and all. You can do research in minutes! Great point. I also think it insults readers' intelligence when writers don't research. To me they seem to be thinking the audience is too dumb to notice or either they think readers won't care. That's the wrong attitude from an author and many readers care and take their fiction very seriously. I always do research if needed for my books. How can I talk about something if I don't even understand it? LOL!
Like the guy I am reading now, if you don't know how different ethnic groups act, then either go out there and meet some people and learn, or don't write them! It's insulting to go on stereotypes. Newsflash, us minorities are just like everyone else, LOL!
Best Wishes!
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Permalink Reply by M. J. Macie on -
I totally agree with you. I love P.D. James but found the same problem with one of her books. Later, while reading an article about writing, I learned there is a method to that madness. In her book, I became interested in the characters of the temp and the woman who ran the temporary agency. Page after page described those women and their lives. Then, after the body of the victim was discovered, neither one of those characters ever appeared again. How frustrating! What happened to them? Then, through that article on writing, I learned P.D. James' descriptions were necessary for the reader to get the complete picture of the part these characters played in the lives of the other characters and process of the book. Once I'd learned that, also believing P.D. James is a genius of a writer, I realized that I, a novice, was too critical. However, your example of someone wasting the reader's time on useless description and ignoring what the reader needs to know would be too much for me. I would've chucked the book. I give you credit for continuing. If it turns out to be a good read, let me know and I'll read it.
Have a great day!
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Permalink Reply by Stacy-Deanne (Novelist) on
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Hey M.J.
Even if I continue, believe me it's missed the mark of being a good book when I started reading, LOL! For me a book has to start out good, be good in the middle and end good to be considered good to me. This book isn't even average. A woman just turned up dead so I will keep reading, but this book is an F for me, LOL!
Best Wishes!
http://www.stacy-deanne.net
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Permalink Reply by M. J. Macie on
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I'm that way as well. I could be bored to death by a book but the moment a body is found, I need to know who did it and why. Sometimes I just muddle through. I also checked out your website and signed your guest book. What a great idea!
M.J. Macie
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Permalink Reply by Dixie on -
Incessant name-dropping and decribing events in the minute puts me to sleep-That's why it took me around 8 months to finish American Psycho.zzzzzzz
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