The first Wednesday of every month is officially
The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
For the most part, I'm a persistent reader. It takes a lot for me to stop reading a book. Typically, after I start reading I feel compelled to finish, even if I'm not exactly enjoying the story. I always wonder if maybe the book has an amazing ending. Something that makes it worthwhile to read.IWSG Asks: Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?
It's only recently that I've become more choosy with my reading choices. In the last three years, I've begun setting books down instead of finishing them.
Why do I stop reading?
#1. The number one reason I stop is the head-hopping POV in the middle of a scene. There is really nothing else that throws me out of a book than an unexpected POV shift in the middle of a scene.
The funny thing is, I used to read books like this all the time and they never bothered me until recently. I'm not sure why. Just how it is for me now.
#2. Surprisingly, typos and misspellings in a book don't bother me so much. I'm aware of them. In fact, I've often wondered if I should email the author to let them know about that tiny error on page 5, paragraph 3. But, if there's an overwhelming amount of them, then that annoys me. I'll probably keep reading, but I might not be as enthusiastic as before. I try really hard to make sure my manuscripts are error-free. I know they're never perfect. Despite how many times I've re-read my WIPs, as well as having my editor and beta readers read them, inevitably something is missed. I get it. None of us is perfect. But when it's clear to the reader that a simple spellcheck wasn't done before publication, then I'm having a harder time making excuses for the author.
#3. Maybe its because I'm getting older and I'm more aware of my limited time on this Earth and the constant fear there might not be a library in the afterlife, but I've begun to set books aside that just don't grab me. I usually will read the first chapter or more, but if I'm still struggling to find a reason to care about the characters or the story doesn't interest me, I will put it down. This is usually no fault of the author and I never review these books. It's just for some inexplicable reason, the story didn't keep my attention. To each her own. I'm aware that not all stories are made for every reader. We all have our likes and dislikes. That's okay. But, I'm not going to waste my time reading a story that doesn't keep me awake at night turning the pages.
To date, there is only one book that I stopped reading and threw across the room. It took me years to pick that back up to finish reading it. Of course, afterward, I was so glad that I did.
I threw the book.
Yes! I threw it!
I didn't want to read more. I walked away, frustrated and hurt that the author would do such a thing. (I was in my teens at the time when I first started reading The Lord of the Rings and very emotional.)
Later, in my 20's when the movies by Peter Jackson came out in theaters, I went to see Fellowship of the Ring in the theater because of my boyfriend's insistance. I was entranced by the movie and decided to give the books another try. I'm glad I did.
Turns out, I gave up on the books too soon giving my equivalent of a reader temper tantrum. Now, this series remains to be one of my absolute favorites and I've even gone back to re-read them!
Be safe! Stay healthy! And keep writing!
~ Tricia
I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!
~ Tricia
Be sure to visit the other writers in the
I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!
You can Follow me on ...
Looking for a little escape? Check out these books!
Yes, I can ignore typos. They happen. And I've read to the end hoping something wonderful would happen. What I can't get through is when the protagonist is a despicable character. It's hard to care about someone when they aren't good people. Happy New Year, Tricia.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see that coming! Glad you gave LOTR another chance. I do think it's common to get more selective as we get older, and also the more we write, things like headhopping become more inexcusable if we work hard to avoid them ourselves.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are too many books to read, especially as we get older. I think it's a good practice to stop reading after a chapter or two if you're not interested in a book. I usually use a 50-page rule.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one that quits when a character dies (or is close to dying). If it's my favorite character, as long as I don't finish the book, they're fine. It was merely a flesh wound. They'll walk it off... ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's frustrating that as a reviewer, I have to take breaks from reviewing in order to read books that I would choose on my own. If I ever become independently wealthy (ha!) I'm going to become much more selective about what I read and/or review. I don't have that luxury right now.
ReplyDeleteI can ignore a few typos, but if it seems like there are so many that there has been no editing at all, I usually can't finish the book. It's just been in the past few years that I've been putting down books that don't grab me instead of forcing myself to finish.
ReplyDeleteGah, typos. I can ignore a few, but I just finished an ebook that was full of them. The story was great, the characters were great, but the typos kept pulling me out of the story. It's too bad, because it would have been a five-star read with a bit of copyediting. The weirdest part was that, according to the acknowledgments, the author hired a copyeditor. If I were the author, I'd ask for a refund.
ReplyDelete