What Makes You Stop Reading a Story?

It's hard to say what is actually wrong enough to make a reader stop reading. Is it a moment you can pinpoint? Or is it a myriad of "no-no's" that chip away at your tolerance for forgiveness? After all, much can be forgiven, or at least off-set by the good. A setting or premise you enjoy, sympathetic characters...any number of strengths will do. I tend to think it's largely about forgiveness.

For that matter, I like to think I'm a forgiving reader. I'm a writer too, after all. So does that make me more or less forgiving as a reader?

The question may be unfair, or at least an unfair burden. We like what we like. It's not about wondering if you've become jaded or nit-picky. Being a writer only means you have a built-in desire to analyze the why. Why did it happen? What went wrong? Or, in other words, what made it a DNF - Did Not Finish.

Granted, there are levels of DNF. As a writer, I try to remember not all DNF's are a personal statement of disliking the writing - or the writer. Thank goodness, knock on wood, I have not had a DNF review, but I'm sure it has happened - that act itself of someone not finishing my story. I would hope it is for one of the "lesser" reasons, such as "not in the mood." That is the #1 reason found in this blog post here:

The Different Types of DNF

I can live with that -- the reader simply not being in the mood or even the #2 reason, "I gave it a real chance & didn't convince me."  These are the soft, undeclared types of DNF, the types I think  unlikely to prompt a DNF review -- much different than the strong feelings that fuel a 1 star DNF.  Those are a different animal altogether, and the reasons for the DNF are also much easier to identify. Something very specific about the book hurt you or made you angry. 

It is the lesser reasons of a DNF that are most valuable to study. But how? They are largely undocumented, which is perhaps a good thing for the emotional well-being of the writer, but consequently, this makes it much harder to define the capricious nature of what exactly lost the interest of the reader. Temporarily? Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Who is to say if a reader will get back to the story they abandoned to their TBR pile out of boredom or simply not being in the mood? In this sea of mediocrity, how do we pinpoint why the reader stopped reading? 

I don't think we can -- exactly, that is. The source of disconnect lies somewhere within the reader's opinions and tastes. Yes, it is a broad spectrum, but one you are a part of -- you're on the spectrum too.  Hopefully the reader has a visceral response to the writer's opinions and tastes -- or in other words, the writer's voice. Take a moment to remind yourself what that is:

Writer's Voice: What It Is and How to Find Yours

Personality, tone, rhythm. All of the things to keep a writer interested. Is it any wonder if the majority of the soft DNF's may come from a reader not connecting to a writer's voice? 

Reading contributes to voice. We like what we like. We know what we forgive and do not forgive.

Reading also reminds us that there is much more that is forgivable than we think when wearing our writing hat. It's not about punctuation and many other rules as we know them. We know this, but we forget. It takes reading to feel how the imperfections of broken rules, if you will, add to the readability of the book as a whole. In fact, I recently felt the need to tell a writer friend about it in an email...

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I read a really good book last night – stayed up well past my bed time! This one was another Harlequin Presents, but an old one from the 90’s. It’s called Tainted Love by Alison Fraser. Wow. So different in style from the new ones. I wouldn’t say there was no POV from the hero exactly, more like a consistent slip that somehow worked. LOL Like, “he spoke more gently as he saw the color drain from her face,” but stays in her POV. Only once, for a few paragraphs in the entire book, does it go clearly into his POV – sort of. Okay, indulge me, but I’ve got to type it out:

She stirred a little, but did not wake when Fenwick entered her attic bedroom. He touched her hair, lightly brushing it back from her face, but she felt nothing. He covered her still clothed body with the quilt.

He watched for a while as she slept and wondered that she who seemed so strong could look so vulnerable in sleep.

He stared at the picture that had slipped from her grip and barely recognized the girl in it. She looked a decade younger and happier. She was beautiful with her dark red hair and flashing green eyes.

He looked back down at the bed. It was the same face but too thin now, and scarred by grief. He wanted to wipe away her tears but couldn’t without waking her. He wanted to take away the pain but couldn’t, because he didn’t know how.

He was no good with people. He’d realized that a long time ago. Normally he didn’t care, but this girl…

So what the heck was that? Lol How is that allowed? Even this, in his POV, has “but she felt nothing.” It all makes me think I worry too much about what is and isn’t allowed. LOL But shouldn’t I? I don’t see this anymore, so was this allowed then, but it isn’t allowed now?

I don’t know. All I know is I liked it – the book. Heck, it made me cry. It’s messy, but not confusing messy – you know? Maybe even a necessary messy.

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Forgivable. That's what it was. The one thing I didn't like, by the way, was how rushed the ending felt. Other readers, I noticed, felt the same way. They wished for more. They dinged a 5-star read down to a 4-star. Hmm. Not a bad problem for a writer, wouldn't you say?

So what is forgivable or unforgivable? It depends. (Remember that Scruples game? I always said "it depends.") It takes thought. As writers we should want to think about it. We want to learn. You may even take solace in knowing a writer wrote badly because it gives your own writing some leeway to be bad as well! Yep, I said it. But of course, you don't want that. You tell yourself you wouldn't do that, whatever that may be. Yes, a 1-star DNF of a train wreck can be averted. But maybe...just maybe, it's just as important to captivate with voice. Without that connection, a reader can lose interest long before the train wreck. With it, they can forgive when it happens.


So what makes you stop reading? Is it one thing or a combination of several things? Are you a "forgiving" reader? Do you have personal writing "don'ts" or lines crossed that come to light from what bothers you as reader?

Requesting a Review for Your Romance Novel: A List of Where to Find Reviewers

I think it's time for another "list of where to find them," don't you?  The post, pre-made ebook romance covers: a list of where to find them, continues to be very popular and I love it that additions to that list continue to be suggested.  I also appreciated a comment that said,  "Nice list! It's great to see everyone helping each other out."  Yes it is, don't you think?

So, in that same spirit, this list is for finding reviewers for your romance story.  Of course, it could also be for finding reviews of your next romance to read.  Writers are also readers, so it just depends on which hat we're wearing.  However, with the idea for reviews in mind, I'm linking to the page that gives instructions on how to submit your story and request a review.   Some you may have heard of, others maybe not.  I also wouldn't be surprised if I missed the obvious ones, so please, please feel free to suggest your favorite romance review sites...that review for free and accept self-published/independent work.

The reviewers are the ones who read and (hopefully!) love your story and get the word out.  But a few words of caution...they might not love your story.  They also might not review your story at all.  The reasons why not, however, might not be personal.  It could be that they have a huge backlog or, possibly (if, for instance you are a self-published author) they still have restrictions on who can submit.  So, at the risk of stating the obvious, read the instructions. 

And, on your side of the decision making process, you might be -- and probably should be -- choosy about which reviewers you pick.  Read the reviews!  Are they notoriously tough?  You might want to reconsider.  By the way, I admit to being quite chicken myself and I have submitted to very few reviewers! 

But, nevertheless, here's a list even a chicken might explore.  If you're just looking for a good read (hmm, how did Goodreads come up with their name?) and need some recommendations, then the list will work for that too! 

***

First, a place for articles that provide some additional information and lists on the topic of getting reviews:

How to Get Your Book Reviewed Online - from Wow! Women on Writing

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Romance Review sites (Note: numbered, but in no particular order, and these are review sites that review for FREE):

1. FICA Fare - A fan-fusion of reviews, recommendations and graphics
2. The Romance Reviews (TRR)
3. Romantic Book Affairs
4. Risque Reviews
5. Dear Author
6. Talk Supe
7. Sizzling Hot Books
8. Coffee Time Romance
9. Love Romance Passion
10. Once Upon A Romance
11. Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
12. Romancing the Book
13. All About Romance Novels
14. Romance Junkies
15. Reading Romances
16. Smexy Books
17. InD'Tale - News and Reviews for the Self-published with a romantic flair.
18. Cocktails and Books

What I've been reading...two wonderful regency stories

Last post I went on a bit in general on reading a "bad" book, and now I want to turn things around to mention, by name, a couple of really good books I've enjoyed.  This isn't really a formal review, just some thoughts on what I liked about these two books.  Number one good thing to say is I could not put either down until I finished!  Both are set in the Regency time period but have very different styles.  These two books are 1) Eloisa James' When Beauty Tamed the Beast and 2) Julie Klassen's The Silent Governess.

I would also add both of these to my "Books I'd Read Again" list, which I admit includes (mostly) older titles.  I'm woefully behind on reading current fiction, so I'm thrilled to find some "new" favorites, published 2011 and 2009 respectively.  Also, each has a quality that made it unique (from what I usually read within the romance genre, that is).

Bad books: Who says?...and what a writer can take away from reading them

I just read an incredibly bad book.  Best of all (depending on how you look at it) this particular book was probably the 50th-plus book from a multi-published author.  It's a hard cover, "big money" book.  And it's awful.  Spectacularly awful, in fact. 

 I guess I should be ashamed by how happy I sound.  Yeah, I should be.  But once I apologize (to my conscience and to the author who will never know), I can go back to being happy.  Because I know there's a lot of value in bad books.  And I know I'm really not the only writer to feel this way.  For a little proof, I found a couple of blog post on this same topic:

"You Had Me at Hello" Reading: Amnesia Plots

I've done it again. Yep, in the midst of my latest reading binge, I've read two romances in a row with my favorite plot device and I'm not sure I've satisfied the craving. Before the day is out, I'll probably be scanning the back-of-the-book-blurbs for again that one word: amnesia.

Yes, it's an odd little obsession that's as addictive as chocolate. But, unlike chocolate, this binge is not a guarantee of satisfaction. For instance, in the first of the two books I read with the amnesia theme, the story didn't grab me at all and I skipped through the pages like a stone over water. I wanted it to work because it had what I think of as "great potential" (more on that later), but the execution just didn't happen. But with the second book I read, my persistence, or rather loyalty to the plot device, paid off with an engaging reading experience that promises to keep me hooked.

So, if there's one thing I know about my reading habits, the draw to a story is all about this "great potential." Simply put, is the book likely to have most of the things I enjoy? What are these "things" exactly? Well, that's a personal list that is kind of like that line from the Jerry Maguire movie, "You had me at hello." It's instant attraction. And with all instant attractions, what comes next is sort of unknown, but there is definitely "great potential."

For me, few story devices have as much "great potential" to fulfill this list as amnesia stories. My "You Had Me at Hello" list could also read "You Had Me at Amnesia." An odd connection, I know, but it seems to work. If I attempted to define just some of the intangibles for this appeal, here's what I'd choose, in no particular order:

Salvage Blog

Today I'm lazy and thought I'd revisit my older blogs and see if there were any to salvage. It may be too much work, however. Even though I have quite a few in a "draft" stage, they were set aside for good reasons. They are too prickly, like a cactus that we decided needed too much care to approach again. But, this is my salvage blog in honor of stuff we don't throw away.

I think we all keep drafts (and other things) and wonder "why?" Like a closet full of clothes that don't fit or are out of style, you wonder why you keep sections you cut from your WIP. They were cut for good reason; they also don't fit or the mood or style is wrong. You keep them though. Deleting is painful and has potential for regret. Maybe, just maybe, there's a reason to keep those "throw away" words. Maybe there's hope for salvage.

*browsing my edit list* Maybe this one. It doesn't look too promising, but maybe. Back in November of last year, I wrote a blog while miserable with a head cold and I apparently felt the need to share my misery! Now that's one blog I can read now and say, "I don't really care about your head cold." Even if it was mine! LOL

No, this one doesn't have a lot of promise. There is some "I'm sick, can someone send me some cyber chicken soup?" melodrama, and then it transitions into an attempt to review/critique a book. Now, wouldn't you hate it if someone obviously under the weather reviewed your work? But I wasn't thinking clearly and I dove in to write about a 'badly written' book. Even then I had the sense to leave out names, so it really wasn't a "review" but my outrage and crankiness is apparent:

The thing I really noticed was a very shallow POV. There were many, many instances of the hero and heroine being "aware" of him/herself in a way that any critiquer worth her salt would write a notation of a "POV slip." But the critiquer would soon get tired of correcting what was uncorrectable. This was not a mistake, this was on purpose!

I found it jarring and unsettling to read things like "he was a tall, powerfully built man" in what had to be his POV. I kept wanting to look around and "see" someone else but no, it was only him. Who thinks this way? It was all telling, and not showing.

This self awareness was present for the heroine as well. Her eyes "flew wide with dismay" and she frequently pushed her hair through her "auburn curls." Nope, no one is slapping this writer's hand and saying she can't think of herself this way.

Then, my crankiness turned to a reluctant admiration (I cleaned it up a bit, but I think I got what my foggy brain was trying to say):

But, because it was so consistent, the lack of POV depth settled into a certain expected style. For the hero, I could see how the effect was fitting for purposeful distance and arrogance. This was an alpha male, no doubt about it. I didn't exactly like him, but I didn't want to look away either. And by the time I read mid way through, reading in his POV, that "sudden devilment gleamed in his dark deep-set eyes" didn't throw me at all. In this borderline omnicient style, I could actually wonder, what is he up to? This mystery would be impossible in a deep POV.

The thing about this story, what kept me reading, was the sensual pull between the hero and heroine. It is hard to describe how this could be achieved with a slightly impersonal POV, but it was there. I'm still trying to figure it out. Maybe it was something about the "telling" that made it more economical and somehow more effective. More raw in the telling?

So, just as there is a nugget of value that saved this book, I think I found a nugget (or two) of value in my "throw-away" words.

For one, maybe reading with a cold or bad mood is actually a good time to be critical? For "your eyes only" though! As long as it's not going anywhere, criticize without the worry of offending. It's harmless venting and liberating to be honest without cushioning every criticism that has a negative ring with "in my humble opinion." So, be bold and voice the bad. After all, it should be easy in a bad mood!

Then talk about what good things salvaged the book. Even in a bad mood, this is possible to see. If it kept you reading in spite of the flaws, then it must be good! Only it will be difficult to express in a bad mood. You will be confused as to why this worked and reluctant to admit anything right could have come out of all those wrongs. Then take a breather (weeks, months, even a year) and edit yourself to find out what you were trying to say.

In this salvage, there is an an intriguing phenomenon of "time traveling back to your former self" at work here. I came across this quote in another blog and it sticks with me as a wealth of possibility for how to edit oneself. Many things are fixable and time and distance can do wonders for perspective. But one has to believe in the posibility of salvage for this to have appeal.

I acknowlege there are some, perhaps yourself, who believe it best to start anew and "clean house." Thow away the old and get a fresh start. But I would rather have a head start with a what I find in a salvage expedition. Actually, there is something appealing about cactus in November....

How about you? Do you see the salvage potential? Have you read a book and been compelled to analyze how "wrong" can become right? Have you read your own work and seen more clearly what your "former self" was trying to say?

Reading, reading, reading...

That New Year resolution stuff seems a long, long time ago. Resolutions? Who has time for resolutions? I think I said something about only posting a blog if it related to working on my story. I did, didn't I? Well, that was before the start of resuming full time college. Story? What story?

No, I can't say I've forgotten my story in the midst of the classes, but it has been nearly impossible to work in time to work on it. My goodness...the READING. Textbooks and essays and short stories and long stories. Oh, my. I'd become so accustomed to romance reading and zipping through a book in a day. Of course, romances are my first love. Who hasn't had those nights staying up into the wee hours of the morning to get to the HEA? Not that I hadn't ever stopped reading in the middle of a book. If things like breaking the rules of a good romance occurred, or I simply didn't like a character, then I'd stop. It had been a long time since I'd stuck with anything that didn't hold my interest.

So, when you HAVE to keep going, through thick and thin, it's a bit like breaking a bad habit. I partially planned for it and got a taste of what that would mean by reading the longer works for a literature class before classes started. Thank goodness I did! I'd be sunk if I hadn't at least done that. Heck, it took me over a month...maybe two with the starts and stops to finish Faulkner's AS I LAY DYING. And then Hemingway's THE SUN ALSO RISES, went easier. Not exactly the gripping page turner as the back cover blurb promised, but I got through.

Getting through...sounds really bad, I know. These are great stories...just totally unfamiliar in the style I'd become accustomed to. No happy endings for one thing.

But even with the story set temporarily aside, the writer in me is being fed by the reading. I'm seeing common threads and adventures across history, geology, biology and even literature. These are thread I wouldn't have connected only days ago. And perhaps, years ago, without all my time thinking like a writer about character arcs and plots, I wouldn't have seen the common threads across the board or seen them as adventures. Evolution and Charles Darwin, for instance, I may have pegged in the subject of Biology, but it's influence is everywhere. Even in literature, the writers of the late 19th century, were influenced by Darwinism. Their style, naturalism, "portrayed men and women overwhelmed by the blind forces of nature." (p. 1125, Concise Anthology of American Literature.)

Although naturalism is described as "pessimistic," I adored a short story by Theodore Dreiser (1918). In "The Second Choice," the female protagonist struggles with getting over a "glorious interlude" with a man who made her feel as though "in a trice, nearly, there was a new heaven and a new earth." She loves him -- is mad about him -- and remembers every detail of their time..."oh, the stars, the winds, the summer breath of those days!" And she ignores for "a year" the near fiancee, the second choice. "Every word that she tolerated from him was so much gold to him, so much of dead ashes to her." And, "it was her fate to be loved by him in this moving, pleading way, and hers not to love him as she wished to love -- to be loved."

Oh, it was lovely, written by a pessimistic follower of "naturalism" or not. In a way I saw her as self absorbed, but I did understand. It was timeless, but at the same time rooted in it's time of 1918, when she didn't see many options outside of marriage. In the end, the character, says "my dreams were too high; that's all."

So, while it seems I've been reading stories without happy endings lately, I have been enjoying the variety that I hope will make me a better writer. I'll still want to write a happy ending though. :)

What are you reading? Finding gems outside of genre? Ever think about how the variety will change or affect your romance writing?

What I'm Reading...Virgin Mistress, Scandulous Love-Child by Jennie Lucas

My reviews are all recommendations. They are of books I've loved, so "review" is to be used a bit loosely. They are simply books I've enjoyed and believe others will as well, and I have no intention to ever write a review of a story I didn't like. Criticism (constructive of course!) is for critiques, and reviews (from me anyway) is for ecstatic gushing.

While my fist choice for both reading and writing is historical romance and paranormal time travels, I find I have a frequent craving for the Harlequin Presents line. Other than the obvious draw of a shorter length for limited reading time, recently I had a "light bulb" moment that my draw to Presents is for the same alpha hero I usually like to find in a historical. So, I find myself grabbing a group of three Presents from the bookstore shelf knowing that, typically, one out of the three is bound to be absolutely wonderful; a fast, sexy, engrossing read. My favorite this time around was Jennie Lucas' VIRGIN MISTRESS, SCANDULOUS LOVE-CHILD.

I will add to this "review" but currently, with movers coming tomorrow!, I'm a little short on time. :) Until then, I'll simply provide the link and let you do a little investigating on your own. :)

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