What Pulls The Plug For You?

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I did a survey today of the writing I like and dislike.

Lazy writers use heaping helpings of auxillary verbs, rather than take the time to write lean, powerful prose. Theyre like rat poop in your corn flakes; one or two annoy you, more ruin your appetite.

Whats the deal-breaker for you?

 

[slyc_willie]

Implausibility. If, in the context of the genre, the story takes a turn that is so far out in left field that it makes me blink twice. The bulk of incest stories seem to go that route, I've noticed, which is too bad for those who write in that category and write well.

 

[Guest]

Implausibility. If, in the context of the genre, the story takes a turn that is so far out in left field that it makes me blink twice. The bulk of incest stories seem to go that route, I've noticed, which is too bad for those who write in that category and write well.

For which slyc took me to task--gently--in another thread.

(Hey, slyc--thanks again. I've re-edited the story and it's pending approval.)

As for me, implausibility's right up there with just plain bad writing. Iif the mechanics are off--spelling, gramamar, punctuation, paragraphing, dialogue--I click off immediately.

Life's too short to read bad fiction.

 

[michchick98]

I did a survey today of the writing I like and dislike.

Lazy writers use heaping helpings of auxillary verbs, rather than take the time to write lean, powerful prose. Theyre like rat poop in your corn flakes; one or two annoy you, more ruin your appetite.

Whats the deal-breaker for you?

I think the biggest thing for me that makes me click away from a story or stop reading a book is poor editing. The writing can be wonderful, but too many spelling, grammar and punctuation errors really distract me from the story.

That and the fact that the author can't keep his/her facts straight about the character, plot or setting....like describing one of the lead characters at the beginning of the story with brown hair, then later that same person is described with blond hair and there are no implications the character has his/her hair dyed.

And as slyc_willie said, I think off-the-wall, unbelievable plot twists are a deterrent as well. I want a story that's believable to some extent, but don't stretch the imagination too far.

 

[sr71plt]

Pretentious, flowery descriptions of unending image adjectives.

 

[jomar]

Implausibility. If, in the context of the genre, the story takes a turn that is so far out in left field that it makes me blink twice. The bulk of incest stories seem to go that route, I've noticed, which is too bad for those who write in that category and write well.

Internal logic goes along with this. If I suspend my judgment for sci fi or horror, stay within the rules you set up. Don't make wild shit up to get out of a jam.

 

[slyc_willie]

For which slyc took me to task--gently--in another thread.

(Hey, slyc--thanks again. I've re-edited the story and it's pending approval.)

As for me, implausibility's right up there with just plain bad writing. Iif the mechanics are off--spelling, gramamar, punctuation, paragraphing, dialogue--I click off immediately.

Life's too short to read bad fiction.

Nah, yours wasn't too far outside the realm of plausibility. All it needed was some clarification and a pinch of motivation.

But yes, life is too short for bad fiction. And bad beer.

 

[slyc_willie]

Pretentious, flowery descriptions of unending image adjectives.

But, don't you want to see her incredible, jiggling, bouncing breasts given to her by Aphrodite herself, reminiscent of the unending radiance of the sun and moon?

Actually, I know I'm guilty of a bit too much prose in some of my writing myself.

c'est la vie.

 

[sr71plt]

But, don't you want to see her incredible, jiggling, bouncing breasts given to her by Aphrodite herself, reminiscent of the unending radiance of the sun and moon?

I wouldn't mind it . . . if she kept her mouth shut.

 

[sr71plt]

Oh, and anything Chick Lit.

 

[slyc_willie]

I wouldn't mind it . . . if she kept her mouth shut.

*snerk*

 

[DeeZire]

Mundanity. (I know it's not a word.) Two writers can describe the same mundane scene - one will draw you in with the sheer mastery of their prose, the other will turn you off. That's one of the reasons I have so many unposted stories. I read them back and there's no spark that makes them extraordinary.

Related to mundanity would be a sense of foreboding. If there's no tension or conflict, there's no reason to keep reading. I back-click out of roughly four out of five stories around here for that reason. But I have a short attention span, so that's my fault.

 

[Dragonlipz]

poor prose, rather the writers inability to pose an idea, build a scenario, or otherwise touch the reader......turns me right off...........

 

[Techomancer]

Fail the sympathetic contract. (Congrats, I'm rooting for the bad guy to win.)

Break me out of the story to explain something. (I DON'T need to know about Sally's missing puppy from when she was 12 as her car is being riddled with bullets by a madman)

If you need me to suspend my disbelief to do magic or alien tech, don't violate your own rules later. (If a wizard can cast a 'remove panties' spell, he'd better be able to remember to do it later when it counts)

Beat a storyline to death (Friday the 13th - part 34, Jason meets the Clampets)

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

DRAGONLIPZ

Yes, plot failure is a big problem.

Determining what hooks the reader's sympathy is not rocket science. She wants to stay alive or eat or revenge or the boy or whatever matters to most people. And what she wants cant be a trifle.

She needs a disaster of some kind to put her in need of what she wants.

She needs obstacles in her path and a gradual worsening of her circumstances.

And she needs to reframe (see something differently) whatever it is that ultimately saves her ass at the climax of the story.

I mean, you cant write about someone born on 3rd base and gets a home run.

 

[lesbiaphrodite]

Deal-Breakers for Me:

1. An "erotic" writer who tries to sound like Horatio fucking Alger.

2. An "erotic" writer who employs far too many words to describe a very simple thing.

3. Any writer who thinks I care enough about his/her story to wade through pages of bullshit dressed up as prose.

 

[Safe_Bet]

Deal-Breakers for Me:

1. An "erotic" writer who tries to sound like Horatio fucking Alger.

2. An "erotic" writer who employs far too many words to describe a very simple thing.

3. Any writer who thinks I care enough about his/her story to wade through pages of bullshit dressed up as prose.

*Snerk* Horatio fucking Alger.... <---- Gay Plot Bunny!

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Triteness and cliche.

I don't care if the spelling and mechanics are atrocious, I want to read something I haven't read before. I want imagination and originality.

 

[lesbiaphrodite]

*Snerk* Horatio fucking Alger.... <---- Gay Plot Bunny!

Tee-hee!!! LOLLLLL

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

DOC

OR!!!! The writing is so excellent youre compelled to read it again and again because the experience is so rare and delightful. Enchanting?

This may be a new thread...WHAT MAKES A BOOK A KEEPER? Why read it twice or more?

 

[hmmnmm]

If, by the third paragraph there is no menstruating Louise Fletcher using a strap-on on a bent over red-caped superhero, and if Godzilla isn't flinging munchkins off his cum-blasting lizard cock, I'm usually out. Lean prose, fat flowered prose, plot, no plot, etc, just doesn't come into that sort of calamitous-potential decision.