What makes me quit reading mid-story.

[FromDarkwater]

Often, I find myself reading a story and just can't finish it. Not because of the characters or plot, but some really nauseating writing.

For instance, I read a story the other day that, somehow, had a fairly decent rating (4.0+ actually). In the story, the words "I felt" had been repeated 30 or 40 times and usually started several sequential sentences ("I felt his hand pulling at my hips. I felt a tingle in my panties. Then, I felt him press his cock into my ass. I felt... I felt... I felt...").

After reading "I felt" fifty times, I felt like vomiting.

 

[oggbashan]

It is a very personal thing. Yes 'I felt' too often can jar, but sometimes it is the scenario. If you cannot retain belief in the story, for example if it explores a fetish that desn't appeal, you will back click.

 

[WendyTrilby]

That is also my pet peeve. Not necessarily "I felt" (although it will be now) but any words that repeat themselves frequently, especially adjectives and adverbs. I like to do a word search when I've completed a story to see what words come up the most. I write in MS Word which does not have a specific word usage count (you would think they would), so I have to do manual searches. The other issue here is that the story you are reading is written in the first person, so "I" comes up a zillion times.

I prefer the third person would would allow the writer to say: "she felt" "Barb felt" "It felt" "They felt" etc. Still a lot of "felt" but a much easier read.

 

[FromDarkwater]

Another thing that will quickly cause me to scroll to the next story is the 'Super Alpha' and/or 'Mega Barbie.'

There are ways to convey an alpha male or pin-up woman without going overboard. Not, every man has a 16" meat cleaver that can drop panties with just a seductive look from across the bar. And not every woman has more curves than Jessica Rabbit! Maybe it's just me, but I occasionally enjoy a bit of imperfection in my heroes and a touch of reality in my fantasies.

 

[FromDarkwater]

So true! Generally, for me, erotica has a little something going on other than:
Man walks in, sees girl, clothes off, it's fuck time, the end.

But, somehow, I believe that is all some readers are looking for.

 

[GrantBricksly]

Repetition is definitely something that bothers me. Though I don't know that I have ever stopped reading simply because of that alone. I definitely try my best to avoid it in my own writing.

What DOES make me stop? Poor grammar. Poor grammar will get me every time. I can excuse a little bit here and there. But when the story reads like my 9 year old wrote it (and there are A LOT of those on this site) I have a really hard time getting into it.

I read one just last night, where in the middle of the story, the names of two characters (brothers) switched. All of a sudden, the brother on the bed (A), and the brother that had just walked (B) into the room became B, and A...and then switched back again...it became very hard to follow because the names kept switching...

 

[Euphony]

I prefer the third person would would allow the writer to say: "she felt" "Barb felt" "It felt" "They felt" etc. Still a lot of "felt" but a much easier read.

To my reading preferences, this is a band-aid on an amputation.

Repetition is unnerving on its own. Adding in overuse of sense words instead of action words makes each repetition exponentially worse.

We all have our thresholds but I'd imagine most have a particularly low acceptance of this bad combination.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Somehow, the repetition isn't always a bad thing. I read that Agatha Christie used the repetition of a word or phrase in three consecutive paragraphs which would make readers continue reading. They called this reading hypnosis and it creates a desire to continue. Not sure what those words were, or how you use them. I've never been able to put Christie down once I start one, but what words make turn the page, I can't tell you. She supposidly would do this every few thousand words.

 

[ElectricBlue]

That is also my pet peeve. Not necessarily "I felt" (although it will be now) but any words that repeat themselves frequently, especially adjectives and adverbs. I like to do a word search when I've completed a story to see what words come up the most. I write in MS Word which does not have a specific word usage count (you would think they would), so I have to do manual searches. The other issue here is that the story you are reading is written in the first person, so "I" comes up a zillion times.

I prefer the third person would would allow the writer to say: "she felt" "Barb felt" "It felt" "They felt" etc. Still a lot of "felt" but a much easier read.

Dump your text into this program, to make a word cloud of your top 100 most used words: https://worditout.com/word-cloud/create

It's an essential part of my edit, along with "find and replace" word searches for whatever are my worst tics at the time (once I know my worst habits, I can usually spot them in draft, so it's a rolling list).

 

[nice90sguy]

That's just great!

 

[nice90sguy]

Please can others post theirs?

 

[FromDarkwater]

I finally know where Waldo is!

 

[nice90sguy]

I'll do one more, then quit for the weekend, I've been trampling enough threads this week:

A findom foot-fetish story:

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Next on KUNT radio, a story by Pastor Fuzz, about an unfortunate double penatration mid sermon at the local prison Sunday service. Your listening to KUNT radio, a little fuzzy but everyone gets us.

 

[AlinaX]

I see 'feel' - the story's in present tense.
lol @ the rest

 

[MillieDynamite]

Next on KUNT radio, a story by Pastor Fuzz, about an unfortunate double penatration mid sermon at the local prison Sunday service. Your listening to KUNT radio, a little fuzzy but everyone gets us.

WTF are you on, Mary?

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Yeah. I'll have what she's having.

 

[Djmac1031]

Interesting.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Yeah. I'll have what she's having.

It's the good stuff, whatever it is. That radio station thing, man, she's really out there today.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

WTF are you on, Mary?

KUNT was a radio station my dad used in off color jokes he told his drinking buddies. And Pastor Fuzz was a character he used in jokes, usually someone questions him about who he is and what he is doing, he says, "I'm Paster Fuzz." the other person responds "Well, if you're that far, go ahead and finish."

 

[MillieDynamite]

Crap, your dad could be one of my dad's friends. But you're a lot older than me!

KUNT was a radio station my dad used in off color jokes he told his drinking buddies. And Pastor Fuzz was a character he used in jokes, usually someone questions him about who he is and what he is doing, he says, "I'm Paster Fuzz." the other person responds "Well, if you're that far, go ahead and finish."

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Bitch, you didn't have to tell people that.

 

[lovecraft68]

Crap, your dad could be one of my dad's friends. But you're a lot older than me!

Sad to say, I've become that dad

 

[MillieDynamite]

Sad to say, I've become that dad

Yeah, well, plenty of them around! You notice I didn't say my dad was like that, only he had friends like that. I lucked out when mum and dad took me in! Best adoptive parents EVER!

 

[ofbuttons]

When the guy pulls down his pants and reveals an 11" monster dong and his partner responds with great excitement instead of, like, medical concern, I'll probably hit back in my browser. Not going to subject myself to a half page of hentai-adjacent cartoon size queen shenanigans.