Usually the skipped parts are described as "long" or "boring" or having "too much information" or "not enough dialogue. I don't understand this habit of skipping, unless you're a student reading assignments and pressed for time. Otherwise, I'd say skipping passages is bordering on being illiterate."
I agree with your points, Steve. As I used to say; this is the result of the endless impatience which rules the present world. Everyone is demanding answers, everyone is trying to shape everything to their never existed taste, and they're getting bored too easily. Well, in my native country there is an ancient saying for this; only the blunt-minded is getting bored.
The problem is; people are getting bored on everything. And many writers are trying to adapt to this, as they're listening to these blogs which are telling these things like if their word would be the universal truth. Now, I've read dozens of novel betas in the last few months. The most surprising was; many novels are started on the very same way, with the very same or similar opening lines (I experienced in fantasy the most, but it's also started to appear in other genre too.). Many was the very same in almost every possible aspect. Some stories are told even the very same, just with different names and places. Oh, and my favorite; all of them is started with a cliche action (Because it's a must, right?). The only positive element in all these stories was the pacing, because of the lack of long descriptions. But nothing else.
Why is it important? As the true descriptions are almost completely missed, the world building is not existed at all, and the environment was blunt and dry. So every element which is usually making the difference between worlds and worlds is not existed. Only the pacing was excellent as there was no true descriptions, only in few cases. Then I asked the writer;
1. why did (s)he start the story on this way (with a cliche action)?
2. why did (s)he write the story on a really dry way, while I've seen few really good and colorful descriptions (So the writer do know much more, but by some reason (s)he is restricting his / her own talent by some unknown reason in the novel.)?
3. why did (s)he turn the novel to a cliche, while the concept is capable to achieve much more if (s)he would use proper descriptions, not just trendy one liners...
And the answer to every single question was; because otherwise the readers are getting bored. So, many novel is slowly turning to an unoriginal cliche, while many of these writers would have a chance to create much better works (As they have the talent for it.), but they're restricting their very own talent and imagination because of this "Spoil me, otherwise I'm getting bored.). The general problem is; nowadays there is no true difference between polite literature and penny dreadful. There is no difference between serious and easy reads. And what is worse, many writer want to spoil the already spoiled readers. But it's not our job to spoil people. Our job is to tell our stories and present our worlds.
I don't understand this habit of skipping, unless you're a student reading assignments and pressed for time.
People don't have a clue what they're missing with their skipping. Memorable, realistic and serious novels always had long and in many cases, the so called "boring" descriptions. Iain M. Banks novels, the Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, the H.M.S. Ulysses by Alistair MacLean are all really good examples. These are all very good novels. Easy and fun reads, such as my favorite Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison had no long descriptions, but that one used a quite different tone and it's not required those descriptions at all because of it's style and presentation. But there is a huge difference between easy, soft novels and serious ones. Yet, many is telling us... write easy reads, dumb your work, otherwise we're getting bored. But in the reality, these people are simply not our target audience and they never will be.
Well, you can be a mainstream writer, who is acting like a genii caricature; fulfilling every whining, writing the very same what others do, on the very same style as others do. Or you can be the writer who you really are, using the style what is truly yours and you're writing everything as your story, your characters and your world desires; to give a unique experience and story for your readers.
Say no to skipping.
I agree. If you can't read one or two more pages, read penny dreadful instead.