This is absolutely true. But as I also experienced the shaded part of this page skipping, boring, etc, etc...Margo wrote:There are writers who get carried away with the poetry of their own prose but otherwise are great writers. There are writers who rush to meet deadlines or to write 2-3 novels and a couple of novellas a year. There are writers who think that because they are established, no editor should ever touch their work again. Few books are perfect.
I've met with some readers, and I also read reviews when someone is considered six or less necessary and perfectly written lines, descriptions as boring and then the reviewer is started to threaten the writer; I'm going to put you to blacklist if you won't change your style as I want. Or, another "big words"; it's a red-flag in my book. And that six lines wasn't complex, harsh in that novel, even a child was capable to understand. So, what do you say to that reader who is acting like a snub art lover who is standing in a gallery, holding a champagne in his hand, humming in front of Mona Lisa and saying... yum, yum, yum. It's boring. There are many people who is acting on this way without any true background and capable to consider something as boring (Novels, movies, games alike), because they can't understand it or because they're in the lack of basic taste. And in this case, books are not an exception.Margo wrote:Blaming the reader for lack of engagment is pointless and egotistical. If writers don't like readers skipping long descriptions and sex scenes meant to get the writer off (with little concern for reader experience) the answer is simple, two words: write better.
Although, there is a difference between reader and reader. I also got rightful critiques in the past that some of my lines or even an entire chapter was boring and slow (Yep. Really-really-really slow. You would hate it. :D ). There the reader was right, so I rewritten it and it was really better. Why was that different? Because she was capable to tell what's the problem with it and also there was a solution to make it better or faster. But many of the reader can't tell what's the problem with some elements, just saying; oh, my. SIX LINES of surrounding description instead of action. It's even toooooo colorful and also has a style. Boooooooring. It's also toooooooo slooooooooow. It's time to skip. I've seen reviews, where the reviewer is considered a really good novel as boring and slow after six easy description lines somewhere around page ten.
The question is the why they're writing this, when something is evident and trivial.
#1: Because they lack of imagination. i.e: I've got this boring, slow, skipping stuff after four lines, right on my second page. One part was considered as boring, slow and impossible to imagine as there was a sapphire sun instead of the default one. Up from this moment the entire novel was considered as boring, slow and unimaginable by the reader... as there is a blue sun in a fantasy/sci-fi hybrid. Up from this moment it's already not my problem and I consider this as a lack of imagination. It's an experienced thing, so unfortunately it's existing.
#2: Because they simply can't understand lines what even a six years old is capable to understand.
#3: Or worse, if a writer is doing this. Now, the question is why a writer would do this? Because (s)he can't write lines what the other writer is capable to write (I already experienced this at certain writing websites when some "elitist" writer did this with newbie writers. They gave false advices regarding descriptions, because those so called "one novel/one world miracle" pros couldn't write good and truly beautiful lines what some newbie was capable to write there. So unfortunately it's also an existing scenario.) And these people are usually writing blogs and to present their opinion so serious to new writers, they're using big words, such as; red-flag, skipping, booooooooooooooooring. This is the primary reason why I agree with agents when they're saying; a writer shouldn't write book reviews.
As a writer you also must consider both scenario every time. And when a reviewer (movie, books, games, etc, etc...) is using truly "big words" to hide their incompetence and to give a greater tone to their words, 75-80% of those people is simply unable to understand trivial and evident elements. It's always easier to blame someone else, usually the creator, for their very own incompetence. So they consider it boring, slow, etc, etc... because that's easier. A good critiquer is always telling what is wrong with the entire product (Novels, movies, games). Who is considering something after few lines, few pages, and also can't explain what's the true problem with it... that one cannot be taken seriously.
:) That's a really good advice. But you also must know and feel, when the reader is right and when the reader is wrong. It's also your job to decide between good and bad advices. Every reader review is based on taste, be it beta or normal review. But only around 10% is admitting if they can't understand something. But in the reality a large number of people is unable to understand basic, trivial and evident things.-Or hell, you know what can improve your writing? Reading bad writing and figuring out why it's bad.
But as I written at the beginning, this is the shaded part. I'm speaking about these things. The part what you explained is also right and I also agree with few of your points.
I agree with this completely. You can't please every reader and you must move on. But when you're writing, you also must know when to draw the line and how to make a difference between a good critique, human stupidity, ignorance or worse, envy people.That said, it's impossible to please every reader. Some will hate what others love. Two more words: move on.