25 Reasons Why I Stopped Reading Your Book

[Alex The G and T]

I stopped reading the article after about item 8. Actually, I tuned out about item 3 and stopped skimming at item 8.

Because the author's voice was too smug.

No one wants to listen to a know-it-all bloviate.

You can quote me as item 26.

 

[The Big Peat]

I stopped reading the article after about item 8. Actually, I tuned out about item 3 and stopped skimming at item 8.

Because the author's voice was too smug.

No one wants to listen to a know-it-all bloviate.

You can quote me as item 26.

Ironically, you just stopped short of the two items where he talked about voice

 

[Toby Frost]

Because the author's voice was too smug.

I find most of his articles like that. Actually, I find a large chunk of how-to-write articles are written in Standard Internet Snark and therefore not much practical use. Often the writer is more interesting in cracking jokes than explaining things, which doesn't help much.

 

[MWagner]

No one wants to listen to a know-it-all bloviate.

Judging by the popularity of those sorts of blogs and lists, I'd say a great many people do, in fact, want to listen to a know-it-all bloviate. As Toby notes, the appeal seems to be in the snark and jokes. As for advice... it's of the shotgun blast type - sprayed without aim or precision.

 

[Toby Frost]

To be fair on him, this isn't the worst example, and the points he makes are good, even if they'd be just as sharp in bullet-point form.

Do we have a thread for recommending how-to-write books and articles? It would be a good idea.

 

[Danny Creasy]

Helpful thread, but how do some of your books score on readability? I was 9th grade on first and 7th grade on second and third.

 

[The Big Peat]

To be fair on him, this isn't the worst example, and the points he makes are good, even if they'd be just as sharp in bullet-point form.

Do we have a thread for recommending how-to-write books and articles? It would be a good idea.

Its a very good idea if there's not. I have some Amazon credit burning a hole in my pocket and some good writing advice books are very much on my to buy list.

Of course, free articles online are even more welcome.

 

[RX-79G]

I wasn't bothered by the tone of the article. It is a list, and makes some useful points.

I was 9th grade on first and 7th grade on second and third.

What does this mean?

 

[Montero]

I think he is referring to software that you get to assess the reading age of what you've written - tracks vocabulary and complexity of sentences.

 

[Danny Creasy]

That is correct. It's an option on Word. Before running a Spelling/Grammar check, select the "readability" option. After you have laboriously plowed through your oft edited manuscript, it will provide some useful data. I said 7th grade, but I forgot my final edit got the 2nd book down to 6th grade level.

 

[Danny Creasy]

By the way, there are several useful YouTube videos from educators providing assistance in both using this tool and how to interpret the results.

If your latest novel scores out at 12 or college, you are really limiting your audience in this day and age. However, you may want to write to that audience. So be it.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Its a very good idea if there's not. I have some Amazon credit burning a hole in my pocket and some good writing advice books are very much on my to buy list.

Of course, free articles online are even more welcome.

Next Lonchron, I'll bring all mine if you want. I'm not sure I'll be reading them a second time.

pH

 

[RX-79G]

Thank you, Danny. I also found some free online versions that produce results from multiple systems. A short story of mine came out somewhere between 6.7 grade and 10.2 for an average of 8.7. While I can see how that might be pushing it in some ways, I think it would depress me to write sci-fi much below that. But I get that what you can read and what is fun to read are different.

Measure the Readability of Text! - Improve your writing and your website marketing with Readability-Score.com

I wonder how different these scores are from how children's standardized tests rate "reading level"? I remember being 10 and having mixed feelings about another 7 years of public school when the Iowa Basic Test people felt that I was "reading at a 12th grade level."

 

[Danny Creasy]

Please note, there's no way I would want a 6th grader reading that book. It's chock-full of sex, violence, and profanity. Actually, nothing worse than the kid would see on prime time TV if his/her parents don't monitor or care about his/her TV viewing habits.

 

[RX-79G]

Please note, there's no way I would want a 6th grader reading that book. It's chock-full of sex, violence, and profanity. Actually, nothing worse than the kid would see on prime time TV if his/her parents don't monitor or care about his/her TV viewing habits.

Even if you changed the dirty words into "wee-wee" and the like?

 

[ZombieWife]

I find most of his articles like that. Actually, I find a large chunk of how-to-write articles are written in Standard Internet Snark and therefore not much practical use. Often the writer is more interesting in cracking jokes than explaining things, which doesn't help much.

I find his tone hilarious and he gets the point across. It may be off-putting to some, but he gets the point across in a vivid way. One can only say, "hey, using 20 adverbs per manuscript page weakens your writing." Chuck can say it in his way and it reads quite clear. And in a way that says, "Hey, don't be a dumbass. Seriously."

 

[Theophania Elliott]

I read this article a while ago, and enjoyed it - I like his tone, although it's the sort of thing of which a little goes a long way. A bit like stand-up comedy: great for half an hour, but you wouldn't want to live with it. At least, I wouldn't. I'd end up having to build another new patio.

He's not really saying anything new, but he is saying it in his own style - and that may reach some people that wouldn't have been reached by a more dry, instructional tone. Plus, he does say in the introductory part that this is him unpacking why he stops reading books. It reminds me of what has made me stop reading books, and how I felt about it - which a more emotionless article wouldn't have done. I don't know about anybody else, but when the author's writing makes me stop reading a book I really wanted to enjoy, there's that feeling of frustration: I wanted to be your fan, and read all your books and rave about them, and then you went and put an adverb in every single bloody sentence! Why? Why? Why?

 

[Toby Frost]

Personally, I think that Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a lot to answer for. Half the internet sounds like a Joss Whedon character. But fair enough, and it may be that the way I read instructions, which is very much pre-internet and hence pre-this sort of writing, is very outdated. Each to his own. However, I would add that I once looked at a (different) popular blog about submitting manuscripts, and I genuinely couldn't tell what was real advice and what was being said sarcastically.

 

[Theophania Elliott]

I genuinely couldn't tell what was real advice and what was being said sarcastically.

Of course, the other problem is that just because it's sarcastic doesn't mean it's not good advice... and just because it's presented in a dead-serious way doesn't mean it's not complete broken biscuits.

Personally, I tend to look at a whole bunch of sources, and pick out the common threads. It doesn't matter how someone says it; the question is, is the message accurate? While ten different sources all saying the same thing doesn't necessarily mean it's true or accurate, at least you can say that lots of people believe that it is.

If only one person is giving a particular piece of advice, then either a) they have special information nobody else has [which may be true, if they're an industry insider]; or b) they're completely out to lunch.

 

[Steven Sorrels]

Its a very good idea if there's not. I have some Amazon credit burning a hole in my pocket and some good writing advice books are very much on my to buy list.

Of course, free articles online are even more welcome.

Probably one of my favorites is Stephen King's On Writing. Very informative, and he never talks down to the reader (which is a common problem with these types of books, unfortunately).