Turn-off and Deal Breakers for Readers

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

Sure. Try Fate Into Doubt Won't Go which is nearly there.

I think I get it. You're making the narration sound as though the character was giving it. As though its in his voice even though its not dialog.

Exactly. Sometimes I can do it easily, sometimes it's a struggle, other times it doesn't work at all. It's a gradual learning curve for me.

Any author who thinks of Jack Kerouac as a role model.

Quote by Just_A_Guy_You_Know

Any author who thinks of Jack Kerouac as a role model.

"That's not writing, that's typing " Truman Capote (about Mr. Kerouac)

Too much interior monologue makes me tired. Not a deal-breaker, exactly, but there had better be a reason to tell me all this.

When a story takes too long before the action begins. I don't mind a set-up, but when the action begins to take place only midway through the story I'm out. Lots of people apparently need a very long lead up to the actual action, while I prefer more a short set-up or being dropped midway into the action.

Another turn off are things I'm simply not into, those are just general preferences. Like lots of stories out there about guys being submissive to a woman and stuff like that. But like I said, that's just a personal preference.

I know there are non-native English-speaking/writing members on Lush. But when their stories get published, and the grammar and spelling haven't been edited by a moderator, it makes the stories very difficult to read.

Yes, we're not editors. But most moderators will check for flow and certainly spelling. If you have any specific concerns, please drop a moderator/admin a note with the story link(s) in question and we'll take a look.

Quote by ExploringMySubmission

When a story takes too long before the action begins. I don't mind a set-up, but when the action begins to take place only midway through the story I'm out. Lots of people apparently need a very long lead up to the actual action, while I prefer more a short set-up or being dropped midway into the action.

Another turn off are things I'm simply not into, those are just general preferences. Like lots of stories out there about guys being submissive to a woman and stuff like that. But like I said, that's just a personal preference.

I'm guilty on both counts.

I'll nope out of a story if it has too many spelling or grammatical errors, if the sex (or other) descriptions are weak or lack detail. Also the story has to flow, if a story jumps around for no apparent reason i won't finish it.

As someone far more likely to write a story than read one, this thread does remind me of the 'pleasing some of the people some of the time' saying. Someone's pet peeve is important to them; I understand that. That said, this will also be true for the next person, whose gripe is different but just as 'deal-breaking' for them. If you write for your personal pleasure and see others connecting with it as a bonus, you rid yourself of fretfulness and fear over alienating one reader who has bugbear #33539, etc.

Quote by LYFBUZ

I'll nope out of a story if it has too many spelling or grammatical errors, if the sex (or other) descriptions are weak or lack detail. Also the story has to flow, if a story jumps around for no apparent reason i won't finish it.

I find all of those issues annoying enough to quit reading a particular story. And I've found that some authors are very repetitive even when stories aren't a series. I just stop reading those authors.