Anyhoo, doggone if there wasn't a table with brand spankin' shiny new inspirational novels 20 steps from the door. Not even kidding.
Still, I was determined. No time. No money. And...wait a minute...is that a new Regency with a gorgeous cover? A peek wouldn't hurt, right? Just a quickie.
Surprisingly, it was. I flipped to the first page. The opening sentence was okay, nothing stellar, but not a turn-off, either. But as I continued to scan the entire paragraph, whoa baby. Did somebody hit a great sale on adjectives, or what? I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt, though, so I flipped to the middle of the book to see if the overuse of adjectives slacked off any. Nope.
Deal breaker!
I set the book down and went on my merry way. Now, that's a good thing for my pocket book and for the woefully sagging bookshelves in my family room. It's not so great, though, for the author and the publisher. And it got me to thinking...
What's a deal breaker for you? What makes you set a book down? Go ahead, be honest. Authors want to know what readers think.
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7 comments:
Deal breaker--shallow characters I don't connect with or care about. I'm willing to hang on for a few chapters. Action, schmaction--I don't care too much about that. But if characters are fake or 2-dimensional? Nope. Not for me.
I hear ya. It's never a good read if your hero or heroine is as exciting as a congealed poached egg.
I used to think my deal breaker was a plot where nothing happens. And I was thrown for a loop when I read Becky Wade's "My Stubborn Heart"--the plot is low-key and common enough. Yawn. But the characters! I was laughing at myself for staying up all night with a Contemporary Romance. Seriously? Me? Yeah, I think Heather's right--a readers connection with the characters is numero uno. :-)
So far it's unanimous...characters...but isn't the writing itself an integral part of connecting a reader with those characters?
I'm with you Michelle. A short time ago, I would have finished anything I started reading--call me obsessive compulsive. But nowadays, I'm pickier about what I read, because I believe that what you read will reflect what you write to some degree. :-) Yes, stellar writing is important in reeling in a reader, I agree.
Well, for me it all starts with the cover. If I don't feel good about the cover, I won't even pick the book up. For those books I do read, I always give them around 5-6 chapters to keep my attention. I've found that some books may start out slow, but if you give them a chance, they do pick up the pace. A good first sentence is a plus, but not a deal breaker for me. I guess what I look for are characters that play off of each other well...opposites that become attracted to each other...with some humor mixed in...also, the author needs to have enough descriptions without droning on and on..give just enough to envision, then move on...Hope this helps. :)
EVERY little bit helps. Your comment just sent vibrations along writers' antennae worldwide.
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