Margarita on Toast
Have you ever been so excited to read a book that you keep peeking at the first line, paragraph, page before you really have time to read? You know you have.
You love the author. The cover copy promises your author's best story yet. The blurbs are fantastic. Finally your quiet time arrives, and you settle in for at least one chapter.
Instead of the salty cold tang of a Margarita, the taste is more like flat, lukewarm Sprite.
You decide to read a little more. The author's wonderful. There must be a good reason she didn't put in the fizz yet. After searching through page after page, you find the plot. Instead of hearty meat and potatoes . . . soggy toast.
What's a reader to do?
This is where I close the book. Stick it in the bag that goes to the library. Move on. I don't dwell. I don't finish.
If this is a favorite author, as in my example, I'll buy another book, but probably not the next one unless I'm super-enticed in some way. If it's bad, it will be a while before I purchase her again.
If this is an author new to me, whether experienced or new, I often won't give her another chance. Why? Because I have so many choices of other authors. I move on. I don't dwell.
Why should I take another chance on someone I didn't enjoy on the first read when I can try for someone I may enjoy?
No writer wants to put out work someone doesn't enjoy, yet it happens every day. We're all human. We have different likes and dislikes. No one is going to enjoy everything we write. Unless maybe it's our mother.
As a reader: What do you do when this happens with you?
As a writer: What do you do to prevent this from happening too many times?
You love the author. The cover copy promises your author's best story yet. The blurbs are fantastic. Finally your quiet time arrives, and you settle in for at least one chapter.
Instead of the salty cold tang of a Margarita, the taste is more like flat, lukewarm Sprite.
You decide to read a little more. The author's wonderful. There must be a good reason she didn't put in the fizz yet. After searching through page after page, you find the plot. Instead of hearty meat and potatoes . . . soggy toast.
What's a reader to do?
This is where I close the book. Stick it in the bag that goes to the library. Move on. I don't dwell. I don't finish.
If this is a favorite author, as in my example, I'll buy another book, but probably not the next one unless I'm super-enticed in some way. If it's bad, it will be a while before I purchase her again.
If this is an author new to me, whether experienced or new, I often won't give her another chance. Why? Because I have so many choices of other authors. I move on. I don't dwell.
Why should I take another chance on someone I didn't enjoy on the first read when I can try for someone I may enjoy?
No writer wants to put out work someone doesn't enjoy, yet it happens every day. We're all human. We have different likes and dislikes. No one is going to enjoy everything we write. Unless maybe it's our mother.
As a reader: What do you do when this happens with you?
As a writer: What do you do to prevent this from happening too many times?
Comments
As a writer, I can only hope my characters and the stuff I throw at them will keep readers turning pages (and reading the words!). I don't think there's any way to ensure this happens, and different readers respond differently.
Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
It's bound to happen though, no one hits the bulls eye every time. I think you're right, move on and try again.
cheers
mood
Moody Writing
As a writer I always hope that doesn't happen, but I know I won't please everybody. If we all had the same tastes, then there wouldn't be such a variety of books!
Mason - Maybe I should have a second chance stack. Good idea. I'll give it a try.
Mooderino - No names. It's one you'd recognize. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Laura - Exactly so about writers. We give it our best shot.
Rula - Very good point about the forgiveness being returned. I don't need Bad Book Karma tracking me down.
Becky - I wish I read faster. Maybe I'd be more willing to keep going.
Linda - I'm in the same boat.
Stephen - LOL. I should pay more attention to reader reviews.
It’s hard to trust reader reviews not that they don’t truly love the book, but what they like and I like are not always the same thing. My current read has tons of fabulous review, yet I can’ get past the third chapter.
As a writer this is my worst feat (of course), but I keep telling myself we all like different things, we all like different things, ….
As a writer, I can't even THINK about it, or I'd never write again. LOL
As for follow-up books of authors I like - if the book isn't so good, I always wonder if the author was under deadline pressure.
P.S. a Margarita sounds awesome right now.
I'm a more cautious buyer these days. I like how I can sample ebooks to make sure the beginning pages are to my liking.
Elspeth - You give the book longer than I do. We do have to be willing to take the risk. It's scary.
Holly - I need to remember 'different things'. It shouldn't be hard because my taste is quirky. But it is looking at it from the author's side.
Jennifer - Maybe that's the secret ... don't think about it!
lbdiamond - I'm forgiving of some things. I'm actually forgiving of almost anything if it's just a few. But when there's a lot of stuff going on, not so much.
LR - Interesting prose is good. But when the plot fails to develop or does so at a snail's pace, I'll stop. I'm less inclined to stop if it's the other way around, but I'll skim.
Medeia - I'm more cautious, too. But even first pages can be deceiving at times.
Loved this post. Makes me want a margarita! =)
I just discovered your blog through Becky's site, I'm glad I did.
As a reader, I'm with you. I stop reading. I admit I don't have much patience either, if something doesn't grab me fairly quickly, I won't keep going.
Great blog! :)
In my writing, I work hard at the craft and do revision after revision until I hope I have done all I can to keep the reader engaged throughout the story. No cranking the stories out for me. LOL
As a writer, like everyone else, it would be a nightmare!
Very interesting post. We'll all probably have bad dreams tonight, lol :P
Julie - I'm glad you found me, too :) Thanks for commenting.
Maryann - Same here. I'm usually tired of reading it by the time I'm done.
Words Crafter - As a writer, my worst fear is it's so bad no one likes it. No bad dreams!
I am usually persistent enough to finish, but... I only read the one Twilight--I won't try the author again unless someone GIVES me a good.
I find though, that I can get tired of even a good voice--an author I enjoy for one book, the next feels too much the same and annoys me... so whatever the case, I am going to author hop whether I hate it or love it. The difference is, in a few years, I will try the loved one again.
Conda - I know that 3 a.m. feeling :)
Clarissa - Lucky you. Maybe I need new favorite authors :)
Hart - I try to never read the same author back to back. I love Lisa Scottoline - she's not the author that made me close the book. Anyway, she's been writing for a while, but I only started reading her last year. Or the year before - I forget. I've read 3 or 4 now and still adore her work.
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