What makes you drop a story?

What makes you drop a story?

  • Badly written MCs (Unlikable, too stupid, too OP, cardboard personality....)

  • Lackluster plots (predictable plots or stories that go practically nowhere)

  • Too many spelling or grammatical errors (readability issues)

  • Lack of romance/Love interests ( or if they do exist, they are too flat/one-dimensional)

  • Little to no sexual content

  • Too much sexual content ( on the expense of plot and character-development)

  • Bad pacing (story is either too fast or too slow)

  • Writing style or narration that puts you off (whether a certain POV or a certain type of prose)

  • Irregular updating schedules


Results are only viewable after voting.

LostinMovement

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
145
Points
83
We all do it sometimes. We pick a story, we read a chapter or two and then never feel like getting back to read the rest. What would make you drop or lose interest in a story? I have added a poll just to get a general idea. If your reason is not included in the poll, feel free to elaborate on it.
 

AliceShiki

Magical Girl of Love and Justice
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
3,530
Points
183
Bad writing and bad characters are basically the only reasons I drop stuff.

Sometimes I forget about a story for a while and then come back later, but unless I'm actively bored by reading, I'll usually keep reading it.

The big red sign for me is if I start wishing I was playing Minesweeper as opposed to reading the story, it usually means the story isn't offering much in keeping my attention.
 

LostinMovement

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
145
Points
83
If I dislike the main love interest, too, I get put off really easily. i.e. male leads doing really not good actions that are romanticized by the author. Almost always an instant turn-off.
Same with me as well. I have dropped stories before where the love interest is too problematic for my taste (borderline abusive or in some cases, misogynistic)
 

Myself

Active member
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
6
Points
43
I’m not sure if I’m just against multiple POV novels in general, but I feel like most of the ones I read could be really good single POV novels, I don’t need to know what all the other characters are doing all the time.
I’m not sure if it’s harder to write or I just have a short attention span and don’t care about any of the other characters as much.
The main thing that makes me drop though is when all there is no multiple protagonist tag, but 30 or so chapters in the author starts adding an increasing amount of side stories and interludes
 

NotaNuffian

This does spark joy.
Joined
Nov 26, 2019
Messages
3,626
Points
183
I am trying to write a story and avoiding the first two things because I myself detest if the story has a plot that literally goes nowhere, even when I am reading to kill time.

Then there is the issue of unlikeable MCs, for me it is someone too pathetic, even for me, if I must say what kind of character that constitutes to pathetic, it will definitely be MCs with a heavy "no killing" policy even when the opposition is FUCKING TRYING TO KILL THEIR LOVED ONES. Of course the people can argue with TRY, but knowing the person has mens rea means you need to do something more severe instead of handing them to the law and hope they stay stuck there (they never do).

The third would be sexual content I guess? Especially SH is 50% made for sex, this feels weird to put out, because I can read stroke stories elsewhere, but after nut clarity, the stuff becomes like spam ads that clustered the storyline.
 

BenJepheneT

Light Up Gold - Parquet Courts
Joined
Jul 14, 2019
Messages
5,344
Points
233
Especially SH is 50% made for sex, this feels weird to put out, because I can read stroke stories elsewhere, but after nut clarity, the stuff becomes like spam ads that clustered the storyline.
stroke stories
nut clarity


My kind sir you've made two places in my personal dictionary. Not an honourable position but thought I'd let you know.
 

Ram5

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
63
Points
58
1. MC who behaved without reasonably reason and no either explanation from the author or translator, for example: Not caring to what he or she wear into a party, unless they meant to irritate the host, their home had a fire which burn all the rest of clothing, and they are not 'normal'.
2. Abusing trope; a forced intercourse to save life and urgent power up (regular power up is fine)
3. fatty, ugly, or stupid companion for the sake to raise MC's character, no matter they are funny or a comic relief, it's an annoying trope.
4. Beta MC
 

Moshi

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
85
Points
53
As for frequent updates... that basically comes down to, "look, I have things going on in my life, I read these in my spare time, when a story updates too fast/too frequently, I just don't have the time to keep up with it so I just drop off. It's not that the story repelled me, I just literally do not have the spare time for this". Stories that update multiple times in a single day, every day, are mostly what I mean. Again, this isn't a "bad" thing, and in fact can actively draw in readers and be considered good! But it's just something that isn't compatible with me personally.

I just read at my own pace, really. If it updates faster than I read, so what? If anything, it's nice since I know that I have chapters to look forward to.

That may be just me though.
 

kaida

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2019
Messages
32
Points
8
I try really hard not to drop a story with a super slow schedule if the plot is really engaging, but it's hard keeping interest if there's months of empty space in between uploads. Same for grammar mistakes, where most of the time it doesn't matter to the readability of the story itself. This is my top grievance with stories:

- cardboard, bland characters.
This one annoys me the most. If you're going to have a character who appears frequently, have them contribute something useful. Have them actually grow instead of just be cannon fodder or comic relief. Writing is all about your characters. When you write about them, they come to life. But when they come out as boring and repetitive, it takes away from the story itself. Hell, even a cliche and monotone plot could be brightened by interesting characters, because every character is important in some way.

When I see characters like this in stories, I try and ignore it most of the time and hope they get better. But more often than not, they remain very static. I've had to put down lots of books before because of this. ;-;
 

Ral

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2019
Messages
604
Points
133
Character. Uninteresting, dull, stupid or repulsive characters. If I don't care about the characters then I don't care about the story.

I would have voted for lackluster plot but I usually care a lot about the plot when the characters are lackluster. If the characters are really interesting then I could bear the lackluster plot. I actually like Slice-of-Life stories where plot is of little significance.

Writing Style. The story's content itself is half of the story. How you tell your story is very important.
 

AliceShiki

Magical Girl of Love and Justice
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
3,530
Points
183
As for frequent updates... that basically comes down to, "look, I have things going on in my life, I read these in my spare time, when a story updates too fast/too frequently, I just don't have the time to keep up with it so I just drop off. It's not that the story repelled me, I just literally do not have the spare time for this". Stories that update multiple times in a single day, every day, are mostly what I mean. Again, this isn't a "bad" thing, and in fact can actively draw in readers and be considered good! But it's just something that isn't compatible with me personally.
Oooooooh, I get what you mean! I never read anything that updates faster than daily! And even daily is already a bit too much for me.

I ideally like reading weekly updates~
*Broadly speaking, stories that start off/present themselves as one thing and then over time just turns into an entirely different narrative make me groan and drop a story. I mean like, isekai stories that start off as "you must save the world from demons" and then by chapter 30 it's just the MC making miso soup and people going apeshit over it and then it's 5 chapters of them recreating the concept of a cultural festival just so they can open a food booth in order to spread the cuisine of glorious Nippon or whatever.
OMG! I hate this sooooooooooo much! >.<

Though my usual pet peeve is the opposite. If I'm reading a slice of life novel, I expect it to remain as a Slice of Life novel. I don't want a big gigantic war for the sake of the world to happen! Give me my Slice of Life back!!! >.<

(I also dislike stories that at first had only 1 MC and one interlude here or there, but then started jumping between PoVs all the time. I remember one novel that had like... 11 chapters in volume 1 with 8 or 9 being from the MC's PoV. By volume 6, it was like... 5 chapters from MC's PoV and 6 chapters from other characters.

I didn't sign up to read a multiple protagonists story!!!! >.<)
 
Last edited:

Ral

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2019
Messages
604
Points
133
I didn't sign up to read a multiple protagonists story!!!! >.<)

This.

It would be fine for me if the other POV are interesting and add something to the story. There are great stories with multiple POV/Protagonist. The authors here, almost all the time, can't write stories with multiple POVs.

I mean, they are already having difficulty writing a story about a single protagonist. Why are they adding more?

To me, if an author resort to adding new POVs, then it means that they think that the original story was not good enough. But then, if they can't write a good story about a single protagonist, how can they handle two or more? They mistakenly believe that more characters/protagonists equals better story.
 

CL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Messages
507
Points
133
  1. "Badly written MCs (Unlikable, too stupid, too OP, cardboard personality....)"
    This doesn't give me cause to drop a story. I've come across characters like these and had grown so frustrated that I have bled from my bottom lip from angrily biting myself in anger. It had also brought ideas to me on how I'd play these stories out differently. That is the main reason why I'd like to write a story. As an example, I had read over a scenario of some princess who'd been forced into a marriage with the cliche hunk who bows down to no one and is rather abusive towards this princess. Everyone else he treats with respect, but, her, hell no. To him, she's an annoying burden he had to pay for a claim of the land and title the little heiress possessed. As for her, she is a dominant force against those who oppress her (except the "husband" there), treats everyone with respectful kindness (except the "husband" again), and has a head on her shoulders (when outside the "husband's" proximity). But, nope, apparently the sight of man-meat turns her into a hissing kitten stuck under a damp doormat.
  2. "Lackluster plots (predictable plots or stories that go practically nowhere)"
    Dropping these kind of stories is difficult. I expect there to be a point and usually wait them out until the end. That doesn't mean I devote my entire attention on every word. I'd skip over lines or may even jump to the last chapter just to see if there is a conclusion I'd appreciate. If the story had caught my interest (and keeps it), I don't do that sort of cheap move. I'll be a good little reader and make it to the end, unless, as I said earlier, I don't find a point to care anymore and go searching for one. I don't take pleasure in quitting.
  3. "Too many spelling or grammatical errors (readability issues)"
    If I can comprehend what the author conveyed to me, I don't care. I'll read on.
  4. "Lack of romance/Love interests ( or if they do exist, they are too flat/one-dimensional)"
    This gets a pass only if the author had inserted some other element to compensate for the "romantic" cringe. Sarcastic comedy or fast paced action works.
  5. "Little to no sexual content"
    Like #4, I can go without if there is another element to keep my interest.
  6. "Too much sexual content ( on the expense of plot and character-development)"
    This might fall under #1 here but I can talk about this under another light. The characters are what make up the plots, and, if they act irrationally for the sake of sexy time, then, yes, this had better be tagged as smut. You write a story revolving around what gets you and the reader off, mention it. I will likely not be in the mood to read about someone throwing their entire life away just so they can have every chance to boink.
  7. "Bad pacing (story is either too fast or too slow)"
    Too fast? That means I'd finish the story sooner. Too slow? See #2's response about looking for a point to keep reading.
  8. "Writing style or narration that puts you off (whether a certain POV or a certain type of prose)"
    If the story keeps my interest, and I can understand what's going on, I'm okay with any author's style.
  9. "Irregular updating schedules"
    This could unintentionally cause me to drop a story if it had taken so long to update. What would happen is, if I haven't been regularly checking up on it, I'd likely be into something else and forget about it. In no intentional way would I want this to happen. It just does.

    TL:DR I don't drop stories. I get angry when frustratingly stupid stuff happens. If my interest wavers, I skip chapters to see if there is some point to keep reading the story. Keep me interested and I'll read on like a good little reader. Tag your stuff if it is nothing but smut. If I can comprehend the scene, I'm all good to go on reading. :blob_popcorn:
 

LostinMovement

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
145
Points
83
TL:DR I don't drop stories. I get angry when frustratingly stupid stuff happens. If my interest wavers, I skip chapters to see if there is some point to keep reading the story. Keep me interested and I'll read on like a good little reader. Tag your stuff if it is nothing but smut. If I can comprehend the scene, I'm all good to go on reading. :blob_popcorn:

I salute you, good Sir :blob_salute:
I wish all readers had your patience and legendary attention span :blob_teary: It would make life much easier for us, writers. I actually had someone roast me on a misplaced comma on RR. They then went on a long winded lecture about the difference between commas and full-stops. I wanted to cry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CL

CL

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Messages
507
Points
133
I salute you, good Sir :blob_salute:
I wish all readers had your patience and legendary attention span :blob_teary: It would make life much easier for us, writers. I actually had someone roast me on a misplaced comma on RR. They then went on a long winded lecture about the difference between commas and full-stops. I wanted to cry.

Unless you had invited me to mention something about your grammar, and even if you had, permission would be still asked to speak about it, otherwise, I'd keep silent. I am sorry you had to cross paths with a critic like that. Once, I have had someone tell me that my writing was an "unholy mess" and, this next bit is not verbatim, that I should stop. Taking that criticism to heart, for a while, I had done just that. I know what it is like to doubt yourself. :blob_pat_sad:
 

AliceShiki

Magical Girl of Love and Justice
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
3,530
Points
183
I salute you, good Sir :blob_salute:
I wish all readers had your patience and legendary attention span :blob_teary: It would make life much easier for us, writers. I actually had someone roast me on a misplaced comma on RR. They then went on a long winded lecture about the difference between commas and full-stops. I wanted to cry.
Oof... I'm glad I never received this kind of dumb criticism.

Like, one reader here in Scribbly has been really nice to me in my last novel to point out sentences that felt a bit weird or that were grammatically incorrect. He was always very polite and I always thanked him for it.

If someone decided to try roasting me for a comma, I'd just tell them something alone the lines of... "If you don't like the way I write, you don't need to read my story."
 

LostinMovement

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
145
Points
83
Oof... I'm glad I never received this kind of dumb criticism.

Like, one reader here in Scribbly has been really nice to me in my last novel to point out sentences that felt a bit weird or that were grammatically incorrect. He was always very polite and I always thanked him for it.

If someone decided to try roasting me for a comma, I'd just tell them something alone the lines of... "If you don't like the way I write, you don't need to read my story."

It did make me feel bad but not as bad as that random out of nowhere 0.5 rating someone gave me on there. That depressed me. They didn't even tell me why. I guessed it must be because my story was BL and they just happen to not like that. I dislike harem stories but I don't go out of my way to bomb stories with the harem tag with 0.5 rates. That's just low and evil tbh. Some readers on RR can be the meanest and most unkind fuckers you could ever come across.
 

AliceShiki

Magical Girl of Love and Justice
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
3,530
Points
183
It did make me feel bad but not as bad as that random out of nowhere 0.5 rating someone gave me on there. That depressed me. They didn't even tell me why. I guessed it must be because my story was BL and they just happen to not like that. I dislike harem stories but I don't go out of my way to bomb stories with the harem tag with 0.5 rates. That's just low and evil tbh. Some readers on RR can be the meanest and most unkind fuckers you could ever come across.
I think you really shouldn't give ratings too much thought, some people are just dumb and do it without caring about how the author feels about it.

So far I only got one 1* rating, and it was pretty random and out of nowhere (especially when almost all my ratings are 4-5, which just stroke me as weird), so I thought it was just because my story was GL... Haters exist I guess, not much we can do about it, just move on and ignore their existence~
 

LostinMovement

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
145
Points
83
I think you really shouldn't give ratings too much thought, some people are just dumb and do it without caring about how the author feels about it.

So far I only got one 1* rating, and it was pretty random and out of nowhere (especially when almost all my ratings are 4-5, which just stroke me as weird), so I thought it was just because my story was GL... Haters exist I guess, not much we can do about it, just move on and ignore their existence~

Logically I know I shouldn't but getting a 0.5 rating out of nowhere hurts, sort of like a punch to the stomach, specially when you are putting your heart into your work. I'm actually learning to grow a thicker skin and pay attention only to constructive criticism, not to shit like this. It's a journey, I guess. And yes, it must because your work was GL, there is considerable amount of homophobic readers on RR. I have experienced it even on the forums. The reason why I don't post or speak to anyone on there.
 
Top