Do you guys found authors who use simple words and sentence boring in their stories?

Cixious_CZ

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I use simple words and sentences when writing, since I just recently found my passion for writing, I decided to not just be a reader but an author as well, however, ever since I released my story I somehow found it... Lacking, I'm not a native English speaker and not used in deep English words, I also have hard times expressing the right expression of characters, so what do you think guys?
 

OnlyIndie

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Well, we all started from learning. We have google and can always search for synonyms to make our sentences better.
As reader, I prefer simple sentences to be frank. Over complicated words might make the whole thing sounds "trying too hard" and pretentious.
I've read some great works which uses simple sentences. As long as the plots are enjoyable to read, simple works can be great.
 
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i prefer simpler words since i don't want to rack my brain too much when i read. i pick easy to understand as one of my top criteria for sticking to a novel.

if it's boring, it probably matters more with the story itself, not the choice of words.
 

Renaxan

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I use simple sentences and words most of the time because of the same problem as you are, being not native.

Never really see it as a problem, though.
 
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I use simple words and sentences, though I 'diversify' the terms by referring to a thesaurus. Using the same words again and again sounds tedious and awkward for me (unless I wanted to show something to the reader).

Besides, I try to cater to an international audience, ranging from learners of English to fellow teachers (interested in my work). Simple English would be enough for me to get my story across.

After all, not everyone has the same level of understanding in that language.

P. S.: thesaurus.com is a great friend to me.

P. P. S : I'm not a native English speaker.
 

Western42

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I only use big words to help explain things within more detail, though not often. Instead of having all these complicated words quite a few people won't know about, I think simpler words are the best to get the message through.
 

Ai-chan

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Eh, the reason light novels blow up in the west is due to the translators' use of simple words and sentences. Exotic vocabulary might have worked for the previous generation, but millenials have short attention span. You make it a chore to read your story, they just stop reading. The pretentious nature of old-school literary works is not as well received these days.

Use exotic vocabulary to vary your composition, but don't use it much. Unlike the previous generation, nobody these days bother to look up the meaning of the word in the dictionary. They just keep on reading and assume its meaning by the context provided. So you're not enriching their vocabulary, you're just teaching them the wrong meaning of the word used and make them ignorant snobs.
 
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I simplify my writing to the point that it starts to sound like a children’s book. I enjoy simple words—they’re not stupid at all. In fact, veteran authors use them all the time. (But I enjoy verbose sentences too as long as they’re properly executed.)​
 

Topgun1908

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I use simple words and sentences when writing, since I just recently found my passion for writing, I decided to not just be a reader but an author as well, however, ever since I released my story I somehow found it... Lacking, I'm not a native English speaker and not used in deep English words, I also have hard times expressing the right expression of characters, so what do you think guys?
Simple words is fine, just try not to keep using the same word over and over. The main thing to remember is, "Do I have to google what this word means?" Not very many people would want to constantly stop reading to google definitions.
 

lnv

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I use simple words and sentences when writing, since I just recently found my passion for writing, I decided to not just be a reader but an author as well, however, ever since I released my story I somehow found it... Lacking, I'm not a native English speaker and not used in deep English words, I also have hard times expressing the right expression of characters, so what do you think guys?
It's not about the size of your words, it's how you use them :P

Actually, the english language in general is considered proper to make things as simple as possible. The reason to use more complex words would be if 1) Simple words don't reflect the meaning you wish to portray 2) It would take more words to say the same thing that 1 complex word means

But as others mentioned, it's good to have some variety, especially in same sentence or paragraph. But don't go too overboard.
 

BomBomBom

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I have the same problem with you because I'm also not a native English speaker. But let me tell you this, people don't care. They care more about the story itself than what kind of vocabulary used to write it, especially now that most of web novel readers are millennials or gen Z. Maybe we're stupid because we don't know fancy words, but who cares, simple words means easier to imagine and picture the story.

There is one classic story written in my first language, and it is praised to this day by scholars and literature teachers because apparently the author wrote the whole story without a single word repeated except character's names. Not gonna lie, that's quite a feat. But the plot was awful. like it was one of the most bullshit romance story I have ever read.

Do you want your readers to admire your vocabulary and shit on your story plot? Or you want them to simply have a good time reading your story?

There is also a link to the whole paper novel or web novel kind of debate. Paper books often have fancy words and long descriptions and everything because author want to describe what's in the scene. But I think many people admitted on this site that they don't like long descriptions of everything, they want to know how they story goes, that is not What is in the scene, but more of How the scenes move forward.

tldr: don't worry about it. Most people don't care if you use simple words and sentences.
If you're still worried about, you can try write down your story and then read it, from an author pov and a reader pov. if there is a sentence you find lacking, change it.
 

BlackKnightX

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I use simple words and sentences when writing, since I just recently found my passion for writing, I decided to not just be a reader but an author as well, however, ever since I released my story I somehow found it... Lacking, I'm not a native English speaker and not used in deep English words, I also have hard times expressing the right expression of characters, so what do you think guys?
Honestly, I don’t really care; I only care about the story. If it’s fun, then I’ll read it no matter how bad the writing is—as long as it’s readable enough.

But to answer your question, then I have to say no, it’s not boring at all; simple writing is divine, in my opinion.

But hey, listen carefully: I said simple writing, not shallow writing.

For me, simple is just the use of vocabulary. You can use long and difficult words, jargons, technical terms, and stuff like that if the story requires it. But don’t use it all the time to show off your language skill and knowledge—in other word, don’t be a smarty-pants.

You can still write elegantly even if you use simple vocabs.
 

CheertheDead

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I use simple words and sentences when writing, since I just recently found my passion for writing, I decided to not just be a reader but an author as well, however, ever since I released my story I somehow found it... Lacking, I'm not a native English speaker and not used in deep English words, I also have hard times expressing the right expression of characters, so what do you think guys?
Words are just tools. How they use the tool is more important.
 

Lorelliad

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I goggle synonyms when I don't want to repeat the same words, even if they have the same meaning.

[He was driving the car really fast. The car was red. The car had a broken windshield]

Vehicle or automobile can replace the next 2 "cars" and sound better.
 

Kilolo

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learning more vocabulary is not a bad thing either.
I goggle synonyms when I don't want to repeat the same words, even if they have the same meaning.

[He was driving the car really fast. The car was red. The car had a broken windshield]

Vehicle or automobile can replace the next 2 "cars" and sound better.
use word "it" instead, his car really fast, it was red, and the windshield is broken/cracked.
 

HappyVainGlory

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I use simple words and sentences when writing, since I just recently found my passion for writing, I decided to not just be a reader but an author as well, however, ever since I released my story I somehow found it... Lacking, I'm not a native English speaker and not used in deep English words, I also have hard times expressing the right expression of characters, so what do you think guys?
To be perfectly honest, words and sentences go a long way in making a story good, but it doesn't stop a story from being boring. You can have pretty sentences and a smooth and buttery flow in how they run into each other, but if the underlying parts of the story aren't there then it's going to be boring regardless.

I mean, look at the number of people who read machine translated stories. 9/10 times the grammar and mechanics of the writing are all sorts of messed up. But because the underlying parts of the story like the plot, characters, events... since they're ironed out, people will read on even through the mind-numbing pain and agony of MTL.

If you think your story is lacking something, rather than the words or sentences, it's probably a conceptual lack in the basis of the story.

Are your characters too flat? Too exaggerated? Unrealistic? Do they have their own goals, reasons, and beliefs? Or are they just pieces being moved around a board?

Are the interactions between your characters too stiff? Do they not sound real when they talk? Do you actually know the characters enough to where you aren't just puppeting them around?

What about your descriptions? Are you pointing out the right and important things in the scene, or are you just trying to cram in every last detail? Is there a detail you missed? Do you need all the details you put in?

What about your setting? Does it seem like a place where people or things would actually live? Are the rules actually self-consistent and not just wishy-washy? Or if they are wishy-washy, is it on purpose?

Hope that helps!
 
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