What do you, as a reader, like to see in a novel?

[kaova]

Hello!

I'm new here, and I haven't posted any stories yet, but I was looking for insight into what readers like to read. And what makes you guys feel like a novel is worthwhile reading? Do you prefer slow burns or stories that head right away into the action? What do you despise about a novel? Any pet peeves?

I know everyone has different preferences for genres and the type of book they enjoy reading, but I appreciate any advice and insight. I've asked a bunch of writers about tips and advice about writing, but I've never actually asked the ones who read the novels. So I thought, why not just ask you all myself.

Thank you!

 

[K5Rakitan]

I like characters I can relate to. As a polyamorous person, this is quite rare.

 

[Flash_Nuke]

I like reasonable characters with a minimum of struggle, too much plot armor is not really a good thing in general.

 

[gogo7966]

the gayer the better

 

[SailusGebel]

Freshness\uniqueness of the plot.

 

[Kyonio]

No plain characters that are just innocent and naive, i prefer manipulative and cunning

 

[Anon_Y_Mousse]

I like it when a story seems nice and innocent. But slowly some dark shit gets revealed in the background and then a dark and terrifying plot reveals itself in all of its glory.

 

[EternalSunset0]

Hello!

I'm new here, and I haven't posted any stories yet, but I was looking for insight into what readers like to read. And what makes you guys feel like a novel is worthwhile reading? Do you prefer slow burns or stories that head right away into the action? What do you despise about a novel? Any pet peeves?

I know everyone has different preferences for genres and the type of book they enjoy reading, but I appreciate any advice and insight. I've asked a bunch of writers about tips and advice about writing, but I've never actually asked the ones who read the novels. So I thought, why not just ask you all myself.

Thank you!

I have a strong bias for anime aesthetics. However, I prefer something more modern instead of a D&D world type, but that one is perfectly fine, too.

If we take all weeb/anime biases aside, I like reading thrillers, if that helps. Probably something that keeps you going and has little break in the action. Probably an action-survival story in the vein of say... Dino Crisis? Those types of games. If it helps, I also enjoyed reading Dan Brown's Robert Langdon stories even though they're all basically the same plot. I really don't mind and find myself thrilled with each one.

Although I don't want the action to start right away. Not exactly a slow burn, but at least give me time to be acquainted with the characters.

I can't really pinpoint anything I dislike or pet peeves in terms of content. At times, I just get bored, that's all. But it kinda happens on a whim, so I'm not sure if I can help here specifically. I don't think I've encountered a book I legitimately hate for the content, just stuff that I can't read because of really bad grammar or formatting.

Then again, I mostly avoid stuff that I know I'm not into anyway, unless it's from a read request or a friend wrote it. At times, I find legitimately enjoyable stories from these instances though.

 

[DaydreamingLoner]

I don't like heavy plot or some serious scheming that are often ended with cliffhangers. It is hard to sleep if I run into one so I don't read novel with heavy atmosphere. If I happen to read one, I choose the ones that are already finished. I like to read stream rolling MC charging or some sweet romcom novels. The most I hate are the novel that make the situation unnecessarily complex and those stupid misunderstanding and main characters that are acting like some pu**y bit*h and hesitating over stupid matters.

 

[RayneStorm]

Injuries that stick. I hate it when a character gets stabbed in the stomach and walks it off. [I've read that a few times] Or when a character gets stuck and when the others ask them about it they say they'll be fine in two days [a scene from a show I really like did that a few times]

I don't like 'manly' characters. I've been reading too many guys who pick fights for no reason, hit women who did nothing [literally nothing, what the hell Rev], hate on people who use prosthetics because they don't like how they look [read a book recently where the main character won't shut up about how veterans who get fitted for prosthetics are stupid and just damaged goods and then he made fun of a woman who was so badly hurt in the ongoing war that she couldn't get prosthetics], can't concentrate on the literal man eating aliens in front of them because their instructors boobs came to mind or they really want to bang their teammate... in the middle of an alien war [again, I'm currently reading a book where this literally happens], etc. Yeah. Those guys suck. Kirito is a solid 10 compared to guys like him.

I like characters with a solid, concrete goal. Doesn't have to be much, just one thing that they want and will go after whether that's love, revenge, or the most perfect pizza in the world. Many stories have main characters who don't do or want anything

 

[KittraMcBriar]

I wanna see more polyamory in more forms. Not harems. Not throuples that are exclusively with each other. But polyamorous people where everyone involved is dating multiple people and it’s totally ok and not a source of drama but just like, a norm

Also, more autistic and neurodivergent MCs that are not bad guys or stereotypes

 

[SakeVision]

A plot that makes me think
Characters that are multidimensional
Worldbuilding that feels real

 

[Habtamu]

mc that thinks with his brain and realistic, i hate those whose personality change every time they see beauty, like he is villain and suddenly he is saint when he see the beauty bullied, or harem, yes i still don't see the necessity of harem. i like selfish mc's, and finally novels that knows how to write action, i don't want the author to tell me, i want it to make me imagine it in my mind(mostly authors who see anime knows it).

 

[Leyligne]

Good plot, great characters.

 

[aattss]

I like well defined protagonists, as in who they are as a person and their life experiences defines where the story goes, instead of being some sort of bland blank slate with no skills or abilities who makes choices and holds opinions that anyone else would've made in the same situation. I also like distinctive secondary characters, in that each character that's important gets their own motivations and development that they add to the story instead of just being there to fill numbers.

 

[gaylolis]

stories about how every game in the world is just modded skyrim.

 

[T.K._Paradox]

Hello!

I'm new here, and I haven't posted any stories yet, but I was looking for insight into what readers like to read. And what makes you guys feel like a novel is worthwhile reading? Do you prefer slow burns or stories that head right away into the action? What do you despise about a novel? Any pet peeves?

I know everyone has different preferences for genres and the type of book they enjoy reading, but I appreciate any advice and insight. I've asked a bunch of writers about tips and advice about writing, but I've never actually asked the ones who read the novels. So I thought, why not just ask you all myself.

Thank you!

Try to do something unique and that you can call your own. You'll get lots of views posting smut and slapping animes titties on a cover, but you will be stuck in that corner and you'll just be another dude here that writes smut.

This is a platform for you imagination to go wild, you don't have to the next Tolkien just have fun, and write what you feel is right.

No plain characters that are just innocent and naive, i prefer manipulative and cunning

While guileful character are nice it seems people think manipulative and cunning means absolute edge lord. You can still write a morally righteous character that isn't innocent or naive.

 

[owotrucked]

I like when fights are unimpressive brawls at the start of the story and end as ground shattering skills that they earned during training montages.

I like surprising reveals like one of the MC's ally was actually a nerfed big bad and now it's the final boss.

I like bitter conflicts against opponents that would otherwise be friendly to each others.

 

[Lloyd]

I like it when stuff happens.

 

[peelsdeeni]

the sadder the better