What kind of reader are you?

[AliceShiki]

Basically this. Plus, I don't read incomplete works. I've been burned one too many times with dropped projects. I also don't like novels that come in a series. Basically, 8 volume types until the story is completed kind of stories. Last one I read that was a series was Harry Potter and have stopped going for those since waiting is a pain. I don't mind a series of books with different characters in each new novel but under one universe. As long as their story ends in one book, it's all good.

Just curious, why don't you read completed series? Like... I dunno, stuff like Eragon or whatever.

Because like, if the problem is waiting, it shouldn't be an issue if it's already completed, should it?

 

[PureTrash]

Gone are the days when I read almost everything that I could find. I used to be mad obsessed with Japanese Isekai novels, but gradually gravitated towards Chinese and Korean webnovels. I also used to camp in Royalroad, translation sites, and Wattpad.

My tastes began to change when I started dipping my toes in writing and had to improve my English. As of now, I'm in love with stories mainly under horror, survival and thriller. And if nothing catches my eye, I settle for good ol' comedy and fantasy. I try my best to avoid incomplete novels which I fail horribly at doing.

 

[NiQuinn]

Just curious, why don't you read completed series? Like... I dunno, stuff like Eragon or whatever.

Because like, if the problem is waiting, it shouldn't be an issue if it's already completed, should it?

I've actually read Eragon before so that's one off the list. As for the others, eeeeh, just can't find the motivation for them I guess. I have a list of books recommended by friends but I just don't like the idea of picking up one book after another of the same character continuing their quest and whatnot. Dunno why. For some reason, just turns me off completely from reading it.

 

[Rinne]

The voracious type of reader that reads just about everything and anything that looks remotely interesting—as long as a cute girl is included.

I can look past bad writing (or bad translations) to an extent as long as it is understandable. I also don't mind cookie-cutter plots most of the time as long as the characters are likeable.
Another thing that is important to me is mostly that there is already a certain amount available or the release schedule looks stable. Nothing is as annoying as reading a fun story only to be cucked by a lack of updates. I have dozens of novels on my on-hold list because translations are dead or the author went MIA.

The only thing I can't stand to read anymore (especially in Japanese light novels) are things like "Oh, I have died! Now I am going to meet some gods just like in all those light novels I have read!!!" or "Japanese food so awesome! I will show all these uncultured swines living in a middle-ages Europe how awesome it is! Oh look, they are absolutely loving it!" or "Ohohoho, look, I have invented soap! They never even knew it existed! Ohohohohoh!"
There are very few Japanese light novel authors that go out of their way to actually research a little. And having to read every novel about how absolutely awesome the Japanese food is, is quite annoying. Personally, I was fed up with it after my two weeks trip to Japan. I was glad I got my potatoes back. And proper bread. Jesus, the bread in Japan sucks.

On the other hand, it makes me appreciate even more when people research a little. It doesn't have to be super accurate but when I see that the author at least tried to look up a few things, it makes me super happy. And more likely to keep following the story.

But, if I like the characters, I can look past even those things most of the time. The characters are the most important for me. If I like them I'll keep reading. And it doesn't take much for me to like a character.

 

[Vaerama]

I've had a strong historic tendency towards GL in particular, but I've long read almost everything from Machine Translated wuxia to japanese isekai with leftover translated forms 'onee-chan' and other romaji. But more recently, I've grown tired of having to fill in the gaps, and this started with MTL garbage, and it swept through bad translated isekai, and it just kept going until I couldn't stand to read much of anything anymore. Now I'm a little choosier, and the only things I'm willing to even suffer dreadful quality for are 'excellent ideas', or GL... and even with those there is a limit of what I'm currently willing to tolerate (ie: all dungeons are girls? no. Can't do it. Tried very hard, but I just cannot do it. The villains need to save the world? Started alright I suppose, but it just gets worse and worse, and I just don't have it in me to push past it anymore).

I'm the kind of person who reads whatever is available when something catches and can maintain my attentions. If that's 100 chapters of 10K words each, then I'll be reading it all whether I have to split it apart in sessions or not. I only comment if I feel like telling the author that I appreciate them, or if they've stopped writing: I hope to encourage them even a small bit to rewriting again. The favorite button is one I believe that I rarely hit, since it doesn't appear in 'reader view' for me, but I do like to press it on current chapters. :)

There are only a few things that will make me drop a novel that I'm reading, for I can endure quite a few things, but cheapening of the characters they've established isn't something I'm at all keen on. I will sometimes be able to endure it after a lengthy break from the material (taboo journal has done this to me often enough), but sometimes I never do go back. As for what I truly enjoy to read: a character that is true to themselves, and largely stays that way. If a big change happens to the character, then their response being in line with the established truths/patterns of the character is just my favorite thing to consume, especially if it's affected real change without necessarily shifting the whole (though if they're put upon an entirely new paradigm, I can be pretty forgiving).

Actually, I've quite run out new content I enjoy reading (I'm down to Tree of Aeons, and Blue Core, and if I wasn't worried about absorbing the language patterns of A Journey Of Black And Red: I'd be eagerly reading that again too. Flow may never update again, and although I will read a few others: these are more to my precise taste... characters that are true to themselves to a *fault* are among my very favorite!). Everything new I've tried has either been bad or has disappointed me, so now I'm just reading my own story here and again :D

 

[AliceShiki]

I've actually read Eragon before so that's one off the list. As for the others, eeeeh, just can't find the motivation for them I guess. I have a list of books recommended by friends but I just don't like the idea of picking up one book after another of the same character continuing their quest and whatnot. Dunno why. For some reason, just turns me off completely from reading it.

That feels so weird to me! XD

Like... Isn't starting a new novel on a published book the same as starting a new arc in a webnovel!? XD

Well, all is good as long as you're happy with it though~

 

[Azrie]

Ma, taboo journal is a perfectly fine novel all things considered. At least to my eyes, I've read a good 100k words of it and the progression is nice and things happen. Whenever I pick something up I don't expect the next Top Rated novel. I don't expect a Wandering Inn, or a Blue Core. Taboo journal honestly surprised me. I read it on a Friday, when I thought there was nothing left to read. I stumbled upon it by chance and it ended up being one of my favorites as far as site exclusives go. I wouldn't call it "cheapening", a few moments can be quite questionable, sure. But that happens with any novel, and I mean any.

Writing a novel is a lot of hardwork, specially keeping things consistent and then hoping the readers pick up on little tiny things that hint at a character doing something or mood swings. But most of the time (me included) we just skim over things and get the "general idea".

Ma, I personally just enjoy the unconventional plots, or just little things I haven't seen before in other novels. New takes are always welcome as long as it doesn't turn into a harem that controls the mc. That is boring.

I'm just reading my own story here and again :D

Well, I suppose we can enjoy the things we make since most of the time we make them for ourselves and our likings. Although I personally can't really read my own work I see too many issues and too many mistakes as far as the writing goes.

Everyone is different I guess.

 

[Vaerama]

Ma, taboo journal is a perfectly fine novel all things considered. At least to my eyes, I've read a good 100k words of it and the progression is nice and things happen. Whenever I pick something up I don't expect the next Top Rated novel. I don't expect a Wandering Inn, or a Blue Core. Taboo journal honestly surprised me. I read it on a Friday, when I thought there was nothing left to read. I stumbled upon it by chance and it ended up being one of my favorites as far as site exclusives go. I wouldn't call it "cheapening", a few moments can be quite questionable, sure. But that happens with any novel, and I mean any.

Spoiler: Taboo Journal plot spoiler

The run away and back to the front in particular was almost intolerable to slog through... it was so unnecessary, and it accomplished so very little. Maybe a sliver more determination in the main character? But she's so weak emotionally that it's *extremely* hard to see it even when I'm looking for it.

I enjoy numerous aspects of the story, such as

Spoiler: Taboo Journal Character Spoiler

the MC's state of existence and its effect on her, and the self-disgust is rather fascinating. The relationship stuff between the lead characters is good, and the general world/plot seems to be heading 'somewhere'.

I'm not saying Taboo Journal is 'bad', only that it's often 'trying' on my patience. I'll just be endlessly relieved if we ever escape the

Spoiler

'useless MC'

territory, as there's really a lot of potential there.

Writing a novel is a lot of hardwork, specially keeping things consistent and then hoping the readers pick up on little tiny things that hint at a character doing something or mood swings. But most of the time (me included) we just skim over things and get the "general idea".

Ma, I personally just enjoy the unconventional plots, or just little things I haven't seen before in other novels. New takes are always welcome as long as it doesn't turn into a harem that controls the mc. That is boring.

It certainly is. Even now, I'm writing something and I'm wondering if I've gone on too long, as I've put another 1K words down on something that's only really relevant in big picture/MC terms, when I've got real things to solve in the plot so it can continue to advance.

I do rather appreciate little things that belie a greater whole :)

Well, I suppose we can enjoy the things we make since most of the time we make them for ourselves and our likings. Although I personally can't really read my own work I see too many issues and too many mistakes as far as the writing goes.

Everyone is different I guess.

I think that if I didn't enjoy reading it, I wouldn't enjoy writing it so much.

The world wouldn't be such an interesting place if everyone was the same... though if we'd had to suffer from it: I'd hope it would translate to a greater wealth of GL being written! :D

 

[Moctemma]

I've had a strong historic tendency towards GL in particular, but I've long read almost everything from Machine Translated wuxia to japanese isekai with leftover translated forms 'onee-chan' and other romaji. But more recently, I've grown tired of having to fill in the gaps, and this started with MTL garbage, and it swept through bad translated isekai, and it just kept going until I couldn't stand to read much of anything anymore. Now I'm a little choosier, and the only things I'm willing to even suffer dreadful quality for are 'excellent ideas', or GL... and even with those there is a limit of what I'm currently willing to tolerate (ie: all dungeons are girls? no. Can't do it. Tried very hard, but I just cannot do it. The villains need to save the world? Started alright I suppose, but it just gets worse and worse, and I just don't have it in me to push past it anymore).

I had high hopes for The villains need to save the world? Too bad the author is obsessed with throwing girl after girl for the MC to rape. And the ones who really want to be with her, she ignores them

 

[Vaerama]

I had high hopes for The villains need to save the world? Too bad the author is obsessed with throwing girl after girl for the MC to rape. And the ones who really want to be with her, she ignores them

The rape stuff was incredibly tedious... but it started more subtly if I remembered: less 100% black, and more 60% so. Over the line? Oh certainly... but also the first spate of that depravity was interestingly handled. It was plugging that villainous lead from the start so it wasn't 'a shocking departure of the established character'. But... never you mind the increased interest the MC got feeling towards the 'loli's by the time I'd been unable to push through all the awful worthless stuff to see if there was anything interesting left to the piece (There was not. It's more of a waste of time to spend mindlessly than 'playing' Civilization 5 ever was). I'd wondered early on what was with the descriptions of Angel and Mia, but the MC didn't seem to have any interest in them, so I'd expected it was fine.

A villainous character with their own sense of morality, I had hoped for it to be. It went very downhill, very fast... and once she had a lovely harem of girls who absolutely adored her (for what reason? Convenience I suppose?) : what's even the point of her behavior as it goes further down the line? It's just needless, it's out of line with the character that'd been portrayed earlier on, and as time goes on it departs further and further from the character originally depicted (with no growth/events that cause her to actually change anything she's done).

I can have a real problem with stopping something that was once interesting/fascinating and/or good. The Villains Need To Save The World? was very early none of those things, but I still powered through it for no good reason.

 

[Moctemma]

I can have a real problem with stopping something that was once interesting/fascinating and/or good. The Villains Need To Save The World? was very early none of those things, but I still powered through it for no good reason.

I really wish I could buy the title, it is so interesting but the story has nothing to do with it. After more than 100 chapters they finally addressed the end of the world, and it was already prevented because the MC exist (Ridiculous). I lost interest after that, but I wanted to see some characters I liked, like Eleanor, fight. I kept reading until chapter 200 and it only made me dislike MC more. That's why now I'm harsher and drop the novels at the first sight of trouble.

 

[SquadCammander354]

I'm the type of reader who really loves binging everything in, well normally three or five goes; cuz Chinese novels are really long. In fact I spent about two months during school to read Martial World, but dropped it at around 1000 chapters.

This wasn't because the series was getting worse, no it was still pretty entertaining to read. The problem was that I literally spent almost two months on it; listen I had school and stuff to do. I got pretty drained and still haven't gone back to it.

I'm also the type of person to think about the characters too much and try pairing them while I try to sleep. I did this probably a bit too much on NEET Receives a Dating System. Hoshi was the best character, but then I dropped that too, not because it was bad but I was also getting pretty drained on it.

The time span was so weird! Literally twenty to thirty chapters could go by, and the characters would still be finishing up with what they're doing. I don't mean they're taking too long, but that all those chapters took place within two days; maybe even less.

So in summary, I get into a series really well early on, but drop it later due to being exhausted mentally.

 

[NiQuinn]

That feels so weird to me! XD

Isn't it!? It feels weird to me too! I do try once in a while thinking that I'm over it but it doesn't work. I lose interest. So much so that the words I read just don't register in my head anymore.

 

[AliceShiki]

Isn't it!? It feels weird to me too! I do try once in a while thinking that I'm over it but it doesn't work. I lose interest. So much so that the words I read just don't register in my head anymore.

Wafu! >.<

Well, as long as you know it and read the stuff you still like, all is good! \(^^)/

 

[Variation]

I'll easily fall into a binge if something hooks me right, and I'm always happy to go looking for a patreon, but if it either goes on too long or I start to hate the MC's personality, I tend to forget about it.

Though something that'll make me drop a story dead is major destruction of progress. Because if I've just spent a couple to a few hundred chapters watching the mc build something, I'm not going to watch them lose it all and feel like a waste of time. So I'd be very careful with setbacks, can't destroy too much.
Dropped Fairy Tail for the same thing too when the guild collapsed.

 

[Yiphen]

I binge-read good novels, almost instantly drop bad novels, and pretend to binge read mediocre novels only to drop them the moment I reach the end.