When do you stop reading a novel?

[placeintime]

Hi guys, I just wanted to get some idea of how you guys decide to stop reading a web/light novel.

Is it when the novel has 3,000 chapters to the point that it has too many chapters, or is that the plot isn't going anywhere and is just petering out or repeating the same concept over and over again.

As a reader, I do look first at how many chapters there are, but the main focus that I have is on the word count. So like an example of this, would be the novel, Full Marks Hidden Marriage: Pick Up a Son, Get a Free Husband, where it has around like around 2,000 chapters, but the word count is in the 600 range, so it's faster to read the chapter. Then I would read the novel and if I like the plot of the novel, I would finish reading it.

My novel:

A Chance To Become a Adonis

 

[AkalE]

Usually the answer to the question is - you stop reading the novel when you reach the last page.

But for webfictions the answer is either one of the following

1. You get bored with the story and don't care anymore
2. You've reached to the latest update
3. You found a better webfic to read
4. You found something better to do in life.

Welcome.
(Please react so that I can get reaction points. I recently realised that is a thing)

 

[Leti]

When the novel stopped updating and there is nothing else to read.

 

[MarkofWisdom]

I generally try to finish reading what I start just to see how it ends if nothing else. As long as the story is even somewhat decent and the characters are entertaining I usually enjoy the story enough to finish it.

Aside from what you mentioned with stories dragging on too long and getting boring, what can make me stop reading a story are too many tragedies, too much drama, or the story being too dark and grim can make me just stop caring what happens. The kind of stories where new characters get introduced all the time only to be killed in gruesome ways a page or two later. When that keeps happening you tend to lose interest in it and stop getting attached to the characters since you know they’re likely to be killed off soon anyways.

The MC or main supporting cast going off the deep end and turning psycho also tends to have me stop reading-as an example I lost interest in Death Note when Light really started going nuts with killing people

Dramatic genre shifts can sometimes make me lose interest in a story, especially if they flip to being the opposite of how they were. Something like comedy to tragedy/drama or power fantasy/light hearted fantasy to a humiliation story. I especially dislike that last one, if a story turns into a repeating humiliation conga line for the MC I’ll almost certainly drop the story unless I’ve already seen/heard that it eventually stops and the MC is either able to move on and live peacefully or get even with everyone that went after them.

 

[Sushirollw]

When my kindle is broken?
Um anyway, if its webnovel, I would stop reading if the story stopped updating or finished(completed).

 

[NotaNuffian]

Usually the answer to the question is - you stop reading the novel when you reach the last page.

But for webfictions the answer is either one of the following

1. You get bored with the story and don't care anymore
2. You've reached to the latest update
3. You found a better webfic to read
4. You found something better to do in life.

Welcome.
(Please react so that I can get reaction points. I recently realised that is a thing)

It is mostly no. 1, especially when the author is just churning words and the plot is going in circles. Cough CN xianxia Cough, and cough Jap stupid MC cough, and cough grinding KR cough.

In short, read long enough and you will be bored in most works.

No. 2 is a shitshow, especially when you tried to binge read by stockpiling but ended up forgeting the plot and make no effort to try and read again.

For me no. 3 is a tough sell, as I will mostly read a work at a time, two is max cuz I have a short and long memory leaks, instead of branching out to seek the better ones. To me they are all good ones until I go through them and find them bad.

No. 4, YOU SHITTING ME?!?!

 

[TotallyHuman]

Hi guys, I just wanted to get some idea of how you guys decide to stop reading a web/light novel.

Is it when the novel has 3,000 chapters to the point that it has too many chapters, or is that the plot isn't going anywhere and is just petering out or repeating the same concept over and over again.

As a reader, I do look first at how many chapters there are, but the main focus that I have is on the word count. So like an example of this, would be the novel, Full Marks Hidden Marriage: Pick Up a Son, Get a Free Husband, where it has around like around 2,000 chapters, but the word count is in the 600 range, so it's faster to read the chapter. Then I would read the novel and if I like the plot of the novel, I would finish reading it.

My novel:

A Chance To Become a Adonis

When I don't like where the author is going with the storu

 

[OvidLemma]

When I stop reading a novel or series, it's invariably for one of the two following reasons:
1) There are a few bad chapters in a row - this indicates that the author isn't really into the story anymore or is running out of ideas. In either case, I feel no need to slog through another 10,000 words of rubbish in the hopes of the story picking up again. Better luck next draft.
2) Something is introduced to the story that takes me out of the narrative. I've read a few stories with sudden tonal shifts, or where the MC became so overpowered that it destroyed the genre. But the example that sticks out to me the most are several of the series by American sci-fi/fantasy writer, Orson Scott Card, who has a bad habit of turning his novels into Mormon fanfics (e.g. the Alvin Maker series). Now... if you're a Mormon, I guess that's cool, but that just destroyed the story for me.

Basically, if an author, through lack of skill, ham-fisted sermonizing, or poor dramatic choices, makes it so I no longer enjoy an ongoing story/series that I once liked, I'll stop reading. There's no shortage of great stories that I haven't gotten to yet, and I have better things to do with my time.

 

[Bloodysin28]

When the story is too bad cliche
When it stops updating.
When female characters get Pat's on the back just for having a vagina and tits and a sad backstory.
When story gets too boring or too cringe for me.
Whenever I see shounen esque justice.
Too annoying characters.
Characters doing 180 personality change out of nowhere without any foreshadowing or in a believable way.especially ruthless MCs.turning into massive softies out of nowhere.

 

[Jemini]

Hi guys, I just wanted to get some idea of how you guys decide to stop reading a web/light novel.

Is it when the novel has 3,000 chapters to the point that it has too many chapters, or is that the plot isn't going anywhere and is just petering out or repeating the same concept over and over again.

As a reader, I do look first at how many chapters there are, but the main focus that I have is on the word count. So like an example of this, would be the novel, Full Marks Hidden Marriage: Pick Up a Son, Get a Free Husband, where it has around like around 2,000 chapters, but the word count is in the 600 range, so it's faster to read the chapter. Then I would read the novel and if I like the plot of the novel, I would finish reading it.

My opinion, discarding the idea of reading a story over it's length before even starting usually means limiting yourself away from some VERY good stories.

My general experience has been that when a story follows the formula (the formula which gets the best results on patreon,) which includes several factors including quality but two of them are having a chapter length of around 2000 words per chapter as well as near daily releases, then of those that follow the formula it's generally the case that the longer it is the better.

It's not necessarily the case that being longer causes the story to be better, it's more like it's a proof of quality. A formula-following story would have never made it to several hundred chapters without being very high in writing quality as well. Plus, they also have a tendency to improve as the story goes along due to the writer improving their writing skills through experience.

One of the longest formula-following stories I've ever encountered is one called "The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound" with over 1,200 chapters as I'm writing this post and is still ongoing. (It's still only over on Royal Road.)

 

[K5Rakitan]

I stop reading when I see glorification of monogamy.

 

[Maple-Leaf]

So right when I find a novel that looks absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to crack it open and see what wonders await me inside, I stop and go do something else.

Delayed gratification is the name of the game, comrades.






Or maybe it’s just some twisted form of procrastination.

 

[AliceShiki]

If the story no longer keeps me engaged I don't read it anymore. Just that I guess~

 

[HJ]

Rarely do I drop a novel. But I take a pause from reading when I am in the writer's headspace. This is so that I could focus and not be side tracked.

Perhaps the only things that force me to drop a story is when it is no longer being updated. If it is a translation and the translators stopped then I would try to use an mtl. If the mtl gives me a headache, then I would probably drop the story.

I abhor like stories that show stuff like tbe glorification of mental illness or an MC who has all the chances to get away from an abusive or deceitful relationship and yet they still choose to remain rather than walk away. Despite disliking these, I still read them. But I have to take a pause so that I wouldn't make a comment that might hurt the author.

 

[Sabruness]

i couldnt really put an accurate description to it other than it's when i get a feeling that the novel is eventually going to go downhill or become shit or etc etc. the feeling usually leads into No.1.

Not sure if it's my intuition or subconscious that pick up on clues in the story that i miss or some other arcane mystery in my head but something sounds the feeling like an alarm. It's not 100% accurate but reasonably reliable.

 

[Sii]

Usually when I get bored. I'm used to being bored so I'll know pretty quickly when I'm bored of something. Then I drop it like it's hot.

 

[Norseman]

The main reasons I drop a story, are:

• Overly complex drama, battlescenes, etc that is drawn out across multiple chapters; usually critical to understanding the story.
  When reading weekly/biweekly releases, those stories just stops being fun.
• I suspect I have a strong correlation between sections written without punktuations, and dropability. Everyone can mess up, and not everyone is a expert at grammar, but at least try to make it readable.
• Author changes writing style into a hybrid screenwrighting / novel. There are reasons screenwrights still follow the same old standards, one of those is readability.
• When a story goes into hiatus, and I notice author has a trend of starting new stories - If the new one isn't really good, I drop all of author.

For me chapter requency is of less importance, as long as the story, consept, or history is interesting. I'd rather have a brilliant chapter bi-weekly than something felt half-baked almost daily.

 

[Stratothrax]

Depends on my mood honestly, If I'm just not feeling up to reading something dense and heavy or light and pointless I just wont read it. That mood can last weeks or months and I end up forgetting to go back to that serial once its over and if I do remember it's a bit of pain to get back into a serial like that because you have to try and remember all the stuff that happened which can be confusing and annoying further demotivating reason to keep reading.

Honestly the simpler the story with less stuff to remember the easier it is to get back into it after a break, that is a genuine advantage of not complicating the plot too much.

 

[vivie]

I stop reading when I get bored of it, caught up with chapters and I dont wanna have to wait for more so I abandon it for a few months or an year and go back to it, agonizing to death with badly executed cliches, and smut with male protagonist.