Here’s a morning ramble of the first degree with some random shots of Symi just so there’s a point to this Symi site other than me rambling about all and anything.
I have this phrase which I pass on to newer writers when they ask for advice: Don’t get it right, get it written – then get it right. Meaning, bang out a first draft, it’s going to be rubbish, but then you do it again, only better. (That’s another phrase I used a lot when directing musical theatre, ‘Lovely, love, but let’s do it again, only better, shall we?’) Anyway…
I was browsing a social media group over the weekend and came across a post which read: Of all the people who have read my novel, only 2 have made it past chapter 3. What did I do wrong?
For a start, your numbers should be written in word form, but let’s not be picky as we’re here to talk about the replies.
Oh my God, goodness, Lord, days, word! Here are some examples:
You gave it to the wrong readers. Say what? Gave it? For a start, you’re kind of missing the point of writing a novel for sale; who gives away their work? And what author has the opportunity to vet their readers?
Wrong audience most likely. Possible (see above).
Probably the quality of the writing or editing/proofreading. That’s just about every base covered, and I expect this reply hit the nail on the chapter header, but it was the author’s reply that had me: I swear I edited the novel 20 times. I caught so many errors every time. Now, Sir, what does that tell you?
But did you get story arc feedback across the entire novel? Ah ha! Now someone is talking my language, except they went on to say: Personally, I like a modified story grid analysis because it forces me to think through the full arc.
A modified story grid analysis? Wtf is that? Actually, I know what they mean. They mean a plot. A modified story grid… Oh please, that puts me in mind of pretentious restaurant menus, which is the subject for tomorrow’s ramble.
Another helpful poster asked about sympathy with the characters, which is very important, and you don’t gain sympathy just by having a one-eyed orphan with a dead BF and a history of being a smuggler’s unwitting mule. Another poster told how she added two chapters to the start of her novel and now, instead of readers finishing at chapter seven, they get as far as chapter nine before they switch off – go figure. Someone else used abbreviations that we’re all clearly meant to know, such as… so they get dgaf when she was in peril… now they dnf at chapter… At which point I dnf, and moved on to another post.
Someone else asked what the genre of the novel was, and the author replied it was an epic LGBTQ+ Sci-fi space opera. It’s an epic something alright.
Another helpful replier suggested there may have been triggers that put the readers off. Now, to me, trigger was a horse and not a ‘You may be offended because this novel contains words,’ warning on the packaging of Rupert the Bear, or whatever. Warning, ‘The Lord of the Flies’ may contain descriptions of children. Warning, ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ may disturb readers who have an allergy to real life, and so on.
I had a browse to see what the latest news on trigger warnings was, and the question came up: Should books have trigger warnings? The best answer, which sums up my feelings, was, No, books shouldn’t have trigger warnings. People like you should stay away from reading books. And from posting on the internet.
Lmfao – well said. Other people’s sensitivities are not my problem. How can they be when I have a potential audience of eight billion people? Anyway, the point was, I was having a pop at that poor writer who had a disaster with their book for a reason I’d only know if I read the thing, and as no-one appears to have made it to the end, I don’t think I’ll bother. What was good to see, though, was the number of other readers offering to read it and offer advice, to help and even to edit. If you ask me, they probably just wanted a good laugh.
Good morning, and welcome to Monday!
