What keeps you reading a story?

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What makes me STOP reading:

  • If the description is really cliché or poorly written, I will not even open the story.
  • Poor directing.
  • Poor grammar, especially no full stops on the end of sentences. Like, c’mon… full stops are one of the basics of most languages. :full_moon_with_face:
  • Unnecessarily long author introductions.
  • Characters that just don’t look right, like really odd colors and features that don’t seem to mix and match well, especially if it’s NOT a sci-fi story.
  • Height differences. I will leave if every or most male characters are seemingly so much taller than all of the female characters, it’s just weird and unrealistic.
  • If the bubble placements are bad on a regular basis.
  • If MC likes to slap people, especially if it’s just for “for fun.” If she slaps someone for assaulting her, that’s different, but I hate MCs who thinks it’s okay to physically hurt people because she thinks it’s cool or whatever.
  • If all of the characters have similar features because it looks like the author favors specific features and cannot venture outside of them. Also unrealistic for everyone to look the same.
  • Really short chapters.
  • If I feel the story has been dragged out for too long and should’ve ended quite awhile ago.
  • If it’s classic - I exit immediately…
  • A super duper toxic love interest, unless I have other options or it’s a thriller.
  • If the story focuses too much on the author rather than the characters. :skull:
  • If the characters never seem to change their clothes. I saw a story once where the characters were still wearing the same clothes at the end when they got married as they did when they met… without changing outfits through the story. :joy:
  • Inaccuracy. If a place, culture, religion or people are portrayed inaccurately to a severe degree and it shows that the author doesn’t know what they’re talking about - in most cases, I’ll leave. Sometimes, I’ll stay if it’s brief.
  • If the humor is so consistently cringe that I have to turn away.
  • If CC pops up for almost every character that I meet.
  • Really fast pace.
  • Really slow pace, unless it’s a slowburn story.
  • If the story seems to be similar to an unpublished story of mine, particularly if it’s a dramedy or romcom - I will normally not read it because I don’t want to be accused of copying.
  • If I feel like the story focuses too much on advanced directing rather than the plot and character development.
  • Too many choices, especially choices of no importance to the plot.

What KEEPS me reading:

  • Decent directing at the very least.
  • Great pacing.
  • Good bubble placements.
  • Good grammar.
  • Diverse characters and backstories.
  • Compelling storyline.
  • A story doesn’t need nice aesthetics to keep me, but it’s a bonus.
  • Good description.
  • If I can really relate to the MC or LI.
  • Good chapter lengths.
  • Great humor.
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