writer gotchas.

[pwalker8]

This is very much an individual opinion, but as I try various indie writers, I notice a couple of recurring tendencies that can make the a potentially good book just ok, including a book that I was reading last night.

1) The series of scenes book. Basically, the author has some great ideas for various chapters, but just doesn't know how to hang them together in a continuous narrative. Now, there have been some very good books that are mostly a series of scenes, but it's very hard to do.

2) the short attention span narrative. The author jumps between a lot of different characters point of view. Imagine the Wheel of Time series compressed down into one volume. It's possible to do, but it's very hard to keep the reader's interest. There is a reason that most authors either use a primary protagonist or only have a couple. I think that a lot of authors do this because they think they can't have action happening off screen or were told in some writer workshop not to do so, but they have so many ideas for scenes they want to use.

Of course, a good writer can break the rules and a talented writer can get away with it because they have the gift and simply know how to engage the reader. I can also say that I've seen big 5 publisher writers make some of the same mistakes.

What are some mistakes that will throw you off a book?

[gweeks]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

What are some mistakes that will throw you off a book?

Basic grammar and homophones used incorrectly. Repeatably.

Common saying that are just wrong. For example using "nip it in the but" instead of "nip it in the bud."

In historical fiction having something that just couldn't be. For example using a struck match in Europe prior to 1826 without some description on why that was possible since they weren't invented until then.

Greg

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by gweeks

Basic grammar and homophones used incorrectly. Repeatably.

Common saying that are just wrong. For example using "nip it in the but" instead of "nip it in the bud."

In historical fiction having something that just couldn't be. For example using a struck match in Europe prior to 1826 without some description on why that was possible since they weren't invented until then.

Greg

Oh Man! Don't be a homophone!

I hate the continual confusion of "Loose" and "Lose", I actually saw it in a book the other day, it changed how I viewed the book completely.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

1) The series of scenes book. Basically, the author has some great ideas for various chapters, but just doesn't know how to hang them together in a continuous narrative. Now, there have been some very good books that are mostly a series of scenes, but it's very hard to do.

I think this is getting to be more and more common. I think it comes from having a good idea for a scene (situation) but not knowing where to go with it. Very frustrating.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

Oh Man! Don't be a homophone!

I hate the continual confusion of "Loose" and "Lose", I actually saw it in a book the other day, it changed how I viewed the book completely.

One book my wife was recently reading confused rein, rain and reign. It almost seemed as if a random number generator was used to select which one would be used (historical romance set in Victorian London so lots of horses, weather and royalty). Did you know Queen Victoria had the longest rein? Well, until Elizabeth II passed her rain. Not to mention confusing toxophilite with a lover of poisons. Bonus point for those who don't need to consult Google to answer what is a toxophilite...

[pendragginp]

Originally Posted by DNSB

One book my wife was recently reading confused rein, rain and reign. It almost seemed as if a random number generator was used to select which one would be used (historical romance set in Victorian London so lots of horses, weather and royalty). Did you know Queen Victoria had the longest rein? Well, until Elizabeth II passed her rain. Not to mention confusing toxophilite with a lover of poisons. Bonus point for those who don't need to consult Google to answer what is a toxophilite...

Both groan and And confusing toxophilite with a lover of poisons. Classic! Though you could make a funny caper using that confusion!

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

2) the short attention span narrative. The author jumps between a lot of different characters point of view. Imagine the Wheel of Time series compressed down into one volume. It's possible to do, but it's very hard to keep the reader's interest. There is a reason that most authors either use a primary protagonist or only have a couple. I think that a lot of authors do this because they think they can't have action happening off screen or were told in some writer workshop not to do so, but they have so many ideas for scenes they want to use.

I'm ok with two different points of view, but much more than that is confusing. I don't need to know what everyone in town is doing.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by DNSB

One book my wife was recently reading confused rein, rain and reign. It almost seemed as if a random number generator was used to select which one would be used (historical romance set in Victorian London so lots of horses, weather and royalty). Did you know Queen Victoria had the longest rein? Well, until Elizabeth II passed her rain. Not to mention confusing toxophilite with a lover of poisons. Bonus point for those who don't need to consult Google to answer what is a toxophilite...

Aughh! Things like that take me right out of the story.

I once read an otherwise OK book where the village policeman frequently "peddled" his bicycle.

[maddz]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Aughh! Things like that take me right out of the story.

I once read an otherwise OK book where the village policeman frequently "peddled" his bicycle.

No doubt he was supplementing his wages... Yes, that sort of thing takes me out of the story as well.

OCR errors also get me - even more so when I know the paper book well. There was one ebook I came across where the hero’s name was spelt 3 different ways along with numerous other OCR errors. That one was painful to read.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Aughh! Things like that take me right out of the story.

I once read an otherwise OK book where the village policeman frequently "peddled" his bicycle.

Perhaps the pawn shop wasn't offering enough?

[issybird]

One of my absolute pet peeves are books where the titles of the British nobility, substantive or courtesy, are used incorrectly. That can ruin a book for me. For one thing, it's lazy; the forms are not difficult and the author just couldn't be bothered to get them right. For another thing, it proves the author knows nothing about the setting s/he's employed. At least it's a fault that seems as prevalent in British books as American, which is some consolation; it's not just stupid Yanks.

Lady Jones is not Lady Jane Jones is not Lady John Jones is not Jane, Lady Jones. They are four different people and Jane Jones may be Lady Smith for a fifth (and not Lady Jane Smith).

[Deskisamess]

Authors who write about passed lives, for all intensive purposes, leaving there road to hoe on tender hooks.

Gah

[Alpha o]

Many people have trouble with homonyms. Really common in most forums. Says a lot about learning any grammar today. Peddle and pedal are very common in quilting forums. Most machines have pedals.
I think loose and lose is the most prevalent in all forums.

The one that makes me either really annoyed or gives a good laugh is when the misspellings and misuse of words occur in a service manual. If the manual is in British English, then you also might need a dictionary. The other half ran into that with his old Triumph Tiger 500cc motorcycle.

I just got the smaller Boox, and reading the instructions --- What's a tittle? There are other strange instances of the like, but that one sticks out. It's in preferences of what you want listed for the book. It isn't the fact that the device is Chinese, either. I've had Chinese phones (One Plus and Oppo) and they are very good about language and grammar in English.

Older Japanese car manuals had a few of the same errors.

BTW - real pet peeve. Astronomy and Astrology. Learn the difference, PLEASE. Even app stores can't keep them straight - and neither can web searches.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

One of my absolute pet peeves are books where the titles of the British nobility, substantive or courtesy, are used incorrectly. That can ruin a book for me. For one thing, it's lazy; the forms are not difficult and the author just couldn't be bothered to get them right. For another thing, it proves the author knows nothing about the setting s/he's employed. At least it's a fault that seems as prevalent in British books as American, which is some consolation; it's not just stupid Yanks.

Lady Jones is not Lady Jane Jones is not Lady John Jones is not Jane, Lady Jones. They are four different people and Jane Jones may be Lady Smith for a fifth (and not Lady Jane Smith).

A useful site about British titles is British Titles of Nobility (scroll down for the table of contents).

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

What are some mistakes that will throw you off a book?

Two things that I see more in self-pubbed titles than I've seen in Big 5 titles that really ruin my enjoyment of the book:

Characters that have no particular characterization and act merely as interchangeable pawns to move the plot forward.

An author whose narrative is too conversational. If the book is narrated in the first person, that is one thing. If a third person narration is like that, I figure the author doesn't know what s/he is doing.