Me and Merphy are total opposites: Me: Hates description Merphy: Loves description Me: Hates classics Merphy: Loves classics Both of us: Hate Jane Eyre Perfectly balanced as all things should be.
I think if it's written in 1st person, you need to have a REALLY entertaining main character. Like Percy Jackson. It's gotta be fun to see the world from their perspective
Agreed. I prefer 3rd person for the most part, but when you have a great character like Percy and the others in the later books it really tales the story to another level.
1:13 The standard advice is to avoid "filter words" like:"I saw" and "I thought." Your example:"I walked into the room and I saw a skeleton and I thought Hmmm." Advised example:"I walked into the room, and there was a skeleton in there. That's never a good thing."
The only flaw with a character driven story is when I don’t like the character, their story feels like a super long slog to get through. Pretty much exactly what you said about the first person story telling, it can be rough
In my case I like descriptions if I care about the world. Otherwise, just make me invested in the characters, not the coffee shop that will never appear again.
I prefer physical books BUT don't have a preference between hard vs paper vs mass market, because to me it's whichever one has the BEST artwork and looks best on the shelf. I'm shallow, I guess. I hate books with awful artwork (looking at you, books with photos from the movies).
My preference is reading in bed before sleep (and because of this I stay up to late). I think it's basic. I have no preference in povs. 1. hardback 2. paperback 3. audio 4.ebook Character development over plot, even tho I want both.
0:48 - Third person but only limited! I then prefer first person to third omniscient. 3:33 - Hardback, paperback, e-book, mass market paperback, audiobook. 7:28 - Character but my favourite books are the ones with really strong character development AND plot 9:22 - I don't really mind prose one way or the other. 13:24 - I love introspection as long as I like the character. If the character annoys me, I can't handle it. 14:59 - Romantic!!! 16:15 - I love description as long as it really is improving my ability to visualize. Otherwise it annoys me and I end up skimming over it. 18:28 - Series. 19:38 - Single POV. I get invested in the first character's storyline so switching to another POV feels like a commercial and I hate it. 20:16 - Strong start. Otherwise I won't get into it and will typically stop reading part way through. That being said, if it has a bad ending I will hate the whole book no matter how much I initially liked the rest.
See I always feel annoyed switching to multiple people when I start a book, but by the end I always appreciate the multiple perspectives, cuz I'm invested in all the characters. The final 100-200 pages of a book/series with multiple people I always tear through cuz I'm impatient to find out what happens to everyone. I also feel like more perspectives just gives the author more to work with. Especially in fantasy, where the plots or settings can be so sprawling or complex that it basically requires more than one pov.
1. I generally like both first and third person, however I find myself enjoying third person books more. Like, if I see a book is in first person, I'm not going to have lower expectations, because I really like first person and when it's done well, first person can elevate a story to greater heights (like with Murderbot or Skyward). But usually, I have found that first person isn't done that great, and is more of a gimmick than a tool used to maximum effect, and it makes the story feel flat. What I mean by this is that the strength of first person is often in crafting a unique character voice, like with Spensa or Murderbot, but a lot of writers just don't think that much about this (especially in YA, though I have found some that will stretch this). Third person can be really good even if you don't differentiate the third person perspectives on a prose level, because with third person we don't really need a uniquely crafted character-oriented prose experience like first person is very good at-and it's generally harder to do in third person anyway, although writers like Joe Abercrombie are a master at this. So I generally enjoy third person more because often when I read first person it feels like there's a lot of missing potential, but I won't be turned off by a story with first person because when it's done well it'll elevate the story above if the story was written in third person. 2. My preferences in general in order from favorite to least favorite are probably paperback, ebook, hardback, audiobook, mass market paperback-but this varies. For Stormlight, I only want hardcovers. For Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence, I don't like any version except for the mass market paperbacks. And for Dresden Files, I primarily use the audiobooks and only occasionally use the ebook. 3. I want a balance between character and plot, but yeah, it's character for me. A good plot and bad characters is gonna make me meh on the book, but amazing characters and bad plot will still have a good chance of me loving the story. 4. Prose doesn't bother me that much. I prefer if it's not overly repetitive, but very simple prose works great for me. I also know that if a book uses the word "undulating" at least 4 times (and preferably at least once every 50 pages) then it'll be a book that you like, and that I should recommend it to you VERY strongly. :) 5. I agree with you on introspective characters. I think the thing that works for me is when you have characters like Kaladin or Shallan who are RIDICULOUSLY introspective but are also constantly doing something. I think this works great in The Dresden Files, actually, where Harry Dresden is possibly the most introspective character I've read, but because he's always doing stuff and interacting with people-as is the nature of his job-we're never in there for too long to the point where it gets grating. 6. Platonic relationships will always be better than romantic relationships for me lol. Even in romance books I often enjoy the romance only because I love the platonic relationships. 7. Description really varies for me. I'm reading Eye of the World and for me, Robert Jordan writes descriptions in an incredibly immersive way. I'm sure he gets repetitive and annoying with it later, but at least in this first book, I got immersed so freaking fast it was incredible. But I think descriptions only need to be as long as needed to immerse the reader, and that depends on the author's style. Mark Lawrence describes tone and atmosphere well, and can immerse me in two sentences, while Jim Butcher describes a lot of different things very quickly, immersing me in a paragraph, while Robert Jordan in book 1 describes many things in great detail, immersing me in a long paragraph or even two. As long as it's long enough to immerse me and not so long that it's annoying, I'm happy. (YA fantasy tends to be too light on description, which frustrates me a little bit.) 8. I think I prefer series more than standalones. But I sometimes need to keep track of my series so I can switch between lots of worlds frequently without getting bogged down in just one, while also finishing series. My TBR document has a big series tracker for Open Series (including ones On Hold), Caught Up Series, Finished Series, and DNF'd Series for this reason. 9. Yeah I don't think I have a preference on number of POVs. First person I generally prefer single POV, but third person can be either. HOWEVER, in fantasy especially I REALLY appreciate when an author can limit their POVs to just one (or 2 is fine too) because I just find that really impressive, and the benefit of single POV is we can become very close and familiar with a single character. So I don't prefer single POV, but when it's done and done well, I'm often more impressed by the book. (The Traitor Baru Cormorant is a good example of this.) 10. I would say strong ending, then strong middle, then strong beginning. A lot of books I read don't have strong beginnings (most Brandon Sanderson books) but a great middle is really where my enjoyment comes from, and like you, if the ending is bad/weak, then the whole book is soured for me. But if the ending is good and the middle isn't good, then I won't really like the book that much either, because I didn't have much fun reading the book. This is Six of Crows for me, I think, where I liked the ending but gave the book 3 stars because the middle was, well, middling. I would also say that this is why a lot of people don't like The Well of Ascension, because some parts of the middle are a little weaker even though the ending is great.
Absolutely spot on in your assessment of problems with 1st person. And because the prose is lacking a voice, it ends up reflecting on the character badly. I'm convinced that Katniss Everdeen didnt in fact have PTSD, but it was the lack of any voice that made it appear that way.
I feel like people either keep their books in beautiful pristine condition or break the spines, write in the margins, and dog-ear them -- there's no in between. I'm definitely the latter 😂
I don't write in my books because I want to be able to lone them to people without worrying about them knowing my thoughts, but I do crack spines and spill coffee 😬
I don't write in my books and I read in mostly hardcover, though I do get paperbacks sometimes if I like the cover art better. I will also read from fancy editions, which a lot of people just "display" and almost never touch.
1. I definitely prefer third person, especially when it's a Lemony Snicket style narrator. I love when the third-person narrator has a strong voice, it just gets me invested in the world so fast. 2. Paperback, hardback, e-book, mass market, audio. I know audiobooks resonate with a lot of people and are easier for them to read with but I either get far too invested and can't focus on doing other things (like driving, which often leads to me driving in circles) or I just can't get into them at all. 3. Character focused over plot focused, but I would prefer books to have both. 4. Not really, I prefer my books to be more direct otherwise I can find the story boring or hard to follow. 5. I definitely have a limit, but it's not something I really notice until it bothers me. 6. I love my romances but give me found family over a romance any day! 7. Only if its worldbuilding or character-focused, otherwise I don't care. 8. I want to read more series but at the moment I'm reading more standalones, so I guess I prefer standalones? 9. I love multiple POVs, give me all the characters! 10. Strong finish, strong beginning, strong middle. I find that if the beginning is strong enough and I know this book is going somewhere, then I can survive through a dragging middle. Like you, a weak ending will ruin a book for me.
I do love the paperback books because it’s got a nice feel to them. It is more likely that they could break compared to hardback. The hardback is sometimes more difficult to hold. Audiobooks just don’t work for me. I would love if they did because then I would be able to read more
"I could hear the audible sighs and frustrated grunts that came when I said that." I think screams of pain and agony would be a more fitting description😅😂
as a guy with spina bifida, when she kept talking about breaking spines i cringed so hard i became a.... idk, what's an animal who crouches and/or hides low to the ground a lot? that.
1. 3rd person 2. A. Mass market paperback (for being cheap and generally flexible but hate it when text runs into spine or really cheap) B. Paperback C. Hardcover D. ebook F. Audiobook (enjoy them but have to follow along with actual book to get the most out of it. 3. Really enjoy characters, but plot has to be there to back them up. 4. Yes, so long as its well done. If its too much or poorly done its terrible. 5. Not sure if I have a preference 6. Really enjoy romantic relationships, but platonic can be just as amazing. 7. Enjoy description, the way Tolkien describes the scenery or in his prose, makes me feel there or know exactly what he is looking at. 8. I really enjoy series, but at a certain point I get tired of reading 3,10,15 long series. So I enjoy a good standalone. 9. Both, so long as the characters we're following are interesting. 10. Strong finish. the ending can make or break anything. Strong middle next, then strong start.
Here are my preferences: 1. I tend to get into first person books faster, but I don’t have a strong preference for one or the other. 2. I would love to rank the formats, but I’m blind, so audiobooks are pretty much the only one I use. 3. I prefer a book to have a balance of both character and plot, but while reading I will care more about the characters than the plot. 4. A book with flowery prose will loose me immediately, but I do appreciate intentional descriptions. 5. My preference for introspective characters is the same as yours. I have a limit for those characters. 6. I get really attached to well developed romances, but family dynamics and friendships are way more satisfying. 7. I don’t have a preferences for the kind of description, but I like description to be important for the plot and/or character, but don’t describe just for the sake of describing. 8. Series, but not long ones. 9. Multiple POV, because I get bored easily, even if I’m really enjoying something. 10. strong finish, but if there isn’t a strong start, I’ll likely not reach the end anyway. So, here are my preferences. Great video!
"10. strong finish, but if there isn’t a strong start, I’ll likely not reach the end anyway." -> THIS. I want a book to tell me it's flaws upfront so I can decide if it's worth even finishing it. I DNF a lot of books.
1) I like both being 1st or 3rd I think it depends for me on the genre. 2) Paperback, hardback, Ebook, audiobook, mass 3) I tend to prefer the plot focus but now I am growing to enjoy more character focus 4) The prose I am not so picky but in thrillers, good prose improve so much the ride and in some books simple prose loses a bit of the message or feel kinda childish sometimes... 5) I like so deep in thrillers because of the trauma but overall must be also open to other perspectives. 6) I like a well-developed romance I can not handle so well an insta love romance but is feel so fake... if it is an instant attraction it makes sense to me but that deep and true love for me doesn't work. give me a start and how they learn they are falling in love with reason and how they are dealing with their feelings. 7) I like description when it makes sense and helps to build the world to me and see how amazing or dark that world would be, but exaggeration on a description make me lose some interesting because I found some details not so important but in a decent amount it makes the book amazing! 8) SERIES! in worlds like fantasy I love to spend a lot of time in that worlds but stand-alone can be so enjoyable but series is always a win for me 9) I love multiple POV it gives you a lot of insight and perspective especially in fantasy and contemporary 10) I prefer a strong book in a whole xD (a little cheating like always :P) but I think the end is very important while the begging can be weaker Sorry for the long comment xD and I love your channel which was the push to start mine :D
This is the first personal commentary video i've seen that breaks up specific sections for the viewer to pause and comment. I think it works very well to build an interesting interactive experience. 1.Paperback (I like flexibility) 2. hardback 3. Audio (I never have a chance to listen to audio, but i like the hands free nature of it) 4. E-book (I love the aesthetics of a real book)
Allright! Here we go! 1. Third person(unless its a Dresden book): So here's the thing, for some reason, FOR ME first person sometimes feels...youthful? I honestly dk why there is no real explanation for this, thats just how I feel. But ofcourse that is not something that stops me from reading a book even its first person...just, yk, preference. 2. Honestly, paperback, generally hardbacks look more pretty(not always, I actually prefer LOLL in paperwork in terms of beauty) but whats more accessible? Definitely paperback, but more specifically the floppy ones not the mass market. I also like audiobooks because there are days where I don't feel like physically reading cause I'm tired so it comes in handy! Ok so here's the ranking👇 1. Paperback(another thing, I annotate and pad my books, so I prefer physical for that too😅 PS you are the one who got me into annotating Merph, so thanks!) 2. Audiobooks(accessible when your traveling, tired, or have amazing narrators!) 3. Hardbacks(too expensive and the dust jackets are...fragile, but other than that it works) 4. E books( I don't like it when its on screen cause already there is too much of that in my life, but if I'd ever buy the one that's technically not screen I would definitely read from there too, but I personally just don't get that....feeling yk. But if you do that , that's amazing!) 5. Mass market 3. Character driven: Getting emotionally attached to a character, growing with them or seeing them grow or redeem or corrupt, that connection you build, whether it be cause you relate, look upto, laugh or sob. Some of my role models are FICTIONAL characters!(uncle iroh), the small victories or the relationship dynamics! Its just soooo good! 4. Its complicated. Like alot of people said that Sanderson's are pretty info dumpy...I honestly don't notice it. I guess the only book where I have cared for the prose is Beartown(based on your recommendation) which is the single book where all I have done is underline SO MUCH STUFF and barely written. Because its so thoughtful and beautiful and...you get it. But aside from that book....I don't think I care that much. As I said:Its complicated. 5. I honestly don't know, I think I quite like it, I've only read book 1 in the Stormlight archive and I like the way it was done, and I think if there was even more of it I would've been happy. But I'm going to have to read more books to answer that question. Well, only time will tell. 6. Platonic: Now ik that probably everyone reading atleast ATLEAST likes good romantic relationships...yeah, I'm going to be an exception in that. Heres how I'll answer this question: favorite book? LOLL, favorite series? Merlin, Avatar the Last Airbender, Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood and Sherlock. *nervous chuckle* 7. It doesn't bother me, I don't mind description. But I guess no, I don't necessarily want it. Well...I guess it depends, so there's a book in which pirates are a big focus and I LOVE pirates, and the book had alot of description about where the ropes would tie and stuff like that. And I WAS interested in it, but the way the author wrote was kind of...boring😬 but honestly if I had to answer, it will be a no, which is weird, because I like knowing the environment I just don't...like reading it I guess. Thats weird, ANYWAY MOVIN ON' 8. Series I love following the characters for a long period of time. Get to know them better, seeing different sides of them. I'm not saying standalones can't do it just...IMHO not the same way. However, it's a little unfair of me to say that, I've read VERY few standalones...need to read more🤫 9. Multiple POV You ask me why? I don't know *shrugs* go figure! 10. If I had to rank it: Strong ending Strong middle Strong biggining If you made it this far congrats! I had some spare time on my side so I used it😁
@@Super00Specs ain't that the truth. The first editor I had told me that my main character who was supposed to be 17 sounded like she was 12 and in middle school and I had to up her age maturity in my first person book so then I finally fixed it up and then sent it off to a second editor it's actually really hard to get into the mindset of a high school student age without making them sound too annoying or too mature it's like a weird balance.
I don't know that I care about prose, but I enjoy it immensely when an author injects poetry into their descriptions. Liliana Bodoc is the best at this; she puts poetry into the way she describes the world, the action, the characters and their feelings and thoughts. It's just so beautiful
I love 1st person. I love reading what the lead character is thinking and how he/she sees situations. The best 1st person book is The Knife of Never Letting Go. It is so unique because the character Todd is illiterate, so things are spelled wrong. Their are also run on sentences because he is thinking a lot. I strongly recommend this book.
- 3rd and sometimes 1st person!! -floppy paperback -> hardback -> audiobook -> ebook= 0 concentration -C H A R A C T E R S -omg patterns will get under my skin too and over describing just feels indulgent most of the time -7-8/10 introspective for me with breaks please!! -platonic & romantic relationships with the romantic one being in the background -l also need a big énfasis on the environment but get bored if other things are described more than “normal” - serieeeees Corey and l feel the same -múltiple POV -middle to end bit
* My preference is third-person as well! Though it's not super strong. I don't mind first-person. But I agree first-person is often too limited for me. Because of that, I like third-person limited the most. And I actually don't like third-person omniscient all that much. * I prefer ebook > audiobook > hardback > paperback > mass market. And it's funny... because I love annotating too, but that's the reason I prefer ebooks over paperbacks. Logging and going back is easier on a digital format for me. And I also agree on liking audio for convenience but the missing things with new reads/listen are very real. If it's a work/world I'm not familiar with, audio is a pretty bad choice. * Plot > Character. I personally need to know where the story is going first and foremost. But characters are important for me to care about the plot. But first, I need to know where the story is going, I can't just be sat in a room with dope characters with no direction (unless the characters are incredibly amazing or talking about intriguing things). * I. Absolutely. Hate. Purple. Prose. Instant turn off for me. Funny what you said about Legend Born... most times first-limited is, well, limited in terms of prose because of character POV. * I've never really thought about character introspection, honestly. * I've no real preference for romance/platonic relationships. It's just that I have MORE issue with romantic relationships because they are more often done not-so-great. And ultimately, I think, platonic relationships have higher ceilings for me. Samwise, anyone!? * Same with purple prose, I'm not a fan of long descriptions. Another instant turn off. The descriptions need to be woven into the greater scene/story for it to work for me. * I actually have not been able to get into a series in a very long time (I mean, a very long time). I don't know why that is. I don't think I actually have a preference to standalone, per se. I just haven't really been vibing with any series in a while (I mean it, a really, really long while). * I have a preference for multiple POV, but I have an upper limited of 2-3 mains. More than that and it's too much for me. Sometimes when it's just 1 POV I want to hop around. * I totally agree, though I'd flip it to Strong Start > Strong Ending > Strong Middle.
I enjoy reading third person, but I enjoy writing first person. I can write third person, and I have quite well before, but I like the limitations that come with First Person. Kind of like drawing or making music
@@robertblume2951 Purple prose is when you describe things so much to the point that nothing is readable. I'd recommend two good books for prose-- The Book Thief, and The Bible. Both books are beautiful and have great prose. That's what I personally use to range my description of things. But if you want more, I can point to good ol' classics like Robinson Crusoe, Sherlock Holmes, a good Dr. Seuss book, or a good video game (because even video games have great stories nowadays). I'm a game dev, so I might be cheating, but don't use too many difficult words. (I'm saying this because I personally dislike some classics because they use too many difficult words to seem intellectual to the point that they alienate their audience.) I think the best thing to do is to look for inspiration for your work and just roll with it.
@@microdavid7098 I meant examples of purple prose. I know plenty of books with good prose, I don't know any with purple. I don't think classics use a lot of complicated words to seem intellectual, they just had a better vocabulary than we do now.
1) Third person limited is 100% my fave, past tense in particular 2) Least favorite - hardback Audio Paperback (I’ve never had a “floppy one”) Favorite - E book (I can’t afford many books and I always lose library books so this is really my only option and second hand) 3) Character but I can’t stand a boring slow paced book so I guess I want both 4) I like easy to read prose because I have a short attention span, but I like it if it’s beautiful but not slow, old fashioned or flowery prose 5) I’ve never noticed to be honest 6) Slow burn, ride or die platonic or romantic, I don’t mind 7) Just the amount you need to picture the setting unless the author has a really good style or unique way of describing it 8) Trilogies and duologies tend to be my favourite but I like all 9) Single pov because I tend to have one I don’t like in multiple and I get attached to characters easier when I spend a long time with them 10) All three obviously but I’d pick middle
The book I'm writing is in first person and switches povs. Q: 1 -first person vs. third person A: I actually love first person because you really get a feel for how they understand things. I feel more emersed in the story, but I also don't mind third person. Both first and third person have ups and downs. I also like to make notes about books and what I'm thinking, or I will call a friend and talk to them about it. Q: 2 -hardbavk, paperback, etc.. A: Paperbacks and hardbacks are my favorite. I can't do audiobooks because I get so distracted and I have never liked listening to radio talk shows and I feel like an audiobook are just like listening to a radio talkshow lol. Q: 3 - character driven, plot driven A: I'm 100% character driven. Plot is good but I pretty much won't read a book if it's not about strong based characters. My book I wrote is extremely character driven. I just loooove learning about characters and seeing their interactions with each other. Q: 4- Do you care about prose A: LOL I never knew what a prose was until I sent my book to my first professional editor a few months ago and I got an editoral letter back and she was like "omg your prose was absolutely amazing!!" So I guess I'm good at this haha. But yeah I guess I like a good prose. Not gonna lie, I've look at you website Merphy and before I picked my second editor I was thinking about asking you but I think (if I remember correctly) you were busy haha. Q: 5- introspection or not A: I don't mind some introspection. It's good to see people's thoughts. Q: 6- platonic love it romantic A: I LOVE platonic relationships. I will pick that everyday. I've never been a super romantic person and honestly best friends or siblings are just as good to write about. My book is about a family and their dynamics and the two brothers are best friends and have a very strong platonic brotherly relationship. Q: 7- descriptions or not A: I like to have descriptions that paint a picture. When I was little (and still sometimes til the day) I physically could not picture a character unless it had a movie adeptation or a picture on the cover. So I like to know exactly what someone looks like. And it doesn't have to be everyyything but I do like more information. Q: 8- series or stand alone book A: I 100% like series more. My book that I finished is book one of 6. (Though I do understand where you are coming from with your answer and reasoning). Q: 9- star middle end I almost forgot this question A: this is hard I feel like you have to have a good book in the beginning and the begining is also where you introduce your characters so I like that probs the most but I also love the middle because you really start to get into the heart of the problem and you already know how your character acts. But the ending is just as great because you have your intense climax and falling resolution and you get some questions answered... So idk about this one honestly. I think I answered all the questions. Text me here if I didn't lol. My book is almost fully fixed for like the 100th time (sooo much editing!!) But one day my Kingdoms of Color book series will be out and I just hope people like it and emerse themselves as much as I do. Seriously I drew probably over 100 pictures of my characters, scenes, everything I could think of already. This was fun Merphy, let's do it again sometime!!!! MULTIPLE POVS 100% in my option I don't want to follow the same character all book. because if I do that and I don't like that character as much then I feel like I'm stuck and I'm just not going to like the book but if there's a character that I don't mind or maybe I don't like just like a little bit but there's other povs of characters I do really like then I feel like it's much better also I just love getting inside the heads of multiple different people and seeing what their insecurities are getting a look inside their head how they react with certain people etc..
1. 3rd person 2. e-reader, paperback, mass-market paperbacks, hardback, audio 3.character focused (I need good character dynamics and dialogue) 4. I don't really care about pros as long as it doesn't sound like a twelve-year-old wrote it (because yes I have read published books like that) 5. I deal the same way about introspective characters 6. I love both so much and I want both 7. I don't love lots of descriptions, I can't deal with descriptions that go on for several paragraphs, for me, the best description are subtle ones through character actions and dialogue. 8. Series obviously, but I like stand-alones too 9. Strong start but I'm not actually sure about this one
My answers: 1. I do not care as long as it is well narrated, 2. Paperback, 3. It depends on the story there are some that I care more for the characters and others for the plot, 4. No, 5. I do not know, 6. I like strong friendships and cute romances, 7. No, I get bored sometimes, 8. Series, 9. Single Pov, 10. Strong start so I can be more interested in the book
0:48: I prefer 3rd person (like in the book thief) but I dont really mind 3:33: Paperback, Hardback, Audiobook,Ebook 7:28: Ahhhh thats such a hard choice but maybe character. 9:22: A bit i guess 13:24: A smallllll bit. I don't need to live in their mind. 14:59: Hmm, I like having a relationship in a book but I also like having a good few platonic relationships so I'm in between 16:15: I like short and sweet descriptions because I love getting lost in the world and having a clear image in my mind because i hate not knwoing what to imagine but I do want to move on with the plot. 18:28 maybe stand alones because it is a lot of commitment and a lot of time but then on the other hand I like being stuck with the same characters and worlds so I'm not sure hahahah. 19:38: SINGLE POV !! (well usually. i liked it in allegiant for example) 20:16: strong middle to keep me reading,strong ending because i love a satisfactory ending and a strong begininng because its just the intro to the book but I like it to catch my eye.
Q1. Third person. Limited or omniscient, either ways. Personally, I feel like with first person, authors sometimes go in wayyy too much unnecessary description and feelings. I have nothing against characters talking about feelings, BUT sometimes in first person, it tends to be too much. Especially in YA. Eg- the divergent series, mockingjay. 2. Paperback Hardcover Mass market paperback Ebook I've never listened to a complete audiobook but I tried it once and couldn't concentrate. 3. Plot focussed. Although I have enjoyed some books where it's literally just about people doing nothing, generally speaking, I'd choose a plot focussed book. 4. Same!!! I HATE unnecessary details. Beautiful prose is fine but unnecessarily metaphorical writing is just.. mleh 5. Like I said, hate it when there's too much introspection and thoughts and stuff. 6. Strongly agree. Especially about the part about romance in other genres. Which is again why I didn't like mockingjay, cuz it started focusing on the relationships a lot more. And in a dystopian or fantasy setting, I really wanna know more about the war going on outside. 7. Ehhh medium description 8. Standalones. Standalones always. I have commitment issues when it comes to series lol. I've only read 5 series in all so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 9. Either ways but probably one pov. 10. Strong finish. Just because the impact will stay with me longer Extra: a random preference I have is that I realllllly like it when books have a table of contents/ an index. On a similar note, I also love CHAPTER NAMES. They can be so much fun and so creative! Like the Percy Jackson series has some of the best chapter names EVER
Well, Lord of the rings was written almost 70 years ago. No wonder that common writing methods and styles were different than today's, as well as readers' preferences. The same happens in cinematography and music as well or any other aspect of culture - it evolves and changes and some things become outdated, even such classsics and masterpieces.
@@darkwitnesslxx Lord of the Rings is widely lauded for its prose. Tolkien is an incredible author and poet, and his writing is incredibly beautiful, but at the time when it came out, and even for decades thereafter, fantasy fiction was looked down upon by the literary community. It honestly still is. THAT'S the reason the false narrative that Tolkien's prose was subpar is so widely circulated. He was actually considered for, but robbed of, a nobel prize because of this snobbishness. Who won it? Ivo Andric of course, an author that today no one has heard of, and whose own prose simply doesn't measure up.
Uhh, this sounds fun, let's do this! 1) Don't really have a preference, I guess...never really thought about it 2) Paperback, E book, Hardback, Mass, Audio 3) Plot focused stories...but it also depends on the genre. If I'm reading e.g. contemporary, I'll focus more on the characters. 4) I don't care about prose unless it's really badly (e.g. too descriptive) or really well written... 5) I have the same preference as you. 6) Platonic relationships. I don't hate romance but often romantic relationships annoy me because there is unnecessary drama or it's an unhealthy relationship. 7) Not at all. I don't care about what a room or a person looks like... 8) Standalones. I'm not always ready to commit to series... 9) Don't have a preference for POV. 10) A strong finish. Ranking: finish, middle and start
1. So my first thought was to say first person and this is because of PJO and Hoo, where I enjoyed Percy's first person perspective more than the third person in Hoo. But as I read more books became more comfortable with third person which seems to be more widely used. Basically I'm not sure if I like being in the main character's head or just Percy's head😅. 2. Favourite format. Hardback, audiobooks, paperback, ebooks, mass market paperback 3.Character focused vs plot. Depends on my mood but most often character based. I enjoy a good plot with twists and turns every once in awhile though. Once the characters are good (for me) then the plot can be meh and I won't mind. I'd also remember a book more based on the characters and not the plot. 4. I don't have a specific preference for prose. I'll notice if it's repetitive or overly descriptive put it doesn't always take me out of a story 5. I like introspection. But when it gets to the point where the character just gets down right depressing for like the rest of the series, I just can't. This is mostly in YA.(red Queen specifically 🙃) 6. I'm a sucker for romance😅. I do enjoy really good platonic relationships though where we know the characters care deeply for each other but you don't feel like it needs to get physical of that makes sense. 7. When there are paragraphs of descriptions of a location that's not fantasy based (familiar to me), I'd sometimes skip over it, but in terms of worldbuilding I'm okay with it 8. Seriesss all the way, once it doesn't feel unnecessarily dragged on. Especially when I love the characters I don't want it to end. 9. No preference 10. Strong finish first, cause that's what will stick with me, strong middle next cause that's what would keep me reading, and strong start, I'm willing to give books time to get going.
1- Third person 2- Paperback all the way!!! (Then audiobooks, ebooks, mass market and hardcovers) 3- Character over plot any day ! 4- No idea, but I’m not a fan of a lot of description and flowery style 5- Love introspection, the deeper the better (but with a balance within the story) 6- I run from romantic relationships in general but in fantasy it’s usually a hard no for me. Great amazing friendships and sibling relationships >>> Found family trope is my favorite trope so... 7- Not a fan of a ton a description but at the same time I love a deep and intricate magic system and atmospheric story 8- Fantasy = series 9- I don’t have a preference either, but I really appreciate a well done multiple POV fantasy book 10- Idk... I need to connect with the main character since the start to enjoy a book so I need a strong start but if the middle and ending are bad the experience ends up feeling flat.
1. 1st or 3rd, preferably 3rd 2. Paperback, hardcover, ebook or audiobook, mass market paperback 3. Plot! Though hopefully with strong characters too 4. Medium-high prose. I like flowery 5. Introspective characters to a degree 6. Both!!!! 7. World building and rules, atmosphere and feelings... I like description for these things... could care less about clothes 8. Stand alones 9. Multiple POV’s!!!! 10. Start and finish equally then middle
These questions are so fun!! *My preference is third-person. First person does a lot of filtering and handholding. I'm told how things smell and how I should feel about it, and I'd rather just not. * Audiobook = paperback/mass market> hardcover > ebook. Both paperback and Audiobook have their functions. Most long books, I like to listen to, as I'm not able to dedicate much time to sitting, so I'd lose track of the flow of long books without listening. Shorter books, I'd rather read because Annotation is So. Fun. Now, if they could create an annotation feature in audiobooks, we'd be golden * Character > Plot, but if I don't care about the Character's plot (aka: their navel gazing/internal struggles/whatever is replacing the plot) the book will still fail. *I prefer intentional writing-- kind of like you said. Pick the words you use on purpose. Neil Gaiman is a perfect example of writing intentionally, and though no one would describe his writing as flowery, he's writing on purpose * Is it picky to say that I judge the content of Navel gazing? Kaladin can go on for days if he wants, because he's actually struggling with things. But I'd prefer not to read the internal struggles of a mind in the throes of a love triangle. * For me, platonic are preferred, but Romantic are more obsessed over heh. I think platonic relationships take much more effort and skill to write. Someone once said: It's easy to write sad, but it's hard to write happy, and I think that applies here. Romantic relationships come pre-packaged with more drama options, but a good and steady bromance can carry a whole novel. * In a fantasy/not this world: description is better, to help you enter the world. In everyday/contemporary, please don't describe the carpet. I count my speed reading as a flaw--I depend more on my imagination to fill the space and hardly read the description, so I miss a lot of ambiance. * COMPLETED. SERIES. * 1-3 POVs, but please keep it to main characters, rather than characters we don't care about. * Strong Ending. If I've made it that far, I'd like it to be worth it!
Perspective: third person omniscient Format: Mass market paperback for the feel and nostalgia (they don't make them as often as they used to), ebook for the readability, audiobook for the ability to read while I'm working, Hardback for the poshness, pdf on a computer screen for the cheapness (since it's usually because I could find a pdf of a book online), paperback because the proportions just feel wrong most of the time. Character/plot: Plot, give me a long reaching Arthur C Clarke scifi that takes place over multiple generations anyday. prose: yes, important. I would love romantic/poetic prose to come back instead of either long descriptions or "less is more" descriptions Introspection: characters should be extremely introspective, I love when someone knows why they're doing things instead of someone that just reacts all the time and then gets frustrated about their decisions. relationships: platonic description: medium, agree with you, mood and environment should be described, but standalones/series: standalones, I think, because the thought is complete whereas a series sometimes feels like a cash grab, but I guess I like non-sequential series, books that exist in the same universe but don't require the others in the series to make sense. POV: multiple, I'm already stuck in one POV, I want to see the larger picture strong: middle, ending, start
1. narration: strong preference for 3rd person (because while "I" don't think like that, I can totally believe "he/she/they" think like that) 2. format: ebook, audio, hardcover, paperbacks 3. focus: ideas, characters, plot ("plot" is what happens; I like "ideas" best: how it's written, what points are made, what's the story's angle, fun subversions, new things explored) 4. prose: elaborate yet minimalistic (uses the least possible number of words in the most interesting way possible to convey the meaning. Short stories excel at this - you have to be efficient when you have a strict word limit) 5. introspection - depends on the kind of introspection; I hate needless rumination about what happened (I wholeheartedly agree about it being tiring), while self-discovery is great 6. relationships, in order: weird platonic dynamics (especially family or found family), power couples (romantic or not), romantic, more "normal" platonic relationships 7. description: NO!!! (Disclaimer here: focusing on tone or conveying the information about how someone or something looks can be done without describing it directly. Don't spoonfeed me, immerse me in the world and the magic system, pretty pretty please. I find descriptions of clothes and interiors especially tedious. And please, for the love of God, no shopping trips!) 8. standalone, especially novellas, followed by series of novellas 9. POV: multiple POV in long books, single POV in shorter standalones or novellas 10. strong middle - I'm there for the ride
1. Perspective. I trust the author on that one. If he choose 1 person for his story, I'll go with it. Though I am not particularly fond of 2 person. 2. Hardback above all. I abuse my books a lot, but I still want them to stay with me for a lifetime. Then e-books, I read a lot of books simotenously and like to have a choice, when I commute or go for a walk. But I annotate too and love the feeling of the real paper, so sometimes I just carry an unbelievable heavy bag with me.) Paperback is my choice for books I have no intention to reread. Audio is an exception, I rarely like how they are done, though sometimes they are great. 3. Characters! Who needs a plot? I am that person who don't care about spoilers at all. 4. Prose... I am in the middle too, but more on the flowery side. Just throw me a juicy metaphor from time to time, and I'll be happy. 5. I love to be in the character head, so I can eat as much of this as author choose to give me. 6. I like relationships which are both love and friendship. Does it mean that I prefer all relationship be kind of platonic? Maybe. 7. I like descriptions only from a character perspective, if a character don't care about his surrounding at the moment, I don't want to experience it too. Though I really appreciate a lot of details in historic books. 8. Standalones. Or if it's a series it have to be one arch. I seriously think that there is only one story you can tell about one character, after that it gets repetitive. 9. POV. On this one I also trust the author. It is for him to decide how many POV the story needs. 10. I prefer a strong middle, because it is the longest part of the book. ;) But seriously I need all of them to be strong. Maybe I can tolerate a long overextended beginning if it shows a potencial of the story.
1- Third person (limited) 2- Paperback, Hardback (I don't really do ebooks or audiobooks) 3- Character focused stories 4- No, I don't care about prose 5- Basically what you said about introspective characters 6- I'm a sucker for a good romantic relationship 7- I like good description, but there is such a thing as too much description. Robert Jordan's way of doing it really worked for me. 8- Series, like every time. 9- Multiple POV 10- A strong finish, a bad ending can really ruin a book for me (Last Argument Of Kings for example)
1. I honestly don’t care which perspective my books are written in. I find them all fun. :) 2. Paperback (they’re all the same to me)>Hardcover>e-book>audiobook (audiobooks can really only enjoyed when you have the right narrator) 3. BOTH, but if I have to choose, plot or with good dialogue. 4. Prose- I don’t want to have to notice it most of the time. If your prose lets me be drawn into the story, it’s good. I like a nice flowery sentence every once in a while. 5. Why would anyone want their character to be in their head? That’s where I belong! I do agree that we can get too into a character’s head, though. I want to get into their head so I can see the world through their eyes when they act in the world. I don’t want to just be in their head for no reason. 6. Platonic ALL THE WAY 7. A nice short description is fine. I’m currently reading The Hunchback of Notredame. Victor Hugo took SEVERAL chapters to describe 15th century Paris and compare it to 19th century Paris. I don’t even know what modern Paris looks like. No thank you. It’s okay, I’m pushing though. 8. Everything! 9. Everything! 10. End, middle, start (If the ending is bad, what’s even the point? It feels like you went through all of the book for nothing. If the start isn’t that great, it’s fine, I can push through and it will get better. If the middle is bad, I might ditch the book.)
Now this video is a couple of months old but I am gonna answer it anyway, because I LOVED this interactive format of a video and reading all the comments. 1. 100% agree with Merphy. I definitely prefer 3rd person for the exact same reasons that she mentioned (incl introspection). 2. Hardcover > Audiobook > Paperback > Mass market > Ebook 3. Character focused all the way! If I don’t connect to the character, I won’t be invested in the story. If I really love the character, I just wanna hang out with them regardless of the plot. 4. The prose most oftenly won’t make or break a book for me. It can certainly elevate a story, but it rarely bothers me so much that I might dnf. If that makes sense. 5. I like a bit of introspection because I feel that it helps me connect to the person more and understand them better. But I also can’t stand it when half the book takes place in someones head. It also depends heavily on how it’s done so there are of course exceptions to this. 6. Plutonic relationships, for sure! And I am very picky about how new relationships start and how they develop. If it doesn’t feel natural, I struggle with it. Like two people meet and immediately develop a I-will-die-for-you type of relationship, I don’t buy it. 7. I NEED descriptions. I need to be able to visualize the story in my head. It doesn’t have to be super detailed but I want to be able to picture it. 8. I almost exclusively read series. If I find a world and characters that I like, I want to stay with them for more than one book. It’s the same reason why I prefer tv-series over movies. I am a dedicated, loyal person. Just let me love you for more than once book! 9. I don’t mind either way but I have a small inclination towards multiple POVs. 10. Finish > Start > Middle as well. If a great book had a sloppy ending, it will ruin the book. If a “meh” book has a strong ending, it will make the book.
I answered them all at once... I prefer third person. It makes me feel more connected to the story! 1.) Paperback 2.) Mass-market paperback 3.) e-book 4.) Hardback 5.) Audiobook Character focused!! I will not care about a book if I don’t care about the characters. I don’t care very much about prose unless I feel like it pulls me out of the story like in Dune. I do really agree with what you said about patterns though! I noticed some in the book I just finished and it drove me crazy. I like quite a bit of introspection but I agree that it can be too much. I’ve never really thought about that before! I care a lot about the relationships between the characters, both romantic and platonic, but romantic ones tend to bother me more often because I feel like they’re rarely done well. I generally care more about friendships, and found family relationships are my favorite! I love atmospheric books but if there’s too much description, I will probably zone out. Definitely agree that it’s more about the feeling of the world for me than just physical description. Probably series because I get to spend more time in stories that I love! I think multiple POV because when it’s single I always find myself wishing I knew what the other characters are thinking/feeling. Strong finish! Bad endings are so frustrating to me.
This was such a fun video to watch and participate with the questions as well! Since we know more about your preferences, we can recommend books that fit your style more! Hehe! -^~^- Q1) Third is my favorite! It's much easier to read in my opinion. Q2) So far, my favorite is ebook, hardback, paperback and then audio! Since I read mostly before bed and don't want to turn on any lights to wake anyone up, I read on a screen instead. Q3) I used to be a plot person but now I switched since I met some characters I have really enjoyed! Q4) I don't care about prose-- hehe but I do really enjoy "flowery/fluffy" style of writing Q5) The characters could be introspective but I just hope they don't keep thinking the same things over and over throughout the whole book. Character development is important~ Q6) Platonic relationships all the way!!!!!! Q7) I do love lots of description because I can visualize the book in my head and it'll help me continue the story.. Q8) Series! If I love the plot and the characters! But standalones are good for those in-between series books. Q9) Multiple POV all the waY!! Show me different perspectives and morals! Q10) Strong finish! Then, strong middle, and strong start.
1: I like all perspectives but third person omniscient is probably my fave. 2: Hard back, audio, soft back, mass market, digital. In that order 3: character driven but only slightly more than story 4: prose I like like to be brief and concise and convey what it needs to. 5: I like characters that spend an even time in and out of their own head but the better the character the more I enjoy Introspection. 6: I enjoy plutonic and romance but only like them if I like the characters 7: descriptions are great but.only what's necessary to convey a scene or world building 8: series, by far. I love my epics. 9: I like single pov but only if the main character outshines the others in my enjoyment of them. Otherwise I like multiple povs. 10: I like the middle and end of the stories more, but. i enjoy a good beginning almost as much from time to time. Very story dependant.
1. 3rd Person 2. Hardback(I love the feeling of holding a massive book) or e-book(for the ease). 3. Plot driven, but love a good character one too. 4. Yes, I like beautiful prose, but not too flowery. But because I'm pretty plot driven I'm totally fine with simple prose. 5. I am fine with all the introspection as long as it's done well and the character isn't annoying. That's when I love a character driven book. 6. Platonic 7. Like you I really LOVE description that gives me a specific tone of the world. Sixth of the Dusk by Sanderson did this SO well. 8. I love both! I love figuring out things as I go through series. But a good standalone is 👌. Ten Thousand Doors of January and Kingdom of Back are great fantasy stand-alones that have beautiful, but not flowery, prose, great character development, and an interesting plot. 9. All POV options! 10. Strong ending for sure. The whole book could be interesting but not great, and I will come out LOVING the book if the ending is amazing.
One of the things I've found that I love is when an author releases multiple stories set in the same universe MCU-style. It makes the world seem so massive and it's so satisfying when the penny drops.
1. I prefer third person perspective. 2. In order of preference reading/listening: paperback, Kindle, hardback, audiobook. 3. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven stories. 4. I don't think I care about prose, with the exception that things can be described way too much. 5. If I connect with the character, then the amount of introspection doesn't matter. If I don't like or can't relate to the character, I can't tolerate much introspection. 6. I prefer plutonic over romantic relationships. 7. I really enjoy a world that is well described so you get the atmosphere and environment, but still get to use your imagination. If a book describes every little detail of a scene then I don't get into it as much. 8. I prefer stand alone books to a series, but I do like a small series. 9. I prefer books with limited, but multiple POVs. 10. A strong middle portion of the book will really grab my attention, but a strong finish to the book is more satisfying. If a book ends too abruptly it will diminish the reading experience for me.
I loved this video idea and your discussion! This is the only time I've ever actually participated and put my answers in the comments. 1. I prefer third person (although I used to prefer first person). 2. Hardcover; Paperback; Audiobook; Ebook; mass market paperback 3. Character-focused 4. Prose is extremely important to me. I used to hardly notice it, but now prose is almost as important as character work for my reading experience. My preferences are fairly similar to yours. 5. It tends to depend on genre. For literary fiction, I love me some introspection. For fantasy and romance, it's not as important to me/I prefer a bit less. 6. Typically, I connect more to romantic relationships, although there are some notable exceptions (parent/child and mentor relationships, especially). 7. For fantasy, I love world-building. But I tend to dislike descriptions of scenery, architecture, and atmosphere. I get bored and have to reread multiple times for it to come to life in my head, whereas if it's not described, I'll just fill it in myself. 8. Standalones, for sure. 9. I don't really have a preference. 10. Strong middle, strong finish, strong start. If a book drags in the middle, it sours my entire reading experience.
1. I don’t have a preference for either POV 2. I don’t have a preference either so long as it’s physical (so hardback and paperback - floppy ones are the best), then mass market, then ebook, then audiobook (the hardest for me to get through for multiple reasons) 3. I’d like both character and plot, but if I had to choose I’d say character because if good characters/development is missing I just can’t connect with or be interested in the book 4. I think I care about prose? I’m not well versed in the identifier but I can definitely tell when somethings weirdly or poorly written for my taste and I can’t get through those books 5. I like my characters to be focused on their world instead of wallowing in their own thoughts (and often self pity). I like it when there’s character depth and internal struggles and all that, but if they’re not keeping their eyes on the road then they tend to annoy me haha. 6. I highly prefer platonic relationships when they’re very developed and done well! Like when there’s a friendly or sibling or familial bond that’s so deep and nearly unbreakable, that gets me. However, a lot of books I read don’t delve into these relationships as much as they could be, so I tend to prefer the romantic relationships (the ones developed well). But if I had the choice between two characters forming a deep friendship over a romantic relationship, I’d choose the friendship (even though I do enjoy a good side romance plot). 7. I like good, unique description and knowing where I am in the world or room and how it looks and how we and the characters are feeling, but it can go over the top at times and there’s just some things that DON’T need paragraphs of descriptions, like clothes lol 8. I prefer series for fantasy/sci-fi/adventure, but standalone for contemporary (which I don’t read much). There are some worlds that could definitely remain as standalones but overall I enjoy series, thought not always ones that drag over like 6 books though haha 9. I prefer single POV for some stories though others require multiple, so I guess I like both! I’d just say they both have cons: single POV: we can’t know everything that’s going with other possibly vital characters or parts of the world that we may need or want; multiple POV: sometimes authors write in too many POVs that I can’t keep track, and more often than not there’s always one or two of the POVs that I can’t stand or just don’t care to read, which really sour those characters and events for me 10. Oof this question. I guess if there’s a strong start but weak middle and end I’d feel as if I wasted my time (a weak start could make me not pick up a book at all, though the beginnings of books I have more “mercy” with ig and don’t mind if they’re not the best); a weak middle would make the story drag, and a weak ending would again feel like a waste of time. I guess I’d prefer a strong ending, because then maybe I’ll have an overall good opinion of the book and may continue on with the next one if it’s a series. Though I have to stay a strong middle is right behind it lol
This is a really enjoyable video, thank you. Hope you're ready for lots of words (sorry!) If i have a choice, I prefer first person limited, as, personally, I prefer the way it creates unique forms of world building. Instead of just an overarching narrator telling you about the world or its lore/universe, you get to experience the character discovering it themselves. I especially love multi-POV first person limited, as it can explore how person experience/station/culture can effect ones worldview in really intriguing ways. This obviously means I prefer character over plot, though "both" is good. As for format preference: 1. Paperback - Floppiness is the best 2. Ebook - These hard times have made me appreciate how easy ebooks make the acquisition of books. No waiting for it to get delivered, no heading into the fray, just pop in to your online bookstore of choice and/or digital library, pick a book, wait for it to download, then start reading 3. Hardcover - They just feel so big. Also, they never look right with the rest of my collection (I realize this is self-fulfilling prophecy, as if I keep getting paperbacks, of course the hardcovers are going to look weird with them) 4. Mass Market - i got the big hands, so reading a tiny book can become cumbersome. This is especially problematic with the thicc bois, as the dimensions just make it so annoying. 5. Audiobook - With my anxiety, my mind is always thinking about a million things at once, so unless I'm physically taking part in the act of staring at the words, it can be difficult to focus on the narrative question.
1) 3rd person perspective - 1st one limits the view of only 1 character, 3rd person view grants view on the world from multiple perspectives, fleshes more characters. 2) 1. Hardback, 2. Paperback (floppy ones), 3. E-book, 4. Audiobook 3) Plot driven story (although it needs to be character focused as well) 4)I feel like prose is just not for me :/ 5) I like when characters are defined by their actions, when author shows their personality and their identity, not just describes it and feed it to me, I want to see it for myself, decide if the character is good or bad in my eyes etc. 6) I prefer platonic relationships over romantic ones. Books (at least the ones I read) lack that, I haven't seen that many good friendships between characters, especially between opposite genders, its mostly romantic relationship that I didn't ask for and certainly was avoidable (as in, could be left out). But I like good romance relationships too from time to time, just that there aren't that of unique ones left, it gets too much and too repetitive at times. 7) I prefer when books are not that descriptive, it drags pace for me. The book can be not that thick and very descriptive, pace will drag for me a lot. I like when there are more dialogues and interactions between characters. Things could be explained by moving on, example, magic systems, not just by multiple page long descriptions. However, descriptions are needed to flesh out the world more, but too much is too much. 8) Probably series over standalones, especially if I fell in love in this one world that I want to know more, come back to my favorite characters. Sometimes standalones are so good that they do not require more, it starts to ruin it for me. 9) Multiple POV over single POV, however, if there are too many POV's, I will not care that much for all of them, like in Game of Thrones, I basically care only about 3 characters and it makes me want to wait for their turn. Draconis Memoria trilogy by Anthony Ryan only has 3 POV's (4th POV is added starting book 2) and it was the perfect amount for me. It wasn't too much for me, it gave a chance to flesh out each character and make them distinct from one another. 10) Strong finish, build up being stronger and stronger by each book and part of the book. Ending is the part that stays with me the most when it comes to stories, so I would prefer to have good, memorable and satisfying ending.
My preferences: 1) Perspective. Honestly, I can grasp both. 1st person is a lot more "personal" which helps me empathize with character more. But that only works if the character is likeable. If they are not, 1st person ruins it for me even more. 3rd person works better with world-building and storytelling, because we don't see the world through character's eyes directly. The character doesn't have to be present in every scene. Also, being able to see the story more objectively and with our own eyes if the character doesn't filter it all for us, as you already said. I suppose I prefer 3rd person slightly more, but honestly - there are tropes that work only in 1st person for me, and I'm glad when they are, especially if highly psychological. 2) Formats. Ugh. I prefer audiobooks, mainly because they allow me to do something else with my hands while I read, and that helps me focus. It only works with stories I'm more or less familiar with or with not too many characters (in these cases I prefer paperback or ebook). I find hardbacks quite hard to hold, tho they look and feel fancy. PS You sound quite enthusiastic when you talk about breaking spines :P 3) Character vs plot-focused: Character. Character development and complexity often makes or breaks book for me. Plot needs to be REALLY good for me to enjoy it without it. Tho character development is often intertwined with plot, and that is what makes sense to me most, and what I enjoy most. 4) Prose. I prefer shorter sentences. And not over-explanation. Basically, yes, if something can be said in one short sentence, do that. And yes, shorter sentences can be done without repeating the same structure, it goes on my nerves too. 5) Introspection. I'm fine with it, especially if it fits the story. It can help get to know character better, but I don't like all the narrative being introspection either. Small bits of it are nice tho. 6) Relationships. I prefer platonic. Beautifully written friendships are amazing and can "get" me even if I don't enjoy the plot too much. I'm fine with some romance - but it often bores me, especially if it's TOO romantic, as I am quite disinterested in romance. I do enjoy good friends to lovers trope sometimes. 7) Description. I usually dislike it. But I guess it can depend on the way the description is done. If it's done in a non-monotonous tone, I can enjoy it - especially since the background is often important for knowing what is happening. Description can be done well, especially if the tone matched the feeling we are supposed to get from the scenery. Usually, I don't care much about what the characters are wearing. 8) Series vs standalone. Greatly depends on the book. Usually series, but series is far easier to mess up, especially with the middle books. Staying with the characters I know and love already does give me some comfort, and that is why series are dear to me. I do sometimes get bored and not finish them, and then I have to re-read them completely because I forgot what happened. That's irritating. 9) Single vs multiple POV. Usually single. Multiple POV can really make me overly confused, tho I do enjoy some aspects of multiple POV as well, mainly the fact that we can see the situation from many angles and can be at more places. 10) Strong beginning vs middle vs finish. Honestly, I don't have a preference on this. I do care least about the middle, and strong beginning is something I need to even get me INTO the story. Strong finish does make a great impact, and rushed ending can make me greatly disappointed.
1. 3rd person 2. Trade paper, hardback, audio, ebook 3. Yes, break'em 4. Both but...lol...Character...but a nice easy plot like in a thriller is great between heavy Character driven books. 5. Yes yes yes I love really good prose (which i learned about through you) but for a palate cleanser, easy writing is ok. 6. Limited introspection (i really felt this in Rebecca) 7. Prefer friendships because I'm picky on my romances and it's hard to find one I really like. 8. I like good description but not overdone. I like being able to "see" the scene and good desc helps me. 9. Standalone, but short series (minus Sanderson lol) 10. Multi pov but I'm ok with either 11. Definitely strong finish, then strong start.
My preferences: - Perspective: 3rd person - Format: Audiobooks... (I don't really read, I mostly listen, while working...) - Character vs plot: Character - Prose: I like it when it's either fun(eg. Expeditionary Force) or important detail presented artistically(eg. Stormlight Archive), I hate it when it's used to slow down time in the book, (eg. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars) - Character introspection: I don't have a problem with that. - Relationships: I like deep relationships, unless... unless it's a type that defies nature... (That's when I stop caring about what happens to the characters and return the book...) - Lot of description: Yes please! I wanna know how everything works, I'm an engineer, it's fascinating... :D - Standalone or series: Long series... - Single/multiple POV: Multiple! I really like how Sanderson wrote the same story at the beginning of each Stormlight book, from multiple POV. - Strong start/middle/finish: ALL :D
0:48 third person limited. 3:33 I prefer floppy paperbacks also. Sleeves and sturdy books that I have to keep open with full bicep strength are my pet peeve. 7:28 Character focused all the way, but I do need some kind of 'direction' for the story. 9:22 Not too poetic and flowery, but I do appreciate a well-written metaphor or analogy. 13:24 Minimal introspection. 14:59 Platonic, but I can appreciate a romance that is written as part of the plot and not a distraction from it. 16:15 I really like description that does multiple things: "Her red blouse caught on one of the branches of the dense forest. She yanked herself free and sprinted through a bush, leaving one of her black loafers -- passed on from her grandma -- to be swallowed by quicksand." That may have been a really bad example, but it basically combines setting description with clothes description and sentiment in a few short sentences without halting the action. I don't like it when an author stops to describe every single element separately, especially if most of the details described aren't even relevant to the scene. 18:28 Series for fantasy and sci-fi, otherwise stand-alones. 19:38 Multiple POV 20:16 I think a strong middle is most important for me because this is usually where most stories fall flat I think. I remember reading a book (Looking for Alaska) where I got hooked by the middle and the beginning only clicked once I read the end. Seeing is done that way completely changed my preference. I call it the Re-Hook. John Green is very good at it.
For the rest of the questions: 2. Hmm... Hardcover, MM, paperback, ebook, audio. But not strong preferences! It's nice to have options! 😆 Stiff UK spines. 3. I'm a plot girl. BUT a plot-driven book with strong characters!! 🤩 4. Yes!! I notice patterns and repetitions and it's distracting! Especially if it's a phrase that stands out as unique or interesting the first time. I'm pretty tolerant of flowery prose as long as it feels intelligent, if that makes sense? And lengthy descriptions... Tolkien can get away with too much detail, as can Victor Hugo. But a random cozy mystery author? Probably not. 5. Totally depends on the writing skill, I think. 6. Well done platonic relationships are so much more relatable! After all, most of us are only in one romantic relationship at a time, but friendships... 7. I have a soft spot for books that get into detail about certain aspects of the setting or unique plot elements. For instance, a book that delves into the medical properties of plants instead of just telling us the character is an herbalist. 😍 I read a Nora Roberts book at the behest of my sister, and I can't remember a thing about the plot, but I remember that the main character trained search and rescue dogs and THOSE parts were super interesting!! 7. Same! 8. If there are multiple povs, I just really need the author to make it obvious who is "talking." 9. Finish! Same! And this is such a fun tag idea. Awesome way to get people interacting in comments!
Part 1 of my answers: 1. I choose Third person for the fact that an omniscient narrator can suddenly become a First Person narrator for ANY of the characters in the story. It may be in 3rd person grammatically, but these narrators can explain what's happening in a scene by suddenly "becoming" the main character's thoughts (or any other character's). It's something that happens A LOT in stories and most people don't realize it. A 3rd person omniscient narrator can change from a 3rd person "knows-everything" point of view, to suddenly be the protagonist's (restricted) view by showing what the situation makes them think and realize. It happens a lot in Harry Potter, sometimes the narrator is omniscient when describing a scene or background, but then it switches to Harry's POV without actually changing to 1st Person grammatically. The 3rd person narrator leaves much more freedom and possibilities for narrating a story, it can change from omniscient to restricted very naturally so as to keep things consistent and not revealing too much to the reader. If you choose 1st person, then there's immediately absolute restriction to the story's POV, and the chances of the POV changing to another character's (without the protagonist being there) are very slim. 2. I can't "hear" a book with audio, I just can't. When I read a book, I imagine the narrator's and characters' voices in the way I would like them to sound. Suddenly hearing what's supposed to be a little girl character with the voice of a 50 year old man completely breaks the immersion for me. Voice narrators also put their own tones during narration when it comes to giving an atmosphere for a scene, whether is suspenseful or dramatic, but voice-acting and narrating is kinda like art: It's subjective. What the narrator thinks sounds "suspenseful" to them, may actually come out as goofy or exaggerated to me. It ruins the mood. Now in the case of Hardback or Paperback I don't really care. Of course if a had both options I would most likely choose Paperback for being cheaper, but when Hardback is the only option available in the store then I would buy it either way. Both paper and hard covers are on the same pedestal for me. About e-books... I enjoy them just fine, they really are like reading a regular book, but the fact that they are basically a bunch of codes, it means that when the technology dies, so does the book, and it can never return. If I really like a book or series, I want to have them in physical form, a form that will last a very long time. And even if it deteriorates, the text would still be legible. That's impossible with e-books: If the electronic device dies, so do its e-books. 3. I can't get into any sort of story unless the characters are interesting. It's my personal preference, I need to care for the characters (especially the protagonist) if you want to get me invested in a story. If a story has an interesting plot, but the characters are annoying and/or bland, then there's no way I'll get into it. 4. I don't get what's the problem with prose. Prose is the most used form of literature nowadays, and it gives a more natural feel to a story. I can't read a story when it's written like a poem with a metrical structure, that's distracting and VERY HARD to understand what it's trying to say. So many classics from centuries ago are written in metrical structures, and I can't stand them, it feels unnatural. Stories written like poems feel like they're trying too hard to look sophisticated, instead of actually telling a good story. There's nothing wrong with prose, what's important is to know how to write it well. If you think prose is the reason some authors write very badly then you have to stop blaming their decisions on one single medium. There's good prose and there's bad prose, that's it. 5. Same as Merphy here. It depends. A character can be too introspective, and others can be not introspective enough. The author has to use what's necessary for what they're trying to achieve.
Ok. 1. I like 3rd person best as well. Total agreement with you here 2. I like paperbacks, mass-market paperbacks, and hardbacks about equally when it comes to novels. However, when it comes to nonfiction books I usually like hardback. I have found a lot of success with audiobooks when I’m busy and can’t read unless I’m driving or working. I’ve never used an ebook 3. I like plot based best, I think 4. I think we are again in agreement here. But I haven’t thought about it much. I like the way Michael Crichton writes. 5. I honestly had never thought about this. I think I like less introspection 6. I want a nice mix of both. 7. Again, Crichton is my go-to. I want to be able to picture what’s going on in my head, but sometimes it’s over the top and I don’t like that. 8. Very much depends on my mood. 9. I like it when things flip around better, I think 10. Ends are best. I rank end, start, middle. I can slog through a dull middle if I liked the beginning and I will love it if it ends great
Perspective: Third person Format: trade paperback for the win! (the ones that are hardback size) 1. Trade Paperback 2. Hardback 3. ebook & audiobook 4. mass market paperback Plot: Plot-based, but I do still need to like the characters Prose: I like a little prosey-prose but you're going to lose me if it takes over and buries the plot. Introspective: I love a self-aware character! Relationships: Honest, sensibly paced. Romantic or not doesn't matter so much. Description: Give me what I need when I need it ad make it interesting to read, otherwise no thanks. Don't use description to bump the word count. Standalone vs. Series: Standalone to try a new author, series once I find one I like. POV: 1-3 is usually fine with me, 4+ approaches being too many depending on how well it's done, 6+ is too many no matter who wrote it. Strong Start, Middle or Finish: All? All. All is good. (But if I have to pick, a weak start will make me consider DNFing.)
Perspective: (very specifically) alternating, subjective third person limited Format: it depends. Some stories were meant to be read, some were meant to be heard. I think ebooks are most comfortable for reading in bed; paperback for when I want to annotate the book. Audiobook when I LOVE the audiobook narrator. And I love audiobook for re-reading books. Focus: my ultimate philosophy is this - a book can have an amazingly explosive plot, but it ultimately means nothing if I don't care about the characters. I need to love the characters and want to see them survive and succeed in order for a giant plot to actually mean anything. Character focus, but also the plot to go with it. Prose: I LOVE beautiful prose, but it's not my default. As long as an author uses proper grammar, I don't notice a lack of beautiful prose. Introspection: I like a balance. It should serve as character development and such, but I don't like it when an author uses introspection as an excuse to jus "tell" and not "show" the audience about the characters' personality and past. Relationships: both as long as they're not cliched and actually make sense. Bonus points for enemies-to-lovers Descriptions: I like lots of descriptions but with a purpose. Creating an ambiance, tone, making the world feel lived in, etc. are great. I don't need to know about the town's sewer system unless the characters are living there. Series: Series, please. But there is something really beautiful about being able to tell a compelling story that rips your heart out and all the while you're reading you know this book is IT. POV: Alternating POV. I like it to be limited to one character at a time but alternate which character we're limited to. Strong Finish: a book can open up weakly but still have a great end. It can all come together, the puzzle pieces can all be set perfectly by the end even though they seemed messy at the beginning.
1. Perspective - I think I prefer first person. I really like third person limited as well. Either or. I like to write in first person a lot more than I like to write in third person limited, though. 2. Format - hardback, e-book, audio book 3. Character focused. 4. I've actually never really thought about prose. I think I would prefer a medium amount, but if I had to choose, probably less. 5. I am okay with super introspective characters, especially when the character talks about other characters and you can see their opinions on those characters and other things. However, too much introspection without coming back up into the real world will annoy me. 6. I love a really good friendship or a really good family dynamic, but, usually, if a book doesn't have romance, I will get really sad about it and may not pick it up. Even if it's just a little bit of romance, I will be satisfied. I want a relationship to root for. That being said, I want more than just the romantic relationship. Friendships and family dynamics are just as important. 7. I like to know a world and a magic system really well, but I don't need an ample amount of description about clothes and buildings. 8. I don't have a preference, but I hate it when there's one point of view that I hate and just have to skim through it. 9. I agree with you. A strong finish is the most important thing, and then a strong start. If the beginning is not strong, I will put it down. I have put down books after the first hundred pages because they just weren't strong. If I'm already halfway through a book and the middle isn't super strong, I will push through it because I have already put so much time into reading it.
Format: 1. e-Reader. So convenient. 2. Trade Paperback. "Floppy" but still big and easy to read. 3. Hardcover. Still can prop it up in my lap and read but less maneuverable. 4. Mass market paperback. Try to avoid at all costs. Too small. 5. Audiobook. I can't listen to a book. I have to read it in my head voice, or it just won't stick.
1. Perspective: No real preference, mostly depends on the book. First person can be fantastic as it lets you really get to know and feel for a character which is necessary for some stories (NotW, for example), but I feel like it's riskier than third person to pull off. 2. Format: Paperback > Hardback > Ebook > Audiobook > Mass Market (I hate mass markets). I encounter the same issue where I often miss things in audiobooks because I'll start thinking about something else and stop paying attention, so I can't usually read fantasy books I haven't read before in audio, but I do love the convenience, and find it helps me get through slower books or ones I think I'd get bored with if I was reading in print. 3. Character or Plot: Character, all the way. I can love a book with great characters but mediocre plot, but I almost never feel attached to books with a great plot but mediocre characters. 4. Prose: Don't usually care about it unless particularly bad or particularly good. 5. Introspection: I like it but it needs to be balanced with other things, it can't be all you ever get from that character. 6. Relationships: Platonic, 100%. I don't care a whole lot about romance, but platonic relationships WILL make or break a story for me. A book that doesn't have solid interesting platonic relationships will almost certainly not be a favourite. Found family is my absolute favourite trope. 7. Description: Depends heavily on the author, but I tend to not like over-describing. 8. Standalones or series: I don't have much of a preference. I appreciate that a good standalone can tell a complete story in one book, and I like that you never have to worry about it getting ruined for you by later entries that may not be as good. But, I like that series allow you explore much larger scale stories and spend more time with certain characters and worlds. 9. POV: Again no preference, it depends mostly on the story. Single POV runs the risk of ruining a book if you don't like the character you are following, but multiple POV runs the risk off being too confusing, and some of the characters blending together and not having distinct voices. 10. Beginning vs Middle vs End: For me, strong ending > strong middle > strong beginning. Execution of the ending is often what governs my lasting impressions of a book (since it's what I usually remember most). Having a strong ending is much more likely to make me want to continue a series as well, even if i thought the beginning and middle were weaker (Rage of Dragons is a great example of this for me). Middle is next because if the middle is boring, I'll be less inclined to continue to pick the book up and it can take me ages to finish (or I just never do). After the ending, how well the middle was done is what most determines my overall feelings towards a book. Weak or slower beginnings I can easily forgive - especially in fantasy books. It often takes a while to set up the world, plot and characters and so even if a beginning is slow I can usually push through knowing things will likely eventually pick up.
Favorite Perspective: 3rd, limited Format: Physical Book (Floppy over hard for ease of holding), Audio, E-book Character vs plot: Really depends on the story, but I think I tend to enjoy the more character driven stories more. Prose: I... have never actually thought about this and the only thing I can think is that I love a good, weird simile. Some of my favorite recently read prose has been Martha Wells in the Murderbot books and Tamsyn Muir in the Locked Tomb books Introspection: Depends on the story, but I tend to like when the introspection is limited and peppered around the whole book. Relationships: Yes, please. Romantic, friendships, friemeies, ememies, familial... don't care, I will take them all, as long as they are interesting, well developed and make me feel things. Descriptions: I like having enough to get my brain heading in the right direction so that I can fill in the rest on my own. I do not need 16 pages describing trees and rocks and sand down to the cell struture. Standalone or Series: Series, expecially when there are characters I love. POV: Multiple POV The Sections ranked: Strong finish, strong start, strong middle
My preferences: • I like both perspectives, it really depends on the book. • I think paperbacks are easier to hold and read (and carry). When I hold a paperback I feel more emersed almost than hardbacks. Than I like hardbacks, than e-books and lastly audiobooks. • Character focused books too! I feel like even if the world is super cool and interesting if I don't care about the characters, the book feels like it's missing something. •Yes! I care about prose a lot. I like it to feel intentional too! When I notice that the author repeats a word over and over everytime I see it I get pulled out of the story. •Again, to me introspection depends on the book. Usually in fantasy books I don't love it, but if it's an evil or morally complex character I love getting to see the depths of their mind. • I love both relationships. But nothing gets me more attached than a strong friend group or family too! However I do think I love reading about romantic and platonic equally. • I like descriptions, but too flowery makes me loose interest more easily. I like to be able to form a clear image of the setting and the tone as well! • I prefer standalones, even though I mostly read series, I just love when a story comes to an end beautifully, and that happens faster in standalones. • Multiple POVs! I love getting more than one line of the story, especially in fantasy books. It makes the world feel broader. •I like a strong finish, because when the ending sucks it feels like reading the book was a waste. Than comes the middle and than the start. I don't mind things escalating slowly. This was way too long, sorry Merph! Loved the video ❤️
For description, the more detail the better. I love all the nitty gritty, appendices, maps...everything, LOtR, death gate cycle, anything by Isaac Asimov etc
Perspective - 3rd person. Although I've actually read a couple of books that are mixed 3rd person and 1st that I really enjoyed because the change switched it up and gave a different view of the world. Format - 1. Big paperbacks yes!! 2. EBook 3. Audiobook for my fav. books Character vs. Plot - I want both but love having plot ease off for a while to focus on character development or have a book or two in a series focus on character with "filler" books. Prose - I love beautiful and detailed prose. Tolkien, Jordan and Sanderson are my heroes. Also Scott Lynch is a god. I like introspection and being in characters heads - if its a good character who's going through a lot. I love characters who think philosophically and can make me think. Relationship - BROMANCE ALL THE WAY. Healthy romances are also great. 5-man bands who are like families. Description - yeah Robert Jordan fan here. Describe and info dump away. Series - I love a world I want to stay in it. Give me more. POV - multiple POVs. It just builds the world so much more. Strong start - if a book doesn't grab me in the first 10 pages I find it really hard to continue. Also I've found I dont mind weak endings that dont tie up all loose ends because then I can finish stories/plotlines in my head.
I totally get your feelings on stand-alones. It feels so good to finish a stand-alone(and there’s less post-book depression). I also think there’s a definite skill required to contain a thorough story with intricate themes in one book rather than a giant epic.
1. Perspective - 1st or 3rd, depends what type of book it is. For example it tends to be with urban fantasy I prefer 1st person, with YA/children's I prefer 3rd. So long as it's well-written I don't pay much attention. 2. Format - e-book (I find them easier to read on screen, you can also search them and access them anywhere) and then audiobook. I can be picky about what types of books and narrators I like to listen to, so those I love I would rather have the audiobook but for the majority I go for ebook. 3. Character focused but I still need a decent plot 4. I don't care about prose unless it's really bad or really good 5. Small amount of introspection is great (especially if there's trauma or a hero is uncertain they can complete their quest etc) but I don't like too much or if it feels too direct because that doesn't seem realistic - sometimes the smallest actions can show a character's state of mind without the need for paragraphs of internal monologue. 6. Relationships - I like romance but I also just like good banter, some tension, a sweet moment or two - if this comes from romance or a found family, I'm happy either way. My problem comes if my expectations don't match what I get from the book - if I think there will be a romance and there isn't or an author gives us a romance but it comes out of nowhere. 7. Description - I need to be able to picture important parts but too much description and I will skip over it. 8. Series or standalone - no preference so long as I'm satisfied by the story. Sometimes standalone is better written and doesn't drag on for too long like a series can but if I like a world then I'll usually want a series. If I have to pick then I'll go series. 9. POV depends what type of book, although I don't think I'd like multiple POV for 1st person narrative - does that even exist? Quick urban fantasy I prefer single POV, epic fantasy then I love multiple POV but not too many. 10. If it doesn't have a strong beginning or middle then I might DNF but I guess I would have to pick strong ending because I'm invested by that point and a bad ending is the worst
Perspective: Third Person Omniscient Format: really all over the place... for different reasons Plot Focused Prose? Less flowery, but I like extra info. Introspective? Not necessarily either way, but mainly to give the reasons for certain decisions. Relationships: Platonic Description: characters tons, clothing only if it matters to the author, especially if they expect a movie adaptation. Environment: especially for the unique locations... I don't care about lots of details about commonplace things. Standalone/Series: Series POV: Multiple Strong part: finish
1. I don't really have a strong preference on perspectives, but if I have to choose I'd pick third person. 2. Audiobooks! hands down! audiobook > paperback > ebook > hardback. In the past few years I can't focus on physically reading. I always have to do something with my hands to be able to concentrate and audiobooks grant me that. 3. I like plot focused books more. 4. I'm more in the middle I guess. 5. I don't want my characters to be too introspective. 6. I really don't care about romance anymore. I typically don't reach out for romance centric books anymore because of it. I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to. 7. If it's too info dumpy I don't want it 8. I prefer series, but I do love a good story wrapped up nicely in one book. 9. Multiple POVs 10. A strong finish to make trudging through a rough start and middle worth it. When you start off with a banging start there's nowhere else to go but down
My preferences 1. 1st person (Third person sometimes feels to distant.) 2. E-reader, hardback, audio, paperback (My kindle influenced my decision) 3. Character focused stories (The plot can be a simple get to point b, but if the characters are complex, I will be there for the ride.) 4. Don't care for prose. (They can write like Dr. Suess as long as the story is good) 5.i have a limit as well but only in extremes. (Introspection is good, but if a character is depressed or overly happy, it becomes annoying) 6. Platonic please. I've grown tired of everything having to be romantic. (Maybe because I'm jaded, but I want more best friends and enemies to friends relationships over romance ones) 7. Keep it simple for descriptions, unless it's for atmosphere and tension. (I will skip descriptions if I think they are too much) 8. Series. (I want to stay with the characters I just followed for how many pages now) 9. It's a case by case for pov for me. (No preference, some stories need more than one pov and others only need one.) 10. Strong middle, end, start. ( a good premise will get me past the bad start, it's the middle that keeps me.)
1- 3rd person limited 2- hardcover for most fantasy, paperback for romance and literary fiction, but pls never mass market paperbacks. I absolutely love audiobooks no matter what though 3- I think I’m more of a plot reader? I easily get attached to most characters no matter what but I need a solid plot to do so 4- I don’t really care if the plot is tight and fast, but I’ll read a book with indulgent prose without plot or characters if it has a great atmosphere 5- introspection doesn’t bother me 6- I love both platonic and romantic relationships in books but usually lean more towards romance 7- love love love descriptive books. Clothing, environment, all of it 8- I love both standalones and series. Series I enjoy how much time we spend in the world but sometimes it’s hard when a new book comes out and you feel like you have to reread all the previous books before the new one 9- multiple POVs 10- strong finish definitely. The ending can totally make the entire book for me. Books have gone up from 3 to 4 or 4 to 5 stars with good endings
1) Third. 2) Any paper, then audiobooks, then ebooks. 3) Always plot. I don't care much about characters. 4) It has to be simple and with purpose. It may be dry as a desert as long as it does the job. 5) I don't usually mind staying inside character's head if the inner monologue serves a purpose of driving the plot and ideas. 6) Absolutely no kind of romance is allowed for me to fully enjoy a book. If I wanted a romance, I would buy a romance. 7) If it serves a purpose of properly explaining the need-to-know of a world then yes, I'm ok with pages and pages of descriptions. 8) Standalones. I want to read about different things, stories and ideas. 9) Whatever as long as it isn't switching too often that it's confusing and hard to keep track of. 10) A bad ending can make me mad. If I made it to that point it has to be good.
Here are my own answers: 1. I've had very mixed feelings about perspective but as I'm reading Dracula by Bram Stoker, I realise that I do appreciate reading how different characters are feeling, it gives such varying viewpoints of the same story, really widening the perspective. 2. I love hardback books for quite shallow reasons: I have found that they keep in better condition and they look so amazing on my shelves. I am very artistic so aesthetics are important to me, I love seeing the beautiful hardback books in my bookcases. I don't like paperbacks as much because mine tend to get damaged quickly (especially the spine, I often get pages fall out!) I equally love audiobooks because they sometimes help me get into a book that I couldn't read via the physical book and they allow me to read while I'm out walking/cleaning/washing up etc. I don't comprehend as well as with an actual physical book but if I really love the audiobook then I go out and get the physical book for a great, thorough re read. 3. I have to say that I do prefer that a book is both character and plot focused. I think that creates the best books. But most of all I like depth in these two things. 4. Prose is so important to me. I used to write poetry and so I love words (I'm quite the wordsmith). Prose really captures me. I love 'flowery' poetry style prose but it should be short. A page of one small tiny detail feels too much like babbling (many male Victorian authors were guilty of this). I do like an author to get to the point. One sentence perfectly worded is more than enough for e.g. describing the sunset. I love Neil Gaiman's and Charlotte Bronte's prose. 5. I do love descriptions but I don't want them to be too long as again it can feel unrealistic and can get too far into waffling territory. The worst is Victor Hugo who can spend up to 50 pages to get to the point (e.g. non stop descriptions of Parisian architecture in the Hunchback of Notre Dame novel) and also Charles Dickens books. 6. I prefer standalones as right now I am a slow reader (I never used to be) and a series could take me so many months to get through. 7. I'm a very deep person, depth is so important for me and I feel that a multiple POV gives so much more depth to the story. 8. Ideally I would prefer a strong start and finish but if I had to choose I would say a strong start. Without a strong start it is hard to be motivated to read a book. A great example of this is Dracula by Bram Stoker. I tried to read the physical book but the start of the book was not drawing me into the story so it wasn't long before I gave up, thinking that the rest of the book would go along the same way. But I thought I would just listen to a few chapters on an audiobook via Librivox. I am now on chapter 12 and absolutely loving it.
1. Generally prefer 3rd person. 2. Not a strong preference between paperback and hardcover as a rule. Definitely prefer physical books to audio-books; I retain more reading than listening. Haven't really tried e-books. 3. Characters or plot? I care about theme above all, prose after that. I guess, I prefer characters over plot, but place those concerns after theme and prose. 4. I love great prose. It can really elevate a work. 5. Amen. There's a balance. 6. Also prefer platonic relationships. 7. I'm not a very visual reader. I love beautiful prose, but it does more good to me describing ideas, feelings, etc. - not the physical environs. 8. I prefer standalones, hands down. Lower barrier to entry. Doesn't monopolize my time - especially because I'm a completionist. There's so much else to read! 9. I enjoy shifting POVs - though it's certainly not a requirement 10. In order of decreasing preference: Strong middle, strong finish, strong start
My preference: 1. Third person definitely. Have read some series where I tolerated it because the story was good enough, but it always takes me out, because I often don’t agree with the person who’s head we are in. 2. Hard coverts and paperbacks - physical books are equally good and preferred (paperbacks are easier for travel). Audiobooks- I haven’t gone through an audiobook I liked. Don’t know whether it is the books or the medium. Some books I would definitely only read (e.g. Pratchett where reflecting on what one just read is precious). Have never read an e-book. 3. As long one of them is good and the other isn’t terrible. I would even venture to say, that the mood and the messages (or what it says about our world) in the books are even more important to me than the plot and characters. 4. Prose can give an interesting experience. Some needs getting used to, but it usually just gives a certain flavor to a story. Bad prose is a killer. Repetition can be annoying but also intentional- so if an author uses it for something, it is ok. 5. Introspection - depends. I hate having to wallowing in one persons own personhood, especially when that character isn’t able to remove themself at any time and think about how other people are. 6. Platonic relationships, preferably. One can do so much more with them that isn’t annoying than with a romance. Sometimes romances just seem shoehorned in and those a really annoying. 7. Descriptions - if you can do the same with less, then I respect your writing more. One can also go wrong with descriptions- if they e.g. are very repetitive or off (contradictory or feels cliche/flat) 8. I have no preference to whether it should be a series or stand alone. Both are good. Hangovers are real though. 9. Prefer multiple POV, but single POV are fine as well. 10. Ending-start-middle as you. I don’t quit, and a good ending can remediate a bad start and middle.
1) My favorite preference if 3rd person limited as-well 2) I like all mediums but I tend to retain Physical copies the best, so more thank likely the order would be: 1) Hardcover 2) Paperback 3) Audio 4) Mass Market 5) E-books. 3) I prefer a character driven story because I want to know how the plot affects the character and person. Like it is not against the idea of plot driven books but I want to be able to feel and attempt to relate to the characters, causing a self-examination of myself in some ways and change perspectives. 4) I still have trouble deciphering prose and no prose because, I get so invested in the story that (unless something completely out of the blue happens) I blur the lines. I enjoy intense prose depending on the author if that makes sense. 5) 60/40 leaning more towards introspective. It allows me to see and understand people on a different levels. 6) I am a person who doesn't invest in a book for relationships but if they are in there I will following them. So could care less but still intrigues me if structured well. 7) I like description but there is a limit. Like I enjoy immersion but I would love some ambiguity so if can imagine certain points to my degree. But that is probably the creative in me that wants to fuse me and the author together a bit. 8) No Preference because both are great. 9) Multiple POV when it changes every x amount of chapters 10) It's a tie between Strong Start and Strong Finish. I like slow starts and cliffhangers...however, if the beginning is very bland and flavorless only to have the end be called out in the beginning (I.E. Scarlet Letter to some degree because I actually enjoy the book but the predictability of the book drew me out for 90% of the book 'til the woods section near the end).
Ok, so here goes a very very long comment; - Perspective: First person past omnipotent. Hum. So. Let me explain. The best example would probably be The name of the wind; a character is telling a story, but already knows where it will go, and comments on it (when I remembered that later ... I wish I had known ... etc.), sometimes even goes into third person as an observer looking at their life. It gives me that cozy feeling (even if the story is far from cozy) of listening to a stranger sitting by a fireplace on a winter night. I also love when a first person narrator tells a third person story in the same way (Brothers Karamazov does it masterfully). And I cannot stand first person in present tense. I have already put books down because of that. - Format: 1. Hardback - feels luxurious, is durable. Costs a lot more, but is worth it. 2. Paperback - whichever one. It gets ruined pretty quickly, but is pretty cheap. The format I own the most books in. 3. Audiobook - I started listening to them just recently, but like them. Good when you're too busy to read or are driving. 4. E-book - somehow, I just cannot read e-books. I need to smell my reading material. ssssmmmmeeelllllll - Character vs plot: I had a hard time deciding about that one. At the end, my choice is not really something I prefer, but what bugs me more when done badly. And the answer is plot. I can forgive weaker characters, but a weak plot ... meh. Not meaning it has to be fast-paced (please let it be slow paced) or traditionally structured. Or even structured. But if it's rushed, or predictable, or takes weird turns and skips over the wrong stuff ... meh. - Prose: YES Give me flowery descriptions. Give me metaphors. Give me poetry. The city of dreaming books. The slow regard of silent things. Ivan Cankar. GIVE IT TO ME. - Introspective: very? I mean, I adore Dostoevsky. - Relationships: Platonic all the way. One of my friends cannot believe that I don't care about ships at all. But, just, I don't. But thinking what characters would get along? Having them finally meet? Reading of strong friendships? Having those friendships develop? YES. Even in the romantic relationships I prefer the friendship-like ones. -Description: The atmosphere. I often have hard time imagining things if they are described in too much detail (looking at you, WOT) or not at all. But if the atmosphere is strong enough to make me step into the world, that book will probably be one of my favorites. Name of the wind is perfect perfect perfect in doing just that. - Standalones/series: I guess series. Standalones oftentimes feel like they were too short to tell all they wanted to tell. Ironically, my favorite book, The city of dreaming books, is a standalone. - POV: So, this is a bit strange due to my previously stated preference for first person, but I just love multiple POV. I love getting to know and really understand lots and lots and lots ... and lots of characters with different ideals, morals, goals, and getting to see how other characters see those characters ... (thank god for auto correct since I never spell charachters right) - One strong part: Finish.
1. Third person but I like second a lot when it's used. 2. Paperbacks generally but hardcover for display 3. Character but there still needs to be plot to interest me 4. Yes, if I connect with the writing style, I connect with the book. 5. Absolutely! 6. Platonic relationships, definitely. But I do really enjoy friends-to-lovers and enemies to lovers (done well!). 7. Depends on how interesting the author writes it 8. Series, but I love a good standalone. 9. I'm ok with both TBH, but I think multiple? 10. All three haha
"Which perspective is your favourite?" Third person all the way, although I do not mind first och second person. "Which format is your favourite?" Probably hardback, because I like the feeling of it. Then paperback, e-book and lastly audiobook, because I simply can't listen to somebody reading; I WILL fall asleep or at the very least lose my concentration. "Do you prefer a character or plot focused book?" Definitely a character focused book, since I am in love with human psychology in general and find it very interesting to see how far people will develop their characters and see if the choices they make are logical or plot-driven. "Do you care about prose?" Yes, although I'm not sure what my preference is. "How introspective do you want your characters to be?" I really enjoy diving into a character's head, but at the same time I agree with you that there is a limit to how much time you can spend in there. "How do you like your relationships?" Toxic and unhealthy. ... I honestly wish I was joking, but that seems to be my preference when it comes to romantic relationships, and sometimes friendship as well. Obviously, there is a limit there as well, but for some reason I love to read relationships like this, probably because they are more interesting to me, as long as it's clear that the author also thinks they are unhealthy. As for friendships... loyalty is great, and honesty is a must. I also prefer platonic relationships, since I often find romantic ones boring (unless it's the above). "Do you like a lot of description?" No. I don't mind it then and again, but if it takes several long paragraphs to describe how a certain character looks or go into really tiny details about the environment (atmosphere is another thing entirely), I will always skip it. "Do you prefer standalones or a series?" Series, because I feel I get more attached to the world and its characters when it has more time to evolve over the course of several books. "Single POV or multiple POV?" If done well and as long as they don't switch POV in the middle of the chapter, I prefer multiple POV. "Do you prefer a strong start, middle or finish?" If I had to choose one... probably finish. If I finish something with a weak finish I won't remember it as well.
1. Probably 3rd person omniscient. I like knowing things from one character that another doesn’t know as they are trying to figure it out. 2. Ebook to read...can’t remember the last physical book I read. The e-ink on my paperwhite is perfect and I just love how I can take it anywhere with me and have tons of books with me. I definitely like the feature of being able to switch between my kindle, phone and iPad if I buy the book from Amazon because I some times forget the kindle. Close 2nd is Audio book. I have a long commute twice a day plus driving kids to activities. Audio books keep me awake behind the wheel and make the driving not so bad. 3. I’m leaning towards Characters because I just love when I finish a book and miss the characters, like when I feel like I knew them. The Dragons of Pern - Harper halls books were like this for me. I loved Masterharper Robinton and Menolly so much and was so sad when they were no longer in the books. 4. Don’t care about Prose...and super flowery Prose bugs me too. Strange the Dreamer was so interesting and mysterious to me that I didn’t mind and didn’t really notice it being Flowery, but Shatter Me....O.M.G.!! It was awful! 5. Introspective Characters...hmm...not too much please. I recently read Midnight Sun and I came away with “Edward thinks too much”. Feeling that way about Kaladin a bit in ROW.... 6. Platonic, but a little romance or flirting isn’t bad. I just really don’t need sex scenes every other page... 7. A lot of descriptions...no. Give me the general idea and move on. I struggled with LOTR because of this...I prefer dialogue and ended up skimming much of the descriptions in my first read through to the point where when I saw the movies I thought they made a bunch of it up...then I read more carefully after seeing the movies and, I missed a lot but ugh...so much descriptions! Give me dialogue and action please! To the point when I had choices of books in H.S. AP English I chose a lot of plays. 8. Series vs. stand-alone - both...if it is a good series, please continue it! Dragons of Pern is many books and they are great! I read a series called The Gender Games that went on about 3 books too far. BUT I love a great Michael Crichton stand-alone! 9. Multiple POV please! I like getting in everyone’s heads! 10. This is tough because I need a strong start to keep me reading and hook me in, BUT I do not enjoy a disappointing ending either. Divergent! AWESOME, Insurgent...Great! Allegiant? Are you kidding me??? 3rd book of the Maze Runner series was disappointing too.
First of all, you got me back into reading! I haven't read so much since before I went to college. I just settled onto my favorite books and stopped devouring new ones. But now I have a list of recommendations and a new reading chair, and it's been amazing! 1. Audiobooks - I'm an artist and it's wonderful to have a book read to me while I work. 2. Hardcover. There's something so nice about a polished hardcover book 3. Paperback 4. Ebook - Even though it's my least favorite, I mostly read ebooks from the online library. I prefer to only own my favorites, then I can splurge on fancy copies!
Here are my preferences: 1. I love both 1st and 3rd person. I’ve never read 2nd person before. 2. I prefer paperbacks because they’re cheaper. Hardbacks are more expensive, but tend to be prettier and amazing weapons. 3. A balance of both. I can’t read a book with engaging characters if it has a lack of a solid plot and I can’t read a book with an engaging plot if it has extremely bland/boring/annoying characters. 4. I care about the prose because I can’t read a book that doesn’t have good writing. It’s an instant turn-off for me. 5. Don’t really have a preference. 6. I love a well developed romance that is a healthy relationship, but I also really love a good platonic relationship. 7. I like necessary descriptions but am indifferent to in-detail descriptions because they’re also pretty great. 8. I prefer series over stand-alones but, I would read anything as long as there’s good writing, well-developed characters and a solid plot. 9. Don’t have a preference. Both are equally engaging. 10. A strong middle
1) third person 2) I like hardbacks more, but paperbacks are easier to carry around😂 3) CHARACTERS! If I don’t get attached to the characters I don’t enjoy the book as much as I would like (but I am also a selfish reader so if I can get both I am much more satisfied) 4) I hate flowery prose (I really did not like strange the dreamer), but also I don’t want the sentences to be super simple 5) I like being in a character’s mind, but just like you at some point I need a break 6) I actually love both platonic and romantic relationships... and even if I am reading a fantasy I enjoy it much more if there is at least one well written romantic relationship, but I hate when two people end up together just for the sake of it 7) Give me the right amount of descriptions about the buildings, environment, magic system , but please do not describe every single item of clothing 8) I much prefer series. I love beign with the same characters for longer periods of time 9) multiple povs 10) strong ending (then beginning and then middle). The book could be a masterpiece, but if the ending is rushed or underwhelming it will ruin the whole experience for me
Here's mine. - Third person. (Though I am fine with first person.) - I LOVE FLOPPY PAPERBACKS. I also like hardcovers. Normal paperbacks come after the creases in the spine bug me just a tad bit. Mass market paperbacks come after. Audiobooks. Ebooks. - I like when both are considered. I can't choose between them. Ughhhh. I guess characters. I love crying. - I need a small amount of prose. If the description is too long I will just skim over it, not actually read it. - I agree with Merphy. - I love certain romances, but I hate when violence is romanticized. I appreciate a good friendship. - I like when there is enough explanation to the point where I understand it, but I still like it when there is an amount of intrigue. I don't want to know everything, I want to go along with the character, rather than always knowing something the main character doesn't. - I enjoy series more, but, too many books is tiring. The plot could be AMAZING, but sometimes I just need a change. - I don't really care, but sometimes it is refreshing when there is another person telling the story. - A good, finish, start, then middle. But, I still want a good middle because I notice that I really need a strong middle to get through the book. I might DNF it if it doesn't grab onto me the whole ride through.
Preferences: 3rd person (limited or omniscient). Hard back, paper back, mass market paper back, ebook, audiobook. I like a balance between plot and character driven stories. If it is too much of one or the other, I usually don’t like it. I love beautiful prose! There are very few authors who I consider too flowery. There is no such thing as too much introspection. I love platonic relationships, and romances done right. Too many romance stories are unrealistic. I like description. A lot. I love stand alones and series... Hmm... I just love it all. I don’t care about POV. I like both. I need a strong middle and a strong end. Ugh! I hate choosing. I will go with middle as most important since it comprises most of the book. Side note: Nice pants! They looked comfy.
Here are my answers: - I can enjoy either 1st or 3rd person, depending on the story. - Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook - Character-focused; I enjoy both, but plot-focused books can sometimes feel too formulaic for my taste. - I preferred balanced prose too. - I prefer introspective characters, but not so much that the introspection slows down the plot for too long. - I prefer romantic relationships over platonic relationships. - I like description, but I want it to be incorporated well into the book, not just given to us in an info dump. - While I love both stand alones and series, I think I’m like you in that I constantly want to read the next book, and series can slow me down on experiencing new stories and book worlds. - I think I prefer multiple POVs. - A strong start and then a strong middle, to draw me into the book and make me want to keep reading
Fav Perspective: Limited 3rd person. Though 1st person is very close when done right, just feel like it's a lot harder to get right. I find that I especially respect multiple 1st person views when done well. Fav Format: Audiobooks by far take 1st place. They let me finish a book in a manageable time frame; something I find hard to do with reading because I read slowly. Then there are paperbacks, e-books & finally hardcovers. Sure they look the best, but for experiencing a story hardcovers are my last option resort. Character Or Plot: I prefer medium characters & a great plot than otherwise, but will choose great characters & a bad plot than the other way around. In reality, I care a lot more about the world & the effect the plot has on it than the plot itself, but I find that they usually come together. Prose: As long as the prose is (are!) good enough to let me get immersed in the story, I'm good. Introspective: I LOVE to get inside a person's head. to see what makes them tick, so I like characters to be very Introspective. A great writer who does this without making you get overwhelmed by the character is Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse, The Singularity Trap). But something I might need to point out is that I talked about 'Introspective' as the character's thinking steps & not their feelings. In terms of feelings, I feel quite similar to you Relationships: I prefer platonic relationships, though I'm not sure why. I just find a lot of romantic relationships uninteresting. Description: The most important thing I need to understand in a story is the characters' logic steps. Without this, I don't find them comparing. Next, I find that the Worldbuilding & Lore specifically are things that I would like to get a good description on, even if in an info-dumpy way. I don't need a good description of the scenery & how things look though since I'm bad at visually imagining things (I can imagine visual stuff, but have little control over what I see in terms of details). I would usually just ignore a lot of details. Sometimes I even makeup details and can't make them go away. Standalones Or Series: Series by a long shot. I'd like to consume as much as I can from the stories I love. I also prefer long-running shows rather than shorter ones & connected universes/series for movies. Single Or Multiple POV: I kinda already answered that at the perspective part, but I much prefer multiple POVs. I don't quite know why, maybe it's because I get less tired of the characters. I also love to see the same scenario/environment from different viewpoints. Strong Start, Middle, Or Ending: For me, a strong start without a strong middle or ending feels like I was clickbaited. Even if the rest of the book is fine, I would read it with too high of an expectation. If one part is strong, but both others are bad I would prefer the good middle, but if both are just ok, then I would go with a good satisfying ending.
Definitely third person! I can handle first if it's past tense. Hardcover, paperback, mass market paperback, audiobook, e-book (but only out of necessity, I prefer tangible books). I prefer both too! But if I have to choose, both. I like prose if it is well done. I have noted those books that you like their prose, and I plan to check them out. Not too introspective. Platonic relationships are my favorite. I think it depends on the book. For faster-paced stories, no. But if it's something like world-building for a book that isn't out to read like a movie, I enjoy the descriptions. Again, depends on the book. I can do either. I know that I tend to lean toward shorter series because the better books tend to be the first few. I can do either POV, but some writers tend to sound the same for multiple characters, so I lean more toward a single. A strong start, strong finish, strong middle.
Always lovely to listen to your opinions! I Here are my answers, I think we have pretty similar preferences lol 1. I, too, like 3rd person limited better than other perspectives, but I think I enjoy 1st person a lot more than most people. Everyone I know hates it, I don't mind it at all. I'm not a fan of books written in 1st person where the perspective keeps shifting between characters, thought. 2. Agree that paperbacks are the absolute best, they're SO comfortable to handle. Then mass market paperbacks, yes. Since I got an e-reader I've been discovering how nice ebooks are so that's my number 3, number 4 is hardcover and I'm really not into audiobooks. 3. Character-focused all the way! I love a good plot but it's not absolutely necessary like good characters and character arcs are for me. 4. Prose is SO IMPORTANT. I can endure a book with a boring or mediocre prose but it'll never become a favourite. Every once in a while you find an author with a prose so beautiful, with metaphors that are so genuinely well-thought out, sentences that have been worked to exhaustion, and it's just. Delicious. Not a fan of flowery prose either, but when it's both economical and smart, I think it's best. I think Onetti and Cortázar are great examples, I could just read and reread their words and find new ways in which they are wonderful and a delight in and of themselves, disregarding story or characters. 5. I like them really introspective, to be honest. I know a lot of people find that annoying, yeah hahah but I like it when there's a loooot of internal dialogue. 6. I like platonic relationships best, too! I think I like it better if I can imagine the romance between two characters that are written as platonic, also. But I like reading about friendships and about families better than romances. Some romantic relationships are beautiful, though! 7. I'm not really a big fan of description. I don't mind it, necessarily, but I get tired if a book is too descriptive. I do need /some/ description and ambience, and if it's well done I enjoy that, but it's not a must for me. 8. I share your exact opinion on this one lmao 9. Whoops i sorta accidentally answered this back in the first question. I don't really like multiple pov, I find it distracting and I have very rarely seen it well done. 10. Mmmm I think a strong ending is the most important, yes, I agree. But a strong middle is more important to me than a strong start, because I usually push through everything, I don't mind it so much if the start is slow lol. This was fun!
![The Book Addiction Tag [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cFWOVHHQBW8/mqdefault.jpg)
Merphy is the type of reader that writers love to write for. Her enthusiasm is amazingly encouraging.
100% correct! I would LOVE her feedback on my novel.
The fact that Merphy’s instant reaction to getting a text at 12:03 was “SIR!” honestly made my day 😂
I laughed at that. :D
Me and Merphy are total opposites:
Me: Hates description
Merphy: Loves description
Me: Hates classics
Merphy: Loves classics
Both of us: Hate Jane Eyre
Perfectly balanced as all things should be.
And I love description but hate classics haha
And I love all of the above. Lol
I think if it's written in 1st person, you need to have a REALLY entertaining main character. Like Percy Jackson. It's gotta be fun to see the world from their perspective
Agreed. I prefer 3rd person for the most part, but when you have a great character like Percy and the others in the later books it really tales the story to another level.
1:13 The standard advice is to avoid "filter words" like:"I saw" and "I thought." Your example:"I walked into the room and I saw a skeleton and I thought Hmmm." Advised example:"I walked into the room, and there was a skeleton in there. That's never a good thing."
The only flaw with a character driven story is when I don’t like the character, their story feels like a super long slog to get through. Pretty much exactly what you said about the first person story telling, it can be rough
Then there would be 2 problems: you don't like the character and it feels like it's a long slog
My Bookish preference is to read when there's no one in the house ;)
^
😯😯😯
Oof, felt that on a broke-student-still-living-at-home level.
This is my cleaning preference too
I relate to this so much lol because my family bothers me the most when I'm reading
In my case I like descriptions if I care about the world. Otherwise, just make me invested in the characters, not the coffee shop that will never appear again.
I prefer physical books BUT don't have a preference between hard vs paper vs mass market, because to me it's whichever one has the BEST artwork and looks best on the shelf. I'm shallow, I guess. I hate books with awful artwork (looking at you, books with photos from the movies).
1. Paperback
2. Audiobooks
3. E-readers
4. Mass Market
5. Hardcover
Same, just switching 3 and 4
Mine would be:
1) Paperback
2) E-reader
3)Mass Market
4) Audiobook
5) Hardcover
6) THREE BOOKS IN ONE HARDCOVER GIANTS
I agree! (That’s my preference order too)
1. Paperback
2. Hardcover
3. Mass market
4. Audio books
5. E-readers
My preference is reading in bed before sleep (and because of this I stay up to late). I think it's basic.
I have no preference in povs.
1. hardback
2. paperback
3. audio
4.ebook
Character development over plot, even tho I want both.
Literally the same thing for me
0:48 - Third person but only limited! I then prefer first person to third omniscient.
3:33 - Hardback, paperback, e-book, mass market paperback, audiobook.
7:28 - Character but my favourite books are the ones with really strong character development AND plot
9:22 - I don't really mind prose one way or the other.
13:24 - I love introspection as long as I like the character. If the character annoys me, I can't handle it.
14:59 - Romantic!!!
16:15 - I love description as long as it really is improving my ability to visualize. Otherwise it annoys me and I end up skimming over it.
18:28 - Series.
19:38 - Single POV. I get invested in the first character's storyline so switching to another POV feels like a commercial and I hate it.
20:16 - Strong start. Otherwise I won't get into it and will typically stop reading part way through. That being said, if it has a bad ending I will hate the whole book no matter how much I initially liked the rest.
See I always feel annoyed switching to multiple people when I start a book, but by the end I always appreciate the multiple perspectives, cuz I'm invested in all the characters. The final 100-200 pages of a book/series with multiple people I always tear through cuz I'm impatient to find out what happens to everyone. I also feel like more perspectives just gives the author more to work with. Especially in fantasy, where the plots or settings can be so sprawling or complex that it basically requires more than one pov.
1. I generally like both first and third person, however I find myself enjoying third person books more. Like, if I see a book is in first person, I'm not going to have lower expectations, because I really like first person and when it's done well, first person can elevate a story to greater heights (like with Murderbot or Skyward). But usually, I have found that first person isn't done that great, and is more of a gimmick than a tool used to maximum effect, and it makes the story feel flat. What I mean by this is that the strength of first person is often in crafting a unique character voice, like with Spensa or Murderbot, but a lot of writers just don't think that much about this (especially in YA, though I have found some that will stretch this). Third person can be really good even if you don't differentiate the third person perspectives on a prose level, because with third person we don't really need a uniquely crafted character-oriented prose experience like first person is very good at-and it's generally harder to do in third person anyway, although writers like Joe Abercrombie are a master at this. So I generally enjoy third person more because often when I read first person it feels like there's a lot of missing potential, but I won't be turned off by a story with first person because when it's done well it'll elevate the story above if the story was written in third person.
2. My preferences in general in order from favorite to least favorite are probably paperback, ebook, hardback, audiobook, mass market paperback-but this varies. For Stormlight, I only want hardcovers. For Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence, I don't like any version except for the mass market paperbacks. And for Dresden Files, I primarily use the audiobooks and only occasionally use the ebook.
3. I want a balance between character and plot, but yeah, it's character for me. A good plot and bad characters is gonna make me meh on the book, but amazing characters and bad plot will still have a good chance of me loving the story.
4. Prose doesn't bother me that much. I prefer if it's not overly repetitive, but very simple prose works great for me. I also know that if a book uses the word "undulating" at least 4 times (and preferably at least once every 50 pages) then it'll be a book that you like, and that I should recommend it to you VERY strongly. :)
5. I agree with you on introspective characters. I think the thing that works for me is when you have characters like Kaladin or Shallan who are RIDICULOUSLY introspective but are also constantly doing something. I think this works great in The Dresden Files, actually, where Harry Dresden is possibly the most introspective character I've read, but because he's always doing stuff and interacting with people-as is the nature of his job-we're never in there for too long to the point where it gets grating.
6. Platonic relationships will always be better than romantic relationships for me lol. Even in romance books I often enjoy the romance only because I love the platonic relationships.
7. Description really varies for me. I'm reading Eye of the World and for me, Robert Jordan writes descriptions in an incredibly immersive way. I'm sure he gets repetitive and annoying with it later, but at least in this first book, I got immersed so freaking fast it was incredible. But I think descriptions only need to be as long as needed to immerse the reader, and that depends on the author's style. Mark Lawrence describes tone and atmosphere well, and can immerse me in two sentences, while Jim Butcher describes a lot of different things very quickly, immersing me in a paragraph, while Robert Jordan in book 1 describes many things in great detail, immersing me in a long paragraph or even two. As long as it's long enough to immerse me and not so long that it's annoying, I'm happy. (YA fantasy tends to be too light on description, which frustrates me a little bit.)
8. I think I prefer series more than standalones. But I sometimes need to keep track of my series so I can switch between lots of worlds frequently without getting bogged down in just one, while also finishing series. My TBR document has a big series tracker for Open Series (including ones On Hold), Caught Up Series, Finished Series, and DNF'd Series for this reason.
9. Yeah I don't think I have a preference on number of POVs. First person I generally prefer single POV, but third person can be either. HOWEVER, in fantasy especially I REALLY appreciate when an author can limit their POVs to just one (or 2 is fine too) because I just find that really impressive, and the benefit of single POV is we can become very close and familiar with a single character. So I don't prefer single POV, but when it's done and done well, I'm often more impressed by the book. (The Traitor Baru Cormorant is a good example of this.)
10. I would say strong ending, then strong middle, then strong beginning. A lot of books I read don't have strong beginnings (most Brandon Sanderson books) but a great middle is really where my enjoyment comes from, and like you, if the ending is bad/weak, then the whole book is soured for me. But if the ending is good and the middle isn't good, then I won't really like the book that much either, because I didn't have much fun reading the book. This is Six of Crows for me, I think, where I liked the ending but gave the book 3 stars because the middle was, well, middling. I would also say that this is why a lot of people don't like The Well of Ascension, because some parts of the middle are a little weaker even though the ending is great.
Absolutely spot on in your assessment of problems with 1st person. And because the prose is lacking a voice, it ends up reflecting on the character badly. I'm convinced that Katniss Everdeen didnt in fact have PTSD, but it was the lack of any voice that made it appear that way.
I feel like people either keep their books in beautiful pristine condition or break the spines, write in the margins, and dog-ear them -- there's no in between. I'm definitely the latter 😂
Well, I'm the in between😅
I don't write in them or break the spines, but my books definitely look read.
@@elenichamou1791 same
You forgot the coffee and tea stains :)
I don't write in my books because I want to be able to lone them to people without worrying about them knowing my thoughts, but I do crack spines and spill coffee 😬
I don't write in my books and I read in mostly hardcover, though I do get paperbacks sometimes if I like the cover art better. I will also read from fancy editions, which a lot of people just "display" and almost never touch.
1. I definitely prefer third person, especially when it's a Lemony Snicket style narrator. I love when the third-person narrator has a strong voice, it just gets me invested in the world so fast.
2. Paperback, hardback, e-book, mass market, audio. I know audiobooks resonate with a lot of people and are easier for them to read with but I either get far too invested and can't focus on doing other things (like driving, which often leads to me driving in circles) or I just can't get into them at all.
3. Character focused over plot focused, but I would prefer books to have both.
4. Not really, I prefer my books to be more direct otherwise I can find the story boring or hard to follow.
5. I definitely have a limit, but it's not something I really notice until it bothers me.
6. I love my romances but give me found family over a romance any day!
7. Only if its worldbuilding or character-focused, otherwise I don't care.
8. I want to read more series but at the moment I'm reading more standalones, so I guess I prefer standalones?
9. I love multiple POVs, give me all the characters!
10. Strong finish, strong beginning, strong middle. I find that if the beginning is strong enough and I know this book is going somewhere, then I can survive through a dragging middle. Like you, a weak ending will ruin a book for me.
My favorite format is also paperback and then audio book, Getting addicted to them lately.
Can relate
I do love the paperback books because it’s got a nice feel to them. It is more likely that they could break compared to hardback. The hardback is sometimes more difficult to hold. Audiobooks just don’t work for me. I would love if they did because then I would be able to read more
Audiobooks are a coin flip for me. I HATE when the narrator is an old person
Same. been doing the audio books since middle on 2020. I just sit or walk around at work and listen to a book.
"I could hear the audible sighs and frustrated grunts that came when I said that."
I think screams of pain and agony would be a more fitting description😅😂
as a guy with spina bifida, when she kept talking about breaking spines i cringed so hard i became a.... idk, what's an animal who crouches and/or hides low to the ground a lot?
that.
I think "screams of pain and agony" is overused. Using new phrases and metaphors to describe the same feeling is what a good writer does.
1. 3rd person
2.
A. Mass market paperback (for being cheap and generally flexible but hate it when text runs into spine or really cheap)
B. Paperback
C. Hardcover
D. ebook
F. Audiobook (enjoy them but have to follow along with actual book to get the most out of it.
3. Really enjoy characters, but plot has to be there to back them up.
4. Yes, so long as its well done. If its too much or poorly done its terrible.
5. Not sure if I have a preference
6. Really enjoy romantic relationships, but platonic can be just as amazing.
7. Enjoy description, the way Tolkien describes the scenery or in his prose, makes me feel there or know exactly what he is looking at.
8. I really enjoy series, but at a certain point I get tired of reading 3,10,15 long series. So I enjoy a good standalone.
9. Both, so long as the characters we're following are interesting.
10. Strong finish. the ending can make or break anything. Strong middle next, then strong start.
Here are my preferences:
1. I tend to get into first person books faster, but I don’t have a strong preference for one or the other.
2. I would love to rank the formats, but I’m blind, so audiobooks are pretty much the only one I use.
3. I prefer a book to have a balance of both character and plot, but while reading I will care more about the characters than the plot.
4. A book with flowery prose will loose me immediately, but I do appreciate intentional descriptions.
5. My preference for introspective characters is the same as yours. I have a limit for those characters.
6. I get really attached to well developed romances, but family dynamics and friendships are way more satisfying.
7. I don’t have a preferences for the kind of description, but I like description to be important for the plot and/or character, but don’t describe just for the sake of describing.
8. Series, but not long ones.
9. Multiple POV, because I get bored easily, even if I’m really enjoying something.
10. strong finish, but if there isn’t a strong start, I’ll likely not reach the end anyway.
So, here are my preferences. Great video!
"10. strong finish, but if there isn’t a strong start, I’ll likely not reach the end anyway." -> THIS. I want a book to tell me it's flaws upfront so I can decide if it's worth even finishing it. I DNF a lot of books.
1) I like both being 1st or 3rd I think it depends for me on the genre.
2) Paperback, hardback, Ebook, audiobook, mass
3) I tend to prefer the plot focus but now I am growing to enjoy more character focus
4) The prose I am not so picky but in thrillers, good prose improve so much the ride and in some books simple prose loses a bit of the message or feel kinda childish sometimes...
5) I like so deep in thrillers because of the trauma but overall must be also open to other perspectives.
6) I like a well-developed romance I can not handle so well an insta love romance but is feel so fake... if it is an instant attraction it makes sense to me but that deep and true love for me doesn't work. give me a start and how they learn they are falling in love with reason and how they are dealing with their feelings.
7) I like description when it makes sense and helps to build the world to me and see how amazing or dark that world would be, but exaggeration on a description make me lose some interesting because I found some details not so important but in a decent amount it makes the book amazing!
8) SERIES! in worlds like fantasy I love to spend a lot of time in that worlds but stand-alone can be so enjoyable but series is always a win for me
9) I love multiple POV it gives you a lot of insight and perspective especially in fantasy and contemporary
10) I prefer a strong book in a whole xD (a little cheating like always :P) but I think the end is very important while the begging can be weaker
Sorry for the long comment xD
and I love your channel which was the push to start mine :D
This is the first personal commentary video i've seen that breaks up specific sections for the viewer to pause and comment. I think it works very well to build an interesting interactive experience.
1.Paperback (I like flexibility)
2. hardback
3. Audio (I never have a chance to listen to audio, but i like the hands free nature of it)
4. E-book (I love the aesthetics of a real book)
1. paperback (super floppy ones!)
2. hardcover
3. mass market paperbacks
4. audiobook
5. e-book
Allright! Here we go!
1. Third person(unless its a Dresden book): So here's the thing, for some reason, FOR ME first person sometimes feels...youthful? I honestly dk why there is no real explanation for this, thats just how I feel. But ofcourse that is not something that stops me from reading a book even its first person...just, yk, preference.
2. Honestly, paperback, generally hardbacks look more pretty(not always, I actually prefer LOLL in paperwork in terms of beauty) but whats more accessible? Definitely paperback, but more specifically the floppy ones not the mass market. I also like audiobooks because there are days where I don't feel like physically reading cause I'm tired so it comes in handy!
Ok so here's the ranking👇
1. Paperback(another thing, I annotate and pad my books, so I prefer physical for that too😅 PS you are the one who got me into annotating Merph, so thanks!)
2. Audiobooks(accessible when your traveling, tired, or have amazing narrators!)
3. Hardbacks(too expensive and the dust jackets are...fragile, but other than that it works)
4. E books( I don't like it when its on screen cause already there is too much of that in my life, but if I'd ever buy the one that's technically not screen I would definitely read from there too, but I personally just don't get that....feeling yk. But if you do that , that's amazing!)
5. Mass market
3. Character driven: Getting emotionally attached to a character, growing with them or seeing them grow or redeem or corrupt, that connection you build, whether it be cause you relate, look upto, laugh or sob. Some of my role models are FICTIONAL characters!(uncle iroh), the small victories or the relationship dynamics! Its just soooo good!
4. Its complicated. Like alot of people said that Sanderson's are pretty info dumpy...I honestly don't notice it. I guess the only book where I have cared for the prose is Beartown(based on your recommendation) which is the single book where all I have done is underline SO MUCH STUFF and barely written. Because its so thoughtful and beautiful and...you get it. But aside from that book....I don't think I care that much. As I said:Its complicated.
5. I honestly don't know, I think I quite like it, I've only read book 1 in the Stormlight archive and I like the way it was done, and I think if there was even more of it I would've been happy. But I'm going to have to read more books to answer that question. Well, only time will tell.
6. Platonic: Now ik that probably everyone reading atleast ATLEAST likes good romantic relationships...yeah, I'm going to be an exception in that. Heres how I'll answer this question: favorite book? LOLL, favorite series? Merlin, Avatar the Last Airbender, Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood and Sherlock. *nervous chuckle*
7. It doesn't bother me, I don't mind description. But I guess no, I don't necessarily want it. Well...I guess it depends, so there's a book in which pirates are a big focus and I LOVE pirates, and the book had alot of description about where the ropes would tie and stuff like that. And I WAS interested in it, but the way the author wrote was kind of...boring😬 but honestly if I had to answer, it will be a no, which is weird, because I like knowing the environment I just don't...like reading it I guess. Thats weird, ANYWAY MOVIN ON'
8. Series I love following the characters for a long period of time. Get to know them better, seeing different sides of them. I'm not saying standalones can't do it just...IMHO not the same way. However, it's a little unfair of me to say that, I've read VERY few standalones...need to read more🤫
9. Multiple POV You ask me why? I don't know *shrugs* go figure!
10. If I had to rank it:
Strong ending
Strong middle
Strong biggining
If you made it this far congrats! I had some spare time on my side so I used it😁
People are never as mature inside their own head as they portray to the world and I think that comes across a lot in 1st person POV.
I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH 3. 6. AND 8.
@@Super00Specs ain't that the truth. The first editor I had told me that my main character who was supposed to be 17 sounded like she was 12 and in middle school and I had to up her age maturity in my first person book so then I finally fixed it up and then sent it off to a second editor it's actually really hard to get into the mindset of a high school student age without making them sound too annoying or too mature it's like a weird balance.
my fav shows are ATLA and Sherlock too!!
I don't know that I care about prose, but I enjoy it immensely when an author injects poetry into their descriptions. Liliana Bodoc is the best at this; she puts poetry into the way she describes the world, the action, the characters and their feelings and thoughts. It's just so beautiful
I love 1st person. I love reading what the lead character is thinking and how he/she sees situations. The best 1st person book is The Knife of Never Letting Go. It is so unique because the character Todd is illiterate, so things are spelled wrong. Their are also run on sentences because he is thinking a lot. I strongly recommend this book.
- 3rd and sometimes 1st person!!
-floppy paperback -> hardback -> audiobook -> ebook= 0 concentration
-C H A R A C T E R S
-omg patterns will get under my skin too and over describing just feels indulgent most of the time
-7-8/10 introspective for me with breaks please!!
-platonic & romantic relationships with the romantic one being in the background
-l also need a big énfasis on the environment but get bored if other things are described more than “normal”
- serieeeees Corey and l feel the same
-múltiple POV
-middle to end bit
* My preference is third-person as well! Though it's not super strong. I don't mind first-person. But I agree first-person is often too limited for me. Because of that, I like third-person limited the most. And I actually don't like third-person omniscient all that much.
* I prefer ebook > audiobook > hardback > paperback > mass market. And it's funny... because I love annotating too, but that's the reason I prefer ebooks over paperbacks. Logging and going back is easier on a digital format for me. And I also agree on liking audio for convenience but the missing things with new reads/listen are very real. If it's a work/world I'm not familiar with, audio is a pretty bad choice.
* Plot > Character. I personally need to know where the story is going first and foremost. But characters are important for me to care about the plot. But first, I need to know where the story is going, I can't just be sat in a room with dope characters with no direction (unless the characters are incredibly amazing or talking about intriguing things).
* I. Absolutely. Hate. Purple. Prose. Instant turn off for me. Funny what you said about Legend Born... most times first-limited is, well, limited in terms of prose because of character POV.
* I've never really thought about character introspection, honestly.
* I've no real preference for romance/platonic relationships. It's just that I have MORE issue with romantic relationships because they are more often done not-so-great. And ultimately, I think, platonic relationships have higher ceilings for me. Samwise, anyone!?
* Same with purple prose, I'm not a fan of long descriptions. Another instant turn off. The descriptions need to be woven into the greater scene/story for it to work for me.
* I actually have not been able to get into a series in a very long time (I mean, a very long time). I don't know why that is. I don't think I actually have a preference to standalone, per se. I just haven't really been vibing with any series in a while (I mean it, a really, really long while).
* I have a preference for multiple POV, but I have an upper limited of 2-3 mains. More than that and it's too much for me. Sometimes when it's just 1 POV I want to hop around.
* I totally agree, though I'd flip it to Strong Start > Strong Ending > Strong Middle.
I enjoy reading third person, but I enjoy writing first person. I can write third person, and I have quite well before, but I like the limitations that come with First Person.
Kind of like drawing or making music
I want to know what purple prose is. People talk about excessive and flowery but what exactly is excessive and what is flowery? Give some examples.
@@robertblume2951 Purple prose is when you describe things so much to the point that nothing is readable.
I'd recommend two good books for prose-- The Book Thief, and The Bible. Both books are beautiful and have great prose. That's what I personally use to range my description of things.
But if you want more, I can point to good ol' classics like Robinson Crusoe, Sherlock Holmes, a good Dr. Seuss book, or a good video game (because even video games have great stories nowadays).
I'm a game dev, so I might be cheating, but don't use too many difficult words. (I'm saying this because I personally dislike some classics because they use too many difficult words to seem intellectual to the point that they alienate their audience.)
I think the best thing to do is to look for inspiration for your work and just roll with it.
@@microdavid7098 I meant examples of purple prose. I know plenty of books with good prose, I don't know any with purple. I don't think classics use a lot of complicated words to seem intellectual, they just had a better vocabulary than we do now.
@@robertblume2951 *hot take* Some Shakespeare. And dune.
1) Third person limited is 100% my fave, past tense in particular
2) Least favorite - hardback
Audio
Paperback (I’ve never had a “floppy one”)
Favorite - E book (I can’t afford many books and I always lose library books so this is really my only option and second hand)
3) Character but I can’t stand a boring slow paced book so I guess I want both
4) I like easy to read prose because I have a short attention span, but I like it if it’s beautiful but not slow, old fashioned or flowery prose
5) I’ve never noticed to be honest
6) Slow burn, ride or die platonic or romantic, I don’t mind
7) Just the amount you need to picture the setting unless the author has a really good style or unique way of describing it
8) Trilogies and duologies tend to be my favourite but I like all
9) Single pov because I tend to have one I don’t like in multiple and I get attached to characters easier when I spend a long time with them
10) All three obviously but I’d pick middle
The book I'm writing is in first person and switches povs.
Q: 1 -first person vs. third person
A: I actually love first person because you really get a feel for how they understand things. I feel more emersed in the story, but I also don't mind third person. Both first and third person have ups and downs.
I also like to make notes about books and what I'm thinking, or I will call a friend and talk to them about it.
Q: 2 -hardbavk, paperback, etc..
A: Paperbacks and hardbacks are my favorite. I can't do audiobooks because I get so distracted and I have never liked listening to radio talk shows and I feel like an audiobook are just like listening to a radio talkshow lol.
Q: 3 - character driven, plot driven
A: I'm 100% character driven. Plot is good but I pretty much won't read a book if it's not about strong based characters. My book I wrote is extremely character driven. I just loooove learning about characters and seeing their interactions with each other.
Q: 4- Do you care about prose
A: LOL I never knew what a prose was until I sent my book to my first professional editor a few months ago and I got an editoral letter back and she was like "omg your prose was absolutely amazing!!" So I guess I'm good at this haha. But yeah I guess I like a good prose.
Not gonna lie, I've look at you website Merphy and before I picked my second editor I was thinking about asking you but I think (if I remember correctly) you were busy haha.
Q: 5- introspection or not
A: I don't mind some introspection. It's good to see people's thoughts.
Q: 6- platonic love it romantic
A: I LOVE platonic relationships. I will pick that everyday. I've never been a super romantic person and honestly best friends or siblings are just as good to write about. My book is about a family and their dynamics and the two brothers are best friends and have a very strong platonic brotherly relationship.
Q: 7- descriptions or not
A: I like to have descriptions that paint a picture. When I was little (and still sometimes til the day) I physically could not picture a character unless it had a movie adeptation or a picture on the cover. So I like to know exactly what someone looks like. And it doesn't have to be everyyything but I do like more information.
Q: 8- series or stand alone book
A: I 100% like series more. My book that I finished is book one of 6. (Though I do understand where you are coming from with your answer and reasoning).
Q: 9- star middle end I almost forgot this question
A: this is hard I feel like you have to have a good book in the beginning and the begining is also where you introduce your characters so I like that probs the most but I also love the middle because you really start to get into the heart of the problem and you already know how your character acts. But the ending is just as great because you have your intense climax and falling resolution and you get some questions answered... So idk about this one honestly.
I think I answered all the questions. Text me here if I didn't lol.
My book is almost fully fixed for like the 100th time (sooo much editing!!) But one day my Kingdoms of Color book series will be out and I just hope people like it and emerse themselves as much as I do. Seriously I drew probably over 100 pictures of my characters, scenes, everything I could think of already.
This was fun Merphy, let's do it again sometime!!!!
MULTIPLE POVS 100% in my option I don't want to follow the same character all book. because if I do that and I don't like that character as much then I feel like I'm stuck and I'm just not going to like the book but if there's a character that I don't mind or maybe I don't like just like a little bit but there's other povs of characters I do really like then I feel like it's much better also I just love getting inside the heads of multiple different people and seeing what their insecurities are getting a look inside their head how they react with certain people etc..
1. 3rd person
2. e-reader, paperback, mass-market paperbacks, hardback, audio
3.character focused (I need good character dynamics and dialogue)
4. I don't really care about pros as long as it doesn't sound like a twelve-year-old wrote it (because yes I have read published books like that)
5. I deal the same way about introspective characters
6. I love both so much and I want both
7. I don't love lots of descriptions, I can't deal with descriptions that go on for several paragraphs, for me, the best description are subtle ones through character actions and dialogue.
8. Series obviously, but I like stand-alones too
9. Strong start but I'm not actually sure about this one
My answers: 1. I do not care as long as it is well narrated, 2. Paperback, 3. It depends on the story there are some that I care more for the characters and others for the plot, 4. No, 5. I do not know, 6. I like strong friendships and cute romances, 7. No, I get bored sometimes, 8. Series, 9. Single Pov, 10. Strong start so I can be more interested in the book
0:48: I prefer 3rd person (like in the book thief) but I dont really mind
3:33: Paperback, Hardback, Audiobook,Ebook
7:28: Ahhhh thats such a hard choice but maybe character.
9:22: A bit i guess
13:24: A smallllll bit. I don't need to live in their mind.
14:59: Hmm, I like having a relationship in a book but I also like having a good few platonic relationships so I'm in between
16:15: I like short and sweet descriptions because I love getting lost in the world and having a clear image in my mind because i hate not knwoing what to imagine but I do want to move on with the plot.
18:28 maybe stand alones because it is a lot of commitment and a lot of time but then on the other hand I like being stuck with the same characters and worlds so I'm not sure hahahah.
19:38: SINGLE POV !! (well usually. i liked it in allegiant for example)
20:16: strong middle to keep me reading,strong ending because i love a satisfactory ending and a strong begininng because its just the intro to the book but I like it to catch my eye.
Q1. Third person. Limited or omniscient, either ways. Personally, I feel like with first person, authors sometimes go in wayyy too much unnecessary description and feelings. I have nothing against characters talking about feelings, BUT sometimes in first person, it tends to be too much. Especially in YA. Eg- the divergent series, mockingjay.
2. Paperback
Hardcover
Mass market paperback
Ebook
I've never listened to a complete audiobook but I tried it once and couldn't concentrate.
3. Plot focussed. Although I have enjoyed some books where it's literally just about people doing nothing, generally speaking, I'd choose a plot focussed book.
4. Same!!! I HATE unnecessary details. Beautiful prose is fine but unnecessarily metaphorical writing is just.. mleh
5. Like I said, hate it when there's too much introspection and thoughts and stuff.
6. Strongly agree. Especially about the part about romance in other genres. Which is again why I didn't like mockingjay, cuz it started focusing on the relationships a lot more. And in a dystopian or fantasy setting, I really wanna know more about the war going on outside.
7. Ehhh medium description
8. Standalones. Standalones always. I have commitment issues when it comes to series lol. I've only read 5 series in all so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
9. Either ways but probably one pov.
10. Strong finish. Just because the impact will stay with me longer
Extra: a random preference I have is that I realllllly like it when books have a table of contents/ an index. On a similar note, I also love CHAPTER NAMES. They can be so much fun and so creative! Like the Percy Jackson series has some of the best chapter names EVER
Yessss chapter names
"If you take a whole page to describe something that could have been done in a couple of sentences......"
Looking at you, Lord of the Rings
Well, Lord of the rings was written almost 70 years ago. No wonder that common writing methods and styles were different than today's, as well as readers' preferences. The same happens in cinematography and music as well or any other aspect of culture - it evolves and changes and some things become outdated, even such classsics and masterpieces.
It was never praised for its prose, except for what it added to worldbuilding.
Lord of the Rings is the least of this, though. Plenty of modern authors still do this, and much worse.
@@darkwitnesslxx Lord of the Rings is widely lauded for its prose. Tolkien is an incredible author and poet, and his writing is incredibly beautiful, but at the time when it came out, and even for decades thereafter, fantasy fiction was looked down upon by the literary community. It honestly still is. THAT'S the reason the false narrative that Tolkien's prose was subpar is so widely circulated. He was actually considered for, but robbed of, a nobel prize because of this snobbishness. Who won it? Ivo Andric of course, an author that today no one has heard of, and whose own prose simply doesn't measure up.
Uhh, this sounds fun, let's do this!
1) Don't really have a preference, I guess...never really thought about it
2) Paperback, E book, Hardback, Mass, Audio
3) Plot focused stories...but it also depends on the genre. If I'm reading e.g. contemporary, I'll focus more on the characters.
4) I don't care about prose unless it's really badly (e.g. too descriptive) or really well written...
5) I have the same preference as you.
6) Platonic relationships. I don't hate romance but often romantic relationships annoy me because there is unnecessary drama or it's an unhealthy relationship.
7) Not at all. I don't care about what a room or a person looks like...
8) Standalones. I'm not always ready to commit to series...
9) Don't have a preference for POV.
10) A strong finish. Ranking: finish, middle and start
1. So my first thought was to say first person and this is because of PJO and Hoo, where I enjoyed Percy's first person perspective more than the third person in Hoo. But as I read more books became more comfortable with third person which seems to be more widely used. Basically I'm not sure if I like being in the main character's head or just Percy's head😅.
2. Favourite format. Hardback, audiobooks, paperback, ebooks, mass market paperback
3.Character focused vs plot. Depends on my mood but most often character based. I enjoy a good plot with twists and turns every once in awhile though. Once the characters are good (for me) then the plot can be meh and I won't mind. I'd also remember a book more based on the characters and not the plot.
4. I don't have a specific preference for prose. I'll notice if it's repetitive or overly descriptive put it doesn't always take me out of a story
5. I like introspection. But when it gets to the point where the character just gets down right depressing for like the rest of the series, I just can't. This is mostly in YA.(red Queen specifically 🙃)
6. I'm a sucker for romance😅. I do enjoy really good platonic relationships though where we know the characters care deeply for each other but you don't feel like it needs to get physical of that makes sense.
7. When there are paragraphs of descriptions of a location that's not fantasy based (familiar to me), I'd sometimes skip over it, but in terms of worldbuilding I'm okay with it
8. Seriesss all the way, once it doesn't feel unnecessarily dragged on. Especially when I love the characters I don't want it to end.
9. No preference
10. Strong finish first, cause that's what will stick with me, strong middle next cause that's what would keep me reading, and strong start, I'm willing to give books time to get going.
1- Third person
2- Paperback all the way!!! (Then audiobooks, ebooks, mass market and hardcovers)
3- Character over plot any day !
4- No idea, but I’m not a fan of a lot of description and flowery style
5- Love introspection, the deeper the better (but with a balance within the story)
6- I run from romantic relationships in general but in fantasy it’s usually a hard no for me. Great amazing friendships and sibling relationships >>> Found family trope is my favorite trope so...
7- Not a fan of a ton a description but at the same time I love a deep and intricate magic system and atmospheric story
8- Fantasy = series
9- I don’t have a preference either, but I really appreciate a well done multiple POV fantasy book
10- Idk... I need to connect with the main character since the start to enjoy a book so I need a strong start but if the middle and ending are bad the experience ends up feeling flat.
1. 1st or 3rd, preferably 3rd
2. Paperback, hardcover, ebook or audiobook, mass market paperback
3. Plot! Though hopefully with strong characters too
4. Medium-high prose. I like flowery
5. Introspective characters to a degree
6. Both!!!!
7. World building and rules, atmosphere and feelings... I like description for these things... could care less about clothes
8. Stand alones
9. Multiple POV’s!!!!
10. Start and finish equally then middle
These questions are so fun!!
*My preference is third-person. First person does a lot of filtering and handholding. I'm told how things smell and how I should feel about it, and I'd rather just not.
* Audiobook = paperback/mass market> hardcover > ebook. Both paperback and Audiobook have their functions. Most long books, I like to listen to, as I'm not able to dedicate much time to sitting, so I'd lose track of the flow of long books without listening. Shorter books, I'd rather read because Annotation is So. Fun. Now, if they could create an annotation feature in audiobooks, we'd be golden
* Character > Plot, but if I don't care about the Character's plot (aka: their navel gazing/internal struggles/whatever is replacing the plot) the book will still fail.
*I prefer intentional writing-- kind of like you said. Pick the words you use on purpose. Neil Gaiman is a perfect example of writing intentionally, and though no one would describe his writing as flowery,
he's writing on purpose
* Is it picky to say that I judge the content of Navel gazing? Kaladin can go on for days if he wants, because he's actually struggling with things. But I'd prefer not to read the internal struggles of a mind in the throes of a love triangle.
* For me, platonic are preferred, but Romantic are more obsessed over heh. I think platonic relationships take much more effort and skill to write. Someone once said: It's easy to write sad, but it's hard to write happy, and I think that applies here. Romantic relationships come pre-packaged with more drama options, but a good and steady bromance can carry a whole novel.
* In a fantasy/not this world: description is better, to help you enter the world. In everyday/contemporary, please don't describe the carpet. I count my speed reading as a flaw--I depend more on my imagination to fill the space and hardly read the description, so I miss a lot of ambiance.
* COMPLETED. SERIES.
* 1-3 POVs, but please keep it to main characters, rather than characters we don't care about.
* Strong Ending. If I've made it that far, I'd like it to be worth it!
Perspective: third person omniscient
Format: Mass market paperback for the feel and nostalgia (they don't make them as often as they used to), ebook for the readability, audiobook for the ability to read while I'm working, Hardback for the poshness, pdf on a computer screen for the cheapness (since it's usually because I could find a pdf of a book online), paperback because the proportions just feel wrong most of the time.
Character/plot: Plot, give me a long reaching Arthur C Clarke scifi that takes place over multiple generations anyday.
prose: yes, important. I would love romantic/poetic prose to come back instead of either long descriptions or "less is more" descriptions
Introspection: characters should be extremely introspective, I love when someone knows why they're doing things instead of someone that just reacts all the time and then gets frustrated about their decisions.
relationships: platonic
description: medium, agree with you, mood and environment should be described, but
standalones/series: standalones, I think, because the thought is complete whereas a series sometimes feels like a cash grab, but I guess I like non-sequential series, books that exist in the same universe but don't require the others in the series to make sense.
POV: multiple, I'm already stuck in one POV, I want to see the larger picture
strong: middle, ending, start
1. narration: strong preference for 3rd person (because while "I" don't think like that, I can totally believe "he/she/they" think like that)
2. format: ebook, audio, hardcover, paperbacks
3. focus: ideas, characters, plot ("plot" is what happens; I like "ideas" best: how it's written, what points are made, what's the story's angle, fun subversions, new things explored)
4. prose: elaborate yet minimalistic (uses the least possible number of words in the most interesting way possible to convey the meaning. Short stories excel at this - you have to be efficient when you have a strict word limit)
5. introspection - depends on the kind of introspection; I hate needless rumination about what happened (I wholeheartedly agree about it being tiring), while self-discovery is great
6. relationships, in order: weird platonic dynamics (especially family or found family), power couples (romantic or not), romantic, more "normal" platonic relationships
7. description: NO!!! (Disclaimer here: focusing on tone or conveying the information about how someone or something looks can be done without describing it directly. Don't spoonfeed me, immerse me in the world and the magic system, pretty pretty please. I find descriptions of clothes and interiors especially tedious. And please, for the love of God, no shopping trips!)
8. standalone, especially novellas, followed by series of novellas
9. POV: multiple POV in long books, single POV in shorter standalones or novellas
10. strong middle - I'm there for the ride
1. Perspective. I trust the author on that one. If he choose 1 person for his story, I'll go with it. Though I am not particularly fond of 2 person.
2. Hardback above all. I abuse my books a lot, but I still want them to stay with me for a lifetime. Then e-books, I read a lot of books simotenously and like to have a choice, when I commute or go for a walk. But I annotate too and love the feeling of the real paper, so sometimes I just carry an unbelievable heavy bag with me.) Paperback is my choice for books I have no intention to reread. Audio is an exception, I rarely like how they are done, though sometimes they are great.
3. Characters! Who needs a plot? I am that person who don't care about spoilers at all.
4. Prose... I am in the middle too, but more on the flowery side. Just throw me a juicy metaphor from time to time, and I'll be happy.
5. I love to be in the character head, so I can eat as much of this as author choose to give me.
6. I like relationships which are both love and friendship. Does it mean that I prefer all relationship be kind of platonic? Maybe.
7. I like descriptions only from a character perspective, if a character don't care about his surrounding at the moment, I don't want to experience it too. Though I really appreciate a lot of details in historic books.
8. Standalones. Or if it's a series it have to be one arch. I seriously think that there is only one story you can tell about one character, after that it gets repetitive.
9. POV. On this one I also trust the author. It is for him to decide how many POV the story needs.
10. I prefer a strong middle, because it is the longest part of the book. ;) But seriously I need all of them to be strong. Maybe I can tolerate a long overextended beginning if it shows a potencial of the story.
1- Third person (limited)
2- Paperback, Hardback (I don't really do ebooks or audiobooks)
3- Character focused stories
4- No, I don't care about prose
5- Basically what you said about introspective characters
6- I'm a sucker for a good romantic relationship
7- I like good description, but there is such a thing as too much description. Robert Jordan's way of doing it really worked for me.
8- Series, like every time.
9- Multiple POV
10- A strong finish, a bad ending can really ruin a book for me (Last Argument Of Kings for example)
1. I honestly don’t care which perspective my books are written in. I find them all fun. :)
2. Paperback (they’re all the same to me)>Hardcover>e-book>audiobook (audiobooks can really only enjoyed when you have the right narrator)
3. BOTH, but if I have to choose, plot or with good dialogue.
4. Prose- I don’t want to have to notice it most of the time. If your prose lets me be drawn into the story, it’s good. I like a nice flowery sentence every once in a while.
5. Why would anyone want their character to be in their head? That’s where I belong! I do agree that we can get too into a character’s head, though. I want to get into their head so I can see the world through their eyes when they act in the world. I don’t want to just be in their head for no reason.
6. Platonic ALL THE WAY
7. A nice short description is fine. I’m currently reading The Hunchback of Notredame. Victor Hugo took SEVERAL chapters to describe 15th century Paris and compare it to 19th century Paris. I don’t even know what modern Paris looks like. No thank you. It’s okay, I’m pushing though.
8. Everything!
9. Everything!
10. End, middle, start (If the ending is bad, what’s even the point? It feels like you went through all of the book for nothing. If the start isn’t that great, it’s fine, I can push through and it will get better. If the middle is bad, I might ditch the book.)
Now this video is a couple of months old but I am gonna answer it anyway, because I LOVED this interactive format of a video and reading all the comments.
1. 100% agree with Merphy. I definitely prefer 3rd person for the exact same reasons that she mentioned (incl introspection).
2. Hardcover > Audiobook > Paperback > Mass market > Ebook
3. Character focused all the way! If I don’t connect to the character, I won’t be invested in the story. If I really love the character, I just wanna hang out with them regardless of the plot.
4. The prose most oftenly won’t make or break a book for me. It can certainly elevate a story, but it rarely bothers me so much that I might dnf. If that makes sense.
5. I like a bit of introspection because I feel that it helps me connect to the person more and understand them better. But I also can’t stand it when half the book takes place in someones head. It also depends heavily on how it’s done so there are of course exceptions to this.
6. Plutonic relationships, for sure! And I am very picky about how new relationships start and how they develop. If it doesn’t feel natural, I struggle with it. Like two people meet and immediately develop a I-will-die-for-you type of relationship, I don’t buy it.
7. I NEED descriptions. I need to be able to visualize the story in my head. It doesn’t have to be super detailed but I want to be able to picture it.
8. I almost exclusively read series. If I find a world and characters that I like, I want to stay with them for more than one book. It’s the same reason why I prefer tv-series over movies. I am a dedicated, loyal person. Just let me love you for more than once book!
9. I don’t mind either way but I have a small inclination towards multiple POVs.
10. Finish > Start > Middle as well. If a great book had a sloppy ending, it will ruin the book. If a “meh” book has a strong ending, it will make the book.
1. Floppy paperback
2. Hardcover
3. Ebook
4. Audiobook
5. Regular paperback
Character over Plot
I answered them all at once...
I prefer third person. It makes me feel more connected to the story!
1.) Paperback
2.) Mass-market paperback
3.) e-book
4.) Hardback
5.) Audiobook
Character focused!! I will not care about a book if I don’t care about the characters.
I don’t care very much about prose unless I feel like it pulls me out of the story like in Dune. I do really agree with what you said about patterns though! I noticed some in the book I just finished and it drove me crazy.
I like quite a bit of introspection but I agree that it can be too much. I’ve never really thought about that before!
I care a lot about the relationships between the characters, both romantic and platonic, but romantic ones tend to bother me more often because I feel like they’re rarely done well. I generally care more about friendships, and found family relationships are my favorite!
I love atmospheric books but if there’s too much description, I will probably zone out. Definitely agree that it’s more about the feeling of the world for me than just physical description.
Probably series because I get to spend more time in stories that I love!
I think multiple POV because when it’s single I always find myself wishing I knew what the other characters are thinking/feeling.
Strong finish! Bad endings are so frustrating to me.
This was such a fun video to watch and participate with the questions as well! Since we know more about your preferences, we can recommend books that fit your style more! Hehe! -^~^-
Q1) Third is my favorite! It's much easier to read in my opinion.
Q2) So far, my favorite is ebook, hardback, paperback and then audio! Since I read mostly before bed and don't want to turn on any lights to wake anyone up, I read on a screen instead.
Q3) I used to be a plot person but now I switched since I met some characters I have really enjoyed!
Q4) I don't care about prose-- hehe but I do really enjoy "flowery/fluffy" style of writing
Q5) The characters could be introspective but I just hope they don't keep thinking the same things over and over throughout the whole book. Character development is important~
Q6) Platonic relationships all the way!!!!!!
Q7) I do love lots of description because I can visualize the book in my head and it'll help me continue the story..
Q8) Series! If I love the plot and the characters! But standalones are good for those in-between series books.
Q9) Multiple POV all the waY!! Show me different perspectives and morals!
Q10) Strong finish! Then, strong middle, and strong start.
1: I like all perspectives but third person omniscient is probably my fave.
2: Hard back, audio, soft back, mass market, digital. In that order
3: character driven but only slightly more than story
4: prose I like like to be brief and concise and convey what it needs to.
5: I like characters that spend an even time in and out of their own head but the better the character the more I enjoy Introspection.
6: I enjoy plutonic and romance but only like them if I like the characters
7: descriptions are great but.only what's necessary to convey a scene or world building
8: series, by far. I love my epics.
9: I like single pov but only if the main character outshines the others in my enjoyment of them. Otherwise I like multiple povs.
10: I like the middle and end of the stories more, but. i enjoy a good beginning almost as much from time to time. Very story dependant.
1. 3rd Person
2. Hardback(I love the feeling of holding a massive book) or e-book(for the ease).
3. Plot driven, but love a good character one too.
4. Yes, I like beautiful prose, but not too flowery. But because I'm pretty plot driven I'm totally fine with simple prose.
5. I am fine with all the introspection as long as it's done well and the character isn't annoying. That's when I love a character driven book.
6. Platonic
7. Like you I really LOVE description that gives me a specific tone of the world. Sixth of the Dusk by Sanderson did this SO well.
8. I love both! I love figuring out things as I go through series. But a good standalone is 👌. Ten Thousand Doors of January and Kingdom of Back are great fantasy stand-alones that have beautiful, but not flowery, prose, great character development, and an interesting plot.
9. All POV options!
10. Strong ending for sure. The whole book could be interesting but not great, and I will come out LOVING the book if the ending is amazing.
One of the things I've found that I love is when an author releases multiple stories set in the same universe MCU-style. It makes the world seem so massive and it's so satisfying when the penny drops.
1. I prefer third person perspective.
2. In order of preference reading/listening: paperback, Kindle, hardback, audiobook.
3. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven stories.
4. I don't think I care about prose, with the exception that things can be described way too much.
5. If I connect with the character, then the amount of introspection doesn't matter. If I don't like or can't relate to the character, I can't tolerate much introspection.
6. I prefer plutonic over romantic relationships.
7. I really enjoy a world that is well described so you get the atmosphere and environment, but still get to use your imagination. If a book describes every little detail of a scene then I don't get into it as much.
8. I prefer stand alone books to a series, but I do like a small series.
9. I prefer books with limited, but multiple POVs.
10. A strong middle portion of the book will really grab my attention, but a strong finish to the book is more satisfying. If a book ends too abruptly it will diminish the reading experience for me.
I loved this video idea and your discussion! This is the only time I've ever actually participated and put my answers in the comments.
1. I prefer third person (although I used to prefer first person).
2. Hardcover; Paperback; Audiobook; Ebook; mass market paperback
3. Character-focused
4. Prose is extremely important to me. I used to hardly notice it, but now prose is almost as important as character work for my reading experience. My preferences are fairly similar to yours.
5. It tends to depend on genre. For literary fiction, I love me some introspection. For fantasy and romance, it's not as important to me/I prefer a bit less.
6. Typically, I connect more to romantic relationships, although there are some notable exceptions (parent/child and mentor relationships, especially).
7. For fantasy, I love world-building. But I tend to dislike descriptions of scenery, architecture, and atmosphere. I get bored and have to reread multiple times for it to come to life in my head, whereas if it's not described, I'll just fill it in myself.
8. Standalones, for sure.
9. I don't really have a preference.
10. Strong middle, strong finish, strong start. If a book drags in the middle, it sours my entire reading experience.
1. I don’t have a preference for either POV
2. I don’t have a preference either so long as it’s physical (so hardback and paperback - floppy ones are the best), then mass market, then ebook, then audiobook (the hardest for me to get through for multiple reasons)
3. I’d like both character and plot, but if I had to choose I’d say character because if good characters/development is missing I just can’t connect with or be interested in the book
4. I think I care about prose? I’m not well versed in the identifier but I can definitely tell when somethings weirdly or poorly written for my taste and I can’t get through those books
5. I like my characters to be focused on their world instead of wallowing in their own thoughts (and often self pity). I like it when there’s character depth and internal struggles and all that, but if they’re not keeping their eyes on the road then they tend to annoy me haha.
6. I highly prefer platonic relationships when they’re very developed and done well! Like when there’s a friendly or sibling or familial bond that’s so deep and nearly unbreakable, that gets me. However, a lot of books I read don’t delve into these relationships as much as they could be, so I tend to prefer the romantic relationships (the ones developed well). But if I had the choice between two characters forming a deep friendship over a romantic relationship, I’d choose the friendship (even though I do enjoy a good side romance plot).
7. I like good, unique description and knowing where I am in the world or room and how it looks and how we and the characters are feeling, but it can go over the top at times and there’s just some things that DON’T need paragraphs of descriptions, like clothes lol
8. I prefer series for fantasy/sci-fi/adventure, but standalone for contemporary (which I don’t read much). There are some worlds that could definitely remain as standalones but overall I enjoy series, thought not always ones that drag over like 6 books though haha
9. I prefer single POV for some stories though others require multiple, so I guess I like both! I’d just say they both have cons: single POV: we can’t know everything that’s going with other possibly vital characters or parts of the world that we may need or want; multiple POV: sometimes authors write in too many POVs that I can’t keep track, and more often than not there’s always one or two of the POVs that I can’t stand or just don’t care to read, which really sour those characters and events for me
10. Oof this question. I guess if there’s a strong start but weak middle and end I’d feel as if I wasted my time (a weak start could make me not pick up a book at all, though the beginnings of books I have more “mercy” with ig and don’t mind if they’re not the best); a weak middle would make the story drag, and a weak ending would again feel like a waste of time. I guess I’d prefer a strong ending, because then maybe I’ll have an overall good opinion of the book and may continue on with the next one if it’s a series. Though I have to stay a strong middle is right behind it lol
This is a really enjoyable video, thank you. Hope you're ready for lots of words (sorry!)
If i have a choice, I prefer first person limited, as, personally, I prefer the way it creates unique forms of world building. Instead of just an overarching narrator telling you about the world or its lore/universe, you get to experience the character discovering it themselves. I especially love multi-POV first person limited, as it can explore how person experience/station/culture can effect ones worldview in really intriguing ways. This obviously means I prefer character over plot, though "both" is good.
As for format preference:
1. Paperback - Floppiness is the best
2. Ebook - These hard times have made me appreciate how easy ebooks make the acquisition of books. No waiting for it to get delivered, no heading into the fray, just pop in to your online bookstore of choice and/or digital library, pick a book, wait for it to download, then start reading
3. Hardcover - They just feel so big. Also, they never look right with the rest of my collection (I realize this is self-fulfilling prophecy, as if I keep getting paperbacks, of course the hardcovers are going to look weird with them)
4. Mass Market - i got the big hands, so reading a tiny book can become cumbersome. This is especially problematic with the thicc bois, as the dimensions just make it so annoying.
5. Audiobook - With my anxiety, my mind is always thinking about a million things at once, so unless I'm physically taking part in the act of staring at the words, it can be difficult to focus on the narrative question.
3:33
i like paperback too! but in some books, the hardcover edition's cover looks adorable ♥️
1) 3rd person perspective - 1st one limits the view of only 1 character, 3rd person view grants view on the world from multiple perspectives, fleshes more characters.
2) 1. Hardback, 2. Paperback (floppy ones), 3. E-book, 4. Audiobook
3) Plot driven story (although it needs to be character focused as well)
4)I feel like prose is just not for me :/
5) I like when characters are defined by their actions, when author shows their personality and their identity, not just describes it and feed it to me, I want to see it for myself, decide if the character is good or bad in my eyes etc.
6) I prefer platonic relationships over romantic ones. Books (at least the ones I read) lack that, I haven't seen that many good friendships between characters, especially between opposite genders, its mostly romantic relationship that I didn't ask for and certainly was avoidable (as in, could be left out). But I like good romance relationships too from time to time, just that there aren't that of unique ones left, it gets too much and too repetitive at times.
7) I prefer when books are not that descriptive, it drags pace for me. The book can be not that thick and very descriptive, pace will drag for me a lot. I like when there are more dialogues and interactions between characters. Things could be explained by moving on, example, magic systems, not just by multiple page long descriptions. However, descriptions are needed to flesh out the world more, but too much is too much.
8) Probably series over standalones, especially if I fell in love in this one world that I want to know more, come back to my favorite characters. Sometimes standalones are so good that they do not require more, it starts to ruin it for me.
9) Multiple POV over single POV, however, if there are too many POV's, I will not care that much for all of them, like in Game of Thrones, I basically care only about 3 characters and it makes me want to wait for their turn. Draconis Memoria trilogy by Anthony Ryan only has 3 POV's (4th POV is added starting book 2) and it was the perfect amount for me. It wasn't too much for me, it gave a chance to flesh out each character and make them distinct from one another.
10) Strong finish, build up being stronger and stronger by each book and part of the book. Ending is the part that stays with me the most when it comes to stories, so I would prefer to have good, memorable and satisfying ending.
My preferences:
1) Perspective. Honestly, I can grasp both. 1st person is a lot more "personal" which helps me empathize with character more. But that only works if the character is likeable. If they are not, 1st person ruins it for me even more. 3rd person works better with world-building and storytelling, because we don't see the world through character's eyes directly. The character doesn't have to be present in every scene. Also, being able to see the story more objectively and with our own eyes if the character doesn't filter it all for us, as you already said. I suppose I prefer 3rd person slightly more, but honestly - there are tropes that work only in 1st person for me, and I'm glad when they are, especially if highly psychological.
2) Formats. Ugh. I prefer audiobooks, mainly because they allow me to do something else with my hands while I read, and that helps me focus. It only works with stories I'm more or less familiar with or with not too many characters (in these cases I prefer paperback or ebook). I find hardbacks quite hard to hold, tho they look and feel fancy.
PS You sound quite enthusiastic when you talk about breaking spines :P
3) Character vs plot-focused: Character. Character development and complexity often makes or breaks book for me. Plot needs to be REALLY good for me to enjoy it without it. Tho character development is often intertwined with plot, and that is what makes sense to me most, and what I enjoy most.
4) Prose. I prefer shorter sentences. And not over-explanation. Basically, yes, if something can be said in one short sentence, do that. And yes, shorter sentences can be done without repeating the same structure, it goes on my nerves too.
5) Introspection. I'm fine with it, especially if it fits the story. It can help get to know character better, but I don't like all the narrative being introspection either. Small bits of it are nice tho.
6) Relationships. I prefer platonic. Beautifully written friendships are amazing and can "get" me even if I don't enjoy the plot too much. I'm fine with some romance - but it often bores me, especially if it's TOO romantic, as I am quite disinterested in romance. I do enjoy good friends to lovers trope sometimes.
7) Description. I usually dislike it. But I guess it can depend on the way the description is done. If it's done in a non-monotonous tone, I can enjoy it - especially since the background is often important for knowing what is happening. Description can be done well, especially if the tone matched the feeling we are supposed to get from the scenery. Usually, I don't care much about what the characters are wearing.
8) Series vs standalone. Greatly depends on the book. Usually series, but series is far easier to mess up, especially with the middle books. Staying with the characters I know and love already does give me some comfort, and that is why series are dear to me. I do sometimes get bored and not finish them, and then I have to re-read them completely because I forgot what happened. That's irritating.
9) Single vs multiple POV. Usually single. Multiple POV can really make me overly confused, tho I do enjoy some aspects of multiple POV as well, mainly the fact that we can see the situation from many angles and can be at more places.
10) Strong beginning vs middle vs finish. Honestly, I don't have a preference on this. I do care least about the middle, and strong beginning is something I need to even get me INTO the story. Strong finish does make a great impact, and rushed ending can make me greatly disappointed.
1. 3rd person
2. Trade paper, hardback, audio, ebook
3. Yes, break'em
4. Both but...lol...Character...but a nice easy plot like in a thriller is great between heavy Character driven books.
5. Yes yes yes I love really good prose (which i learned about through you) but for a palate cleanser, easy writing is ok.
6. Limited introspection (i really felt this in Rebecca)
7. Prefer friendships because I'm picky on my romances and it's hard to find one I really like.
8. I like good description but not overdone. I like being able to "see" the scene and good desc helps me.
9. Standalone, but short series (minus Sanderson lol)
10. Multi pov but I'm ok with either
11. Definitely strong finish, then strong start.
I'm sure Merphy would love an audiobook with a Parshendi narrator considering they change their rhythms so much.
My preferences:
- Perspective: 3rd person
- Format: Audiobooks... (I don't really read, I mostly listen, while working...)
- Character vs plot: Character
- Prose: I like it when it's either fun(eg. Expeditionary Force) or important detail presented artistically(eg. Stormlight Archive), I hate it when it's used to slow down time in the book, (eg. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars)
- Character introspection: I don't have a problem with that.
- Relationships: I like deep relationships, unless... unless it's a type that defies nature... (That's when I stop caring about what happens to the characters and return the book...)
- Lot of description: Yes please! I wanna know how everything works, I'm an engineer, it's fascinating... :D
- Standalone or series: Long series...
- Single/multiple POV: Multiple! I really like how Sanderson wrote the same story at the beginning of each Stormlight book, from multiple POV.
- Strong start/middle/finish: ALL :D
0:48 third person limited.
3:33 I prefer floppy paperbacks also. Sleeves and sturdy books that I have to keep open with full bicep strength are my pet peeve.
7:28 Character focused all the way, but I do need some kind of 'direction' for the story.
9:22 Not too poetic and flowery, but I do appreciate a well-written metaphor or analogy.
13:24 Minimal introspection.
14:59 Platonic, but I can appreciate a romance that is written as part of the plot and not a distraction from it.
16:15 I really like description that does multiple things: "Her red blouse caught on one of the branches of the dense forest. She yanked herself free and sprinted through a bush, leaving one of her black loafers -- passed on from her grandma -- to be swallowed by quicksand."
That may have been a really bad example, but it basically combines setting description with clothes description and sentiment in a few short sentences without halting the action. I don't like it when an author stops to describe every single element separately, especially if most of the details described aren't even relevant to the scene.
18:28 Series for fantasy and sci-fi, otherwise stand-alones.
19:38 Multiple POV
20:16 I think a strong middle is most important for me because this is usually where most stories fall flat I think. I remember reading a book (Looking for Alaska) where I got hooked by the middle and the beginning only clicked once I read the end. Seeing is done that way completely changed my preference. I call it the Re-Hook. John Green is very good at it.
For the rest of the questions:
2. Hmm... Hardcover, MM, paperback, ebook, audio. But not strong preferences! It's nice to have options! 😆 Stiff UK spines.
3. I'm a plot girl. BUT a plot-driven book with strong characters!! 🤩
4. Yes!! I notice patterns and repetitions and it's distracting! Especially if it's a phrase that stands out as unique or interesting the first time. I'm pretty tolerant of flowery prose as long as it feels intelligent, if that makes sense? And lengthy descriptions... Tolkien can get away with too much detail, as can Victor Hugo. But a random cozy mystery author? Probably not.
5. Totally depends on the writing skill, I think.
6. Well done platonic relationships are so much more relatable! After all, most of us are only in one romantic relationship at a time, but friendships...
7. I have a soft spot for books that get into detail about certain aspects of the setting or unique plot elements. For instance, a book that delves into the medical properties of plants instead of just telling us the character is an herbalist. 😍 I read a Nora Roberts book at the behest of my sister, and I can't remember a thing about the plot, but I remember that the main character trained search and rescue dogs and THOSE parts were super interesting!!
7. Same!
8. If there are multiple povs, I just really need the author to make it obvious who is "talking."
9. Finish! Same!
And this is such a fun tag idea. Awesome way to get people interacting in comments!
Part 1 of my answers:
1. I choose Third person for the fact that an omniscient narrator can suddenly become a First Person narrator for ANY of the characters in the story. It may be in 3rd person grammatically, but these narrators can explain what's happening in a scene by suddenly "becoming" the main character's thoughts (or any other character's). It's something that happens A LOT in stories and most people don't realize it. A 3rd person omniscient narrator can change from a 3rd person "knows-everything" point of view, to suddenly be the protagonist's (restricted) view by showing what the situation makes them think and realize. It happens a lot in Harry Potter, sometimes the narrator is omniscient when describing a scene or background, but then it switches to Harry's POV without actually changing to 1st Person grammatically. The 3rd person narrator leaves much more freedom and possibilities for narrating a story, it can change from omniscient to restricted very naturally so as to keep things consistent and not revealing too much to the reader. If you choose 1st person, then there's immediately absolute restriction to the story's POV, and the chances of the POV changing to another character's (without the protagonist being there) are very slim.
2. I can't "hear" a book with audio, I just can't. When I read a book, I imagine the narrator's and characters' voices in the way I would like them to sound. Suddenly hearing what's supposed to be a little girl character with the voice of a 50 year old man completely breaks the immersion for me. Voice narrators also put their own tones during narration when it comes to giving an atmosphere for a scene, whether is suspenseful or dramatic, but voice-acting and narrating is kinda like art: It's subjective. What the narrator thinks sounds "suspenseful" to them, may actually come out as goofy or exaggerated to me. It ruins the mood. Now in the case of Hardback or Paperback I don't really care. Of course if a had both options I would most likely choose Paperback for being cheaper, but when Hardback is the only option available in the store then I would buy it either way. Both paper and hard covers are on the same pedestal for me. About e-books... I enjoy them just fine, they really are like reading a regular book, but the fact that they are basically a bunch of codes, it means that when the technology dies, so does the book, and it can never return. If I really like a book or series, I want to have them in physical form, a form that will last a very long time. And even if it deteriorates, the text would still be legible. That's impossible with e-books: If the electronic device dies, so do its e-books.
3. I can't get into any sort of story unless the characters are interesting. It's my personal preference, I need to care for the characters (especially the protagonist) if you want to get me invested in a story. If a story has an interesting plot, but the characters are annoying and/or bland, then there's no way I'll get into it.
4. I don't get what's the problem with prose. Prose is the most used form of literature nowadays, and it gives a more natural feel to a story. I can't read a story when it's written like a poem with a metrical structure, that's distracting and VERY HARD to understand what it's trying to say. So many classics from centuries ago are written in metrical structures, and I can't stand them, it feels unnatural. Stories written like poems feel like they're trying too hard to look sophisticated, instead of actually telling a good story. There's nothing wrong with prose, what's important is to know how to write it well. If you think prose is the reason some authors write very badly then you have to stop blaming their decisions on one single medium. There's good prose and there's bad prose, that's it.
5. Same as Merphy here. It depends. A character can be too introspective, and others can be not introspective enough. The author has to use what's necessary for what they're trying to achieve.
Ok.
1. I like 3rd person best as well. Total agreement with you here
2. I like paperbacks, mass-market paperbacks, and hardbacks about equally when it comes to novels. However, when it comes to nonfiction books I usually like hardback. I have found a lot of success with audiobooks when I’m busy and can’t read unless I’m driving or working. I’ve never used an ebook
3. I like plot based best, I think
4. I think we are again in agreement here. But I haven’t thought about it much. I like the way Michael Crichton writes.
5. I honestly had never thought about this. I think I like less introspection
6. I want a nice mix of both.
7. Again, Crichton is my go-to. I want to be able to picture what’s going on in my head, but sometimes it’s over the top and I don’t like that.
8. Very much depends on my mood.
9. I like it when things flip around better, I think
10. Ends are best. I rank end, start, middle. I can slog through a dull middle if I liked the beginning and I will love it if it ends great
1. Paperback
2. E-book
3. Mass-market paperback
4. Hardcover
5. Audio book
I also definitely agree that the more flop the better!
Perspective: Third person
Format: trade paperback for the win! (the ones that are hardback size)
1. Trade Paperback
2. Hardback
3. ebook & audiobook
4. mass market paperback
Plot: Plot-based, but I do still need to like the characters
Prose: I like a little prosey-prose but you're going to lose me if it takes over and buries the plot.
Introspective: I love a self-aware character!
Relationships: Honest, sensibly paced. Romantic or not doesn't matter so much.
Description: Give me what I need when I need it ad make it interesting to read, otherwise no thanks. Don't use description to bump the word count.
Standalone vs. Series: Standalone to try a new author, series once I find one I like.
POV: 1-3 is usually fine with me, 4+ approaches being too many depending on how well it's done, 6+ is too many no matter who wrote it.
Strong Start, Middle or Finish: All? All. All is good. (But if I have to pick, a weak start will make me consider DNFing.)
Perspective: (very specifically) alternating, subjective third person limited
Format: it depends. Some stories were meant to be read, some were meant to be heard. I think ebooks are most comfortable for reading in bed; paperback for when I want to annotate the book. Audiobook when I LOVE the audiobook narrator. And I love audiobook for re-reading books.
Focus: my ultimate philosophy is this - a book can have an amazingly explosive plot, but it ultimately means nothing if I don't care about the characters. I need to love the characters and want to see them survive and succeed in order for a giant plot to actually mean anything. Character focus, but also the plot to go with it.
Prose: I LOVE beautiful prose, but it's not my default. As long as an author uses proper grammar, I don't notice a lack of beautiful prose.
Introspection: I like a balance. It should serve as character development and such, but I don't like it when an author uses introspection as an excuse to jus "tell" and not "show" the audience about the characters' personality and past.
Relationships: both as long as they're not cliched and actually make sense. Bonus points for enemies-to-lovers
Descriptions: I like lots of descriptions but with a purpose. Creating an ambiance, tone, making the world feel lived in, etc. are great. I don't need to know about the town's sewer system unless the characters are living there.
Series: Series, please. But there is something really beautiful about being able to tell a compelling story that rips your heart out and all the while you're reading you know this book is IT.
POV: Alternating POV. I like it to be limited to one character at a time but alternate which character we're limited to.
Strong Finish: a book can open up weakly but still have a great end. It can all come together, the puzzle pieces can all be set perfectly by the end even though they seemed messy at the beginning.
1. Perspective - I think I prefer first person. I really like third person limited as well. Either or. I like to write in first person a lot more than I like to write in third person limited, though.
2. Format - hardback, e-book, audio book
3. Character focused.
4. I've actually never really thought about prose. I think I would prefer a medium amount, but if I had to choose, probably less.
5. I am okay with super introspective characters, especially when the character talks about other characters and you can see their opinions on those characters and other things. However, too much introspection without coming back up into the real world will annoy me.
6. I love a really good friendship or a really good family dynamic, but, usually, if a book doesn't have romance, I will get really sad about it and may not pick it up. Even if it's just a little bit of romance, I will be satisfied. I want a relationship to root for. That being said, I want more than just the romantic relationship. Friendships and family dynamics are just as important.
7. I like to know a world and a magic system really well, but I don't need an ample amount of description about clothes and buildings.
8. I don't have a preference, but I hate it when there's one point of view that I hate and just have to skim through it.
9. I agree with you. A strong finish is the most important thing, and then a strong start. If the beginning is not strong, I will put it down. I have put down books after the first hundred pages because they just weren't strong. If I'm already halfway through a book and the middle isn't super strong, I will push through it because I have already put so much time into reading it.
Format:
1. e-Reader. So convenient.
2. Trade Paperback. "Floppy" but still big and easy to read.
3. Hardcover. Still can prop it up in my lap and read but less maneuverable.
4. Mass market paperback. Try to avoid at all costs. Too small.
5. Audiobook. I can't listen to a book. I have to read it in my head voice, or it just won't stick.
1. Perspective: No real preference, mostly depends on the book. First person can be fantastic as it lets you really get to know and feel for a character which is necessary for some stories (NotW, for example), but I feel like it's riskier than third person to pull off.
2. Format: Paperback > Hardback > Ebook > Audiobook > Mass Market (I hate mass markets). I encounter the same issue where I often miss things in audiobooks because I'll start thinking about something else and stop paying attention, so I can't usually read fantasy books I haven't read before in audio, but I do love the convenience, and find it helps me get through slower books or ones I think I'd get bored with if I was reading in print.
3. Character or Plot: Character, all the way. I can love a book with great characters but mediocre plot, but I almost never feel attached to books with a great plot but mediocre characters.
4. Prose: Don't usually care about it unless particularly bad or particularly good.
5. Introspection: I like it but it needs to be balanced with other things, it can't be all you ever get from that character.
6. Relationships: Platonic, 100%. I don't care a whole lot about romance, but platonic relationships WILL make or break a story for me. A book that doesn't have solid interesting platonic relationships will almost certainly not be a favourite. Found family is my absolute favourite trope.
7. Description: Depends heavily on the author, but I tend to not like over-describing.
8. Standalones or series: I don't have much of a preference. I appreciate that a good standalone can tell a complete story in one book, and I like that you never have to worry about it getting ruined for you by later entries that may not be as good. But, I like that series allow you explore much larger scale stories and spend more time with certain characters and worlds.
9. POV: Again no preference, it depends mostly on the story. Single POV runs the risk of ruining a book if you don't like the character you are following, but multiple POV runs the risk off being too confusing, and some of the characters blending together and not having distinct voices.
10. Beginning vs Middle vs End: For me, strong ending > strong middle > strong beginning. Execution of the ending is often what governs my lasting impressions of a book (since it's what I usually remember most). Having a strong ending is much more likely to make me want to continue a series as well, even if i thought the beginning and middle were weaker (Rage of Dragons is a great example of this for me). Middle is next because if the middle is boring, I'll be less inclined to continue to pick the book up and it can take me ages to finish (or I just never do). After the ending, how well the middle was done is what most determines my overall feelings towards a book. Weak or slower beginnings I can easily forgive - especially in fantasy books. It often takes a while to set up the world, plot and characters and so even if a beginning is slow I can usually push through knowing things will likely eventually pick up.
Favorite Perspective: 3rd, limited
Format: Physical Book (Floppy over hard for ease of holding), Audio, E-book
Character vs plot: Really depends on the story, but I think I tend to enjoy the more character driven stories more.
Prose: I... have never actually thought about this and the only thing I can think is that I love a good, weird simile. Some of my favorite recently read prose has been Martha Wells in the Murderbot books and Tamsyn Muir in the Locked Tomb books
Introspection: Depends on the story, but I tend to like when the introspection is limited and peppered around the whole book.
Relationships: Yes, please. Romantic, friendships, friemeies, ememies, familial... don't care, I will take them all, as long as they are interesting, well developed and make me feel things.
Descriptions: I like having enough to get my brain heading in the right direction so that I can fill in the rest on my own. I do not need 16 pages describing trees and rocks and sand down to the cell struture.
Standalone or Series: Series, expecially when there are characters I love.
POV: Multiple POV
The Sections ranked: Strong finish, strong start, strong middle
My preferences:
• I like both perspectives, it really depends on the book.
• I think paperbacks are easier to hold and read (and carry). When I hold a paperback I feel more emersed almost than hardbacks. Than I like hardbacks, than e-books and lastly audiobooks.
• Character focused books too! I feel like even if the world is super cool and interesting if I don't care about the characters, the book feels like it's missing something.
•Yes! I care about prose a lot. I like it to feel intentional too! When I notice that the author repeats a word over and over everytime I see it I get pulled out of the story.
•Again, to me introspection depends on the book. Usually in fantasy books I don't love it, but if it's an evil or morally complex character I love getting to see the depths of their mind.
• I love both relationships. But nothing gets me more attached than a strong friend group or family too! However I do think I love reading about romantic and platonic equally.
• I like descriptions, but too flowery makes me loose interest more easily. I like to be able to form a clear image of the setting and the tone as well!
• I prefer standalones, even though I mostly read series, I just love when a story comes to an end beautifully, and that happens faster in standalones.
• Multiple POVs! I love getting more than one line of the story, especially in fantasy books. It makes the world feel broader.
•I like a strong finish, because when the ending sucks it feels like reading the book was a waste. Than comes the middle and than the start. I don't mind things escalating slowly.
This was way too long, sorry Merph! Loved the video ❤️
For description, the more detail the better. I love all the nitty gritty, appendices, maps...everything, LOtR, death gate cycle, anything by Isaac Asimov etc
Perspective - 3rd person. Although I've actually read a couple of books that are mixed 3rd person and 1st that I really enjoyed because the change switched it up and gave a different view of the world.
Format - 1. Big paperbacks yes!! 2. EBook 3. Audiobook for my fav. books
Character vs. Plot - I want both but love having plot ease off for a while to focus on character development or have a book or two in a series focus on character with "filler" books.
Prose - I love beautiful and detailed prose. Tolkien, Jordan and Sanderson are my heroes. Also Scott Lynch is a god.
I like introspection and being in characters heads - if its a good character who's going through a lot. I love characters who think philosophically and can make me think.
Relationship - BROMANCE ALL THE WAY. Healthy romances are also great. 5-man bands who are like families.
Description - yeah Robert Jordan fan here. Describe and info dump away.
Series - I love a world I want to stay in it. Give me more.
POV - multiple POVs. It just builds the world so much more.
Strong start - if a book doesn't grab me in the first 10 pages I find it really hard to continue. Also I've found I dont mind weak endings that dont tie up all loose ends because then I can finish stories/plotlines in my head.
I totally get your feelings on stand-alones. It feels so good to finish a stand-alone(and there’s less post-book depression). I also think there’s a definite skill required to contain a thorough story with intricate themes in one book rather than a giant epic.
1. Perspective - 1st or 3rd, depends what type of book it is. For example it tends to be with urban fantasy I prefer 1st person, with YA/children's I prefer 3rd. So long as it's well-written I don't pay much attention.
2. Format - e-book (I find them easier to read on screen, you can also search them and access them anywhere) and then audiobook. I can be picky about what types of books and narrators I like to listen to, so those I love I would rather have the audiobook but for the majority I go for ebook.
3. Character focused but I still need a decent plot
4. I don't care about prose unless it's really bad or really good
5. Small amount of introspection is great (especially if there's trauma or a hero is uncertain they can complete their quest etc) but I don't like too much or if it feels too direct because that doesn't seem realistic - sometimes the smallest actions can show a character's state of mind without the need for paragraphs of internal monologue.
6. Relationships - I like romance but I also just like good banter, some tension, a sweet moment or two - if this comes from romance or a found family, I'm happy either way. My problem comes if my expectations don't match what I get from the book - if I think there will be a romance and there isn't or an author gives us a romance but it comes out of nowhere.
7. Description - I need to be able to picture important parts but too much description and I will skip over it.
8. Series or standalone - no preference so long as I'm satisfied by the story. Sometimes standalone is better written and doesn't drag on for too long like a series can but if I like a world then I'll usually want a series. If I have to pick then I'll go series.
9. POV depends what type of book, although I don't think I'd like multiple POV for 1st person narrative - does that even exist? Quick urban fantasy I prefer single POV, epic fantasy then I love multiple POV but not too many.
10. If it doesn't have a strong beginning or middle then I might DNF but I guess I would have to pick strong ending because I'm invested by that point and a bad ending is the worst
1. Paper Backs
2. Mass Market Paperback
3. E-BOOKS
4. HARDCOVER
5. Adiobooks. I havent explored it very much.
Perspective: Third Person Omniscient
Format: really all over the place... for different reasons
Plot Focused
Prose? Less flowery, but I like extra info.
Introspective? Not necessarily either way, but mainly to give the reasons for certain decisions.
Relationships: Platonic
Description: characters tons, clothing only if it matters to the author, especially if they expect a movie adaptation. Environment: especially for the unique locations... I don't care about lots of details about commonplace things.
Standalone/Series: Series
POV: Multiple
Strong part: finish
1. I don't really have a strong preference on perspectives, but if I have to choose I'd pick third person.
2. Audiobooks! hands down! audiobook > paperback > ebook > hardback. In the past few years I can't focus on physically reading. I always have to do something with my hands to be able to concentrate and audiobooks grant me that.
3. I like plot focused books more.
4. I'm more in the middle I guess.
5. I don't want my characters to be too introspective.
6. I really don't care about romance anymore. I typically don't reach out for romance centric books anymore because of it. I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to.
7. If it's too info dumpy I don't want it
8. I prefer series, but I do love a good story wrapped up nicely in one book.
9. Multiple POVs
10. A strong finish to make trudging through a rough start and middle worth it. When you start off with a banging start there's nowhere else to go but down
My preferences
1. 1st person
(Third person sometimes feels to distant.)
2. E-reader, hardback, audio, paperback
(My kindle influenced my decision)
3. Character focused stories
(The plot can be a simple get to point b, but if the characters are complex, I will be there for the ride.)
4. Don't care for prose.
(They can write like Dr. Suess as long as the story is good)
5.i have a limit as well but only in extremes.
(Introspection is good, but if a character is depressed or overly happy, it becomes annoying)
6. Platonic please. I've grown tired of everything having to be romantic.
(Maybe because I'm jaded, but I want more best friends and enemies to friends relationships over romance ones)
7. Keep it simple for descriptions, unless it's for atmosphere and tension.
(I will skip descriptions if I think they are too much)
8. Series.
(I want to stay with the characters I just followed for how many pages now)
9. It's a case by case for pov for me.
(No preference, some stories need more than one pov and others only need one.)
10. Strong middle, end, start.
( a good premise will get me past the bad start, it's the middle that keeps me.)
1- 3rd person limited
2- hardcover for most fantasy, paperback for romance and literary fiction, but pls never mass market paperbacks. I absolutely love audiobooks no matter what though
3- I think I’m more of a plot reader? I easily get attached to most characters no matter what but I need a solid plot to do so
4- I don’t really care if the plot is tight and fast, but I’ll read a book with indulgent prose without plot or characters if it has a great atmosphere
5- introspection doesn’t bother me
6- I love both platonic and romantic relationships in books but usually lean more towards romance
7- love love love descriptive books. Clothing, environment, all of it
8- I love both standalones and series. Series I enjoy how much time we spend in the world but sometimes it’s hard when a new book comes out and you feel like you have to reread all the previous books before the new one
9- multiple POVs
10- strong finish definitely. The ending can totally make the entire book for me. Books have gone up from 3 to 4 or 4 to 5 stars with good endings
1) Third.
2) Any paper, then audiobooks, then ebooks.
3) Always plot. I don't care much about characters.
4) It has to be simple and with purpose. It may be dry as a desert as long as it does the job.
5) I don't usually mind staying inside character's head if the inner monologue serves a purpose of driving the plot and ideas.
6) Absolutely no kind of romance is allowed for me to fully enjoy a book. If I wanted a romance, I would buy a romance.
7) If it serves a purpose of properly explaining the need-to-know of a world then yes, I'm ok with pages and pages of descriptions.
8) Standalones. I want to read about different things, stories and ideas.
9) Whatever as long as it isn't switching too often that it's confusing and hard to keep track of.
10) A bad ending can make me mad. If I made it to that point it has to be good.
My format preferences in order -
1st - eReader, specifically Kindle
2nd - Audiobooks
3rd - Hardback
4th - Paperback
Here are my own answers:
1. I've had very mixed feelings about perspective but as I'm reading Dracula by Bram Stoker, I realise that I do appreciate reading how different characters are feeling, it gives such varying viewpoints of the same story, really widening the perspective.
2. I love hardback books for quite shallow reasons: I have found that they keep in better condition and they look so amazing on my shelves. I am very artistic so aesthetics are important to me, I love seeing the beautiful hardback books in my bookcases. I don't like paperbacks as much because mine tend to get damaged quickly (especially the spine, I often get pages fall out!) I equally love audiobooks because they sometimes help me get into a book that I couldn't read via the physical book and they allow me to read while I'm out walking/cleaning/washing up etc. I don't comprehend as well as with an actual physical book but if I really love the audiobook then I go out and get the physical book for a great, thorough re read.
3. I have to say that I do prefer that a book is both character and plot focused. I think that creates the best books. But most of all I like depth in these two things.
4. Prose is so important to me. I used to write poetry and so I love words (I'm quite the wordsmith). Prose really captures me. I love 'flowery' poetry style prose but it should be short. A page of one small tiny detail feels too much like babbling (many male Victorian authors were guilty of this). I do like an author to get to the point. One sentence perfectly worded is more than enough for e.g. describing the sunset. I love Neil Gaiman's and Charlotte Bronte's prose.
5. I do love descriptions but I don't want them to be too long as again it can feel unrealistic and can get too far into waffling territory. The worst is Victor Hugo who can spend up to 50 pages to get to the point (e.g. non stop descriptions of Parisian architecture in the Hunchback of Notre Dame novel) and also Charles Dickens books.
6. I prefer standalones as right now I am a slow reader (I never used to be) and a series could take me so many months to get through.
7. I'm a very deep person, depth is so important for me and I feel that a multiple POV gives so much more depth to the story.
8. Ideally I would prefer a strong start and finish but if I had to choose I would say a strong start. Without a strong start it is hard to be motivated to read a book. A great example of this is Dracula by Bram Stoker. I tried to read the physical book but the start of the book was not drawing me into the story so it wasn't long before I gave up, thinking that the rest of the book would go along the same way. But I thought I would just listen to a few chapters on an audiobook via Librivox. I am now on chapter 12 and absolutely loving it.
1. Generally prefer 3rd person.
2. Not a strong preference between paperback and hardcover as a rule. Definitely prefer physical books to audio-books; I retain more reading than listening. Haven't really tried e-books.
3. Characters or plot? I care about theme above all, prose after that. I guess, I prefer characters over plot, but place those concerns after theme and prose.
4. I love great prose. It can really elevate a work.
5. Amen. There's a balance.
6. Also prefer platonic relationships.
7. I'm not a very visual reader. I love beautiful prose, but it does more good to me describing ideas, feelings, etc. - not the physical environs.
8. I prefer standalones, hands down. Lower barrier to entry. Doesn't monopolize my time - especially because I'm a completionist. There's so much else to read!
9. I enjoy shifting POVs - though it's certainly not a requirement
10. In order of decreasing preference: Strong middle, strong finish, strong start
My preference:
1. Third person definitely. Have read some series where I tolerated it because the story was good enough, but it always takes me out, because I often don’t agree with the person who’s head we are in.
2. Hard coverts and paperbacks - physical books are equally good and preferred (paperbacks are easier for travel). Audiobooks- I haven’t gone through an audiobook I liked. Don’t know whether it is the books or the medium. Some books I would definitely only read (e.g. Pratchett where reflecting on what one just read is precious). Have never read an e-book.
3. As long one of them is good and the other isn’t terrible. I would even venture to say, that the mood and the messages (or what it says about our world) in the books are even more important to me than the plot and characters.
4. Prose can give an interesting experience. Some needs getting used to, but it usually just gives a certain flavor to a story. Bad prose is a killer. Repetition can be annoying but also intentional- so if an author uses it for something, it is ok.
5. Introspection - depends. I hate having to wallowing in one persons own personhood, especially when that character isn’t able to remove themself at any time and think about how other people are.
6. Platonic relationships, preferably. One can do so much more with them that isn’t annoying than with a romance. Sometimes romances just seem shoehorned in and those a really annoying.
7. Descriptions - if you can do the same with less, then I respect your writing more. One can also go wrong with descriptions- if they e.g. are very repetitive or off (contradictory or feels cliche/flat)
8. I have no preference to whether it should be a series or stand alone. Both are good. Hangovers are real though.
9. Prefer multiple POV, but single POV are fine as well.
10. Ending-start-middle as you. I don’t quit, and a good ending can remediate a bad start and middle.
1) My favorite preference if 3rd person limited as-well
2) I like all mediums but I tend to retain Physical copies the best, so more thank likely the order would be: 1) Hardcover 2) Paperback 3) Audio 4) Mass Market 5) E-books.
3) I prefer a character driven story because I want to know how the plot affects the character and person. Like it is not against the idea of plot driven books but I want to be able to feel and attempt to relate to the characters, causing a self-examination of myself in some ways and change perspectives.
4) I still have trouble deciphering prose and no prose because, I get so invested in the story that (unless something completely out of the blue happens) I blur the lines. I enjoy intense prose depending on the author if that makes sense.
5) 60/40 leaning more towards introspective. It allows me to see and understand people on a different levels.
6) I am a person who doesn't invest in a book for relationships but if they are in there I will following them. So could care less but still intrigues me if structured well.
7) I like description but there is a limit. Like I enjoy immersion but I would love some ambiguity so if can imagine certain points to my degree. But that is probably the creative in me that wants to fuse me and the author together a bit.
8) No Preference because both are great.
9) Multiple POV when it changes every x amount of chapters
10) It's a tie between Strong Start and Strong Finish. I like slow starts and cliffhangers...however, if the beginning is very bland and flavorless only to have the end be called out in the beginning (I.E. Scarlet Letter to some degree because I actually enjoy the book but the predictability of the book drew me out for 90% of the book 'til the woods section near the end).
Ok, so here goes a very very long comment;
- Perspective: First person past omnipotent.
Hum. So. Let me explain. The best example would probably be The name of the wind; a character is telling a story, but already knows where it will go, and comments on it (when I remembered that later ... I wish I had known ... etc.), sometimes even goes into third person as an observer looking at their life. It gives me that cozy feeling (even if the story is far from cozy) of listening to a stranger sitting by a fireplace on a winter night. I also love when a first person narrator tells a third person story in the same way (Brothers Karamazov does it masterfully). And I cannot stand first person in present tense. I have already put books down because of that.
- Format:
1. Hardback - feels luxurious, is durable. Costs a lot more, but is worth it.
2. Paperback - whichever one. It gets ruined pretty quickly, but is pretty cheap. The format I own the most books in.
3. Audiobook - I started listening to them just recently, but like them. Good when you're too busy to read or are driving.
4. E-book - somehow, I just cannot read e-books. I need to smell my reading material. ssssmmmmeeelllllll
- Character vs plot:
I had a hard time deciding about that one. At the end, my choice is not really something I prefer, but what bugs me more when done badly. And the answer is plot. I can forgive weaker characters, but a weak plot ... meh. Not meaning it has to be fast-paced (please let it be slow paced) or traditionally structured. Or even structured. But if it's rushed, or predictable, or takes weird turns and skips over the wrong stuff ... meh.
- Prose: YES
Give me flowery descriptions. Give me metaphors. Give me poetry. The city of dreaming books. The slow regard of silent things. Ivan Cankar. GIVE IT TO ME.
- Introspective: very?
I mean, I adore Dostoevsky.
- Relationships:
Platonic all the way. One of my friends cannot believe that I don't care about ships at all. But, just, I don't. But thinking what characters would get along? Having them finally meet? Reading of strong friendships? Having those friendships develop? YES. Even in the romantic relationships I prefer the friendship-like ones.
-Description:
The atmosphere. I often have hard time imagining things if they are described in too much detail (looking at you, WOT) or not at all. But if the atmosphere is strong enough to make me step into the world, that book will probably be one of my favorites. Name of the wind is perfect perfect perfect in doing just that.
- Standalones/series:
I guess series. Standalones oftentimes feel like they were too short to tell all they wanted to tell. Ironically, my favorite book, The city of dreaming books, is a standalone.
- POV:
So, this is a bit strange due to my previously stated preference for first person, but I just love multiple POV. I love getting to know and really understand lots and lots and lots ... and lots of characters with different ideals, morals, goals, and getting to see how other characters see those characters ... (thank god for auto correct since I never spell charachters right)
- One strong part: Finish.
1. Third person but I like second a lot when it's used.
2. Paperbacks generally but hardcover for display
3. Character but there still needs to be plot to interest me
4. Yes, if I connect with the writing style, I connect with the book.
5. Absolutely!
6. Platonic relationships, definitely. But I do really enjoy friends-to-lovers and enemies to lovers (done well!).
7. Depends on how interesting the author writes it
8. Series, but I love a good standalone.
9. I'm ok with both TBH, but I think multiple?
10. All three haha
"Which perspective is your favourite?"
Third person all the way, although I do not mind first och second person.
"Which format is your favourite?"
Probably hardback, because I like the feeling of it. Then paperback, e-book and lastly audiobook, because I simply can't listen to somebody reading; I WILL fall asleep or at the very least lose my concentration.
"Do you prefer a character or plot focused book?"
Definitely a character focused book, since I am in love with human psychology in general and find it very interesting to see how far people will develop their characters and see if the choices they make are logical or plot-driven.
"Do you care about prose?"
Yes, although I'm not sure what my preference is.
"How introspective do you want your characters to be?"
I really enjoy diving into a character's head, but at the same time I agree with you that there is a limit to how much time you can spend in there.
"How do you like your relationships?"
Toxic and unhealthy.
... I honestly wish I was joking, but that seems to be my preference when it comes to romantic relationships, and sometimes friendship as well. Obviously, there is a limit there as well, but for some reason I love to read relationships like this, probably because they are more interesting to me, as long as it's clear that the author also thinks they are unhealthy.
As for friendships... loyalty is great, and honesty is a must.
I also prefer platonic relationships, since I often find romantic ones boring (unless it's the above).
"Do you like a lot of description?"
No. I don't mind it then and again, but if it takes several long paragraphs to describe how a certain character looks or go into really tiny details about the environment (atmosphere is another thing entirely), I will always skip it.
"Do you prefer standalones or a series?"
Series, because I feel I get more attached to the world and its characters when it has more time to evolve over the course of several books.
"Single POV or multiple POV?"
If done well and as long as they don't switch POV in the middle of the chapter, I prefer multiple POV.
"Do you prefer a strong start, middle or finish?"
If I had to choose one... probably finish. If I finish something with a weak finish I won't remember it as well.
1. Probably 3rd person omniscient. I like knowing things from one character that another doesn’t know as they are trying to figure it out.
2. Ebook to read...can’t remember the last physical book I read. The e-ink on my paperwhite is perfect and I just love how I can take it anywhere with me and have tons of books with me. I definitely like the feature of being able to switch between my kindle, phone and iPad if I buy the book from Amazon because I some times forget the kindle. Close 2nd is Audio book. I have a long commute twice a day plus driving kids to activities. Audio books keep me awake behind the wheel and make the driving not so bad.
3. I’m leaning towards Characters because I just love when I finish a book and miss the characters, like when I feel like I knew them. The Dragons of Pern - Harper halls books were like this for me. I loved Masterharper Robinton and Menolly so much and was so sad when they were no longer in the books.
4. Don’t care about Prose...and super flowery Prose bugs me too. Strange the Dreamer was so interesting and mysterious to me that I didn’t mind and didn’t really notice it being Flowery, but Shatter Me....O.M.G.!! It was awful!
5. Introspective Characters...hmm...not too much please. I recently read Midnight Sun and I came away with “Edward thinks too much”. Feeling that way about Kaladin a bit in ROW....
6. Platonic, but a little romance or flirting isn’t bad. I just really don’t need sex scenes every other page...
7. A lot of descriptions...no. Give me the general idea and move on. I struggled with LOTR because of this...I prefer dialogue and ended up skimming much of the descriptions in my first read through to the point where when I saw the movies I thought they made a bunch of it up...then I read more carefully after seeing the movies and, I missed a lot but ugh...so much descriptions! Give me dialogue and action please! To the point when I had choices of books in H.S. AP English I chose a lot of plays.
8. Series vs. stand-alone - both...if it is a good series, please continue it! Dragons of Pern is many books and they are great! I read a series called The Gender Games that went on about 3 books too far. BUT I love a great Michael Crichton stand-alone!
9. Multiple POV please! I like getting in everyone’s heads!
10. This is tough because I need a strong start to keep me reading and hook me in, BUT I do not enjoy a disappointing ending either. Divergent! AWESOME, Insurgent...Great! Allegiant? Are you kidding me??? 3rd book of the Maze Runner series was disappointing too.
First of all, you got me back into reading! I haven't read so much since before I went to college. I just settled onto my favorite books and stopped devouring new ones. But now I have a list of recommendations and a new reading chair, and it's been amazing!
1. Audiobooks - I'm an artist and it's wonderful to have a book read to me while I work.
2. Hardcover. There's something so nice about a polished hardcover book
3. Paperback
4. Ebook - Even though it's my least favorite, I mostly read ebooks from the online library. I prefer to only own my favorites, then I can splurge on fancy copies!
Here are my preferences:
1. I love both 1st and 3rd person. I’ve never read 2nd person before.
2. I prefer paperbacks because they’re cheaper. Hardbacks are more expensive, but tend to be prettier and amazing weapons.
3. A balance of both. I can’t read a book with engaging characters if it has a lack of a solid plot and I can’t read a book with an engaging plot if it has extremely bland/boring/annoying characters.
4. I care about the prose because I can’t read a book that doesn’t have good writing. It’s an instant turn-off for me.
5. Don’t really have a preference.
6. I love a well developed romance that is a healthy relationship, but I also really love a good platonic relationship.
7. I like necessary descriptions but am indifferent to in-detail descriptions because they’re also pretty great.
8. I prefer series over stand-alones but, I would read anything as long as there’s good writing, well-developed characters and a solid plot.
9. Don’t have a preference. Both are equally engaging.
10. A strong middle
1) third person
2) I like hardbacks more, but paperbacks are easier to carry around😂
3) CHARACTERS! If I don’t get attached to the characters I don’t enjoy the book as much as I would like (but I am also a selfish reader so if I can get both I am much more satisfied)
4) I hate flowery prose (I really did not like strange the dreamer), but also I don’t want the sentences to be super simple
5) I like being in a character’s mind, but just like you at some point I need a break
6) I actually love both platonic and romantic relationships... and even if I am reading a fantasy I enjoy it much more if there is at least one well written romantic relationship, but I hate when two people end up together just for the sake of it
7) Give me the right amount of descriptions about the buildings, environment, magic system , but please do not describe every single item of clothing
8) I much prefer series. I love beign with the same characters for longer periods of time
9) multiple povs
10) strong ending (then beginning and then middle). The book could be a masterpiece, but if the ending is rushed or underwhelming it will ruin the whole experience for me
Here's mine.
- Third person. (Though I am fine with first person.)
- I LOVE FLOPPY PAPERBACKS.
I also like hardcovers.
Normal paperbacks come after the creases in the spine bug me just a tad bit.
Mass market paperbacks come after.
Audiobooks.
Ebooks.
- I like when both are considered. I can't choose between them. Ughhhh. I guess characters. I love crying.
- I need a small amount of prose. If the description is too long I will just skim over it, not actually read it.
- I agree with Merphy.
- I love certain romances, but I hate when violence is romanticized. I appreciate a good friendship.
- I like when there is enough explanation to the point where I understand it, but I still like it when there is an amount of intrigue. I don't want to know everything, I want to go along with the character, rather than always knowing something the main character doesn't.
- I enjoy series more, but, too many books is tiring. The plot could be AMAZING, but sometimes I just need a change.
- I don't really care, but sometimes it is refreshing when there is another person telling the story.
- A good, finish, start, then middle. But, I still want a good middle because I notice that I really need a strong middle to get through the book. I might DNF it if it doesn't grab onto me the whole ride through.
Preferences:
3rd person (limited or omniscient).
Hard back, paper back, mass market paper back, ebook, audiobook.
I like a balance between plot and character driven stories. If it is too much of one or the other, I usually don’t like it.
I love beautiful prose! There are very few authors who I consider too flowery.
There is no such thing as too much introspection.
I love platonic relationships, and romances done right. Too many romance stories are unrealistic.
I like description. A lot.
I love stand alones and series... Hmm... I just love it all.
I don’t care about POV. I like both.
I need a strong middle and a strong end. Ugh! I hate choosing. I will go with middle as most important since it comprises most of the book.
Side note: Nice pants! They looked comfy.
Here are my answers:
- I can enjoy either 1st or 3rd person, depending on the story.
- Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
- Character-focused; I enjoy both, but plot-focused books can sometimes feel too formulaic for my taste.
- I preferred balanced prose too.
- I prefer introspective characters, but not so much that the introspection slows down the plot for too long.
- I prefer romantic relationships over platonic relationships.
- I like description, but I want it to be incorporated well into the book, not just given to us in an info dump.
- While I love both stand alones and series, I think I’m like you in that I constantly want to read the next book, and series can slow me down on experiencing new stories and book worlds.
- I think I prefer multiple POVs.
- A strong start and then a strong middle, to draw me into the book and make me want to keep reading
Fav Perspective: Limited 3rd person. Though 1st person is very close when done right, just feel like it's a lot harder to get right. I find that I especially respect multiple 1st person views when done well.
Fav Format: Audiobooks by far take 1st place. They let me finish a book in a manageable time frame; something I find hard to do with reading because I read slowly. Then there are paperbacks, e-books & finally hardcovers. Sure they look the best, but for experiencing a story hardcovers are my last option resort.
Character Or Plot: I prefer medium characters & a great plot than otherwise, but will choose great characters & a bad plot than the other way around. In reality, I care a lot more about the world & the effect the plot has on it than the plot itself, but I find that they usually come together.
Prose: As long as the prose is (are!) good enough to let me get immersed in the story, I'm good.
Introspective: I LOVE to get inside a person's head. to see what makes them tick, so I like characters to be very Introspective. A great writer who does this without making you get overwhelmed by the character is Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse,
The Singularity Trap). But something I might need to point out is that I talked about 'Introspective' as the character's thinking steps & not their feelings. In terms of feelings, I feel quite similar to you
Relationships: I prefer platonic relationships, though I'm not sure why. I just find a lot of romantic relationships uninteresting.
Description: The most important thing I need to understand in a story is the characters' logic steps. Without this, I don't find them comparing. Next, I find that the Worldbuilding & Lore specifically are things that I would like to get a good description on, even if in an info-dumpy way. I don't need a good description of the scenery & how things look though since I'm bad at visually imagining things (I can imagine visual stuff, but have little control over what I see in terms of details). I would usually just ignore a lot of details. Sometimes I even makeup details and can't make them go away.
Standalones Or Series: Series by a long shot. I'd like to consume as much as I can from the stories I love. I also prefer long-running shows rather than shorter ones & connected universes/series for movies.
Single Or Multiple POV: I kinda already answered that at the perspective part, but I much prefer multiple POVs. I don't quite know why, maybe it's because I get less tired of the characters. I also love to see the same scenario/environment from different viewpoints.
Strong Start, Middle, Or Ending: For me, a strong start without a strong middle or ending feels like I was clickbaited. Even if the rest of the book is fine, I would read it with too high of an expectation. If one part is strong, but both others are bad I would prefer the good middle, but if both are just ok, then I would go with a good satisfying ending.
Definitely third person! I can handle first if it's past tense.
Hardcover, paperback, mass market paperback, audiobook, e-book (but only out of necessity, I prefer tangible books).
I prefer both too! But if I have to choose, both.
I like prose if it is well done. I have noted those books that you like their prose, and I plan to check them out.
Not too introspective.
Platonic relationships are my favorite.
I think it depends on the book. For faster-paced stories, no. But if it's something like world-building for a book that isn't out to read like a movie, I enjoy the descriptions.
Again, depends on the book. I can do either. I know that I tend to lean toward shorter series because the better books tend to be the first few.
I can do either POV, but some writers tend to sound the same for multiple characters, so I lean more toward a single.
A strong start, strong finish, strong middle.
Always lovely to listen to your opinions! I Here are my answers, I think we have pretty similar preferences lol
1. I, too, like 3rd person limited better than other perspectives, but I think I enjoy 1st person a lot more than most people. Everyone I know hates it, I don't mind it at all. I'm not a fan of books written in 1st person where the perspective keeps shifting between characters, thought.
2. Agree that paperbacks are the absolute best, they're SO comfortable to handle. Then mass market paperbacks, yes. Since I got an e-reader I've been discovering how nice ebooks are so that's my number 3, number 4 is hardcover and I'm really not into audiobooks.
3. Character-focused all the way! I love a good plot but it's not absolutely necessary like good characters and character arcs are for me.
4. Prose is SO IMPORTANT. I can endure a book with a boring or mediocre prose but it'll never become a favourite. Every once in a while you find an author with a prose so beautiful, with metaphors that are so genuinely well-thought out, sentences that have been worked to exhaustion, and it's just. Delicious. Not a fan of flowery prose either, but when it's both economical and smart, I think it's best. I think Onetti and Cortázar are great examples, I could just read and reread their words and find new ways in which they are wonderful and a delight in and of themselves, disregarding story or characters.
5. I like them really introspective, to be honest. I know a lot of people find that annoying, yeah hahah but I like it when there's a loooot of internal dialogue.
6. I like platonic relationships best, too! I think I like it better if I can imagine the romance between two characters that are written as platonic, also. But I like reading about friendships and about families better than romances. Some romantic relationships are beautiful, though!
7. I'm not really a big fan of description. I don't mind it, necessarily, but I get tired if a book is too descriptive. I do need /some/ description and ambience, and if it's well done I enjoy that, but it's not a must for me.
8. I share your exact opinion on this one lmao
9. Whoops i sorta accidentally answered this back in the first question. I don't really like multiple pov, I find it distracting and I have very rarely seen it well done.
10. Mmmm I think a strong ending is the most important, yes, I agree. But a strong middle is more important to me than a strong start, because I usually push through everything, I don't mind it so much if the start is slow lol.
This was fun!