What Do You Like As a Reader?

[Philip Overby]

I know this technically isn't a writing question, but I think it somehow ties into how we write. I know others have mentioned before "don't write like a reader" which I think is true to an extent. But people have certain aesthetics in their writing that usually transfer over from what they like to read.

I've also noticed on the Showcase that some writers seem to prefer more description, while some favor less description. Some like interior monologue, and some don't like it.

What's your aesthetic as a reader?

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?

I know a lot of you may say "Well, I like anything if it's good." But what do you lean more towards in these cases? Does you writing usually favor one style over the other?

I think you can learn a lot about yourself as a writer by what you like to read, but I wouldn't completely base your writing style on it.

Here are my choices:

Humorous, minimalist, character driven, gritty, stand-alone books. I do like others, but if I had a choice, that is what I like to read, so therefore that is what I think I would prefer to write.

 

[Caged Maiden]

I like funny, descriptive, character-driven stories set in gritty worlds and the less epicness the better, I prefer stand-alone.

Thanks for asking. It'll be interesting to see how everyone's tastes compare.

 

[Ophiucha]

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?
I prefer serious fantasy. I like humour in my serious fantasy, usually rather dark humour, but humour. I just don't like it when that's the tone of the whole series. In general. I like humorous fantasy TV shows, though, so I guess format and presentation have a lot to do with it.

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?
Tough one. One of my favourite authors is Cormac McCarthy, who thinks quotation marks take up too much space on the page. But then, one of my other favourite authors is China Mieville, who I'm convinced uses the phrontistery as a thesaurus.

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?
Character-driven, undoubtedly. A few books I quite like are also driven by... something else. Theme-driven, and in at least one case, setting-driven. Not too many of my favourites are plot-heavy, but there are exceptions.

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?
Can I pick both? Gritty but incredibly fantastical. Chaotic, omnipresent magic. If I have to pick, it'd be gritty, but less because of the setting and more because of the stories that tend to accompany them. I prefer Gormenghast to Lord of the Rings, but it's not because it didn't have elves or ring wraiths.

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?
Stand-alone books. Very few authors can keep a series interesting, particularly if the sequels aren't planned out from the beginning. Stand-alone books tend to be more cohesive, and I don't have to risk the author dying before the series is finished.

 

[Kelise]

I like witty fantasy - not exactly humourous as that's hard to tailor to the reader. Witty, like Scott Lynch.

I like descriptive, but can't seem to write it myself.

I need a very even balance of character and plot - I get annoyed when the plot could exist no matter what character is in it, but then also when it's more about the characters rather than the 'journey' or reason for the book. I'm hard to please.

I'm not fussed between gritty and fantastical - both are good in different ways. Happy with either

I think I prefer long, epic series. Sometimes I won't start a series because of it, either I have too many series on the go already, or the series is going to be like, 14 books long and I don't feel like starting it when there's only seven (only!) out. Yet I haven't really enjoyed many stand-alone fantasy books yet - maybe I prefer the long buildup, and seeing the characters age. Though then with one book, you will either like it or you won't - there's no chance of being disappointed and losing interest at book two or five, etc.

 

[Chime85]

I personally prefer epic stories. That said, I have no inclination to shy away from stand alone novels. As much as I would love to take the "middle ground", I agree with the OP in considering the alternative and not taking that stand. I would pass the middle ground and take a stand with Middle Earth. I prefer longer plots with a longer history of the world I am being seduced into.

That said, I would rather pass, than to read 50 or so pages on why the main character is justified to do whatever he/she pleases, in the name of "the common good". I love the classics, it has to be said that Tolkien gave the baddies a solid script.

As for worlds, I love my worlds to be inriched with culture. A great example would be the very comedic; Terry Pratchett. Over his many fantastic and lovable stories, he has created a world of magic, religion, science and afterlife. He has accomplished this, and more; all with the power of imagination and humour.

I say Yay to the richness of culture and design, yay to the depth of worlds and the people who live within. And (shoot way to start a sentence, this isn't going to be published so I'll take a one night fling) nay to the setting of "apple pie america", or a neo future short on fuel.

Now before I get too carried away with the rights of <insert X here> over the do this of <insert Y here>. I shall end this post.

I look forward to seeing what other vies the world has. I hope more, to learn from them.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I know this technically isn't a writing question, but I think it somehow ties into how we write. I know others have mentioned before "don't write like a reader" which I think is true to an extent. But people have certain aesthetics in their writing that usually transfer over from what they like to read.

I've also noticed on the Showcase that some writers seem to prefer more description, while some favor less description. Some like interior monologue, and some don't like it.

What's your aesthetic as a reader?

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?

My list:
Serious fantasy, minimalist description as a general rule with occasional sprinkles of more descriptors, character driven stories, gritty for sure, epic or stand alone doesn't matter to me if the story is good.

 

[Ankari]

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?

1. 
   
   1. Serious fantasy sprinkled with humor.
   2. Descriptive writing. but not the ones that go on and on describing dresses and trees. I want to know what the character is feeling.
   3. Character driven
   4. Grittier worlds set in a high fantasy world (Malazan Series is a great example)
   5. Epic series

 

[Feo Takahari]

My main rule is that I will not read a series (fantasy or otherwise) if I can't pick up every single book in the series and read them all in a row. This typically eliminates epic series, since the library usually just has one book out of four or five.

I want fantasy to feel both self-consistent and emotionally honest, but at the same time, I want to at least slightly like the protagonists. In American works, the latter eliminates more "gritty" stories than the former eliminates "fantastical" ones. In Japanese works, the reverse is true, particularly when reading fantasy marketed towards younger males. (For instance, the only shonen manga in which I've ever liked the worldbuilding is Fullmetal Alchemist, and I couldn't watch the 2003 anime once I realized the worldbuilding was consistent when and only when it followed the plot of the manga.)

I don't generally like parody, but I have no problem with works that find humor in a setting that could still be taken seriously (like the later Discworld books, once the setting started to settle.)

I tend to favor more minimalistic works, and I usually read stories that would be considered "character-driven."

 

[Devora]

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?
I tend to like Serious Fantasy, but you got to a have some humor to give the story some humility. Even Tolkien had humor, albeit very Snark at many times.

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?
I like to know what the story looks like through the authors eyes almost, but even then i might still put my own spin on the mental imagery.

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?
I'm at my most happiest when a story is equally character, and plot driven; almost in flux with each other.

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?
I tend to favor High Fantasy worlds.

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?
I don't have a bias on this because if the series is necessary to build character, setting, and plot then I'll enjoy the series just as much as the stand alone (though my biggest peeve, and probably others share this as well, is waiting for the next book).

 

[Graylorne]

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?
----

1. Humorous or serious - Serious, but there definitely must be humor as well.

2. Descriptive or minimalist - Descriptive. I like colourful worlds with lots of people, animals & strange places. But let's keep it in check, I don't need an inventory of every room they enter.

3. Character or plot - Character, though the plot must be both interesting and believable.

4. Gritty or fantastical - Fantastical. I hate gritty books. Sorry, can't stand GRRM. I find I simply can't write it either; it just doesn't work for me. I'm a fan of Eddings, Raymond Feist, Anne McCaffrey.

5. Epic or stand-alone - Epic. But there's a danger; see Wheel of Time / Sword of Truth that go on and on and on. Give me the way Feist does it, in parcels of three or four books each.

 

[Penpilot]

Yes, to all of it. Sorry to be THAT smart ass with the answer, but my tastes are really all over the place. For example here are the last few books I read. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (one of my favourite authors right now), The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, Going After Cacciato by Tim O'brien, Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard and I'm just about to dive into Game of Thrones.

 

[Philip Overby]

Yes, to all of it. Sorry to be THAT smart ass with the answer, but my tastes are really all over the place. For example here are the last few books I read. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (one of my favourite authors right now), The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, Going After Cacciato by Tim O'brien, Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard and I'm just about to dive into Game of Thrones.

Well, I like a bit of everything too, but I have certain ones I lean towards more. I listed stand-alone as my preference, but actually most of what I read are from some kind of series. If I had the choice though, I'd read more books like Joe Abercrombie does (shared world, but not necessarily a series).

 

[Lord Darkstorm]

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?
Both really.

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?
Usually more minimal, but some stories with authors really good at description work too. I can't stand lots of description for the sake of description.

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?
Character.

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?
Realistic is far better than fanciful, but I'm not rigid on it.

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?
Stand alone. I can accept a trilogy, but when I see book 4 or more of a series before starting it, I tend to just skip it. I've done my share of never ending series of books, and it will have to be superb writing to convince me to deal with it. Most of the longer series of books I've read is because I didn't know there were a dozen books in the series.

 

[Lord Darkstorm]

I'd like to add a side question to anyone interested in answering it.

If you prefer stand alone books, are you currently planning a trilogy or cycle of books?

 

[Kailarthas]

Humorous or serious?

Both. Literature needs levity, but it also needs a sense of realism.

Descriptive or minimalist?

Good description can be minimalistic. Description shouldn't take pages and pages. Nor, of course, should it be lacking.

Character or plot driven?

To be perfectly honest, I still have no real idea what the difference is.

Grittier or fantastical?

I enjoy gritty, dark worlds. If it's any indication, my favorite video games are the Diablo franchise.

Epic or stand-alone?

I prefer epic sagas, though the occasional one-off is nice.

 

[Zak]

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?- More on the serious side but a few simple jokes don't hurt.

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?- Descriptive. I.e. the landscape, room, carriage, etc. but not so excessive that I just want to hear the characters speak again.

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?- I would previously say plot driven, but a plot is nothing without interesting and complex characters.

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones?- Right in the middle. Things like Harry Potter are a bit much but The Watergiver Series by Glenda Larke is a bit too gritty.

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?- Long, epic stories.

 

[dragonangel517]

1. Do you like humorous fantasy or serious fantasy?Serious, but I like some humor thrown in, too.

2. Do you like more descriptive writing or a more minimalist style?The more description the better.

3. Do you like character driven stories or plot driven stories?Both

4. Do you like grittier worlds or more fantastical ones? Both, depends on the plot.

5. Do you like long, epic series, or stand-alone books?Epic

 

[Ghost]

My preferences are serious, descriptive, character-driven, gritty stand-alone novels or short stories. I like minimalist if it's assertive and series if they go somewhere, but they're not my first choices.

I like description to be fresh while setting the mood or setting off important elements. I'd rather minimal description than cliches like a swordfight compared to a dance, flashing green eyes, or details about what every character is wearing. That stuff bores me.

I said character-driven, but I prefer the characters and story to be organic to each other. I want stuff to happen, but I want the characters' relationships to matter and the characters' reactions to escalate the conflicts. I'd rather not see a barrage of events and contrived twists hurled at the main character.

I had a hard time with gritty vs fantastic or low vs. high fantasy. I like dark worlds that have strong fantasy elements and an emphasis on characters, but I don't know where to find more of that. Basically, a gritty aesthetic with fantastical concepts.

If you prefer stand alone books, are you currently planning a trilogy or cycle of books?

No. My main project is a large world meant to sustain different stories and novels. I want each book and short story to be self-contained. Although I've toyed with ideas for trilogies and serial shorts, my enthusiasm for them quickly wanes.

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

1. Serious fantasy with a humorous side.
2.Either works, I love when very descriptive writing is done well.
3. I like a balance. Books where nothing happens are the worst things ever. I'm looking at you Catcher in the Rye.
4. I personally love both. Right now I'm reading more of the gritty stuff (mainly because that's what you guys always talk about!).
5. I like shorter series the best. Love me a good trilogy. I haven't picked up Wheel of Time yet because there's like 13. That being said, I prefer series to stand alone, especially when I become attached to characters. I think Gemmel's Drenai series is one of the best way to do a series. They are all stand alone novels, although some have recurring characters, set in the same world. And they are wonderful.

 

[Lord Darkstorm]

No. My main project is a large world meant to sustain different stories and novels. I want each book and short story to be self-contained. Although I've toyed with ideas for trilogies and serial shorts, my enthusiasm for them quickly wanes.

Now this is something I personally find more enjoyable. Several authors have done this and I've enjoyed most of them. It's the same method I'm using for my novels (although mine span a universe. ) they will all have some things in common.