 |
| Cartoon about a priest reading an adult magazine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The Insecure Writer's Suppport Group
The co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG are Christine Rains, Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner!
August 3 Question: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?
Keep things clear is what I'd advise the modern writer--at least if they're trying to reach the typical reader. Perhaps the argument could be made that we've become stupider--or simpler--as readers and I think this is true to a great extent. Readers now are used to texts, emails, and People magazine. They often prefer something they can whiz through. The typical reader avoids flowery Victorian novels or deep tomes like what might be found as recommended or required for college classes.
That's me. If I'm going to read for entertainment then I want things relatively simple and unencumbered by long complex sentences and paragraphs that go on for pages. I find it rather annoying to be reading and reading and then forget what the heck I was reading in the first place to the point that I have to go back and reread what I had supposedly been reading but apparently wasn't.
A good many of us have developed comic book/TV sitcom brains. We often lack focus due to distractions all around us and the wiring within our brains that tends to sidetrack our thinking. Maybe you do better than I when it comes to reading writing with complex presentation, but that's what my reading peeve is. My writing reflects this reading bias. I want to read in the same way that my mind works. Well, maybe sans some of the discombobulation, but to the point with simplicity.
Sure, I'll read some tough stuff now and then as long as I can intersperse plenty of simple reading in the mix. If a writer seems to be trying to impress with unnecessarily big or obscure words or complex rambling writing then they might lose me. Reading for fun should be fun and reading for information should be clear and concise.
That's my peeve at least. Others might disagree in which case they can read those books, stories, or articles that I don't read. If I were a better reader then maybe I wouldn't feel this way. I don't think I'm alone in this judging from the kinds of books that seem to be most popular. On the other hand I might have just now expressed a falsity since I don't read all that much.
Which brings me to another peeve. Guess I'll save that one for another time.
How often do you read deep complex books? Do you write in the style of most of what you read? In school, did you read all the required reading or did you tend to look for alternatives like Cliff notes or movie versions?
