Into the Fire

In a previous post I described types of readers, and the more I talk to different readers the more accurate those descriptions seem. But let’s discuss another characteristic of readers: loyalty.

There is no doubt that those of us who are voracious readers establish our favorite authors over time. If we discover an author who snags us with a compelling novel, we will pursue them until they repeatedly disappoint us. Like most readers, I have my favorite authors. I get excited when I learn they have a new novel to be released. And out of the several books I’ve read from these authors, I will have one or two which I’m not as fond of as their other stories. Out of those favorites, there have been a couple I’ve abandoned after reading new releases from them which I no longer appreciated, and quite frankly it’s because their stories had gotten shorter and began to feel formulaic.

I’ve stepped out and tried a few authors who’ve produced a number of books and have a reasonably large fan base, but the stories were very similar and also had that formulaic feel to them. Because of this, I chose only to read the one book. Keep in mind here I’m not blaming the author. On the contrary if I were to assess “blame”, I’d put it square on the shoulders of the publisher(s) because of the demand for shorter, leaner novels in most cases with few exceptions.

What is it that makes a reader reject an author they’ve established as a previous favorite? Chances are it’s the story, not the writing. I know the main disruptor for me is a lack of rapport with the characters. The dislike of or disinterest in the protagonist(s), male or female or both, will ruin a story for me every time. If the plot seems convoluted or if it’s too cliché, I’m not there. If it’s a series where the first book is a total setup for the second, I doubt I’ll get beyond the first, no matter how much I’ve appreciated the author in the past. I don’t like to be manipulated as a reader.

As a reader, what makes you leave a favorite author behind—or do you?

Lord, you’ve given some of us the call to write in myriad ways. We are as diverse as the words in the world. You love each one of us equally, and all of our writing done in obedience to your call is pleasing to you. Thank you for that. Please help us to desire to write for you above all else and to be content upon the path you’ve chosen for us, for that path is the best one. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.