This might sound odd, but I spent my morning reading negative reviews, the 1, 2, and 3 star reviews on Amazon of other books similar to my own Work-in-Progress in the same genre. The reason I did this is to discover what readers disliked about the genre so I can avoid it in my own work. And if you do this often enough, you’ll usually see a pattern, and the same criticisms on repeat.
For instance, I know I nag my CPs and clients about setting details, and one of the most common complaints I read in reviews in almost every genre is a lack of setting details / world-building. I always think of the setting as a character itself. So make sure your settings are vivid, colorful, and detailed. This is so important in fantasy, Sci-Fi, and any supernatural type books.
Also, readers dislike a lack of character development (no real emotional connection to character), not enough backstory (which is so tricky to write and know where to add it!), and if the story ends with a cliffhanger (no warning in the blurb). Character development is something that I preach to my clients and CPs because I feel a fleshed-out POV character is vital to good storytelling.
In my opinion, character is king and plot is queen.
Adding a character's backstory can be difficult to do in any genre without creating an info-dump. But without it, the characters won't seem as real or have as much depth. Writers must find an organic place to incorporate backstory into the narrative. Nailing down the backstory is all about being clear about the events that brought these characters to the place they are now so that you can weave their history into the present action by either showing the backstory through action, conflict, or dialogue. (The last suggestion is my favorite way to learn about a character’s backstory).
I find the 3-star reviews the most insightful. Most of these reviews seem to hate insta-love and/or insta-sex, which I loathe, too. I guess this means that most readers prefer a slow-burn romance. So as far as any romance elements are concerned, the number one thing that readers have a strong dislike for is romance without any build-up or one that seems forced. Like most readers, I like to be "shown" the characters falling in love and their developing friendship through dialogue and actions throughout the course of the storyline.
One awesome tip I got from one of my former CPs was to give the love interest some redeeming qualities beyond just his/her looks. And the POV character(s) must have some likeable traits as well.
One thing I found interesting in several reviews was that readers didn't like it when the hero didn't have any real friends or a sidekick/best friend to bond with, or offer some comic relief. So does that mean readers aren't fond of loners? (And comic relief can be tough to add, but I feel it can be included in almost any genre, no matter how serious the tone of your novel is.)
Do you ever read negative reviews as a writer? Let me know in the comments!
Adding a character's backstory can be difficult to do in any genre without creating an info-dump. But without it, the characters won't seem as real or have as much depth. Writers must find an organic place to incorporate backstory into the narrative. Nailing down the backstory is all about being clear about the events that brought these characters to the place they are now so that you can weave their history into the present action by either showing the backstory through action, conflict, or dialogue. (The last suggestion is my favorite way to learn about a character’s backstory).
I find the 3-star reviews the most insightful. Most of these reviews seem to hate insta-love and/or insta-sex, which I loathe, too. I guess this means that most readers prefer a slow-burn romance. So as far as any romance elements are concerned, the number one thing that readers have a strong dislike for is romance without any build-up or one that seems forced. Like most readers, I like to be "shown" the characters falling in love and their developing friendship through dialogue and actions throughout the course of the storyline.
One awesome tip I got from one of my former CPs was to give the love interest some redeeming qualities beyond just his/her looks. And the POV character(s) must have some likeable traits as well.
One thing I found interesting in several reviews was that readers didn't like it when the hero didn't have any real friends or a sidekick/best friend to bond with, or offer some comic relief. So does that mean readers aren't fond of loners? (And comic relief can be tough to add, but I feel it can be included in almost any genre, no matter how serious the tone of your novel is.)
Do you ever read negative reviews as a writer? Let me know in the comments!
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