Like author Chuck Wendig, I’ve gotten a whole lot pickier about what I read and how much time I give it before I stop. “For one,” he says, “it’s time.” Work and time and personal responsibilities all intrude. But also, he says, “I’m like a stage magician where it’s harder to fool me with your magic because I know all the tricks. I can see the misdirection coming a mile away.”

Thus this article, “25 Reasons Why I Stopped Reading Your Book.” It’s long, it uses strong language (so you’re warned), but it’s right on the money, despite Wendig’s claim that it is an intensely personal list. Here’s number 21:

I gain no sense of why now? Every story you write should begin with that essential question: why is this story happening now? If we are to assume that a story is a break in the status quo—and to my mind, stories are exactly that—then the timing of the story is vital. What precipitated the narrative? What events inside the story make it necessary, and necessary at this moment? Did someone just steal the Death Star plans? Is this a Christmas party set in a building just as German terrorist-thieves are about to initiate an, erm, hostile takeover? Has there been a wedding? A funeral? A discovery? An attack? HAS THERE BEEN AN AWAKENING AND HAVE YOU FELT IT? Some stories lack an answer to that question, why now, and I can feel it. It undercuts the urgency of the tale. And urgency is everything. Creating urgency makes the story feel vital and it keeps people reading. (Lending the narrative that urgency is a lesson unto itself, of course.)

This, as you know, is my job. So I present this list to you as #writetips more than anything else. If you need permission to bail on a book, though, I’ve written on this topic too:

Quitting While You’re Ahead
The Moment the Reader Lost Interest

Have a great weekend.

Tweet: Sometimes the book’s just not for you. Sometimes it’s flawed writing.
Tweet: Writers need to know why readers give up on a novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”