Why We Stop Reading | Writing Technique | Editing

Put your hand up if you’ve ever stopped reading a book before the story ended?

Some people will only admit this sheepishly while others will boldly state that a book didn’t have what it took to hold their interest.

So why exactly do we stop reading?

Here’s a question we should answer first: at what point in the book did you stop reading?

I’ll bet it was about two-thirds the way through the novel that you decided there are better things you could be reading.

Here’s why – at the two-thirds point of the novel is when most writers make one of the most common mistakes in novel writing. Where their writing technique fails them.

Perhaps the writer has already resolved too much so the reader feels satisfied enough to finish reading. There just isn’t enough conflict and mystery to keep the reader intrigued.

The two-thirds point of a story needs to be a pinch point. It needs to be a point of interest, tension and suspense.

At this time the lead character should be feeling intense emotion, setting a new goal or coming face to face with a new threat or obstacle.

Many writing courses teach learners how to structure a novel.

They discuss the importance of the three-act structure and pinch points like the second act closer, the mid-point and the two-thirds point.

Some advocate going to the page numbers that mark those pinch points and ensuring your story builds tensions.

While this approach feels quite scientific, as a reader we feel it in the pace at which we want to turn pages.

Is the story making you stay up too late because you can’t put it down, or is a soggy two-thirds point making you close the cover for good?

I’m in the process of doing a first round edit on my novel. It’s a new process and I’m looking forward to diving into the Australia Writers’ Centre’s Edit My Novel course. For anyone interested in writing technique or editing - the Australian Writers' Centre is your first stop.

It’s a brand new skill that I’m learning step by step and looking at my novel scientifically in this way feels scary.

So wish me luck as I work to ‘kill my darlings’.