Horror Aficionados discussion
"Readers" block?????
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message 51:
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Ken B
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Mar 13, 2013 01:58PM
I am going to try short stories tonight. If I can't get through any of those, my next option is a Star Trek novel....that's when I know I am at rock bottom.
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Go on a porn binge until you get sick of that, then you can go back to reading.
Ken, your wife just had a baby. I'm sure your brain IS preoccupied.
Will that work?I am going thru reader's block right now started The Drowning Girl and haven't got back to it in week.
Like others have stated, if a read isn't gripping me I will usually move onto another. Sometimes I'll come back and take another crack, but there are simply too many books I want to read and might want to read to waste time on ones I'm currently reading that aren't engaging me.There are some stories where something keeps me going despite not being entertained. Maybe it's an interesting character conflict or hope (!) that the author will turn things around. Sometimes it is faith in past works by the same author.
Masochistic porn short-stories based on Star Trek....that may do the trick. Can anyone recommend an author?
I think everyone gets readers block from time to time. I don't fight it. I just stop reading until I feel the urge to start again. Forcing yourself to read for pleasure sounds frustrating. Grab a beer, shoot some pool, watch a few movies and eventually it will pass. Forcing yourself to finish a book you are not enjoying is also a bad idea in my opinion. Drop it and move on.
Mod
On a side note I started out as a single book reader and now I enjoy multiple reads; from two books to six books at a time, it just developed even though it seemed very alien before, but no complaints so far.
I've also evolved into a multiple book reader for no particular reason. Even if I'm loving a particular book I'll sometimes set it aside to chip away at another. As long as you are enjoying yourself, go with whatever method works for you.
Mod
Spot on, it's no different to me than eating my favorite foods, two greats flavors will not be turned away lol.
Mod
Peanut butter and processed cheese, hmmm...
Marc-Antoine wrote: "Peanut butter and processed cheese, hmmm..."I only eat authentic pasteurized processed cheese food.
Mod
That's not reader's block.
That's colon block.
You eat that stuff, they're gonna find you, purple faced, perched on the porcelain.....
Just had a toast smothered with peanut butter, maple syrup and processed cheese, and it was delicious.
Mod
Those are his ass cheeks...
It seems I get reader's block when I've been on one genre for too long a stretch. My TBR stack is quite diverse. So I go to another genre for a while, then circle back. A related note: because I leave my in-progress reads on the coffee table, recently the table became covered up with books and I got overwhelmed. Reading should not be a chore. I thought, 'I'll never clear this table!' Then I realized I could clear it easy; I just put all those books back in the book case.
Mod
That's not reader's block.
That's colon block.
You eat that stuff, they're gonna find you, purple faced, perched on the porcelain..."
Lolol... Omgeee that had me on the floor laughing
Good 1
I really enjoy reading, but lately have hit "reader's block" also. I think it's the books that have been picked by the Book Club I belong to. But, after I discovered this group and Jack Kilborne, I have been devouring his books! Love Afraid, Trapped, and Endurance. Can't wait to read more of his books. I really like this group because I don't have to be embarrassed that I LOVE gore! I can't help it! My parent's were huge horror movie fans when I was growing up, so I LOVE anything scary, gross, and gory! Won't be seeing any of those books at Book Club. LOL!
I am REALLY new to horror books so any suggestions would be GREAT!
Also, I read an excerpt from Cows that someone posted. Has anyone read this? It seemed like nothing I've ever read before. Very disturbing! Thoughts?
Jennifer wrote: "I really like this group because I don't have to be embarrassed that I LOVE gore! I can't help it! My parent's were huge horror movie fans when I was growing up, so I LOVE anything scary, gross, and gory! Won't be seeing any of those books at Book Club. LOL!..."This is too funny. I feel the same way, too. I'm sure my co-workers who are also FB friends know I like horror, but not to the extent that I do. They probably just assume it's all Stephen King books. So nice I can publicize my admiration for a book like
The Cannibal Within or The Haunted Vagina and not have people look at me odd.
I read Cows and it wasn't disturbing so much as disgusting. I didn't like it. I think the deep meaning that so many other reviewers got out of it went over my head. Or maybe I just don't read into a story what's not there.
We all need a few different groups into different genres to give us a vacation from whatever reading kick we've been on. I am a member of Novel Ideas and these great ladies read classics and contemporary general fiction. The most horrorific books they may tackle are We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Her Fearful Symmetry. It's all good.
Thanks for your suggestions and reply Tressa. It's so nice to know their are other "girls" out there who like horror and gore too! All my girlfriends don't know how I can stand scary movies and one's they call "torture porn."I do enjoy other genres as well. Many of the books we have read in my Book Club have been good books with interesting stories and messages. I really like to read everything too. But, I feel like my horror books and 50 Shades books are forbidden fruit for this Catholic girl...LOL!!!! HA!HA! :D
I, too, am in quite a fix. Hi, my name is Nikki. I'm 33. I've been reading since I was a little girl sneaking those harlequin bodice-rippers into my house in my Rainbow Brite book bag. From there my reading tastes have gravitated to darker things, grittier things that would most likely cause my grandma to stroke out or call for an exorcism.Lately nothing has been able to grab me, no matter how great the story. I think I have commitment issues. Well, that's what my boyfriend told me. He's not around anymore so I couldn't tell you his reasoning.
Anyway, I've been forcing myself to read short stories and am now wondering if I may have ADD as I can easily get through them, but not my longer, epic reads.
My doctor says it's anxiety and my mind is always going in different directions. He gave me medicine to relax, but I didn't read the label (it didn't catch my interest)and now I'm feeling sleepy, so there goes my chance to read for the day *wink*
I have crazy ADD and find it more difficult to read short stories than thick novels. I feel like just as the short story starts to grab my interest it's over and I have to start over trying to refocus to get into the next one which half the time sucks compared to the one I was just starting to enjoy before its abrupt ending. I'm a big fan of the novella lately. 200 pagers work for me. 6 pages? No. 1200 pages? Not so much anymore unless its so damn good it was worth writing 1200 pages to tell the story. There aren't many of those out there worth reading IMO.
11811 (Eleven) wrote: "Not so much anymore unless its so damn good it was worth writing 1200 pages to tell the story. There aren't many of those out there worth reading IMO. ..."I guess that you aren't a fan of Stephen "Why write in 200 pages what you can fit into 1000 pages" King?
I am with you on the short stories. If I am going to commit to a character then I want to stick with him for a bit. Maybe that is why I like series so much.
I love shorts, novellas and door-stoppers. Lately, though I am also really getting into the novellas. I think they are a perfect vehicle for horror, more so than any other genre. It's just enough time to expand on a short story idea, but not too long where there is time to get bored.
Mod
I've had so many false starts with books this month, it's not even funny. Nothing looks good to me. Having severely limited funds and a tiny public library doesn't help either.
Ryan, those choices would certainly clear my block!
11811 (Eleven) wrote: " I feel like just as the short story starts to grab my interest it's over and I have to start over trying to refocus to get into the next one which half the time sucks compared to the one I was just starting to enjoy before its abrupt ending. ..."Exactly how I feel. For someone who has a hard time getting into the beginning of a story, short stories really don't work for me. I'll enjoy one separately, but don't care too much to sit and read anthologies.
Andrew wrote: "I have this issue too. I started reading IT got about 3/4 through and haven't touched it. Its been 5 years since I have touched the book. Part of the reason is, I don't remember what is happening a..."I did this with IT too, but I forced myself to keep reading for two reasons. Firstly, I knew if I stopped I would literally never trawl through the first three quarters again to catch up (life is too short...!). Secondly, I was on holiday and had nothing else to read. So I did finish it, but can definitely relate to reader's block/King fatigue with this book!
By the way, this is a very well-timed topic. I've actually got writer's block as we speak, and only came onto Goodreads in the hope that taking a break would somehow help me.
Wish me luck...!
Good luck! I was born with writer's block so I can commiserate to an extent.
Short stories seemed to do the trick. I knocked out three yesterday and picked up a novel. I also started another novella. Excited about reading again!
Tressa, I won't sit down and read an anthology here. Usually I read a few in between longer reads. It sometimes talks me two or three months to get through a collection.
True, Ken. I'm enjoying this anthology
. I feel less overwhelmed with short stories, and they get me jumpstarted.
I'm going through readers block right now. I'm reading two books and Ill read a little bit of them but then go weeks without reading anything, I dont know why I just cant totally get into them. I am trying though
Try a short story or two. That got me out!
Ryan wrote: "Everyone's heard of writers block but I think I'm going through a serious case of readers block. Two times now I've started reading a book only to get half way to three quarters of the way through..."I hear ya Ryan!
Some times you just have to give up on certain books. Or go back to them later. When this happens to me I go to my "comfort" books - can be old favorites or quick reads. I tend to read romance when I'm burned by reading.
I'll have times when a book just isn't doing it for me. I used to be a completist and would start a short story anthology to alternate with the novel I was stuck on. Now, if I really hate something, I stick it on my unfinished business shelf on GR. Sometimes I come back to them (it took me a year to finish Good Omens), sometimes I don't (or I haven't yet).
I've had this about a month now. Sucks. Even with 5-6 books going simultaneously, none could keep my attention. I'm slowly coming out of it I think but it has been frustrating. It was like a random attack of illiteracy.
Hill's new book finally knocked me out of my slump.
Tressa wrote: "Hill's new book finally knocked me out of my slump."I actually just.started it 2 days ago and so far its moving along nicely. Hopefully it cures me.
Horror Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
Little Deaths (other topics)The Cannibal Within (other topics)
The Haunted Vagina (other topics)
The Drowning Girl (other topics)
The Shadow of the Wind (other topics)
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