Discussion Do CN Authors think their readers are stupid?

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by Karyehs, Apr 15, 2018.

  1. Karyehs

    Karyehs Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2018
    Messages:
    403
    Likes Received:
    277
    Reading List:
    Link
    I've always wondered about this.

    Many stories feel like a young parent is telling his/her 6-12 year old child with major attention deficites and several syndroms which impair the memory a story.

    Many things are repeated so often, that the bit more $$ for wordcount is unlikely to cover the loss of lost readers.

    Often the author doesn't really foreshadow, but he rams you a blinking door in your face... and then he spends several paragraphes to literally tell it to you again.... And obviously a few sentences of how clever our protagonist is for understanding *something*. (while repeating 2-6 times what he understands, so even the most stupid reader has really, really, reaaally understood it [funfact: in the comment section you will most likely still find someone who didn't understand it])

    I've read so many CN stories... but somehow I don't really know how any female character looks... I only know they have skin like jade, alluring twin peaks and a cool/apathic face... Sometimes I know the hair color at least.

    Ugh... this post feels more like a rant... But I really wonder if CN authors think their readers are stupid or if the target audience is ~10 year old? Which would be weird with all the blood in most stories...
     
  2. Novela

    Novela Immortal Sheep

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2017
    Messages:
    538
    Likes Received:
    10,616
    Reading List:
    Link
    Idk do they ?
    But even if people drop a cn novel , others will still continue for the plot (that's horrible) and all....
     
  3. Fossil

    Fossil 「Spooky」「Scary」「Skeleton」

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2016
    Messages:
    3,566
    Likes Received:
    19,341
    Reading List:
    Link
    Depends on the author.
     
    Slayerwolfx2 likes this.
  4. Aizael

    Aizael Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2016
    Messages:
    505
    Likes Received:
    946
    Reading List:
    Link
    they dont think readers are stupid... they know readers are stupid
     
  5. chencking

    chencking [Daolord Grammar Nazi]

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2016
    Messages:
    6,075
    Likes Received:
    4,160
    Reading List:
    Link
    You'd be surprised how many people start complaining when your sentences turn a bit complicated. The more complex, the more potential to misread, and the more time it takes to extract the correct meaning. Throw in Chinese dearth of punctuation, and it's heavily discouraged. For every key term, such as a cultivation level, which you use interchangeably, your confused readers skyrocket. Put a complex sentence, and confused readers will spam your comments section with arguments (we use LCDs). It's not worth it.

    Honestly, I think an important part of university-level writing is to be concise and clear. Each sentence should be simple and straightforward, but carefully chosen to mean exactly what you want it to. I had a lot of bad habits to get rid of, and this took me years to learn.
     
    alexfilia, drollawake, AHKoT and 2 others like this.
  6. isengoethe

    isengoethe Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2016
    Messages:
    33
    Likes Received:
    18
    Reading List:
    Link
    There are intelligent individuals. People, as a whole, is stupid.
     
  7. Jass

    Jass Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2017
    Messages:
    117
    Likes Received:
    204
    Reading List:
    Link
    I believe a lot of them are amateur writers who have a big problem of telling and not showing, hence why they just show everything as if it was historical fact and rams it into your head in case you forget.
    And those kind of novels tend to be junk food man, there's always going to be a group of readers that will somehow read through it even when they themselves are aware that the novel is pretty bad.
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2018
    drollawake, Cosmic_ and Fuyuneko like this.
  8. Makuba

    Makuba Wyrd bið ful aræd

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2016
    Messages:
    546
    Likes Received:
    1,176
    Reading List:
    Link
    They get paid by the word.
     
  9. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2016
    Messages:
    16,265
    Likes Received:
    15,755
    Reading List:
    Link
    I hate to break it to you but you are not the target audience.
    The novels weren't written to suit your sensibilities
     
  10. TheBunanna

    TheBunanna Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2017
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    36
    Reading List:
    Link
    Considering most readers of CN novels skim read more than often, it doesn't really matter
     
  11. juniorjawz

    juniorjawz Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2016
    Messages:
    6,895
    Likes Received:
    8,231
    Reading List:
    Link
    More details more words.
    More words more cash.
    Also.
    More broad words more age range.
    More age range more readers.
     
  12. Shallow79

    Shallow79 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2017
    Messages:
    211
    Likes Received:
    61
    Reading List:
    Link
    Simple reason, money.
     
  13. regret12

    regret12 Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2018
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    2
    Reading List:
    Link
    Lol I guess we are stupid then hahahaha.
    On the other hand, I always wonder why all female lead have to have big breast.
     
  14. Cosmic_

    Cosmic_ [Novel Addict] [Lazy Writer] [Meh Editor]

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2016
    Messages:
    2,680
    Likes Received:
    2,388
    Reading List:
    Link
    I think the repetition is partially due to the word count linked to their pay. As for if they think their audience is stupid, maybe. There are certainly a few authors that think too highly of their own writing and literary “skills” despite the fact that they are writing novels where people have to turn off their brains to actually enjoy it. Like for real, what is the “theme” if these novels suppose to be? MC is the best? Don’t mess with an MC? If you’re an MC and rape a jade beauty she’d fall in love with you? Arrogant young masters can’t see Mt. Tai?
     
  15. Ltsandwich

    Ltsandwich Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2016
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    2
    Reading List:
    Link
    Please tell me you're being sarcastically ironic.
     
    LeeEzekiel and Karyehs like this.
  16. Elawn

    Elawn 『Binge Reader』

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2016
    Messages:
    781
    Likes Received:
    1,142
    Reading List:
    Link
    You seem to be mistaken about something, in the literary world, web novels authors are rarely acknowledge as such in the first place. Although some have good basics, others are just writing for the cash.
     
  17. PoopyDoopy

    PoopyDoopy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2015
    Messages:
    453
    Likes Received:
    457
    Reading List:
    Link
    It happens all over the world bro, take the japanese authors as an example, the 99% of them treat their readers as fckyng 11 old virgins with no inmunity to a girl's contact, it's a standart writing that was proved to be succesful so there won't be a end of it in the near future as it does not concern our opinion but the profits they get.

    And before someone replies saying that not all the japs write like this, this fckyng logic also applies to the CN authors, not all of them write like this and there is a ton of good novels.
     
    drollawake, _Selutu_ and Cosmic_ like this.
  18. Cosmic_

    Cosmic_ [Novel Addict] [Lazy Writer] [Meh Editor]

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2016
    Messages:
    2,680
    Likes Received:
    2,388
    Reading List:
    Link
    Cause CN authors don’t understand that flat is justice like with JP authors? :blobtongue:
     
  19. zarvi

    zarvi Ojisan

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2016
    Messages:
    693
    Likes Received:
    502
    Reading List:
    Link
    Well if these authors are aware of it and you are still reading the novel made to be read by stupid people then what are you to these authors?
     
  20. Meloman

    Meloman My dog is lazier than me

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2018
    Messages:
    1,355
    Likes Received:
    1,092
    Reading List:
    Link
    When I just started reading CN novels I also had a similar view, why all the explanations and their constant repeating.

    Currently I’m trying to write one long story myself. Well I (hope) don’t have as much repetitions and I try to use synonyms, but honestly I find that if I did not repeat some stuff it would not be clear enough in my own head.

    It feels as if like if I don’t make it clear in my own mind then the someone who would be hopefully reading it one day would not be able to understand me. (Though I am planning to re-do bits and pieces to make it less repetitive in my own fiction story.)

    Also my later chapters, where I already feel like I got my basics down in my own head, have less repetition or explanations.

    Perhaps the CN writers with their over 1000 chapters also try to remind themselves? The authors are human too...
     
    judairu likes this.