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JenLeifire
Oct '22
1

I think people really get bored if there are no action for a few chapters. I dunno maybe my personal feeling. I am at a stage at my novel where I indulge more in the psyche and emotions of my main characters, so action is been put on hold for a bit, but well since then there are less likes and no comments and also readers who unsub. While I am all for action as I rly love and want it, I also think exploring characters is as important to even feel for them, understand them better and get attached.

What do you all think of that?

btw. that is my novel in case anyone wanna look at it. Also to mention, the banner is currently only for halloween XD I tried my luck in drawing my main chars as chibis for that XD

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    Oct '22

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    Nov '22
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Freemints30
Oct '22

Depends on the genre. Like if your genre is slice of life, romance or other slow pace genre then the non-action chapters are more considered the standards and the readers are more interested in them overall.

For genres that are more emphasis on action like battle shonen or like other action based series usually the readers are interested in the action or battles part. However really I dont feel that readers get bored persay really the non-action chapters can be intriguing if the the art and writing are framed in an interesting way and the dialogue is well written.

Honestly some times readers on more emotional heavy chapters just need more time to process the chapter before making a comment. so yeah its less boredom unless the writer or artist is does not do a decent job at making the slower paced chapters intresting.

Really I feel slower paced chapters are necessary to add contrast to a story and make people actually engaged with the characters and not just get bored and lose readers with the on slught of context less action after action with no building on the characters

darthmongoose
Oct '22

I can't speak for novels, but I've actually found the opposite to be the case with my comic. Readers don't dislike the action sequences, but it's the updates that focus on intense emotional moments that tend to get the most reader comments and likes, and Ive found for promotion, showing comedic panels and focusing on the characters and relationships is often more effective for attracting readers than showing off even the coolest looking action panels.

JenLeifire
Oct '22

Yeah I dunno atm its more interactin with MC and ML and going through a traumatic experience. My genre is crime/mystery/thriller and its also BL. I just wondered. Maybe I am just scared I bore them lol I rly hope I dont >< just when people unsub it tends to make me feel unsecure about my work and I try to think of why

Freemints30
Oct '22

Ah I see I feel in that case I wouldn't worry too much on wheather or not your series have action or alot of it, cus the most popular in that genre are VERY slow paced with not alot of action and more with alot character focus. I'll say if your starting out I would not worry too much about gaining and losing subs in novels in the beginning since that tends to happen as people get a good feel of your storyand you are starting out.

I'll say dont worry and just keep going

SilverLugia456
Oct '22

I think it depends on how the non-action scenes are presented to the readers. There is worldbuilding and character development that can happen outsidfe of action sequences. Sometimes those action scenes need support from the non action scenes to help push the story along. If there is a good hook and details that make the scenes and dialogue pop out to the reader then they could be drawn to it.

One thing to be careful for is dragging on scenes for too long or too vague on what is happening. That could ahve a chance of boring readers since it wouldn't keep their attention focused on how the story is progress and may lose the reader too.

JenLeifire
Oct '22

Thank you guys for your comforting words <3. Well my novel is like 53 chapters alerady on tapas (only casue I have to split it here. if not split its actually only 27 Chapters with 2k words each Chapter XD) but yeah I spoiled my readers with a lot of action at the beginning and now its more character development, also working towards getting the Main Couple together which also is slow paced, but thats how it is lol

I do hope my dialogues are intriguing enough, I also jump to scenes to get the investigations going, trying to keep the mystery alive. But yeah its not meant to have their focus on action as you said Freemints, so I hope I do still intrigue my readers =3

Freemints30
Oct '22

We all wish you the best of luck :triumph:. That's quite a bit of chapters , but still if you only started this year I wouldnt worry, building an audience on tapas as novel takes like a long time so I say do your best and dont be afraid to show off your work when you can.

Maybe add a link to you tapas profile to help people here find it easier, Good luck

JenLeifire
Oct '22

Thank you a lot and yeah I just started this year and its rly hard to build an audience. =3 and yeah good Idea I will add a link, thx =3

BrianBrennon
Oct '22

There’s also an argument to be made that the non-action segments of the story make the action bits feel more impactful. If your readers have no time to breath, a story can also start to feel exhausting.

cherrystark
Oct '22

I think it depends more on what you define as "action". I think the slower scenes can still have just as much "happening" in the story as your typical "action" scene. I think that as long as the scene does something, like establish a stronger bond between two characters, readers shouldn't get bored.

RobertBMarks
Oct '22

Gonna have to plug Robert McKee's book Story here, because he explains what prevents readers from getting bored when there isn't action happening REALLY well.

Basically, what McKee says is that in any given scene, there must be a change of state for the character involved from positive to negative or negative to positive. So, if something was going well at the beginning of the scene, by the end of the scene there must be a reversal (a complication arises, something falls through, etc.). Likewise, if the character starts a scene in a negative state (something has just fallen through, their love interest has just left them, etc.), then there must be a reversal of some sort into a positive state (a new solution arises, a new love interest appears, etc.).

(Or, put another way, if the scene starts with the character in a good state, something bad has to happen, and vice versa - doesn't matter what it is, so long as there is a change of some sort.)

So long as there is a change in state, something is happening and the reader will stay with you. If there isn't a change in state, then nothing has happened, and the reader will start getting bored. Likewise, this helps a lot in figuring out if a scene can be cut - if nothing in the plot has developed and nothing has changed for the characters, the scene is just wasted space.

Obligatory link to Story follows:

JenLeifire
Oct '22

thank you all and oooh great advice @RobertBMarks thankies =3 yeah thats what I am trying to do, at the moment I do have that actually. But I rly will keep this in mind for future chapters as well, thats really great advice =D

powerplantanimations
Oct '22

Can't speak for novels either, but I got a boost in views with my latest arc which was just.... exposition lmao. Mostly had to do with the delivery though which was more emotionally impactful. Honestly it's just delivery that's the key to all of this. Hit readers where they don't suspect.

KeithRW
Oct '22

Interesting question. Ultimately, it's the non-action chapters that make you care about what happens in the action chapters. It's not enough to have someone fighting someone else, even if there's clearly an underdog. You need to know what the stakes are, and only finding that out during an action sequence can mean a lot of the impact is lost, in my opinion. Usually the stakes will be determined in a slower, non-action chapter before any action takes place. I personally tend to find them a lot more interesting than action scenes, because you often get to know the motivation of the characters in them.

JenLeifire
Oct '22

thanks, glad you see it that way. I also think you learn way more of the characters in the inbetween chapters and then the impact will be more later on with whatever happens. Maybe I just need to write it better, dunno XD but I am my worst critque lol

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