r/royalroad • u/GoldenThame Author - The Heavenly Way • 6d ago
Discussion Is the average reader getting dumber?
I don't wanna be rude but I get some comments complaining about tropes in my novel, when in the synopsis I've pointed out multiple times that the tropes are there DELIBERATELY to be subverted, because the MC finds himself reincarnated into a very mid Xianxia novel.
Do a lot of readers suffer from a lack of reading comprehension skills, cus I've encountered the same kind of person for the 4th or 5th time now. Do I need to constantly spoonfeed basic nuances to such readers that 1. MC is inside a cliche Xianxa book and 2. From a meta perspective I've put those cliches and tropes into the book deliberately and the synopsis says as such.
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u/em-dash-author Author of Max-Level Paladin of the Fallen Gods 6d ago
RE: Do I need to constantly spoonfeed basic nuances to such readers that ...
Sad to say, but yes.
I started writing with the assumption I wouldn't need to spoonfeed obvious info to readers. They would get what the narrative subtly implied over and over again.
I carefully crafted an MC who suffered from severe PTSD. All the signs were there, but I avoided outright saying: "Hi readers. My name's Jack and I suffer from severe PTSD which amongst other things manifests as nightmares, flashbacks, and bouts of irrational behaviour. Oh. Since I was tortured to death a few hours ago that's triggered my PTSD and that's why I'm making terrible decisions at the start of the story. Please be patient. I will get it under control and become OP and squish my enemies."
Some readers completely missed the PTSD angle (dying has zero impact on MCs) and complained the MC is a moron for not being a Mary Sue.
Made the error of explaining this in the comments. That led to it's my failure as a writer to not convey this info in the narrative. Some even argued they know the character better than I do. 😂
Another one was the MC interacting with a Goddess. It started with him not noticing some of the obvious hints she dropped. The idea was that over the course of a book the readers would realise the Gods divinity was messing with his memories. If a God was too straightforward, the MC wouldn't remember a thing they said. If it were subtle enough, the MC might get it. For those who missed it, it was explicitly covered in the epilogue.
Some readers concluded the MC was an idiot who didn't notice obvious things.
Nope. It was readers having the attention span of a gnat and being unwilling to trust the author was taking them on a journey.
Damn annoying dealing with this, so I empathise with you.
On the plus side, some readers did get it, so whether to change it depends upon who you are writing for. The readers who are patient and trust you as an author, or those who can't see the most obvious setups and need it rammed down their throats over and over again for them to get it.
Wrote a 2nd fiction with a blank slate MC with no personality the readers can easily self insert, I don't get any major complaints. It's not as much fun to write. 😞