"Enhancing the Novel Reading Experience: From Device Adaptation to Dreamers' Quest for Progress"

Midnight-Phantom

( Enigmatic-Entity )
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Hey everyone!

I wanted to start a thread today to discuss some important points and observations I've made while reading novels online. I felt it was necessary to share these thoughts with both readers and authors alike.

Firstly, I've noticed that many authors overlook the significance of the reading device we use. Most people read on smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktops. The way the content is presented plays a vital role in the reading experience. For instance, a paragraph may appear as 3-4 lines on a larger desktop or laptop screen, but the same paragraph could be 8-9 lines on a smartphone, making it more challenging to read. Proper spacing and paragraph length are crucial for readability.

Now, let's discuss how system prompts are presented. I've come across numerous novels that contain systems, and I've noticed that very few of them arrange the prompts adequately. Considering the device readers use, it's essential to adapt the presentation accordingly. For example, reading an Excel table-like status board on a smartphone doesn't make sense. It becomes difficult to understand if multiple pieces of information are crammed into one line. In my experience, charts or bolded/italicized words work better for such cases, but not both simultaneously.

Another aspect is color-coding sentences. Nowadays, websites offer both day and night modes, and many people, including myself, prefer using the night mode by default. In this case, certain colors, especially dark ones like dark blue, become extremely hard to read unless the brightness is increased. Authors should be mindful of these factors to ensure readability.

Font selection is also crucial. Italicizing or bolding fonts can enhance readability, but using both simultaneously can be disastrous. It becomes unreadable, especially on smartphones, and even on desktops, it poses difficulties.

These aforementioned elements are essential, and authors should consider them before posting their work.

Now, let's move on to other important factors we encounter.

Novel titles hold significant importance. They provide the first impression and should ideally reflect the essence of the novel. I understand that naming a novel can be complicated—I'm currently searching for an appropriate title myself. The title should encapsulate the hero's journey, their race, their powers, and other relevant aspects. Choose wisely and aim for an intriguing and captivating title.

Next, let's talk about novel covers. There are many sites, such as Pinterest and Pixiv, where you can find great cover art with a wide range of diversity. With the advancement of AI, creating unique and creative artwork has become feasible. If you prefer, you can also commission artists for custom covers. Supporting fellow creative individuals is important, as they often struggle to make ends meet.

Now, onto novel descriptions. This is another crucial aspect and is as challenging as creating the story itself. A novel requires an adequate description to attract readers. Additionally, you can include other details, such as links to the site where you sourced your cover or promoting your Patreon. However, remember to prioritize the description itself and clearly indicate what each element represents.

Lastly, let's discuss tags. This is a delicate matter. Trust me, readers (including myself) often rely on tags to determine if a novel aligns with their preferences. Some key tags include the gender of the main character (MC), harem elements, and specific cursed genres like BL or GL. Is it a slice-of-life story? Does it feature a morally ambiguous MC or a goody two shoes? The selection of tags is crucial, so choose them thoughtfully and respectfully.

These are the various aspects that a reader encounters even before diving into a chapter of a novel. It's important for both readers and authors to consider these points for an enhanced reading experience.
There are many other general things to consider, but they have been discussed by others, so I won't mention them here. I've focused on the specific issues I frequently encounter, and honestly, I'm a bit tired these days. To begin with, not everyone is proficient in English, so grammar and other language-related aspects can be challenging. Then there's the act of writing itself. Nowadays, very few people have a genuine passion for writing, making it difficult to learn and improve the art of presenting a story effectively.

Presentation plays a vital role in a good novel. The author creates the story, while the writers bring it to life through vivid descriptions. Editors ensure the presentation is adequate, and illustrators breathe life into the characters. Finally, publishers release the combined effort of these talented individuals to the general public. However, budding authors often find themselves responsible for all these tasks, making it understandable that their work may not always meet professional standards. Only a few experienced authors possess the skill to handle all aspects of novel creation successfully in today's world.

I truly hope that platform owners or those who manage them can establish general guidelines and support aspiring writers. With guidance, they may one day become experienced and be able to sustain themselves financially. Money has become the new language of the world, and it's disheartening to think about how a brilliant mind can go hungry in this civilized era.

The number of people reading novels nowadays is dwindling. In my village, I'm the only one I know of who does, and often ridiculed too. Trust me, people mostly read physical books, and even then, they lean towards non-fictional works. Their mindset is not geared towards exploring the realm of fiction; they only read because it's required by their educational institutions to secure good grades. The world is not kind to dreamers these days, even though their dreams have shaped the world itself.

Consider the dreamer who first envisioned flying in the sky. People laughed at him, deeming him mad. Centuries later, another dreamer envisioned fulfilling that initial dream and worked tirelessly to make progress. Once again, people ridiculed him, calling him mad. But centuries later, another individual came along, dreaming of flight, and through hard work, created a mechanical contraption that could soar. People were in awe. And now, dreamers can fly, and many yearn to take flight themselves. The irony is undeniable.


May your dreams, dear friend, be woven into the tapestry of reality. Where imagination dances with boundless possibility, never cease to chase the stars that guide your way. For within the realm of dreams, true progress holds sway.

In the realm of slumber, where visions take flight, in the whispers of the night bathed in moon's gentle light, let your spirit soar on wings of endless desire. Igniting the fires of creativity, higher and higher.

Embrace the ethereal melodies that call from afar, compose symphonies of dreams like a shining star. With each brushstroke of passion, paint your dreams in hues, creating masterpieces that inspire and enthuse.

Through the corridors of reverie, venture unafraid, where the impossible intertwines with reality's braid. For in the realm of dreams, where possibilities reside, the spirit of innovation and progress shall forever abide.

So, my dear friend, keep dreaming with unwavering zest. For in dreams, the seeds of greatness are blessed. May your visions blossom and your aspirations bloom, as you traverse the path where dreams find room.

May destiny's hand guide you on your visionary quest, and may your dreams come true, dearest friend, at its behest. For it is through dreaming, with heart and soul gleaming, that we pave the way for progress, ever dreaming.
 

LunaSoltaer

Spicy Transbian
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
668
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133
It is probably those educational institutions that siphoned the will to read out of us in the first place.

They don't exactly choose inspiring books, and even if they did, they remove the exploration, often forcing specific answers.

I imagine it's gotten worse since I was that age.

Reading and dreaming are personal affairs that must be managed personally. And the world is not kind. It never has been, it never will be.

Once you find what makes you click, you will fly, and you will soar.

Just beware and do not let reading consume your day to day. The world will not yield to you. Take care of yourself, then indulge. Is it sad that we are largely alone? Sure. Doesn't change what has to be done.

And poor first guy in the past who got laughed at. Or gal, or whoever. We should timewarp them a cookie.
 

Aaqil

Cookies!
Joined
Jan 4, 2021
Messages
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We should timewarp them a cookie.
:blob_cookie:
 

TheEldritchGod

A Cloud Of Pure Spite And Eyes
Joined
Dec 15, 2021
Messages
3,445
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183
Hey everyone!
Yo.

I wanted to start a thread today to discuss some important points and observations I've made while reading novels online. I felt it was necessary to share these thoughts with both readers and authors alike.
Feelings? Feelings are bad. Stop having those. It'll only cause you trouble.
and Thoughts? Thinking is a most dangerous pastime.

Firstly, I've noticed that many authors overlook the significance of the reading device we use. Most people read on smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktops. The way the content is presented plays a vital role in the reading experience. For instance, a paragraph may appear as 3-4 lines on a larger desktop or laptop screen, but the same paragraph could be 8-9 lines on a smartphone, making it more challenging to read. Proper spacing and paragraph length are crucial for readability.
I enjoy the use of negative space. I feel people do not use line breaks enough.












The additional blank space creates an emotion in the viewer.











Usually, annoyance.
Now, let's discuss how system prompts are presented. I've come across numerous novels that contain systems, and I've noticed that very few of them arrange the prompts adequately. Considering the device readers use, it's essential to adapt the presentation accordingly. For example, reading an Excel table-like status board on a smartphone doesn't make sense. It becomes difficult to understand if multiple pieces of information are crammed into one line. In my experience, charts or bolded/italicized words work better for such cases, but not both simultaneously.
Read The House of Leaves.

Another aspect is color-coding sentences. Nowadays, websites offer both day and night modes, and many people, including myself, prefer using the night mode by default. In this case, certain colors, especially dark ones like dark blue, become extremely hard to read unless the brightness is increased. Authors should be mindful of these factors to ensure readability.
There is no need to use color, ever. If you are using color, you are using a gimmick.

Font selection is also crucial. Italicizing or bolding fonts can enhance readability, but using both simultaneously can be disastrous. It becomes unreadable, especially on smartphones, and even on desktops, it poses difficulties.
Times-Roman. Only way to fly.

These aforementioned elements are essential, and authors should consider them before posting their work.
Essential?

Novel titles hold significant importance. They provide the first impression and should ideally reflect the essence of the novel. I understand that naming a novel can be complicated—I'm currently searching for an appropriate title myself. The title should encapsulate the hero's journey, their race, their powers, and other relevant aspects. Choose wisely and aim for an intriguing and captivating title.
The title should be three words and something not copywrited. Because if you can make up a 3 letter acronym, it makes it easier to market.

Next, let's talk about novel covers. There are many sites, such as Pinterest and Pixiv, where you can find great cover art with a wide range of diversity. With the advancement of AI, creating unique and creative artwork has become feasible. If you prefer, you can also commission artists for custom covers. Supporting fellow creative individuals is important, as they often struggle to make ends meet.
Pft. Boobs. Just have Boobs. Nice boobs. Doesn't even have to have anything to do with the novel. Have a picture of a girl with boobs and enough clothing it doesn't get yeeted by the censors and yer good.

Now, onto novel descriptions. This is another crucial aspect and is as challenging as creating the story itself. A novel requires an adequate description to attract readers. Additionally, you can include other details, such as links to the site where you sourced your cover or promoting your Patreon. However, remember to prioritize the description itself and clearly indicate what each element represents.
Nah. The boobs will get the reader to check out the novel.
The first line needs to get the reader to read the first paragraph.
The first paragraph needs to convince the reader to read the first chapter.
The first chapter needs to sell the reader a question. That question can only be answered by reading to the end of THIS BOOK.

Descriptions/blurbs are ignored like... 80% of the time. The cover with a cool 3 word title will get the person to check out the first sentence. From there, it's up to how well you wrote.

Lastly, let's discuss tags. This is a delicate matter. Trust me, readers (including myself) often rely on tags to determine if a novel aligns with their preferences. Some key tags include the gender of the main character (MC), harem elements, and specific cursed genres like BL or GL. Is it a slice-of-life story? Does it feature a morally ambiguous MC or a goody two shoes? The selection of tags is crucial, so choose them thoughtfully and respectfully.
Tags get you more search results, so just have as many as SH will let you have. Check out each tag to make sure it's a list with other stories on it because the number of stories in the tag relates to how popular the tag is. it's all a numbers game.

These are the various aspects that a reader encounters even before diving into a chapter of a novel. It's important for both readers and authors to consider these points for an enhanced reading experience.
"Enhanced"? What is an ENHANCED reading experience? Like... waterboarding is an ENHANCED interrogation technique?

May destiny's hand guide you on your visionary quest, and may your dreams come true, dearest friend, at its behest. For it is through dreaming, with heart and soul gleaming, that we pave the way for progress, ever dreaming.
*peers*
I'm not on a quest. I'm just writing shit because I'm bored and it's fun.
Some of us are old, bitter, and cynical. You are entirely too cheerful. It's disturbing.
 

Midnight-Phantom

( Enigmatic-Entity )
Joined
Feb 27, 2023
Messages
323
Points
78
I imagine that was probably some tribal hunter that thought it'd be easier to hunt if they were birds, :blob_frown: :blob_cookie:
Their friends probably agreed, :blob_cookie:
Yeah, I feel the same way. Maybe they actually did it, who knows? I just hope they've got some cookies, otherwise, they're seriously missing out on a sugar rush. :blob_cookie::blob_cookie:
It is probably those educational institutions that siphoned the will to read out of us in the first place.

They don't exactly choose inspiring books, and even if they did, they remove the exploration, often forcing specific answers.

I imagine it's gotten worse since I was that age.

Reading and dreaming are personal affairs that must be managed personally. And the world is not kind. It never has been, it never will be.

Once you find what makes you click, you will fly, and you will soar.

Just beware and do not let reading consume your day to day. The world will not yield to you. Take care of yourself, then indulge. Is it sad that we are largely alone? Sure. Doesn't change what has to be done.

And poor first guy in the past who got laughed at. Or gal, or whoever. We should timewarp them a cookie.
agreed !!


[Timewarp_Cookie.exe//run] Let's hope they get it ... :blob_cookie::blob_cookie:
Yo.


Feelings? Feelings are bad. Stop having those. It'll only cause you trouble.
and Thoughts? Thinking is a most dangerous pastime.


I enjoy the use of negative space. I feel people do not use line breaks enough.












The additional blank space creates an emotion in the viewer.











Usually, annoyance.

Read The House of Leaves.


There is no need to use color, ever. If you are using color, you are using a gimmick.


Times-Roman. Only way to fly.


Essential?


The title should be three words and something not copywrited. Because if you can make up a 3 letter acronym, it makes it easier to market.


Pft. Boobs. Just have Boobs. Nice boobs. Doesn't even have to have anything to do with the novel. Have a picture of a girl with boobs and enough clothing it doesn't get yeeted by the censors and yer good.


Nah. The boobs will get the reader to check out the novel.
The first line needs to get the reader to read the first paragraph.
The first paragraph needs to convince the reader to read the first chapter.
The first chapter needs to sell the reader a question. That question can only be answered by reading to the end of THIS BOOK.

Descriptions/blurbs are ignored like... 80% of the time. The cover with a cool 3 word title will get the person to check out the first sentence. From there, it's up to how well you wrote.


Tags get you more search results, so just have as many as SH will let you have. Check out each tag to make sure it's a list with other stories on it because the number of stories in the tag relates to how popular the tag is. it's all a numbers game.


"Enhanced"? What is an ENHANCED reading experience? Like... waterboarding is an ENHANCED interrogation technique?


*peers*
I'm not on a quest. I'm just writing shit because I'm bored and it's fun.
Some of us are old, bitter, and cynical. You are entirely too cheerful. It's disturbing.
Hey bro, here's a virtual cookie for you! :blob_cookie: . I genuinely hope you find your fun and have a blast, dude. Oh, and if I'm making you feel that I'm cheerful, please do me a solid and pass on a message to my parents. Let them know they keep saying I need more outdoor activities or some mumbo jumbo. Like seriously, I'm practically the epitome of virtual outdoorsy awesomeness!! , I've travelled through countless worlds too, all from the comfort of my indoor reading adventures .. :blobreading::blobreading:
 
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Caivy

Active member
Joined
Sep 18, 2022
Messages
46
Points
33
Firstly, I've noticed that many authors overlook the significance of the reading device we use. Most people read on smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktops. The way the content is presented plays a vital role in the reading experience. For instance, a paragraph may appear as 3-4 lines on a larger desktop or laptop screen, but the same paragraph could be 8-9 lines on a smartphone, making it more challenging to read. Proper spacing and paragraph length are crucial for readability.
Honestly for me as a reader it does get annoying, when I just see a wall of text and no white space at all. Just like in design white space is very important.
 

TheMonotonePuppet

A Puppet Colored by Medication
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You sure? Can you cite sources?
I admire the commitment to writing such a buzzkill comment.
There is no need to use color, ever. If you are using color, you are using a gimmick.
You could not be more wrong. Color is required for nearly all System novels. You could argue that all System novels are gimmicky, but you'd be wrong with that too. I would argue that System novels are a genre unto themselves now, with enough breadth and depth to the topics covered that to overlook the usage of the System is foolish. I will not argue further for this though, since you will undoubtedly come up with points that I cannot argue with because they are subjective and objective, nor will I succeed in changing your mind. The color of Systems can be used to make things easier to read or to skip, depending on the reader's preference. They can also be used as part of world-building (why is it that color? This could be related to virtually anything in your story if you connect them and lay enough easter eggs around the place) if you are good enough to actually use that to your advantage. Colors can also be used to distinguish between multiple Systems; glitches in the System; outside interference; System damage; etc.
Outside of System novels, color can be used for creatures' dialogue who are both beyond our ken, but also still understandable enough that their words can be put into colored font. That way you can contrast them with the ones that are so truly incomprehensible.
 
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Midnight-Phantom

( Enigmatic-Entity )
Joined
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Messages
323
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78
:blob_cookie: :blob_cookie:
Honestly for me as a reader it does get annoying, when I just see a wall of text and no white space at all. Just like in design white space is very important.
Yeah, I feel your pain, bro. That's why I wrote about it. Lots of novels have that problem, you know? They don't use proper spacing. Some authors use line breaks after each sentence, while others just keep writing without any breaks for like 4-5 long sentences. :er_what_s:

It makes reading them really hard, man. Sometimes you gotta go back and reread it to make any sense of it at all.
I admire the commitment to writing such a buzzkill comment.

You could not be more wrong. Color is required for nearly all System novels. You could argue that all System novels are gimmicky, but you'd be wrong with that too. I would argue that System novels are a genre unto themselves now, with enough breadth and depth to the topics covered that to overlook the usage of the System is foolish. I will not argue further for this though, since you will undoubtedly come up with points that I cannot argue with because they are subjective and objective, nor will I succeed in changing your mind. The color of Systems can be used to make things easier to read or to skip, depending on the reader's preference. They can also be used as part of world-building (why is it that color? This could be related to virtually anything in your story if you connect them and lay enough easter eggs around the place) if you are good enough to actually use that to your advantage. Colors can also be used to distinguish between multiple Systems; glitches in the System; outside interference; System damage; etc.
Outside of System novels, color can be used for creatures' dialogue who are both beyond our ken, but also still understandable enough that their words can be put into colored font. That way you can contrast them with the ones that are so truly incomprehensible.
Yeah, you're totally right about the system part. It's insightful, and authors should definitely work on it to make it more doable and organized. If we use the system prompts or status updates effectively, it could look amazing.

But hey, different websites will throw in their own set of problems too because they have different templates for these things.
 
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Zinless

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Staff member
Joined
Jun 13, 2022
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Colors can also be used to distinguish between multiple Systems; glitches in the System; outside interference; System damage; etc.
You can write them without colors too.

Distinguish multiple systems? Use different formats.

Glitches, make them stutter.
"S-System malfunctt-t-t-ion. R-R-Reboot required"

Outside interference can be conveyed through description.
'But, throughout all this text that lies before me, one paragraph stood out from the others. It was written personally, rather than robotically, like the system usually does.'

System damage, you can convey them through glitches and/or descriptions.

I'm not saying that the usage of colored text is wrong, but that it's not the only way to write System novels and it's definitely not required for authors to write one.
 

TheMonotonePuppet

A Puppet Colored by Medication
Joined
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You can write them without colors too.

Distinguish multiple systems? Use different formats.

Glitches, make them stutter.
"S-System malfunctt-t-t-ion. R-R-Reboot required"

Outside interference can be conveyed through description.
'But, throughout all this text that lies before me, one paragraph stood out from the others. It was written personally, rather than robotically, like the system usually does.'

System damage, you can convey them through glitches and/or descriptions.

I'm not saying that the usage of colored text is wrong, but that it's not the only way to write System novels and it's definitely not required for authors to write one.
True. I know that there are others that do well without color and that it's nowhere near a requirement. I wasn't saying that every single one uses color. I say "nearly all," because on average, they do need that color.
Color is a useful choice for implying a different fault than what is implied by using the tricks of the author's tool bag for differentiation.
Unfortunately, it is not often used to the fullest extent.
 
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