Today the question on my mind is … are you a spoiler?
By that I mean, when you pick up a book to read it, do you go to the last page and read the ending of the story before reading the beginning and middle?
why do you do that?! Why do you spoil it for yourself?
Are you impatient? Can you not wait to know how it ends? Does it bug you too much to have to read through from the beginning?
Okay, I admit to having done that a few times. I have skipped ahead to know if it’s worth the build-up of anticipation and suspense, or if I will be disappointed. Or I’ve quickly flipped through if I simply couldn’t stand the too-many-words-in-between until I could find out what I was waiting to know. I have occasionally found a book that became too wordy or slow resulting in the story losing its magic for me, making it very hard to wade through all the blah blah blah’s without skipping a few pages to move ahead.
On the most part, though, I make myself resist the urge to peek. The times I have read the last page out of turn were usually when I was almost there anyway.
Are you one of those people who just has to start at the end of almost anything you are reading? Do you read magazines or the newspaper or brochures from the back to the front, too?
Would or does reading the last page first spoil your appetite for the main part of the book? Do you ever not read the rest after doing that?
Speaking of appetite, do you eat dessert before the main course? Some people do, you know. I knew a family whose daughter always wanted to do that. It didn’t spoil her appetite for the rest of the meal so they let her.
Oh dear, that’s making me hungry. Back to the main point …
When I am looking for information on a book before I buy it, I don’t like reading spoilers. I like some info but not too much. But, it seems I am almost the opposite with movies. I like a certain amount of information, especially to know if it gets overly violent or vulgar or stupid. I consider those to be a waste of my time and I usually choose to not watch something that will really bother me. But, on the other hand, spoilers of movies that interest me tend to draw me in and I accept knowing more ahead than if it is a book. I’m not sure why that is, unless because when reading one’s own visuals are formulated and if it’s out of order that gets all messed up. (Does that make any sense?)
It’s funny how we form habits. I wonder why do we have to rush ahead, and why do we find it so hard to take things in order?
Maybe there is another very simple explanation for this, and not just impatience or having to know it all first. If so, please clue me in to what it is.
I know, I asked loads of questions this time, (which I hope you will think about and tell me what your habits are, because I find it very interesting) but they all boil down to the main one.
Are you a spoiler? Why or why not?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
The answer is: N-O spells no. I might skim through boring parts but I don’t read the ending before I get there. Don’t spoil it!! 😉
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Good for you, Erik. I would have been surprised if you were to read the end and spoil the read. 🙂
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Hi Lynn,
I found your blog from shewrites.com. Great question! I did a ‘sneak peak’ with most recent book I’ve finished. I was, like you said at one point, already close to the end. I mostly do it to see if my predictions are accurate, or if I really liked a character who disappeared and I want him/her to reappear in the story, I’ll sometimes skip ahead and scan the pages to see if said character’s name pops up! It’s definitely hard to resist sometimes! I’m now following your blog!
-Katie
http://theintrinsicwriter.blogspot.com/
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Hi Katie, welcome to my blog! Thanks for the follow. 🙂
If I take that sneak peek it is for the same reason you mentioned – I ‘have to’ find out if a character is followed up, or if a certain situation is dealt with satisfactorily (read that as … to my satisfaction). I don’t read a lot ahead but to scan to find what I ‘need’ to know.
Thanks for your input.
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I’ve never jumped ahead to see how a book ends. I do have a friend who admits to this all the time.The temptation is there and she just can’t resist. I guess I’m not that adventuresome. I want to take the book one step at a time or rather one page at a time.
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You know what, Laura? I think it is more adventuresome to make yourself wait, to take it one page at a time even if the temptation is strong to jump ahead. 🙂
Thanks for your comment. It’s great to see you visiting.
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Oh my! I never peek at the end. I won’t even flip to see how many pages there are. I’m afraid I might accidentally see something that spoils the ending. I won’t even read the entire flap or back cover copy. I like to be fully surprised by a story. The less I know going in, the better.
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🙂 Sometimes the anticipation just is too much for me, but I understand what you mean. Thanks for sharing that. Perhaps I don’t like surprises as much as you seem to like them.
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