What is more important to you as a reader - style or content?

1. 60

   Marturionposted 12 years ago

   What is more important to you as a reader - style or content?
   
   If you had to choose between a book with a terrific plot, but mediocre writing; and one with fantastic writing, but didn't seem to go anywhere... Which would you choose?

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2. 60

   nishlaverzposted 12 years ago

   I like good informative and interesting articles and stories

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3. 59

   WD Curry 111posted 12 years ago

   It depends on the subject matter and interest of the user. You can't have a good style without good content. You can have good content with little style. An example of that would be a technical manual. Style? Better not.

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4. 60

   Eliminate Cancerposted 12 years ago

   I would have to say style, for two reasons:
   
   1) it's hard to slog through content that's unreadable
   
   and
   
   2) I enjoy nice use of language/style for that alone - it's an art form

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5. 93

   cat on a soapboxposted 12 years ago

   Good question! I would normally say that content is more important; however, if the book had fantastic writing style, I would keep going to see if the plot thickened. I would give up on a mediocre read unless I was doing research.

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   M. T. Dremerposted 12 years ago

   I would go for a good plot with so-so writing over a well written bore-fest. I appreciate when writers are good at their craft, but I read primarily for the stories that speak to me. It is possible to do that without the best writing skills, but if there is no heart and soul to your story, then it doesn't matter how well you write, it is still going to fall flat. A writer with good stories can always refine their skills, but a skilled writer without any stories can't make up for it with good punctuation. It is possible, however, for a skilled writer to work hard at finding creative and interesting ideas. There is a process to cracking creativity that is actually quite simple, if one is willing to sit down and search for those ideas.

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7. 60

   Smalltowngrl1375posted 12 years ago

   The terrific plot! I want a book that sucks me in, one that I can't put down until it's finished!

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8. 67

   xethonxqposted 12 years ago

   I'm partial to style. If it captures my attention and makes me feel a range of emotions as I read it I seek out the writer more. Content is important, but the style keeps me coming back.

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9. 60

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   I love good writing.  I can forgive a lot in plot if the books is written in a terrific style.

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10. 82

    NiaGposted 12 years ago

    Content. Who cares about all the fluff and jazz. What keeps me interested is a story where I'm anxious to go from one line to the next.

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11. 60

    daywriterposted 12 years ago

    Both are important and about style  when I read a text where is possible to see how the writer chooses those literary words to replace more simple ones, when we see hee/she is traying to follow the so called rules of good writing... I just turn the page...

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12. 64

    hoteltravelposted 12 years ago

    Both. Like the warp and woof of cloth, style and content are essential for good books. When there are so many good books with great style and content available, why choose otherwise?

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    Beata Stasakposted 12 years ago

    Content is very important to me...but writing plays a role as well...I believe the great writers are able to manage both skillfuly enough....so far I have finished every book I chose, but I rely heavily on recomendation and good reviews...

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14. 59

    MsKejciposted 12 years ago

    I think the both, because if the content is not good, your style wouldn't meter!

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    NatalieSackposted 12 years ago

    It's an enigma, since solid content can keep you reading when there is a lack of style, and style-rich prose can do the same for a content-light story.  Forced to choose, I would prefer good content because the psyche feeds on stories that resonate with humanity, not pretty words.  If style fed the soul we could all just read cookbooks and technical manuals and greeting cards.

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16. 0

    Flickrposted 12 years ago

    Content is more important to me. I believe that it is important to have a combination of both style and content. But it is what makes up the article that interests me.

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17. 48

    starstreamposted 12 years ago

    Style is very important as it can convey and support your choice of content.  Of course I'm not very interested in spending time reading about subjects of little interest to me.  So I give content a little higher vote.  Quality content is important.  I recently read a hub here which had so many misspelled words which definitely pulled it down in quality.

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18. 67

    bledsoepposted 12 years ago

    It's a very tough decision between the two, but I have to go with style. Content is great, but good content written uninterestingly is just plain boring. A good writer can make even dry material seem interesting. Particularly in fiction, I would rather read great prose about shallow characters in a silly plot than stale, stilted prose about interesting people doing something epic. My opinion of J.R.R. Tolkein, for example, is that he created fantastic ideas but it's clear from his prose style that the man was a linguist first and a creative writer second. "The Lord of the Rings" is an awesome story, but you can't tell me that it wouldn't have sounded better committed to paper by Robert E. Howard, or Michael Moorcock, or even Philip K. Dick. I know I'm committing high blasphemy by citing this example, but I think the fan worhsip of Tolkein is a perfect example of the difference between style and content. Tolkein is all content.

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    nifwlseirffposted 12 years ago

    This is a truly difficult question to answer! I have a lot of trouble reading poorly written stories, or ones with many editing mistakes, even when they have a fantastic plot, so I'd have to say writing style. Reading every single word, perhaps wondering what was actually meant, is quite jarring. A good style, allows the words to flow by. If the content was very slow, I would probably end up skimming, which can not be done when poorly written.

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20. 0

    lisasuniquevoiceposted 12 years ago

    Each genre of writing should be viewed as such regardless of style or content.

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21. 60

    Marturionposted 12 years ago

    Great answers by all!  I love hearing the opinions on questions like these, because it reminds us all just ow varied our audience is - even by a simple question, we can see how many different opinions and reading styles there are.  As for me, I recently endured a book that was so intriguingly well written, with such eloquent similes and analogies, that it was quite painful to force myself through the author's meandering and utterly pointless story.  I found myself taking longer to read than normal, and it was driving me crazy!  So, I think my vote would probably be for content.

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    Minnetonka Twinposted 12 years ago

    I would rather have interesting content as that is what makes it fun to read for me.

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23. 83

    PDXKaraokeGuyposted 12 years ago

    well, both. Good content with bad or boring style is pointless and good style with not much content isn't great either. if you held a gun to my head, though, I'd rather have style. Enjoy the journey, even if the destination sucks.

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