# Does this bother you in Series?



## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

Maybe I am the only one but I get annoyed when in Series I have to read the same descriptions over and over (like what the main characters house and car look like) or having the author tell me again every book who this person is and this person! I mean I get it in the first book but when I am 7 in I am like yeah ok I KNOW THIS already and if you don't go read the first book! Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?


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## JustinDennis (Sep 6, 2011)

Yeah, I agree that it gets cumbersome, but in a lot of ways it's necessary. Like if you haven't read in the first book in over a year but then you pick up the second book, it helps to jog your memory of all these characters. Or for people who jump into a series somewhere in the middle (which I personally could never do, but I know of people who can!), it allows them to have some idea of what's going on.

Totally see your point though; if you read the books one after the other then the same information gets repetitive, but I think any author would see a backlash if they didn't include the necessary background. Because then it becomes less like separate,  individual books in a series, and more like one GIANT book.

That's my opinion


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## Danielle Kazemi (Apr 2, 2011)

This reminds me of the Babysitters Club books when there was a chapter every book describing the characters and how the club was created. I think there was over 100 something books in the series. It does get annoying with the info dumps like that. I skip over them when reading.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

It can be a bit tedious if you're reading a finished series all at once.  But you have to remember that sometimes there are years in between books when they're first published.  And those descriptions are useful if you're reading the books as they come out and don't have the time or interest to re-read the earlier books.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

I'm working on the fifth book of a supernatural series myself, so I can see this issue from both the reader's and the writer's point of view. Sometimes you just have to repeat details you have spelled out in the first or second book, or else a later story won't make proper sense. But the trick, I think, is to do this as little as possible, and to pare down the amount of detail you release each time, giving just enough for a new reader to understand what's going on, but making clear that he or she will have to read the first book(s) to get the entire picture.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

dkazemi said:


> This reminds me of the Babysitters Club books when there was a chapter every book describing the characters and how the club was created. I think there was over 100 something books in the series. It does get annoying with the info dumps like that. I skip over them when reading.


That's exactly what I first thought of. It was even worse in the "Little Sister" spin-off, where I'm pretty sure they just copy-pasted that whole info-dump into each book. I don't mind the occasional repeated detail or reminder (I often really need it!), but when it's useless detail that goes on and on, it definitely does get annoying.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

I tend to get annoyed with seeing the same descriptions over and over and over again between books. But like another poster said, often there are years between books and if read with the time gaps, those repeated descriptions do help to jog the memory. Today however, with the speed at which both traditional and indie books are popping out, I think they are less needed.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I completely agree.  Evanovich does this in every single Plum book.  Very frustrating.
deb


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## Linda Andrews (Aug 16, 2011)

I can understand it but I find it annoying when it is done in the _same_ book. I can remember what a living room looked like from 5 chapters ago. Please do not describe the monkey lamp with it lampshade fringed in beads unless you're going to bash someone (other than the reader) over the head with it.

Linda


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

Yes. I massively respect authors who find a way to creatively "catch the reader up" in subsequent sequels. I think that catch-up is generally necessary, but when you're reading a series straight through, it can be tedious.


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## Pinworms (Oct 20, 2010)

I don't mind the catchup parts.  If I feel its redundant, I have no issue of skimming over a few pages.  But other times, its totally necessary because I can't remember. 

I'm currently reading The Magician King, which is a sequel to The Magicians, which I read about a year ago.  I'm having a hard time remember who these characters were, and I'm 1/3 through the book and there has been so little "catch up" that I still don't know who one of the characters is.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

dkazemi said:


> This reminds me of the Babysitters Club books when there was a chapter every book describing the characters and how the club was created.


It's funny, as soon as I read the original post I thought of the Babysitters Club books too. But with a series like that there were probably a lot of readers who hadn't started reading at the beginning, so it made sense to give a brief intro at the start of each new book. I had all the BSC books as a kid so I just skimmed over anything that sounded too familiar.


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## mish (Jun 27, 2011)

Yes, it can get annoying but not everybody reads a series from the beginning so I guess it is a necessary evil for a series.  I've always wondered why an author doesn't just do one chapter at the front of the book to describe "what has happened so far..." for those who want or need the info dump, but those people who already know it or don't care can just skip over it and go to the first chapter.  Then they don't have to try and figure out how to work it into the story with each book.  Ya know, kinda like how some TV series start with a brief overview of what happened in the last episode or in the last season.  I think there are only a few book series that might do this.


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## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

Yes, this does annoy me.  I always feel like I'm being punished for paying attention.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

Linda Andrews said:


> I can understand it but I find it annoying when it is done in the _same_ book. I can remember what a living room looked like from 5 chapters ago. Please do not describe the monkey lamp with it lampshade fringed in beads unless you're going to bash someone (other than the reader) over the head with it.
> 
> Linda


I agree with Linda. I understand why authors have to put repetitive details in series books. Sometimes people don't read series in order and need those details or wait years to read the next one in a series, but when you have the repetitive details in the same book, it is definitely annoying.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

mish said:


> I've always wondered why an author doesn't just do one chapter at the front of the book to describe "what has happened so far..." for those who want or need the info dump, but those people who already know it or don't care can just skip over it and go to the first chapter. Then they don't have to try and figure out how to work it into the story with each book. Ya know, kinda like how some TV series start with a brief overview of what happened in the last episode or in the last season.


That is a good idea, and I like the comparison to TV shows. I always fast forward those "previously on" if I'm watching the series continuously. But they're handy if I have a long break between episodes when watching things I DVR'd or series on Netflix streaming as I sometimes need a recap if I got busy and it's been a few weeks since I watched the last episode.


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## mish (Jun 27, 2011)

mooshie78 said:


> ..."previously on"


Gah! That's the phrase I wanted! It was on the tip of my tongue and I just couldn't get it to come out...thank you!


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## gina1230 (Nov 29, 2009)

I don't read a series straight through, so I like a brief catch-up that doesn't interfere with the current story.



mish said:


> I've always wondered why an author doesn't just do one chapter at the front of the book to describe "what has happened so far..."


I think that's a great idea.


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

Usually, I skip that part if it is very long. I accept only one to two sentences' reminders, in the stories, mentioned by characters.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Pinworms said:


> I don't mind the catchup parts. If I feel its redundant, *I have no issue of skimming over a few pages*. But other times, its totally necessary because I can't remember.


Agreed. I can often use the refresher. I dont often read a series 'in series.' (Probably never) I read alot of different things in between.

Not to mention that I think it is a courtesy, or even an obligation, to new readers...if you want them to get involved in your story and come back for more.

Esp with the new 'e-book' world, I tend to buy bargains....and if one of the books in a series is on sale, cheap, I may buy it as an intro to the author. And he or she better hope that they laid the proper groundwork for me to understand where I'm coming in in the story or series.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

I actually thought of Harry Potter when I read this just because it starts the same way in the first 6 books. Yeah, not the same but it's the first to come to mind. I'm typically not a fan of the big "catch up". I just think the author needs to assume that their reader has enough brain cells that they don't need pages of what's happened. I know I have a few memory lapses from time to time but I think I can follow simple story line.


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## youngadultfiction (Jul 28, 2011)

I had the same problem with the hunger games series. It kept going on about what happened before and who did what etc. It's ok to do this a little bit, just as a refresher i guess, but i found that it actually got in the way of the story.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

it's bad enough when it happens in each book of a series, but HELLO? anyone read Jean Auel's last book? Just that one book had enough repetition in itself to cover the whole series. How many times did she have to put in the 6-page "mother's song"? (OK maybe not 6 pages but it felt like it. Probably only 4)


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is the worst for me. After so many books, you can't sum up in a chapter (or two). So to me, it felt like at least half of the book was telling/reminding us what happened previously. I haven't read Sanderson's titles in the series so I can't say if he fell into the same trap. Reading his other work would make me think he didn't.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

I think such information is often necessary for reasons already mentioned, ie. time between books being published, not all readers start with the first book in a series, etc. But the key is for the writer to include such information in new books in a creative way, without a huge info dump. Easier said than done sometimes, but in most cases it can be done.

The ones that really steam me are when I see a writer use the same paragraphs, almost word for word, from series to series. I've not run across this often, but have noticed it a few times.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

dkazemi said:


> This reminds me of the Babysitters Club books when there was a chapter every book describing the characters and how the club was created. I think there was over 100 something books in the series. It does get annoying with the info dumps like that. I skip over them when reading.


Since people read series out of order, it's necessary to describe people and setting, but info dumps should be avoided. Spread out the descriptions in short snippets. Otherwise, readers simply skip over them.


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## Richard Raley (May 23, 2011)

If you're coming late to a series it's annoying...if you've been waiting six months to a year and are keeping up on about fifty different series it's not so bad.  Authors can go overboard but some hints are needed to spark those aging brains.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I try to avoid it when I am working on my own series.  I like to think the people reading the series have read the first book.  However, I do understand the need for it.  Not everyone picks up the first book and starts there.


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## tensen (May 17, 2011)

mooshie78 said:


> That is a good idea, and I like the comparison to TV shows. I always fast forward those "previously on" if I'm watching the series continuously. But they're handy if I have a long break between episodes when watching things I DVR'd or series on Netflix streaming as I sometimes need a recap if I got busy and it's been a few weeks since I watched the last episode.


I only care for the previously on when it goes back a handful of episodes to point out a scene that is important to the current one. Like when it involves a character that hasn't been in every previous episode.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

This is one of the reasons I don't like to read too many of a series in one fell swoop. . . . .it gets boring.  I prefer to leave a month or two, or at least read a couple of different books, between entries in a series.  Keeps it fresher for me.  And then the reprise of the back story is not nearly so annoying either.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> This is one of the reasons I don't like to read too many of a series in one fell swoop. . . . .it gets boring. I prefer to leave a month or two, or at least read a couple of different books, between entries in a series. Keeps it fresher for me. And then the reprise of the back story is not nearly so annoying either.


I do the same thing. I hardly ever read all of a series in one go. I might read two books back to back but that is usually my limit, even if the series is over and even if it is fabulous. Sometimes if I read too many in a row the series loses something.
I read a lot of series so sometimes the reminders are nice, as long as you don't feel like you are reading the first book all over again.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

If it's brief, it doesn't bother me at all, even over a 10 book stretch. But when it's in a single title and the same descriptive phrases are over used, I go a little bat-chit crazy. The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer (I think this is the one...I know it was about the same serial killer) made me want to punch things every time the author used "almond shaped eyes." And I know it wasn't just me because my son noticed it and was making fun of it halfway through the book...


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

> *Mish*: Yes, it can get annoying but not everybody reads a series from the beginning so I guess it is a necessary evil for a series.


They don't ?  



> *Ty Johnston*: The ones that really steam me are when I see a writer use the same paragraphs, almost word for word, from series to series. I've not run across this often, but have noticed it a few times.


Bah! Can we say Laurell k Hamilton? I think some of her Anita Blake stories just had names & places changed. Oh, and lots of gratuitous sex added in.


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## Cindy Borgne (Mar 21, 2011)

I think to some extent I forget the description of characters, so some repetition is good. But I can see where it can be overdone. In the case of a series, it might be possible that some readers are just jumping in and haven't read the first book. If word for word is being copied over that can be obvious that perhaps the writer was just lazy..lol.


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## EliRey (Sep 8, 2010)

In a series where the story continues I can see where this would be irritating. However in a series like mine for example where it is not a continuation of the first story rather a different story of each brother and their sisters romantic lives sometimes it is necessary because I'd like to think of them as stand alones. While it's best to read in order to get a better understanding of the family each one can be read separately so there are certain things that will have to be described again and again. Their family restaurant is a big one.


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## youngadultfiction (Jul 28, 2011)

I'm currently reading 'Uglies' by Scott Westerfeld and even though it is really great, i think it is a good idea to just stop and read something else before carrying on with the series. Easy to say but hard to do though!


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## W.W. (Jun 27, 2011)

Yes, it does bother me. I do appreciate it when a writer chooses different details to focus on, even if she must describe the same person or setting.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

I've just released the second book in my series and thought a lot about this redundant angle. I decided the most "thorough" description should be in the first, changes, and/or "refreshers" and progressions in the characters looks should be noted naturally throughout in subsequent books. I would think, with each progressive installment, that the description could be limited to physical changes the character goes through or things about where they live etc., that have not been previously mentioned but lend additional depth and understanding to scene. Descriptions can be pretty important in YA as the MC continues to mature physically. Just some of my thoughts.


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

Ben White said:


> Yes, this does annoy me. I always feel like I'm being punished for paying attention.


I totally agree with that! I've read the same descriptions in a couple of different series so many times, I thought I'm paying attention, why can't everybody else??

On the complete opposite though, I'm reading a series where the main character hasn't been described and I'm about six books in. Some people would love that because they can make up their own image, but I like a little description in there.


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## S.A. Reid (Oct 3, 2011)

The mention of each Harry Potter book starting the same way (except for #7) reminds me of Dave Barry's attempt to "cash in" and write his own Potter book. It began,

_*Harry Potter lay in bed and mentally reviewed his situation.*_

LOL! I still think of that whenever I'm trying to write an "unobtrusive" info dump.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

This is a tough balance for authors. Every new release has the potential to attract new readers, so to some extent, you have to write each book in the series as a standalone. The story and the characters have to make sense to someone who's never read any of the other stories. But you can't bore your faithful readers either! I try to include just enough description and info to make it real for new readers, but I do it in different, subtle ways in each book. No complaints, so far. 
L.J.


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## JamesHutchings (Feb 27, 2011)

It could be worse. HP Lovecraft managed to repeat himself in most things he wrote, and he was writing short stories.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Generally speaking, I don't like info-dump descriptions at all. I prefer those details to be sprinkled into the action as gently as possible. If I see a solid paragraph of description, I tend to skim or skip it.

So seeing the same lengthy descriptions in sequels is doubly painful for me.


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## SpearsII (Jan 16, 2010)

Two words, Robert Jordan!

Ughhh, I think he cut and pasted large sections of his books. I have such a love/hate relationship with Jordan. I get sucked in by book one and two but then have to get through all the rest to find out what happens. I think the plot went on vacation books 6-10.


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## Math (Oct 13, 2011)

kisala9906 said:


> Maybe I am the only one but I get annoyed when in Series I have to read the same descriptions over and over (like what the main characters house and car look like) or having the author tell me again every book who this person is and this person! I mean I get it in the first book but when I am 7 in I am like yeah ok I KNOW THIS already and if you don't go read the first book! Am I the only one who gets annoyed by this?


To a certain extent I agree. Go and read the first book, or have a better blurb on the back. Then again, I think cleverer writers can combine things like this into the story so it isn't obtrusive. Maybe like Harry Potter's scar acting like his spider-sense (you know what I mean - it's early here)
The description is also a plot device -that kind of thing.


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## Grrarrgh (Aug 10, 2010)

mish said:


> Yes, it can get annoying but not everybody reads a series from the beginning so I guess it is a necessary evil for a series. I've always wondered why an author doesn't just do one chapter at the front of the book to describe "what has happened so far..." for those who want or need the info dump, but those people who already know it or don't care can just skip over it and go to the first chapter. Then they don't have to try and figure out how to work it into the story with each book. Ya know, kinda like how some TV series start with a brief overview of what happened in the last episode or in the last season. I think there are only a few book series that might do this.


This would be great, because it would also let you know right away that the book you're about to read is from the middle of a series. There have been so many times I picked up a book thinking it was a standalone, only to discover it was book 3 or 4 in a series.


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## yingko2 (Jul 26, 2011)

It doesn't really bother me. I tend to scan through those parts, but I think they are necessary. At the publishers I edit for we are required to use it because you never know which story or novel is going to be a first time reader's entry point and they need the background info. Long time readers can kinda skip over it. 
Cheers,
Howard


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