this is not a ride I will be taking.

Bad prose is everywhere, and no impediment to popularity. Most readers don’t mind. I wish I didn’t mind, but I do. No matter how compelling the plot, I struggle to get through schlocky writing. Same goes for podcast narration. If you introduce a character by saying, “Mallorie was a successful chiropractor who finished top of her class at Michigan. Brilliant and beautiful, she had it all — except for the perfect guy,” I’m just out, I don’t care what great twists you have in store, this is not a ride I will be taking.

PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE