Debate: dive into the backstory first or let it trickle out naturally?

I was reading this massive forum post, like 20 parts about a guy restoring a 1967 Mustang. The writer kept stopping to tell his whole life story before getting back to the car. Half the comments loved the slow reveal, saying it built suspense. The other half begged him to just stick to the engine rebuild... I personally liked the personal tangents, they made the car feel important. What do you all prefer when you're deep into a long read - do you want every detail upfront or do you like piecing it together as you go?

2 comments

2 Comments

baker.phoenix12d ago

Oh man, I'm the worst with this. I'll start reading a simple repair guide and end up knowing the author's entire family tree before I find out if the carburetor worked. I recently got sucked into a blog about a guy renovating a lighthouse, and I swear I read three chapters about his divorce before he even touched a paintbrush. It's a problem because I end up getting attached to the person's life story, then completely forget what the original project was supposed to be about.

the_tara12d ago

Wait, did you actually finish the lighthouse blog or did you bail after the divorce stuff? I gotta know if he ever picked up that paintbrush.