So back to good books–characters good, great characters equal memorable story.
What else makes a good story? Again from the reader’s perspective.
Let’s talk story. Yes, the plot is important. It’s what ties the characters together, sets the backdrop and moves the conflicts and characters. Chances are you have your genres you prefer for story settings. I know I do, though I’m not afraid to occasionally try something new. It’s genre which usually draws me toward one book shelf or another, but if a story sounds good, I’ll probably check it out.
This is an important point to make I think. When I’m at a bookstore or looking online, it really is the book blurb that draws me to the next step: reading. I read part of a chapter to get a sense of the voice of the author. I have to know if the way I’m being told this story is going to keep me going over the next four to eight hundred pages. And when I do find a voice I like in an authoress/author, I usually start reading everything they write because finding that story telling rhythm and getting into the vibe of an authoress/author really does count with me.
If I like the way they tell a story, I’m in. Now they can still muck it up with simplified plots or mundane characters, but it’s another important piece to the story telling puzzle.
Is this what your’e thinking too?
We’ll keep dissecting.
Craig