The question What
makes a good book? has been
popping up in my head quite a bit lately, while reading or especially writing my own books.
I stop writing only to reread what I've written and wonder, “Is
this good?”
Now, what is a good book? I think it's a
legitimate question to ask ourselves. What defines good? Should it be my own
definition, someone else's, or the general popular opinion?
The opinion of what
makes a good book is almost entirely subjective.
Think of an old
favorite book that you could read again and again. Can you picture it in your
head almost as if you had a copy in your hands to open and start reading right
now? Think about it for a while. Pick
the story apart in your head and mull over it a bit. What makes you love the story? What makes you keep coming
back to it time and again? What makes your mind wander back to the story and
just muse about it? What qualities of that book do you just love and cherish?
What are the elements
of a good book for me? Well, here’s what I have in mind and I speak now from a reader’s POV:
1. Plot
The best kind of plot is one that keeps people reading because they are
so engrossed and intrigued that they just can't put the book down. Personally,
I like when I don't know what's going to happen in a plot. Predictability is
something I tend to dislike because, in my eyes, nothing kills a story faster
than too much predictability. Predictability in small doses is fine – but
readers don't want to be right all the time. Unnecessary scenes that don't add
to the plot or character growth in any way, shape, or form should be edited –
or cut out completely.
2. Relatability
It doesn't matter whether I'm reading mystery, paranormal, fantasy as long as there are realistic
and relatable elements to the plot and characters. Realism may not apply to realms of fiction, but
elements
of realism always should. Nothing
is perfect, not even in a utopian setting, because people are not perfect. The
imperfections add a relatable element whatever story is
being told.
Emotion is probably the highest relatable factor for me when I'm
reading. I may never have met a vampire or kissed a shapeshifter, but I know
the tugs of love and the irrational thoughts and passions that come with it. The
circumstances don't matter as
long as readers feel along with the characters. It's a challenge for
writers, yes, but it leads to more of a deep and meaningful story.
3. Consistency
Storytelling needs to have a flow to the writing – and there's nothing
that breaks a flow in storytelling like inconsistencies in characters,
backstories, or the writing style itself.
Don't you hate it when you're reading a book that's keeping you
guessing – only to hit a snag and get thrown out of the story completely
because you read something that just didn't
make sense? Writers need to know their worlds, the
worlds' rules, and the characters inhabiting said worlds. Readers will
settle for the easy resolution but they
don't like them because they don't reflect real life, which almost always bears
struggle and conflict. Happily ever afters are preferred by readers, but they're
much more meaningful if the characters have 'paid their dues' to earn the HEA.
4. Writing
I often know a book will be good if I am envious of the writing. While
that sounds a weird thing to say, keep in mind that I am a writer myself. If I
can read a first passage in a book and think, "Wow, I wish I could write
like this," then that's saying something, isn't it?
Though tastes vary, descriptions aren't a bad thing since a writing
style can help give a book its own specific kind of atmosphere. The point, is less is more. Not many readers like
to barrel through paragraphs of description, no matter how beautifully written,
because it slogs down the story.
5. Characters
I'm a critical, but I always fall hard for characters. I look at it
this way: why read about characters I
don't like? I want to root for that character no matter what. I want to
stand behind him/her and his/her decisions. I want to follow him/her on
whatever journey is unfolding in his/her life.
Flaws. Ambiguity. They're necessary. Why did so many of us Pride and Prejudice fans come out
loving Darcy, arrogant man that he could
be? Because he was flawed and ambiguous only to show greater depth and emotion
than any reader had likely imagined.
To conclude - I leave the question to all my followers: what makes a good book for you?
Make it a big question of the day, because, honestly, isn't a good book what
anyone is hoping for any time they sit down and open a book to read?
Keep your reader
reading.
3. And on Thursday, 11th May another interview. Angela, Dracula's mistress, is Lisa Burton's guest. Here is the link:
