Writing Tips (XIX) To be or not to be a good book?

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.

Reviews (XXVII)

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat dark and well worth a read, March 7, 2014

By

Robert Clark

This review is from: Shadows of the Past (Kindle Edition)

Shadows of the Past, by Carmen Stefanescu, is, in effect, two novels intertwined into one. One, set several hundred years ago, revolves around Genevieve and, to a lesser extent, around Andrew. The other, set in the present, has Anne as the main protagonist with Neil as the secondary main character. While Shadows of the Past has to be considered a paranormal romance, the romance element is simply one part of a complex story.

The paranormal aspects of the book start out as hints and suppositions. Even well into the novel the reader has to wonder if the supernatural elements are really there, or are the products of the characters’ minds. Was the venomous snake crawling up to Neil a sending from some evil power or was it just a snake in the wrong place at the wrong time? Are the spectral figures Anne sees real or products of her imagination? Is there an actual linkage between Anne and Genevieve? Only toward the end does Stefanescu leave no doubt that the paranormal is operating as a major factor in her novel.

The constant movement within the two basic time frames, and some back and forth jumps within each, can prove a bit disconcerting at first. However, unlike some novels, in Shadows of the Past the two story lines are always clearly delineated and can’t be confused with each other. As the novel progresses smoothly this ceases to be a problem as Stefanescu draws the reader into the plot.

For those who like their paranormal romances light and fluffy with happy endings, Shadows of the Past probably isn’t a good choice. While most novels in this genre put the protagonists in danger or at least in crisis time after time, they almost always finish with a happy ever after ending. Stefanescu’s work is darker. The threats and problems are as much psychological as physical, and, as in real life, not every problem is easily solved and not every ending is happy.

This does not mean Shadows of the Past is a downer. In the critical story line the good guys win, it’s just that their victory doesn’t mean their lives will always be perfect. I found the concession to realism in the fantasy refreshing.

No novel is perfect, although the imperfections are often less in the novel itself than in the mindset of the reader. There are sections of Shadows of the Past that I found a bit repetitive. However, in all those cases, I could see where Stefanescu would have considered the retelling of specific events critical to make sure the reader understood what was happening.

There was one minor scientific glitch where DNA, instead of something like carbon dating, was used to determine the age of some bones. In the over-all context of the book, the error was irrelevant.

Apparently Shadows of the Past is intended as one book in a series, or at least a book with a sequel, because one rather ominous passage at the end certainly sets the stage for another book.

Carmen Stefanescu’s Shadows of the Past is a little different from the typical paranormal romance, which is a good thing, and is an enjoyable read.

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