I spent a little while today thinking about what factors make a book awesome. What things does a book have to have for me to really want to recommend it to other people? A few things immediately popped into my mind:
World Building: I love details about the world in which the story is set. I love lush settings, stark settings, futuristic settings, historical settings, contemporary settings, you name it- what I need are DETAILS. I want to be able to see the world in my head.
Convincing Backstory: I like to know why the characters are doing the things that they do. Sad backstory is fine, happy backstory is fine, but ultimately I don't like to be surprised by things that have happened that are important. No infodumps, please- pacing is important too.
Deal With Your Issues: This one is especially important if one of the characters has a particularly traumatic backstory. Bad things happen sometimes, and I get that, but we don't need pages and pages and pages of angst as we relive the moment again and again. The best books I've read give the information and move on; it comes up at relevant times but isn't used to fill space.
Excellent Dialogue: I don't mind extended dialogues between characters, as long as they're inspired, paced well, and hold my interest. Well done arguments or snarky conversations, double entendre, flirtations- it's all good. I think dialogue is one area where really excellent writers flex their muscles.
What about you? What story elements make your heart go thump?
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4 comments:
Great thoughts...I love the world building as well....sometimes an author overdoes it and Im feeling like they wrote the novel from planet Tron or something......don't forget hot sex and lots of chocolate!!!
I appreciate when an author gives me guidelines. Let me figure things out on my own. Let's say Patricia Briggs vs Anne Rice. I love them both but Briggs doesn't spend pages upon pages of describing every detail about rooms they will only spend a fraction of the book in. Rice on the other hand will tell you every little detail regardless of importance because she wants you to have her same vision. I understand both but prefer the less is more approach.
Great list - all your points are so true when picking out a good book! For me, I'd have to say that writing style plays a huge part. If I'm so distracted by the horrible sentences or bland descriptions, the book means nothing to me.
Emidy
from Une Parole
Great comments everyone!
Tina- How could I forget the sex?! Thankfully you're looking out for me. :D
Yesenia- I agree! I think that's a great comparison actually (Rice v. Briggs.) I guess I have to revise my description to "I want to be able to see the setting in my head, but I don't need to be able to visualize the dust bunnies under the couch."
Emidy- Writing style is definitely big for me too. I admit, I'm a grammar snob, and when I see typos or misprints in a finished copy of a book it makes me cringe. I know accidents happen but still! Spell check would catch some of these things.
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