The oft-touted piece of advice for selling lots of books is to "write a good book" but that advice can be so subjective and rather vague as to be almost useless.
For what is a "good" book?
Sometimes the answer is that it's not necessarily a well-written book but one that tells a "good story" which is another bit of advice that can trap us in the same near meaningless loop once more since that too can be subjective and vague.
What is a "good" story?
It's often suggested to read the topselling books in your genre to get an idea of reader expectations. I sometimes find this counterproductive. There are some books that rank highly, maintain that rank (or close to it) over time, and have decent numbers of positive reviews that I have purchased in order to study them and better understand reader expectations only to come to the conclusion that readers must expect to find mediocre writing, to notice an apparent lack of a hook to pull the reader into the story and to be bored out of their freaking minds before reaching chapter two.
Yet those books sell and continue to sell in spite of the fact that they are so, so boring or even just plain awful.
So I am left to wonder if it's just me. Are those books not bad? Am I too easily bored? Have I become too picky to read modern books?
To me, a good book should draw you into the story. You can see it playing out in your head as you read along. Each page compels you to turn to the next. Each chapter becomes the second to last chapter you want to read before putting the book down. Eat? Just one more chapter first! Drink? You can refill your glass later. Mother Nature's calling? Well, there is that empty glass . . . The bottom line is that you cannot put the book down.
That's a good book. That's the kind of book you want to emulate.
There is often debate over show vs. tell but I wonder if the real debate should be over push vs. pull. Perhaps we need to ask of each paragraph we write if it is compelling the reader to keep going or giving them an out to put the book down. It's not whether you are showing or telling but whether each line of your story is pulling the reader in or pushing them away.
What do you think makes for a "good" book? What specific advice would you give to a first time writer who wants to write a "good" book? Is it too subjective to define or are there specific and universal elements that make up a "good" book? How can you pull the reader in rather than push them away?
For what is a "good" book?
Sometimes the answer is that it's not necessarily a well-written book but one that tells a "good story" which is another bit of advice that can trap us in the same near meaningless loop once more since that too can be subjective and vague.
What is a "good" story?
It's often suggested to read the topselling books in your genre to get an idea of reader expectations. I sometimes find this counterproductive. There are some books that rank highly, maintain that rank (or close to it) over time, and have decent numbers of positive reviews that I have purchased in order to study them and better understand reader expectations only to come to the conclusion that readers must expect to find mediocre writing, to notice an apparent lack of a hook to pull the reader into the story and to be bored out of their freaking minds before reaching chapter two.
Yet those books sell and continue to sell in spite of the fact that they are so, so boring or even just plain awful.
So I am left to wonder if it's just me. Are those books not bad? Am I too easily bored? Have I become too picky to read modern books?
To me, a good book should draw you into the story. You can see it playing out in your head as you read along. Each page compels you to turn to the next. Each chapter becomes the second to last chapter you want to read before putting the book down. Eat? Just one more chapter first! Drink? You can refill your glass later. Mother Nature's calling? Well, there is that empty glass . . . The bottom line is that you cannot put the book down.
That's a good book. That's the kind of book you want to emulate.
There is often debate over show vs. tell but I wonder if the real debate should be over push vs. pull. Perhaps we need to ask of each paragraph we write if it is compelling the reader to keep going or giving them an out to put the book down. It's not whether you are showing or telling but whether each line of your story is pulling the reader in or pushing them away.
What do you think makes for a "good" book? What specific advice would you give to a first time writer who wants to write a "good" book? Is it too subjective to define or are there specific and universal elements that make up a "good" book? How can you pull the reader in rather than push them away?