What are the strongest parts of your books?

This isn't exactly about my writing but I like to think I know my era (Victorian) very well. I'm kind of a research geek, so I struggle with not including historical extras nobody but me cares about. It's hard not to go off on what everybody ate for dinner, wore under their clothes, and scrubbed their grates with. And my latest obsession is maps, so now I have a new temptation to wrestle with, that of including the names of unimportant locations. I like my parks and sidestreets, even when I have no good reason to mention them.

ETA: Oh, and I've never quite forgiven myself for putting a Georgian era dress on the cover of my second Accomplished book, when the period is mid-Victorian. It still bugs me whenever I look at it but I couldn't find the image I needed at the time.

The parts I wrote?

I like the fact that I usually have characters who are kind of ambiguous on the good/bad spectrum.  They may be the protagonist, but they do some idiotic and/or infuriating things.  Or they may be the antagonist, but their motivations are easy to understand, and easy to sympathize with in spite of the reader's reluctance to do so.

I say "usually" because I just wrote 6000 words featuring a villain who is just a pure evil turd of a man.  His motivations are clear and make sense in the context of what he wants, but he's ruthless and doesn't give a crap about anybody but himself.  Not my usual antagonist type, to be sure, but a whole lot of fun to write!  

Also I guess readers usually like my prose.  Huh.

@ Dara, does your period research carry over to your fantasy series in any way?

@ ElHawk, I love ruthless, selfish villains, to be honest.

Well, publishers and editors have always praised my sex scenes. And now readers do. Don't be misled by this - the actual sex isn't always good. There's some pretty dreadful sex. But it's there because it's needed and sex has many reasons for being in a book apart from erotica. One reviewer said he realised my book was serious when he got to the first rape scene. There is some good sex in there too luckily. 

I do a moan like nobody else.

I'd have to say my characters - and their dialogue.

John Daulton said:

The parts I wrote?

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+1 Have to agree. Wouldn't release a book if I was aware there were weak parts to it.

Action scenes. I do pretty good action set piece scenes very well. They play out in my head like movies and I just describe them.

I'm working on snappy Aaron Sorkin type dialogue now in the new book. Before I would just write normally when it comes to conversations, but now I just write out only the dialogue part first, then try to tune that up, make witty with good comebacks and intelligent sarcasm.

Takes longer, but it reads better...

I try hard to do everything you listed well.

However, I am proudest of the 'humanness' and humanity of my characters, even the cold ruthlessness of my antagonists. I want them to struggle as I see most of us struggle, to make mistakes and learn from them (hopefully) as we all do, to want - and love - and hate - and dream as we all do.

I think a lot of my action scenes, varied pacing, human humor aren't all that bad either.

I strive to make my stuff a good read for my readers. Some think I've succeeded - I hope that I do.

I'm very fond of some of my final chapters! It may just be because I breathe a sigh of relief when I've got that close to the end, or perhaps the characters do. I like to keep a little surprise for the last few pages.

I'd like to think my dialogue is natural, and reviewers have praised my characterisation saying my characters come to life for them, which is very gratifying as I like character-driven stories  .

Ian Fraser said:

+1 Have to agree. Wouldn't release a book if I was aware there were weak parts to it.

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@ I don't think most people would. But having being proud of some parts of your work is different than putting out a flawed work. Perhaps some scenes are just easier to write or you are proud of the consistency and tone of you writing. Brag man! tis fun...

cecilia_writer said:

I'm very fond of some of my final chapters! It may just be because I breathe a sigh of relief when I've got that close to the end, or perhaps the characters do. I like to keep a little surprise for the last few pages.

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I do love good endings.

I see a lot of people are proud of their characterization. Good stuff

I think I write pretty good angst. Three books in a row making my readers cry and get angry at me has to be a record or something.

Apparently, I'm okay at channeling my inner teenage girl, on the rare occasion I include such characters. And I can write horrible purple prose pretty well, if I do say so myself.

I'm quite awful at everything else, though.

My endings are the best part, though at the end I frequently find myself questioning if I put enough scenes in to deaden the pace between action.

Now I just need ten more novels before I can make a living at this.

C.P.D.Harris said:

I'm new here, just fishing for writing tips and checking out the place

Just for fun. I'm wondering what parts of your writing you are most proud of.

Are your action scenes awesome?
Are your conversations just dripping with character?
Do your sex scenes get rave reviews?
Are you great with plot?
Can you vary the pace of your tale?

etc...

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I think my dialogue is very good. The polt keeps you guessing until the end. The sex scenes are pretty spicy. All in all, it's a fun read.

If you write something you love, others will find it. That's the best advice I can give.

If it's what I'm proud of (which I see you're saying now) then it's originality. I have a bit of a thing about writing something new.

jljarvis said:

The strongest part of my books is their cloak of invisibility.

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Ha! I know that garment well.

The strongest part of my writing is to take the reader into the atmospheric frame of the story...this according to most reviewers anyway. It is encouraging to me as a writer. My endings are unexpected, but at the same time inevitable and I would view that as a strength in the actual storytelling.

Great thread.