For this discussion post, we joining the Tell Me Something Tuesday challenge run by Jen at That’s What I’m Talking About. Here’s the topic for this week. What’s most important in a book for you: the plot, the characters, or the writing style?
Julie:
Ooh yes this is a great question. I’m mostly about the plot. I get bored, and distracted, busy life and all that. I want to read something exciting and fun – so give me a good, action-packed, memorable plot.
But yes, I also really care about the characters. Or, I want to care. So if the characters are flat, boring, not relatable, and annoying? I’m out.
Lynn:
Can I say all three? I’m saying all three. But in this order:
- PLOT
- CHARACTERS
- WRITING
Plot does drive my need to read. Which is why I mostly stick with fiction. I get enough reality that I have little to no interest in non-fiction. Plus the lack of over-arcing story to keep my attention.
I also need to connect with characters or I don’t care enough to keep reading. Give me a sarcastic, eye-rolling hero or heroine and I’m in.
Writing does contribute to both plot and characters. I do love those authors like Michael Chabon and James Wade who can describe scenes so vividly that I feel like I’m in the scene. But then there is that writing that drones on and on and on. The sentences that last for PAGES. I am out. Or it will take me months to finish if I’m kind of interested.
What about you?
We are also linking up our discussion posts with the 2023 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!
Great answers. Lynn: I like how you ranked it. That was a smart way to look at it. I realize that I don’t actually pay a lot of attention, so now I need to make more of an effort to see what I like and don’t like more.
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I agree that all three elements have to be there for me to enjoy a book, and it’s really hard for me to rank them because any one of them could make or break a book for me. For example, a book with a fantastic plot with characters who bore me or, worse, who I just don’t like, will be a major fail. A book with really great characters but no plot will often put me to sleep. And ANY book that’s truly poorly written is a no-go.
So, I guess the writing is most important for me? Not writing style, necessarily, but quality of the writing. Because it doesn’t matter what else a book has going for it if it’s not written well. (Of course, that’s somewhat subjective, but I think there’s at least a low bar that has to be met.)
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