This blog usually features tips on improving your writing craft or getting published, but today some readers share thoughts on what they look for in books:
Marilynne Smith. I'm finding a lot of my books among the mid-range writers. I like mysteries and I am often disappointed by best sellers. I have many writer friends and I'm willing to give them a try. In return I've found many a great read.
Marilynne blogs at maxiebooks.blogspot.com
Joe Hartlaub. What prompts me to read a book: The inside front cover.
Let me know in the first paragraph (or sentence) what the genre is, and where the story is set. I am a sucker for hard-boiled detective novels set in New Orleans or anywhere in Ohio. Tell me that early.
Sandy Nathan. Why I choose one book over another: Voodoo. Magic. Sorcery with words. I read all sorts of books, all the time, whether published by traditional publishers or indies. What makes me finish a book and recommend it is an emotional/psychological/spiritual wallop that really good writing packs. Examples? The Swedish author Jan Guillou's Crusades Trilogy, three long books that I gobbled down. Historical fiction at its best. White Oleander - just finished that. Incredibly depressing and painful, but the words soared. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Diana Galbadon's Outlander Series, all nine million pages of it. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. All of these grabbed me, charmed me, had me telling my friends about them. (They were also well written in proper English.)
No comments:
Post a Comment