What Makes a Book Good – The Story or the Writing?

Last updated on November 3rd, 2019 at 07:03 pm

In my quest to become a published book writer, I often ponder the reasons we read the books that we do.

Have you ever started reading a book only to find it wasn’t quite what you thought?  Perhaps the storyline didn’t measure up to your expectations or you couldn’t connect to the writing style? Seven years ago I started reading a book I have not yet finished, but keep reading a bit at a time.

I thought the author was quite pretentious and it annoyed me enough that I couldn’t read a lot at one time.

But the story is good.

I have put this book down for a year or two at a time but I don’t have to start over when I pick it back up. I remember the story, the characters, and the details; all of them. Just to be clear I do not have a world-famous memory. There are days when I don’t think I have a memory at all.

It’s something about this book.

Is it because the story is so good that I can’t help but remember the details?

or

Is it because it’s written so well that the details are forever ingrained in my memory?

In one interview, James Patterson’s advice to aspiring writers includes “…The detail that you have is really relevant to the story and makes it work better …” This piece of advice leads me to believe that it’s all in the details. Is that true? Does the story not matter as long as there are good details? (That is my question, James Patterson did not say that in his interview.)

Dean Koontz advice is “…Read everything you can get your hands on. Keep your mind and heart open to the world. Work hard. Take your work very seriously.” This leads me to believe that as long as you work hard you can write a good book. (Again, Mr. Koontz did not say this in the interview).

After reading a lot of advice from various authors and reading a lot of books on my own, I think the answer is that there is no answer.

It is magic.

Yes, the book has to be written well, but what does that mean exactly?

James Patterson makes a reference to Picasso and Chagall and how people interpret things differently.

While I have not yet had a book published, I believe the details and story are very important, they are the book after all.

But the timing and the audience = magic.

The book has to be marketed to the right audience.

To do that you need a good publisher which you can find in Writer’s Market–recommended by every author I have researched.

By the way, the book I have been reading is The Emperor of Ocean Park. I no longer think it’s as ostentatious as I once did suggesting that where you are in your life may have much to do with how you enjoy a book.

I am working hard to make sure the details and story of my book are “good.”

I can only pray the timing is right.

Dawnda Schaefer