Avoiding a badly written good story

AMERICAN author of young adult urban fantasy novels, Melisa Marr, once said, “Life is too short to read books that I am not enjoying.”

While reading is a preferred pastime for many people, even many more would not spend their precious time reading things that do not get the adrenaline pumping.

Those who have become book addicts did not become so by reading boring stuff. Everyday, new books are being put on sale and the vast majority of them will never become best-sellers. Most will not be read outside the author’s immediate circle of friends and family.

So what makes a good book? The book industry can be likened to film-making, where many things have to be taken into consideration to ensure that the product generates interest from the intended target audience.

From the characterisation, to the storyline, good authors strive to make sure that all aspects of their books are up to scratch.

Across all genres, there are numerous authors who have become trend-setters in the literary world because of their creativity, imagination and wonderful use of language, among other things.

I have lost count of the novels I have read, and along the way I have picked up some things about what makes a good read.

And it is disappointing to note that the pool of interesting writers in Zimbabwe is very small, with the majority producing substandard work that is not even worth mentioning.

While most major publishing houses will make sure that substandard work will not see the light of day, this era of self-publishing has seen a rise in the number of releases that are very disappointing.

It is a good thing that there are many people who have an interest in writing, but it would help a great deal if writers worked harder to write better.

An interesting point raised by established writers I have talked to is that many authors do not even know their target audience. Knowing your target audience helps you package your work accordingly and thus enrich it.

Grammatical errors, poor spelling, and even worse punctuation make for a horrible read, destroying story lines that are otherwise catchy. So it is also necessary to have good editors.

Another important aspect to look at is characterisation because the way a writer develops a character determines how the narrative unfolds.

Readers need to be hooked to at least one character so that they continue flipping pages to find out what happens next. Stories are often centred on either a main character or a man issue, so if readers fail to understand or cannot relate to that character or issue, they are put off.

Style and tone also help readers fall in love with a piece of work. As such, writers should pay attention to choice of words, rhythm and literary devices among other things. Some writers lack consistency in terms of their world view, which gets readers confused. Know what it is you stand for, without necessarily getting preachy. Proper research is vital. You can’t just sit down and start writing about a subject or place that you know little about.

A book with a believable plot, captivating character(s), intriguing dialogue and vivid description, just to mention a few things, will certainly encourage readers to continue flipping the pages.