What invites you to pick up a book?

cj Sez: As an author and reader, the first thing that catches my eye when I’m looking for a book to buy/read is the cover. It will be someone or something I can relate to in a personal way. 

Then I check out the back-of-the-book blurb that gives me a snippet of what the book is about. If my interest is still piqued, I read a couple of first pages then read a couple of pages in the middle of the book. (I check the middle to see if the excitement I found at the beginning sags. No one likes a saggy middle.) Like every reader I know, I do this many, many times before I make a final selection.  

When you’re in a bookstore or library, what piques your interest in a book?
 

I tend to like stories with great dialogue and character narratives. Robert B. Parker, James Lee Burke, and Elmore Leonard are some of my favorite authors. They produce great story content and write wonderful repartee. I want to get most of the story’s sense of place, characterization, emotion, and plot from the action and the dialogue (see the Burke meme). 

 I also appreciate humor, even in some of
the dark scenes.

   What is your preference . . . lots of delicious  narrative or sassy and deep point-of-view  dialogue?

  Follow-up question:  Who are your favorite  authors? What about their writing appeals to  you?

 Exciting ups and downs, i.e., conflicts, must  always be in the story to hold my attention, but I’m not interested in grabbing for tissues. I don’t want to cringe at something a character says or does, even if it really does happen in real life. I believe I have enough grief going on in my life, and don’t want to cry while reading. I’m drawn to strong heroines and hunky heroes…they don’t have to be young, wild, and good-looking, but they do have to be likable. (And for me, the villain has to be villainous, even if there’s a hint of sympathy for him.) I want the heroine/hero to win and the story to end with a promise of something positive for the good guys. That’s the story arc I want to see.

What keeps you reading? Obviously, plot and content of any good book are de rigueur, but when those two requirements are met: Is it a strong, smart heroine, an equally smart and incredibly attentive hero, or a perfect ensemble of characters? 

From Facebook

Okay, that’s it for today. There’s a storm coming in, and I need to get this posted and the computer shut down. Last month, a lightning strike in a neighbor's yard blew out my son’s computer monitor. Can't afford another right now, so I'm gone. You-all guys, keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj
cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

The Talkies, Part 2

Yellowhammer

Story is all about characters and plot/theme, and a writer has to be intimately knowledgeable about both in order to write good dialogue. As in life, character personas must undergo change as the story moves forward, and dialogue is a great way to give readers insight into those changes. 

I love writing dialogue because it keeps me in the character's head. For dialogue to sound real, I have to know my character well enough to speak as she/he would speak...using words and syntax that fits the character's background. And I do read my dialogue out loud after I've written it, but not right away. I usually wait a day or so and take a fresh look at it. 

Through dialogue, writers can give the reader some sense of the characters' emotions and their attitudes toward each other (anger, sarcasm, humor) without "telling." Here's a brief example using an action clue: "'You're wrong,' he said with a sneer." The action/nonverbal clue, "sneered," helps the reader interpret the emotion and attitude of the character. (By the way, "'You're wrong,' he sneered" is incorrect because "sneered" isn't a verbal tag.)

A quick exchange of dialogue (no dumping backstory) is a great tool for pacing. It breaks up grey blocks of narrative and keeps the reader moving through the story. I personally tend to use shorter exchanges between characters because I happen to love Robert B. Parker's style. The words, the length of the sentences, the punctuation are all excellent tools to intensify danger or sexual tension.  

I also like that because dialogue is written in the present tense, it's an active experience that draws the reader into the scene and into the plot—which is exactly where you want the reader to be.

That's all for now.  You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same. 

cj

PS:  Stop by my Facebook author page and tell me what you think.  http://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

PPS:  The bird photo by Jeff Johnston is a Yellowhammer flicker, the Alabama State Bird.