3 Things I Love in a Good Story // Olivia

from Olivia

1. “My Kind” of Writing Style

I say my kind because what one person may term stupendous writing is not necessarily what “does it” for another. A good example of that would be Jane Austen. I’m not saying the woman wasn’t an excellent author, but I don’t personally care for her books because her writing style, at least that which I’ve so far experienced, doesn’t appeal to me. I like writing that is rich; vibrant with description and insight. I appreciate those “aha” moments in reading when I’ve been plodding steadily along, and bam! The author throws in some unique turn of phrase to express a universal, age-old truth in an empathetic new way. I love the expressions of senses—colorful natural vistas, the connection between music and the soul of the player/hearer, the feel of a blanket, etc. That being said, I do not like three-page-long accounts of either endless walking or of describing a single scene or of soliloquizing a character’s mental processes. Because those can get tedious, dontcha know. ;) 

2. Humor 

This rather ties into the first point, since it’s another thing I look for in writing. I prefer subtle humor, humor that either comes or goes so quickly that it takes you a couple minutes to realize how funny it actually was, or humor that is half-concealed under wry sarcasm or period-appropriate dialect. We all need a laugh now and then, right? :) 

3. Good Relationships 

They can be friend-to-friend, lover-to-lover, parent-to-child, whatever, but relationships are such an important component of a good story; I think everyone would agree. I’d rather read about relationships that are going to end happily for all parties (because Reasons), but a tragic bond, if well-crafted, can also be so compelling and instructive (i.e. Rebecca and Brian de Bois-Guillbert in one of my favorites, Ivanhoe). If an author truly understands human interaction (or animal interaction; not invalidating those stories!), he or she can gain a vast audience because of the natural empathy that their writing evokes—the feeling, as William Goldman put it, that someone else realizes that yeah, life isn’t always fair. “It’s just fairer than death, that’s all.”

Note from Heidi: Thanks so much for sharing today, Olivia! :)

~     ~     ~ 

Would you like to share three of your favorite things in a guest post? You don’t have to be a writer to qualify! This series is by story lovers for story lovers.
For post specifics/guidelines you can see the initial post here, then send Heidi a quick email at ladyofanorien(at)gmail(dot)com. Don’t be shy. I’d love to have you!