What I like in a fiction writer

The question for me right now is: Do I do some work and try to get a couple more bugs out of the program I am working on or do I write? Hmmm .... I guess you already know the answer: I write.

I have wanted to write something on what qualities in a fiction writer appeal to me. I have this feel for what I like and what I look for. But whenever I try to explain it to someone, the words that come out of my mouth don't match the thoughts I have in my head. Perhaps if I try to write about it, I can get some practice in translating the ideas in my head to words out in the real world (are electronic representations of words on a computer terminal the real world?).

So, what is it that I look for? I want a plot that will keep me interested in the story (to the point that I don't want to put the book down). I want characters that are realistic. And I want descriptive language that puts me into the scene. That's not asking for too much, is it?

Oh yea, one other thing. These are things that I look for and will keep me reading a story. I am not saying this is what makes great literature. I would never say that I am a judge of great literature. I just know what I like and what I don't like (and what I will read even though I there are things about the book I don't like).

It seems to me that plot is the easiest one of the three for published authors to hit the mark on. I understand that there are tricks to keeping the reader interested in the story. Cliff hangers at the end of a chapter (I remember that the Bobsey Twins books were like that), correct pacing, revealing the back story a little at a time. These are all techniques that will keep me interested. And I suspect that some of these can be learned. Of course, there is the right balance for the use of these tricks so they are not overused (e.g. a too slow revealing of the back story).

Characters are a bit more difficult to get just right. They must have the right balance between being human (i.e. having flaws) and being interesting enough to make me care about them. I also want to be able to put myself in their place, since I use fiction as an escape into another world. Characters I don't like are the ones that seem to be perfect. Men for whom women fall under their spell when they walk into a room. Women that are perfect mothers, perfect wives and have the perfect, high-powered career. All at the same time. Basically, something that mere mortals are not able to accomplish.

Descriptive language is what pushes me over the edge to being in love in an author's writing. It is when I read words on the page that reflect the images and ideas I have in my head that I almost get chills. I want to copy it down so I won't forget the description. I think that any writer improves their descriptive language with practice. But like a concert pianist, only the talented few achieve greatness.

I don't know how well I have achieved my goal here. I've never written about writing before. It's tough. It's tough to translate those ideas swimming around in my head to words on the page. It won't get any easier if I don't practice .... and I can only practice by writing.

The last thing I want to do here is mention a couple of authors, both of which I like to read, but I think the one is a more complete author.

Clive Cussler writes what I call 'Men's Romance Novels'. They are page turners. When I am reading one, I want to spend all my time reading the novel until I'm done. I want to find out where the plot is going. At the same time, I don't like his protagonists. They are not realistic to me. They remind me of the Doc Savage books I read when I was young, just too perfect. I will still read Cussler's books because he comes up with fantastic stories. Finding the lost city of Atlantis under Antarctica, using earthquakes as weapons, following the journey of Odysseus after defeating the city of Troy. Stories that you just have to find out what happens in the end. Stories that I wish were true (and they have enough detail and research that it seems that they could be true). Because of the great stories, I can get past the unrealistic characters.

G. M. Ford is an author that I recently discovered. He is a much more complete author than Cussler. His stories are not as 'big', but they are interesting and keep me wanting to find out what happens next. The main character of the novels I have read is very human. He makes mistakes. He hangs with lowlifes. The relationship with his girlfriend is not perfect, but it still has many wonderful qualities. What really pulled me in with Ford's writing was his descriptive language. He used to teach creative writing and it shows. Some may think he is overly descriptive, but I think he has just the right amount. Here's an example from the book I am reading right now (The Deader the Better). The main characters have just dropped in on some friends that they have not seen for a couple of years.

We did what people do in those moments. We took turns trying to encapsulate a couple of years' worth of living into a hundred words or less. Sawing off the peaks and valleys so as to seem neither boastful nor weak, ending up with fictional renderings of our respective lives that hardly seemed worth telling.

I think that is just wonderful. It describes so well what one tries to do when you see someone that you haven't seen for years. This is probably something that an older person can understand more than a younger person. We have had more years to lose track of friends and then run into them again.

OK, it's getting late and I want to read a little before I go to bed. I hope I was able to tell you a little about what I like in an author. If not, I hope that at least you liked what you read.