What Makes a Book Memorable?

 

The woman holding the book in today's photo could be you, me, or any one of thousands of people who enjoy reading. There are readers and also writers who are readers. 

This morning, I started thinking about a book that I'd read some time ago. The story and the characters come back to me when I'm least expecting it. Not only this particular book, but many. There are also books that I read and enjoy and never think about again. 

As I was making the bed, I thought about a book I'd read a long time ago. Something triggered my mind to go back to the main character in the book and the difficult life she'd had. The question I had was why do some books stay with us and others do not.

I credit the skillful writing of the author for offering a story that I think about now and then. The author is the one who created memorable characters and perhaps gave a sense of place that proved memorable, as well. 

Two books I read many years ago still come back to me now and then. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher was one, and A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford was the other. In more recent times, The Rent Collector by Camron Wright pops into my mind now and then. In all three, the main characters are unforgettable. There is a sense of place, and the stories are terrific. It's what makes certain books end up in the Classics list. They have lasting qualities that others do not. 

If you are a novelist or a short story writer, what can you do to write something that stays with the reader long after the final paragraph is read? You can read novels or short stories in the genre in which you write by the carloads. We learn by example. Read many reference books on creating memorable characters, writing a great story, and instilling a sense of place that makes the reader feel they are there. Attend conferences or conventions where you can hear successful writers share their expertise. 

Learn from the above suggestions, but write in your own voice. 

It Takes Time To Become A Good Writer

I saw a quote by a science fiction writer that was a bit blunt but also right on the money. 

"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence." 
                                                                                                --Octavia E. Butler

Have you ever pulled out some of your earliest pieces of writing and read them? I've done it and was aghast at what I had written. My early work had beginner flashing throughout in neon lights. Yes, just as Ms. Butler says, I thought that it was pretty good. I may have been the only one to think so. Editors surely didn't. I managed to find a few websites that accepted stories and essays to publish for no pay.

At the time, I was thrilled to be published. Even so, I knew that these were places where amateurs could see their work in print. Did I get praise from readers? Quite often I did but most of them were not the kind of critics I needed at the time. I wanted more.

Did I start writing better when the Writing Fairy tapped me with her wand? Nope. I wrote better when I pursued my craft on a daily basis. I persisted and tried to be patient. That second part was the hardest.

I read the work of other writers, not only in books but short stories and essays. The more I read, the better understanding I had of what good writing should be.

I wrote better when I read books and articles about writing. I picked up information about POV (point of view), voice, theme, sensory detail, writing with emotion, tenses and more. Little by little, I applied those things to my own writing.

I think that my writing improved dramatically when I joined an online writing group. It was a good one and there was no application process to be approved. Had there been, I probably would never have been accepted in the group. The moderator was a tough cookie. She slashed through our work like a swashbuckling pirate wielding a sword. Some writers dropped out of the group because they had trouble accepting criticism from her and the other writers. I quickly adopted the attitude that I was in the group to learn and to improve my writing. I knew that Kate was trying to help us do that. To this day, I am grateful to her. She disbanded the group very suddenly and appeared to drop off the edge of the earth.

I was devastated as were a few other serious writers in the group. One emailed me and invited me to another group that she was active in. She indicated she was only asking a small number of the members to switch. That was many years ago--maybe 16-18 and I'm still a part of that online writing group. The fair and honest critiques I received on my submissions helped me grow as a writer. I'm still working at improving my work and I shall probably continue until the day I can write no more. I also found that reading the critiques of other writers afforded another opportunity for me to learn something myself.

I found the keyword in Ms Butler's quote to be 'gradually' because it's so very true. Our writing does not go from drivel on Monday to excellent on Friday. We learn a little at a time and we improve bit by bit over weeks, months and more.

A good number of years ago, I wrote a novel for middle-grade kids. I had some interest from a couple editors but nothing ever came of it. I subbed it to my writing group and they were encouraging and gave some good advice on how to make it better. It's been gathering dust in my files for too long. Lately, I've had a yen to pull it out and start rewriting it. Maybe the time wasn't right when I first wrote it. Perhaps I needed to let it rest before rewriting (but surely not for as long as it has been!).

How about you? Do you have some writing that you finished in your early days of writing? Something that you might rewrite and come up with a far better piece?