Saturday, May 31, 2014

Featured Follow #3: Great Characters and Plot vs Gorgeous Writing

How does this work?

The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools — keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you! What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy.


How important is good writing to you? In an ideal world, a book would be beautifully written AND have great character development, plot, etc. But in the real world, which do you prefer: (1) Great characters and plot with lousy writing or (2) Middling character development and plot but gorgeous writing

Here's my response in form of a letter:

Dear Author,

In a perfect world, where vampires don't sparkle, suspected teen relatives do not make out, and pureness of the soul isn't measured by donating stuff, I would prefer both great characters, plot and gorgeous writing. But since we cannot have the best of both worlds, decisions need to be made.

I'm a character-based reader. I can't stand TSTL and Mary Sue characters. Gadgets are expensive, and if I keep hurling them at the wall every single time I read your book, I would need to get a second job. Or just not read your book.

I'd like to think that if I met your characters in real life, there would be hugs and talks over cup of coffees, instead of throttling and Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-enactments. Although good writing is important to me, well, very important, I do not have an insistent, internal proof-reader built in the dark recesses of my mind. Of course, the characters should be at least decently described. If a character is written as beautiful, smart, kind, honest, generous, sexy, beautiful, smart, kind, honest, generous, and perfect... That's overkill, and we need to talk. I would very much appreciate a flawed character, it makes them more real and bearable.

Character development in the story is very important to me. Did I say very important twice? Yes, very important. If let's say, Mary started out as a meek and plain girl with no spine for decision making and ended up as a meek and spushul girl with a boyfriend that makes the decisions for her, then I would need to get a second job. Or worst, just stop buying your stuff. Frankly, author, you need to get Mary's brain checked.

Also, I do not care if you describe one stormy night as, well, one stormy night. Heck, you can the describe the night as dark and I wouldn't bat an eyelash! I have an overactive imagination, I think that would compensate for your lack of creativity. BUT if you go and write hope in this world bleeds out of the barrel of a gun or every organ in my body falls to the ground, you might break the said overactive imagination. And in that case, we will never ever ever, EVER, getting back together.

But what are the chances you would do that to me?

This leads us to questions like, if you take the supernatural out of your story, would there still be a half-decent plot? Or can you promise that this 500-page book wouldn't turn into a novella in its abridged version? If you answer NO to all of that, then I'm quite sure we have what we call - a plot problem. And that is NOT okay, okay?

So not to make this a long letter, I think I made myself quite clear on where I stand. Great characters and plot with lousy writing is better than middling character development and plot but gorgeous writing.


Sincerely,





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22 comments:

  1. This is a fun letter!

    Thanks for dropping by my blog. New twitter, GFC & bloglovin follower.

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    1. Hi Liezl! Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the letter.

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  2. Ha! Nice! I agree, character development, plot, etc are definitely more important to me! I've read a lot of great indie and self-pub books that excelled at this. Sure the writing was a bit mediocre, but they were still fab reads!

    Thanks for visiting and following my blog! Returning the follow!

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    NEW Follower :D

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  3. wow, you explained it well ;)

    happy weekend!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Followed you back. :-)

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  4. Wonderful letter! I agree completely.

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  5. I really enjoyed your letter! New follower :)

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  6. Ha!

    You go, girl. I love the angst. Consider yourself followed (Bloglovin'). :)

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    1. Yup. That's me! All angst and snark. LOL. Thanks for the follow!

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  7. I love your response! I think it's so cool you thought to put it in a letter! New follower by Bloglovin' and Twitter! Thanks for visiting My FF @ Donnie Darko Girl! :)

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  8. Good answer to a hard question. Love that you wrote a letter. I'm a new follower.
    Diane @ Diane's Book Blog

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  9. Hopping through. Sorry for the super late comment. Thanks for commenting on my FF last week. I love sparkly vampires but hate TSTL characters, which makes my Twilight relationship complicated. I love the mythology that Stephenie created - it's different than other vampires but as time has passed, I don't like Bella and Edward's relationship much.

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    1. No worries, Alison! I absolutely dislike Bella's relationship with Edward but I have nothing against the author personally. I thought vampires sparkling is silly & weird but is certainly a new spin on the vampire folklore. Thanks for stopping by!

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  10. Argh the phone ate my comment. But yes I agree whole heartedly. Better characters can salvage simple writing

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    1. Oh my. Sorry to hear that but it happens! lol Thanks, Tabitha.

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  11. Know what’s gobbsa-O-funn? Read on. Greetings, earthling. Because I was an actual NDE on the outskirts of the Great Beyond at 15 yet wasn’t allowed in, lemme share with you what I actually know Seventh-Heaven's gonna be like for us: meet this ultra-bombastic, ex-mortal-Upstairs for the most-extra-blatant-and-groovy, pleasure-beyond-measure, Ultra-Yummy-Reality-Addiction in the Great Beyond for a BIG-ol, kick-ass, party-hardy, eternal-warp-drive you DO NOT wanna miss the smmmokin’-hot-deal. YES! For God, anything and everything and more! is possible!! Cya soon.

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