I’m on a mission to find out why I buy a book. This entails figuring out if I like the heft of it because most of what I buy is about the same size. A few exceptions exist like Lenin’s Tomb and Cloudsplitter. Though, for the most part they are around 300-400 pages.
I have favorite authors: Ann Patchett, Barbara Kingsolver, Elizabeth Strout, Jane Smiley, Michael Chabon to name a few. Their books are like siren calls. I trust their writing.
Why? It is their voice? The first sentence? Page? The stories? Is it the catch-all answer D—all of the above?
What about the adage of build interesting characters? These writers do that.
Also there is that nugget of something tantalizing on the first page, even the first paragraph, which I contend it is a near impossible feat. Yet, they do it again and again. They have built trust.
So, what makes me venture afield to another author? What makes me read past the first line of a new-to-me author, then, turn the page?
In case you’re wondering…yes, I do spend time away from writing. Evidence below.
In the meantime, I’d love your company in my writerly world where AI drafts do not exist. Just me every day at my laptop. Tell me you’re out there, that you support original human effort with a subscription. But, if a one-time read is your thing, thanks for your time.